Steff D.
Yelp
If it were possible to scoop up an entire establishment (including it's physical space, the people who work there, the people who hang out there, the vibe/atmosphere, the dancing, the karaoke... everything about the place, really) hide it my very large purse, and smuggle it through customs... I would totally do it. I've never wanted to steal a business out of a city and bring it to my own like I do with Notre Dame Des Quilles!
I know it's touted as one of the best lesbian bars in town, but I found it to be both GLBTS and hipster-friendly. It's also considered a dive bar - historically, a place I try and avoid. One of the reasons why I don't tend to go to anything categorized as a "dive bar" is because I understand there will be a serious level of exclusivity involved. Regulars will wonder who I am and why I'm there; NDQ is the exception to that rule. Everyone (both staff and customers) was SOOOOO friendly, and SOOOO accepting, and SOOOOO nonjudgmental, and SOOOOOO laid back... I couldn't get over it. Folks were singing karaoke very, very badly yet people were genuinely cheering them on, or singing along in a show of solidarity, or being back up dancers during performances. I've honestly never seen anything so supportive in my life (it was also the ONLY time in my existence that I actually felt comfortable enough to attempt karaoke... [un]fortunately my name never got called!). For the few hours we were there, I didn't feel like I was in a room with strangers insecurely sizing up everyone around them, but of awesome individuals who wanted to skip past my whole life story just so that we could get to the heart of our new relationship: being friends (you can't laugh at me for that corny statement because NDQ is a No Judgment Zone; so there!).
The beers were big and cold, the lighting was dark and moody, and I couldn't have been happier to find myself there. Definitely one of my new favorite bars in the world!