Badlands San Francisco

Very excited and happy to see this place reopened with no upgrades or renovations. Just take the boards down and wipe the dust off that *****! Have some fun, dance your heart out, enjoy the great drinks, and talk to the awesome staff. This was closed for too long. Congratulations on the reopen!

Great place to dance the night away! Nice people, great staff, good music and full yet not overly packed - just perfect to celebrate after hitting some if the lovely Castro bars.Flirty place :)

This is my place, this is my home; Badlands is back 🤩Badlands is the place where pop music is alive, the DJ really knows how to match music...Its well located!!!

All the bartenders have been sweet and considerate. They’re Very good people. I also love the vibe and I enjoy the crowd. It’s always a fun time. Thank you, Ein for your Kindness and customer service. It makes a difference for me :)

Unfortunately, my visit to this club left an extremely negative impression. The man in the wardrobe refused to accept my things, which created a lot of inconvenience. I had to look for a place to store my things, which ruined the mood and the whole evening. The service is at a very low level, I do not recommend this club for visiting.

Was denied entry for not wanting to have my photo taken digitally for their entry. Do not need a gay club to have my photo taken for entry when I have proper valid ID to get in. Yet they are requiring it. It’s unlawful and I will not take a photo to depersonalize my identity further. It’s unlawful and should have the right to opt out when being asked for proper ID (real ID too)

There were floor people who were very helpful indeed. there were floor people who felt the need to filter toward specific areas less than 5 ft from where your were.. some very rude people.. not a west coast vibe

Great bar and dance club to go with your friends. The music is great and the vibes fantastic.

If I could give 0 stars I would. I got kicked out because I was squatting to fix the damn toilet dispenser. I was mistaken for whoever was doing illegal drugs in the bathroom. Who is going to sit on a BAR TOILET SEAT with a BARE BOTTOM. Like HUH? Does that make any sense?? One of the security’s kept banging on the stall door like I was doing something wrong by covering the toilet seat with TOILET PAPER. Yeah MASON im talking about YOU! When the toilet paper got stuck and couldn’t come out any more, I had to squat to FIX the dispenser. How about asking me BEFORE ASSUMING. Make sure you piss elsewhere or you’ll get kicked out for covering a toilet seat! And fix your toilet dispenser or invest in TOILET SEAT COVERSso people like me WONT HAVE TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR YOU. I’d choose to go THE CAFE down the street from here if I were you! I’m NEVER returning here again.

The best place to go and dance in SF, they play music you actually want to dance and sing along to! Beware, no water freely available at the bar to help yourself which is very disappointing. It also gets quite crowded. The bag check is cheap and fantastic too!

I seriously don’t know why people line up to get into this place and pay $15 for literally no space to dance, jukebox music, and bad drinks. Before it closed up it was widely known for its crazy pickpocketing. Well, it’s here again. Last night, I sadly made the decision to go here and had my phone stolen from my pocket with cards and ID on it. I was inside for less than 15 minutes. Be careful with your belongings and aware of your surroundings if you go to Ratlands.

Came here with a group of co workers and ended up almost being robbed by the bar staff. Ordered one drink and my credit card was never returned to me. Legit handed my card and it suddenly “disappeared”. I ended up walking outside to cancel the card and was kicked out for no reason apparent reason. I was completely sober, showed no aggression and was not confrontational. I was just asking questions to get my card back but apparently that was enough for them to no longer let me back in. Avoid this place or just pay in cash.

Went there during PRIDE weekend, absolutely mental. Huge dance floor in this gay club with cool music that was a lot of fun.$10 entry. No cover closer to closing time (2am)~$6/7 drinks inside

Want to dance the night away without any other expectations? Badlands is your spot. Are the bartenders friendly? Does the place have class? Nope and none

Great atmosphere. The shots took me out lol but a good time.

It’s a full service bar but they did not have any wine selections.

Had so much fun dancing all night with my Boyfriend. Place was packed but really nice. Staff really friendly

Do they EVER play new music? At this point we don’t even care if you just press play on a Spotify playlist but give us something new. 2023 and they still out there playing the same old songs from 2010’s like Timber and ending the night with Love on Top, so predictable.

Forced biometrics data collection just to enter the bar. Not cool.

