Paradise Bar

Mandatory coat check, they ripped my coat pockets. $ 3 water, unless you ask for water with a drink order, which is ILLEGAL.
The only reason I won’t give it a single star is because it is, in fact, fun.

Has all different kinds of men, but every time I go here, I feel kind of sleazy. People are always bumping into each other and spilling their drinks, making the floors extremely sticky and sweaty.

The place is decent. It’s not as trashy as some places I’ve been to. Something’s could get worked on such as the atmosphere and the look. I felt a little awkward drinking alcohol and seeing guys having sex on the TV… They could get new dancers, I didn’t find much of them too attractive. The staff is great they were helpful on directing where everything is. They ID everyone to ensure safety of minors which is good. The music was good and the crowd was good too. I’d definitely be back.

after my fifth or sixth time being here, i feel compelled to write a review about this place because i have a lot of qualms for a guy normally used to the dive bars in dorchester.
every time i go here:
bad aspect —
the bartenders are scowling and their attitude is unbecoming — which is saying something, because it’s really unattractive for grown men to squawk and complain when they don’t get tipped well. why should i be sorry that i left a gratuitous dollar for your cracking my bud light? it’s not even just one bartender, this happened three times the same night, which makes me wonder why i’d bother leaving anything at all except this bitter feeling i’ve got about the place. i think i’ve even caught the owner, or a manager, or some higher-​up, come out and scream at a girl and her guy-​friend and accusing them of throwing a glass — which is hard to tell in the basement — and proceeded to throw them out. i felt bad for those kids, because i doubt they could tell where that bottle came from.
i recommend shots & beers — the cocktails here are weak.
good aspect —
the scene that comes here is like a gay salad bowl. from old men cruising on the stools upstairs, to the priviledged twinks, and men of all shapes and sizes (though sadly i don’t think i’ve seen too many gay women here, maybe i’m just not looking?), there’s a lot of variety of dudes.
the dancers are better on weekends and their skin color varies a lot. they’re very eager to get tipped.
if you’re parking, i’ve never once had a problem finding a spot on a side-​street and it’s relatively safe because there are security patrols (so don’t do anything stupid nearby, if you know what i mean).
i really wish the bartenders were just a little nicer. i’m the kind that respects an older homo because the history is there, but not when they act their shoe size more than their age.

very friendly bar keepers, great prices, ‘unexpected’ videos on the screens, well sized dance floor, partly quite impressive performers on the stage.
They only accept cash but they have an ATM inside, right next to the bar.

The bar is definitely not as seedy as some have suggested. The patrons? Well, that’s another story.
The dance floor downstairs is big and the music was good. The staff was friendly. The beer was beer. I saw one stripper and he was pretty hot, actually. Smooth, muscled and a good dancer.
Some of the patrons looked sketchy; like some of them should be wearing a house-​arrest GPS monitor. They definitely contributed to this place feeling like an over-​sexed, B-​grade porn flick. It just reeked of desperation cruising, and there is nothing about desperation that makes for a fun time.

It gets a bad rap here on Unilocal but I had fun. I went alone but wasn’t alone for long. If you can stand mediocre dancers (good to look at not good dancerd not even ok) old men trying to grope you then you will have fun. Its not clique like other bars I’ve been to. The drinks were cheap but strong. Asked for a sprite and patron got patron with a splash of sprite, but I’m not complaining. You can’t go by what reviewers say you gotta check it out for yourself. yes there Is porn on tv but its only on 2 tvs upstairs and there’s n o sound so it doesn’t get awkward.

went there once and its my first and last time there. My friends and I showed up there on Saturday night expecting a great dance night but the dance floor was closed so they asked us to wait for 30 min. Well since 30 min is not a long time we decided to go and have some drinks at the bar. Bartenders where okey, but not super welcoming. They had a go go boy who was into himself, dancing very sad and he was super skinny, bad performance. Anyways the worst thing happened when they turned on TVs and they have some many of them, its crazy! They started to show gay porn and a hard core, what could be more awkward?! so we waited for awhile without knowing where to look and when we asked about the dance floor, security said that it was canceled because DJ is not coming. Ah so disappointing and embarrassing.

