It's been a great establishment for quite some time there's lots of fun and all kinds of people and all lots of life. We don't know who Trump is here. We're all about love love love come out here and hang out. It's not the same like it was back in the day, but we're still here and we're queer and get used to it! read more

Sparky's Pub - DJ Gina with a G spot - Pubs Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

If you are a looking for a good (maybe the best) gay bar experience in San Antonio then look no further than Sparky's Pub. The ambiance is always welcoming and the drink prices are always on point. Bartenders are friendly and accommodating. The club has shows, events, and specials that keep clientele coming back and also has a laid back vibe supplied by regulars who enjoy the friendly environs. Many SA gay venues are either too stuffy, skanky, or downright scary but Sparky's Pub works to welcome our weird and diverse groups to be a safe space for all. read more

Always used to come here with the girls and came for halloween and the bartender charged us 80 bucks because he was mad . My friend said she was ok with paying if we ordered wrong but every other bar our tab was the most 25 bucks for all 5 of us. So sad we had this experience . Hope he has a better day. read more

Wow. This is probably the best speakeasy old school pub in San Antonio. Don't let the neighborhood scare you away. read more

This is really an upbeat place. Friendly and efficient. Sitting at the bar and watching the two bartenders on a Saturday night was tiring. It's non-stop for those two. It helped that we were seated with one of the daytime bartenders. We didn't have to wait for anything and also didn't pay for much. Sweet. It gets very crowded between 11p- midnight. If you don't like being jostled as you walk around, you'll not want to be here. But take the chance. A very nice place. Hard to imagine it was the old Silver Dollar back in the day. Go there. read more

That's ridiculous for one to come in for 1 happy hour drink for $2.25. tip in cash and scratch out the tip line on the receipt when paying with card and then be charged $7.25?! Really? Don't advertise happy hour and $2.25 drinks if that's not what you're really going to charge someone. False advertising! Horrible bartenders. What kinda of bartender puts in a $5 tip for herself when a drink was only $2.25. And was already tipped in cash!! Do not go here! You will be ripped off read more

Sparky's has been on the strip on Main for some time. It's been a gay and lesbian establishment for many years. It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and my friend and I remembered that it was Topless Tuesday. The female bartenders wear sexy skimpy tops. We were fortunate to find parking in the rear of the building. Finding a spot to park on the weekends are the worst but it's to be expected. As you walk through the front door the the subdued lighting and open and airy feeling is inviting with abundant classy wood decor and plenty of framed artwork. The main bar is just a few steps away and arranged in as a large square with plenty of seating. There's also several booths along the walls with room for plenty of friends. The second bar is similar in size and usaully opens when the crowd gets larger. If you want to catch a smoke there is a nice sized patio out in the back with warm heaters above the 3rd bar. The music is pumped throughout the whole bar by the house DJ and video screens showing music videos. Our bartender at the main bar was Kat. She kept us entertained and made us some awesome drinks and lots of shots. We were gonna stay for a short time but winded up staying till last call. All in all we had great time. I'm definitely coming back on a Tuesday. read more

Sparky's Pub - Pubs Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Fun, locally owned, and very busy. A little loud for my usual tastes, true, but I had a lot of fun. One of SA's best gay bars -- hands down. read more

Favorite Pub in all of San Antonio. Jacob, Slink and Ali are my all time favorite bartenders. Great drink specials and always a vibe !

First time here the staff were friendly. It was a bear event going on and the people there made me feel welcome. I drove around the block 4 times because I couldnt see the bar name from the street. Parking was a challange so come early if you want a spot! A++ will be back. read more

Have been here often in the past. Stopped here for a drink on Tuesday evening. ONE drink during happy hour when the wells are $2.25. Not only did I not tip on my card (because I tip in cash) I drew a line through the tip amount. Today I see that the amount of 2.25 was readjusted to 7.25 for a $5 tip! I PROMISE YOU I WOULD NEVER TIP $5 on a 2 dollar drink. I plan on speaking with the manager. If this is how shady their bartenders are I don't plan on revisiting read more

