Pat-O’s Bunkhouse Saloon

A great dive for all! Plenty of patio space. The customers come from all walks of life. The bartenders are nice too; you probably won’t even notice that they’re working with only one well.

This is a gay bar? Shouldn’t there be a sign or something? Place is old, kind of a classic dive, but, like I say, this is a gay bar?
Oh well, the bartender is nice, the beer is cold. I rate only 2 stars because the facility is older and kind of grimy.

Although I do not go on poker nights I have found my way back with friends. The upside is they do have a good patio if you are looking to socialize and relax, but downside most time I am there it is empty. I do enjoy the drag shows and charity events they have and that is when I mostly find myself going.

When my friends ask if I wanna go to a gay bar, I find myself looking like a deer in the headlights. No, not just because I’m straight (I know I’m stepping on your turf, Melrose, don’t hate me) but because at this point it’s been synonymous with blaring EDM and crowded rooms I usually am not in the mood for. Bunkhouse is definitely bucking that trend, as a plain old neighborhood bar.
There was a lone TV on the back patio playing nothing but MMA. This makes me chuckle, mostly because I am immature and have no business captivating an adult audience. But if they wanna do sports, there is easily room for at least two more sets back there. What gives? At least the patio was quite spacious, and totally raucous with conversation.
My female drinking companion was the only woman there, and it was pretty busy. Drinks are made strong AF, and bartenders are so freaking nice, as if they’re genuinely happy to see new people. The crowd appears to be Gen X and older, which is quite weird for the part of town. I personally think it’s more than a bit bland, reminiscent of the basic bars I bitch about in other reviews. BUT, it’s pulling a very unique sort of clientele, and I have a few older friends who would love it. I’ll send them.

I used to like this bar for being a «neighborhood bar». A recent situation with a friend showed me that this place is definitely not the type of place which would represent the gay community nor the modern (current 2014) gays.
This is a stagnant old mire of very bitter rotten old men who are very insecure with younger gays. It was sad that we liked this bar for a long time and when the bartender became involved, that confirmed the regular mold clientele.
Definitely not worth it.

BUYER BEWARE: They will take your credit card and have you sign a piece of paper for opening a tab. Problem is they always put charges you didn’t authorize on the card. Just recently I went and had bought a round of drinks, myself and two other people. The bartender said it was $ 12.00 and thats all I got for the evening. Once I looked at my credit card statement they had actually charged me $ 40.00 instead of the mere $ 12.00.
This isn’t the first time this has happened, there are three other occasions that are being investigated by my credit card company since this appears to be the way they do business.
Be wary of opening a tab here or you might end up paying more than you actually should.

Been here a few times when I’m in town. Last time was during Phoenix Pride (I wasn’t aware that pride was going on) The place was packed and lots of friendly people. If you like bears, then pay this place a visit on a Saturday.

I figure since I’m on my way over there for an evening of fun filled events, I’d take a moment while my nails are drying to review the joint.
I like it here. Comfy space, great staff, fun outgoing people. Inside is roomy enough, but the patio is home. They used to have a fire pit that was the ginchiest, but firepits plus drunky people does not make for happy endings… So they did away with it making even more useable space. It’s all good.
Every now and again they grill up some burgers that are tasty too.
See everyone who’s going in a lil bit.

My dad was born in this bar, at that time it was a private residence. the year.1930. Recently on a tour of homes he had lived in, we visited the Bunk House. once inside we asked him if it looked the same :):). He said he didn’t remember the pool table being in the living room.

This place is great if you bring a group of friends and ignore everyone else ’cause it’s a meat market. Everyone there seems to think they have the right to stare… even touch.
The only times I’ve ever been is for a bar crawl or because someone wanted to meet there.
Honestly? I’m not sure what the appeal is. Much more interesting gay bars in Phoenix have closed and yet this one keeps truckin’ along. Perhaps they have loyal patrons, some look like they’ve been coming for decades.

