Quaint lil Queer Bar with solid Drag Shows, Drink Specials, Karaoke and late night Bar Food. This is a safe space! Bartenders are kind, designated smoke area on patio, and pool tables in the back, Only thing they're missing is a gender-neutral restroom. Signed, The Happy Hour Huntress read more

The Rainbow Cactus - Gay Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Very great food great atmosphere great people very loving and caring staff Very good Dj read more

Very disappointing experience. Once the bar closed, our group was singled out and asked to leave while other patrons stayed inside under the explanation that they were "friends of the owner." As the only Latinos there, the treatment felt discriminatory and unwelcoming. Rules should apply equally to everyone, regardless of who they know or what they look like. read more

Enjoy myself ,self was great the dancing was fun the show was also great. If u like house music this is the place .it is a gay scene but I had a great time . read more

Had a great ride with my friend Jose but when we were trying to meet a third I couldn't find a bike parking spot! I love riding the bike my wife got me but this was disappointing! Food and drinks were great even for my diet. Jose and I found another and we had a great time read more

Great place, good times, no pressure. This is a good local fun spot to let your hair down. Come as you are or dress to impress, no judgement either way. My first and I come here from time to time and the shows are always a blast. read more

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Rainbow Cactus is a gay bar that my coworkers are I went to recently. We had just wrapped up a divisional outing dinner at Guangdong Taste across the street and some of the guys and gals were down to get drinks. We looked around, and the colored letters of Rainbow Cactus happened to catch our eye. We thought, why not? Lol We walked in; bartender greeted us warmly. He checked our ID's (doesn't matter if you're drinking or not) and got a tab started. Happy hour drinks were pretty cheap. Inside, the décor was...interesting. It certainly seemed like more than one person came up with the design and layout of the bar and dance floor. There were 2 pool tables, ATM in the corner, well-stocked bar, several high tables, a separate smoking room, and a dance floor where they also held performances for drag queens and karaoke. About an hour since we settled in, a woman came around and told us that on Thursdays, they have karaoke night, as well as, their weekly pool tournament, no $$ necessary to buy in and cash prizes for the top winners! 3 of my friends and I participated in this tournament. Looking around the room and watching some of the players there, you could tell who was a shark and who was just there to mess around and have a good time. What I found surprising was everyone there, despite being competitive, were all very good natured and respectful. Some of the old timers even gave my inexperienced friends pointers throughout their respective matches. Our experience at Rainbow Cactus was a pleasant surprise. We loved the overall energy of the place and how everyone there was so nice. We all agreed that we would come back in the future on Thursday evenings for more pool and drinks! read more

I have been sitting on this review for a month. Trying to find the appropriate way to convey to you my experience here. Also I have been trying to find a way to not make it seem that I am being accusatory. I will start from the beginning. As you can see, I am from out of town and arrived here with my friends. Upon entering I proceeded to the ATM in order to get money to order some drinks. I walk over to the bar and order a margarita on the rocks, no salt. After that, that's where things get fuzzy. I mean on the verge of being scary fuzzy. After a few sips of this margarita, I only remember glimpses of the night. I'm not sure what happened, how it happened, or why it happened, but it is really hard to blackout for a majority of the night after just one drink. The things that I do remember seem ok. I remember the circular dancefloor and talking to a few people while I attempted my best dance moves. I remember the small smoking area. I remember my now missing coat. The last thing I remember is being outside smoking a cigarette. The next thing I remember is being about a half mile away, soaked and covered in mud. I guess the moral of this story is, drink responsibly and around people you are familiar with. read more

Yet again, their drinks have done it to me. I went just to go out with a couple of my girlfriends, and I got so tore up- their drinks are deceptively strong, so be careful!! read more

