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Jezebel's Joint |
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The entry room is a curvy bar with plush purple barstools that you wouldn't expect to find in any place where there would be drunks hanging out, especially in the Tenderloin. On the other hand, you would expect to see them in a rich transvestite's apartment so it works here. Jezebel's Joint is billed as "The Bar for Doms' & Daddies, Strippers & Trannies." I guess it's the bar decorated by them as well. Above the bartender there are TV sets which at the time I visited were playing one my personal favorites: Matlock. To the left of the front room there is an area that looks like it's the leftover dancefloor, slightly elevated, with Christmas disco lights surrounding it. It also has one of those giant bubbling light-up palm trees that they sell in the SkyMall catalogs you get on airplanes. Where the dancefloor was they slapped in a pool table. The back room also hosts a pool table, some seats, and for some reason a library of books. I didn't stop to read the titles, but I imagine "Modern Tasteful Bar Decor" wasn't one of them. Downstairs is the "Devil's Den," where the walls are painted red, all the furniture (mostly love seats) is upholstered in various animal prints, and according to the bartender and manager sometimes "people have sex" although "they've never seen it" themselves. I interpreted this as meaning that they encourage it but it's Bring Your Own Lube. I didn't think you needed to make an effort to encourage sex in a bar where transvestite strippers hang out, but hey, what do I know. After this confession the bar manager also told me that this is the only "sex industry bar" in town. I don't know why that is something to brag about but I do know that it makes it so much more glam. Why hang out in any old regular bar in the tenderloin with neon art on the walls when you can hang out in one where there are hookers talking shop on their night off? The drinks are cheap and the staff is exceedingly nice; assuming that people aren't nice to me just because I'm gorgeous. There is a drink list with such classy titles as "The Slut" and "Creamy Panties." You know, for all the talk of sex there I didn't feel as sleazy being in the place as I do in the average Castro bar, where over the smell of cologne I feel a thousand prying eyes ripping off my clothes in their dirty little minds. The music seemed to be a random CD player full of bad gay techno but it wasn't at a loud enough volume to be disturbing or intrusive. The bar manager also told me that they have a lot of groups come there for events so don't be shy to organize your next birthday party there. You won't even have to worry about hiring a stripper.
Camper English |
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I
entered this bar and was instantly awestruck. Do you remember in the
80's when red and black matched in an outfit? In this bar you can add
purple and yellow to the color combo. You know all those chichi bars
that have purple trim lights and groovy back-lit objects everywhere?
(Backflip, Gemini, etc) Well, imagine that layered on top of a bar that
is already decked out with a black and white checkered floor, neon art,
and angular architecture. It's like they slapped a new coat of cheese
over a bar whose decor was frozen in 1986.