Toad Hall Gay Bar / Gay Club

Castro, San Francisco –

The smaller and arguably more stylish sister to the SF Badlands club across the street, Toad Hall is popular for both stellar Happy Hour specials and its own less-frenetic dance vibe.

Named in homage to a 1970s haunt that helped define the Castro’s early gay scene, the venue caters to a similar crowd of young party types who frequently flit back and forth between the two clubs.

A fuchsia water feature acts as a backdrop for a bar that runs the length of the room, itself interspersed with narrow shelves of booze, low chandeliers, and flat-screens usually tuned to the game early in the day and music videos later on.

Local professionals and preppy college students drop by to take advantage of daily deals (buy one, get an additional for $1), chilling over strawberry cosmos on bright blue stools or on the expansive red vinyl couches across from the bar.

The middle of the room serves as the dance floor, which usually doesn’t get going until the sufficiently hammered revelers from Badlands make their first trip over, causing the space to overflow with drunken guys making out and birthday parties dancing to Top 40.

Those who need a break from the crush can head out to the smoking patio, where more space and a few TVs offer some respite.

Whether to enjoy a relaxed evening of mingling or a crazy night of dancing, Toad Hall is the perfect place to kiss a few princes.