Love the drinks. Love the music! Love everything

They dont sell food but you are allow to bring food to eat there while you are enjoying drinks and draqueen shows it is very fun there.

This is a really fun dance bar. Very spacious, you don’t feel like you’re being sardine with other people. Separate area for dancing and hanging out socializing which is really nice. Drinks prices are reasonable. Love coming here during weekend, there is a $5 cover for weekend. Always a good time here.

Great bar for drink specials and once drunk the dance floor is awesome! On that note, if you come here sober you will notice the smell, its not great...Drink specials are on point tho! I have also met some great people here and had an amazing time! I usually end up here after several drinks at The Mix which is one if my favorites in the area!

Nice updated interior. Too bad the drinks are not as strong as the previous Badlands. The happy hour BOGO is not good for call drinks.

Went here with my girlfriend on a saturday night and had a lot of fun. Dance floor was really cool, but like anywhere, it gets crowded after 11. No line when we arrived at 10pm, but it was a long line when we left around 12. Also, the cocktails were surprisingly cheap and decently made, which was awesome ($8 for the two drinks I ordered). Would definitely recommend.

Its my favorite bar to have drink and dance too!

My favorite go-to place in the Castro when Im feeling old-school dance hits. I love the videos!Drinks are reasonably priced (although on occasion the drinks tend to be on the watery side). Depends on the bartender.It can be shoulder-to-shoulder on the dance floor on Fridays night and Saturday nights, but thats the nature of this club! The energy from the crowd is what makes this place fun.

They ask for ID before you can enter.

Nice space to dance for a little bit, then it gets really crowded that you cant even move. Drinks are OK but I wouldnt recommend cocktails, if youre a smoke, then the patio is a good place to hang out at, but wont recommend it for non smokers; it gets foggy pretty quickly. Bartenders are usually friendly.

Pretty cool place, idk how I feel about the club scene just kind of a weird dance floor, but the karaoke nights is lit! And the shows arent bad either. Drinks are good and bartenders are very responsive. Overall good dance bar especially considering its in sac and theres not much else out there for gay clubs

Iconic gay bar with a large dance floor. Well, large for San Francisco. Crowd is younger and well mixed. Gets busy after 11pm most nights. Drinks are strong!! Great happy hour pricing every night. Happy hour changes depending on the night and if there are events. Cover charge on the weekend nights. They do have a coat check and gender neutral bathrooms.

Hit or miss. Great dancing some nights, top 40s, themed nights, 2 for 1 specials, friendly service, multiple restrooms, coat check, ATM and cash only. Ive had my drink spiked here before - no fault of the bar, and thankfully my friends saw what happened and took me home - but my experiences there have mostly been positive.

Nice dance spot with tasty drinks and friendly staff.

Nice neighborhood dance club. Very well-lit and uplifting dancing area. Bartenders are friendly but drinks are sort of diluted. But this may not be a bad thing, as you can keep sipping without getting drunk. Music is kind of mix of upbeat pops. Dont expect trance and heavy house. Safe and sane are pretty much the words I give, but reserve your wild sides for some other places.

The crewman with a beard who checked our ID and took our cover and said to the customer ahead of us ‘You complain less than women do.’ As if me and my friends are a burden.

Drinks are cheap and strong (cash only), theres a dance floor in the back (music is mostly pop songs), and the crowd tends to be young and relatively inviting.Tends to get crowded on the weekend (accompanied by a $5 cover), but its still a pretty good time. Not my favorite bar, but good for one who simply wants to get drunk and dance.

Good Castro bar... its an entire different crowd now younger... but still lots of fun. The drink specials are the best !! 2 for 1 who can beat that and be careful with those long islands ice teas. Bartenders are nice the place is cool!

This was the first bar I went to in Castro. In short, come here for the happy hour drinks. Its cheap and thats all that matters if youre just warming up for the night. It can get a bit crowded around the bar, but thats typical.Theres a dance floor in the back, but the music didnt sound that fabulous the Friday night I was there. Not sure if it was the DJs fault or just the standard.There is a creepy dark bathroom thats the alternative to the bathroom with 1 toilet and 1 urinal. Both are disgusting, but if you should choose, I say always go into the one that has lights.I would probably come back here just for the cheap drinks. Not exactly the hot spot after happy hour.