I think that my experience will hover somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. Since this probably one of the few LGBT bars in Hampton Road, it seems that everyone from all walks of life converges at the Rainbow Cactus. The bar is kind of general so there is something for everyone to like. Would I like to go to the Cactus every week? No. But, it is great to visit from time to time. I think my last visit to Rainbow Cactus was two or three years ago. From my understanding, every night has a different theme and Friday is the best night to go. We visited on a Wednesday, which was more of a hangout kind of night with some go-go dancers. I thought the go-go dancers could have been a little more . . . exciting. It seems that all of them watched Magic Mike before coming out onto the stage. They all pretty much repeated all of the same moves. Also, the dancers seemed to cater more to the women in the audience. But, hey? I guess you go to where the money is. Honestly, I prefer to spend my money on booze so this was not a deal breaker for me. Unlike most bars, the Rainbow Cactus has an indoor smoking area on the other side of the bar. The music is this area is not too loud, so you can chat with people without having to scream and yell. My bartender, Emit, was pretty friendly and made our drinks pretty strong, so not complaints on that end. read more

Among of all the gay bars in the area, I would say this is pretty much the decent one. Its clean and has a great mixed crowd. I will definitely come back. Make sure to visit the website for special events. Friday is good to visit, drag show start at 10:30 pm and note to bring cash..don't be a cheap butt!!! lmao^_* cheers... read more

The Rainbow Cactus - Gay Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I've been here a few times with my friends. I've gone just for drinks and dancing and also been to two of the drag queen shows. There is VERY little parking when it is a busy night and you'll either have to circle the parking lot for 30 minutes, take a taxi if you live nearby, or hope to get lucky. I rarely like to start an evening out like that so it's part of the reason I don't like visiting this place. Once you do finally find a parking space and get inside it's decorated very eclectically and is very colorful as its name suggests. It has various colored lava lamps and other light up items all around which is actually pretty cool. The dance floor is a good size and when a nice crowd is in it's a fun space to dance. The "smoking" section to comply with Virginia's new laws can barely contain the stink of the smoke so for a non-smoker like myself it's not very pleasant. It has a fun crowd and atmosphere but for the parking and smoke problems I typically avoid going here unless my friends insist and it is a special occasion. The drag queen shows are a lot of fun to see as those ladies take it very seriously and most are very talented and have excellent wardrobes. read more

Really can't go wrong with this place - ever. Awesome people? Check. Good vibes? Check. Happy colors? Check. Kick ass music? Check. Entertaining shows? Check. Beautiful drag queens? Check. Great bar service? Check. A special shout out to the awesome bartenders that provided us with a full hour of just Taylor Swift songs after I requested just one as a birthday treat. You're the real MVP! read more

It was 20 mins to closing. I went to the bar to ask for a cup of water to help sober up. The bartender told me they can only offer me a bottle of water for $2.50. I verified with them what they were saying, and they confirmed. I can honestly say that is a very shitty rule, not looking in gout for the community and only looking out for the bottom line. I used a gender neutral for the bartender because it's not their fault for the messed up rules. read more

This has been my favorite gay friendly bar of all time for the past 10 years. My 21st birthday was here, and now the celebration for buying my first home. The staff is exceptionally friendly, the shows are superb, and the drinks are wicked! If you have any inkling to have a drink, have good bar food, or enjoy the often eclectic conversation of the clientele who happen to be gay, this is the only place for you! Never too rowdy, not dirty, and a hell of a lot of fun! read more

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If I could give this place zero stars I would. I walked in with my friends who identify as male and apparently there is a one person rule for the bathroom but they didn't know. Instead of giving them a warning of the rules, Within five minutes of being in there they were kicked out. I am highly unsatisfied with this place as their excuse for why they were kicked out is to be quite honest, Straight bulshit. When I think of an establishment that is a "gay bar" I don't think of some place that will kick out individuals based on going to the restroom of what they identify as. It's unheard of. Women use the restroom together and it is never an issue. read more

So, I'm basing my review on several years of going out to this venue. It's subpar to say the least. The inhabitants are trash, the staff is trash, the drinks are overpriced, the food is trash, the security is trash. All around this place is shit. I remember the day's where it was enjoyable to go out here, but that was 3+ years ago. Not anymore. I'll drive up to Richmond or DC before I go out to any gay club in Hampton roads again, especially this one. read more

This Gay bar is so bad! The music sucks and the drag show is not good at all. All the the queens do is walk around it's not a real show! Plus the bartender with no shirt on is so rude I can't even believe people let him serve food! read more

i came to this establishment to enjoy their drag show on saturday evening (january 4th, 2020) but was in for a surprise, the show was supposed to start at 10:45PM but they didn't perform until about 11:15PM. although, it was a nice show it was a bit shorter than I anticipated. Other than this, the vibe and people were amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed my overall experience. read more

