Local watering hole

The Colonie Lounge looks like a corner bar at the corner of a residential neighborhood and a larger road. The signs inside remind you to be quiet because families live in the area. Because its Buffalo, there are also rules about parking during the snow season.

This place also calls itself the Hertel Avenue Cigar Lounge and they do sell cigars and allow smoking! That must be one of the draws because most everybody was smoking. The other draw is the neighborhood aspect as many of the patrons (men and women) sitting at the bar seemed to know the employees.

The room is a large square with a square stage in the center of the room. The bar is on the far wall opposite the door. On the left when you walk in is the small DJ booth and on the same wall a humidor and a small selection of cigars. On the far right wall when you walk in is the bathroom and the doorway to the lap dance room. The lap dance room is the size of s mall living room with cameras and 5 large stuffed chairs lining the walls.

Drinks were reasonable, like a local bar. I drank dark liquor and it was $6.50 a pour. They weren’t freehanding it, it was measured. There was a bouncer at the door but no cover. He does remind you to put your mask back on when you are up moving around.

I got there around 9pm and saw the end of one shift and the start of the next, so there was somewhere between 6 and 10 ladies. They are a real mix. Blond, white women, Ladies of Color, different weights and ages, and degree of coverage with tattoos. The clientele was similarly mixed with some urban gents making it rain for their favorite girls or couples at the stage tipping. The women were on a 3 song rotation and after their dance came by every table and said hello to the patrons. They were not pushing for a tip. One of the dancers said that the boss insists they do so. I think its a nice touch and the women didn’t seem to be under duress. But they way, none of them complained about the smoke, which was not overpowering anyway because of the exhaust system. It is a “regulars club” so if you want a dance be aggressive and grab them at the stage or bar.