This place is very fun, the drinks are very strong, the music has improved, but the security is not very good, be careful with your wallet or cell phones that can steal without you noticing. Try to carry cash because they do not accept cards. or if not, there is an ATM inside the place that you can use.

Despite some poor reviews I read while researching the area I found this club to be a good place to spend a few hours on a Saturday night. Definitely not just a male gay crowd as others have discussed, on my visit it was a mix of LGBT and straight couples with the usual hen do crowd as well. Was relatively manageable until about 11pm after that the bar was pretty rammed. Drinks seemed to start around the $5 mark for shots etc. Dance music included Britney, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande so everyone seemed to know some of the tracks. Despite my initial reservations about going in on my own after a while customers were friendly and inclusive to an out of towner engaging in good conversation. Dance Floor was rammed yet everyone still seemed to have their own space. I took good care of my phone and money (CASH ONLY bar like ALL in the area! Which is CRAZY in a tourist area in 2019. From a safety point of view alone I’m surprised the city authorities allow this red flag that everyone going out here is definitely carrying cash!) Left at midnight and there was a queue building up. There wasn’t any Queue on my arrival just after 10pm. Music was loud on the dance floor but wasn’t crazy loud at the bar area so you could hold a conversation. I’d definitely go back. Door security were friendly and calm despite some serious anger issues from a dissatisfied customer trying to regain entry.

Love coming to this place. They got better DJ then cafe. More room. And larger dance area. Drinks are better as well and they really give you a bang for the buck. Much quicker too.

If your headed to go drinking in the Castro this video bar is one of the most popular places. If its a holiday weekend plan on paying a small cover charge and waiting in a short line to get inside. Bartenders are cute and videos are hits from top 40s play lists. Fun crowd from 20 to 50s.

Nice clean club to.go to. Cover fri sat nights, none on Sunday afternoon. No patio for smoking but u can go out front. Even on busy nights u can still get back In if u step outside to smoke. Reasonable prices. But no budlite on tap bottle only. Cash only. Atm in the building. Small dance floor in the back. Great place to chill on a Sunday afternoon. Gets too crowed weekend nights, but you have to expect that.

Super fun! Went for a girls night birthlorrette celebration. Great music, great people, good pours. Cash only. Ladies - dont go with purses. Take a wristlet or pockets as they were adamant about holding onto your stuff.

Pretty good Castro gay bar. Tends to be the young, local Castro gay guys & some out of town visitors of course. Can get really hot on the over crowder dance floor in back on weekend nights & no a/c or substantial fans - just the front door open

Badlands or sad-lands? This bar is in major need of a renovation. Lately its been filled with nothing but the bridge and tunnel crowd so its nice to see new faces, but sometimes theyre not faces you want to see. This place is still amazingly dark and unless youre by the window there is no ventilation. You have to be committed once you step foot in this place cause theres no coming out once youve made your way to the back.With several other bars spending money on classy remodeling youd think that one of the staples of the Castro would fork out a little dough to class the place up a bit. Oh and Deejay.... could you play something other than Britney or Madonna? Thanks.

Music sucked, and DJ would not take requests. Drinks were not that good, dance floor was very small

The music here was not for me. They play very mainstream, gay iconic songs from artists like Britney Spears, Madonna, and Cher.What I also noticed were the empty glasses on tables and floors which were dangerous because people kept tripping and dropping glasses. There was a broken cup of glass that definitely couldve ended the night badly for someone here.

I had a terrible experience at this club on 4/27/13 that has caused me a lot of anxiety and emotional trauma. I think people should know what they are possibly in for if they go here, and since repeated e-mails to the owner have been ignored, I decided leaving a review here would be the best course of action.At about 2:45 am I was standing on the dance floor having a drink, when 2 bouncers (?) randomly came up to me and grabbed my forcefully grabbed my arms. I repeatedly asked who are you, what do you want, who are you over and over, but they wouldnt respond. I said let go I can leave myself, yet they continued to drag me out, so I tried pushing and elbowing them away. They never said one word to me the entire time or answered any of my questions, nor did they identify themselves as employees, just kept lifting me up and carrying me by my arms very firmly. They had me half way out when I started yelling rape rape rape because no one was helping me, and the person squeezing my right arm was being very aggressive. No one helped at all, just stood there and laughed.I now have a huge hand-sized bruise that extends across my upper right arm (I have multiple pictures of right after the event to now). Its turned yellow and aching pretty badly at the present moment. Aside from the physical trauma, Ive experienced emotional distress and anxiety. This experience made me realize that there really is no personal safety in clubs, especially when bouncers have egos this large and are allowed to do whatever they want. Im not sure where they get off treating people like this, or why they are just ignoring my e-mails (all I asked for was an apology), but this was not cool. Will obviously never come here again, and I doubt any of my friends will.

