The Balcony Club

Very queer friendly, my partner and I felt safe and welcomed. The bartenders and other staff were excellent and easy to get hold of! We had a great time at a table outside with a nice view. The dance floor was small, but still fun.Each drink was around $6, and a cover fee of $3 per person in cash only.Street parking was rough to find, so be prepared to use a parking garage or walk, but on the plus side there’s a parking garage that leads RIGHT to the Balcony, very convenient.We would definitely go again!

The employees are wonderful, but the music is absolutely abysmal. It was horribly bland with awful dancing potential. My friend and I (who are both queer) came here to dance in a safe environment, but my god. The music was SO bad that we couldnt even dance. When we were dancing, we were the only people on the dance floor 90% of the time. We tried to request music, but apparently you have to come on a specific night to have your requests honored?!The employees were great, but the music seriously killed the vibe. I dont know if a queer person is in charge of the music, but it certainly didnt feel like it. It was horrible. We went on a Friday night, too. It should have been busy, but we watched so many people come in and leave shortly afterwards.

I’ve been coming here since I turned 21. Staff turnover is high. Events are well-attended. Not much going on beyond that (dancing and vibe-wise). Drinks are a little overpriced, pours are very light. Coat check is nice on busy nights. I’ll stop in for an event and then hurry to a second location when it’s over.

Friend and I were visiting from out of town for a convention and wanted to see the diversity that was advertised for the balcony. We were hopeful when we saw the positivity and inclusive words going in and the friendliness of the door person. Things went bad when one of the performers started talking negatively about “old queens” and being “an ongoing victim of their hate.” As my friend, who is also in the community and an indigenous POC, she was horrified at the vitriol especially when it was supposed to be an inclusive space free from hate. We may not know the full story but in a competition have some grace.

Once the staple of the Boise queer nightlife, the balcony has since taken a tailspin in terms of service, music and management. Not only does management cater and pander towards the CisHet customers, they actively drive out and push away their base clientele, that being the LGBTQ+ community that made them who they are today.

I really wish I would have read the reviews before I went. Im from out of town and the bar is not welcoming at all. They only serve the regulars first. The girl skipped me over 3 times. But magically when I left a high tip the first time I became a priority. Its mostly a straight bar. But if you are gay you are not welcome it seems. Queer only. Music wasnt to to bad but it was so dead no one even wanted to dance. So if you a re looking for a good Saturday night and from out of town just stay in. Its not worth the cover.. yes COVER to get into this place where the employees arent even happy to see you there. I really hope the owner sees these comments. Almost every single review is about the employees.

Great shows and good music. The thing is the drinks are really expensive and they put tons of ice in them. I ordered 2 drinks and it was over $75. The bartenders seem irritated and are very unfriendly. The security and drag queens are amazing people but the bartenders are seriously unpleasant.

Show is entertaining. If you are expecting a great drink, thats not this place. Weak pours (Im assuming unless you know the bartender) and def expect to be overlooked when someone they know walks up behind you.

Super friendly. Thank you to the bartender for kicking the creep out who grabbed my friends butt. Drinks were strong and the music was loud. Nice dance floor and very busy.

Loved the karaoke and drag queens absolutely fabulous. But the bartender was absolutely nasty on November 26th 2023. We had a 21st birthday and he was very rude and quick with us never gave us time to think about our drinks didnt give us options or help. We asked for multiple types of drinks and rudely said no to it and pretty much picked our drinks for us. The prices were too expensive. They have no menu and dont tell you the price till they charge you. Said it wont say till it goes through. Didnt get a tip from us. Was our first and last time attending this establishment and very sad about being it seemed like a safe place till it was not.

