Jacques Cabaret

I had a great experience here for my 21^st birthday on April 26. Fun club, good music, good people. Hot dancers. Make sure you keep your shirt on though or they’ll ask you to leave. I will definitely return many times in the future!

My girlfriends took me here for my bachellorette party. It was so much fun. They were so funny and talented and made it a night to remember. I absolutely want to go back.

I came here to celebrate my friend’s birthday. We had a great time of course. The Drag Queens were the best part. As for the security (lady with blonde hair), She was extremely rude. I don’t know if she likes her job honestly. Also I think the place is too small to have tables for big parties. The chairs alone take up too much space.

Short story: Nasty manager, doorman, and bouncer who exert the kernel of power they have in their miserable lives to «teach paying customers a lesson.» Combine the above with a basement d-​level caberet performance and weak/​expensive drinks =you should skip this show. It’s a pretty sad scene all around.
Long Story: It is with great disappointment that I write this review. I was so looking forward to a fun-​filled night out. I’m from NY (outside of NYC) and have heard about Jacques from my Bostonian friends. It seems this place is a rite of passage for bachelorette and birthday parties.
We left our hotel with enough time to walk to Jacques. We got lost thanks to Google maps and arrived at 9:55 (10 minutes after the 9:45 check in). We had a reservation for 3 people. This reservation was made weeks (months?) in advance. When we arrived the doorman rudely chastised us for being late. We apologized politely and were told to wait up against the wall so they could «check to see if our reservation was given away.» The «bouncer» was equally rude and chastised (again) for being late. She told us «maybe we’d get lucky and still have a table.» Of course, our reservation had been voided because we were late. The manager (a short, portly woman with a lazy eye) was so nasty you would think we caused her personal distress. She told us we could go «there’s the door» or we could sit where she placed us. It was clear this woman has not much going in her life but for the small amount of power in giving people’s reservations away.
Some of you may be thinking, «you were late too bad so sad.» But, I think it’s important to note that not once in the three phone calls to Jacques to set this up/​confirm was it mentioned that our reservation could be given away if we were late. I think it’s a gimmick just like the $ 10 cover. The show I saw isn’t worth that at all.
Anyway, we were led to the basement and seated in the back. It was «the best they could do» after all, we were late. The basement was dark, packed and we could hardly see. Truth be told, I am always impressed with the makeup of drag queens. These basement drag queens must be new at it because their makeup lacked the believability of other drag queens (including from what I’ve seen online, the ones upstairs). Most of the singers lip-​synced to popular songs. They didn’t do this well. They danced around the room for tips which felt sad. There was obvious contempt for the bachelorette parties and birthday girls. Maybe that is supposed to be part of the charm? I must say, the bachelorettes and birthday girls were pretty obnoxious, so half of me doesn’t blame them.
All and all this place is a joke. My friends and I made our own fun; but if it were up to me, we would’ve walked out. I think it’s disgusting for a business to treat customers the way we were treated. They clearly don’t care and won’t until it hurts their bottom line.
The take away: avoid this place. If you can’t avoid it, heed the above tale of woe.

I celebrated my birthday here last year and it was nothing short of amazing! I came with a large crowd of friends, men and women, and we had an easy time getting in, no wait, nothing. The performances were hilarious and sassy as f**k! And on top of that, the drinks were cheap and strong. The place is a bit dingy and divey, but it adds to the ambience of the place. For those who like to really enjoy themselves and aren’t looking for upscale ambience, this is the place.

Worst bar ever. I don’t understand why it’s still open. The employees are rude and the place is nasty.

Didn’t even go in. I go to drag shows all over the world and this one charged a hefty fee of $ 10 just to get through the door. Looked empty. Or worse – like a bunch of bachelorette parties. My girlfriends and I opted not to subsidize the manager’s costs of paying performers a la some door fee. We already planned to drink, which should cover any well-​managed bar’s entertainment costs.
I refuse to buy before I see or experience. I might try it next time I’m in Boston, but there’s something annoying about a bar passing on costs of entertainers up front so abruptly to patrons. I took $ 40 in ones in order to tip accordant with the quality of drag performances… Wasn’t planning to give the bar owner $ 10 up front. And it was a bitter taste that made the bar lose 3 very strong customers.
Again, why bachelorette parties… They’re invariably among the rudest guests at gay bars. I like SoMa bars in SF. They’ve banned bachelorettes.

