My gf had raved about this place. Since we were in town for a day, we went for lunch, The food was great. The decor was drab and almost depressing. Being there when its empty made the rest of the reviews make sense just looking around the place. Especially with the bathrooms. It was very underwhelming.

Had a great time here. It was Thursday night and they were having a show. It was very crowded. The bartender was great, the door lady was super nice, and the other staff were friendly. After the show they played fun music and everyone here was friendly. They have an outdoor area in the back that is really large. They have tables and a volleyball court.

A Richmond tradition! In normal times theres always fun events going on here. In covid times, they have outdoor seating, reasonably priced beer and good fried food!

Babes is NOT lesbian friendly. We went as a bridal party with two brides. And Jeremy the DJ lesbian shamed us for every song request. He thought he was being cute but it was very exclusionary. And we will NOT be returning. We thought Vicky would run a better establishment. But we will discourage any lesbian from visiting Babes.

Gay or straight best place to dance in town. Friday and Saturday nights are the best. Usually $5 cover. Affordable drinks ( $5 rail, $1 jello shots in all the colors of the rainbow!)

Was brought here by my darling Sebastian~! He insisted, & I can certainly see why. Very friendly people, and a clean, welcoming environment. I can appreciate that there wasnt political stuff all over (nothing pushing left or right, that is), making this place legitimately inclusive in every way. I enjoyed my time there. LOVE the back area, love the karaoke, just... overall a great time. Ended the night being sang to, so how can I complain? Would love to go back!

Saturdays are the best nights for queer folk! Great music and drinks!! Bartenders are awesome as well

Hands down my favorite place to hangout in all of Richmond. Friendly atmosphere with fairly priced drinks. Babes is lit!

This isnt the place to drag your daughter to for her 21st. Its just an old scene and a huge disappointment to younger people. I have alot of regrets of my 2st but this is probably the biggest one.

I love this place every time I go late nights. You can always dance. You can always sing along. The crowd on the floor is always into. If you decide you want some quiet time or privacy, the booths right when you come in are great for that, no matter the time of night. They have a bar and a couple of pool tables. No one is ever in a bad mood! Its just fun! And drag night is A+++ for a good time, if youre on the fence. Ive gone to Babes since I was old enough to go out, and Ill be going there probably until Im too old to go out :)

I only visit on the occasional Sunday Brunch. Its a fun place to sit at the window and enjoy the parade of people walking by in Carytown, very friendly, great care and service by Jonah, really good and very well priced brunch. I particularly enjoy their omelettes and bottomless cup of good coffee!

Ok

Love this place.

This place is great until there are so many people that you cant move. Im not a frequent visitor, so if youre into this sort of thing, more power to you.

Went here last weekend with some friends. I had a really excellent time until it was time to leave. I walked past the bouncers, and upon feeling the crisp 20-something breeze coming in from the open door, I realized that I had forgotten my jacket at the other end of the bar. My friend had the same realization, and we both asked the bouncers if we could fetch our jackets. MISTAKE. They expressed that we must wait until the bar was completely empty to re-enter and get our jackets. We suggested several different ways that we could get our jackets that might be agreeable for all of us (call a friend inside, be escorted to our jackets), but we were met with name calling and threats to call the police for reasons they could not specify.If Im anything, Im persistent (and very cold in this case) so I kept trying to rationalize with one of the bouncers. MISTAKE 2. You cant rationalize with a gal on a power trip. Our brave keeper of the door, after threatening to call the cops on me several times, accused me of being armed, shouted to the people around her that I was armed, shoved me out the door, and slammed & locked the door in my face. For context, I am a small Latina woman about the size of your average middle school student, so a hard shove really sent a girl flying. And no, I was not armed.Anyway, if youre looking for casual assault, inflammatory accusations, and the loss of a great jacket, Babes is the place to be!

First time there, it was great, music, diverse crowd, drinks ,DJ were great. Long lines for the johns

Okay place. Places copious amounts of dance music. Friendly people. Security is intense but I guess thats a good thing compared to the alternative. Laid-back atmosphere.

Really fun to go here for the fun crowd, drag show or weekend nights for some dancing. They offer food and sunday brunch!

Great local place for everyone. Friendly staff and a great institution in Richmond.