Ive always loved the Balcony. It is primarily a LGBT bar, but as a straight guy, Ive always felt nothing but welcome. Whether its karaoke on Sundays (a must-do), drag shows, events or just hanging on the balcony itself overlooking 8th Street, its a fun bar in a perfect location. The history of LGBT rights/events in Boise is checkered at best (see The Boys of Boise, an excellent read), but I am happy to see that the spirit of equality and acceptance in this wonderful town hasnt been dampened. The Balcony may serve as a figurehead for the hamlet of acceptance that Boise can be in a otherwise slow to respond state/region, and I think it is the perfect representation of such.My only qualm, sometimes they have a cover when nothing is going on, but its usually only $3-$5 and its worth the price of admission.

We are from Palm Springs. Balcony Club has the vibe! Big and beautiful place and friendly bartenders

From out of state and visited for the first time. Bartenders made me feel unwelcome. It was a Friday night with the most 20 people all night. I spent over 200 bucks.. and from start to finish, each bartender that served me made me feel as if I was bothering them. In town for 30 days, and wont visit this place again.

Jacob makes a great blue popsicle (picture below). Very personable staff, upbeat atmosphere. The prices are quite reasonable, 4$ for the aftormentioned drink. Honestly this place feels more relaxed then the bars in the surrounding areas.

A great place to enjoy your time!!I have been coming here since 2014, when the new owner take over, I was very upset because he is straight man, but after see the love and the respect he has for all people specially for LGBQ+ people, I have so much respect for him and for his crew for all the hard work they did to grow and continue to have this bar open for all of us how is wanting to feel welcomed without judgment for how we are.. Thank you Balcony for all the love you have given to our community 🙏✨♾❤️

Been here a few times and the vibe is great. Just a good place for people to be real who they are. Tonight I was patient and approached the DJ, she was great (not high power snobby) and not only liked my request, but played it immediately (I tipped her). Overall, great people and grst experience, will be back with a group. Cheers Balcony, you do it right!

Had an amazing night at this club watched a show there and had drinks. Very welcoming environment.

Will never forget the love I felt in that room. During Pride Week a few years ago took some family & husband down to watch a Drag Show, not only were the VIP seats & drinks worth it I was so amazed & impressed with the talent & the entire show! 1 of the best night out experiences ever in Boise, Idaho! Some of the best people I have met in my life! 🥰🏳️‍🌈✌️💜

Great environment, friendly bartenders, great beverages. I love their art works. 🏳️‍🌈

This last weekend was my first time visiting The balcony and this is how it went: Entrance was $3 cash per person, no venmo, no cards, no paypal, cash only. Compared to the other nightlife around grove plaza, The Balcony is definitely a unique and fun experience. My girlfriend and I were bar & club hopping and enjoyed The Balcony. It was clean on the inside from what we could tell(neither of us used the restrooms so not sure if they are clean also), it was a comfortable temperature inside and good for dancing without getting too hot. The DJ of the night played some great throwback 2000s pop that was easy to dance to, The tables were cleaned promptly and kept clean if they were not in use, the bartender recommended a great drink for us that we loved, it was $7 each. (that is to be expected at a club). If you are homophobic this is not your place. If you want to go to a club where people express themselves and are comfortable to do so, this is your place. The liveliness of the patrons is unique and fun because of the gay bar vibes. People are very nice and accepting so you wont feel out of place or judged by your quirky dance moves or unique style. This is not your traditional club, but an experience for sure that I recommend you try. You might love it, you might be uncomfortable, or you might hate it, but I know that my girlfriend and I had a great time and will probably go again if we are at the grove plaza during the weekend night life.

The Balcony Club is a great place to dance the night away. The club has a large dance floor with plenty of space to move around, and the music is always great. The DJs play a variety of genres, so theres something for everyone. The drinks are also delicious and reasonably priced. If youre looking for a fun night out, I highly recommend checking out The Balcony Club.Here are some of the things I like about The Balcony Club:The large dance floor: Theres plenty of space to move around and dance to the music.The great music: The DJs play a variety of genres, so theres something for everyone.The delicious drinks: The drinks are reasonably priced and taste great.The come-as-you-are atmosphere: The club is very welcoming and accepting of everyone; straight or gay. As a straight man Ive never ran into any problems.

