They clean nothing. Last time my drink had sweat from the bartender's hand on the straw, that's the first taste I got. This time the unisex bathroom (the only bathroom women can use) was straight up destroyed and unusable, but the females in our group were still not allowed to use the men's room. Music equipment has like 30 years of dust hanging off of it. And yes, it falls off into your drink occasionally. read more

I just went here for my friend's 21st birthday. It was also my first gay bar experience, so I guess I don't have much to compare it to. Karaoke was fun and there were a bunch of older (40-65) men who were really cool and just hanging out, having a good time on the karaoke machine. The karaoke mistress (is that the term?) was also really nice. My friends and I had a great time talking to the older guys, but as the night wore on, the crowd got younger and more distant. Now, I'm 22, so you'd think it'd be easier to fit into this crowd, but it just seemed to get more and more unfriendly. I got hit on a few times (which was to be expected) and was happy that no one seemed pushy about anything. I just preferred the place earlier in the evening when it was less crowded and the crowd was more friendly. I'd probably go back (my buddy lives in Riverside and he seemed to enjoy himself), but it's not the sort of place that I'd go to alone. Then again, I don't really drink much, so I guess I wouldn't really go to a bar in the first place. read more

First of all - I don't know how they can consider themselves a LGBT bar... the bar was filled with straight couples making out and straight girls trying to get guys to buy them drinks... i was really confused.... I think about 10% or under we're actually LGBT... I went on a Saturday there was no cover which was nice. Drinks we prices average nothing too expensive. Their drinks are weak. Their cherry bomb Jell-O shot tasted like straight cinnamon-nothing like cherry-very deceiving. Disgusting unless you are looking for a breath mint shot. I stood at the counter for 13 minutes watching the same bartender pass by us multiple times. The bus girl told me she can't make drinks that I had to wait for a bartender so I did for 13 minutes - until finally I got his attention and he rudely told us I had to order in line. I was confused as there is no signs and I had previously ordered my other two drinks at the bar. And just to be clear I was not irritated about waiting in line I was irritated that it took the bartender 13 minutes to let me know. But the other 4 people sitting next to me got there drink orders at the bar and served before I was even told to wait in line. I guess only some people get service over others sitting at the bar??... Also the bus girl couldn't tell me to wait in line??? Very rude customer service.. oh and If you are a female and have to pee forget it. It was a very small bar-yet had 11 females in line to pee... and transgender-don't go here they are very strict on their bathroom "laws". The dj played TERRIBLE remixes of 90s 80s and 2000s - it make it completely unbearable. Anyways- if you are looking for a LGBT bar---- We took an Uber down the street to VIP. It's kinda lame that VIP is 18+ but it for sure had more LGBT vibes-stronger drinks and a WAY better atmosphere and the music was even better! Bartenders were nicer and actually interactive. And not much of a line to potty thanks to the multiple stalls. read more

I had no idea what to expect from the Menagerie. BFF had been a few times and liked it, and so we just happened to be in Riverside, and BFF just happens to be gay...and so we went to the Menagerie. Let's start with the positives. No cover charge! Awesome. And, on a Saturday night, hardly any line. I am not one for waiting in line to pay money. It's an interesting space...the ceiling is beautiful pressed tin, and yeah, there are large paintings of nudes. The bar is a large rectangle, and drinks are CHEAP. Yeah...5 bucks for Stoli? Oh dear me, that is a major postive! And the negatives...although it was not busy, we waited for a good 10 minutes for a bartender to serve us. Part of the problem is that their bar seemed to be set up completely inefficiently. It is a large bar, and the bartenders had to walk around the whole thing to get bottles. Once we finally got our drinks, we were interrupted by the bouncer wanting to see our "over 21" wristbands. Repeatedly. Like every time he made his rounds. It was annoying and rude. The music was alright, but there was no way we were going to wait for another drink...so we left. The Menagerie = 2.5 stars! read more

We have been to many bars but the service here was lacking. We were told, when placing our drink order, that there was a line. We were in a line but obviously we were not in the correct line. WTF? We decided to spend our money elsewhere. Too bad. read more

My favorite bar! Best drag show around!! Good positive environment, fun bartenders and great music!