Horrible place. I specifically asked the Bartenders not to serve my boyfriend who was clearly past his limit drunk. Yet they served him more and more alcohol. Maybe the Bartenders here should learn what limits are and not leave the public to deal with getting extremely intoxicated individuals just for a tip.

We dropped by Badlands when visiting the village. Pretty good vibe relatively large dance floor, mostly younger crowd. Strong drinks and 2 for 1 happy hour until 9:00pm.

Amazing space to go dance in sf - quite possibly one of the best!! the gay scene is alive and well here, thriving in sequins and madonna. space is pretty grimy and smells of self tanner, but the music is amazing and drinks are cheap.

Cute enough place. It serves the purpose. Dancefloor was good size. Played a lot of current top 40s but some the clientele... Lord! It was barely something at night and it was just a congregation of wasted 20 somethings falling all over each other. We left shortly after so lets just assume it was a onetime thing. (That seems to happen quite frequently) 😒

If you want to meet hot guys, Fab Drag Queens, or even if your looking for that new BFF girlfriend. Youll have alot of fun here. Drink special are awesome. But It get pack fast and it doesnt hurt dress your best.

Not a bad option if youre looking for a gay bar in the area. Absolutely stupid that its cash only, but all the bars in the areas do this for some reason, maybe money laundering or something. Super annoying and unprofessional, but theyve conspired and left no other options if you want to go to a gay bar in San Francisco.

I like badlands and I hate them. Their drinks are meh most bartenders are meh with attitude and their music on the weekends are meh meh meh except one time I went on a Thursday and that DJ was the best Ive ever heard here. Prepare to be super hot and have no room to dance on the weekends too. I have to power dance to create space and Ive gotten into some low key push back fights because of it.

Really? Its almost 2019 and you dont take credit cards? Well then you wont have my business. Youd think it would be pretty self-explanatory that walking the streets of San Fran at night you dont want to carry $200 in cash. There are plenty of bars who take CC (and clearly arent trying to hide income from IRS)

Its ok overall, I liked the music. But I had a nice jacket stolen from the coat check. There is apparently no one working at Badlands who will take any responsibility about issues such as this. They will not even answer their phone.

It is a must go to, if you are in the castro. The dancing, the heat, the music, the relatively inexpensive drinks. Is it the best club in the castro? No. But it has history and you are bound to have a good time and let yourself go!

Drinks are cheap, music ok, people are nice. This is a must-go to for visitors who want to exp the SF gay vibe. Bathroom, gets dirty and bartenders can be mean on busy weekend.

Cool people , reasonable price. The music is about 19xx.

My wife and went here for dancing and drinking this club has awesome music, Friday and Saturday nights are busiest close to closing time drink specials are: 2 for 1 the bathrooms are unisex this place is super fun even if your not gay! A+ rating

Omg I love this bar! Bar tenders are beautiful and make this experience! Good cheap drinks! Go home in a taxi because your gonna get drunk! Peach margaritas all the way baby!

Love. Love. Love. Theres friendly coat check people, the bartenders are quick and the security staff is super friendly. Every time I go out, I almost always end up here.

Funky top-40 dance bar in Castro on 18th. Drink specials abound, and one of the few places in Castro with a dedicated dance floor. If you want a place to take your straight friend from out of town who wants to see a gay bar, this is the place. On the other hand, if your friend is gay and likes Asian guys, then this is also the place.

Cool venue but the DJ kept playing music that was too fast or too slow. Really really cool people and really strong drinks. Decent price for drinks and no cover

Fab music, affordable drinks, awesome crowd. Its ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN @ badlands. Highly higly recommended if youre looking for a fun time in the Castro.