Would it kill you folks to fix the lock in the mens bathroom stall im sick of using the womens bathroom all the time just bc it has working stalls. what kind of queer bar doesnt have a single working stall for us insecure trans men. it has been years, you have no excuse. its not complicated. literally could not be a simpler fix.

Normally my friends and I love to end our night out at the balcony club. However, this week when my friends and I tried to get in they would not let us in siting that one of our friends was intoxicated. This simply was not true they just took a distaste to her and would not listen to any reason, they had made up their minds. They treated us disrespectfully and talked down to us like we were intelligible and inebriated when we were perfectly presentable. I would highly encourage some checking on their front door team as It seems the power has gotten to their heads. Again I love this bar and the vibe they present. However, if they continue to act in such a way I don’t understand how they can continue to proclaim they are inclusive and welcoming when they act in such a way with out reason.

Usually a fun place; the staff is friendly, the drinks are good. Karaoke nights are fun to watch. They have great themed nights, too! The Harry Potter ones have been great!I wish they played better music that I could dance to, and Im not a huge fan of paying a cover charge, but still. Apart from the times when I cant stand the music choices and end up going elsewhere, Ive always had fun here.

The balcony is one of my favorite spots in town! The staff is always so kind to me and I love spending my weekends there! Maria, Liz, and Kris are always so kind when I walk up and know me BY NAME which makes my experience even better! Cody, Ty, Dee, Will, Lucy, Tayha, and Arabella are some of the fastest bartenders in town and always are shaking with a smile! Love this place and the music is always so good! Love you guys lots ❤️❤️❤️

Love this place. The mango mojito w/ tajin is so good I animorphed into a dyson vacuum and slurped the entire thing.

The check in staff were extremely rude and not friendly. As a gay man visiting from out of town Ive never felt more uncomfortable than I have ever been visiting a gay bar. They preach about acceptance and tolerance but this place was far from it. If possible I would love for a member of management to reach out to me.

The staff was extremely rude, and the bouncer followed me into the bathroom to kick me out and gave no explanation, then made rude comments towards me while leaving. Kicked my friend out too for setting his drink on the bar. I was very excited to experience one of the only LGBTQ friendly places in my town, and I guess I’m going to have to find another where the staff is kind.

My haunt, my foil, my Cheers Where everybody knows your naaaame 😘 Even if it isnt for the best reasons, hahahahaaa!!! Thankfully they put up with me...

Super chill spot and the staff was very friendly. Getting drinks is fast and easy. One of the bartenders even signed when I couldn’t hear him. Great experience, music, drinks and vibes. Will definitely be going back

Bar tenders are beyond rude even when tipping $2 cash per drink. They act like they’re inconvenienced by your presence. Double well vodka redbull is going to set you back $20. Basically the only club in the area that charges a cover which is kinda sad since it’s the one gay club in the area. Don’t go here. Karma is a better, more friendly option and usually free unless an event is going on. Go there.

I usually love coming to the balcony, but after yesterdays experience I probably won’t be back for sometime and I suggest others skip over this bar. The front staff were extremely rude and immediately rejected someone in our group from coming in. They of course have the rights to do this, but I honestly think they were just on a power trip. They weren’t willing to have a rational conversation about it and lied about what transpired which was shocking. Im sure they lied just to try and close the conversation quickly, but whatever the reason lying is unacceptable.

Honestly not worth worth the cover fee. The music is bad (unless you like house EDM and ABBA, which I don’t), security is aggressive, and for the past year, the club has been dead.If you’re looking for a fun night out, Karma is free, queer friendly and the music is really good to dance to!

Really love this place but last night the security climbed on the neighboring toilet and peeped over the bathroom stall at my friend while she was using the bathroom. I watched her do it. Apparently it was to make sure she wasnt sick, as they asked her to leave right after invading her privacy and literally looking over the bathroom stall at her. Not only disgusting and creepy but also Im pretty sure thats illegal. I feel gross and it didnt even happen to me.