Looking for a fun night? You found your place. Right on the "strip"...this place is a designated fun place to be with your friends or significant other for fun. Today they have a dollar beer special for charity reasons and it's popping at 4 pm! If you come on weekends be ready to find a hard place to sit as this is a staple in the area for great music and party atmosphere. I often come sit on the patio as well to take in the night and enjoy outside bar. read more

Eekk. My last review was a little harsh. Well now that I've got that stick out my arse, here we go! Thank heavens for friends who drag you places. We returned to Sparky's and the vibe was right. This time though, we spent most of the night in the little wine bar up front. Service was attentive and they've got a decent selection of wine. Don't remember if I mentioned this in my last review but I do have to give them credit on how clean and attractive Sparky's is. Especially when compared with some of he neighboring establishments on the Strip. Anyway, they're always blaring some popular clubby mainstream hits (the wine bar is a nice escape if you want a moment away from the bass) and they recently improved parking (parking garage) plus there's no cover. Give Sparky's a chance and be glad you did, like me :) read more

Sparky's Pub - Pretty decent selection at the wine bar up front. - Pubs Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Oh Sparkys, I wish I could love you more, but I just can't. I get that this is one of the newer additions to the SA Main Strip and all, and while I appreciate the additions they've made to the place (no cover, front patio, wine bar & bistro, etc) I just have umbrage with other things that way outweigh the pros. 1) Drink prices always seem inconsistent. I understand they run specials, happy hour, etc, but I find my tab very difficult to predict, even under similar circumstances. Seems they differ from bartender to bartender, tho my drink order remains the same. (Side note-they do have a GREAT beer special on Sundays) 2) It's like drinking in a hallway. While the bartenders have plenty of room to move about and do their thing, patrons have little space to do theirs. This place gets hella packed on Fri/Sat nights, and when that happens it's pretty much ass to elbows in there, folks. Anyone who knows me knows I do not like getting touched, bumped into, etc. Nothing ruins my night quicker than this, be it on purpose or accident. When this place starts to fill up, it is IMPOSSIBLE not to get bumped, spill your drink, or accidental get fresh with someone you've (probably) never met. Yes, you're clean, your staff is friendly, and the eye candy not too shabby, but the spotty tab totals and utter lack of space just kills the vibe. I like to go out and be with my friends, hang out, chat, hear each other, etc. not stand around pushed up against the wall in a crowd and get my drink spilled. If that's all I was into, I'd only go to NIOSA. read more

Hands down my favorite gay bar in San Antonio. The drinks are cheap, the service is efficient and the music is a good mix that keeps you singing and dancing all night long. The patio bar is also nice for when the weather permits and it's not too hot. The bathroom attendant is friendly but a little odd which makes going to the bathroom strange. The other customers tend to keep with themselves and their friends but at times it we had great conversations with other customers. There is one large bar area as well as a smaller bar in close proximity to each other. I also love that Sparky's never has a cover which will make me come back again and again. read more

Sparky's Pub - Patio bar - Pubs Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Really enjoy this place for hanging out with my family and having a couple of drinks. Bartenders are always super quick on busy nights and make the drinks and shots perfect. Been here on busy and dead nights and still have a great time. The decor and set up of this place is awesome and I'm amazed they don't charge a cover. I like the layout and hidden away booths that allow you to look out over the crowd. Haven't had the food here, but Luther's next door is amazing and they have super cold beer and drink specials. So, I'm assuming the food here is good too. This whole block is def something to check out. = read more

I came here with a friend and grabbed a cheddar and roast beef sandwich with a cup of potato soup. The sandwich was amazing except it had a little too much dijon mustard for my liking. The soup was outstanding! It was full of flavor and most of all it was delicious! The pub is rather small but has a nice selection of wine, beer, and liquor. Nice place to go if you want a quick lunch with not such a large crowd. Inner Fat Kid Says: Beef n Cheese but no dijon please! read more

My husband and I from Ft lauderdale checked out the GAY strip and hit this place first glad we did Thursday specials are $3 what ever you want drinks ...YES even TOP shelve.....why can't all bars have cheaper drinks. The downside is the MUSIC WAS SOOO FREAKING LOUD and it's not a dance bar read more