I really love this place. But when ordering a drink, before I placed the order, the old guy at the bar told me that the tips at the beginning are the tips that matter. After leaving him a no tip because I had planned on continuously buying drinks, and paying the grand tip at the end. He didn't add alcohol to our drinks. We're all sober and extremely irritated! I was planning on leaving a minimum of $200 tip because that was the price of bottle service next door! His poor attitude and lack of professionalism made me not want to come back! So sad! We all loved this place! Really hope management takes this review serious because we're a crowd that loves to promote where we've been! read more

Drink was disgusting and someone, whom I assume was the owner, was extremely rude. Will never come here again, especially after reading the other reviews on here. read more

Bartenders were very shut down. They payed no attention to us. Honestly didn't feel welcomed.

You know, the Menagerie has its charm and it's one of only a few gay clubs in Riverside so I certainly appreciate it. I do feel it needs a remodeling or revamping because the interior feels outdated and slightly grungy. However, they have very cheap drinks that are also delicious and they play good music. They just must do something about bringing more people in! Last two times I went it was just me and my friends on the dance floor! read more

I heart the menagerie. You can't beat the dance tunes, the drag show is hot, hot, hot. Drinks are a great deal. Don't go in the miserable heat of summer, the AC never freaking works and it gets hot in there (unless of course you love being hot and sweaty). read more

One star for one reason: They kicked my sister out for using the men's bathroom. In a gay club. I guess I'm used to queer culture where gender is like a color. A spectrum of possibilities. None of the bathrooms are "red people only". The women's room had a line a mile long. There was no one in the men's room. No one was hurt. We actually thought it was kinda funny, but it was stupid. Please stop this asinine policy. read more

Not concerned about customer satisfaction. After leaving, my account showed they had overcharged my card by $20. I called to get it fixed and the person on the phone claimed he was the owner, Dave, and would look into it. He wasn't apologetic at all, seemed more annoyed than anything, and took down my info but never got back to me so I had to file a dispute with my bank. Not the most exciting atmosphere. Won't be going back. read more

Wow , from the start short security guard with tattoo above his eyebrows was a complete dick to us , not even considering that we were the only 5 girls there. Constant problems about going to the restroom, then kicked us out. I mean , this business is completely dead , people like this are ruining their own business . Without people your business will not make it. Will NEVER RETURN . Not to mention the security guard was disrespectful and called us all names , called us a "he she" . Would rate zero stars if I could. read more

To be fair, I don't really have a grasp on what the other bars in Riverside are like, but this one could definitely use some help. I went on karaoke night, which seemed like a fun time to go, however, for a gay bar it didn't strike me as the most welcoming of places. For one thing, the KJ was extremely partial to the regulars, ignoring newbies and making us wait longer. The other notable thing was a sign on the door of the men's bathroom, threatening to kick out any women who dared use the male bathroom... There was, notably, nothing on the female restroom door... This bar could use a little bit of schooling regarding the gender binary system. The women's restroom toilet was also clogged and they said it was a plumbing issue that they couldn't fix, which resulted in a nasty pile up of toilet paper. Other than that, the drinks and the beer were fine and the bartenders were nice. read more

I grew up in NYC and I've gotten my fair share of clubbing and parties. Can't compare NYC clubs to this kind of club. But I was at least expecting decent. Came here on a Saturday night and somehow the club was semi-empty and no one was dancing while cheesy music videos replayed on their TVs. I know, its not Vegas or NY, but still...I've heard that this is a happening place in Riverside. Bad atmosphere, lacking crowd and small....nothing good about it and won't come back. read more

One of the worst bars I have ever been to. I walked in with my date has a drink and the security guards begin to talk shit to me. Idk what was there deal but they ended up licking me out. The drinks were expensive as well. I would not recommend at all. There are multiple bars that around that are a better choice. This place should close. read more

