Talk:Badlands San Francisco
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Rocco R. grom yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
12/27/2007
For anyone who knows Sydney Australia, this place is a mix between The Shift and Stonewall. You get more of a mix in the crowd, as opposed to all the 'daddy' and 'bear' bars in the Castro. I like it because they have two for one drinks that are strong and I enjoy watching a good music video. Especially good bar to go by yourself and feel comfortable. Problem is that there is nothing extraordinary about this place, but I feel that way about all gay venues I have visited in San Francisco so far.
jay h. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
12/20/2007
Shook my money maker like crazy to the dance mixes of my new bffs.....J. Lo, Rihanna, Mary J, Alicia Keys!!!
Haaayyy!!!!!!!
Robert R. from yelp
Jackson Heights, NY
4 star rating
12/19/2007
Great eye candy and cruisey. The music is pretty good. Two for one night requires a friend because unlike other clubs that give you a ticket they give you two drinks. So make sure you take a friend for the twofers nights.
== John W. from yelp San Francisco, CA
2 star rating
12/12/2007
Well, Jesus, I guess I'm living in the past, but it's a safe comfortable place to be. I yearn for the days of the old Badlands, before they imported that shitty exposed brick, everything black and silver interior from the old Detour down the street. The only thing missing is the chain link fence.
In the good old days, Badlands was a cruisy wreck of bar with tons of old license plates with catchy personalizations like TEABGGR and the like. It was comfortable like a pair of old, scuzzy shoes that you just can't part with. Pool table up front and back. Terrific.
Yes, I know I'm reviewing the current Badlands, but it's fun to reminisce.
I would not be caught dead in here now. This place is trying too hard and the patrons, oh the patrons (load upon load of Castro clone twinks and their followers), need to seriously consider life outside the bar. Fly little bird fly, be free of Badlands...
Also, this ain't the first time I've seen or heard of two for one happy hours. The way some of the other reviewers are falling all over themselves, you'd think that Badlands split the atom.
Tyler D. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
12/07/2007
They play good music and have killer drink specials on Thursday night, but the crowd is slightly rude. I am all about having a good time, but there is really no need to be stuck up and rude to other people. Perhaps I just ran into the wrong people or something, but the people definitely ruined this experience for me. Aside from that, I would say check it out.
== Elyse T. from yelp Berkeley, CA
5 star rating
11/23/2007
Good times. Strong drinks. Good music. Friendly Crowd. Crowded, but fun. A place to dance your ass off. Sweet.
Brian K. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
11/22/2007
In general, I avoid the Castro on weekends. It's overcrowded with all the worst kind of people. I try to stick to a Sunday-Thursday frame if I'm venturing to that part of town.
Regardless, Badlands is usually where I end up. The music can be really hit or miss, but they mix up enough top 40, guilty pop favorites, and anonymous beat-driven music to touch on something that pleases these dancin' feet.
The drinks aren't cheap once happy hour is over, but by that time I'm trying to drink water and sober up so I won't be hungover.
There's usually enough flow of people that you end up spotting someone who sparks your interest, but overall the crowd isn't always the most... appetizing.
Allen B. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
4 star rating
11/20/2007
I agree with a lot of the folks here. Happy Hour here has got to be one of the best in the city - price wise. I can get any liquor I want, and I did say any, and I will get two for one. Not the kind of deal where you have to read the fine print.
Bartenders are pretty cool and cute.
Videos are pretty much up to date.
Manuel M. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
4 star rating
11/18/2007
I don't see why people don't' like this place. I am going to write a review just to make the average go up.
First of all, you should follow the rules of going out before you go to this bar, just like any other bar.
1- Don't go out on weekends. Just don't. You will run into a lot of stupid bridge and tunnel folk who think drinking until they puke is a great time. Plus, it is over crowded and you can't have a good time if your not able to move your arms away from your body.
2- Happy Hour is the best hour. 2-for-1! I mean, come on. That is the best deal in the whole city. You get to order a mixed drink (not just well crap) and you get the second one for free. I haven't found a happy hour that is better.
