Cool place to go if you are thirsty have a lot of energy. High ceilings make it feel bigger than it is. The bartenders are slinging a variety of beverages to the masses. The music is pumping super loud, but for the most part the genres are the same from room to room. Or maybe I can't discern my house from my EDM? Plenty of youngsters out at night at the ABQ. I recommend this place for those with a lot of energy. read more

Effex Nightclub - a large group of people dancing - Gay Bars Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Didn't realize I couldn't be in the stall with my friend while she was peeing. I was holding the bathroom cause there's no fucking locks. And some short rude security guard ripped open the door while my friend was actively peeing, so everyone saw her vagina. And immediately started screaming in my face telling us to get the fuck out. And kicked us out immediately, he didn't even explain it to us why. read more

Will NOT be back. Got kicked out because my friend was in the stall with me, holding the broken door while I went pee. Sorry I don't want everyone to see my vag... especially in a gender neutral bathroom. Some short security guard ripped the door open and started screaming at us right away. Then he took me outside to kick me out and made my friend stay inside so she had no idea where I went. Terrible security management and definitely not worth it. read more

I once thought this was one of the most inclusive fun places in Albuquerque. This is no longer the case. I would go here on a regular basis and have a great time. This last time I went, I had the worst experience. I invited some folks who were from the UK. They did not understand tip system. The bartender threw a fit, and when the person apologized and tried to give a tip he called security and refused service instead of being understanding. I am very disappointed, especially considering that we were one of the very few Black people in the club, and the bartender was also the only black man serving. I expected more patience from somewhere that claims to be inclusive... especially during pride month. The crowd they attract is also changing (not for thr better). I guess Effex is not the place it once was. read more

My wife and I came in and paid our cover fee and immediately got kicked out. Didn't even make it to the bar to get our first drink and some dude said we have to leave due to visible intoxication which was complete BS. We left with no issue and I had to ask several other security people if I can at least get our cover charge back since we were there for a total of 60 seconds. We managed to get our 30 bucks back and the guy even said he doesn't know why we got the boot as we didn't seem intoxicated and apologized to me and my wife. Aside from that scenario, the place smelled like barf and had like a 10x10 dance floor. Pretty lame overall and we will not be returning. read more

It's a blast every time I come here no other club I go to other than this one best music and love the vibe

The security here needs a severe ego check. Effex has gender neutral bathrooms and have a rule that there is only one person in a stall at a time, which makes complete sense. Very valid rule after it was explained to me by the very nice woman at the door. I didn't know this rule before my girlfriend needed to use the restroom. None of the stalls have any locks, and there are men in the restroom, so I go in the stall with her to hold the door shut and to make her feel safe. I was 5 feet away from her, facing away, holding the door shut. Again, not doing anything weird. A random man tried to enter the stall, while my girlfriend is still using the restroom, banging on the door and shoving trying to get into the stall, yelling at us. I tell him to wait his turn and to F off because in my mind, it's some random creep trying to peep or do who-knows-what. He keeps trying to enter the stall by banging and kicking at the door after i repeatedly say there is a woman who is not clothed and to wait. The whole time this man is trying to kick down the door, never explaining to me who he is, so I continue holding the door. She finishes and we walk out and it's security and they threaten me and my girlfriend with violence saying they will "drop both of us immediately" if we don't leave the bar. My girlfriend has never felt more unsafe, thinking a random man was trying to barge into her stall. And feeling unsafe by the people who's job it is to keep the bar safe. Again, I get the rule and it makes perfect sense, but if I'm holding the door closed for my girlfriend and some random person tries to barge in on her, I will hold the door shut. Not once did the man say he was with security. She is still crying because it scared her so much, and it happened hours ago. Security should be there to make you feel safe, not like someone is trying to break in a stall and assault you. Completely uncalled for and deplorable behavior by Effex staff. Will never return to this bar. Install locks and train your staff. Not once did the man trying to enter the stall say he was staff. Obviously I was not going to let him in, for her safety. Absolutely despicable behavior from the Effex staff. You made my girlfriend feel unwelcome and more importantly, very unsafe. Had security told me who was at the door, told me one person in the stall at a time, I would have happily held the door from the outside and there wouldn't have been a problem. $20 paid to have us both feel unsafe and threatened by your own staff. read more

