Camp Bar: Where cabaret meets community, and every night feels like a little celebration. Camp Bar isn't just a place--it's a mood. Tucked into the heart of downtown St. Paul, this spot is equal parts cozy neighborhood hangout and glitter-dusted cabaret lounge. Whether you're here for a comedy show at Laugh Camp, a cocktail with friends, or just vibing solo at the bar, Camp makes you feel like you've arrived somewhere special. The energy? Warm, welcoming, and just the right amount of theatrical. The bartenders serve up strong drinks and stronger banter, and the crowd is a beautiful mix of queer locals, theater kids, trivia nerds, and folks who just wandered in and never wanted to leave. The cabaret space hosts everything from DJ Didi's dance party to stand-up comedy to open mic nights that feel like group therapy with a spotlight. And when the show's over, the party doesn't stop--there's a jukebox, a pool table, and an open garage door to the sidewalk perfect for people-watching and deep conversations. It's the kind of place where you can wear sequins or sweatpants and still get a compliment. Where birthdays are toasted with shots and strangers become fast friends. Where the vibe is always "come as you are," and somehow, you leave feeling a little more fabulous than when you walked in. Camp truly is a family for so many downtown peeps ! read more

Camp Bar - Bars Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

See all

Used to go dancing here back in the day when it was Rumors. Then I moved to the West Coast. It was then Tricks and now Camp. Nice enough now, kind of a Cheers for a mixed queer/straight crowd , but not as it was. Still, friendly bartenders and patrons. Glad I popped in! read more

Bartender (Chris) is completely inappropriate & rude. Spoke down to my colleague because she is attractive. Wouldn't waste the time. There are better places. read more

Camp Bar - Bars Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

So here's the thing. I came in tonight with a couple friends on a Friday night. We were in the middle of our gorgeous fabulous night. As we requested our first order of drinks, the bartenders said they were denying service. I was like??? AND I was the sober cab, so I was like??? All of us??? We literally were only gonna get a drink or two, but when the second bartender said they wouldn't serve us, we left. We are regulars and always the least rowdy of any guests EVER. Even though we live down the street tbh we might not come back :/ our usual bartender frank WOULD NEVER do this to us. I wanna talk to MR. CAMP bc I felt disrespected. read more

i love the open mic nights both comedy and music are so wonderful. i enjoy the opportunity to both participate when i feel outgoing and want to sign up, or to enjoy these incredible shows local performers and craft drinks and great company uplifting spirits of all alks of life love love love it read more

Tim very visibly rolled his eyes when I ordered a pizza for my group. His customer service was not anything close to noteworthy, but we are pretty easily pleased, that we tolerated it - will probably look for other options next time in the area. read more

I frequented this establishment for a couple years before moving to Seattle. I was at a low point as my mother just passed away. I found a place of great service, excellent food-although not a scratch kitchen everything was very good. Cocktail menu was way ahead of the game for Saint Paul at the time. Not the cheapest place, but always a great value! In the back there's theater that would be on the scale as if we were in New York or Chicago right there. But that's not what I went there for. Above all I made some great friends Bruno, Michael and yes Bill. I want to urge you to go there have a great time! And don't forget the Keys restaurant Next door Carol is one of a kind! Warmest regards, Mark Englemann read more

Just a super relaxed, fun place to go hang out with downtown neighbors and other interesting people. Very chill bartenders. Just good vibes here. read more

My first visit to Camp Bar. Went to see a production of Hedwig and The Angry Inch. While the performance was terrific, this review is for the bar. Walking in it's an unexpected,cozy feeling that overcomes you. Very unexpected in a downtown locale. Big bar right in the middle with plenty of seating. The performance area is in a separate room. It's a very intimate space that has another small bar and plenty of seating, maybe 100 people? The show I saw has a lot of rock music and the acoustics were fabulous. I got a White Russian & a Long Island. Both were well constructed and strong,not watered down at all. All staff I came in contact with were friendly and helpful. Great venue, well done. Can't wait to see more shows!! read more

