The Best Gay Bars Edmonton Can Let You Visit

You want to know about some gay bars Edmonton spots where you might be able to find cowboys, steers and maybe a few queers? Manplay.com can help you meet people and learn everything there is to know about gay bars in Canada. Gay bars have been known to people as that place where gay men and women can hang out and pick up a date. Nowadays, gay bars are not necessarily that - instead they stand for something more like a place in which to feel comfortable with your lifestyle choice. Gay bars are no longer reserved for just that one part of town. Instead, they are all over town and no longer have to hide behind a certain facade or cater to gay men discreetly. Instead, one may find that gay bars these days seem to have a certain theme to them. Maybe this gay bar is more for the jockey types or maybe that gay bar is more for someone who isn’t gay but wants to experience the gay subculture - so everything might be a little over the top.

The point is, the gay bar has represented a haven for a long time and there are plenty to choose from in Edmonton today. Take a look at rich history of gay bars Edmonton scene while perusing some of the venues round town. Manplay.com isn’t just a site where you can hook up, but it is also a place where you can read about some of the best gays bars Edmonton has on display. Maybe you’re travelling to somewhere new like Montreal, where there is plenty that you need to know about gay bars in Canada. If you’d like to read more about gay bars listings, go ahead and take a quick look.

Some Background On Gay Bars In Edmonton

Alberta is known as the Texas of the North, which means that there are plenty of hunks and cowboys floating round the gay bars Edmonton has to offer. It has one of the richest gay histories in the country, mostly because there has been some unusual backlash that dated back to the 70s. Police often cracked down on homosexual acts and went out of their way to raid places like bathhouses and hotels that catered to gay men and women. Being the centre of Northern Alberta and a stop off point for people from all around the country, Edmonton’s gay scene flourished - but very secretly. During the 1960s, 70s and 80s, gay bars, venues and warehouses popped up round town to cater to the gay clientele. Many gay people in the Edmonton community didn’t congregate at bars, but instead would hang out at the chapter hotels in town where alcohol might be smuggled in or they would use the hotel bar. Bars such as the Corona, The Royal George and King Eddie were the informal meeting places for many gay men in and out of Edmonton. According to many in the gay community one of the most memorable gay bars was the Flashback Nite Club - it was one of the first openly gay bars Edmonton had. It was also voted as one of North America’s best venues and proved to be a huge hit with annual drag races and contests that included a wet jockstrap contest. The club served as a beacon for many young gay men from all over Canada, but mainly from other parts Alberta, where being gay would be on the verge of being called criminal. Flashback Nite Club was an exciting and open place for gay men to go and be openly gay.

Best Times To Go Out In Edmonton

These days you will find that many Edmonton gay bars are open only a few nights a week, but a few of the bigger ones such as Woody’s are open all week. Like we always say Tuesdays and Thursdays are perfect days for getting cheap drinks and when a happy few hours are welcome. Typically bars that don’t serve any food won’t be open until after five pm. If it is a smaller venue you will find its open schedule to be limited to probably Wednesday to Saturday. However, gay men love to party so some might be closed only one day a week. Friday and Saturday is regularly packed with awesome live shows that typically won’t get started until at least 9 or 10 o’clock as is popular in the Canadian live music scene. Drag shows are usually reserved for weekends and feature stellar casts.

Gay Bars Edmonton: Directory

Here is a list of some gay bars in Edmonton:

Evolution Wonderlounge

Type: Bar and club.
Space: Dancefloor, bar and lounge space
Crowd: Young men, drag queens and others looking for a good time.
Address:10220 103 St NW
Website:Evolution Wonderlounge
Any NotesTheme nights with plenty to do.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:Evolution Wonderlounge is one of the best places in Edmonton to go out and have some fun. It’s known as the premier gay bar in the city where you can meet guys of from 18 to 50. There is lots to do. It isn’t too crowded and there are always live shows happening with the odd adonis and drag queen getting a their dance on. There is bottle service and some of the wildest cocktails are available with a snap of a finger. It’s one of Canada’s premier gay bars and the action is ripe for the taking.

Steamworks Edmonton

Type: Bathhouse and club like sauna
Space: Large; spa facilities including a jacuzzi
Crowd: Lots of gay and bisexual men. Co-ed nights happen.
Address:11745 Jasper Avenue
Website:Steamworks Edmonton Homepage
Any NotesIt’s a bathhouse, so you can get your freak on.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Being one of Canada’s most premier bathhouses, Steamworks boasts an impressive clientele which includes many people from in and out of Alberta. There is a free lunch available on Fridays for those who are hungry for real food. You also can enter privately and discreetly through a back entrance (no pun intended) if you are a quiet and closeted gay guy. If you suggest the bathhouse to a guy on Manplay.com, you will find that they will be more than willing to hook up with you so you guys can go together.

