Badlands San Francisco

"Walk around the Castro on Friday or Saturday night, and you’ll see that Badlands easily has the longest line—it’s always full of people ready to dance the night away to Charli XCX, Fergie, and the occasional throwback disco hit. It can get super hot and sweaty on the dance floor, and the drinks tend to be a bit watery, so start your night somewhere else on this guide, and arrive here when you’re ready to join the rowdy mess." - ricky rodriguez, peter astrid kane

"The 45-year-old Castro bar institution, Badlands, is back after a three-year hiatus (they shut down in 2020 and just got a facelift). Open until 2am every night, expect Badlands to keep the disco ball spinning and pop music blasting. " - Ricky Rodriguez

"Castro bar and nightclub Badlands returned on October 4 after being dark for three years, per the Bay Area Reporter. Owner Les Natali previously announced the bar would close permanently before reversing course." - Lauren Saria

"Tasting-menu spot from a celeb chef Trois Mec, storied fine dining destination Patina, and brand-name ramen import Ippudo in Los Angeles; trendy and critically acclaimed Chinese-Cajun restaurant Le Sia, decade-old Vietnamese restaurant An Choi, Keith McNally’s FiDi brasserie Augustine, and food hall Gansevoort Market in New York; high-profile sandwich and pastry destination High Street on Market in Philadelphia; longtime cafe Anna Lee’s outside of Atlanta; 40-year-old Acadian Bakery and 36-year-old dive Alice’s Tall Texan in Houston; controversial 45-year-old gay bar Badlands and popular seafood spot Anchor & Hope in SF; and flashy import Dominique Ansel bakery in London." - Amanda Kludt

"Badlands, a Castro District gay bar that’s served sweaty crowds for decades, and Anchor & Hope, a SoMa seafood spot from the folks behind once-buzzy spots like Salt House and Town Hall. Meanwhile, in the Castro, 18th Street nightclub Badlands has announced that it will not reopen when bars without food are allowed to do so, SFist was the first to report. The bar, which began as a brunch and dinner spot in 1975, was transformed into a dance club in 2000 by new owner Les Natali, a prolific Castro property-and-business owner who, for decades, has faced allegations of racial intolerance and discrimination, the Bay Area Reporter reports." - Eve Batey