Great bar. I really enjoy the kink/​fetish night in the basement. Every second Monday.

When you are a strait girl and want to come to the «freak show» come to Jacques. No gay men in sight and don’t ask the wait staff for a table because they cater to the breeder parties. Ugh never again. Hope these queens make a fat stack because they sell their souls to the highest bidder. It’s a shame because they are better than that. Get it girls because you deserve it! Strait girls, shame on you. I have to amend… The queens are mediocre at best and extremely unprofessional. A better drag show could be seen in a barn located in the middle of Iowa. Let’s hope Boston has more to offer than this. Furthermore a queen singing a man’s song (cee lo green) not okay. This is just a joke. Seriously, I’m waiting for the punchline. Jacques is a joke. To be honest, I am disgusted that Jacques considers themselves apart of the lgbt community. It’s truly a disgrace. Just disgraceful.

Went on Friday at 11:30. They were closing at 11:45 but wanted to charge full cover so I went elsewhere. Tried again on Monday at 10:30. They couldn’t say if or when the show would start and there were only 4 people inside. They wanted a cover again!
This place is horrible! I will never go back.

My husband and I came here for a nightcap at 11:15 pm and they wanted to charge us $ 10 each for a cover charge even though they close at midnight.

I had my bachelorette party here in April 2015. It was so much fun. I wasn’t sure how all of my guests would feel about this venue, but everyone had a blast! The show was amazing, and kept everyone dancing and singing along the whole night! We were able to reserve a table ahead of time which was very helpful. I cannot wait to come back!

The funniest show in Boston hands down. You will lose weight from laughing so hard. I’ve been at least 5 times over the last 10 years and this place never gets old, and absolute must for bachelorette party’s!!!

Really fun place! Came here for a bachelorette party and we were not disappointed. Exactly what you expect from going to one of these shows-​drag queens dressed to impress entertaining the crowds for tips. Had a great night!

I love this place. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, bachelorette or anything, or just want to have a fun night out, definitely check this out. Tickets are cheap but bring a LOT of singles because the queens are super talented and get even more funny and entertaining the more you tip them. They are very good at knowing who they can interact with in the audience.
The staff and management are very friendly. You have to call ahead for reservations and not much of their operations are online/​automated so be prepared to talk to a person.
Drinks are priced a little high for the portion but are strong enough to last. With how cheap the tickets are, I wasn’t bothered by the drink prices. All the queens were great and very talented but I personally love Kris, Destiny and Katya.

Jacques is probably the oldest gay bar still in operation in Boston. There’s a lot of history in this place, but nowadays it’s most well-​known for the cabaret, which is, to what I’m sure is often the chagrin of the drag queens, a popular activity for bachelorette parties. How this occurred is unclear to me, but if you can get lucky, you will go on a night when there are few obnoxious people.
And if you do go, understand that you will have no personal space. The queens will invade it and you may be subject to kissing, hugging, licking, or fondling. It’s just part of the territory. So make sure you’re going with the right attitude, have some drinks, enjoy the humor and music, and have a good time! It’s what the gay forefathers would’ve wanted.

This is a great club with a very fun atmosphere! One of my favourite spots I visited in Boston, that i had to come back several times!
Everyone, both staff and patrons are super friendly! The drinks are cheap but STRONG, and the «ladies» are beautifully stunning (I have to admit I was a little jealous at the way they perfectly applied their makeup and their long flowing hair!) These ladies are truly entertainers and work the crowd like no other! Looking around the room, everyone was having a great time! They make sure to engage the audience ALOT, so beware if you are shy!!!
This club is located conveniently downtown in the backbay area. There are also pool tables if you wish to play pool and the bathrooms were SPOTLESS! This is a huge thing for me, I hate dirty bathrooms and I have never seen a cleaner bathroom in a bar ever before in my life!
The only cons about this place is that they close too early! And it is hard to get a cab to pick you up from here. Being from Canada, this is something I have never experienced before and it made me really sad that cabs would refuse serivce because this is a gay club. I also noticed there were several signs posted around the club advising people to be careful when leaving the club due to beatings that have increased in the area. :(