Babies was a gay friendly neighborhood place to go. 699 lunch specials are amazing. definitely right price I had the leftover meatloaf from yesterdays menu was absolutely one of the best I ever had in the restaurant. most of the guys in the group Head turkey was dressing that feels more than the platter and it was all for $6.99. Absolutely terrific! And every piece of pumpkin pie also... Wow!

A longtime favorite of my daughter and mine for inexpensive, delicious southern food

Was looking for a place to get out and about and socialize. The Sunday brunch was really good. The music is pretty good on Saturday nights. Sunday brings a really friendly group.

Still have plenty variety to make it a FANTASTIC bar overall.

Richmond’s best place to dance! Babes is always fun on a Saturday night and everybody is welcome here. There is one main bar with another tiki area out back that leads to the large volleyball courts. The service is excellent even when there’s a crowd.

Great for the younger LGBT. Drinks are strong and the music is mostly good. Nice outside area too.

I love watching the drag shows here ...the back bartender is awesome and very experienced she remembered a drink from weeks ago that I had asked for I love that type of service will definitely continue to come for that type of service

The chicken in this place was amazing. To bad I dont live close enough to be a regular

Great place, but gets wayyy too packed sometimes.

Vibe was cool. The DJ needs to work on his playlist.

Very nice staff, great drinks, good price. Best part is the drag shows! Amazing queens!

Please hire a new DJ... Great crowd and bartenders

The ladies wanted to dance, we had a good time

Although Babe’s seemed like a fun environment at first, they showed their true colors within an hour of us being there. We were unaware that only one person was allowed in the bathroom at a time, and it seemed as if the bouncer was just WAITING to kick people out. After a few of us entered the bathroom, we were kicked out with no explanation. No prior warning, no explanation, just kicked out. I expected better out of a queer space that prides itself in being inclusive, and I’m extremely disappointed. Don’t go here.

I enjoyed myself beer staff waitress was very nice and the music was great great place to go dancing

Pretty amazing Bar and Lounge space.. didnt expect it to be so spacious

They play out dated music but cheap drinks. Overall if you go and have 2 drinks..its fun

Used to be a hip place, but the budget for good DJs has obviously been depleted. If you miss middle school dances and want to re-live them, then this is the perfect PG-13 club for you!

This is my second time coming to this establishment. Today, Stonewall sports had a series of kickball games going on. This bar was a sponsor for Stonewall, and should have known after three weeks of games, that on Sundays it would be crowded, and to be staffed properly, not just one cook and two bartenders. My three friends and I entered the establishment at 4:20 and placed our four burger orders at 4:30. My bf and I placed our burgers on the same check. Our first burger didnt get out till 5:10, then my bfs at 5:15, then mine and my female friends at 5:30. They mixed up my bfs and mine burger order with well done and medium. My female friend got an uncooked burger bun covered in flower and a side of chips instead of fries. We asked for the manager from a staff working on restock, and she brought us to the bartender instead who was a white female with glasses. At this time, it had started pouring rain and everyone outside had started coming inside asking her for drinks. When we told her our issue with the bun and side and wanted to get my female friend a refund on her check, she just went into the register, gave us $7.00, didnt apologize for the inconvenience and went off to continue making drinks. I wanted to clarify the pricing with the burger since my friend paid $11.00 in total including a soda. She rudely told her that she paid for a $2.00 coke, rolled her eyes as if we were wasting her time, and went off. I immediately brought my issue to the other female bartender who was more professional in listening instead of being dismissive. As a previuos resturant server, I cant condone a high stressful situation with a crowded bar to be the reason a bartender was being unprofessional and dismissive. As a gay man, I was appalled how a female bartender at a lesbian bar would give more respect to speaking to the gay men there then how she rudely spoke to my female friend. Overall review, long wait times, flat soda, a rude unprofessional bartender, a slow cook who doesnt check the food for safety. Only pluses would be if your underage, you can enter the establishment or get alcohol here without being carded because none of my friends or I were today. I dont plan on coming back or recommending this location.