$ 5 cover for no reason… oh and then they MAKE you check your coat, for another $ 2. NO EXCEPTIONS! I was wearing a hoodie and they made me take it off… and they weren’t pleasant about it either. Nice «welcome» to the bar basically being accosted by the guy at the door about my jacket. Who does that, why should I be forced to take anything that belongs to me off??? Don’t go here… way better bars in Boston than this place.

Ok, I’ve just started writing reviews on Unilocal and I just couldn’t wait to express myself about this place. Yes, at this point I already made a Madonna reference. If you had any doubt about me, now I’m sure you don’t anymore.
Paradise is really what straight people would imagine a Gay bar/​club to be.
It’s actually a big cliché, an amount of all the stereotypes of the Gay community: Everybody knowing each other, unashamed eye-​candy especially in the bathroom, dancing queens, dramas, Go-​go boys, Pop/​Diva music and Gay porn on the first floor on two TV screens.
What is missing? I don’t know, maybe Mariah Carey appearing on the stage, surrounded by butterflies miming a choreography? I’m sure some of the Gay Icons must materialize there once in a while just because of the amount of Gay clichés concentrated in one place.
And It’s actually because of that that Paradise is such a fun place where I’ve been going again and again during those last two months. Oh yeah Guurl, I know some people will go there and not admit it later but me, myself, I just love it and I’m not afraid to write it down for the internet world to see.
Important point: I only go there for Saturday nights when the dance-​floor is opened, so my review is only based on that.
I really couldn’t care less about the sad Go-​Go boys of the first floor who are so into themselves that they keep looking in the mirrors during their «performances».
The few of them I saw were so stiff, definitely not dancers…
At first, before going there for the first time, I was afraid. For real.
Reading the reviews here, It seemed like Paradise was this place where a 22 years old student can’t go by himself without being attacked by a pack of prehistoric creatures and ending up in a creepy stranger’s bathtub in the morning without remembering anything.
But I gave it a try, there was no other place to go on a Saturday night for a Gay boy in Cambridge anyway.
I really want to say something about this false image of Paradise: Some people here on Unilocal are so touchy or probably they don’t go out often… It’s definitely NOT a trashy place. That does not make it a trendy or sophisticated one but that’s why It’s different from the other Gay Bars/​Clubs in Boston.
Of course at Paradise some men will flirt with you.
And so what? If you’re not interested you just say a polite «No thanks, I’m not interested.» and most of the times those men will leave you alone.
And yes, sometimes somebody will want to pay you a drink, or even start dancing close to you, touching you a little bit, putting his hands around your hips: Don’t worry he is not going to kill you Honey… It can’t always be a George Clooney lookalike hitting on you, deal with it.
And if he bothers you, just move to another spot or tell him politely to stop. No big deal.
And about the Gay porn videos, first there’s no sound so it’s not that awkward, the TV screens are not that big and there’s only 2 of them on the first floor.
People need also to stop pretending they’ve never watched Gay porn… Maybe in a bar for sure but after 10 minutes you won’t even notice it anymore. It’s actually not even a turn on, it’s just there and It goes with the whole vibe of the first floor where I just have maybe one drink and then go down to party on the dance-​floor.
Like seriously, if some people thinks Paradise is a «trashy» place, you don’t know what trashy means. Maybe It used to be this way but it’s really not anymore.
So stop being so sensitive and afraid of anybody who did not bow to your magical beauty and bought you flowers before even daring to talk to you.
Really, the main reason why I love Paradise is that because some guys come here to actually DANCE.
And I mean it, some people really get into it on the dance floor where the DJ on Saturday nights keeps blasting some good Pop/​Hip Hop/​Latin Top 40 and classics.
Also if you stick there till the end (Which is at 2am, come on you can do it, it’s not like It’s 6am like in NYC or Paris. Well but that’s another topic and I don’t want to start crying here about Cambridge/Boston’s nightlife.) the DJ plays some classics that just make everybody feel energized again.
And a Dj who shows love to Whitney Houston, plays Shakira and do mash-​ups has my heart.
About the kind of guys going there you really have everything. Sassy queens, older men, college guys, bears, unicorns… you name it. There’s somebody for everybody.
That’s something I really like about it, It’s not like in Paris where there’s a bar for every Gay category. It feels more «natural» this way and less awkward.
The drinks are not expensive but they are really small though. Can’t have it all…
But sincerely I don’t care, I don’t come to Paradise to get wasted I just come there to dance the night away with all my friends. That’s all and this place does the job.
Leave your Bostonian attitude at the door.