I'm stuck between a 3 and 4 on this one. Effex is certainly fun if you're with the right crowd and the DJ plays some poppin stuff. I've seen it in its slowest and worst music nights...to its best. So essentially it's a hit or miss. Thursdays... Ehhhh. Upside? No cover. Downside? Not as many people and doesn't have their top DJ usually. Fridays and Saturdays it's free before 10 (who goes out that early? I'm always a late bloomer... so the ten bucks is a given) ...unlessss you wait until 1:20, and then it's free again. I've taken that route a few times. Just enough time to get my dance on for a smidge before closing. It's not that I absolutely can't afford it, but the fact that their drinks are also generally kind of weak and definitely expensive takes the draw away a bit. If the cover ensured cheap drinks too, then by all means I'd pay it. Obviously it's a gay club so for those looking for a mate, I'm sure the money is well worth it. I'm just in it for the drinks and the dancing. My recommendation: go on a busy night where the vibe is exciting, and the $10 won't feel like much of a loss. But also: pregamin' is where it's at, so you don't spend $7 on a wimpy drink. You pay $7 for a Long Island at Anodyne first. Best spent money downtown. :P read more

Effex Nightclub - They rock OUUUTTT - Gay Bars Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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+inexpensive entry and drinks. - takes an hour on a saturday to get a beer while standin barside -Seen more hype and dancing at middleschool dances -Sorry to say it but for str8 men theres no reason to go here, two decent single ladies out of 700people -Smells like it should (+\-) the dancers on the podiums really do go hamsteak salad which makes it easier to ignore the floor full of stagnantly still dudes read more

Disappointing "gay club" 30 minutes and I left. I was visiting and went on a Friday since a local said it was a gay hotspot to dance. 10 dollar cover wasn't bad. Walked in saw a drag show to the right. The music took me upstairs where they had hip hop/dance music. NO GUYS WERE DANCING WITH EACH OTHER!! It was either straight couples getting sloppy dancing or gay guys dancing with the girls they brought. Utterly pathetic. This club should be called "closeted gays dance with girls". The absolutely only reason this isn't a one star is, because the bartender was nice and made a perfect cocktail. If your wanting a gay bar where guys dance with each other THIS IS NOT IT. read more

Effex Nightclub - a large group of people dancing - Gay Bars Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Prefacing this with saying that I've been going to Effex for years, and this is a review of how it has changed over time. It was a welcoming spot for the goth community, specifically Alchemy, on the first floor, and having the option of multiple stages and settings to dance was always refreshing. Getting to know the security and bar staff has been a joy beyond compare, because it creates a sense of community as one of the few inclusive spaces in town. Their cosmetic and structural improvements are astounding and make the whole place more approachable as a club all together. Restrooms overhauls, new flooring and better seating among others. The negative review stems from their new security and lack luster practices that have devolved over the last year. None of the old security staff work any more or have been severely cut back. The new staff, which is a hired outside firm, are some of the most offensive, rude and invasive folks I've ever dealt with. No dress code is posted on any media whatsoever, as are cover charges, which are conveniently hard to find. If you intend to stand in line for close to an hour at peak times, then get turned away because the staff don't like what you wear or arbitrarily decide that you look like a threat, then all they will do is waste your time. I may be coming from a place of privilege saying that I won't be going back, but it has changed to the point of being unrecognizable, all because of their new security. read more

It's great that Albuquerque has a big dance club. It's a ton of space and there are tons of people everywhere. It's in an odd location (no signage outside), but one will eventually find it. The music is okay and the drinks are cheap. read more

Had a pretty fun night with a group of friends while visiting in NM. I liked the different options of music they had in each room, but not a big fan of EDM​ so the rooftop area was my favorite. There also was a bar out there and more space for people to talk and dance. Everyone seemed to have a fun time, didn't have any problems. read more

The place large with different areas to get drinks or hang with friends. There is a cover to get in and I would not say the cover is worth the entrance. As for the drinks they small and expensive compared to other bars and clubs. Staff tends to ignore you if you are not their standards. read more

The club use to be more LGBT and now it's just straight couples and it's over priced on the weekends. Lines are long for drinks and music each time I go never seems to change. Totally spend money else where. Management and employees seem to be too cool to want to smile or engage with anyone. Faculty seems run down and bathrooms are disgusting! read more

The place had many layers and different rooms which I liked. It had a dingy cool Quality to it. I would go back if I was in abq again. Make sure to go after 10. That is certainly when it gets more crowded. read more

Great place. Nice bartenders, cool crowd, cheap drinks, huge club with several dj's. You will enjoy upstairs like the first floor.