This is a dive bar. DIVE. I’m pretty sure I got tetanus just by walking in. The space is in pretty rough shape and I thoughtfully mapped out all of the exits, in case the building collapsed. However, the staff is friendly and polite — so refreshing from your typical gay centered bar in the Boston area. I went here for the drag show… one of the best I’ve seen in a while. .original, daring and hysterical. A star for your friendly staff, 3 stars for Katya.

My absolutely favorite club in Boston. The drink are cheap, the people awesome, and a good time is always had here!
The «Ladies» really know how to work a crowd that is always good natured and cool, and diverse. I particularly love their alternative lyrics to popular songs, very clever and fun. After a few drinks I have been know to perform on stage myself with not much encouragement!

This place was a riot. The show was exemplary, up to date on current music and just out right funny. The shows are camp and gay, so you know it’s going to be hysterically funny. This is where bachelorettes come to party apparently as well. This adds to the insanity.
FYI
Its a CASH ONLY establishment! Its $ 10 at the door and don’t forget to be bring lots of $ 1 bills for the performers.
Pros:
–The drag shows are off the hook. Well done, well costumed and funny.
–This is a standard dive bar and they do not provide food, but they do however allow for orders of food to be made from outside vendors and delivered to the patrons in the bar.
–The service is friendly, attentive and they add to the quirky atmosphere.
–This is a popular place so it can be crowded and busy. You need to make reservations or plan accordingly.

What a fun night!
Came here for a token bachelorette party. The only off part of the experience was a bit of a hassle getting in the door. Unfortunately we were not able to reserve a table (even two weeks in advance – so keep that in mind), so when we showed up roughly 30 min before the show, the queens at the front door tried to give us a hard time about getting in. Saying that they had to check capacity etc. Betch, please. Who are you kidding? However, after some light groveling and puppy dog eyes we were allowed to pass.
We grabbed some seats at the bar (that was empty) and enjoyed a few cocktails. Our friend got to go up on stage and chat about the wedding/​engagement (along with the other brides in the audience), and then we were all serenaded by some hits from the 80s 90s and today. The show is definitely worth the 10 bucks and in general is an overall fun experience.

I had never heard of Jacques’ Cabaret until a friend of mine suggested surprising my boyfriend and going there for his birthday. I am so glad I said yes! We had a fabulous time, and had a much more interesting experience than if we had just gone out for drinks. You can do that any old day. If you want to turn a birthday or any day into an EVENT, take a group of friends and lots of $ 1 bills to Jacques.
We were lucky to find a close-​by metered parking spot, since the area is very residential and it’s all permit-​only parking. It was a Tuesday night, so a very muted atmosphere when we entered the bar around 10pm. At first glance, this is a dive bar at the end of the world: barely any lights on, a TV on mute throwing a glow in the corner, two older men draped over the bar, tended by a little old lady. In other words, perfect.
We reserved a table (unnecessary, as we were one of three groups watching the show, but we did get the best view) and waited for the show to start. Cover at the door was $ 7 per person, drinks were cheap, and it’s cash only everywhere: at the door, at the bar and in the bra (s).
The show started and we got one excellent and mind-​boggling performance after another. My boyfriend was the center of attention and had a great time getting caressed and ogled by two fabulous drag queens.
Jeff, the taller of the two queens, came out after and posed for pictures with us. He was so nice, and his performances absolutely blew us away. I wish we could have taken him home with us. Move over Susan B. Anthony, Jeff is my new women’s lib role model!
The performance was cleverly tongue-​in-​cheek and just bizarre enough to appreciate how much work goes into this kind of art. Keep those dollars flowing, because these ladies WORK!
Can’t wait to go back!