One if you want to kick someone out because they’re drunk, I have no problem with that (did that to me) but was also there on a Thursday night and I was so much more drunk than I was tonight and y’all kept serving me (shots at that) so don’t act like you’re doing it out of concern. On slow nights you need money....be consistent

The best spot to dance! Everyone is here for a good time, not to harass others. There is a dance floor and pool tables inside. Outside there is corn hole and a volleyball court. This venue has it all. I absolutely love this place and would recommend it to people who just want to dance. There is a five dollar cover on Saturday nights to accommodate that excellent atmosphere. Totally worth it!

I am not LGBTQ+, but have had a great time at Babes the few times I have been there!Whats great:•Dancing is some of the best in richmond, an eccentric dance floor. There was a tango line one night•Large selection at the bar•Very positive mood, fun!What to know:•Can have a $5 cover on weekends, they accepted card at the bar inside

Such a fun spot. Not the typical scene and thats what makes it so great.

Its a fun and accepting place. I was told that they closed at 2am when I went on Saturday, but there was a young lady who who insisted that we get up and leave around 1:30. While trying to order our ride home, she yelled at me and my friend. As we slowly got up, she continued to yell. It was cold outside, and Im not sure why she was rude. Other than that, the music was great.

I like the atmosphere but the music is usually iffy. I came to dance dang it! Lol.

Ive been coming here for years, the door can be rough but sometimes they have to be. The drinks are good and the food is nice try the hummus plate!

The music could be better. It’s a diverse place and they always mixing good rap or r&b music with techno. But overall friendly and good place to chill. But if you want good music this not the spot

My bestfriend and I had an amazing time here. It was mostly empty when we got there but quickly picked up. Met some amazing and nice people here! Visiting home on vacation; my bestie and I wanted to go out together. Will definitely come back on the next trip home. Great staff too!

Not a big fan. I didnt realize this was a lesbian bar. I think I saw 7 men. I love a good lesbian bar, but not this one. Great outdoor area. They literally only played 90s music on pride weekend. Come on....Lets get in the gig.

Great experience for first timers. Bartenders and staff was awesome. And patrons was fun and friendly. No drama just fun. Last call for alcohol at 1:35am

This place was a frequented place I visited when I lived in Richmond. Now that I visit, I Like to go to have fun and enjoy the music and drinks. The crowd is inclusive and everyone is having fun. The outdoor area provides a different social atmosphere if you need a break from the dancing to get air. An outdoor volleyball court in the summer is a wonderful way to engage with new people and make lasting friendships.

Smoke made for an uncomfortable experience. Still, had fun with my wife and friends.

Always a fun time , amazing Atmosphere for the gay community , and will continue to be ️

Great environment. Bartenders barely add any alcohol to their drinks, so its best to pregame before going.

I love Thursday nights

Ive never been to a more inclusive queer bar. There where all races and all letters of the LGBTabc s

Last time i was here...i was so bored i had to listen to my own music! The only thing that was interesting was the poor lil dog the lady had in her purse at the bar Po dog...it look like that lady was sneaking drinks to the dog. It was hanging out of the purse. Maybe it was trying to escape. I left after being there only about 15 minutes....DAMN, this used to be one of my favorite spots. Yall need to tighten up up...SHEESH

Decided to go back here sober. Wow smh very disappointed. You guys need a dj bad. I’ve never seen a dj as bad as I seen Saturday night. Terrible

Im not gay and the place made my wife and I feel welcomed. The dj played hits( songs that everyone knows), and the drinks were strong. Make sure you use the bathroom before you go though. Bathrooms are located through a tiny Hall in the back of the building and are packed. They arent very clean either. Caters to the college crowd primarily.

The DJ IS TERRIBLE!! He plays nothing but music from 10+ years ago! And a lot of it is music you can’t even dance to. There’s nothing wrong with playing older music sometimes, but he plays it nonstop. When I go to a club I wanna hear music that’s recent, not music from when I was in elementary school. Other than that, the club is pretty cool.

I’d heard horror stories about the security and bartenders and even how weak and expensive the drinks are but I thought I’d give this place a chance....LISTEN TO THE ONE STAR REVIEWS PEOPLE!!!!! The only thing that saved my experience was one server (a poc) who noticed how many times I’d gotten looked over at the bar and grabbed me a drink explaining that the bartender does that sometimes. For over priced underwhelming drinks at the least the bartender can keep track of the crowd on a slow night. ESPECIALLY if a server who’d passed by me a few times noticed me sooner than they did. I’ve also seen the owner on here defending but doing nothing to change it seems like...I gave it a chance and never again

Not for straight men! Never commit to an invitation if you dont know where your going. Other than that I never got hit on and it did not seem much different from any other bar except some guys dress like women. Other than that it was a great night with a bunch of friends!

