Detail for Woodward Cocktail Bar : Bar

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It was 11:55 p.m. December 23, 1973. I would turn 18 at midnight and it was my first time in a gay bar. My friend who brought me introduced me to the owner, Andy Karagas, and mentioned both that it was my first gay bar and that I was turning 18. Much to my horror, Andy revved up his engines, turned to the bartender and screamed at the top of his lungs: "BUY THE QUEEN A DRINK!!!!!! She's finally 18 !!!!! Oh God. - MEP, 09/06/2010

The woodward that is now 55 years old, still owned by the Karagas family, is just as great as the day it opened. What I liked the most is the security. Great burgers, and best long islands in town. love the bartenders Jeff and Oscar very attentive. Serves food til 130am every night. Stop in for eats and meets - Rick, 09/12/2005

first time I was in the Woodward..went into shock..up to that time, I thought there were only 5 other gay guys in the world...I was wrong...always a party someplace after closing time...borrowed a car from a guy there one night..wanted to return it..realized I didnt have a clue where he lived...had to go back at 3 a.m. and one of the cleaners knew ... I am not sure I knew the car owner's name...greatest steerburgers.... - kerry byrne, 12/05/2002

Folks, this is a gay bar. Why list it if you're not going to publish this highly important feature. - Martha Stewart, 05/07/2001

If this is the same bar I used to visit, it is on the West side of Woodward just up from Grand Boulevard. At lunchtime it used to cater to business people working in the old GM Building and the Fisher Building. One night a businessman and his wife dropped in, probably after a movie. The waitress, whose name was Betty said, 'Oh, it's boys only tonite'. As far as the clientele knew, it was boys only each and every night. It was so popular and crowded that the bartender used to get tipped off about inspections by the fire department. A bunch of people would have to go out the back door and hang around on the streets til the firemen left.You could barely move, the place was so crowded. If this is the same bar I'm thinking of, and I'm pretty sure it is, it claims to be the oldest continually operating gay bar in the U.S.A. The Woodward opened in 1951, so this year is its 50th anniversary. I thought that Julius in Greenwich Village was older, but maybe not. Maybe the Woodward is the oldest continually operating bar. It must have taken nerve or friends in the right places, to open in 1951. There were only three gay bars that I know of in the 1950s and 60s: The Woodward, the Blue Crest a few blocks away, and the Ten Eleven, downtown. The latter was fairly sleazy and was loaded with vice cops who tried to entrap customers. But the Woodward didn't have any trouble. The owners must have gotten rich. The waitress I mentioned, Betty, used to make fantastic money in tips and she laughed that she never had to put up with guys grabbing her or being obnoxious. The Woodward is definitely a part of Detroit's history. - Ron, 05/05/2001

I remember the Woodward as THE place to go back in the early 60s. It was packed Monday through Friday and definitely the place to see and be seen. Lots of happy memories from Andy's place - (also, later on - THE SUBMARINE - anyone remember that? I'm glad to know it's still there. - Gabriel_Barry, 04/30/2001

Tell us about your experience at Woodward Cocktail Bar
1 planet: Below par, skip it.
2 planets: Has redeeming facets.
3 planets: Decent, worth checking out.
4 planets: Excellent, we'll be back.
5 planets: Stellar .. out of this world!
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