Mint

on one of my visits to kc i went to a lesbian social event at mint. i liked the setup and the location. i was actually impressed with the décor and the setup. i ordered beer and it was cheap. nice place to socialize and mingle. comfy couches to relax on.

My first time there was for a fashion show. I was helping Milo of PeckandGlutes fame promote his store in Westport called Zinfandel. I think he is going to of course do more fashion shows for his men’s undies. But Mints was packed that night and the crowd was fun. It’s a great place to do a fashion show. So much less boring than a luncheon. Also they have the basement bar area that is perfect for make-​up and changing. It went very smooth. The bartenders were a little overwhelmed, but held their head high and nerves in check.

I went to Mint last night for the second time. I have to say that it is a HUGE improvement over Empire Room. I won’t spend a lot of time going into the aesthetics of the place, as the other reviews have done a great job describing that. But needless to say, it’s beautiful.
Both of the times I have gone have been on Thursdays, or what they call «alternative night» which is really just gay night and they don’t want to say it. Typically I’m against going to straight clubs that give it up for the gays just once a week, but i was with a group the first time and got outvoted. I’ve got to say, I’m glad that I did.
The crowd was pretty solid, with a good mix of both men and women, gay and straight. Everybody was dressed to impress, which I think is a nice relief from the «jeans and t-​shirt» crowd that seems to take over all other gay bars in this town. I mean, there were still a few guys in T-​shirts, but it was just a general feeling that people actually cared what they looked like before they came out, which really seems to be rare for the Kansas City gay scene.
The bar service was good for the most part, and the drinks are strong and reasonably priced. There was one bartender who was obviously either brand new or just not good at his job, but he was VERY pretty to look at, so i see why they hired him. I was bothered by the fact that they had less than pretty guys walking around in underwear passing out shots. Definitely brought down the class level and the guys weren’t hot enough to make it worth it. Also, why are the cocktails served in plastic cups? You’re a nice bar, spring for glass.
The music was good, and they have flat screen TVs all over. Last night they were exclusively showing mens fashion shows. It was interesting for a bit, though i wonder what they show on non «alternative» nights.
Basically, I have a lot of small criticisms of the place, but overall i think it’s a good time out with a fun crowd, with good drinks and music. I want to see it be successful. Maybe I’ll test the waters to see how gay friendly it is on their traditional nights.
on a side note. To other reviewers out there. Nobody cares how many names you can drop, or labels you can mention. Nobody cares how much your boots cost. It makes you look pathetic.

Gay nights are fun. JP does an amazing job of promoting this new night. I think he is soley responsible for getting people back in the door and maybe saving this club. Scott Kaiser, who has become the «go to» alternative DJ, does an amazing job of keeping the energy level high.
Also a side note to a Unilocaler that is sensitive to my boot comments:
I am flattered that you dedicated an entire paragraph in your review to my review.
If you knew anything about this club, the entire premise of the marketing was based on making Mint super exclusive. Chris, the owner, was quoted several times mentioning that entry to Mint would be based on your outfit and your style or «dress to impress.» His plan was to make Mint like L.A. with a secret back entrance. That dream soon changed, when Mint needed to get more bodies in the door. My review was tongue-​n-​cheek to that point. But, if you are just going there for the first time, you probably missed all the publicity prior to opening and therefore missed the joke.
I will now be mentioning shoes in all my reviews! Welcome to Unilocal

Well the front door is back, but Mint is definitely much different than its predecessor, Empire Room. I heard they were turning it into a «VIP» bar with only a back door entrance, which, in KC, I thought was ridiculous. But I guess they decided to open it up to us regular folks. New, more open layout, big bar in the center with some uncomfortable looking lounge-​type booths and bar tables on the outer rim. Its much cleaner and the crowd isn’t as creepy as Empire, but it feels pretty pretentious… especially for a martini corner place.
The bikini fashion show going on was kinda cheesy, but watching the guys cheer for the especially pretty girls was entertaining and seeing the guy models also made me smile.
Downstairs was a trippy experience with weird old salon hair dryers and dressed up mannequins, but at least something different than anywhere else.

People who know me know I have a huge problem with bars and clubs in KC copping an attitude like they’re in business on Sunset Ave. I was afraid Mint might have the same issue as some new bars in the area (check out my other reviews, ahem) but I really liked this place.
Located in the building of the old Empire Room, the inside has been completely revamped and redecorated. The entrance is located in the back and the doormen are actually really funny and courteous (at least to our group of girls).
The upstairs has a really sleek, fun clubby feel (although I could have done without the creepo guy trying to molest a girl dancing with everyone’s favorite ubiquitous club decoration, the stripper pole) and downstairs is a whole. nutha. world. I felt like I fell down the rabbit hole and was slightly tripping with all the crazy art and decorations… So fun. We loved it. You’ll have to check it out for yourself to see what I mean.
I really liked the crowd and the staff was great. I’ve read they’re trying to make Mint more upscale and «elite»…that’s all fine and good, I just hope they keep doing business the same way.