(in alphabetical order)

Brix (formerly Hunters)
349 S. First St., CA 95113 Map - (408) 947-1975
Rating: *****
Type: Twink Nightclub
Crowd: Mixed men and women, gay and straight, but mostly young gay men
Pool table: No, they sold it
Parking: Can be very tight on weekends if the huge lot across the street fills up, easy other nights

Opened June 2007. By far the fanciest gay bar in town. They put a lot of money into this place and it shows. I've only been on a Tues and Wed night, and there were maybe 20-25 young men and women rotating through, mostly in groups, so as a cruise bar this probably isn't the best choice. That said, if I was 22 (I'm double that), this would be my choice. Large outdoor patio out back with a waterfall (not always on), which is a nice place to get away from the music inside and have a smoke. They're also right next door to the newly renovated Moorish-style California Theater where the San Jose Opera performs among others.

Update Aug 17, 2008: The skyscraper condo they've built behind the bar adds a surreal touch to the patio. It's not bad, but can induce vertigo. Lots of potential there for light shows, etc. though.

Renegades (San Jose's only leather, Levi, bear bar)
www.renegadesbar.com
501 Taylor St., San Jose, CA 94126 Map - 408/275-9902
Rating: ***
Type: Levi/Leather/Bears. Mostly regular joes.
Crowd: 95% gay male of all sizes and ages. Sprinkling of lesbians.
Pool table: Yes, but bad cues. $1 a game
Parking: Renegades moved to this location on April 26, 2006. Unfortunately, its parking didn't (there are only six spaces). There's a car detailing place across the street where you can park by permission from the owners after 7:30 p.m. Give them some business to be nice.

If you're a local, definitely subscribe to the Renegades email newsletter. The owner, Luis, has been throwing a lot of interesting events.

If I'm out and about, I'm probably at Renegades (read: I'm biased). It's been my adopted hangout since the 641 Club closed. I think I like it mostly because the gay men that come here actually look like men. Friendly bartenders. Automated drink system. Smoking area is out front or the smallish back patio, which is tented during rainy months.

The advice I give to most visitors is a) don't be shy, b) if you are shy, there's a good chance you'll sit quietly by yourself the entire evening. This applies to any gay bar, of course.

Leather nights are very popular. Saturdays are sometimes "shirtless" so if you lose your shirt you get a deal on drinks. Weekdays (Mon.-Thu) can be slow.

The new digs look good; sort of like a 40s gas station, with lots of shiny metal and plenty of seating. True, the wonderful garden from the old location is gone, but the pool table area is actually larger than at the old location. Drink system (alcohol is metered at 1.5 oz per drink) is kind of a drag, but it helps if you're watching your consumption.

Update: The bar changed ownership in mid-2008 and is now run by my friend Luis. Business is up, but on weeknights I'd still try to get there before 11 p.m. (the same goes for San Francisco bars).

Update September 2009: On the first Sunday of the month, there's a very popular bear party called "Butch" from 4-9 p.m.

Splash! Bar & Grill
www.splashsj.com
65 Post St., San Jose, CA 95113-2411 Map - 408/515-9797
Rating: ****
Type: Dance
Parking: Multistory lot at First & Post (accessible from First). Street parking can be very tight on weekends because of the surrounding clubs.
Crowd: Youngish men, lesbians, sprinkling of straights
The newest gay bar and danceclub and restaurant and grill opened in early November 2004. Crowd is mostly younger and outdraws Tinker's Damn. Gorgeous old main bar. I've been on a Tuesday for karaoke and had a nice time. People tend to go late. Smoking out front where the cafe tables/chairs are set up (I think you can take your drink out with you, but check with the door guy). Restaurant has been renamed "Georgie's" in honor of deceased manager George Gonzalez, a friend of mine who died in 2005.

Update August 2007: I'm not sure exactly what is going at Splash! these days. I haven't gone on a weekend in nearly a year. They're still open though, which is a very good sign. They hold some really interesting "special interest" nights here.

Update September 2009: I haven't been here in over a year, so it may have changed a lot. The last time I was there, there was an odd smell in the bar, but someone may have gotten sloppy with a milk-based drink.

A Tinker's Damn (aka "TD's" to locals)
www.atinkersdamn.com
46 Saratoga Ave. Santa Clara, CA Map - 408/243-4595
Rating: ***
Type: Dance
Pooltable: Yes, decent cues. $1 a game
Crowd: Younger gay men/twinks/label queens. Young, gay Asian central on Friday nights.
Parking: Lot in the back, but it can fill up on weekends. Do not park in the bookstore spaces. No problem weeknights.
The only place to go in Santa Clara if you're gay and you want to dance. Dancing Tues, Fri, Sat. Drag show Sun. Pool table with some decent players. Pool tournament on Tues @ 8:30 p.m. Tons of parking in the big lot out back or on Saratoga. They painted the place purple, so it's easy to spot in the day time; at night, it's basically on the corner of Stevens Creek and Saratoga across the street from McDonalds.