Sparky's is like a gay Cheers: a super friendly, low-key hangout spot where you can relax with your friends. The only difference is, you're likely to hear Lady Gaga and the like playing on the stereo. And ya know, sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. In all seriousness though, Sparky's isn't a gay club, it's a gay bar. There is no wild, shirtless dancing to bad techno here (at least, none of the times that I've been). Rather, it's a really chill spot with great drink specials. Smoking is limited to outside only (hooray! hooray! hooray!), so you won't end up all stinky and gross from coming here. The bathrooms are always clean, and during busier times, even have attendants on hand for extra TP and the like. Especially in comparison with the rest of the gay bars on the strip, Sparky's is a winner. Be careful, though, with those doubles. They are served in pint glasses, I kid you not. PINT GLASSES. This makes them more like quadruples in my book. This made for an extra-inebriated Bettina on my last visit (Sorry, Lori M, for making you drive my "spaceship car" home.) Also, the music they play here rules. Lots of '80s and fun, dancy stuff. Clean bathrooms + cheap drinks + outside smoking only = best gay bar in town. read more

Every now and then friends come to town and want to go somewhere other than the usual bar. So this is my go-to place for them. You think "gay bar," but wait I'm not gay and neither are they. No worries, Sparky's isn't wild crazy clubs on the strip. Except for maybe Friday & Saturday. They have music videos with the usual dance remixes, two main inside bars and one outside patio bar. In reality, I think San Antonio is pretty down to earth and when it comes to most of the clubs people just want to have a good time. It's a good spot to start off the night, hit up the rest of the strip while you're at it. However, we always end up coming back to Sparky's to finish off the night. One more thing, the bathroom update: There's either 3 or 4 stalls for the women's. I've never gone into the men's so I don't know. They do abide by the boys can't go into the girls restroom. Which, I don't mind because it sucks to have to maneuver the seat down with your foot because some guy used it last. As in a previous post I understand this can be discriminating and hopefully should be up to the women who uses the restroom to be understandable about this issue. Also, the drinks are pretty stiff, hit it up before eleven and get a double. I think it's $1 or $2 more. It is well worth the price, considering they have a heavy hand. The bartenders are always friendly and are good about recognizing you after the 2nd time. Also, this is one of the few places that I haven't had any problems with my credit card at the end of the night, it's been pretty accurate with what I've bought. Sparky's is worth it though, even if it's just to get away for the pricey downtown clubs. read more

I got food poisoning from your turkey sandwhichs. Also your red wine had bugs. Just so you know. I do like your soup. Please keep the tomato kind. I really like it. Also, your one lady bartender with the short hair is really nice. She hugged my dog and came out to the patio to give her a water bowl. Frannie likes her. I gave her 30 bucks. Your lady bartender with the glasses is cool. She wont let me take my dog inside though. I think her name is Jordon? Morgan? Dordash? Something. Oh yeah. And the one guy with the beard was outside helping a little bird one day. You should give him a raise. We need more people like him who like animals. Also. Where's your sexy barback from like 5 years ago? I gave her my number and she never called me back. read more

Um... this review is about the lunch/cafe/pre-nightlife part of Sparky's Pub. I'm reading all of these reviews and, like, thinking "whaaaat?" I can't attest to any of that sh--, but here's the down-low of Sparky's during daylight. Great place to eat, study and relax. Inside or outside. Patio tables outdoors, and inside - while small - are a row of bar chairs in the front and tables on the side. Warm and inviting, wine bar type of vibe. The sandwiches are sooo good. Chipotle chicken salad? Yes, please. It's huge. And you have more than one type of bread? Bonus! Oh, you serve coffee -- iced coffee?! Thank you sir, may I have another! The salads and soups are great, too... and of course, they have wine, beer, etc. etc. I only spent just over $10 for my sandwich, chips and coffee. Per-fect. ONLY THING IS... It seems like they open at a different time every weekday. 11am... 3pm... Sometimes I drive by and the OPEN sign is on... other times it is not. But, apparently once they're open, they're open until 2am 7 days/week, which is pretty great. Plenty of parking before the crowds pick up (e.g. Pegasus, Heat, Luther's) Staff here is always friendly and the restrooms are actually, oh, I don't know... clean. Now for the after-hours Sparky's... I'll let you know soon. read more

