I've been going here since 2003-2004, when it was the Dugout. Let's just say I don't take change very well. While the Sunday beer blasts are always fun, I miss the staff that used to work there. The old bartenders Danny, Pedro, and Anthony...all good guys who were always friendly. The clientele is a bit more mixed since the ownership change. It's mostly bears and cubs but you can tell some of the snotty GYM Bar crowd slips through the cracks once in a while. Joe Fiore throws a great party on Sunday's. All request VJ/DJ who'll play whatever you want. $3 Buds and other cheap drinks. What's not to like, really. All in all, a decent dive...just a few too many straight girls for my liking. read more

Fun... videos, live music and really cheap strong drinks..... love that its summer now and you can enjoy the river as well read more

RockBar - CHEAP AND PROUD OF IT - Gay Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Here's the thing. I've always loved Rockbar. When i moved to Manhattan it was a place that everyone always talked about as being the best place to hang out with fellow bears. The music was great, the drinks were cheap, the staff was amazing, and the boys were burly (or were there to admire the other burly boys). Writing this in the summer, things have been busy, my visits to an old favorite have become less frequent, i'll admit. But in the past month or so, I've been to Rockbar twice, and both times I've been severely disappointed. Needing a night out with my cubs last month I suggested we hit up Rockbar. When we got there there was a melange of ladies, twinks, and several drunk groups all rocking out to Madonna. "Madonna?", I thought. Well that was cool, who doesn't like her music. Turns out had stumbled upon Madonna night at Rockbar. Ok, fair enough, it was a sunday night, and if this was bringing in the crowd, business is business. Unfortunately it was not really our type of crowd. Expecting to catch the tail end of beer-blast and wanting to chat up the usually friendly bear crowd there, our expectations were not met. But hey, I'm all for giving it a second chance. This place has given me many good times. So this Saturday we made the trek across town only to be greeted by - you guessed it - Madonna music! A $5 cover later, we were standing in a rather empty bar sipping our drinks, listening to Holiday. Again, nothing against Madonna, but if I wanted to hear the immaculate collection, I would it on my iPod at home. Where did the "rock" in Rockbar go? Where were the slutty bears I've grown to love? The "madonna dj", i believe was the same girl from Madonna night. She seemed to have a crowd around her most of the hour that I was there, I suppose her friends. When i went up to ask her to play a request she said she didn't have it - her friend later informed me she could only play the playlist from her iPad. Finding myself asking what happened to the great DJs Rockbar used to employ, I finished my drink, regretted losing my $5 cover, and lamented that this would probably be my last time at Rockbar. read more

So I love this bar normally but I went on "jockstrap" night and the DJ was pretty awful. He only played 80s music, which would be ok, accept the median age of the bar was 28-32. I even had a friend that asked about playing more current music, like Beyoncé for instance, because we wanted to dance, as did MANY of the random patrons I met that night. The DJ said he only really had 80s playlists which as a Dj is unacceptable and basically took that night that started at a 10 to a 4 because nobody could dance. It was pretty awful. Thankfully Ted on Thursdays for karaoke makes it fun. Edit: the bartenders are always super friendly, as well. Unfortunately, a DJ makes or breaks the quality of the experience. read more

On Wednesday evening EARLY 7-10 there are drag queens and a burlesque show, very fun and great people. Other than that it's more of a seedy hook up joint way out at the end of Christopher st. read more

Mein gott has this place just plummeted. And that's saying a lot since The Dugout was somewhat tragic to begin with. But at least the Sunday beer blast was a ton of fun. Folks could chill, chat and listen to solid music (Daddy Mark always programmed an eclectic mix on the jukebox) while catching a buzz and scanning the area for cute beefy guys before going to The Eagle. Now it's the gay bar equivalent of a noxious egg fart and the blame lies squarely at the feet of the DJ. I don't know who he is playing to but if the last time I was there is any indication, my guess would be a tweaked-out Juggalo (Insane Clown Posse fan) with a part-time gig at Best Buy. It was all rap/rock Korn/Linkin' Park bullsh*t and its progeny. Like 1997 in full effect. For a moment, I thought maybe I was at a club in Commack, Long Island 13 years ago. One of those dire places in a strip mall that makes you feel kinda dead on the inside and utter a solemn promise to never venture out to a suburban bar again. Joy! My immediate suggestion would be to stop kicking out the utterly crap tunes. The place is a gay bar. In Greenwich Village. In MANHATTAN for fooks sake. Get a clue!!! read more