3- If there is a Cover, Don't go in. That is for any club. I am not about covers. Even though BL has a cover, it is only one certain nights. And you don't want to be in the club those nights because everyone else is in there being over charged for drinks. So just wait until a day when there isn't a cover and meet a nice local guy who has his life together. Not some 20 something, just out of college trying to cope with the real world.
4- Go to your local bar. I lived in the neighboor hood and worked down the street from BL so this was my local bar. Once you get to the the bartenders, and the regulars then you get that feeling like on the show "Cheers" when you walk in and every one yells out, "Norm."
Oh, and beware of those stupid boys who always complain about how superficial and young the boys are in the Castro. These people are the biggest hypocrite because even thought they give that whole spill about "Castro is hell" they go to it almost every night.
BLs is a great place. I like it. You just have to not be a bitch and then maybe you will, too.
Rocky K. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
11/10/2007
Playing my favorite song and having enough room where I can dance (on a Thursday), extra half star. Also the bartenders/barbacks are pretty decent to look at.
- UPDATE*
Come here without excessively high expectations, and it can turn out to be OK. It's packed to the gills on Fridays. Long lines for drinks, and no room on the dance floor. That's the bad news. But if you go on a Monday night (after a convenient 80 cent night down the street at the BAR), the room on the dance floor is ample, and the music is very fun to dance to. Any gay bar that plays MIA, I'm so there. Its a fun place to end the night on Mondays, but other nights are just OK.
Lisa J. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
11/04/2007
I don't know where to begin with this latest adventure in gay bars. We went in costume on Halloween for the happy hour portion of the night and the most popular costume in the Castro was SWAT Team gear and traveling in giant militias via Muni bus! That still didn't deter us even though we felt like we were heading into Iraq.
Inside we met a young lost boy who instantly wanted to let me know he's not gay, he's just new here in town and feels comfortable there and he doesn't know many people. Yeah yeah whatever.... save it! He seemed entranced with our costumes and since he clinged to my gay friend like a lost puppy needing a father figure, I pawned him off . We later found out he was a former ice head and was in the military so that explained a lot.
Going to the bathroom was like going into battle. In the dark bar I could pass for a guy in drag or a maybe a really good post surgery tranny but in the bathroom lights, it's clear that I never had and never will have a penis.
I go into the unisex bathroom and see someone pissing at the urinal and it's the guy with bare ass chaps we were admiring earlier at the bar. He turns around and just kinda smiles and heads out. There is someone in the stall and I notice his little eyeball looking at me through the crack so I look away. I look over again, see his eyeball and look away. Totally Seinfeld experience. I realize hes not coming out, hes standing, and there is no piss sound so he's probably in there with someone else and the sight of a girl is the last thing he wants to see.
I leave and go to the second unisex bathroom and this guy kinda rushes in front of me in the hallway and gets into the single stall before me. Once again I have to watch another guy use the urinal and look at me like I's an alien and as I'm waiting I realize this guy in the stall is taking forever too. He finally emerges with this ashamed look on his face and the whole bathroom fills with the stench of the gigantic DUMP he took right before I have to go in and take a wee. Thanks buddy!
The dance floor was fun to watch and I met some cool people and we had some great laughs. The drinks were pretty stiff too, which is always a plus. I may be turning into a fag hag but who says thats a bad thing? Badlands was fun that night but definitely more TRICK than TREAT.
Aaron L. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
3 star rating
11/01/2007
To be honest, I don't know what people expect from this place. Some of the negative reviews read like they went to church and got a wafer made out of feces instead of their communion. Lighten up, people... it's a BAR. Like so much of the Castro, you take the good with the bad, and unless you're planning to open a bar yourself, you settle for what gives you that medicine in a relatively fun and tasty package. For my Friday 2-for-1 happy hour fix, this place is still the Castro ticket.
It's good for cheap drinks, cheap peeps, and uninspired, catchy music. It's the Cafe when you're too old to go to the Cafe. The crowd can definitely get bitchy and rude, and the music can definitely get, well, "formulaic" is the nicest word I can really come up with. (But then again, sometimes I don't really want my bar music to "challenge" me.)And, the place has some of the nicest staff around (Gabe, Ian, Francis and Charlie leap to mind)... and some of the bitchiest too (I'll leave that one alone).