Rather than be catty, I’ll just keep my mouth shut and let the number of stars speak for themselves.
And please: Josh or Christopher or someone that goes here a lot, take a pic of the building and have Unilocal take down that Char’s sign as the business sign.

A few weeks ago after bowling I ventured to the Bunkhouse with one of my teammates for a quick nightcap. It was about 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night and it was fairly busy but not packed. I had not been there in years, literally lived in an apartment complex behind the bar back when I was younger and was definitely a «regular» in the day.
We only stayed for one cocktail, the bar is kinda divey but a pleasant environment. The large patio is a nice feature that most bars don’t have. If I still lived in Central Phx and not Tempe I would be there more often.

After taking a rather long pause from uhm. *everything*, I’ve recently resumed fraternization with other men, in situations that involve beer consumption! Since I’ve lived in Phoenix, Pat O’s Bunk House has always been one of my favorite places to get slizzard, and or #STUPidFACEDD. There’s always a friendly, social crowd, from morning, ’til night! The patio is my favorite feature of this bar, as I am a self proclaimed patio hussy, and Bunkhouse’s patio does not disappoint!
Great happy hour, specials, etc!

The Bunkhouse is one of my «homes away from home». It’s literally so close to my home that I can stumble home drunk if need be. It’s certainly no upscale Amsterdam (not my scene) or raucous NuTowne (their Sunday beer bust of off the hook!)… rather a nice neighborhood drinking hole, with an excellent staff, welcoming owner and an outdoor patio that seals the deal for me.
They often have drink specials, host our local bear groups and softball teams for fundraisers and while the crowd definitely leans towards guys (no problem there for me), there are plenty of women and trannies that stop in for a spell, which adds color and inclusiveness for our community. I typically meet up with guy friends here but also feel comfortable inviting my lady business partners and gal pals here for a drinky-​poo.
Do not expect gay fabulosity. Do not bring your attitude or drama. Do bring a friendly smile and a pocketful of dollars to tip the servers. ‘Nuff said?

This place is just not my kinda place and I dont have that much fun here, but dont get me wrong. If you are into bears and a more laid back bar, then this is a good place. They have a good outdoor area, love when they grill up some burgers and I think the fire pit is pretty cool too. This place is by no means upscale but its just a big ol bunkhouse.
FYI: They have poker nights if your into that and they have dart boards. Not sure of the poker nights, will have to call and find out.

My favorite gay bar in Phoenix. Great outdoor patio, great indoor TVs with surround sound, friendly staff, fun clientele, pool tables, cheap drinks, and I can wear anything I want? Hell yes, where do I sign up? It’s as close to a gay cheers as you can get in Phoenix, and my costumes are always a hit. Service is excellent and always served with a smile. I will stop in here from time to time to shoot a round of pool or two and always enjoy the experience. You won’t be disappointed, unless you are young and hot and only want eye candy to look at. This is a real men’s bar, not a twink club or meat market, although hot guys do come in from time to time. It’s also friendly to all types, not just gays. This is one of the few places in Phoenix that serves up food from time to time as well. Go here, go now, and go often. It’s that simple.