Strong drinks, good music, and lively atmosphere. Fun for a date or night out with friends

So for those who are from out of town and have been to the big city bars/clubs, then you might find this review helpful. First of all, the Rainbow Cactus is located in a strip mall. So if you're driving around trying to find it, it could easily be missed especially for those who are used to seeing a strip of clubs together and not one next to a laundromat. Every night, Rainbow Cactus has a different theme. Apparently on the night I went (Friday), the theme was Drag Racing. In between drag shows, there's a competition for those interested in winning $5. You are required to put on 5 items of drag and then race to the finish line while sitting in a wheel char. Entertaining...yes... but odd at first. Saturday I'm told is Lesbian night while Sunday is Wet and Wild where people get hosed down. I can't rate these since I haven't been... but I sure wish Sunday was on Friday. They have a full bar and plenty of places to sit. After 10pm, there is a cover charge and they check ID's at the door. If you're looking for an Apex (Washington, DC), Rage (West Hollywood) or Badlands (SF), you might be disappointed with what you find here. The dance floor is the same as the stage they use for the drag shows and many people, instead of dancing, sit around and chat. It's more of a bar than a club however, I'm told it's the best around. Am I disappointed? No not really, it's just a different atmosphere. It's not about going out to get wasted (although some people do) but more of a let's have a fun night out with friends to wind down rather than wind up. Another thing is that there are a lot more straight people that come to the Rainbow Cactus than I have seen at other bars. Unfortunately, I feel as though many of them come to see the "Freaks" performing rather than enjoy the free nature of a gay bar. That's just an observation but it in no way detracts from the actual entertainment! The music is mainly modern house music. There's no hip hop (on the day I went... thank goodness) and there's very little remixed pop songs (which I dearly miss). The crowd ages vary. Average age I'd say is mid twenties although you'll have some a bit younger and the few that are way over. Parking can be a pain. The parking lot fills up quickly, so be prepared to park on the streets. read more

I get a really big "lady hard on" for Drag Queens. I wear their make-up (cue my shameless plugging of Ben Nye products), I envy their hair and their ability to walk in heels better than me (like a Budweiser Clydesdale, I swear), their acumen and wit, everything. If you're a drag queen, you can basically get me pregnant and have a free pass on child support. If you know me, you know that I love RuPaul and RuPaul's Drag Race. If you've even heard of RuPaul, get ready for me to talk about RuPaul all night. Before I went to Rainbow Cactus, the only way that I knew to see a drag queen was to either go to The Ambush (which is really so-so for me) or go on one of those Drag Me to Seas cruises that my mom and I say every other week that we're going to go on. Let me tell you, I got this new night job (not stripping). And every couple of shifts, my job calls for me to go to Rainbow Cactus. The first time that I went to Rainbow, my jaw dropped so hard that the floor reverberated. DRAG QUEENS. Real ones. Good ones. Lip-syncing queens, comedy queens, beauty queens, pretty queens ... The type of queens that I'd buy shots for just for five-minutes of make-up advice. Now, every time that it's on my route. I orgasmically tingle with excitement for the queens. But really, not just the queens, for the fun and the dancing and the whole shabang. No bar, with the exception of The Banque, has ever made me smile or giggle this much. The clientele here is fun, all ages, personable, and regular. The people that come here are genuinely happy to be at Rainbow. The people that work here evidently love their jobs. The owner is present, at the bar every night, and will never need to call John Taffer for a rescue. This is an all-around good bar. I've had the opportunity to come here off-shift a few times now and (when I'm off) they make a damn good whiskey/coke splash. My only wish is that they had Gentleman Jack or Macallan, but Maker's Mark or Wild Turkey 101 are alright with me. Kathy, the bartender, is the tits. Warm, friendly, memorable. Okay, enough gushing. Grab your purse, heels, and cash --and go spend all of it at Rainbow Cactus. read more

