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R House
Photography: Courtesy R House

The best gay clubs and bars in Miami for a night out with the boys

Miami's best gay bars are serving strong drinks, hot beats and sickening drag all night long.

Falyn Wood
Written by
Falyn Wood
Contributor
Ryan Pfeffer
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Miami might not be the gay mecca it once was (R.I.P. Magnum, Mova, Score and so many others). Still, this city is home to a diverse and welcoming queer community, as evidenced by our plethora of Miami drag brunches, the epic Miami Beach Pride and Wynwood Pride festivals and a new wave of inclusive queer parties popping up all around the city. Plus, a quick jaunt up north will get you to Wilton Manors, one of the most highly concentrated gay communities in the U.S. Basically, there’s plenty of action to be had if you know where to find it. So, without further adieu: Our roundup of the best gay clubs and bars in Miami right now.

Best gay bars in Miami

  • LGBTQ+
  • South Beach
  • price 3 of 4

Twist is one of the most storied gay spots left in Miami Beach, a reliable joint to end the night. The multi-floor space has seven bars to choose from and there’s never a cover here. Shirts have a tendency to come off in the morning hours, but the two-for-one happy hours every day from 3 to 9pm make an earlier stop at Twist worthwhile.

  • Hotels
  • Boutique hotels
  • South Beach
  • price 2 of 4

The lobby bar at this chill gay hotel is a great place to meet visitors and get the lay of the land from savvy locals. Start your night off with a cocktail or three if it’s happy hour (daily 5–8pm) before setting out for even more adventures around the beach. On any night of the week, you’ll find plenty of activities to entertain yourself at the Gaythering, including karaoke, trivia nights, bingo and Friday’s flirty Bears & Hares party.

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Minutes away from Twist (and named for one of the legendary club's O.G. bartenders), Nathan’s is a decidedly more chill proposition in South Beach. And though it recently expanded, this bar still retains its cozy, community-driven feel. Spearheaded by Nathan himself, gay programming runs the gamut from Drag Race watch parties to karaoke and Monday drag performances kicking off at 11pm and 1am.

  • Restaurants
  • Contemporary American
  • Wynwood

On the mainland, R House (whose logo recently transformed from a regular “R” to an adorable bum-shaped one) is the undisputed champion of lit Wynwood drag brunches. Hosted by Athena Dion, the saucy affair takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when the best of Miami’s drag performers flip and twirl all over R House’s expansive interior and outdoor patio. The queens and their entourage tend to hang out after the shows, making for an overall festive, gay time at the bar through the weekend.

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  • Restaurants
  • American
  • South Beach
  • price 2 of 4

Ever seen someone do a death drop on the sidewalk? Now’s your chance. Palace is home to the best drag brunch in the entire world. For $55, enjoy a choice of brunch dishes and bottomless mimosas on the expansive outdoor patio as you take in the iconic looks, legendary lip-syncing and death-defying acrobatics of Palace’s hard-working queens. After the final seating, stick around for the T dance, when a scantily clad DJ hops on deck for mingling and twirling on the dance floor.

  • Nightlife
  • Clubs
  • Shenandoah / Silver Bluff
  • price 1 of 4

You’ve seen Madonna songs in drag before. It’s time to watch a queen crush some Celia Cruz. Azucar is an LGBT option for those who don’t want to trek to South Beach. Just off Coral Way, Azucar is a home for Miami’s thriving Latin LGBT population. The curious should check out Sunday night’s sultry Noche de Cabaret, when the cover charge is usually $10. It’s an art you can appreciate without a translator.

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  • LGBTQ+
  • price 2 of 4

When it comes to the LGBT scene, it’s worth making a trip to Wilton Manors, one of the most gay-friendly neighborhoods in the country. When the sun goes down in Wilton, all restless bodies head to the Manor, the neighborhood’s biggest and wildest club that boasts loud music, fleshy dancers and flashy decor. 

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  • Bars
  • Dive bars
  • Wynwood
  • price 2 of 4

Gramps is by no means strictly a gay bar but it’s a loud and proud ally. The LGBT-friendly Wynwood bar also happens to throw the absolute best weekly drag party in town: Double Stubble. Every Thursday at 9pm, Miami’s drag community is on full display with some truly breathtaking performances—and this ain’t your average drag. Performances here are avant-garde, over-the-top explosions of creativity and ferocity.

Another popular Wilton Manors excursion, Hunters continues the legacy of its namesake sister bar, a staple in the Palm Springs gay scene for two decades. The South Florida iteration offers revelers a modern, remodeled space on Wilton Drive complete with a spacious dance floor, a massive video screen and an upstairs lounge that overlooks all the action. On Fur Fridays, stop in for extended happy hour until 8pm and don’t stop dancing till the spiked disco ball stops spinning.

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