I've been a couple times and with the new policy of a cover charge, I would like to understand the value of the 5-10 $. If it was truly for a unique offering sure. But most times it is typical bar entertainment with very poor bar service and replacement top shelf. Yes that Tanqueray you pay so much for is likely poor generic. This explains why so often the place is empty. read more

Warm beer, and the place smells like a dirty garbage can. Don't get me wrong, I love a dive bar---but I don't want to dive down into the landfill to get my drink. Color me disappointed. read more

We stop by every time we go to the Christopher Street pier on a nice afternoon. Their "happy hours" are great and cheap. The bartenders are always pleasant without attitude. They're supposed to have a BBQ on Sunday which we will investigate today. And $3 bloody mary's, woo ha! read more

I've been debating the review here......we went late on Saturday, and were some of the only patrons there. A large group of ladies were there, clearly on the end of their evening out.....but they all seemed to be having fun! Once they left, the regular patrons let their hair down, and it was interesting. I give them a star for the music (truly rock), a star for the bartenders, and a star for playing live music and had a great DJ. I take away a star because have they a "go go boy" (yuck), and I take away a star because they allowed their regular patrons to "rock out with their, um, *ocks out." It was a bit much towards the end of the evening. read more

If you're a bear or like 'em that way, you have to come here on Sunday evenings from around 5ish to 8ish. The people complaining that no one is there aren't coming at the right time. On Sundays they have cheap beer, great music/videos, and really great crowds. It's a must see! read more

Laid back, not so glitter focused but just enough punk glam. Obviously catered to the male LGBTQ scene (but lets face it, thats the situation NYC usually is). Definitely will be back! Had a blast, fun Drag shows read more

Rock Bar is the place to be if you're into bigger guys and not into "gay style" disco music. The staff and crowd are very friendly and down to earth and the daily drink specials including weekends and even the Pride Parade Day (after a small $5 cover) are an excellent value. On Sunday's, they grill hotdogs outside and charge $1 a piece. I can't imagine any other bar not trying to take advantage and charge more for the hotdogs. That attitude is what I love about this place. Rock Bar is my favorite hangout when I'm looking for good scenery and cheap strong drinks. See you there! Enjoy! read more

It's my favorite bar in NYC. From drag to tv shows to my own balletic moves, RockBar always tickles my fancy.

First time here. No crowd, but it was too early. Bar tender was very friendly.

Love this place for Sunday Beer bust. Better crowd than the former Dugout actually. Cheap draft beers all night. Went on a Saturday night one time and it actually was pretty crowded. Guess Sunday's are the night. read more

On Monday nights, very friendly, fun standup comedy night. Straight friendly.

Bar staff that is actually and refreshingly FRIENDLY (mostly), a scene that is welcoming and non-judgmental, Favoring the bearded/furry (of all sizes), Rockbar is a bar that seriously has awesome events planned EVERY DAY of the week (from live music, to stand up, to trivia game nights, karaoke, thumpa-thumpa, and sexy-sexy dance parties!) There is even a surprisingly USEFUL Mobile App ("Rockbar NYC" - Android or iPhone) which you can get for FREE, so you can always know what's up! If you "Check In" via the app, you get a FREE RockShot! Local or visiting, you will NOT be sorry. read more

Loved, loved, loved the music and the crowd here during the Sunday night Beer Bust. My good friend and I were visiting from San Francisco and had been hard pressed to find a place where the Bearish/Big Guy crowd was hanging out and we were happy to have hit the jackpot here. The strong drinks, great prices, and sweet guys just won us over. We will definately be back on our next jaunt to NYC. read more

I don't often write reviews on Yelp but I'm trying to change that. I had to write one because I was super excited to see Pipeline Porter on tap. I've had an addiction to Kona beers since last year when I went to the brewery. Plus, it's so much better out of tap than in bottle. Pipeline is made with 100% Kona coffee so it comes out dark and roasty. The vibe was low key since it was a late Sunday night and I enjoyed the videos that accompanied the songs that were playing. read more

The last fun gay bar in the Village. The staff is always nice, the drinks are always strong, and the crowd that comes here is cool.