I give Effex three stars ONLY because it's the only queer club downtown, and they definitely deserve recognition for that. In reality, it's more like a 2.5. Because let's be real: 'Burque is not known for our nightlife. At all. So, yes, this place fills some sort of void in our lives. We know we can go there and drink, dance, and be fabulous. I like that. That being said, Effex leaves much to be desired: the drinks are expensive (and weak!), the service is hit or miss, and the music is...well, let's just say that I haven't heard a DJ take the mic and say, "EVERYBODY SCREAM!" since like, 1998. The go-go dancers are definitely TRYING hard, but sometimes that's just not enough to get me going. There's also a weird pretension that I can't quite place, especially since HI, this is Albuquerque! We aren't in WeHo, so stop acting like it. I know it sounds like I am hating, and part of me is. Mostly because if you show up after 10pm, cover is $10. TEN DOLLARS! That's two drinks less I am buying at the bar, honeys. People can call me cheap, but again, this isn't WeHo. If you're charging $6 for weak drinks, you can make the cover $5-7. All of this being said, I still go to Effex. It can be fun, and I usually make some poor choices that result in fun stories. And really, until something better comes along, it's what we've got. read more

Ahhh, Effex. Where even to begin on this one? Albuquerque is a unique city all together. We have a unique culture, unique people and unique food. The same type of uniqueness really shows in Effex; this bar couldn't exist in any other city for a few reasons: 1. So Effex is technically a gay bar. Everyone knows that, but it doesn't make a difference because EVERYONE goes here. Gay, straight, whatever, everyone enjoys Effex. I think that's a super unique thing about this club. People are just chill about who everyone else is and everyone just wants to have a good time. 2. The venue is just ridiculous. THREE levels, all with different DJs? It's like a club megaplex! On Saturday's usually every level is busy and it's fun to explore the different types of music. Most clubs are only half this size, except for Vegas that is. Hands down, this is the best club in downtown Albuquerque. The music is usually good, depends on the night. Thursday's have gotten a little ghetto in my opinion, but other nights are usually on point. The patio usually has the best music, and all levels have huge dance floors. There are downsides to Effex, however. There's usually always a $10 cover, except on Thursdays. Drinks are expensive, plan on spending about $10-$15 a drink. And heads up, the drinks are strong. You might be paying $10, but that drink is all you'll need. The club gets rowdy, and the bouncers and bartenders can be a little dismissive of people that need to be cut off. There's never any fights or anything violent, luckily, but sometimes things can turn into a hot mess, so just be aware. Verdict is, if you want to dance and have a good time, this is your club, just be careful about your consumption. read more

Hundreds of people crowded the dance floor on Friday. So packed, you couldn't even do the "sprinkler" and had to make do with the the "lasso." In spite of this the place doesn't feel too crowded because there are three levels hence three bars, three dance floors. I've only been once but only the small 80's dance floor is super dense, the first floor was vacant and the roof top was reasonably spaced out. You could probably pull off the Charleston or Gangnam without anyone losing an eye. I don't know if they have a fixed DJ rotation or if you just take what you get when you show up. Speaking of showing up, everyone get's there around 11. You can reserve a table. If you like to sit down, this is your best bet. It seems that as an alternative lots of people chose to dance while holding a drink and spill their drinks on the dance floor. This is actually a good thing because there's too much friction to moonwalk without tonic on the floor. Oh last thing, this is kind of a post nobody-gives-a-shit-if-you're-gay gay bar. It is gay enough that people are actually dancing and having fun, but I hardly noticed the distinction. There were tons of straight people there as well. read more