Is there another bar where you can sip your brews and also order for your local favorites like Keys Cafe? I don't think so. I love Camp Bar for many reasons. They have a huge space and a decent amount of options for cocktails and taps. The staff here are amazing and go out of their way to make sure everyone has a good experience. You get a great choice of food from Keys Cafe, pizza, and Asian cuisine from another local place. They also have great specials and happy hours for different events. Camp Bar is Packer Bar and you can't miss the Green Bay flag flying out front on game day. Plenty of TVs with the sound on. When I've been they had good drink specials, touchdown shots, and raffle prizes. It's such a great crowd and you might even see adorable dogs dressed in their Packer accessories. Despite how busy it gets, service is great. It's my favorite place to watch the game and you don't have to get there super early to get a seat. It's got a little bit of a divey feel and I love it. Parking is on the street, but I've never had trouble finding any. When I've been with large groups they were always accommodating. It is definitely a staple St Paul bar for me. read more

It's nice to have an alternative option for a place to dance if you don't want to drive to Mpls, sit in traffic , pay to park and then finally get to your destination. Not like it's that far, but sometimes it feels like there's so much infrastructure to get through, it's just nice to have a closer option and in St. Paul no less. Dropped in for some Halloween festivities last night. Not bad for a bar/ club in St.Paul. First off, found free street parking. Second, no cover. Thirdly, it was a pretty good time. The only negative thing was the DJ. Not a fan. Most DJ's know how to work a crowd and don't want the floor empty. A few people were dancing here and there, but not many. J also went up to see if he could play a song and the DJ wouldn't even acknowledge him. The music sucked. DJ's attitude and lack of enthusiasm sucked. Halloween contest was fun to watch. Lots of great costumes and ideas. The guy emceeing the contest was great, really knew how to work the crowd and was fun. Nice atmosphere, fairly decent sized dance floor. Places to sit; couches, tables etc. Nice to see St.Paul having some options for night life. read more

With 3 for $6 rail drinks, Camp Bar's 'wet wednesday' happy hour could be one of the most dangerous happy hours in St Paul. The decor and the service are casual and hip without being too hipster. Instead of offering its own menu, the Camp Bar seamlessly integrates the food items from nearby Sawatdee Thai, Black Sheep Pizza and Key's Cafe into a combined menu. I love that they do this even though I'm not a fan of Sawatdee (meh) and I think the wood-fired pizza at Big River (just down the road) is better than Black Sheep's coal-fired alternative. The main attraction at Camp Bar, for many, is the shows featured in the bar's small theatre. On the night we visited, we stayed to attend Bippy's Burlesque-O-Rama. It was entertainment worth the $6 entry fee, and it convinced us that it's a good idea to return for other shows at this location. read more

See all

Last minute tickets to a comedy show, made for a great night! We had not heard of the venue before but found tickets on eventbrite.com. Quick service, friendly staff, and intimate setting. It was a fun comedy show and we will be back. read more

Went there to see a comedy show followed by a cabaret. It was a great evening. Only thing I wish they had other options for food as my wife has celiacs and I am lactose intolerant so Heggies Pizzas don't work for us. Luckily the Thai place next door could accommodate. read more

This was my second time at Camp. I first came here before I was yelping to see see bye bye liver or was it goodbye liver? Either way it involved a lot of drinking and was quite funny. This time I saw a panel of biologists and climate scientists contemplating where we go from here. The venue is nice and small so every seat is a good seat. They have a good list of beers and a full bar besides. I haven't gotten food sent there so I can't comment on cost or convenience. All in all I would say this is a good place to catch a local act. read more

I've been to Camp... many times! Part of this review is for the Miracle on Christmas Lake! The play was 5 stars! Cute, sentimental, and family friendly! We had reserved seats, and worth the extra 5$! I highly recommend! The bar got 3 Stars last eve. As I've been here before, I don't remember paying 9$ for a drink. Prices jacked up for an event! Idk... but 36$ for 4 drinks is steep, consider they were 4-sip drinks. Gone before I even got back to the table. Hmmm, I usually think Camp has reasonably priced drinks and great service. Not sure what happened here. read more

The bartenders are always friendly! They have trivia every week which my boyfriend and I love to play! Free drinks