Oooo, invitation to a club! So excited that I finally have an occasion to wear my ridiculous 7″ neon blue platform wedges!!! Um, nope. No heels, no wedges. Yes, they are serious. Thankfully, I had my comfy walking shoes stashed in my purse so I was able to get inside. Unfortunately, this club night fell on a school night so I arrived around 11 and bounced close to 12:30. There really wasn’t much going on this early except some dancers gettin’ down and people mulling about near the bar. The dance floor downstairs was desolate. Would love to come back another time. Definitely a plus that there is no cover.

For what it is, this place is great. It’s a seedy little dive with a good sized dance floor in the basement, porn playing and dancers on stage upstairs. The drinks are both cheap and strong, albeit pretty small (you know those little plastic cups). The music is usually pretty good but gets a bit too house-​y for me sometimes. It’s a cash bar with a $ 5 cover on Saturdays (their big night). Been on Fridays too and it is dead in comparison.
The scene is definitely cliquey but not nearly as bad as a lot of the other gay night alternatives. But it’s Boston — the town of when you’re not in, you’re invisible.
Regardless, if you’re heading there with a good group looking to get in some trouble, you’ll have fun finding some here.

This place is absolutely disgusting, but sometimes I just can’t help myself.
I went for the first time in mid-​December (on a Friday). I showed up at 9:55 p.m. and ready to dance the night away. I went to the bar (upstairs) and there was a cute movie (it seemed like Little House on the Prairie, I’m sure it wasn’t). However, once 10 p.m. struck it was gay porn. How awkward.
Anyways, I got my super strong drink in a plastic cup and made my way downstairs to the empty dance floor. I did my thing, got drunk off of two drinks, and enjoyed myself. Across the dance floor was this awkward looking man with a fanny pack and a strobe light on (this, friends, is the crowd you will be dealing with on Friday nights).
The perks? There is no cover on Friday nights — just a coat check ($ 3.00, I think?). I hear Saturdays are a little busier, though, but I’m not too sure. The DJ doesn’t suck either.
After that one interesting evening, I came back 5 more times (all on Friday nights, all faced with the porn on the wall and the dancing fanny pack). If you’re looking for a shameless, cheap, fun, and slightly awkward evening, come to Paradise. If you’re searching for a classy place to bring a date, don’t even think about coming here.

Considering this is a gay bar, I’m not so sure the opinions of a straight 23 year old girl are what readers will be interested in. But just in case you’re looking for that particular perspective, here’s my review. Read on!
Paradise Bar is hands-​down the sketchiest place I’ve ever been to, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a good time. Sure, it’s smelly, dark, and dirty, but I love the music they play and the drinks are reasonable (by «drinks» I mean, they’re almost straight vodka). They play porn on TV screens, and since I came here for the first time having no idea what to expect, that was a shocker.
All in all, Paradise has made for a decent weekend night out each time I’ve been here with one of my best friends (well, except for the time I lost my purse while dancing… but we won’t talk about that), and I’m sure I’ll be back.

Been here twice, and had a good time on both occasions. I’m a fan of dive bars, and this definitely is one! Between the strippers, porn on the tvs, and the people staring around creepily trying to pick everyone up (a lot of them being really scary), this is about as trashy as it gets. With that being said, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time… just an acquired taste. The drinks are wonderfully strong, and they have a decent selection of hard liquor.
If you want to have a good time, or if you are young and want to find an old man to take you on vacation (my friend was approached with this proposal), this is the place for you!