So this is my first time at Effex and I loved it. It was for the after party after we finished at the Yelp 80's prom. The DJ that they have was spinning some amazing music and the atmosphere was great. I only ordered one drink so I can't really judge on the quality of drinks there but the roof top bar is pretty awesome. I have never been into any place like it. Its a great hidden gem downtown and you can never judge from the outside how awesome this club is. And Everyone will tell you this is one of the best dance clubs here in the 505! read more

That silly non review of 2 had to be re-mediated with a 5 to balance it out. My legs work fine when dancing. This place is a bit much at times, and honestly its the people that bring down the sex appeal. But when all the fab's have only one place to go your going to have a spectrum, that's not always lovely. The venue itself is very nice, the male bartenders serve shirtless( sexy, thssss), but the female bartenders look totally straight, uninteresting and are scarred to engage the crowed. The music is surprisingly passable for ABQ, and i can see how this place can get crazy. The front door needs a little dressing up and proper spacing, i feel that its a little low class and sets the wrong tone for the sweet venue that it actually is... Seating in the smoking area could be better, more benches less lawn chairs. those private seats are not sturdy and break up social geography.. Nice High chairs with little cafe tables would do the trick.... Okay girls, love you long time, Ciao read more

Hands down, the funnest and most inclusive dance club in Albuquerque. No matter what your dance music taste, Effex is sure to please! My friends and I like to come here to have a drink, let loose and dance the night away.. I've even flown solo a few times! Always a fun spot to explore on a fun night out. read more

Since there's no club in Santa Fe, I decided to drive to Effex. (One hour each way). Not a good experience. $15 cover. Wow. That is too much. That's more than what I'm used to pay. As soon as I walked around, I wanna go back to my hotel and sleep. It was not worth it. There are a lot of ladies and straight guys in this gay club. I guess it's one of the dance clubs to go to in Albuquerque. I mean some ladies were trying to hit on me, ugh, why! Ceilings have white curtains that are so ugly!! They should get an interior designer to fix those crap. The floor is very sticky, has a lot of cracks. It should be fixed. The lights are horrible. Although there were laser lights in both second and first floors, the giant TV's were too bright. In the first floor, there was a stagr across the DJ that is oddly nonfunctional. If you are used to clubs in NYC, DC or East Coast, you will be very disappointed about Effex. They need a major make over. This club has lots of potentials. But currently, it failed in every way. If you are not Albuquerque and you need to drive an hour for Effex, I suggest you skip this place. read more

What can I say it's Effex, Loud dance music overpriced drinks and of course the busy dance floor. It's a fun place to go on a Saturday night though it's not something I want to do everynight. I always have fun here and see many of my friends, it's a great social hang out. If you order a drink make sure my buddy Jameson or my gal Victoria make it. Just FYI the bar downstairs nor the patio have a tap so order beers upstairs, they have IPA up there also. Oh and please tip your bartender ;) read more

Effex Nightclub - A cup of IPA from a club, yum. - Gay Bars Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

My friend and I were from out of town visiting our dear friend and this was our spot for ladies night. We loved the edm area. The club felt pretty inclusive considering all the music options. I don't drink but holy cow all their drinks are $5. We paid a cover of $10 initially and were skeptical at first cause it looked sort of dead when we went into the first floor around 1045 but it was just a little early. We ended up dancing all night on the roof at the edm section had so much fun!! read more

This is my favorite place to go dancing in ABQ! They have three different areas to dance; so if you don't like one area you can move onto another. I love dancing on the rooftop dance floor. The only downside is that I am not an attractive gay man; so alas it takes me forever to get a drink from the bar. Despite this, I always have a great time when I go here. Be prepared for the $10 - $15 cover! read more

Update: I recently returned and I will give them credit for a positive step in the right direction by installing metal detectors, but the atmosphere and clientele are still the same. Unfortunately this place is just not a good club to visit. There are much better and safer places to go and have a good night out on the town. read more

I don't know where to start with this. I thought this was a LGBT bar but it was mixed and mainly straight individuals. It was a little uncomfortable getting hit on by straight guys even though they know I am with my gf. The place was very smoky and over crowded. My gf got tagged by a cigarette (ouch). The bathrooms were disgusting and there was no privacy. The drinks were not strong and way overpriced. The cover charge was expensive too. It seems like this place is for young straight college party place. On a good note: The music was on point on all the different dance floors. read more