I have to give the owners of this place credit for first and foremost having the nerve to open a gay bar in downtown St. Paul. Not that St. Paul is conservative, uber religious, or any of that silliness... I live right downtown and it's a pretty accepting bunch, especially for Minnesoooota. The issue is that downtown St. Paul after 5:00 during the week and pretty much all day and night on Saturday and Sunday feels as if the rapture has come and gone... and you were left behind. There are no freaking people in this city. Or maybe St. Paul is purgatory... and we are all waiting for our number to be called. Regardless, Camp is cool, clean, and nice place just to go hang out and have a drink. It's like a VFW but with more lighting... and with gay people. It's actually a pretty good place for the 'straights' (or breeders as I like to call my brother) to go if they want to actually meet some gay folk in an environment that won't scare them. Straight people get spooked easily... like kittens. Camp is a good place for them to just take a deep breath, grab the wife by the arm and just jump into the 21st century and start to get along with the rest of us. Remember that line in Poltergeist when that little woman said, "Cross over children. All are welcome. All are welcome. Go into the Light. There is peace and serenity in the Light." Well go into the Light at Camp and have a seat at the bar, order a drink, relax, and meet some new people and friends. And if by chance the rapture actually did happen and we were left behind? Well, that just means more parking for the rest of us. read more

Camp Bar: I love you because you make good drinks, you put on good shows, and it's always a good time. I'm maybe not the normal demographic that patronizes Camp Bar, but I've always enjoyed being there and have always felt welcomed. Plus, the shows they bring in are top-notch and FUNNY. Bible Abridged...Confessions of a Prairie Bitch.... they bring in good stuff. Now I know that bartenders usually hate it when you do this, but I walked into a show without knowing what the heck I wanted to drink. Actually, more accurately, I wanted something different. I was tired of the standards. The bartender asked me if I liked cake-flavored vodka. I said I was game and he made the BEST drink using the vodka and pineapple juice that tasted like pineapple upside-down cake. I definitely appreciated his assistance. Now on a normal weeknight, you'd probably find Camp Bar to be a little bit low-key. But hey, that's part of the charm. (And it is Downtown Saint Paul after all...we're working on getting more happening, but it just ain't happening yet...) You can also get food here--pizza and Sawadee--both made out-of-house. I don't know too much about it since I've only ever mooched off of friends' pizzas--but it was tasty for bar food. read more

Camp Bar has a few unique offerings that other places in the area do not have. It has the piano bar where they showcase local talent, and a cabaret which is a theatre in the evening and a club after the sun goes down. It's really the only place in St. Paul where I feel like I'm in a club. I'm normally a quiet bar kind of guy, but it's nice to know I can get that club feel a few blocks from my house. It also offers a food selection no one else can match. Do they have a huge kitchen? No, just partnerships with Sawatdee St. Paul, Black Sheep Pizza, and Key's Cafe (not that anyone would want Key's). So their menu spans different cuisines. Where else can you get Pad Thai and Sausage Pizza? Another unique aspect of Camp Bar is the clientele. When Camp first opened it seemed clear to me that it was a Gay/Lesbian establishment. It was one of the only establishments in St. Paul that catered to the Gay and Lesbian community. But as Camp Bar has established itself in the neighborhood, it has become less of a Gay bar and more of a community bar. Camp Bar is a place open to every lifestyle, and that's one of the things I love about it. No matter who you are, you're welcome at Camp. If you want to hang with locals who enjoy drinks, food, performances, and dancing then I highly recommend Camp Bar. But if the sight of a shirtless bartender, or two women holding hands is not something you can wrap your mind around then by all means check out another bar in St. Paul. Do what makes you feel good, because they will be at Camp Bar! read more

There are many wonderful features about this place. I've been going on a semi-regular basis for several years now and have built up a good relationship with the staff both current and past. I can't think of a single time I've had bad service. I love that you can order food to be delivered to you at the bar from Keys, Black Sheep, or Sawadee. There is a bar menu for those places, but if you ask the bartender you can get the full menu to pick from. They have added a pool table recently which I'm really excited about. I haven't had the opportunity to try it out, so I can't speak to it's quality, but I can't wait to try it. For years the best happy hour in town was Camp's 3 for 1. That's right... buy one drink and get the drink along with two tokens for additional drinks. Up until recently, this was a weekly stop for me. Inexplicably, this has changed to only include beer. This is a real shame and the only reason it's only getting 4 stars instead of 5. Taking Newcastles off the list of 3 for 1s was one blow, but then to take everything except beer off the happy hour was too much. I'd like to add that Wednesdays used to be very crowded and it was hard to find a spot at the bar. It was filled with laughter and energy. This no longer seems to be the case. I wish they would change it back :( There is a cabaret attached to the bar that has regular shows. Everything from regular plays to drag shows, to puppet shows, to standup shows. They even have karaoke if you are into that kind of thing. Bottom line, this is a great neighborhood bar with excellent service, great drinks, and a relaxed vibe. I love it there. It was perfect before they changed the best happy hour in Saint Paul. read more

