King of Clubs

KoC is a neighborhood bar that just happens to be LGBT friendly. Ok - the place looks like poo - I'm a regular, but I'm not in denial. But the real reason to go to KoC is the people you meet there. I've made some wonderful friends in this bar, and seen total strangers come in and leave friends with half the bar by the end of the night. The schedule can be a little erratic - most of the nights are Karaoke or Latin right now, but check the website to see on the particular night you're thinking of going. My boyfriend almost didn't meet me because he accidentally showed up on goth night (now defunct, but who knows - it could come back) - luckily he returned the next night :-) So all in all - great drinks, great people, great karaoke. None of the bullpoop attitude you get at clubs in the city or in downtown San Jose (I'm looking at you, Hunters). Just a great mix of gay people, straights, trans, and bis hanging out and having fun. more

I've been going to KoC since early 2003. Through upswings and down in the number of people that go on a regular basis, changes in nightly themes, staffing changes and various stages of decoration, one thing has remained constant: the welcoming nature of the "regulars". While everyone has their own unique personality, there's a general air of acceptance, which is why people come from all over the Bay Area to a relative dive bar in the middle of nowhere. The drink prices are certainly not low, but they're reasonable and the bartenders are generally not stingy. While the men's bathroom left a lot to be desired before (as I see has been noted elsewhere), they've recently upgraded to an actual urinal. It's my favorite place to go and I hope the overall attitude doesn't ever change. Of important note, while I called it a gay bar, the general tone of acceptance applies here too. On any given night there's usually a good mix of gay men and women, bisexuals, transgendered, cross-dressers, straight and questioning people. We've got 21 year olds and 61 year olds that come on a regular basis. I love that it's not pigeon-holed into one type of clientele. Pros: Friendly customers, great karaoke, good sound system Cons: Dim lighting, drink prices can be a bit high more

We were looking for Karaoke. On "off nights" we search on that keyword. The fact that it was a gay bar was unknown to us, but wouldn't have kept us from going. We didn't read the reviews in Club Planet since we were in a hurry. Had we done so, we still would have gone. Being fond of Karaoke we were happy that they crowd of singers was light. More times in the "rotation" is mother's milk for Karaoke singers. Three of us attended. Two men and one woman. When it was the woman's turn to sing (even her first time) all of the patrons at the bar except one striking Transvestite and the KJ (Karaoke Jockey) immediately went outside. I didn't notice and our lady gave them the benefit of the doubt figuring they went outside for a smoke (as I said the crowd was thin). The men in our party sang and were well received. The lady in our party is a very accomplished singer who practices diligently and obviously enjoys and loves her music. On her second song, once again the bar emptied out. It was then obvious that she was being insulted. The upshot: NO this club DOES NOT welcome everyone equally! Quite the contrary! We were courteous and appreciative of the other patrons' and bartender's karaoke performances. Many of the singers were really Excellent, and the music mix was quite eclectic. When we left, I paid the tab with my credit card and left a $25 tip. My message to the management and the bartender, "Distribute this amongst your friends. They need to BUY A CLUE, along with some manners!" None of us (in our party) were rude and we are certainly NOT homophobic. My advice to the patrons, "When you leave the closet to go out on the town, don't leave your manners in there. Take them with you!" I wish you all well, but I cannot recommend your club. Pros: Nice big dance floor; Karaoke Cons: rude patrons; bartender allowed (even encouraged) rudeness; expensive drinks more

I'm not sure when the other reviewers went, but I've been on multiple nights over the last few months and haven't found ANY packed, busy or remotely popular things going on at King of Clubs. The most hopping I've seen it was maybe nine people at the same time: most seemed to be of the same group. Drinks are astronomically high: $8.00 for a double-shot drink made with well liquor. The bartenders are friendly but spend more time talking with their friends than enticing you to buy anything else. The multiple theme nights also seem to have died down: I attended two karaoke events hosted by Bruce and one Goth night. The karaoke music was sub-par, the singers retched (go if you want to cringe or have fodder for months) and again, it seemed more like a group of friends (exclusive, not inclusive) than anything else. The goth night had one atttendee, then more of the groups of friends who were exclusive, not inclusive. All in all, the only good thing about this place is its proximity to the Hwy101 in Mountain View. That being said, you could drive to downtown San Jose, pick any of the poolhalls and have ten times the fun for 1/3 the price. Pros: Proximity to Hwy 101 Cons: Expensive drinks, Crappy service, Annoying clientele, Far from clean, Unsafe furniture more

I am new in town and was looking for some good, dark, fun. I found this place on the web and thought what the heck. Was listed as a gay bar, but like any place in California it was pretty much a gay friendly regular bar where everyone was welcome. No stress, cheap door, decent sound, friendly freaks, parking, close to the freeway...what can I say. I hope more people show up as the word gets out about Friday night. I heard wednesday will be going on too. Hope to see more pix at their myspace and tribe sites. good mix of Djs. Pros: Close , local, don't have to drive to SF Cons: can't think of any more

Not large, not trendy, not clean. It's the perfect bar. Since Citysearch requires at least 100 characters for a review, I'm typing this to waste space. Pretty clever huh? Bet you wish you'd thought of this. Pros: Industrial & Karaoke nights Cons: bathrooms more

A great place to meet new people, make new friends, and have a good time. A neighborhood bar that offers more than most clubs and will keep you coming back for more. more

A wonderful place, where you are welcomed with open arms. It does not matter whether you are gay, bi, straight or trannie, you are welcomed and immediately feel right at home. Great music from some of the most wonderful DJ's, that will get you out on the dance floor grooving away. Jenn-0-Cide and Starr will have you out there showing off your best moves! A place where you can dance with the trannie girls, sing your heart out on Karaoke nights, salsa on latin night, see a great performance or just get a little naughty when they have the dungeon. One of the best staff's I have ever seen! they are wonderful! The most wonderful club! more

Simply the best damn alternative club around. Open to everyone. It's welcoming, laid back, and a LOT of fun. Laughter, fun and sexuality without attitude. Absolutely the best. I've been going since they opened and I love the place and the people. Pros: Friendly, Sexy, Fun more

Now called King Of Clubs, this is fun, friendly place to hang out and relax. Pros: Great Bartenders, Karaoke Thurs and Sun, Latin Night Saturdays Cons: Bathroom more

What a great place to hang out and meet new people without being stereotyped! Karaoke is the best and most popular night on Thursdays. Pros: atmosphere, size, fireplace Cons: prices, some of the service, lighting more