1st and only bar I've ever been kicked out of~! Let me set the scene for you: I was hangin at Worthingtons next door and wanted a little something fruitier you see? So, I hopped on over to The Menagerie where they were really having a dazzling party! So, I hung out for awhile and enjoyed the show. Whilst sitting at the bar, the bartender and I notice a wad of cash just sitting there minding its own business. The bartender looks up at me and says what should I do with that? Me, being the sweet, honest person I am, suggests he put it behind the bar so that sweet lil wad can wait for its owner to come back. If its owner does not return, I say, he should keep it! So, thats what the bartender does. I shit you not, less than 5 minutes later the wads owner comes back looking for his...ahem....wad. Thats when all hell broke loose and the bartender starts yelling at me saying I convinced the him to steal the money. What. The. Hell? He then summoned security and I was kindly escorted out. What do you expect? Drama queens. ;) But this place is highly entertaining and this did take place a number of years ago so Im pretty sure that bartender is long gone. Go. Have a blast! read more

i HATE the bathroom situation for the girls . There's always a long line ! i went this past weekend and the line was so long i almost peed so i ran into the men's restroom and the security almost threw me out but i really couldn't hold it anymore . I mean come on they only have a single restroom . it's ridiculous . the prices vary depending on which bartender helps you The drinks aren't even good . The staff and security are all so rude. . I'd say you're better off driving a hour away to weho . read more

Disgusting plAce, I came at happy hour where beer was $2.50 and personally saw them pour water into my drink. We had 5 people in my group and all 5 got water poured into our beers! read more

I love the drag queen show but the older guy bar tender is extremely rude and should be fired.

Spend a little bit more $ and drive a little further west and go to Club 340 in Pomona. Everything about CM is disgusting (drinks, music, floor plan, decor, etc.) and the owner/s should do something about there lack of restrooms for the ladies (1 for the ladies and no female bartenders EVER = DISCRIMINATION [notice there's no "MEN" in the word]). In fact, I don't think they've ever had a real female employee (one with breasts and a vagina). CM is an armpit. I wish I could mark 0 stars. read more

oh, menagerie... what can i say about a place that i have frequented so many times in the past 3 years? i love this bar so much, and i honestly have nothing bad to say about it. heres the low down- gay-straight friendly bar where pretty much everyone drinks in harmony with one another. the music is pop and danceable, there is karaoke on monday nights (which is amazing), uber-fun drag show on thursday hosted by the fabulous miss raven, the beers are always $2-3 on any given night, the mixed drinks are strong and well priced, the patio offers plenty of seating, and usually everyone is friendly and approachable. i guess you could say i am kind of biased about this bar because i am a regular, but i pretty much always have a good time here. if i had to complain about something, the ladies room is only made for 1 person, and when it gets crowded in there, usually you have to wait a while to pee. just go next door to the less-than-stellar worthingtons and use their bathroom. much faster than waiting. all in all, i love menagerie and if anyone tells you otherwise, they are just bitter and dont know what they are talking about. this bar is true riverside. read more

Nice atmosphere. Loved the artwork on the walls and all the lights. I just didn't care for the repetitive music all night. Same remix techno version of all of the songs. I did enjoy the music videos projected everywhere. But the ambiance was nice, bartenders were nice, and the service was good. read more

Older tall skinny bartender with the glasses is very rude!! No alcohol in the margaritas, charging us twice for drinks, and even when it's dead there he makes eye contact with u while u try to get his attention, & then completely ignores u! How the heck is this guy still working here seriously. Not a good look for your business read more

Fun lil gay bar and the drinks are cheap!

This bar had the absolute worst service I've ever encountered at a bar. I had to wait about 10 minutes to get a drink when it wasn't crowded and about 20 minutes per drink as it got more crowded. I don't know why the bartenders were working so slowly, but they were constantly joking, talking and taking shots amongst themselves, which made it really infuriating to wait those 20 minutes. I will NEVER come here again. read more

I'll give it 5 stars because its one of two gay bars in the area. staff is friendly, good music, nice patio, convenient downtown location. I moved here from SF and it definitely doesn't compare to the castro, but the people the crowd is nice and its a breath of fresh air in conservative riverside. read more

I had so much fun here, it was my first time. I was visiting my cousin and she was showing me around and took me here. The music was good, it was a mixture so everything was good to dance too. The drinks are good and cheap. I spent about $19 on 4 drinks and they were good as far as putting in plenty of alcohol. It was Halloween weekend so they had a costume contest, a lot of fun. read more

