I came here as a straight female because Karaoke. NB that I am very comfy with gay folks, so being the only seemingly straight person and one of only a few women didn't bug me. Good KJ, great song list especially some songs in Spanish I have seen nowhere else. Decent beer selection and prices. Friendly enough crowd and bar staff, I do understand that when at a gay bar I am a guest and behave appropriately. It is tricky to find, so I took a Lyft there, but on the way back I scored a GRID bike nearby and had a lovely bike ride downtown. read more

A good ol' neighborhood Gay bar, nested in the back of Park Central Mall Cheap Drinks, Friendly service, and walking distance from the light rail. read more

I went here with a friend on a Saturday night . We were going to a fund-raiser for the Phoenix Metropolitan Men's Chorus, it was Gong Karaoke. The bar its self is tucked away in an unassuming complex of office and retail/restaurant space. The patio juts out onto the sidewalk so you can hear the buzz on your walk from the covered parking structure. Once inside I found a long narrow bar with a wall of windows exposing the outdoor patio -it makes the space seem not as tight. In the far corner is a niche with a few bar height tables and a TV monitor. It was there they were orchestrating the Gong Karaoke. The bar had good service, friendly bartenders, moderate drinks and prices. However, it was the Men's Chorus that were the stars of the evening. Absolutely the best karaoke I've been too -and believe me I've suffered through many at gay bars. If you haven't been to one before, go! The Chorus was fabulous. The MC's were hilarious as they exchange silly banter back and forth and worked the crowd for donations. That said, my experience here was definitely colored by the Chorus fund-raiser. I will go again although not sure what are the best nights. By the way the bathroom is horrendous! Hold it if you can. read more

Kolbolt is the best place for karaoke! Kat behind the bar is absolutely amazing as well. Deffinatley check this place out.

Kobalt is my favorite place to go for karaoke and I love them!!!!! They take amazing care of me every time I've ever gone & special shout out to Abel they are all incredible though the DJ and bartenders are wonderful & it's a fun and special place. Definitely my go to spot check them out read more

Great neighborhood bar. Not quite a pub - no food, sadly - but friendly staff, welcoming customers, free popcorn, reasonably priced drinks, and darts! This is the place I hang at when I'm in town - mainly because of the superior staff, always ready to chat, offer local advice, and mix a nice drink. No pretension, no attitude - pure neighborhood bar. Thanks for being a "Cheers." read more

Service with Abel was always fast and on point. Personally, I always order an Old Fashioned to see whom is a good bartender and Abel also made it exquisitely. Seek out read more

Kobalt, I don't need to say much. They know. From RuPaul Mondays to karaoke Tuesdays and Saturdays, this place is on point. I've never had one complaint, the bartenders are freakin amazing. Please don't come here if you're an a-hole, this is a berry friendly environment. read more

Kobalt is one of my favorite gay bars in Phoenix. Unfortunately, I don't get out all that often, but when I go here, I always have fun. This is one of the best-looking bars in Arizona, with really nice decor and attentive staff. Hidden inside of an old shopping mall, it's a little hard to find, but it's worth the trek. Speaking of Trek, "make it so, Number One." read more

A group of friends decided to drive over here for karaoke last night after a different venue fell through, and I'm actually glad we had issues! This place is fantastic. The host was very funny and charming, and the bartender was super nice, as well. The place is a decent size, though it is a bit hidden if you don't know where to look. The song selection is large and the host would even pull up songs on Youtube that weren't in the books, if you asked. I definitely plan on coming back. read more

Great place!!! I didn't mind the sore throat and my 2 day limp!!!! Great place I recommend it to anyone of my gay friends and gals.

Always a fun place! I am not from Phoenix but whenever I'm in town I come to Kobalt and have a blast! Travis and the boys always pleasant. Abel is hoot! Try the "Abelicious"!! The karaoke is also a lot of fun!! read more

Went here last night, and the drinks were fantastic and cheap! Bartender was very friendly, and so were the staff. The patio has a very nice lounge setting, and is very relaxing.. its nice to find a place near downtown Phoenix, where one can just sit and listen to activities that are going on inside, from outside! I will be back for sure! Thank for a great time. read more

This is a great little neighborhood bar. The staff is super friendly and fun to hang with. They make you feel right at home. My softball team went there while in town for a tournament and they were more than accommodating - especially when such a large group shows up all at once. They even slipped us some tokens for free games of darts when we indicated we were gonna play. If you stop in Phoenix I would definitely recommend spending a few of your gay dollars here... read more

Been here many times and always crazy fun. Drinks are awesomely strong... It's a little expensive to take a cab home from here ($89.00) but waaaayyyyy cheaper than a DUI. The crowd is straight friendly and my wife loves all the attention. We've been several times and will continue to go back again and again. read more

Had a blast there for Karaoke Sunday. Adorable boys and even with a terrible voice I felt right at home singing. Good crowd, good setting, great bartenders. Go if you get the chance. read more

