Strip Clubs That Are "An Institution"

shailynn
They never tell you what you need to know.
I thought we could play a little game today and make a list of the greatest strip clubs in North America. In some cases there may be 2 or 3 clubs that are close to quality in the same city, so I would list all 3. Also may want to add a sentence of why it should be considered an "Institution." I'm not going to list some dump because you can easily get extras from a hag, but good quality clubs where the atmosphere is fun and the girls are hot. I am only going to list ones that I have personally been to, I suggest you do the same (example: I've never been to Follies, so I am not going to list that even though it should be on the list. I'll leave that to Shadow to list that since he's the godfather of there. Papi can add the Miami clubs because I am fuzzy on those as well).


DALLAS, TX
Baby Dolls (probably the best collection of women in all of Texas)
*honorable mention: The Lodge


DETROIT, MI
Penthouse / Flight Club (probably the nicest looking clubs I have ever been in, and all have private lapdance areas)
*honorable mention: Coliseum

PHOENIX, AZ
Bourbon Street / Hi-Liter (Both have cheap lapdances, Bourbon Street has what I feel is the hottest collection of girls in all of North America)


NIAGARA FALLS, ONT
Sundowner (high energy and fun, hottest girls in all of Ontario)


TAMPA, FL
Mons Venus / 2001 Odyssey (nude lapdances, not as wild as they used to be, but still worth a visit)


LAS VEGAS, NV
Spearmint Rhino / Sapphire (both are usually crowded, chaotic and expensive, but I always have a good time)
*honorable mention: Treasures (smaller and more laid back atmosphere, but still good girl quality)


TORONTO, ON
Midway Invader / New Locomotion / Cafe Atlantis (known as the "Trinity Clubs" they are all kinda dumpy, but a nice collection of girls willing to do anything you want)
*honorable mention: Million Dollar


MONTREAL / LAVAL, QC
Chez Paree / Kamasutra (on the island, the best of the downtown clubs)
Pink Paradise (so popular documentaries have been made about this club, in Laval off the island and a little more "liberal" than the downtown clubs)


HOUSTON, TX
St. James / Mens Club of Houston (former shells of themselves from their early 2000 heydays, but still worth a visit)


NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC
Thee Doll House (you're going to get nothing but airdances here, but the collection of girls, and considering how conservative SC is, it's still worth a stop)


BALTIMORE, MD
Baltimore Street, known as "The Block" (too many clubs to list, upscale like Hustler Club down to dives like Pussy Cat. Watch your back here, I've had attempted rufie attacks on me while visiting The Block more than 3 times. Still recommended because it's an "experience.")

48 comments

Latest

JamesSD
9 years ago
At the risk of being pendantic, many of these sound more like "good for the area/region" rather than "institutions ".
shailynn
9 years ago
You may be right, in that case I would have to knock out - Houston & Myrtle from your comment.
chessmaster
9 years ago
knock of sapphire too.
bubba267
9 years ago
For Atl Ga
Follies
Cheetah
Tattle Tails
chessmaster
9 years ago
^if even argue cheetah is better than sapphire(basically a cheaper version of sapphire).
rickdugan
9 years ago
Shailyn, that is a fine list of tourist traps up there. ;)

Weirdly though, you also sprinkled in a few non-tourist trap places like the Toronto clubs. By all reports, there is a quality to service trade off in Toronto like anywhere else and those clubs are not reputed to have the hottest girls in Toronto by a stretch.

One other thing: the girls are MUCH hotter at the Lodge than anyplace else in Dallas. I don't believe I have ever reviewed the club, but I have seen the insides of both BBD and the Lodge to know that some of the girls in the Lodge will blow you away. The Lodge is where the hottest girls from Baby Dolls go when they grow up.

But anywho, while we are talking about tourist traps that few hardcore tusclers will likely ever spend much time in, I will also add a couple to the list:

ATLANTA, GA
Cheetah. This is an amazing club. I'm as disciplined in my clubbing as anyone I know and I nearly opened my wallet wide a few times. In 30+ girls, I didn't see anything below a 7 and most were 8+ (with a lot of 9s and even a couple of 10s), all of them fully nude and well lit. After a while it can be simply overwhelming and I fell in lust a few times and then some.

NEW YORK, NY
Gallagher's 2000 - it is were the locals go to see hot girls and do reasonably priced VIPs. The tourists and deep pocket types go to places like Hustler and Rick's, both long time institutions packed full of hot girls, expensive booze and endless ways to spend your kids' inheritance.

I would have said Scores, but the old Scores closed down years ago and the only thing the new one (which is in a new location) has in common is the name. The old Score was filled with uber hot girls going butt naked and was non-alcoholic, but the cheap knock-off that now exists is topless only and has looser hiring standards.
JohnSmith69
9 years ago
The only one I would add for sure is Tootsies in Miami.