This place is alright. It not an LA style club at all, but its a fun place to go on a weeked when you want to keep it local. Bartenders are always nice, but the drinks dont seem to be that strong. It is a 21+ place so you dont have to watch out from drunken minors harassing you or trying to "get at you". haha They play pretty good music. A fun place to frequent during the holidays when they have holiday Karaoke. All i ca say is there are some brave souls in the Inland Empire haha This is one of those places that you can become a regular at, without trying. Not sure if it is a good thing or not =D read more

There are a couple of things I remember about the Menagerie: overpriced drinks in plastic cups and seeing crime scene pictures in my CSI class of a recent gang stabbing that occurred in the parking lot out back--not fond memories of this bar, to say the least. read more

This was my first time at a gay bar, I went with a group of friends male and female including my bf we took shots at the bar and were shoved and ignored it was pretty annoying. The people were just pretty rude in general so we just left to another bar instead of causing problems. I dont think im gonna be returning to this bar read more

Best bar in the IE. Not sure where all the negative comments regarding David the owner are coming from, but he's always very friendly and welcoming to us. The bar is a nice refuge in an otherwise conservative area. If you want to come when it's busy, arrive after nine. David the bartender (not owner) is super sweet and knows how to make tons of drinks--he always has a good idea when it comes to shots. As a former San Franciscan, hats off to Menagerie. I've been here with straight co-workers and gay friends. We always have a good time and everyone is always welcome. read more

This place is so unique, besides the cool characters and the heap drinks, this place has atmosphere where anybody can belong. The people here are normal, their present and their nice. When it gets busy you can't expect them to be happy sappy when their dealing with our drunk asses. So I give them credit for trying, cus gays can be demanding as fuck. Their drag doesn't usually star till about 10, so prepare to wait a little. They have front row seating, bar and the a. Dance floor. After that comes the bathrooms then an inside back hangout then a outside very back hangout. It kinda Ives you options which is nice, they have something for everything. The place itself is dark and mysterious, just like a gay bar should be. The dance floor is nice and compact, which allows everyone to dance with everyone with three ways to exit. It's nice and fun, and there's cool people around to always just any common group. The cool part about this place is everyone is welcomed and everyone is definitely coming to check this place out. Regardless of gender or role, this place brings everyone together cus it's carefree and super diverse. Even if your straight couple or a couple of straight guys hanging out, check this place out, it's fun, cheap & it's fucken entertaining. read more

I can not recommend Menagerie to anyone. My experience was gratefully a short one, after being 86'd due to attempting to curtail the (ridiculous) four drink minimum (!!!). If that wasn't enough, the bartender made me very uncomfortable the entire time I was there, making rude comments even up until the point that I left the bar. None of this is excusable, and I won't be coming back. read more

I went on a SATURDAY NITE & the music was a bunch of music videos that i could have just danced to at home! lol. Why isnt there a real DJ on SAT & SUN where it's badly needed? I guess i have to go on Karaoke & Drag nite then to experience the positive reviews the others are boasting about. But for now, SATURDAY NITES are bad music & bad crowd (very few cute women as well :/ ) read more

This place is gross, but sometimes the music is fun.

This is by far my favorite spot in town. Friendly staff. Awesome drinks perfect for the price. The music could be shuffled up a bit since the dj tends to play the same music. But other than that great spot! read more

This was my 3rd stop for bar hopping on a Monday night. Not a lot of people but a great crowd. The bartender was curtious and quick with our drinks. I think my friends vodka tonics were good and my Budweiser was quite well it was nice and cold. So props to you guys there. The karaoke was good I liked how they had a legitimate stage where you could go and sing. The speakers were good and loud and the karaoke host was very friendly. Overall a good vibe with everyone there. No problems and they actually had a bouncer out front to check ids and what not so that was good. He was friendly too not like some of their other bouncers I've met when they act like they hate their job the whole time they are there. Their back patio was kinda small but I was nice to have a place where you could smoke and take your drinks. Overall great experience I'll be coming back! read more

This place always plays super cool music .. The drinks are strong and cheap.. It always has the right amount of people.. Never too crowded. I don't know what else to say about this place. Guy at the door never smiles read more