I was yelled at by the from bouncer on a Friday night for wanting to get into this place at 1:00 am sharp. The door was shut and I just walked away after getting yelled at. Didn't say anything back. Keep in mind I'm smaller and I'm not used to being yelled at by anyone, especially bigger than me. Not a safe feeling, not welcoming, all at the cost of wanting to make friends out? I'm just out for a good time and a conversation. I'm a mellow person and I'm kind to everyone. That doesn't insure me kindness back I guess. Enjoy at your own risk of getting mistreated and yelled at for no reason read more

In SJ for work and decided to find a cool divey spot. From the minute I entered I've had THE BEST experience. Eddie the bartender is amazing, kind, sweet and attentive. The regulars greeted me and made me feel at home. I'm in love w this spot!!! Thank you EDDIE! read more

Mac's Club - Gay Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Love the amazing and attentive staff here and vibes are always chill and laid back. Have frequented this bar for at least a good 10 years. In the past couple years the prices have been raised a significant amount. A single well cocktail cost me $11 plus a $1.50 "back surcharge." $12.50 for a well cocktail isn't the greatest of deals in the immediate area. I will definitely still visit now and then for the awesome staff and cool, laid back and welcoming atmosphere, but will unfortunately have to cut back on visits due to sheer cost. Literally a 5-star experience if it wasn't for the outrageous prices. read more

All the staff are sweet, caring, and funny! I love this place so much and hope everyone can feel as magical as I do when I step in here for a drink read more

Despite being a LGBTQIA+ bar, don't come here if you are cis women presenting. My group of lesbian women were all ignored the 20 minutes we patiently waited for our turn. The balding bartender didn't even acknowledge us, and left the bar for about 7 minutes before our group called it a day and left the establishment. read more

Great dive gay bar. Fun staff and patrons. They have an awesome back patio with wonderful vibes. Must checkout for drinks and good times. read more

Mac's Club - a mural of a woman on a moon - Gay Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

I loved coming here, until tonight. On April 11th, 2025, my friend and I were verbally and physically harassed by an employee by the name of Eddie at Mac's. The interaction began when the employee stated in an irate manner that my friends and I could not use the restroom without purchasing a drink. We explained to him that we were planning on buying a drink, we were just waiting on one of our group members to use the facilities. Eddie left, and I did not use the restroom. We went inside to order and I told him he was rude to us and could've explained himself in a better way. I walked away from him, but he proceeded to follow me to the center of the bar and stood intimidatingly close to me. He began berating me, stating that I was being "too emotional". He then threatened to eject me for this reason. I asked him to stop and told him I would but a drink, but he continued to harass and threaten me with ejection. I asked if he was the owner and for his name. He refused to give me his name and attempted to slap my phone out of my hand. I was stunned and became afraid he would assault me, so I ran behind the bar. Another bartender provided his name and stated that he is a manager. Eddie then began harassing my friend, shouting at him that he did nothing wrong and would not apologize. I found this behavior extremely disturbing and left the bar feeling physically unsafe. read more

Very chill spot the staff is very friendly and welcoming. Definitely my favorite bar downtown San Jose. Highly recommend. Eddy was very nice and made me really good drinks. read more

I was visiting San Jose and this is one of the bars we visited. The place is not that big but they offer outside seating. They were pretty packed on a Thursday night. There was only one bartender but he was pretty fast on serving patrons. We had the green tea and tequila shots and enjoyed our night. read more

My friends and I had a horrible experience here, specifically with Eddie... we had just left splash to go to Macs and was unhappily greeted by Mr. Eddie. My friend really needed to use the restroom before we got drinks so she went and my friend and I waited by the door for her to use the restroom (locks don't work for outside restrooms). While doing so, Eddie came up to us and was very confrontational, "You guys can't use the restroom without ordering drinks, that's not how we operate" keep in mind that our friends were sitting at the bar ready to get drinks and are frequent customers here. When we went up to staff to report the incident, they were dismissive. Eddie asked me, "how would you have handled the situation" and I said "I would have used less attitude and just calmly explained that a purchase was needed for restroom use, not treat us like low lives for using the restroom before buying drinks" be then proceeded to say we were too emotional even though we just answered a question that Mr. Eddie asked. This experience felt unreal because he made a big deal out of absolutely nothing and called us emotional. We took our business to Paper Planes, got drinks, and enjoyed the rest of the night. This experience really left a bad taste in our mouths and will no longer give money to this establishment read more

I love the little "back porch" it kind of feels like a speak easy but it's nice that there's a place for people to talk. Drinks were decent priced and the red lights out back was a vibe read more