Love, love, love, love, love Kobatl! Ron & Gina are awesome bartenders! Oh, and Drewbie too! And Arturo, and.... well, just about everyone. :-) Kobalt is not a wild crazy party place (most of the time) but it is one of my favorite places to sit down and have a great cocktail or martini. I rarely drink beer, but they have a decent selection of it, bottles only though, no tap. My favorite thing about the bar, besides the friendly (and often hot) staff is the atmosphere. It's located in Park Central mall, right off the Osborn light rail stop, so super easy to get to and super safe to get home (don't risk a DUI! Take the train!) if you live near a light rail stop. There's also a bike rack out front, I love riding my bike down Central to Kobalt (maybe stopping at Hula's for a bight to eat first, but that's another review). Careful leaving your bike overnight if you get too drunk though... I've had a wheel, seat and eventually the entire bike stolen. BUT that was 3 incidents and I had left it there overnight many times. Helpful hint: if you're too drunk to ride, call Discount and ask for a minivan cab, they're the same price and they have room for your bike! Some cab drivers will take it in their trunk too, but not all (the Kobalt bartenders won't mind asking the cabbie when they call though). The atmosphere is great because it has WINDOWS!!! A LOT of them. The exterior walls are all glass, ceiling is high/vaulted and glass too. So there is a very open, atrium feeling. Great place to day drink because you can enjoy the fact that there is daylight and you're not just sitting in some dank, dark, windowless cave. The vibe is definitely more upscale than many Phoenix gay bars, but without any air of pretention or snobbery. Their Patio is great, possibly my favorite in PHX, definitely in the top 3. (Bunkhouse and Bar 1 being the other two) I don't smoke, but I love sitting out there when the weather is nice. A large portion of it is covered, so it's great on the few rainy evenings we get. As far as entertainment goes... (which is something I wrote a lot about in another review) I think this is where Kobalt falls a little short. I hate saying that because I really don't want to say anything bad about the place, but there's not much to see or do but chat with the friendly bartenders if you're there by yourself. (Although Kobalt gets a decent crowd so the bartenders are usually pretty busy) They have some good-sized TVs, but they're usually on a TV station with the sound off and captions on, or they're playing a closed-circuit loop promoting the bar's events, or a slideshow of previous events and fun staff photos. Sound system at Kobalt is good, and they usually play good music, so that's a plus. There's also a jukebox (which you can control remotely via iPhone or Android! Cool geek factor) But that's about it. They do some shows, I love it when I catch T.C. Taylor there! She is awesome! But I don't really think it's a regular thing, since they have no real stage or dressing area like The Rock or Ice Pics. I guess what I'm trying to say when it comes to entertainment at Kobalt is: Bring Friends. It's one of the best places to sit with a group of friends and chat and drink, but kind of boring if you're on your own. Oh! I will say though, on the entertainment front... one of my FAVORITE places for Karaoke! They have Karaoke 2 nights a week (I think) The crowd is hit or miss, sometimes there's a ton of people and sometimes just a few, but the rotation usually goes pretty fast, so you get plenty of chances to sing. The bartenders usually sing too, Drewbie and Kela (I hope I spelled that right) are great! :-) They're sound system is perfect for Karaoke, they have some of the best mics in town, and everyone just seems to sound better there. Kind of like singing in the shower, but you can keep your clothes on. (Which is kind of a shame because some hot boys go there, and work there!) Crowd varies widely at Kobalt... young, old, gay, lesbian, etc. Really depends on the night. Friday happy hour is their biggest night and it is usually packed with very attractive guys! Fridays get really crowded, you'd think it was New Year's Eve or something! Other nights are just right, not too slow so you're sitting by yourself in an empty room, but not too crowded that you can't move. So in conclusion (Finally! And thank you if you made it to the end of this) Kobalt is a great place to go with friends (or make new ones, I find most people that go there are receptive and friendly, except for the snotty 20-something's that think they're hot, but they only show up on Friday nights). :-) read more

Had fun at this bar. The only thing I can really comment on is that I might have scared some people when I sang. But they still let me back in the bar so that's a plus! read more

This is our favorite karaoke bar around! Straight or gay, you will have a fantastic time here! Every time we've been here (and we've been a lot), we meet new cool people and make new friends. Bartenders are awesome, free popcorn, darts, a cool patio for chillin outside and karaoke 4 nights a week! Totally recommend checking this place out if you're looking for a good time during the week or on the weekend! read more

So much fun for Barbara new comer show. Really disappointed the bartender was busy trying to get a guy number to wait on anyone else. also ran out of one's to tip the girls. So I had to ask a random guy for 10 in one's. Unacceptable. read more

Love going to Kobalt on Thursdays for Trivia Night. The competition is fierce (but I think some of them cheat...smart phones I'm looking at you!)! Can't tell you how many times we've been SO CLOSE to winning...then don't. Trivia Night is definitely good for groups if you're looking to laugh, have some drinks, and eat some complimentary popcorn. Gina, who hosts Trivia Night, is a riot and a master on the bar. The only downside is sometimes Kobalt is pretty dead and you're stuck having to make polite conversation with that weird bar person who just can't take a hint that they should go away. However, that doesn't make the drinks or the company (that you came with) any less enjoyable! read more

Nice "local" bar. All the bartenders are friendly and pour a great drink. This place doesnt have the drama that most gay bars have.