Lido - NOT SURE IF THIS CLUB IS STILL GAY; CALL FIRST
30 S. First St., San Jose, CA 95113 Map
Type: Nightclub
Crowd: Mostly gay Latino men, young
Parking: There's a multistory lot at First & Post (accessible from First). Street parking can be very tight on weekends.
I've never been here. This downtown bar isn't always gay, so be sure to check out the crowd if you go any night other than Monday or Wednesday. Drag shows at midnight. Occasional underwear contests. Street parking can be tight, but there's a city lot across the street. Just down the street from Mac's Club and Splash.

UPDATE August, 2007: I'm not sure if Lido even has gay nights anymore. They seem to be becoming a Vietnamese and garage band bar. Call ahead unless you like surprises.

Dar's Hideaway - I'M PRETTY SURE IT CLOSED DOWN, CALL FIRST
Website listing
10095 Saich Way, Cupertino, CA 95014 Map - 408/255-7474
Rating: TBD
Type: Neighborhood
Crowd: Lesbian, mixed
Pooltable: Don't know
Used to be the Silver Fox. It's hidden in a nondescript strip mall, so just look for Target (it's across the street to the left). I haven't visited since they rebranded and remodeled, but when I did go people and the bartenders were friendly. Pool table.

Savoy - MAY BE CLOSED
www.clubsavoy.com
3465 Flora Vista Dr., Santa Clara, CA 95051 Map
Rating: ***
Type: Dance
Crowd: Lesbians
Pooltable: Yes, two! Cues are good.
I finally went here Super Bowl Sunday 2006 for a gay pride fundraiser. It was in the middle of the afternoon, so I have no idea what the clientele is like, but the bar itself is HUGE in South Bay terms. A stage, main bar, pool area, and dancefloor, all with double high ceilings. It's not the prettiest gay bar I've ever been to, but it's definitely not the worst. Very friendly barstaff and two good (if oddly colored) pool tables.

Update Aug 17, 2008: I'm not exactly sure what's going on. Apparently, they're under new management, so I'm not even sure if they're open. Call first. If you risk it and they're closed, there are some interesting Korean restaurants in that neighborhood.

King of Clubs
www.kocbar.com
893 Leong Dr., Mountain View, CA 94043-2042 Map - 650/968-6366
Rating: ***
Type: Varies, Karoake, medium-sized dancefloor
Crowd: Mixed
Pooltable: Yes, cues are actually pretty good.
I finally went here on a Friday night with my boyfriend. We were there for Club Nemesis, which is a once a month goth club (and well-attended). The bar is midway between the size of Renegades and Tinker's Damn, with women (on this night) outnumbering men by 5:1. Everyone was very friendly, although we only talked to a few people. We spent most of the time playing pool and sticking pieces of paper to our faces because they glowed under the black lights. This bar is a bit tricky to drive to, so get directions and a map before you start out. If you're expecting something other than a neighborhood bar, don't.

Mac's Club
www.macsclub.com - One of my website designs
39 Post St., San Jose, CA 95113-2411 Map - 408/288-8221
Rating: **
Type: Neighborhood
Crowd: Mixed, mostly older gay men, some drag queens, mostly young on Saturdays. when people drift down from Splash to escape the loud music and actually talk to each other.
Quaint, tiny bar on a side street downtown. I never go here because I'm claustrophobic and they don't have a good smoking area. Friendly bartenders, most of whom double at Renegades. Automated drink system. Tiny, uncovered smoking area out back next to garbage cans. Parking can be ridiculously tight, but there are usually spaces on the opposite side of Market St. near the Greyhound bus depot or off of second across Santa Clara. During Christmas, you can wander out to see Christmas In The Park, a local San Jose tradition which I don't understand and never go to anymore.

San Jose Bathhouse: Yes, we still have one

If you're male and want to cut to the chase, San Jose is home to one of the nicest gay bathhouses in the country. It's sort of like "Bathhouse a la Sunset Magazine".

If you hear a local say something about "the ten ten" that's what they're referring to. There's no signage to speak of out front, so you need to look carefully for a non-descript cinderblock building. It's about two blocks from the DeFrank LGBT Center and about 4-5 blocks from the HP Pavilion.

DO NOT put your head underwater in the jacuzzi (applies no matter where you are), and don't sit directly on tile surfaces.

The Watergarden
1010 The Alameda
www.thewatergarden.com