==Warning: much of this review will contain lingo pertaining to the LGBT community. If you come across a word you aren’t familiar with, wikipedia it.==
Ever since Homme gave me the boot, I’d been looking for other LGBT-​friendly bars to take my business (and obsession with pool, which I totally suck at).
When my friend Fenyx (a fellow tranny in the «ftm» vein) first suggested going to Bunkhouse, I was admittedly a little anxious. Don’t get me wrong; I have no problems being around bears. But gay bars are opened so that people of that orientation can mingle and socialize within it, and I don’t like being anybody’s unwanted guest.
Bunkhouse is like a living, breathing Outback Steakhouse commercial; «men’s men» sit around a fire pit, joking and laughing underneath the gaze of totem poles. The interior is so fabulously «frontier». Multiple big screen TVs play muted cable programs that are ignored by the patrons. It’s like a bizarro sports bar. And I know bizarro.
One of the many reasons I prefer LGBT-​bars to «straight bars» is that every gay bar I’ve been to in this city, every drink I order, no matter how obscure and/​or hard to memorize, is given to me enthusiastically. Sometimes it’s outrageously expensive, especially if I’m not the gender of the bartender’s preferred company.
And sometimes I’m given the stink eye when I insist on being given the correct, IBA-​sanctioned garnish with my drink. I’m just trying to get the most out of my PBSA education. Don’t judge me.
But never once have I been told «you want a what? Are you gay?» (River City) or «yeah, that’s not going to happen» (Tiki Lounge). Not even at Homme.
At Bunkhouse I asked for a Colorado Bulldog, and the bartender just nodded and made it happen for me, even though everybody around me all turned their heads and said «what the fuck is that?» And it was delicious. So delicious that I overlooked the fact that it was not served to me in the bucket glass as deemed appropriate by the IBA. I think I officially need help.
I’m sure there were plenty of fun-​loving interesting people at Bunkhouse, but I didn’t make any attempt to talk to any. I was too busy blowing all my quarters on the pool tables, pinball machines and electronic dart boards. Surprisingly, these attractions were unmanned during my entire visit to Bunkhouse, probably because, as mentioned before, people were too busy like, talking and socially interacting.
Making new friends? Fuck that, they have South Park pinball!
At first I was a little uncomfortable, being the only girl in the bar. But by the end of the night there were other girls, a lesbian couple, and even some drag queens from the show at Cruisin’ 7^th. And everyone was just as welcome as the bears and leather daddies.
The staff at Bunkhouse was really friendly, in that genuinely swishy way. (Oh noes, another strange and foreign word! I checked, wikipedia has an entry for this one too.) The staff at any bar really set the tone for the behavior of the patrons. The bartender could’ve given me that «what the fuck are you doing here» look when I came up to order my drink, thus setting off the alert to the patrons that perhaps I didn’t belong there and needed to be treated as such.
But they were really nice to me, got me anything I asked, and when the soda gun started pouring out syrup-​less soda water, they dumped the glass out into the sink and made me a new drink rather than just passing me the diluted soda water and shrugging. I’ve had my heart broken by bartenders in the past, but I think Bunkhouse may be able to set me on the path to healing.
On Sundays they have $ 3 burgers and $ 1 drafts. And on Thursdays everyone runs around in their underwear, though now that the weather’s getting cooler I don’t see that happening so much. But I could be wrong. You know, like I was about Homme and setting my nickname as «Transzilla».
Now I think about it, I’m wrong a lot of the time.
But that won’t stop you from taking my suggestions, will it?

One of the best gay bars in Phoenix.
The Bunkhouse perfectly balances the feel of a neighborhood haunt with a large, busy bar.
The space itself is pretty good. Unpretentious, it has everything you want to hang out with friends: Pool, darts, pinball machines, nice bar, enormous private patio.
The bartenders and manager (Jeremy) are incredible. They bust their ass to keep everything running smoothly and I never wait more than a minute or two for a drink. Considering the crowd they draw, this is quite a feat. The drinks are good, too.
Most every night is a promo. Underwear night is especially popular, and they grill out once or twice a week. You can show up around happy hour, lounge with friends and get a burger, and stay late.
It tends to attract a slightly older, or at least more masculine crowd, than some of the trendier spots. But with that comes a friendliness and lack of attitude that is just very enjoyable. Last time I was there, a bunch of very young kids on a pub crawl came crashing through. Before they knew it, they were friends with everybody, dragged up on stage, and spending a lot more time than they had planned on. So even if you don’t think it’s your scene, it’s still worth checking out.
Bunkhouse has a parking lot, but on busy nights, you might want to park in one of the other business parking lots or along the street in the back.

Probably one of the better gay bars in town. friendly. decent crowd. reasonable prices. after hopping from one to another this place was our favorite. Lots of furry muscle bears too! Nice!