Debatable additions would be Flash Dancers in NYC and S Rhino in Vegas. But I don't really like either of those clubs so I won't argue for them.

Nothing in or around Myrtle Beach deserves to be anywhere near this list.
Subraman
9 years ago
Spearmint Rhino Las Vegas, to me, seems to be the epitome of everything TUSCL hates -- sure the girls are hot, but prices are super high, for low mileage, the girls all know (or think they know) they're the hottest girls around and are at the top-of-the-top club, etc. All show, no go, very expensive. Only been there a couple of times in the past year, but am I missing something?

When I think "institution" in the classic sense of the word, rather than shailynn's re-definition as "best club in that particular city", then SF has two:

Condor Club: it may be the oldest SC in the country. These days, it's a nightshift-only club with middling lineups (with occasional gems, of course) but super nice low-hustle girls (always a breath of fresh air in SF)

Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater: Obviously enough, a nationwide institution that was at the forefront of the sexual revolution. These days, a shadow of its old self. From the mid 90's to mid 2000s, I would have been arguing that this is the best SC in the country -- girls as hot as any of the Vegas clubs (in fact, the hottest-girl flow was from Vegas girls to MBOT, not the other way around), all available for FS... prices were high, but not outrageously so, at least if you worked in tech or made tech-like salaries (doctors, successful lawyers, etc)
shailynn
9 years ago
When I say "Institution" it doesn't mean (by any means) that it is the best of the best. What I mean is it's something that you should see. You know how you go into a city and someone says "oh you gotta try this restaurant because it was featured on this or that show or everyone goes there." That doesn't always mean it's the best restaurant in town but it has some resounding characteristic about it that makes in unique.

A lot of people knocked Sapphires, but (to me) it's the largest strip club I have ever been in. The place looks like the size of a Wal-Mart from the outside. It probably has the biggest line up of girls on any average night of all the clubs I listed, and it's open 24 hours a day. Granted those are things most TUSCL members (especially ones that participate on the discussion board) could care less about, but to the casual strip club enthusiast, if he or she is in town, they should stop in to cross it off their bucket list.
chessmaster
9 years ago
^yeah it's huge but cheetah is almost as big and to rickyboy point the dancers(almost as many as sapphire) look just as good but it's cheaper. Frankly, they are mirror images of each other.
chessmaster
9 years ago
On second thought, if it's just to see it and cross it off the bucket list(by your definition) it's fine. But I still nominate cheetah as well if you've never been.
shailynn
9 years ago
I've been to Cheetahs many times and totally understand your point. My retired ATF worked at Sapphires, Cheetahs and Rhino. She liked working at Cheetahs the best. She claimed (of the 3 clubs) Cheetahs had the least amount of BS and that's where she made the most money consistently. I think she was a small fish in a big pond at Rhino and Sapphires, but a big fish in a smaller pond at Cheetahs.

My personal favorite in Vegas is Treasures, which I kept off the list. My best friends (who used to live in Vegas) favorite was the OG. But he would take a dive where you can get a handjob over a glitz and glam club anyday of the week - where I am kinda the opposite. To each his own... so I know not everyone is gonna agree on my suggestions. I mainly just wanted to see what others suggested, maybe somewhere I haven't been but should go see.
Papi_Chulo
9 years ago
Scarlett’s in Hallandale Beach just north of Miami

I think an “institution” should be a club that is well-liked/popular and has been around for a while – I think a club like SR in Vegas qualifies perhaps w/ a caveat comment.

Once all comments are made; perhaps it should be turned into a TUSCL article to be referenced in the future by future PLs asking about clubs nationally.
Papi_Chulo
9 years ago
Hong Kong in Tijuana should be there
Dominic77
9 years ago
I don't get around travel all that much, so I don't have a dog in this race.

I tend to look at it from the point of view that "A Rising tide Lifts All Boats." So I'd name areas with clubs that have stood out to me I have read about on here.

* Las Vegas, NV
* New Orleans, LA
* Portland, OR
* City of Industry, CA
* Atlanta, GA

When I think of "Strip Clubs" I think of those places. Perhaps they all have SC DNA for some reason. Disclaimer: I haven't been to any SCs in those places.
Dominic77
9 years ago
Added: Tijuana, Mexico
shailynn
9 years ago
Exactly, like for example - everyone here knows that Las Vegas clubs aren't necessarily viewed in a favorable light, but man... if you're a strip club enthusiast and you're in Vegas with some spare time, you at least need to make a stop at one of them to say you've been there. I'm not saying a specific trip needs to be taken to Vegas to go to Sapphires.