As a straight woman who spent around an hour and a half here, I may be rating this bar unusually high.
But I had quite a good time.
I thought it was odd that they don’t allow heels inside the club as a liability. I doubt that that will be the issue they become liable for, if anything.
Never in my life have I been surrounded by so many gay men. I imagine the gay friends I was with having as good of a time checking out the surrounding eye candy/​sores. I’m surprised I got hit on, by a man nonetheless! I also couldn’t peel my eyes away from the gay porn and go-​go dancers being displayed on the first floor. Sometimes I feel like I’ve seen it all, but no… no, I haven’t, and I found that out here.
My whiskey and coke was $ 4.50 and STRONG.
Trashy, dirty, and gritty as the pornography it so proudly flaunts on its televisions, Paradise don’t play.

I gave this 3-stars…as long as you know what to expect.
It’s everything a trashy gay bar should be. In an industrial area, goes unnoticed, a dump inside, nice people, drinks served that are not watered down and meant to rip you off, some go-​go boy dancers. Oh, yeah, and there’s porn on the TV monitors (kinda skeazy, isn’t it?)
It is what it is. People are generally nice.
ONE PROBLEM. «Mandatory Coat Check»? WTF? If you want to charge me a cover charge… be upfront about it. Trying a «mandatory coat check» is a sleazy way to wring some money out of people. (Me? I walked back to our car and thru my coat in the back seat.)
Otherwise, the bar is a fine sleazy gay dive bar… it is what it is… and people/​employees are generally nice.
Why they have to engage is a sleazy way to skim more money off of you with a «mandatory coat check» is beyond me. Can someone tell them this is no way to make customers feel welcome?

Ever felt like you just really needed to DANCE?!? and like you really didnt care where — just as long as it has that «ugh ts ugh ts ugh ts» beat?
On friday I had some run-​ins with all these annoying people from back in the day in that weird section of Cambridge that nobody likes (but pretends they do to get street cred)…and I suddenly had that unavoidable urge creepin’ up on me — I just needed to freakin dance all these feelings out… to some hard-​ass techno shit (not that lame 80s hair band drivel that many not-​gay clubs play. I ain’t payin 15 dollars to hear Whitesnake and Ratt. Keep that crap in the Purple Shamrock)
Well anyways I didn’t dance here. Because the bouncer guys said that people wearing high heels weren’t allowed in. Translation: No useless straight women will be clogging up our special place tonight guys… srry. Run along now…

To rate Paradise, I have to consider what it is, and rate according to those merits. Paradise is a trashy and cheap bar/​dance floor. For these purposes, it serves itself well enough. Sometimes you need to get drunk, felt up by people you would never talk to in natural lighting, and take people home you didn’t know a few hours before.
Cover is cheap ($ 5), and drinks are cheap. Sure, the vodka-​cran tastes like rubbing alcohol, but for $ 4, you accept that its just par for the course. Upstairs bar has trashy (nazi, legit, nazi) porn playing on its TVs. Wide range of sketchy guys, and dancers up on stage. Downstairs is the dance floor, which usually gets packed by a drunken mess of men with the occasional hag or lesbian power couple. Music is all top-40’s, and there are bars on both sides of the place.
Most of the bathrooms are super sketchy, one is less sketchy. My female friend had to have the female bathroom unlocked for her, because according to the guy working there weren’t many ladies around to use it, and the boys were using it to get sexually acquainted. To be fair, they are using the mens bathrooms to do that too.
Don’t act surprised when you see it either, or else they will be able to tell that you are fresh meat and will hunt you like a vampire.

In MN we have a few amazing gay bars.
This is no paradise. Not classy, quite trashy.
But you can see some naked dudes in there.
Didn’t eat or drink, just watched. But my manly man loving friends seemed to have a good time.