The most hostile LGBTQ+ establishment I’ve ever been to. Security is eventually going to hurt someone. They discriminate against non-LGBTQ+ and the owner will hop on here and say yes we do discriminate and try to defend this by stating they are trying to make a safe environment for LGBTQ+ people. The hypocrisy of an establishment that claims to be accepting and discriminates against straight people or military who want to wear the American flag is sickening.

I really enjoy their pool tables and their bartenders make the best mixed drinks in Idaho!I dont drink anymore but I loved the time I spent here.Thank you for being a huge part of the Boise experience!

Strong drinks, professional and personable staff, and a safe space for lots of us that dont always feel safe in this city. Lots of events and shows that are always a delight. Been coming here for 4 or more years and I foresee coming for many more!

Amazing Atmosphere, Amazing people, Amazing staff. Being from Portland not knowing anybody and then going here has led me to a better place. Ive made so many wonderful friends, its made all the difference. The Balconys like a second home, best bar here by far!

Such an amazing bar! The staff were super accommodating. Best bar, great music, and great beer.

I went here a few weeks ago and as a veteran of the United States of America I am apalled at the service I got at the balcony. I had an American flag on my shirt and was refused to be allowed in for the simple fact of supporting my country I served. This is absolutely terrible and not what I fought for. Thanks for the Terrible service I really did enjoy coming to your bar but will think twice at this point.

The environment was incredibly welcoming and friendly. My friends and came for the amazing lip singing show & stayed all night dancing. Ive never experienced such friendly bar tenders and attentive security staff. I cant wait to go back.

I really enjoy the people I have met at the balcony; I like the location, the music, the events, and being able to play pool. I’ve had dates there, I’ve gone there on busy nights like Halloween, and I’ve brought small groups of friends there. But every time I’ve been there the service has been below average but last night Sunday September the 25, 2017 it was absolutely the worst and I will never be returning. I waited FORVER to get a drink from a very rude server. She kept taking drink orders from people that had showed up after I had even though there were only a few people at the bar, she spent some time talking to a group of people she knew, and took a minute to eat something. The whole time I had my money out and visible, she made eye contact with me twice but proceed to server someone else that had just walked up to the bar and when she finally came to take my order she just walked over and gave me a, “what do you want?” kind of look, no smile, and no apology. Later that night she also told my friends that she refused to server them since they didn’t tip her last time and proceeded to ignore them even though they had cash visible in hand. In my opinion tips should be optional and only be given to average or better servers also it was my friend’s 21st birthday and she didn’t realize she needed to tip, so we ended up taking our business elsewhere and I will never be returning and will be telling others not to go there ever again.

Went here for my birthday a week ago it was nice, Our bartender was super nice and made some really tasty drinks! The music was amazing as well!

A safe place to drink, shows every single weekend, guest dj’s with great music all the time, and worth the small $3 cover! You’d never expect to find an LGBTQ+ power house in Idaho, but Balcony has exceeded all of this east coast gal’s expectations.

The Balcony is so inclusive and it feels like a family reunion, Will is great and makes the best drinks and Maria is so sweet, getting us water, making sure were okay and have a way home. Great service and great company ♡

We were reprimanded for asking for water from the bartender on a non busy night. It took us completely off guard and in our disbelief we were then told to scoot because they worked there and didnt care about their patrons. Might be nice with some friendly staff and a few buckets of bleach to clean the grime off the floor. To sum it up, a major let down and would not recommend.

Great spot for dancing. Good mix of new music and old hits. Drinks are good and reasonably priced. Only downside is the crowds of people on the dance floor with drinks, but the security guys do a good job of handly them.

Loved the Burlesque show. The graduation from Burlesque school happened then. The Atmosphere was electric, the dancers were amazing and oo-la-la. The staff was very nice and attentive. My 1st time at the BLcony Club, wow.

Awesome place. We always enjoy our time here. Would easily be a five-star, but they only have Pepsi products :( pretty much ruins any chance of having a mixed whiskey drink.

This place is hateful and only welcoming to the right kind of people.