Great bar! So much fun. There are a lot of fun people to meet there. It can get crowded but it's a nice place to go every now and then.

Came here to watch RPDR and loved it!! Before I went to a few other bars to watch the show and the majority of people were rude and the bartender some days was cool and others kinda meh. However, a friend of mine said Kolbalt was the place to go and boy was she right!! After coming to Kolbalt I knew this was the spot to enjoy RPDR!! Atmosphere was better and LOVE the bartenders!! Oh and they gave out free Dominos pizza and also let you bring in outside food! In case you are wondering what RPDR stands for it is RuPaul's Drag Race! I recommend to come here on a Monday night when the season starts up!! #teamviolet read more

This is a great place it's a lot of fun for some reason I just can't get used to the design of the building I always end up going outside on the patio weather seems to be more space than inside. on the inside it's a little awkward walking around the bar usually it's so crowded that it's uncomfortable. other than that this is a great place to check out I highly recommend it other then the space. read more

Absolutely love this place!! Bartender's are amazing.. Service is outstanding! Brock made me feel so welcome my 1st time in.. I have been back many times since.. Feels like home ,from the staff to the patrons!! read more

Friendly and inviting bar. Good music, cheap drinks, and lovely bartenders. Love the karaoke, and if I was to nitpick, I would like a wider selection of songs. read more

Cheap drinks, nice people, a little dated but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Able and Travis... you guys are ROCK STARS!!!! We really appreciate how welcome you made us feel. We had a great vacation in Arizona and our time in Phoenix was awesome. Please tell Celia Putty and her side kick (sorry.. can't remember her name) that the show on Wed 9/11 was not only a BLAST but totally outrageous :) What a great place to hang out and have a cocktail. Nice crowd and EXCELLENT service. We wish you absolute success and we WILL see you again!!!!!! Geoffrey B. and Jim A. Fort Lauderdale, FL read more

I did not enjoy my experience there. I went lastnight im from Virginia and was treated differently because of my drink choice. I do not enjoy mean comments from bar tenders nor did I enjoy the comments suggesting that my drink choice made me poor. Very unprofessional behavior from an establishment that is geared towards the hospitality industry. I felt almost discrinated on in an establishment that is part of my LGBT community. I am and was very disappointed, thank you. read more

Stopped by last evening and sat at the bar for nearly 15 minutes being ignored by the two bartenders. The guy next to me was served and then the bartender went out to smoke. He watched me as i walked the length of the bar to leave. Called them today thinking they might like some feedback, but never heard from them. Was I too old? Wrong shirt? Many other bars in town seem happy to take my money. I suggest you take your business elsewhere. read more

Horrible! Read on the internet that this was a great place. Sadly it is dead and boring. Not where I would recommend on a Saturday night. Bartenders seem like they could care less about their patrons. read more

It's always been a place where you can see people are having a good time. Bartenders are wonderful, drag bingo is hysterical, and karaoke is always fun! It's always a great place to come meet up with friends to have a cocktail and chill. read more

Ahhhh... Kobalt. That's where the grown sexy folks hang out. Did you know it won an award for best lesbian bar (2nd place, I think)? For a gay bar, that alone speaks volumes. The location is very accommodating; from the great covered parking lot to the proximity to the light rail station, you could have a great time laughing, talking and drinking on the patio and not worry about pissing off the neighbors or the cops. But its interior is what you should come for. The bartenders are genuinely brilliant people. They look you in the eyes, smile, and welcome you like your enjoyment is a priority. There's always something going on, either karaoke, trivia nights, darts or great conversations. The Wed. night drag shows are pretty good too. As for food, there are nice restaurants a few meters away and fast food around the corner. Breathe easy and know everything is going to be alright. Just ask Gina, Drew, Travis, Abel, Kela or anyone else there. read more

Great local bar in Central Phoenix. Wonderful and friendly staff, good libations, and an excellent place for a quiet afternoon with friends or an entertaining night with the beautiful drag queens of Arizona. My parents even love coming here when they visit. Great bar! read more

Nice little bar located in a outdoor mall like complex downtown. We were in town for a softball tournament and stayed at the Hilton, so this bar was just a few minute walk away. Nice. Stopped in there about 3 times during our weekend stay just to grab drinks when we had a spare few minutes. Bartenders were friendly and quick to serve. Drinks were on the strong side. NICE! It had a fun little patio...but unfortunately we were in Phoenix during some weird cold/rainy weather so it wasn't as enjoyable as it should have been. Overall Kobalt is a nice little hangout bar....which is just my type of bar :o) read more

I really do like this bar for the most part. The bartenders are nice for the most part and location is decent. I personally wish they utilized space better when designing the layout better because of the separation from one room and another but i naturally like a constant flow of space. I also wish the prices werent so high read more

I have been to this bar twice and closed it down twice.....never a dull moment. The drinks are delish and the people are great!

Hard to find, inside a strip mall. I went on a Friday night 9ish and it was dead. Bartenders were quite nice. Nice outdoor patio. Seemed to attract a bit of an older crowd. read more