Reviews by TomCecconi

Parked in lot next to Church's Chicken. Front of building hasn't seen paint/care in years. Insides: long bar to right with seating that looks like it was rescued from a thrift store dumpster. Bartender seemed bothered to have to open a bottle of beer even when tipped. Sorry for doing what people in bars traditionally do. Three dancers were working: Ivy, Jamie and thirty-something blonde (best of the 3). She danced barside and immediately tried to get me into the VIP (curtained area set aside front entrance). I tipped her well but wanted to have a couple beers before trying the menu. She upped the pressure to the point of it becoming overbearing. I guess the thought of a guy with a wallet full of cash not immediately committed to them is heresy. I excused myself to the restroom (smelly malfunctioning urinal next to a tiny sink) to escape her. Next up was Ivy who lost any remaining shelf life about a decade ago. Endured a couple mechanical dances from her before escaping this hole.

It's now known as Barro di Mario and has Karaoke night on Tuesday, live bands on Fridays and Saturdays. Look it up on Facebook. The reopening of Front Street has increased traffic and owner, Pete has decided to appeal to a more general audience. Desiree's is still open in Norton but is a shadow of its former self.

After a crappy morning on the links, I thought I'd check out Gatsby's Pub (South) after an absence of a couple of years, The club layout hasn't really changed. Be careful when entering during the daytime as your eyes will need time to adjust to the dimly lit interior without crashing into a barstool. Bartenders were very efficient and attentive despite the 10-12 customers spread around the bar's large rectangular perimeter. The special part of the visit was the attention lavished on me by one particular dancer, Stormy. Normally, most dancers seem fairly disinterested and go through the motions to collect their tips. Stormy latched on to me like a lovesick teen girl, which at my age, was highly appreciated. At first, I thought it was an act just to get me into the VIP, but she sincerely got into my head, which few dancers do anymore. I really feel like she enjoyed our interaction as much as I did. She made me forget my subpar golfing and rekindled my interest in strip clubs.

As mentioned in almost every review, the girls in Gatsby's North take care of their regulars first. That being said, and not being a regular, I nursed my beer and waited. A petite blonde (Stacey? I'm horrible with names) eventually approached, introduced herself and in 15 minutes, made herself my favorite Akron dancer in years. I've had plenty dancers who have been much more aggressive in their approach, but she took it slow and worked her way up the ladder as we exchanged stories and jokes. I rarely connect with dancers on a verbally intimate level but in minutes, I felt like we had dated for years. Having to get back to work, she told me to come back anytime, and you know what? I'm planning on taking her up on that.

Francois' Lounge physically resembles your neighborhood bar much more than a strip club. The bar along the east side of the building has three televisions which generally show sports channels. A tiny dancer stage (rarely used) sits next to the dancer jukebox near the front door. Along the north wall are some curtained VIP booths which rarely see action. The mens' room is strangely located at the back of the building up a flight of stairs. When I visited ( 1 PM on Friday), two dancers were working along with the long-haired blonde bartender. The bartender is efficient and personable: filling your time waiting for a dancer with jokes and banter. The dancers were Barberton trashy which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The smaller of the two seemed to warm up as she consumed more and more alcohol. The taller dancer seemed pretty wasted when she came in. Both engaged in stick shifting during bar side dances after becoming acquainted. Both seemed to live on their phones when not engaged with customers. Overall, Francois' Lounge is a solid B-. A good place to kill a lunch hour but nothing truly exceptional.

Same getting buzzed in, paying the cover that includes 2 N.A. beverages, and sitting at a long bar along the south wall. This part of the story has been told a thousand times and changes very little. For this review, I wanted to compare my experience to others. Every time I set foot in Bottoms Up, Raven tries to monopolize my visit. Yes, she's O.K. looking (for her age), has a decent outgoing personality, and gives good dances. But the reason guys go to clubs is to get a little variety. Not to go steady, What is the best way to get a dancer who thinks she owns you to hit the road without being excessively cruel? I'd go to Bottoms Up more often if I thought she wouldn't plant her flag on me.

This club has the best TVs and cable setup of any dancer bar in Akron. Happy hour prices are reasonable and the barmaid is attentive without being pushy. So far, it sounds like I'm about to write a glowing review of my stop made just after noon on a Thursday. Unfortunately, My favorite dancer, Precious, was not here and in her place was a 200-pounder with bad teeth. Despite her huge rack she was just too hideous. After consenting to an almost obligatory dance, I excused myself to the restroom hoping that another dancer would show up. Upon my return, the gravitationally-challeged dancer was dancing for an older gentleman, no other dancers were in sight, and I made my escape.

After the recent violence affecting so many Akron dancer bars, despite being in a rough neighborhood, C.W.'s music selection and policies make it just about Akron's only thug-free zone. The place is nothing to write home about physically: gravel parking lot in back or on-street parking in residential area behind the club; back door entrance; watch out for the killer step before entering the actual bar area; long bar with beat bar stools along west wall; a couple cabaret tables along east wall. Dancers move between patrons giving dances for those who tip. Generous tipping will generate your own harem or at least one dancer who stays glued to your side. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the dancer. There are no penthouse models here: more like working moms with low job skill sets. They will give a nice grind if your hygiene is good and you keep the money flowing. I was offered but did not partake of the VIP booth which was the size of a closet.