Just like if you have some time to kill and you're in Dallas. Really? You wouldn't stop by Baby Dolls if you've never been there?

There are few cities I would recommend going there SOLELY to strip club. Detroit, Phoenix, Toronto are the only ones coming to mind that are currently good cities.
chessmaster
9 years ago
There actually still a number of strip clubs in my bucket list to visit. Many have or will be mentioned. Baby dolls, spearmint rhino, tootsies, mons venus, detroit(may have to dedicate an entire day and save up for a Detroit trip), bourbon street circuis, of course follies, 4play and when I find my passport Tijuana and Toronto.
vincemichaels
9 years ago
Henry VIII South in Southgate Michigan. This is an institution all right, it's a sleazy dive, that the son of Hamilton must be paying bribes to the cops to stay open. Unbelievably high mileage in the dump of a VIP area. You didn't say the best, but it has to be seen to be appreciated.
MrDeuce
9 years ago
If the topic is "Strip Club Bucket List" rather than "Strip Club Institutions", I would nominate:

S.F.: Mitchell Bros.
Phoenix: Hi-Liter
Dallas: Baby Dolls
Atlanta: Follies
Miami: Tootsie's
Tampa: Mons Venus

and, of course, I absolutely *must* visit the Pitiful Princess in Portland :)
Cashman1234
9 years ago
Porky's - Angel Beach Florida
Titty Twister - in the Mexican desert

Outside of those two clubs - I've not visited any that are must see spots. I've been to a few in NYC - but nothing high end like the previously mentioned Scores. I may have been to Gallaghers - but it was part of a three day bachelor party and don't remember it at all.
larryfisherman
9 years ago
Spearmint Rhino- Vegas
4 Play- LA
Penthouse- Detroit
Baby Dolls- Dallas
Flashdancers- New York
Tootsies- Miami
Cheetah- Atlanta
Mitchell's- San Fran
larryfisherman
9 years ago
Bourbon- Phoenix
Mons Venus- Tampa
Casa Diablo- Portland
Fuego- Maryland
motorhead
9 years ago
Can Shadowcat tell us when Follies opened?

It's "relatively" new, right?

By definition, "institution" means long-lived. So I don't think Follies qualifies.

shadowcat
9 years ago
motorhead - I'm not sure of when Follies opened. I have only been going there for about 5 years. I did just look and found reviews going back to 2004 but the club didn't start blowing the competition away until about 5 years ago.

If you take the number of reviews into consideration, then these clubs must qualify as institutions:

Play House Lounge, Burlington NJ 1842
Baby Dolls Dallas, TX 1735
Platinum Plus, Columbia SC 1699
Follies, Atlanta GA 1635
Spearmint Rhino, Las Vegas NV 1631
Mons Venus, Tampa FL 1522
Flight Club, Detroit MI 1235
Tootsies, Miami FL 1185
Hiliter, Phoenix AZ 1157
Brads Brass Flamingo, Indy IN 1119
Bogarts, Detroit MI 1104
Treasures, Houston TX 921
Hollywood Show Club, Washington Park 875
Flash Dancers, NYC NY 745
Penthouse, Detroit MI 742

Yes. It has been a slow day for me. :)
motorhead
9 years ago
I know I only remember hearing about Follies since about 5 years ago. Same as the number of years Shadowcat has been going there. Lol.

I can't even find a website. I tried on on-line search to find their history but came up zippo. Yeah, it's been a slow day.
shadowcat
9 years ago
Follies briefly had a web site last year but took it down for some reason. It wasn't very good.
Papi_Chulo
9 years ago
"... I did just look and found reviews going back to 2004 ..."

For those that don't know I think that is as far back (2004) reviews go for all/any club.
Papi_Chulo
9 years ago
“… but the club didn't start blowing the competition away until about 5 years ago …”

I assume you mean both figuratively and literally.

Papi_Chulo
9 years ago
That was a cool/interesting list shadow - thanks for posting-it
MrDeuce
9 years ago
Thanks for the list of most frequently reviewed clubs, shadowcat -- in the absence of reliable ratings of *quality*, sheer numbers are a decent proxy for SCs that are "institutions". Except for MItchell Bros., my own bucket list is a subset of your list.
sclvr5005
9 years ago
C'mon there is NO stripclub in Las Vegas that belongs on any "best of" list unless it's a "best rip off" list.
chessmaster
9 years ago
^that's the thing. Its not a best of. Its a bucket list.
Cashman1234
9 years ago
Not a major city - but in Reading Pa there is a club named Als Diamond Cabaret. It has (through the last 20 years) had a decent line up of feature dancers - and porn stars.

