5801 — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

This bar labels itself as a Gay bar and it really does not have Gay patrons.

I visited the 5801 Video Lounge on Saturday, August 31, 2013 during Labor Day weekend.  80% of the bar's patrons were straight - heterosexual couples.  There were a few Gay people scattered throughout the bar but in no way would I call this place a Gay bar.

The place looks good but not all that special.  It kind of reminded me of Applebee's for some reason. It could use a good cleaning. The carpets for example were dirty and even sticky in some places.

At the upstairs bar, for 20 minutes, I tried unsuccessfully to get a drink from any of the bartenders there. They were ignoring me!

We don't smoke and we were trying to avoid the downstairs bar because they allow smoking. However, since we were being ignored by the bartenders upstairs who were too busy serving the straight couples, we reluctantly decided to go downstairs and try to get drinks.

At the smoky downstairs bar, the bartender did approach me but when I asked for Black Velvet, they didn't have it. So then, I asked for Canadian Club and again they did not have it.  I really felt as though this bar did not want us there and weren't going to serve us.  It was as if they were saying, "No, we don't have it, you can't have anything here. We don't want you here." Black Velvet and Canadian Club are both fine Canadian whiskeys that are staples at almost all bars and I found it unbelievable that they did not have either of them.

I also observed the bartenders using those automatic shot measuring devices.  I absolutely hate that.  How do I know I am even getting a full shot of booze with those things.  If they need to measure, I want to see them use a shot glass so I can see what I am paying for.  Anyway, after seeing the automatic shot measuring devices, I was pretty sure the drinks were very weak.

There is a patio on the backside. It is not a beautiful patio as described by some of the reviewers.  When I was there, it was jam-packed with smokers and there was standing-room only.

The patrons were not friendly in 5801 either. AND, worst of all, because of inaccurate reviews on Yelp, Urban Spoon and Gay Cities, I ended up visiting this bar and wasting my valuable vacation time on a Saturday night when I could have gone somewhere else.

There is no dance floor. Other reviewers mention that there is a dance floor. I could not find one anywhere. Perhaps, it used to be located where the dart boards are now.

I was ignored by the upstairs bartenders.  The drinks they do make are weak.  I was unable to get my drink in this bar.  The bartenders and the patrons were unfriendly. It is not a Gay bar.  I do not recommend it.

Most of the positive reviews written for 5801 Video Lounge are written by straight heterosexual women. I can understand that. I believe that if you are a straight heterosexual man or woman that you would probably like this place. However, if you are Gay and are looking for a Gay crowd to hang out with, you won't...