This was my experience last night. I am absolutely disappointed and disguised by the way I was violated last night. I thought this place would be a safe space to be out with friends but unfortunately I was wrong. To be watched and recorded in the bathroom by a random stranger was a violation of my own privacy. I felt so scared for the first time in my life. After rushing out of the bathroom, I quickly report to the BARTENDER that I have noticed a camera flash was being pointed at me under the stall while I was using the urinal. What was even more upsetting was the way the bartender looked at me confused as if I was lying. I told my friends what happened and luckily they were able to confront the guy in the bathroom. When confronted by my friends, that person denied everything. He even had the balls to come out of the bathroom and shouted across the bar saying that I was lying and that "Honey, get over yourself. You are not that cute". Feeling even more uneasy that nothing was being handled by the bartender and still seeing how casually the bartender was interacting with the guy and laughing, my friends and I quickly paid our tab and rushed out. Word can not describe how traumatic something like this can be. Unfortunately this establishment failed to provide a safe space for its customer and I will never step foot in this place again after experiencing that. read more

Last night I volunteered for The Aliveness Project to work the Camp Gaga event and let me tell ya, this place is amazing! It's the only gay bar that I have ever been too that looks fancy, but doesn't feel pretentious! Well... some of the employees kinda were, but they're pretty so I guess they have every right to be. It was very fun to be there for this event as it was in celebrationg of Lady Gaga's new CD release. We had designers and models competing for a competition based on inspired looks from Gaga. And we had prizes and all kinds of other fun things! The glam, the music, the fun! I will definitely go back to St. Paul for Camp! As I typically don't leave my confines of Minneapolis... hehe read more

Brad Williams is hilarious! If you're seeing this November 8th or 9th you need to order a ticket to see him if it's not too late! Priceless experience. The gentleman that performed before Brad was super funny as well. read more

Thankfully I've never been here when they've had the songstress on, but I have been here for booty-shaking and let's just say the straighties sneak in. Ugh. I know it takes all kinds, but if I wanted some weirdo grinding on me, I'd be at the 90s. That aside, the drinks here are good to fair. I can't speak for the food as I've always been drinking my dinner here, but they do cover all the bar food bases. I haven't been in a while, but as far as STP goes, you can't go entirely wrong at Camp. read more

Went on a Sunday night, and it was pretty chill, which was nice. I imagine the place gets pretty jumpin on a Friday or Saturday night - well, as jumpin as St. Paul gets, I guess. Cozy decor, nice bartender. There was a lady singing, but I preferred the gay-friendly dance mix of the bar to her country-tinged crooning. I'd definitely go back. read more

Decor is faux-Minnesota, decent but aimless. There's a boar head on the wall, for Pete's sake. Minnesota doesn't have boars. This is a formerly gay bar trying to straighten up, and actively advertising their failed efforts to become "not gay", alienating everyone in the process. Drink prices are a little above industry standard, which is interesting, considering the decrease in patronage over time. Happy hour lasts 1.5 hours daily, ending at 5:30pm. Two dollars off all drinks during that period. The short duration and early start time is telling. The owners may be averse to increasing their patronage. They have daily specials on random drinks every week, usually liquor of which they have a surplus. Wednesdays they do have a "3 for 1" special from 4 to 6, on domestic taps & rail only. This is their busiest day of the week. Twelve beers on tap, mostly standard. Full bar, many bottled beers. No kitchen. You can order food from three adjacent restaurants on a very limited menu at a higher cost than just visiting the restaurant itself (delivery fee, which entails walking the food about 20 yards), or a frozen pizza that can be heated in a toaster oven, which probably is better made at home, since the bartenders usually burn them. Staff are simultaneously sweet and incapable. It's a crap shoot, depending on the day. You can have stellar, friendly service, or bumbling dumbassery where it takes 10 minutes to order a drink on a slow day (they have lots of those). There's a theater in the adjacent space. Infrequently used, but the only reason why the place is still open. There are local acts performed there on occasion, which are popular. Essentially: go to Camp for a show. Otherwise, don't bother. It's not worth your time. read more