There was also an incident with Latoya Jackson - where she was supposed to dance nude - and I think she didn't perform - and there was a major commotion (at least a major commotion for the Reading area).
GoVikings
9 years ago
i don't travel regularly, therefore i haven't been to enough clubs to be able to have much say so in this. however, follies is one that is most definitely an institution.

i know john smith travels regularly, so he's been to a lot of clubs. interestingly, the only one he included was tootsies. i've been wanting to visit tootsies, but now i'm even more eager
minnow
9 years ago
OP- Please define what would make a club be an "institution." Although I haven't seen a formal definition, IMHO it is universally "understood" that an institution should be prominent in these areas: Notoriety/Popularity with locals and out of towners alike, Longevity in business, and so on. Although an institution doesn't have to be the largest club in town, it should at least be larger than an average hole in the wall club. Lastly, it should have that special "something" that sets it apart from, yea, head and shoulders above other clubs out there
Several posters have listed some good choices. I'll put forth one closed club, and one still in business as honorable mention:
1) Wild Goose- Los Angeles. This was the first club that I heard referred to as an institution. For sure it had longevity, going way back to the 60's (1966 or 67) before being sold around 2009ish. Being located near LAX sure helped with the traffic into club.

2)Palamino Club- Las Vegas. While SR, etal, overshadow this longtime Vegas institution now, it was actually on some top 10 lists back in the 90's. For sure, Palamino has longevity in business. One unique feature is that it is outside Las Vegas city limits, and thus the only club in the area that has both nudity, and can serve alcohol.
EastCoaster
9 years ago
I've been traveling to Atlanta for business maybe 1-3 times a year since 1998, and I think I've been going to Follies since 1999 or 2000. I discovered it by accident (didn't know anything about TUSCL back then) and just liked it, even though it was not known for UHM. (Was any club back then? I don't really know and I'd love to hear what y'all remember about mileage in strip clubs in 2000.) I agree with Shadowcat that in the last five years (or maybe just a little longer), Follies has really come into its own.
lopaw
9 years ago
minnow +1.

Another LA icon was the infamous Century Lounge that was just north of LAX. You could see their giant lit up sign out front as you were taxiing to land at the airport. Between their "NUDES NUDES NUDES!!!" and later "VAGINAS R US!" slogans they became...well...infamous.
JamesSD
9 years ago
Is phoenix really that good? It's actually as close as Vegas for me.
goldmongerATL
9 years ago
The Follies building was originally a Copperfield's restaurant. It has been a strip club (I think under the name Follies the whole time) since the mid 1980's.
goldmongerATL
9 years ago
The Cheetah was ALREADY an institution when I came to Atlanta in the mid 1970's. Tattletale's opened around 1980, if my memory is correct.

Atlanta has a huge amount of clubs that have been there for decades. Other Atlanta locations that have been strip clubs since the early 1980's are what are now both Shooters Alley locations, the Dollhouse, whatever the club is now called at Northside and I-75, the Goldrush, the old 24K which went gay for a while and is now a black club, and the Oasis. There may be more. Mardi Gras, Pink Pony and Flashers (originally Stormin Norman's) are from the early 1990's.

And talk about institutions! The Clairmont Lounge goes back to the 1950's or 1960's and yes, one of the strippers still there (I think she's still there) goes back to the 1970's. I'm talkin 'bout you, Blondie!
shadowcat
9 years ago
goldmongerATL - I think that the Oasis was on Old National Hwy, just south of the airport when I moved here in 1987.
goldmongerATL
9 years ago
Shadowcat - That was possibly Oasis South (never went there myself). I have been going to the Oasis in its current location since around 1990 or so. Was it a club that moved from the southside?
Digitech
9 years ago
How about Electric Blue in Connecticut? It has 1000+ reviews on TUSCL and one reviewer says he has been a regular customer there for over 30 years, so it's been around a long time.
Digitech
9 years ago
^^^ I want to edit my previous post to add that EB doesn't get that much talk on the discussion section of TUSCL, I guess because it is not part of an area with a big cluster of clubs like Las Vegas, Atlanta, Detroit, etc. It is in the country 20 minutes east of Hartford, not that close to anything, but also not that far.
shadowcat
9 years ago
Goldmonger - I really don't know. I went there a few times after work with the guys and they had that big fluorescent palm tree that was visible from I-85.

digitech - oops missed one.
sp
9 years ago
EB has to compete with the RI clubs since they are so close.

I have a few reviews of clubs locally and when I get to travel and hands down my Institution would be Mario's Johnston RI may it RIP!
chessmaster
9 years ago
What about desire in providence? Seems to be generally well liked.
You must be a member to leave a comment.Join Now
Got something to say?
Start your own discussion