From ambiance to happy hour to events to location, here’s everything you need to know about Hardware, the popular NYC gay bar
The Highlights:
- Address: 697 10th Ave New York, NY 10036
- Neighborhood: Hell’s Kitchen
- Hours: Open daily from 2 pm – 4 am, Every Day
- Best Time to Go: Happy Hour, and Late Night Fridays and Saturdays
- Vibe: Casual local hang during the week, lively on weekends
- Cover? Never
- Website: Hardware-Bar.com
- Instagram: @Hardwarebarnyc
Overview of Hardware NYC
Hardware leans into its namesake with an industrial, yet welcoming, vibe. The hatchet door handle and concrete floors are a sharp contrast to what goes on at this vibrant nightlife hub.
During happy hour, locals hang by the bar while HBO’s gayest programing plays. Think everything from Sex and the City to Game of Thrones. There you’ll see locals enjoying a drink and banter before the evening programming ramps up. It’s a dead giveaway something is coming when a drag queen with a full face of makeup but no hair or outfit dashes between the bar and the employees only area downstairs. Be nice to her, she has drink tickets.
Hardware hosts multiple drag shows every night of the week in which a singular queen or duo performs for at least an hour. Expect splits, showtunes, games, and drag roulettes as heavy hitters and newcomers alike in the New York scene take complete ownership of the dancefloor and audience.
Super Size Queen on Fridays and Slay Saturdays attract the largest crowds for all-out dance parties peppered with drag performances from the hosts. The major benefit to Hardware’s layout is the separation between the bar and the dancefloor. Should you need reprieve from the show or dancing, the bar at the entrance serves as an easy escape where sitting and chatting is always an option. Added points for the cute and flirtatious bartenders.
The true star of Hardware is Hans, the cocktail server. His ability to weave between crowds while holding trays of vodka sodas is on an Olympic-level, and he manages to keep a smile on his face the entire time. Anyone who’s been to Hardware enough knows Hans, and knows they have at least 1 friend at the bar whenever they go.
Why go to Hardware NYC?
- No Cover
- Daily Drag Shows
- Friendly Staff
- Big Dance Gloor
- Femme-Friendly
Ambiance of Hardware NYC
Hardware fluctuates between a pub, a cabaret venue, and an all-out party depending on when you go. Late afternoon on a weekday is a perfect meetup point for drinks after work if the gang is looking to catch up and not spend too much on alcohol. Evenings are dedicated to live performances, and are famous for launching the careers of performers like Monet X Change, Miz Cracker, Brita Filter and countless other New York legends. Weekends are when the tourists (and ketamine) come out. While it can quickly become a shoulder-to-shoulder experience, the energy at Hardware is undeniably fun without ever getting overwhelming.
Happy Hour: 2pm – 8pm Monday – Friday
Events (Subject to change – check out Hardware’s Instagram account for the latest events information)
Drag shows featuring Pixie Aventura, Brita Filter, and Lexington Banks, and a Friday night dance party produced by Mathieu Blue.
If you like these other gay bars… you’ll like Hardware:
Hardware not your thing? Here are other gay bars nearby:
- Dive Bar Lounge (DBL)
- The Spot
- 9th Ave Saloon
- Atlas Social Club