I've never been here before, even though I've walked by so many times on my run, so over the weekend, I finally stopped in after attending Urban Bear NYC. It's a nice bar, with a very heavy leather and bear vibe. The bartender and bouncer were nice, and the drinks were also reasonably priced, but if this is your first time, like me, DO NOT get the Rockbar lager, it was so gross! I asked the bartender for a piece of orange or lime to add to it, which helped a bit, but it was still disgusting. I'd come back here again and check out their other parties. read more

Fun old school NY gay bar. Great friendly bartenders and owners. Fun music. Mixed crowd of bears otters and muscle guys.

Great bar. Comfortable atmosphere, friendly staff and patrons and good drinks. By far the most intimidating Keroke I have ever been to. Everyone sounded like they were in a Broadway show. I did not muster up the nerve to sing but what a show I received. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night. read more

LOVE this place...great pool table, excellent happy hour drinks and a really fun crowd. the owner, bartenders and security are great. They are also starting a girl night on wednesdays! read more

Great revitalized West Village spot - long bar, stage up front for live acts, friendly staff and extremely upbeat and happy (as well as gay) crowd. Recently launched and experiencing some growing pains (the sound system does need a boost) but a cool out of the way spot on Christopher Street to drink, play some stick and meet friendly laid back folks. read more

Rock bar can be a fun place to visit, good to go with friends, sometimes if you're alone the crowd can be standoffish. Born and raised NY'er and most people that visit this bar are not native NY'ers. Transplants as I like to call them. Some of the staff are great others need to be replaced. But for the most part they have good staff. Depending on when you're there cheap drinks, best night to go is underwear night. read more

"Licensed bouncers" do not belong in gay establishments. They're trained for straight nightlife, not for neighborhood gay bars. They start problems just to be able to say they solved them. Most visibly hate the clientele. They're supposed to keep things under control so the cops don't need to be called, and then they end up being the reason the cops got called. Having them around makes us wonder what must have happened at the place for them to even need a bouncer. Just save a few bucks and lay these people off until they're legally necessary or strictly needed for other reasons. A mostly-male crowd, most of whom know and all of whom respect the establishment's proprietor, can police its own. read more

No business charging $5 cover on a Saturday night. Nearly empty, serving foamy, slightly stale-tasting beer. Waste of money. Liked this place years ago when it was Dugout. Lose the cover and fix the beer and you might win me back. read more

Great staff - incredibly friendly. Been to the "Gym Bar" also RE: user Otto M. - MAYBE the same owners - but definitely not the same crowd or vibe. Only found a good mix of men & women no pretension, good music & good cocktails. Not quite the place to compare to the Chelsea crap. My thoughts are stay in Jersey City if you want. Loving everything about the new space - good luck guys! read more

Still crap with even worse crowds and the music is way too loud with Horrible live music! Perfect way to chase away your customer with horrible live music. If you want have a laugh stop in to see a band and that will give you enough reason to never come back... read more

They unceremoniously refused to let my partner in claiming he was drunk or stoned...he has a neurological disease. When he explained he was told they were worried he would hurt someone. He has been there countless times without incident...really bad policy read more

Just learned of this place's existance by reading a current issue of NEXT. Looking for an Underwear Party, which are a thing of the past at Splash Bar, too expensive to stay overnight in Fire Island, and little participation from such an event at Pieces. How many customers actually strip down here on this monthly event ? read more

A great bar - the only thing is to avoid the Tuesday trivia night like poison. The host obviously wants specific teams to win, it goes on for far too long, and they wouldn't even turn the bloody lights on so we could see what we were writing!! I would definitely recommend getting a different host. read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!! They tipped themselves on my credit card!!!! I had horrible service, beer was sour, and staff wasn't friendly AT ALL!!! I did not tip them at the end of the night and they took it upon themselves to add an 18 dollar tip to my credit card. read more