A great bar&club.. A rainbow of nationalities

Friendly neighborhood nightclub catering to all but especially the LGBTQIA+ community

Babes is a little taste of big city in the small city. The amenities and decor are minimal and ugly but the scene is amazing. Don’t be scared by the “gay” bar - come on a Friday or Saturday night and have the dance party of your life!Bring your friends, let loose and enjoy a goooooood time. Wear you sequins or fresh track suit and be prepared to meet people and have fun.They have a volleyball court out back where parties get bumpin on special occasions.Hanging out for pride? Arrive early the line will be wrapping all the way around the block!

A solid middle of the road choice if youre looking for a dive bar. Lesbian clientele notwithstanding, the staff are great, the bartender remembered my name after only a couple of visits, and the kitchen gives extra love to the burgers if there arent crowds. Speaking of which, the burgers are delicious. Karaoke could be better, would like to see more song choices.

Great drinks, 2 bar, inside bar great service, outside bar service sucked, music was ok

Mostly crowded with younger people and its hard to get served at the bar.

Update: I just noticed the owner responded with a thumbs up. This was not a good review so a thumbs up is clearly sarcastic and unprofessional.Great for drinks and great DJ, but $5 cover is way too much for what I got tonight, bringing the stars down. Got skipped ordering food even tho my friend and I walked up at the same time and were next to each other (and the place was not that crowded), making my food come out at least 20 minutes after his. Had to ask for a box when it finally came cuz I needed to get home. Burger was overcooked; only monsters like their burgers well done. To make it even drier, it didnt have the mayo I asked for. My dog liked it tho

Fun place to go dancing on weekends, or play volleyball out back on the sand! Havent eaten there but word is food is good. Crowd is welcoming to all. Gets crazy busy after 10 pm on weekend nights.

This place has got to have one of the best burgers in town. The Sunday brunch is also amazing!

Love the staff here. They help deliver an amazing experience! Awesome dance floor and back patio!

I have been a supporter of Babes due purely to the safe space it provides for the LGBTQ+ community in Richmond. Which made it all the more devastating, and absolutely unnecessary, that management made the decision to close at 5:30 PM on the Sunday of Watermelon Festival, expelling a bar literally full of patrons into the pouring rainstorms knowing that some members of this community have nowhere to go. Language used by the staff was, If you dont have an open bar tab, get the f#$k out, and it was unacceptable and I dont believe any human should be spoken to that way. Every establishment in Carytown remained open, but you pushed your community out the door when they were more than willing to stay and support your business. The hours posted on your building say until 8 PM or later and this was ignored with no explanation.

Always the best! I love you all!

Sort of stumbled onto this Babes on a Friday night as everything else was closed. Had a good time surprisingly, only a decent amount of people. DJ was decent.

Complete drunken, bore full of the 3 or 4 drag queens loved by their fans. Can not talk to anyone. Lots of loud music and narcissistic people, too too fab. I am an older guy from the 80s disco and well dressed set. Also, live in Europe most of the time. Other young people had a GREAT TIME and I am glad for them. God will lead this queen on..... :)

Crazy busy on Saturdays, but a great place to meet fun people.

Great for late night activities. The bar staff are good at what they do. The atmosphere is very energetic and fun. Usually have a DJ or live music on the weekends. Great for dancing.

Its always been a rather fun and welcoming place, but seems to have gone down a lot over the past three years. Visited a few times over the last couple of months and it was starting to look cleaner, but the bartenders there still have their no care attitude and always seem to be intoxicated. Went out both nights for pride and found it impossible to get waited on Friday, and Saturday was better even though it was busier?! What is the problem here? Ive started paying as I go because I am never sure if I am getting charged for my drinks or someone else because if I drink the same thing each week, my tab could be $10-15 or $35-40 I finally asked what burbon and coke was, it is $5. Friday I had 4 for $10, Saturday I walked in with $40, I had my 6 at regular price, unless Fridays are cheaper? Can you bring back Drag Bingo?