Manor Euro Lounge

Type: Upscale Club and Lounge/Restaurant Service Available As well
Space:Intimate With Plenty Of Space
Crowd:Upscale crowd
Address:10018 105 Street Nw
Website:Manor Euro Lounge Listing
Any NotesNot quite a gay bar. Gay-Friendly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONA classic lounge/restaurant and club. The perfect place for a first date with a guy from Manplay.com. It has a warm and rich interior with plenty of romance vibes. It’s a pretty upscale place and it’s a particularly trendy place. You will find that the staff and the whole place is gay friendly. There plenty of cocktail options and there is bottle service. What more do you need?

Woody’s Video Bar

Type: Bar
Space: Spacious With Plenty Of Tables
Crowd: Gay Men of All Ages Looking For Fun
Address: 11723 Jasper Ave.
Website: Woody’s Facebook Page
Any Notes:A niche gay bar with a rock vibe. Open to everyone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:This might be more of a place where you could go on a second date or something of the sort. The interior has your typical pub fare. There is always something fun playing on the TV. There are plenty of regulars. It is a famous in Edmonton for being one of the hottest gay bars in town. It could be considered the "local" simply because it has laid back vibe. This is the perfect place to go with you date from Manplay.com when you guys are looking to talk and have some cheap drinks. They have various specials from night to night, including a regular happy hour(s) fixture.

Empress Ale House

Type: A Pub/Ale House
Space:Intimate and Spacious with a stage for live music and comedy
Crowd:Beer enthusiasts
Address:9912 82 Ave NW, Edmonton
Website:
Any NotesA great date night joint.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThe Empress Ale House might be one of the best date night places in Edmonton. The whole place is usually hoping with beer enthusiasts trying hoppy beers and much more. It’s the typical pub fare establishment with lots to choose from. The live shows that include both music and comedy are always a big hit and people keep on coming back for more. The term dive bar has been raised to chic lately and this place is no different. Maybe after finding someone online at Manplay.com, you could suggest the ale house as the best bet for a fun night out.

Fruit Loop Summer Pride Fest At Yellowed Brewery

Type: Community Club/Dance Event; Bar service is available
Space:Club venue/festival tents
Crowd:Much of the Alberta and Edmonton gay community
Address:10229 105 St NW
Website: Fruit Loop’s Facebook Page
Any NotesA summer long community festival celebrating pride.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis is not quite a gay bar, but it is a massive summer long event that has rocked and been championed by the Edmonton gay community. The whole idea of festivals is to create awareness and essentially have fun. There is dancing and DJs and a whole lot more. Festivals are always a perfect date for any occasion. It’s a way to break the ice, people watch and simply have fun. Once you have found your date on Manplay.com you will be able to connect with anyone you want and the go dancing with some other "fruit loops". It runs all summer long, so maybe it could be your go to date thing.

Naked Cyber Cafe

Type: Live music coffee house
Space:Intimate with stage space
Crowd:Laid back, coffee people and local music enthusiasts
Address:10303-108 St
Website:
Any Notes:Perfect for that daytime date…
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:Let’s say it’s the middle of the day and you’ve managed to connect with someone on Manplay.com. You’re out of ideas about where to go - you don’t feel like eating or drinking - why not a coffee then? Naked Cyber Cafe is one of the city’s premier coffee houses with plenty of local acts singing on the great stage space. You could go for a coffee and see where things go from there. It has an easygoing atmosphere with plenty of people to watch. This is a good locale to break the ice on the first date - because we all know that there is plenty to talk about in a coffee house.

Madison’s Grill

Type: Grill house restaurant
Space:Warm, intimate and spacious. The amenities of a typical grill house
Crowd: Travellers, Upscale Foodies and Couples
Address:10053-Jasper Avenue
Website:Madison’s Grill Homepage Via Union Bank Inn
Any NotesUpscale Hotel Restaurant
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONA good place for a first date, Madison’s Grill is where you can splurge on some of the finest food in the city. It’s not a gay bar or gay restaurant, but it is gay friendly. There are plenty of items to choose from and you might get a chance to meet someone from out of town. The restaurant is attached to the hotel. You might be able to connect with a visitor on Manplay.com and find yourself in Madison’s. It’s easy, quick and probably one of the best upscale restaurants in all of Western Canada.

Gay Bars Edmonton: Concluding Thoughts

As you can see ,there is plenty to do in Edmonton, whether you want to have some fine dining experiences or whether you want to watch an adonis shake his thing in your face - there is a lot to choose from. All you need to do is sit back and let us do the work when we match you with someone you tickles your fancy. Like we always say here at Manplay.com - all we want to do is ensure that we can make your life easier. These gay bars Edmonton spots that we listed above are perfect places to go if you want to have some of the best times in the city. Whether it’s a first date or not - you won’t have to spend hours trying to find gay friendly venues. You have to remember that there are plenty of restaurants and bars that are accepting of gay people and the ones we have listed are just a few of them.