Really rude security unprofessional they are not trained well and kicked my handicapped friend out for no reason. Don’t go there if you want a safe place to chill because the unprofessional security will bother you and your friends. The short girl who call herself head of security is crazy and attacked my friend with no reason.

I got engaged here.but got married and divorced at hole foodz

Arrived in from out of town, and wanted a nice drink with my partner, over looking the busy pedestrian 8th street area; the staff here were very friendly and relaxed; and the location is super for nice downtown views. Cheers

If this is Boise’s best on Saturdays then people are just dancing here because they are too drunk or because they don’t have an idea of what a nice dance club is supposed to be. I’m too disappointed .. With very bright light, bad and squeaky speakers, not professional DJ music and choice of music hits in general..

Great spot to hang out, meet folks, and enjoy a few drinks! The staff are very nice.

Sad that Boise has lost its only real LGBT dance club. The place is hardly lgbt friendly at all now especially since a prominent gay member of the community took over as the manager. What a let down of a promise from him to make it Idaho’s best gay club. Someone needs to come in and show Boise what real gay clubs are like, which does not just mean you have a bunch of drag take place.

I usually love this bar but they denied my friend for being “too intoxicated” even thoughshe had drank the same amount as the rest of us…and wasn’t acting drunk at all…..they were okay with the rest of us going in except her….it was a very weird experience. not a fan of them anymore

Had the best time here for karaoke on Sunday nights, it was my first time at this place and I felt totally comfortable! Great spot for queer’s and anyone who is accepting of the queer community ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Located in the heart of Downtown Boise, on the second floor of a building on 8th, is the Balcony Club. Its known as one of, if not the, best dance clubs in Boise. Sure there are pool tables, dart boards, a beautiful balcony looking out onto the many people traveling below, but its the dancing and welcomeness to that brings all the boys to the yard...This is a gay... gay-friendly place. There everyone is accepted, all ages, races, sexual orientation, and more beautiful other words to describe you is welcome here. No judgment-- just a fun time.They host a lot of different events such as charity events, drag specials, an amazing and crazy pride party, Ru Pauls Drag RACE viewing party and much more! The Balcony gives back to our community, provides a fun, safe, relaxed, good time all while taking in the view and feeling the Idaho breeze as you gaze out upon our beautiful downtown with all of the beautiful disasters doing beautifully disastrous things! Wanna go out?

I had stopped going to the Balcony but now there is a new owner who has put money into enhancing the club. The music and atmosphere is fantastic once again! If you have not been there in a while I recommend you try it out again!

Grrrr!!! A bunch of young white people cannot dance!! Otherwise, the bar is nice and play good music. Drinks are affordable.

Took the crew there. Fun and great. Super friendly if you’re a guy, they are all great, we didn’t feel to weird or anything. All the guys there were awesome. Abidetreeservice.com

Drinks were great , DJ and music 🎶 was lame. No cover charges for Military which was appreciative. But no one seemed to be in danced floor for more than 15 minutes despite good sound systems .

I love this club. its great for a night out dancing with my friends. I also love that they have outdoor seating on the balcony so that you can go out and get fresh air without waiting in line to get back into the club.

Really bad experience being my first time there!! The black guy that works behind the bar needs to find another job. He has really bad customer service and is really disrespectful. I had really high hopes for this place now I know to never come back!!

Good stiff drinks, reasonably priced, helpful friendly staff. Great location. Everyone seems to know each other which has to make for a fun relaxing vibe.

Love to dance here, great vibe and staff

Been going here for 15 years, many fond memories and always a great place to run into old friends. Karaoke, drag performances & bingo, dance nights, all a blast!

Super fun, everyone is very welcome. The club is on top of their service and look out for everyone.

The best dancing club in Boise. The song choice, customer service, the drinks everything is just great. Though it is a LGBT club, but everyone is welcome. I have been there with my friends and I enjoyed a lot.

So much fun. Last time I went out with my sons 21st. He was taken from me 3 yrs later

Love this place! This is a Saturday night staple. Bartenders are great, Jacob is hilarious and does a great job. Newly remodeled and looking good!!