Would not recommend this place to anyone. Me and a couple friends came here to hang out; however, I was the only one not drinking since I was the DD. When I went to use the bathroom, the owner said I couldn't use it unless I bought a drink. Even tho all my friends had bought 2 rounds. When I let him know I was the DD so I wasn't drinking and he responded " I don't care, if you want to use the bathroom, you have to buy a drink!" I will never come here again! read more

I am GAY & San Jose born & raised. Mac's has been a staple watering hole for me since I turned 21 (a few years before that if we're being honest here...) & I have been defending that place for ageeeessss simply because there are literally 3 queer nightlife establishments in all of San Jose+ & i'm trying to do my part in keeping the culture alive. I tried. This past Friday night around midnight-1am, I suggested to my party that we go have some recuperatory drinks & a bathroom/smoke break at Mac's after dancing 2 doors down at Splash (as I & most other San Jose gays think to do!) The 3 of us who went in first had a BELL RANG AT THEM within 45 seconds as they tried to use the restroom without ordering drinks first. the bartender on staff shouted "BATHROOMS FOR CUSTOMERS ONLY!!! TOO MANY HETEROS COME IN HERE AND F*** IN THE BATHROOM!"... at my 2 visibly queer roommates + one of our dads who was wearing a 3xl iridescent green women's button up... in a 1/3 full capacity, dead silent space as if they couldn't use a couple of potential customers. They only started backpedaling when I came in & was recognized as a previous customer, at which point the vibe was ruined & we bounced.... only for the 3 old men sitting at the bar to cheer as we left. the whole thing took less than 2 minutes. 0/10 super disappointing experience during Pride Month in a town where it's already disappointingly uninviting for queer people :/ oh & the place has smelled like urine for like 10 years. read more

Well I have been coming here late 2012. And to my surprise. They have changed a little. They once had ounce counters on their pour spouts. It always dispensed a correct amount. They now have free pour, which is okay. Well....... My regular drink is a double Bourbon & Coke for $8.75 it now has risen to $16.00 and yet down two doors, they have same for $9.75 where do you think I'll be going? read more

Mac's Club - a drink and a laptop on a bar - Gay Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Bartender Asian&Latina guy on second shift Saturday nights is an unprofessional guy always has an attitude and walks around likes he's always right!!! Wrong o bucko customers are always right and he chooses service to his friends first ! It was my first time there my friends and I will never return all 5 of us feel the same and they will be writing a negative yelp review and putting in paper ../ugh makes me so upset set . Don't recommend this place at all read more

My night started out very bland and terrible... trying to go out with my girlfriends on our only day off on a Monday.. to our luck we found Mac's and their amazingly funny and attentive bartender Gustavo, we had the best night! We adore him and that's not just the amazing cocktails he has prepared for us talking. I honestly enjoy him and his humor. He definitely brings San Jose back on the map for awesome bar hang outs , even for a boring Monday night. read more

Mac's Club - Gay Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Overpriced drinks killed this cool, gay dive. It was more fun when it was cheap and darker.

Este bar tiene un ambiente agradable y relajante. El barman, Gabriel, fue un encanto y hizo que nuestro aniversario se sintiera muy especial. Fue súper amable y un gran conversador. Definitivamente volveremos. :) read more

I stopped in just because!..... keys just say interesting crowd, really nice bar counter and device is good. Have a stiff one on here and away you go! I had a reasonably strong vodka tonic for sure! Worth a peak... in the dark, late shift! Thanks folks! Ha read more

Oh Macs! This place is great if you want to hang out, have a beer or cocktail and watch tv. And by great is if you get there on time to grab a seat. This place is super tiny, with limited amount of seats and space. In addition, the bar is cash only and they do have an atm machine inside. The best part really is to get a little wasted there and then grab a hot dog outside the bar on a Friday or Saturday night. The bartenders have always been super friendly and nice and their drinks are strong, which is what I care about the most. This place is usually an older crowd. read more

High school reunion and I dragged my friends here. Friendly bartender. Fun crowd! My friend Rich got felt up...LOL! "You should've at least gotten a free drink out of that!" Cheap drinks....fun atmosphere...definitely worth a stop before continuing on. read more

Mac's Club - We're up all night to get lucky...LOL! - Gay Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Seems like some of the other reviews are outdated. Lots of people of color, women, butch, fem, you name it. All enjoying the music, libations, and company. Back patio has a lot of smokers, but that's not unusual. read more