If you wanna go out to dance, this is the place. Fair warning, weekends usually get really crowded. Theres a cover charge after 10:30. Worth it though.

Was pickpocketed and phone stolen. Be careful here. Bouncer was very rude

Crowds terrible, music is hit or miss, but drinks are strong and the dance floor is always jumping. Wouldnt have it any other way.

Fun environment, always full. A bit young of a crowd. Good place to go early or if you feel like dancing.

Standard club. Sometimes sweaty dance pit, easy pop music, and good drink prices. Im not the biggest club person but I wouldnt mind ending up here in the future.

Fun bar but they have a pickpocketing problem here. I had my wallet stolen and they used my credit card for gas and McDonalds. The following week my friend had his wallet stolen here. Watch out!

Its Pride Sunday !!! It may as well be throw back thursday since the music is so aweful. Also dont enjoy standing in pools of urine when I need to take a leak. Canadian bars are better.

Very laid back place, good place to hang out, afford able drinks. Good mix of music 1990s to top 40s. Castro district

Badlands is always a fun place to go dance everybody who goes there seems to all l9ve to dance so at least people are moving dancing. Dancing always washes away any worries or woes away.

Great place to dance and have some great drinks. They have specials and promotions during the night. So much fun.

Its always packed to the point you cant walk around without someone always spilling drinks all over ya. if you enjoy the moshpit atmosphere then youll like it here

Great craic and enjoyed my visits to Badlands.

Fun place with good music only downside is very little ventilation, so be prepared to sweat and smell that musty old bar scent

Great crowd, good music. :) they have really good mashup of songs that’ll make you strut in the dance floor.

A great bar for dancing to top of the chart pop hits while being a complete drunk mess on their super cheap, super strong drinks. Bartenders are cool

This place used to be good, but happy hour isnt as busy as before and they dont let smokers out without paying extra

We were robbed in this place, someone took all our coats, including expensive leather jacket. If you have any self respect never go there. Never.

Great music and drinks. I always have a great time there. Lots of good looking guys

A great bar, where you can dance in front of these favorite clips 👍🏻 we went every night during our vacation week.

Not too crowded, the people are usually friendly and chatty, great music.One of my favorite spots

Its the best gay dance club we have in castro. Some nights are a bit tragic but otherwise a lot of fun.

Excellent service! They even allow to charge my phone so that I can continue to earn money for Beer! Love this place!

Nice video bar, cash only. I was there early so I cant say whether it is very busy at night.

2 for 1 specials during happy hour and on the weekends before last call. Highly recommended Sunday nights.

Cheap drinks and top 40 music. I mean, if youre out of town then its a fun place to dance.

Great variety of music. The place gets jammed packed quick, definitely a placed Id go back to

Came to Castro for Q Bar, went back to Badlands 2x through the night. Good vibes strong drinks cute bartenders.

Good for dancing but not always the best, friendliest crowd. Really popular with tourists.

Awesome dance music! Cheap cover charge on the weekends and all-around fun!

Highly recommended if you like a charming gay bar, good music and love artisans cocktails!

Great on Friday good 80s 90s dance remixes. Around 8:30pm before cover at 9pm

Cheap, but low-quality, drinks. Dance floor. Its a music video bar playing pop. Noting much else to it.

Its a fun place.$1 dollar well drinks is awesome.Dont like the rudness of people sometimes

Place is quite good, people are friendly and good people to talk too. Drinks are not expensive which is a bonus.

Very friendly bartender. Comfortable bar. Two-for-one happy hour!

A very handsome bartender name Jeff very attentive. However slow on a monday we had a great time.

Paid for drinks throughout the night, went to the bathroom and my drink was taken away. This was before closing time (it was 1.50am). A joke of a service, dont bother with them.

Drinks were not the best, but the atmosphere was fabulous and the staff were sweethearts.

Really great gay bar in the Castro. They always have the best dance music!

If you love diva pop medleys youll love Badlands ,top 40 fun!

Cant say anything bad about badlands. Pun intended.. its not trying to be anything more than what it is.. good drinks and fun people..

Always busy. A place to dance to radio music. During the weekend it gets too crowded.