While I know having a favorite Castro bar is like preaching religion for many of us, c'mon, let's give em a little bit of a break here. Or just get a couple more 2-for1's and you really won't give a shit.
Jane B. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
4 star rating
10/21/2007
I think my evening was a fluke so I feel conflicted giving it 4 stars.For whatever reason, I had an amazing time Friday, Oct 19.Hell, my friends have quite literally dragged me there before (and to similar places...Daddy's, GAG!)and I completely hated it.Seedy seedy seedy.Reminded me of bad times at Faith *shudder* when we were still in highschool, except skeevy on a different level.
Anyway, on with why I'm giving Badlands a B+ based on Friday. Ended up being my last stop in the Castro after good times with two close friends at Home, Pilsner, and the Mix.We then met up with some other people at Badlands.I usually hate dancing and was hesitant to go, but I'd already had more than a few to keep an open mind. Except for "Since you've been gone," I enjoyed the playlist: not exactly "cool" by most standards, but a lot of fun cheesy classics balanced with more recent songs, i.e. "I got it from my mama."Definitely crowded and I was sweating like crazy, but it didn't feel too hot (usually a problem for me) and I found the crowd easily manageable.The drinks were good but expensive.Wasn't sure why there wasn't a mirror in the bathroom.
So yeah, I had a great time. So the 4 stars stays until I have another bad experience there...
Darin I. from yelp
San Francisco, CA
1 star rating
10/10/2007
Life is all about choices.
Here or to go?
Paper or plastic?
Lethal injection or cyanide drop?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood -- will we take the road less traveled? (ugh, I can't believe I wrote that, I HATE that fucking poem, Robert Frost is the most overrated poet EVAR! Take the road less traveled out of my life, asshole!)
Some nights ago, I was confronted with yet another life-altering choice. Namely:
Should I scour the MANHUNT postings, reply to an ad with a pic plucked from a porno, meet the dude, see he's twice my age and weight, screw him because I'm so fucking alone, contract the clap, find out -- SURPRISE! -- I have a stalker, assume bad attention is better than none at all until I hear the anguished cries of "MINMEI! MINMEI!" outside my window since the fucker can't remember my name and thinks I look like the Robotech character, call the cops, and file a restraining order thanks to my newly-hired douchebag lawyer who bears a striking resemblance to Gerry Spence?
OR
Should I go to Badlands?
Guess which one I picked?
Joshua L. from yelp
Berkeley, CA
1 star rating
10/01/2007
- a rock and a hard place - in an alleyway between two old brick buildings during The Big One - in the pages of Heidi's subpoenaed black book - a frying pan and a fire - your parents, while they are having sex - a manwich (if you're a straight guy) - the rear legs of a blind, mad horse, in heat - Bjork and the Thai paparazzi
In the past, these have all been tried and true, contested and proven things one never wants to be stuck in.
Please add to that: Badlands.
In any given night at Badlands (except maybe Tuesdays at 1 am), you will be stuck between:
1) a drooling, foul-smelling twink trippin' off Coke or K and 2) a creepy, vicious, shirtless old man with half a handlebar moustache (imagine a hairy, upside-down J crawling off the greasy yet chapped lips off a 60 year old. And there's nowhere to run.)
a) a "straight" dude (it's not gay if you have a girlfriend!) elbowing his way to the crowded bar for a Corona Light and b) an absolutely frightened tiny little Asian girl accompanying his newly-out friend for his first Gay Night Out
i) a bouncer/cashier who have obvious favorites and/or take favors and ii) 50 chain-smoking queens who have been waiting in line for over an hour to get into Badlands only to most likely come back out after 45 minutes (this is how long it takes to maneuver yourself from the entrance to the dance floor, determine that there is no space whatsoever for dancing and that the acrid, putrid smells of the night are not worth doing Capoeira-style fight dances with other gay men just for a tiny 12-inch space in the little Twister-mat-sized area they try to pass off as the "dance floor", and then leave to go to fresher pastures).
If people would stop swearing that Badlands is the "mecca" of Castro, San Francisco, maybe more people will realize this place really, really sucks. I pray to Jesus!
May I suggest Jet instead?