I have been trying to find away to BLOG ABOUT 5801 VIDEO LOUNGE AND CAFE BUT BEFORE I GET INTO IT, I NEED TO TELL YOU HOW I ENDED UP AT 5801 VIDEO LOUNGE. WE FIRST WENT INTO THIS CHINESE RESTURANT THAT'S LOCATED BETWEEN CENTER AND NEGLEY AVENUE'S AND IT HASN'T BEEN OPENED THAT LONG. I BEEN ANXIOUS TO VISIT IT, AS YOU ENTERED THE RESTURANT ON CENTER AVENUE SIDE YOU WHERE IMMEDIATELY GREETED BY FLY'S. YES THERE WHERE FLY'S FLYING AROUND IN DECEMBER IN THE RESTAURANT, AND ITS WINTER TIME. WE TRIED TO BE SEATED BUT EVERY TABLE THAT WE TRIED TO SET AT WHERE SOILED WITH FOOD STAINS. I HAD THEM CHANGE OUR TABLE AND THEY COMPLIED AND THEN I ASKED FOR HOT TEA AND I WAS SERVED WATERED TEA THAT HAD NO FLAVOR! THAT RESTAURANT SETS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF CENTER AVENUE. RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE NEGLEY HOUSE APARTMENTS. (I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THEM TO NO ONE) WELL AFTER GOING THREW ALL THAT IT WAS TIME TO EXIT STAGE LEFT! SO WE SET OUT TO WALK DOWN ELLSWORTH AVENUE, WITH 2 THINGS IN MIND GET OUT OF THE COLD AND TO FIND A DECENT PLACE TO EAT. WE STOP AT ANOTHER RESTAURANT ON ELLSWORTH IT SETS UP OFF THE STREET AND APPARENTLY HAS OUTSIDE SERVICE DURING THE WARM MONTHS AND THEY PLAY VERY GOOD OLD SCHOOL MUSIC AND IT ALWAYS SOUNDS AND LOOKS JAMMED PACKED IN THERE EVERYTIME IM IN THE AREA, WE WENT INSIDE AND GOT OFFERED A BOOTH INWHICH THE SEAT WAS PRACTICALLY TORN OUT! I SAID TO MY HUSBAND TIME TO GO! SO WE CROSSED THE STREET AND RAN SMACK DAB INTO 5801 VIEDO LOUNGE!⭐ THEY HAVE THE BEST WRAP SANDWICHES AND TENDER FRENCH FRIES THAT I EVER ATE, THEY JUST DESOLVE IN MY MOUTH. ALL THOUGH IT WAS A VERY COLD DAY, THAT WE STOP IN, THEY SERVED THE BEST ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP (MY FAVORITE SOUP ON THIS EARTH) THAT I EVER HAD! THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER PLACE IN THIS TOWN TO ME, WHO CAN TOP THE VIEDO LOUNGES WEDDING SOUP! THE ATMOSPHERE WAS QUITE, THERE WHERE PEOPLE AT THE BAR DOWNSTAIRS, WE WENT UPSTAIRS AND CHOOSE A NICE COMFORTABLE BOOTH, BUT I CAUGHT ON RIGHT AWAY THAT THEY HADN'T LONG BEEN OPEN. THE STAFF WELCOME US THAT DAY, AND YES I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE BEING THERE. GOOD FOOD IS GOOD FOOD, AND I DON'T CARE WHO OWNS IT OR WHO SERVES IT. AS LONG AS WHERE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY WE WILL EAT THERE! THE BILL WAS REASONABLE THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS AND THE SERVICE WAS 5 ⭐'S. THE ATMOSPHERE WAS VERY WARM AND COMFORTABLE AND BEAUTIFUL IT LOOKS SMALL FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT ITS EXTENSIVE IN THE INSIDE! THE WAITER SEEMED PLEASED WITH HIS TIP AND WE EVEN RAN INTO THE CHEF ON THE WAY OUT AND WE COMPLIMENTED HIM ALSO AND HE GRACIOUSLY THANK US. WE SAID THAT WE WOULD BE BACK! AND WE...

5801 was once a beautiful SAFE queer space in the city of Pittsburgh. However, lately this bar has felt more like a degenerate-college-bar filled with aggressive sorority girls, who push you on the dance floor and spill their drinks on you, and creepy frat boys who don’t understand what personal space is. My friends and I have been coming here for years, but these past few experiences we’ve had over the course of several months have been disheartening. I no longer recognize 5801 as the flourishing gay bar that it was, and perhaps in the new horrible world we live in where being a queer person is no longer acceptable, they have decided to change their audience. Constantly playing awful music featuring the likes of Taylor, Swift, Tate McRae, Gracie Abrams and other subpar pop musicians is just NOT what you want to listen to when you’re trying to dance and encourages these aggressive college kids to keep coming here. It’s sad to see because the staff at 5801 has always been so unbelievably wonderful. From the bartenders to the bouncers at the door, we’ve never had a bad experience with any of the staff and keep coming back just to see our favorites. It truly is the new patrons that the management seems to be encouraging to come here that are the problem. I’ve noticed the past few times I’ve gone that they’ve also hired security who doesn’t seem to be doing anything about these aggressors. I am terrified that these people will get aggressive with the wrong person and it will escalate into something worse. I hope something changes soon because I really don’t want to have to find a new queer space for my friends and I to go to...