I think Sparky's is one of my main picks for favorite bars on the strip. The few times I've been here, I've always been able to hang out, enjoy the music, and enjoy the company of my friends without being bothered. I have yet to eat anything from here though. Mostly because I didn't know they served food. Yeah, so I don't pay attention. And what? read more

Man o man o man. This place use to be the spot. It's dark and cold for day drinking but the outside, wow! Guess they are trying to find out how many things they can pile in a corner. Sad :( read more

I love a good gay bar. Everyone is so friendly and if you look good, they'll tell you. A girl loves her compliments. I was in town for work and one of my co-workers is a frequent here. He was like..."you wanna go to a gay bar with me?" I replied immediately "twist my arm." When we got there, its prolly one of the coolest looking bars ever. Big open space, awesome bartenders...who fact gave me a double without asking for it and charged me for a single (trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me? Probably not. But I appreciated the extra love). They have TV's that play music videos, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Britney...the favs. On the speakers they have the best music going. LOVED this bar. Can't wait to go back and become best friends with everyone. I think the MP is jealous. read more

Old lady at sparks should not working here she's rude and can not handle a few peoples order also purposely gave us all waters down drinks and charged 41 dollars for shots and two blue Hawaiians 0000 read more

Bartenders are generally not super friendly (at least to me), even if there's not a lot of people in there. DJ is receptive to requests. Drinks are reasonably priced and strong. Great, fun crowd. It's a great time, but don't go in search of an upper-crust experience. read more

This bar is situated in prime location in walking distance of two other bars/clubs. This being said if you're not a big fan you can easily walk a few steps to another place to get a drink without the hassle of driving. The decorum of this bar is upscale and more on the polished side than others. I have never had any problems with staff and their drinks are the same stiff ones like any other place. The women's bathroom line gets out of control on the weekends taking 25+ to take a piss and giving the stank eye to the much much shorter men's line. This place would greatly benefit adding more restrooms. The music is always up to date and will get your feet moving. There is no dance floor so make due where you can! The gays are always friendly and me being one myself it's the same crowd that tends to go. A good night out with friends looking for a good vibe out. read more

This is the spot to start off your night if your enjoying the strip for the night. The drinks are really strong and amazing prices! They have a lot of space to dance and chill inside and there is a nice patio out on the back with lovely bartenders. The only reason I gave it four stars and not five is for the lady that works in the bathroom... You know the one that gives you a napkin to dry your hands (because we aren't capable of doing that ourselves) anyways she always seems like she is on drugs and threatened to kick me out because I needed my friend to help me with my dress in the stall because it broke and I didn't want all my goodies out in the middle of the bathroom. Anyways great place! Try to avoid the bathroom if you can.. That lady is crazy. read more

It makes me sad every time I have to write a bad review for a place that I feel like should/could have done better, but I promised myself I would share my experience and hopefully something will change. First of all let me say that I live in Austin, so maybe I'm spoiled, but before moving up here I lived in lovely San Antonio and loved every minute of all four years. I have also been in (not necessarily queer, but advocating for queer equality) places where all the bathrooms are gender neutral, people of all genders use the same restrooms and it is not at all threatening, its liberating. Not to mention every other gay bar I've ever been to where no one seems to care who is in which restroom. This is not the case at Sparky's. I was in town visiting this last weekend, it was a Saturday night and the line for the men's restroom was significantly longer than the women's so, assuming there wouldn't be a problem I jumped in the other line. I got all the way into the stall and closed the door. Up until this point no one had even batted an eye at my presence as a man in the women's restroom much less made a comment. As soon as I was unzipping the restroom attendant banged on the stall door and very rudely ejected me from the women's restroom. Now, I am cisgender but there was no way for the restroom attendant to know that for sure and as a queer person I was extremely offended by the treatment I received. The real kicker was going to the men's restroom later and relieving myself at the urinal next to a woman. Everything else about the place was wonderful. The service at the bar was fast and friendly, the crowd was attractive and the music was everything you would hope for and expect in a gay bar. I can understand why this place is rated so highly by everyone else and I hope that as the only poor review mine will stick out so that enough people will read it and something will get done. Even a sign would work. Something along these lines, "We here at Sparky's DO NOT believe in gender equality. Men please do not enter the women's restroom. Everyone else, make yourselves at home. Thank you, Sparky's management." read more