For years Mac's has been my go-to bar, but this has now changed. Unfortunately, the new owners have decided to nearly double the prices. My $8.50 vodka now runs $15.35. Additionally, happy hour was shortened to 5:30 to 6:30, literally 1-hour. I walked down the street to Splash and their happy hour is a fabulous 4 hours long (5:00-9:00) and the same drink was $8.00. Guess where my pals and I will be ordering our drinks from now on? To our fav bartender, Eddie, you're an amazing bartender (the best!) , but the new upscale prices don't match the downscale dive bar that it is. read more

new changes to the bar are making it very unpleasant to be there. making the bartenders take so much time to make drink by measuring each by a jigger is ridiculous! Also the rise in prices that charges for the booze and mixers separately is a ripoff! If the new owner wants to drive away the gay regulars, she is doing just that. Mac's is not a cocktail lounge, it is a "Dive Bar!" read more

I really really want to like Macs, but compared to Splash down the street its no contest. Macs is small, hard to navigate and while it reminds me a bit of the Turf club, there was just not enough space for everyone. Without a dance floor or a great drink list that just doesn't work for me. I wanted to be down the street at Splash dancing in the larger space or out on the patio. I'll probably drop by again, but wasn't too impressed this visit. read more

The friendliest bartenders (and patrons) around! We were looking like lost and confused puppies near the entrance and the bartender walks out and ushers us in. "Come in! Come in! We don't bite! Unless you want us to..." I asked for a Scotch and they were good natured about it. This isn't a scotch bar. The bartender gave me some guff and then pulled out a bottle of Smuggler's Cove. "You know, this is VERY well-aged... because this same bottle has been sitting behind the bar for 30 years!" They make great mixed drinks here. Not fancy designer drinks, but they taste good. The price is also super reasonable, in particular compared to the other bars in the area. They also have some decent red wine, by the way. They have a super cute little patio in the back with a few tables... and a giant inflatable purple dragon on the roof. What's not to love? Yes, this is a gay bar. They are very friendly and open to everyone, and no matter your orientation you will have a great time here. Highly recommended that you make this place one of your stops as you crawl through downtown San Jose! read more

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Amongst all the straight bars in downtown we found this one. Super chill environment and all decked out for halloween right now. They card at the door and have a strict buy a drink policy if you need to use their bathroom-buy a drink! So we did. Lots of people and feels a little tight because the place is small. Cool bartenders and vibe. I would come back again when my gay friends ask where to hang out thats not in the city (SF). Good option here. read more

Bartenders are notorious for short changing. Don't believe me? Sit at the bar and count how many times people politely tell the bartender they didn't get the correct change back, watch the bartender go back to the register to get their money without question. Most people are drunk here anyway, and the bartenders know that. If you read the reviews, you'll notice the bad comments are about the bartenders, not about the place or the crowd. San Jose can be very welcoming and fun. Fun bar, patio is where you can meet some fun people. Just be careful with the cash only bar. #shady read more

Came here last night and it was pretty dead because it was a Tuesday night. My friend and I wanted to grab a drink after work and this place has cheap beers in tall glasses and a very relaxed and friendly environment. I'm updating my review and adding the extra star because of one of the bartenders there, Jeff. He introduced himself to us last night and took the time to talk to us, for a pretty decently long time as well. We talked about everything-work, the bar, the regulars, the beer, the drinks, current trends, generational differences, life. It was very intriguing listening to his stories as he more than twice my age, but it put a very nice perspective on the topics we discussed. He also made me a delicious Midori Sour and let the beer flow for my friend, if you're wondering about the drinks. Lastly, this place rocks with the decor! They have since taken down the christmas decorations and they put up dragons and red lanterns, to celebrate the upcoming Lunar Vietnamese/Chinese/Korean New Year. So much better than tacky Valentines Day decorations you will see everywhere else. I'll definitely be back here again and again! read more

We were in town for the night and wanted to make sure we dropped into a local gay bar to see how the gays do it up in San Jose. Mac's is a great little dive-y bar with an outdoor patio in the back. We didn't spend too much time here cause we were pretty tired after being on the road for 6+ hours but the bartender and the patrons were very friendly. Chatted with a few folk and headed out after our beers. Would love to come back and see what it's like on a busier night! read more

This bar is great. I felt really really! As long Gabriel here then you will for sure feel welcome! Come here for Gabriel!

