Basically, it’s really just always super fun!” Travel writer Jimmy Im, chimed in: “Mary’s is unpretentious, has a great diverse crowd, and the clientele (and the staff) is a little wacky. And third, the stuffed deer head on the wall sings along to karaoke.” Point well taken. Cator Sparks, the Southern-raised gentleman who contributes to the NY Times and works in fashion PR praised the sassy spot for three reasons: “First, a midget hosts ‘Karaoke Saturdays.’ Second, they have underwear twister nights. Mary’s, the colorful kitschy East Atlanta watering hole, got the most nods from our contributors. Cole Rachel (V Magazine, The Fader), Steve Schmersal, Cator Sparks and James Withers ()ġ287 Glenwood Avenue Atlanta, GA tel. –with contributions from Calpernia Addams, Jesse Archer (Out Magazine), Iggie Benardo, Dorian Berger, Charlie Carter, Inge Colsen, David Edison (), Japhy Grant (Queerty), Beth Greenfield (Time Out New York), Paul Hagen (MetroSource), Derek Hartley (Sirius Radio), Jason Heidemann (Time Out Chicago), Jimmy Im, Eric Leven, Michael Lumpkin, Matthew Link, Jonathan Mallow (LogoOnline), Brian Moylan (Next Magazine), Daniel Nardicio () Justin Ocean (Out Traveler), Courtney Powell (Logo), T. Thanks to my esteemed contributors for their input. And yes, your favorite bar may be left out, so write me at and let me know your thoughts.Īnd next month, I think it’s time to revisit this list, take new suggestions, and see which watering holes people are loving now. And after the Top 3, read on for a state-by-state round-up of what scored raves from our contributors. They’re the ones that people chimed in about the most. To add a bit of pomp and circumstance, I’ve got the Top 3 bars picked. After all, the more things get mixed up, the wilder things get, right? And interestingly, most of the places tend to draw a mix of people: Old and young, rich and not-so-rich, men and women, high-class and trashy, gay and lesbian and trans and then some. And the surprising common theme which evolved was the soft-spot people have in their hearts for kistchy, dive-y, messy bars where a sketchy queen might be found lip-synching to Crystal Waters ’til the wee hours. The results that poured in are personal, rather than scientific. Because When I think of the “Best Gay Bars,” I think of places where raucous theme nights are the norm, where the locals are crazy and possibly hot, and where fun, unpredictable, bad behavior abounds. I wanted the places where the booze flows freely, where the crowd is crazily unpredictable, where there’s always the opportunity for anything to happen. I encouraged them to judge with their hearts (and the wrecked livers) when making their picks I didn’t necessarily want a list of the nicest, glossiest, most high-tech or slickest or “coolest” gay bars. Last June, I sent out a request to an esteemed collection of travel writers, media pros, party people and just super-social gay folks to find out which were their favorite bars in the U.S.