Awesome place, always a good time. Great drinks. Shout out to Maria for going out of her way to help me!

Omg its a fabulous club. Everyone there is very friendly and happy. Really had a great time and definitely will visit again.

DJ sucked big time. All songs played from grand pa era.Dance floor had less than 10 people at midnight because music was from70’s and 80’s

Honestly I’ve always had a good time here. Rating it a 4 because I’ve also always paid a cover despite no live music, or an event. Kind of a deterrent.

Was served by every bartender on tonight and everyone was fantastic and polite; loved it.

I loved Jacob and Bryce tonight!! They are great. Both socialize so great. The club played banging music too!

Fun dancing, chill hang-out outside, all around amazing vibes! very safe space, security is great!

The new bartender, Jacob, is amazing! He is very kind, social, and makes everyone feel welcome at the balcony :)

I will not be coming back service was awful

Love it! One of few gay bars in the area, but definitely the best! Great people and kickin events!

Sketchy, but fun place. Does not feel super safe.

Came for the first time and did karaoke, I love this place! Met an employee named Jacob who was so great!

Definitely a fun place, but be VERY OPEN MINDED here. Youll see just about all types of people mashed together having a good time.

First time visit on JUne 23rd from out of town. The bar tender was great, other staff very unfriendly and treated us poorly. Will not be back.

Extremely rude, confrontational and judgmental employees. Gatekeeping who is allowed to enter based on their personal opinion. Yucky.

Visiting from outta townOpen when they say they aren’t, and closed when they say they’re open….also had a wait each time I actually tried to go 🤷🏻‍♂️Not much to say besides that…..Fix your hours listed, and be true to you hours of operation….

Super chill club if you want to go dance by yourself!

I like it here. Theres something about it being very open, and the around-the-corner patio outside overlooking downtown. Its just a fun place.

Staff were rude, unwelcoming and unprofessional. We were excited to come here, but will never try it again!

So fun, great atmosphere, the drag shows are phenomenal, and the drinks are good priced. A+

Best experience at the Balcony!!! Jacob is the coolest and he’s super friendly and cute! Go find him!!

Ty makes the absolute BEST drinks! I literally ask for him to personally make my drinks every time!!!

Visiting from out of town just watched a drunk guy walk out of the place so drunk he couldnt walk. Employees watched didnt help him get a safe ride home just laughed at him!

Fun nice chill spot in the middle of downtown Boise!

If you like to dance, go to the balcony. You will definitely feel a strong urge to dance.

Horrible service and our drinks werent even cold????? How do you screw up a cosmo the world will never know......smdh

I love this place! Wes did a great job with the lights. So fun

Spent all night dancing and everyone was friendly and having a good time!

Love this place! Great location and awesome ppl. Always come here when im in town :)

Balcony is usually my favorite place to go hit it, but DJs have been lacking lately.

Amazing atmosphere, skilled bartenders, and lots of fun events.

Went to better night clubs than this one. Not a diversified choice of music...

Very rude and overpriced cover after making us wait in line for an hour. Boycott this travesty.

I always have fun here. Nice people and staff

Love the atmosphere! Fun karaoke and people!

Best drinks, music and staff in town!

Nice staff. Decent drinks. Nice people.

Always had had a great time. Welcoming and accepting atmosphere.

I remember back when The Balcony wasnt lame and played music until 2am

Decent place if you like to be around lots of people

Great people has an small local bar feel to it

Under new management that actually cares about its patrons and community. 10/10

Wes rocks the lightssssss this place is great. :)

Many good nights here

Really cool vibe people are accepting

The people are great and I love the shows

Cool people great music & production !!!

Had a great time,staff was great.

They have the best music

Great service . friendly environment

Lots of fun on the weekends

The staff is rude and unwelcoming.

Cool

It was lots of fun

I will go there

Racist bouncer

Good times.

Always fun

Fun times!!!

Good place

Since when have you established a cover charge for all hours?

Alright. For gay people