I was on vacation from NYC. The other reviews can paint you a good picture but I'll add my two cents for the other city boys & girls that find themselves out here. Notice how most of these reviews are from out-of-towners. Last call is 1:30am. Everybody drives. That means people get here early. Don't expect to start your night at 12am or you'll miss the crowd. Also this is the small town gay bar in southern VA. T-shirt and jeans are acceptable. Don't GQ yourself out too much or you'll be immediately recognizable as the city boy from out of town. Unless of course that's what you want. Someone said there are other places in town. Without even going to those I can tell you this is probably the best gay bar around for a while. That means you'll get a lot of different people from the area coming here. So take all the various crowds from your city bars and put them in the same room. I think that offers more good than bad and guarantees a crowd every weekend. Friday is -the- night. Saturday is lesbian and I've never seen so many anywhere else! Sunday is drag show. read more

I always enjoy going to Rainbow Cactus and I love Drag Shows. Sometimes I do wish the shows would start/ end a little earlier in the weekend to enjoy more time for dancing and listening to music.m read more

I've only been here once but it was the best time ever! I came on a late Saturday night (We paid a $3 cover). I missed the drag show because my friends and I got there an hour late. We had first gone to Ambush which is down the street but left after being there for literally 2 minutes because the place was dead. Rainbow Cactus was definitely more upbeat than Ambush on that particular night. I had a little bit too much to drink and was kind of all over the dance floor so the bouncer told my friend that I need to chill out. Understandable. I didn't realize how bouncy I was but I after that I toned it down and hung out there for another hour or two and spent the entire time back on the dance floor. The music was awesome. I will definitely come here more often. read more

This club is as laid back as it gets! I LOVE IT. There's usually a cover.. The best nights are Fridays. The security woman at the front is friendly.. but she'll get hard on you if you piss her off tho ;) There are pool tables in there.. a big dance floor with tables/seating surrounding it. There's also a room on the other side.. appropriately named 'the other side' where they have country music and square dancing.. and the ladies room is over there too. There's a huge mix of people that go here.. naval personnel, surferboys, latin, black, white, asian, straight, gay, drag, couples..... but of all the gay clubs i've visited in the USA... this is where alot of the masculine gay guys like to hang out.. b/c it's so chill here. you wont see alot of annoying bottoms causing drama here. there is a good half-half ratio of blacks & white people that come here too, i've also noticed.. but we're all here to have a good time :) If you've watched the show So You Think You Can Dance.. there was a contestant named Travis Wall who is from the Virginia Beach area and he visits the Rainbow Cactus occasionally.. i was there one night when he was hanging out with his friends.. and OH.. (don't tell anyone this.. ;) .. but i caught one of his white friends that was with him snorting something around the corner of the building when i was waiting in my parked car before going in..) .. yeah, that guy saw me catch him. haha. anyways......... there's a bartender there named Kas... and she's the greatest. i love her! .. she has curly brown hair with glasses.. and she's a mom.. and she even takes care of her patrons like a mom! .. she's always so nice whenever i visit and remembers me.... one time i was so drunk and needed some water (they only sell bottled water)... and i sat down in 'the other side' and she saw me and gave me 2 water bottles :) ... like i said.. she's so nice :) .. that's why i always go to her and tip her lots.. because the other male bar tenders tend to show off to much.. and it's such a turn off.. i could care less anyways. the rainbow cactus likes to host these events called Drag Racing... where 2 people have to dress up certain articles of women's clothing in order.. and then roll on a wheelchair across the stage. lol. most of the time.. the drag queens get the straight guys and girls up on stage to make an ass of themselves :p .. and i think they win $5. lol. parking is a bitch outside. the lot in the same plaza of the rainbow cactus gets full pretty quick.. and people then park along the street and across the street on the other plaza's parking lot. yeah.. i love this place.. i miss it. you should definitely go. it's a great place to bring any of your friends :) read more

Bartender is rude, drinks overpriced, and entertainment is mediocre at best. Good safe spot for LGBT members in the area, but this was my first and last time visiting. read more

