Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

The Detroit strip club scene has an abundance of options, and it's not surprising that a club like this one gets relatively few reviews. But, once I wrapped up a luncheon meeting in Dearborn, curiosity got the better of me and I visited Club Venus. To the locals, yes, I realized I drove right past the popular BT's to get here, but having visited BT's off and on since the late 1980s, I was in the mood for something different. Out-of-towners should be aware that the "scenery" changes perceptibly when you enter the Detroit city limits from Dearborn on Michigan Avenue. The club is in an ugly brick building next to a discount motel and a freeway interchange--in other words, the kind of place you see in local TV news footage with the chyron reading, "crime scene." Parked in the side lot and made my way inside to a dark square room that was less shabby than I expected, Half the space contains a main stage and a smaller "back" stage with table seating and booths along the wall; the half to the right of the entrance has a long, low bar and a "VIP" section in the back.

Overall, the staff--3 dancers, a bartender, a waitress, a shot girl, and guy who appeared to be the manager, were friendly and attentive. A live DJ played 3-song sets for the dancers in rotation. Budweiser was $6 for a 16-ounce bottle, ice-cold. Was offered a bucket, but declined; in any case, non-strip club pricing at the bar. The kitchen was open, but I did not partake. Lap dances took place in an open area with normal lighting; was charged $5 for the first entry, and given a wristband good for future trips.

The three dancers were young and fairly cute; all AA but three totally different body types--Faye was slender and nubile, JJ was curvy and impressive on the pole, while Caramel looks like she could play nose guard for the Lions (but she could move, and was fun to talk to). Oddly, both the waitress and the shot girl (who was the most attractive girl in the building) were available for lap dances. I hung out for a while with the very laid-back Faye, and had dances with decent two-way contact (that is, decent for anywhere in the U.S. except Metro Detroit). No extras offered or likely available, but at $20 a song (after paying the $5 toll) you go broke more slowly than most clubs. I left around 4:00, and by that time there appeared to be 3-5 additional dancers in rotation including at least one Latina and one white girl, and about a dozen customers, mainly construction guys.