I. Love. Sparky's. The reason it's taken me so long to write a review about a bar I frequent so often is just that I don't even know what to say. Sparky's is a good choice anytime -- during the day, mid afternoon, happy hour, night, weekends... Seriously, anytime, although I have yet to try and show up before operating hours. The vibe is always different (wild Friday nights with tall blue drank and shirtless/pantless men dancing on a stool, chill Sunday nights, Wednesday whiskey tastings) which keeps things interesting and also reinforces my point that Sparky's is an anytime kind of place. It's awesome. It's clean, not creepy, smoke free (outdoor patio), and a great place to cruise, and let's face it, we gays love a good place to cruise. Yeah there are other gay bars on the strip, but all of them kind of leave... how do I put this nicely.. a bit of a stale taste in your mouth. Kind of like after you've smoked too many cigarettes and passed out without brushing your teeth. At Sparky's they even have restroom attendants to make sure nothing gets grossly out of hand (in more ways than one). What else is left? It's the best ok. read more

I went here to celebrate a good friend's birthday this past weekend and everyone had a great time. At first, we had trouble finding a parking spot but ultimately we ended up parking at the Alamo Colleges Parking Garage ($3) and walked over. I noticed once we walked up that they also have valet parking. This was my first visit and I liked how laid back this place was - definitely a good place to just hang out and dance with friends to good music. I'm not sure if it's like this all the time but the drinks were SUPER CHEAP! Only $2.50 for a Dos XX - say what?!?! They don't close till 3:00am which surprised me but it was nice to have extra time to hang out. Contrary to another person's review the little lady in the women's restroom was super nice to me and wasn't upset that I didn't tip her after she gave me soap to wash my hands with. I would definitely check this place out again. read more

If you like hip hop and Selena (not Gomez) then this place is for you. This place was cutting edge when it opened. First non-smoking bar in SA before it was mandatory plus great music/videos. Now it's overflowing with str8 women and bad music. read more

Maybe it was the time of day HH at 6. Very local and stuck somewhere in time. Sticky everywhere. Too dark. Probably good with local friends. It's a big place but not all that interesting. Was after a storm the day before and registers couldn't accept credit cards. Locals will not engage. Sure it is fun on the weekends. Great wine selection though that surprised me. Can't eat here though. read more

This place is cool they let you request music they have a little restaurant the only reason I had a bad experience is because the bartender was rude every time I've gone for no reason at all read more

Parking can be a little tricky due to all the business it's next to. The inside looks like an Irish pub because it's all wooded. They have 2 bars inside. We love sparkys pub for their amazing drink specials and DJ. Usually during the week it's not that busy so it's not hard to find a table or get a drink. Staff was friendly and attentive. They also have darts that you play for a few bucks. read more

This place is surviving because there are no decent gay bars outside 1990s TV shows - that's pretty much it. It's a bar so it's pretty much people standing around drinking cheap, but horrible drinks. Parking is terrible, music is hit for miss, bathroom attendant is completely unnecessary, just all around a hot mess. read more

This place is great. The drinks are priced well, the service is usually very quick (unless they're slammed but this happens everywhere) and the ambience is great. The DJ has a few great sets and the people who show up are usually the more adult people who avoid the younger people doing blow in the restrooms at The Heat. Think mid-twenties on up. This place does get packed on the weekends and for events like Spurs games. They do have an outdoor smoking area with TVs and another bar. (There are two large bars inside.) This is not a place to dance, but perfect for a night out of responsible drinking, and then getting obliterated at The Heat or Essence. Also, expect to have a conversation with the restroom attendant. read more

Friendly bar because when it's packed the only people getting drinks are the bartenders friends. Good luck!

This is by far my favorite bar on the strip. The drinks are always 100% fresh and not watered down like some of the other bars. You get what you pay for and the staff is just amazing. The bathrooms are always clean and you rarely will ever see a bar fight. A chill community and so much fun!!! I recommend them above all others. #1 place to be!!! read more