One of the drag queens does a back hand spring in spike heels and lands in the splits. That's worth a lotta dolla bills in my world. Both times I've been, I was with a big group pf people and we had an absolute blast. Friday nights are the bomb. If you get there early enough (before 9), there's no cover and you can stake out the best seats right next to the stage. The place fills up slowly but surely until it's standing room only when the ladies do their thing. It's laid back as far as gay bars go, but it gets pretty wild as the night rolls on. At the end of every drag show, they do something called "drag racing" where two contestants have to adorn themselves in drag gear (wigs, hats, dresses, purses, heels) then wheel themselves in a wheelchair from one end of the stage to the other, which is pretty hilarious. After the show and during intermission they open up the dance floor (which doubles as the stage/runway) so all the patrons can have at it. read more

The Rainbow Cactus - Gay Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Small Place. I did like the fact that they had cider (pear/apple) Beers. Went on a Sunday night. They opened at 7pm. Do NOT get here before 830-9pm or else you'll be the only person there. The place was a little dingy/nasty (broken mirror behind stage/nasty carpets etc) but to be expected in a little bar. I knew there were going to be events that night (drag /"wet n wild" ) but didn't know when and i was tired of waiting for the shows to start .. even then i wasn't impressed with the drag show and gave up on the wet n wild. People working were not very inviting read more

I don't often go to Virginia Beach gay bars, but when I do..... Sorry, I don't have a pithy finish to that sentence. But you have to admit, it was a great idea. Which somehow also seems to embody the RC: At the time, it seems like a great idea, but once you are actually there, it somehow doesn't quite live up to the anticipation. Don't get me wrong, it isn't an awful place or anything like that. Quite the opposite, it is a great facility. If you are a smoker, you will love it, they have a completely separate smoking area that doesn't make you feel like a second class citizen. In fact, the smoking area seems at least as crowded as the non-smoking area. The few times that I have been I've had no trouble finding a place to sit either, although I'm usually by myself. The drinks are about the right strength (although Emit does pour me a seriously wicked gin!), and the prices are reasonable. The crowd is Virginia Beach mellow, the vibe is laid back. No siree, the place isn't awful at all. But like many things here in our fair city, the anticipation seems to beat the actual experience. No fault of the club, I think maybe it is just us. You'll meet some interesting people, you'll have some interesting conversation. If it is karaoke night (it was when I was there), you'll hear some good singing (you might want to go back to the smoking area when it is after midnight and I've decided that it is a good time to do some Dashboard Confessional though...consider yourself warned). And then you will go home. That is just the way we seem to roll here in Va Beach. Maybe it is also due to the fact that there is no real gay section of town as there are in other cities. For instance, DC has Dupont Cirle. With apologies to Lloyd Benson, I've been to Dupont Circle. Virginia Beach Strip Mall where RC is located, you are no Dupont Circle. Part of the attraction of hitting the gay bars, at least for me, is picking up on the vibe of an area, and this part of Virginia Beach is without vibe, it is all strictly suburbia. I think, though, that if there is a group of you, looking for a great evening out with friends, by all means, this is your place. And bump the rating at least one whole star, possibly one and a half. This place seems to love the idea, whether you bring 'em with you or meet 'em here. In fact, on a previous visit in the height of tourist season, I ended up hanging out with several middle aged couples here for a camping trip vacation. If this is an indication of the RC, these 4 man/woman middle aged couples were here drinking for a few hours and had no idea that it was a gay bar. Or who knows, maybe it is everybody else that has no idea that it is actually not! In any case, just go and have a good time. If you have wanted to try karaoke but always seem to have an excuse not to, then do it here. Trust me. read more

The Rainbow Cactus is CRAZY FUN! Drag night is the best. Candy is an incredible dancer to watch, very acrobatic. The other Drag Queens are great and will have you laughing and enjoying yourself. Be sure to tip, they work hard to entertain you. I always go with a big group of friends (we're all straight). It makes for a fun girls' night out. We go to the Cactus because we love to dance! We're usually called out early in the evening by the MC as "the straight table," and they make funny jokes. I like that they play top 40 music. It's really entertaining to watch the crowd. Once I saw a guy do a spot on impression of Beyonce's dance routine to "Single Ladies." They are accepting of everyone at the Cactus. My boyfriend and his friends came with us once and some of the gay regulars said they thought it was really cool that we come and hang out. The drinks are cheap and there's usually a special on margaritas. The service is great. It's not the cleanest place, but if you like dancing and being entertained, you can overlook that. read more