Our gay bar scene here in SJ is extremely limiting. We currently have 2.5 of them. The .5 one is Renegades - a disgusting 50 year old building that smells like a crime scene, but I'll save that for another review. Mac's is a tragic, tiny gay bar in an otherwise amazingly historical building a couple doors down from it's prettier bigger sister, Splash. I've been to Mac's maybe 10 times in my life (I'm born and raised here in San Jose), and each time it either smells like sewage or vomit. Last night was vomit. The bartender told me, "you just get used to the smell after working here". Um, ok? My friend and I got a drink and walked out to the "back patio" (a firetrap with a few wobbly high top tables, some dead planes and a few $10 Rite Aid plastic patio chairs). I honestly don't know how the fire Marshall hasn't shut that patio down because if there was a fire inside and the patio entrance was blocked, you'd be trapped. I was happy to see they finally dragged a piece of wet paper towel along the white patio restroom door which every other time has been converted in dirt, grime and last time I was there, some blood (yes, blood). The 2 restrooms are always gross, dirty and occupied with coke heads or people hooking up. As for the bar tenders - they're nice enough, the drinks are meh at best. I question whether or not to trust their dishwashing procedures or not. As with the other gay bars in SJ - Mac's is cash ONLY, so there's an ATM in there for you with a cute $3.99 service fee. All in all - I'd say people come here because besides Splash, it's literally all we have, which is a crying shame. The owners of Mac's could do *SO* much to this place to make it *SO* much better, but they've clearly cheaped out and clearly don't care, because where else are the gays gonna go, right? Sorry to those who love this place, I'm sure y'all have fun and gather with your friends. I'm not above this place - I'm just stating the facts. I wish we had more options here in San Jose, but this is it. If you're from out of town - stick with Splash. read more

two months ago a came here and someone put molly in my beverage. i actually was rushed to the hospital because my blood rose to my head and i fell unconscious. never coming to this bar again read more

Went here on Halloween Eve, and it was dead. My friends had some shots, 4 shots= $23. Then we went out to the patio, ew gag me with a spoon. You are out there right next to the garbage cans and the bathroom is outdoors too! They have a tarp of some sort above the patio, it just traps in all the yummy smoky smells and garbage can goodness. We left after my friends downed their shots. Oh the bar tender was nice. The skinny guy who worked there was bitching at some of the customers about moving the tables. That was strange. Just a good place if you need to wet your whistle. read more

Gustavo is the best bartender ! They have great film and music taste and always make sure I feel at home. I highly recommend coming to this place just for Gustavo read more

Bartenders service was a joke. He would say he would serve people next and then get overwhelmed and serve everyone around them first. Eventually walked out without even getting a drink after being there for over 30 minutes. I'll go somewhere else next time that has it together. Horrible customer service. read more

The good: It's a gay dive bar. I guess that is kind of cool. The bad: They only accept cash. And the ATM machine does not work. Lame. The ugly: The large, rude, surly bartender wearing the Hawaiian shirt. In another review they say he pours heavy, which is false. He has a "shot" gun that measures out each shot. And unlike the bartenders at Renegades, he is not offering pretzels, chips, or fruit with your drink. This place was no fun. Mac's is whack! read more

I was just in the neighborhood to grab a drink and check out this bar. For some strange reason this old heavy set bartender stopped me right away and rushed me to get a drink order when I havent even settled yet in my seat. He was so aggressive and demanding as if he's gonna lose business if you dont order right then. Instead of a welcoming feeling, I felt I was put on the spot at that moment. It was kind of humiliating and disrespectful. I just dont know what kind of customer service they have esp. for regular patrons as well. I dont think it would thrive in the long run if this old guy keeps working there and treats customer this way. I will never go back to this bar or promote it in anyway either to my friends or visitors... read more

We were in San Jose to see the Pixies. Walked past Splash and it seemed like it wasn't our scene. Decided to head into Mac's cuz 'Hotel California' was playing and it seemed less attitude-y. WRONG. The crusty troll at the bar couldn't accept an order for two martinis without a condescending laugh. When I asked what he was laughing about he lost all nerve and said "nothing". If you gonna pull attitude, stick with it, troll. I cancelled the order because I've been to REAL dive bars in tough places like rural Texas. This is downtown San Jose. Heart of gaytown. F*** off. Went back to Splash where we got awesome drinks and no bitter troll attitude! Who knew? Just goes to show ... can't judge a book by the cover. read more

Friendly and inviting, this old-school neighborhood gay bar has friendly bartenders and patrons. This is not a young man's bar - 40 is probably the average age and waistline. This is actually nice - in that it keeps the place from feeling like a meat market. There are beer specials, occasionally food is served, and sometimes everyone wears silly hats - good times are had by all. read more