We came in for Flanagan's Wake a few weeks ago, not knowing what to expect at all. The show was amazing and the cast did a great job (as I'm writing this I'm wondering if there's a separate page for the shows? Sorry if this is the wrong place for that review) I give them 5 stars for the performance, stage and set up. But as for the bar itself, the staff was rude and at first I thought they were just part of the show 'acting' that way, but then I soon realized they were definitely not apart of the cast. We wanted to grab a few drinks before the show at their main bar with a ton of awesome taps,but they didn't want to serve us and told us to go into the cabaret because there's a bar in there.. So we shuffle into the dark cabaret and there is definitely a bar there, just no taps and I asked the bartender for a list and he said " everything in the cooler is what I got. Just pick one" ... okay. So instead of getting a beer I wanted, I got a bottle of Stella from a crabby bartender who acted like he didn't want to be there. We waited until the show was done after that to go up to the main bar and have a beer and the service was good and fast, and obviously a tap beer is better than a bottle beer, so in the end everything was good. To the cast; you did a great job and I will be back for more shows! To the crabby bartender; maybe find a new gig? read more

Camp Bar has a great selection of drinks and super friendly staff. My favorite part is Laugh Camp Comedy Club every fri and sat. Great shows, sanitized and safe read more

Great Gay bar in St. Paul. Decor is awesome. Lots of different places to sit and find your groove: bar, couches, dance floor. Not pretentious at all. Just stopped in for a night cap - don't even know if they serve food...I'll be back. read more

Stopped in for a beer after 8 on a Friday to kill a bit of time and it was pretty quiet, but the bartender was friendly and chatted with everyone. It lives up to its name, the atmosphere is kinda fancy in an outwardly campy way. If I had stayed much later I'm sure there would've been loud terrible music playing and been too busy. Seemed like an older crowd when I was there, except for the one college-aged dude who was, of course, one of old guys' boy toy. I always wonder how some of the parents of these guys deal with that, coming to terms and accepting a gay son, then having to deal with the fact that he's with a 60 year old for his money. I'm a minimalist, so this whole materialism thing and what people are willing to do for it (yuck, count me out) is just lost one me, just like the religion thing (homosapians are such a strange illogical bunch: that includes the hetero ones too). Oh yeah, beer's what you'd expect at a downtown bar at ~$5. I'm guessing as with any gay bar liquor is the way to get more bang for your buck. read more

The bar area was nice, but skip the backroom "Cabaret" - I found it to be pretty awful and over priced.

I love the scene at this place. The events that they host here are pretty great as well. I loved the Lady Gaga fashion show/CD release party here and I would go back for a fun night on the town at this place. The appetizers are quite tasty. read more

Made a stop last week to meet up with a few friends and had a great time.. the beer was cold and not over priced. They had live music. was fun read more

I love the bartenders and decor. They have large windows to leave view the weather. I don't attend the shows but the crowds seemed excited when exciting the shows. read more

There are no more 3 for $6. Other bars have cheaper prices and food options for happy hour.

I came here with my girlfriend for one of the Slam Poetry Nights, and it was absolutely fantastic. I didn't think the drinks were overpriced for being in St. Paul. I also enjoyed that it didn't have food options from the bar; however, instead they offer food from Sawatdee Thai, Black Sheep Pizza, and Key's Café. I love that they are helping the local businesses, instead of adding food to their menu. There was plenty of room in the bar, in addition to the small theatre where the Slam Poetry was held. They had a bar inside of the small theatre, and made sure that there was always water and water cups available for people if they did not want to purchase a drink. I appreciated the bartenders help when deciding where to eat, in addition to them being prepared, and having numerous water pitchers out for people to serve themselves their own water during the show. I will for sure return here if there is another event happening that I am interested in! read more

Camp Bar - Cider time - Bars Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bought tickets for a show and drove 45 minutes to find out it had been cancelled. Trashy Green Bay Packers bar with doubtful artistic talent. Plenty of quality shows which actually take place elsewhere in town. Stay away from this place. read more

Unfortunately we came to our favorite establishment to get a bite to eat and drink, Tony the bartender/server spoke to us from the bar well after we sat for 5 minutes. We sat for another 25 minutes and watched him serve drinks and place a food order and never came and asked us our order. This being our favorite spot and a regularly frequented place with fantastic service from Nate and Josh we were taken back by Tony ignoring us. We chose to leave and go to Tavern on Grand. This is the second time this has occurred with Tony read more

I kinda like the decor, but it's pretty mellow, a bit lifeless and not a real energetic crowd. It would be fun if there was a great dance vibe and more "energy" read more