sinclair's Review

I went to the Torch Lounge at 19:30 on a Saturday night. There is parking on the left side and rear of the building and on Michigan Street. There was a $10 cover charge. The stage and bar are in the rear of the building, and the front end of the floorplan is where the not-so-private lap dances take place. The middle area is tables and seating. Cans of Sincweiser were $5.50, served up by an aged former dancer with big jugs. The club tries to pressure patrons to buy dancers drinks. Dancer drinks cost $30. The club and dancer profit $15 each on dancer drinks. The ATM has a $200 maximum withdrawal and a $5.25 fee per transaction.

Torch Lounge is a topless strip club and dancers are required to wear pasties over their nipples. Dancers choose music off of a TouchTunes jukebox. Every single song that played was hip hop. The lack of variety did get annoying after a while. The main stage is behind the bar with two poles, out of reach of the customers. Dancers are required to walk the bar like it is a runway during their stage set to a pole at the far right corner of the bar. They will collect tips from guys sitting at the bar along the way. I tipped several dancers in their g-string and felt them up a bit. There is a shower stall on the left wall elevated to the height of the bar. I was told shower shows do happen, but $150 needs to be posted up front. Two dancers will get into the shower and wash each other down. Each dancer gets $50, and the club keeps $50.

Private dances are $20 per song. They take place on benches with no privacy. You can see every other guy and dancer back in the lap dance area. The doorman has a clear view into the lap dance area. The doorman also watches a screen of cameras, some of which are in the ceiling of the lap dance area. Contact is supposed to be one-way, meaning the dancer can touch the customer, but the customer cannot touch the dancer. However, whenever the doorman is busy getting a drink, steps outside, goes to the washroom, or starts looking at his phone, you are able to get away with touching the dancers. I did so, and the dancers didn’t mind groping as long as you are discreet about it and don’t go for their private parts. I was told by a veteran dancer that you will get yelled at by the bouncer if you are caught touching a dancer. You will be given a warning and then get thrown out for repeat offenses. I did not experience this or see any other customers get reprimanded during my visit. Maybe the rules are a little more lax early in the evening.