A great bar with excellent dancing and killer drag shows, but the staff always seems like they could care less about you. Not to mention Ive had several friends asked to leave due to some arbitrary dress code violation. It wouldnt be a big deal if there was actually a posted sign anywhere about what said dress code IS, but it seems were just made to guess.

I am an avid supporter of Babes and the space it provides for the LGBT community in Richmond. However, I found it completely unnecessary that the decision by management to close at 530 PM on the Sunday of watermelon festival when it was pouring rain and your patrons had no where to go was unacceptable. Every establishment in carytown remained open but you pushed your community out the door when they were more than willing to stay and support your business. The hours posted on your building say until 8 PM or later and you disregarded that.

The best spot for late night. Got friends coming from NYC who complain that nothing in RVA is open? Babes.

Babes can be fun as long as you’re with a fun group. It’s not without a few faults; the bar hasn’t been updated in years, yes this includes the restrooms which do not need adequate fire code, also the crowd control on a Saturday night is a joke. Level set your expectations before you come to this bar.

Its Babes!!! Whats not to love about good drinks and great people to dance with

I am a military veteran with a certified service dog. I attempted to go to this bar tonight and was turned away. Not only is this illegal in Virginia, but shows how the staff feels about our American Veterans. I advise you to not support this business. And yes, i will be contacting a lawyer.

Food and drinks are amazing, but its the incredibly kind staff that really sets the experience apart.

Gay dive bar but they dont discriminate against us straight folk. Everyone was nice and its a lot of fun.

I really like the atmosphere and I always get my drinks super fast. The patio is a good spot to take a breather. The only downside is that is always packed but I guess everyone likes it too so thats why its always packed. The owner is super cool and its a great place to go and dance, play pool and have fun. Also the dj is always playing the best music!

Cool outside area......nice music.

Nestled down in Carytown, it’s the perfect spot to begin the night or end it. From Thursday night Drag shows to a Saturday night club scene, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. I personally love coming here because it’s a judgment free zone and it attracts all walks of life from bachelorette parties to the nearest Wells Fargo employees trying to de stress Thursday night. Amen for babes! Gotta love the Triple X Divas too. Stop by and see them Thursday nights!

Im eating brunch in the same place I had a great time last night. I have been to gay establishments all over the country and this, my friends, is a gem. While its nothing super fancy, the staff, atmosphere, the patio and the location are great. Heres the thing about this place, I feel like everyone (regardless of who you are) is welcome and this place exists without pretense. Its chill. This is the first time Ive felt this way in Richmond after visiting several establishments. LGBT of Richmond, Im a little jealous you have this place and that its not in Rochester, NY. Also, Melodie is such a sweetheart. Shes everything right now. Slay.

Very entertaining Drag Show

Oh Babes. How I love you. Such good music, friendly people, and an amazing layout. Ill always go when I get the chance to.

Enjoy many nights there

I go on Saturday nights. Its crowded by 10:30ish. You can eat, dance, enjoy a breeze out back or play pool. Go to the bar when the crowd is jumping for quick service. Age average is 30ish. The crowd has a tispy, friendly vibe. I always enjoy myself.

Fun atmosphere, good drinks, good music. Its considered a lesbian bar but gay & straight guy and girls frequent there. Very welcoming to all (diverse).

Always great love the music love this spot such love yes

I enjoy the atmosphere , good service, friendly people, good food ,polite staff & very good security

Make sure to check which events are happening on the time you want to come. This place is always hosting events and if youre just trying to come for a calm drink you may walk into a party. The staff is great regardless and its good place to have some fun.

Its a mixed crowd great place

Listen up, ladies because Babes is going to be taking you back to high school dress codes despite having a self-described casual atmosphere. If youre showing midriff the owner will force you to wear a loaner shirt. If your shirt does not show midriff, but rolls up while dancing, you will also be forced to wear a loaner shirt. Additionally, it was the only gay bar in town that had a cover charge and it was also the only gay bar that was completely dead on a Saturday night (there were only 2 people there and they were just talking.) I came from out of town and was really excited about going to my first lesbian bar and was disappointed and a little humiliated to be told at the door that sweatpants are fine, but showing a little stomach isnt (especially since it said that nowhere online.) Had a much better time at Godfreys (which was free, had great drinks, dancing, and drag.)