Came here for the first time on Thursday night for Paint Nite.. had a great time until paint nite was almost over and I got jumped on my way back from the bathroom. Just to give some perspective. I'm a 5'4, 120lb girl. I got held down with my arms pinned behind my back while being choked by 2 grown men and the owners wife hit me in the face. The owner body slammed my boyfriend who tried to save me. Police reports have been made. My first and last time in this dump and I hope they get shut down. read more

Let me just start by saying SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS NOT OKAY. Now that I've got your attention. This bar has nasty bathrooms, the doors do not lock (safety issue) and with the exception of a person or two, the rest of the people that work here are rude. The performances from the drag queens are great. It's good to see that the people who come here are so supportive of the performances. Sundays they often do a fundraiser with their wet tshirt contest. The drinks are STRONG. Which is a plus for some I suppose. But DO NOT drink the tequila. They have cheap tequila and you WILL throw up. Now, for the "fun" part. My friend, was sexually harassed by some dude that came into the bar, he stuck his hand down her pants pulled her underwear while she was sitting at one of the high tops, and proceeded to whisper stuff in her ear. Friends of ours jumped up and made a HUGE thing about it. The security guards did not kick him out and when we asked why they said because he was "so apologetic". I'm sorry but I cannot support a business that supports rape culture. I don't care how sorry someone is, that's disgusting, and to be in a place of business where they do not protect others. Is wrong. The place smells like cigarette smoke since they allow smoking inside, and the music there is mediocre. Needless to say, please pick another place to go. read more

After leaving a birthday dinner for my sister we came to the Cactus for drinks and the Drag Queen Show. The show was phenomenal! Performers were spot on beautiful and bodies tight..we enjoyed many drinks "Trash cans and Cosmos all night"Our night was one to remember. We will be coming back to enjoy the Shows, music and drinks! read more

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I was singled out, harassed, yelled at by the owner and bouncer. I had to warn the owner not to put his hands on me calmly or I would press charges. I don't know how they are able to run a business when they bully and harass their customers! Never again will I go there and I will make sure all knows how crappy they treat their customers read more

I LOVE this place. Everyone is very laid back and you don't have to dress up to come here. The drag queens are awesome. Drinks are good. And the staff is super nice and helpful. Would recommend to most. The only bad thing about this place is a personal opinion, and that is I think the music here SUCKS! It's very difficult to dance to. Sometimes it'll be some techno other times it's like Meghan trainer or Britney Spears. Very pop-like. If you want to go to hang out it's perfect but to actually dance and get to know people this probably isn't the place. Overall I love it and I keep coming back. read more

F.... This place!!! Not worth the trip. The fake security is the worse. Some Fridays they charge to get in, some Fridays they don't . They cater to one nationality!!! The drag shows are boring especially the Asian queen. If you're from out of town don't waste your time here because I'm sure you've seen better. I feel sorry for the locals because I was told this is the best it gets in the area!! I based my opinion on several visits both Friday and Saturday nights. Go to Klub Ambush its not much either but better than this joke of a club!!! read more

The DJ last Saturday was the BOMB..He played all the hippest and latest music. HE WAS...BRING HIM BACK BRING HIM BACK!!

If your a supporter of the trans or non binary community DO NOT GO HERE!! I went here with my best friend Ethan last night he came into the women's restroom with me because the men's bathroom dosent have doors on the stalls and last time he peed in there a creepy old man watched him pee so we started going together into the women's because of the doors and so we could make sure each other were safe no one in the women's bathroom has ever had an issue with him being in there he is f to m transitioned so he has a vagina so obvisouly he feels comfortable in the women's restroom well last night the manager followed us in and singled him out and told him that they would prefer if trans people used this dirty bathroom in the back. It was completely inappropriate to treat him this way especially when everyone else in the bathroom told the manager that no one minded him being there. Either way me and everyone I know will not be coming back to this establishment the fact that target has a transgender friendly bathroom policy but a gay bar dosent is ridiculous and disgusting to me. read more

Honestly the bouncer ruined the ENTIRE mood for our group. We came to celebrate a friends birthday and he was not accommodating to our requests at all. We would've had a much better experience without him being so rude! The performers were great and our server was great. But it's hard to overcome how rude the bouncer was. read more