Fun place to go dancing have some good drink specials

Fun bar but can get way too busy sometimes.

Awesome music selection. Drinks are cheap but it is CASH only!

Best place to dance and happy 2-for-1 is the best in town - long pours!

Always a energetic place to visit. Great music and vibe.

Cheap drinks and good music! Always a fun time

Meh. weird, kitschy, pop music that was usually undanceable. has a perpetual stank and is uncomfortably and overwhelmingly crowded

Great crowds, decent music and drink prices.

Lots of fun, but the watermelon cocktail was missable. Nice crowd.

Crowded and music is old and tired. Drinks are good and cheap though.

You would think that no one had ever been named Daphne since Scooby Doo! What a hoot.

Drinks were inexpensive. On a minus note, there is an unnecessary cover at the door.

Great place to dance,Drink and Kiss some guys. ;)

Strong cocktails. Good vibes. Fun dance floor.

Such a tired place thats full of 21 year old Straight girls. Major renovation needed. New music list. All Sad sad sad.

Yas! Always have so much fun here. Just watch out for the one bitchy bartender

It was really nice! Much enjoyed meeting new people there!

Great music hot men sexy dance floor and bar

Strong drink, trashi songs, what else do you need for an memoryless night?

Lovely place, great music and nice atmosphere!

Great place drink and dance always drink specials

Its a cool place to hang out. Vibrant music

Fun spot to meet friends for drinks!

Nice place to go dance and have a great time

Nice music, drinks are reasonably priced.

Nice drinks but somewhat lonely during the weekdays

Great people watching with great music! Always a great time!

Pretty chill place, good environment and friendly staff!

The music is great and the drink are even better

Cheap drink, open space, nice bartenders, dead in the middle of the week.

Awesome dance place and the vibe is just amazing

Very festive,reasonable drink prices a San Francisco must.

Always have a ton of fun with the music and crowd.

Busy, packed with eye candy dancing drinking fun for the big kids

Video screens were weird and the place is kinda trashy but fun

Best place to go drinking and dancing in the Castro.

This place is crowded. Theyre mixed drinks arent that well mixed.

Nice and funny, my favorite place... very near where I live.

Dance floor or not. Great place for everyone

If you like dancing to can music and bad attitudes and Badlands is your place

The drink deals are good and the atmosphere is lively!

Havent been in a while but good to stop by every now and then

Super messy and super fun in here!

Dance bar, good drinks , patrons on young side.

Happy hour is a great way to start the weekend.

Great for happy hour during the week!

Excellent staff, atmosphere and drink specials!!

Pretty good. music is really back in forth like a time machine.

Great happy hour with stiff drinks.

You want to get drunk? You want to dance? You want to be sloppy? Go to Badlands

Music is okay. It is an icon of the Castro district. It get way too crowded sometimes.

Nice bar to drink at it is quiet inviornment to be at.

Terrible service by the manager.

Great ambiance, good drinks.

The scene here was great and the music was good.

Bad music, super small, smells like mold.

Went for some fun. Then my phone was stolen.

Crowded, loud, awful service, expensive drinks.

Nice atmosphere! Relaxed and fun!

Nicknamed Sadlands for good reason, do not start your evening here.

Very popular dance bar in the Castro.

My friend from NYC always has good luck here

Good place for dancing an cocktails

Had a lovely time visiting with friends.

Packed club, very good drink prices

Open late, great drink specials.

Phone was stolen from my pocket. Wouldnt recommend.

Cheap drinks fun environment!

Great music the bartender super nice

Breathtaking. I cant wait to go again

Always a good time and friendly people here.

Roudy people...nice music, i love the music videos

Great bar and great music.

Horrible before horrible now!

Fun place to drink and hang with friends.

I lost my coat here. And my dignity.

Horrible experience.

Very cliche dance bar...

Best dance club in San Francisco!

Best place to dance in Castro

The spaghetti was OK. But the tiramissou was on point!!!

Good music, good dancers!

The bartenders really want to get to know you

Nice place, gets stuffy during the summer

Great place for dancing!

Messy place. Crowded dancefloor

Staff were super sweet!

The music is the best here!

Badlands is always a great time!

Its dead except on Fridays and Sundays.