I hadn't been to Ricks in...

I hadn't been to Ricks in a long while and found myself in the Quarter on a Thursday afternoon before Christmas. I went in about 6 and there was no cover. (The competition on Bourbon is so high it is difficult for most clubs to charge a cover and you can usually get in without one just by turning around to leave when they ask for it). There were not a ton of girls on shift at the time and I would say it was a pretty average crew. There were not a lot of patrons, so we got a lot of time and attention from the girls who were there for not too much money. As the night went on, the dancers got better and better (and no it wasn't the beer goggles increasing the quality; the night shift is just a lot better). It also got more crowded. We ended up staying until midnight. So here is the info you need to know.

The main floor when you go in is fairly nice. There are small cocktail tables surrounded by low chairs that are fairly comfortable to sit in. Seating was fairly easy at the time. There is a large stage toward the back of the room and a much smaller one up front by the entrance. The large stage did not have a pole because of some renovations they had done (more on that later). Drinks are expensive. Three of us (two beer, one scotch) and buying some girls drinks ran about $350. Lap dances on the floor are $20. The quality and mileage is very dependent on the girls.

Past the main stage in the back is the first "VIP" area. It is a nice bar area where every girl will suggest you go for a $60 dance. It is no different than getting a dance on the floor. As one of the dancers told me, "It's a complete rip off." I don't know what they charged to just go hang up there if you were not going up there to get a dance. I'll find that out and report later.