I love this place! Best place to let go of stress. The staff is amazing and very welcoming! Great music! I never have any issues with this place! Extremely impressed. I will be coming here for a long time! read more

Limited variety of drinks at the bar, sticky bathroom floors, broken toilets, industrial feel, not the best part of town, good sound system, mix of quiet and loud spaces, lots of places to sit....and not much else. I've been to worse bars, and to better. read more

I came here this weekend and it was a fun time, although i lost both of my IDs. I called them the next morning and was directed to email them. I lost them on saturday and the club is closed on sunday and monday. They emailed me back tuesday and they only foubd one of them, but gqve me the times to pick them up. read more

An alright place to go dance. And that's about the only good thing about this place. Rude staff. Smells like vomit. Bathrooms are NASTY! Creepy dudes there just standing around watching the few people who dance, dance. read more

I would give this zero stars if I could. We went on a Thursday night and they charged a $15 cover for this bar. There was nothing going on. I went to the bathroom while my brother and sister went to the bar to order drinks from Nester (the security guard told us his name). I walked up slightly delayed from their drink order and was slightly indecisive. He motioned his hand towards his crowd and said that he had a whole bar to attend to soooo... I have been a server/bartender for almost a decade and have never given nor received such rude service from ANY server. The door guy, Nester, was completely not understanding and stated there was no available manager on shift. How does one handle a grave situation with no one in charge? The security guard totally brushed us off. I would NEVER EVER recommend going here. We paid $45 to get in for horribly rude service and no enjoyment. Go support another business that cares about you. Richard also tried to start a confrontation with my brother as we left. read more

I'm a straight guy and came to check out this place since its one of the only places that plays EDM music and must say its a pretty awesome place they usually have respectable DJ's spinning on the main stage and a local DJ on the roof top the dance floor is huge and the drinks are cheap. read more

First time at this apparently gay bar that I have never been too in Albuquerque (I personally am still mourning the loss of Fox's Booze and Cruise, but that closed at least 6 years ago, so that's how it goes). This nightclub has three different floors, a huge one on the ground floor that was closed, a small indoor floor on the second story that I briefly checked out through the window, and an outdoor area on the roof, which is where we were at which was pretty damn cool. The employees were very nice. It was an industrial dance DJ set, so me and my friend (we're both doing the DJ thing ourselves) were counting the number of songs that we either already knew, and the few songs that we were not aware of, which was fun. It was very windy tho, so patrons seemed to be coming in, dancing for a few songs, and then leaving. We stayed for about 2.5 hours and had a great time. We're planning on making this a weekly trek (we live in Santa Fe) for the summer when we aren't traveling in other states. read more

I had a blast at Effex on a Friday night. What a great place to dance the night away. The downstairs wasn't open, which was kind of a bummer...but it was hoppin' upstairs and the DJ was good. The rooftop is really cool and makes you feel like you are in a bigger city. It's surrounded by brick buildings and they do a pretty good job with the lighting. There were atleast 3 bars open serving up decent drinks all night. There was plently of seating inside, but I think they need to make more permanant seating on the patio, whether they be plush benches or chairs or whatever. One of my friends made a comment that although they poured the captain for his captain and coke out of a captain morgan bottle, he didn't think it tasted like captain..and I had to agree. read more

Worst experience ever. Standing in line myself and my friend were told cover was $10. Upon entering we were charged $15 each simply because it was packed. The manager was a total a$$ and we asked why the price increased. The manager stated its his establishment and will do whatever he wants. The two gentlemen in front of me were each charged $10. Not to mention the 30 people who cut the line. Don't come here. This business discriminates against the straight people. Go someplace else for over priced drinks. read more

I had such a great time at this club. There's a $10 cover per person, but it's worth it because there are three floors with different DJ's. The music they played were mostly EDM remixes, dancers on stage, patio bar, and huge dance floors. This bar is labeled as a Gay bar but the thing I love about this place is everyone goes here to enjoy the night dancing and drinking. Thumbs up for me. read more

This is the only place to go to dance the night away. Especially on the weekend. There's a good mix of straight and LGBTQ people. The club is always popping and the DJs rock. Also the Bartending is and always has been right on point. They just opened up Side Effex and it is worth checking out. They have loads of chandeliers and a few couches to chill on. read more