Blue Moon

needs a serious update and a manager or owner to be on staff when their problems. my partner and I came here while driving home from Elkhart Indiana and there were a lot of issues going on along with a passed out man in front and there was no manager and the poor bartender had to take care of everything we felt bad but we did not stay long so maybe not this is the best place to go to for a relaxing evening.

I've been here twice and did not enjoy my time. It seems like a very popular local gay bar but as a visitor it didn't fit into my ideal of what I like in a gay bar. If you're in the Pittsburgh area I would suggest you visit the place and judge for yourself if you like this type of gay bar or not.

Ive met some really nice, friendly, and wonderful people here. yet its also home to some unfriendly/unwelcoming (& in 1 case abusive) people sorta baked in to blue moon. Im sure the occasional party pooper isnt a big deal but if someone's consistently sour anytime they're not performing, maybe they kinda hate most of the people there and/or being there. Oh and its a small place so expect busy nights to be crowded, possibly stuffy. Sound system cant handle the volume they play at so quality can sound, bad... I wonṭ forgeṭ the great people ive met here though.

Me and my wife stopped in while visiting family to check it the neighborhood because we are considering a move and this place reminds me of my local pub but gay. We loved the vibe enhancing lighting, drag race playing in the background, and most of all, the karaoke DJ. Such a welcoming spirit and made us feel right at home. We wished we could have stayed longer and maybe one day we will!!!! We will be back when we see family again!!!

I used to travel... Which took me to that area I went to this bar....wow! It was amazing 😍 everybody was really nice... they have the back patio area... I am transgender and me and my girl did a show there on Drag night 💋 I miss the Blue Moon and can't wait to go back sometime 😁

I'm looking for the sexy Redhead piper, I guess she won miss trans Pennsylvania ❣️

Such a great place, always a great time with friends and drinks are so good plus awesome shows and music never a dull moment with this crew. Keep up the great times

Really fun drag open mic. Mainly performances that don't get a shot so fun and happy people mainly. Place is smallish stage area with not a lot of room to site or stand which is not great for shows, and even hanging out. There is a back area inside that seems disjointed from every thing else. Atmosphere has always been pretty good so

Me and my girlfriend were walking around Lawrenceville a couple weeks ago hitting up some breweries when all of a sudden she said I need to go to the bathroom. So as we walked by this place and I was like let's go in here and use their restrooms and have a drink. I had no idea it was a gay club at first, but that didn't bother me one bit after I soon found out. I used to go to one with my gay friends in college and I always had a blast. We were greeted by a super friendly bartender who flirted it up with us. He definitely thought we were there to have some fun so we just ate it up and flirted back because people who are comfortable in their sexuality can do that. The place was empty at the time we walked in but started filling up with patrons soon after. Needless to say we ordered a couple drinks and then an older lady came in and sat beside us and boy was she a trip. We chatted it up with her for a good 30 minutes while doing a shot with her. She was a lot of fun and had some great stories. Thanks! This is a cool place and I'd definitely stop back to have a drink and some laughs. Great spot for drinks with excellent service and fun patrons. Cheers :)

Do not miss the drag shows, food, or cheap drinks! They often cater once a week. For show information about the shows, see @cattywampus on Instagram!

Nothing blue about the Blue Moon - it was full of rainbows and sparkles for the holidays. We were visiting Pittsburgh and found this spot for a drink and we had a great time. Friendly staff and customers, welcoming, affordable, a terrific local gay bar. They have drag shows and special events. We will return next time we are in the area.

I haven't been here in a long time, some really mean patron was there (not the bar's fault ) it's change a bit. it seems a little dodgy now. I didn't stay long because it was making me a little depressed.

I love the smell when they microwave pizza . The eggplant rolatini is to die for, a must try.

Awesome gay bar with fabulous entertainment. The be staff is very fun and cool. The shows are always free! Who disent love a free drag show. Wednesdays are the big night out at Blue Moon!

Blue Moon strikes the perfect balance of divey but not dirty, slightly edgy but not unsafe, and unapologetic yet welcoming. There's never a cover, the bartenders and patrons are always friendly, and the space itself is big enough for comfort but small enough to encourage mingling. The crowd here is also truly diverse and different from week to week. Not to be missed are Friday night karaoke (you won't find anyone doing predictable snoozers like Sweet Caroline - the styles and genres people choose are always a fun ride here) and the Saturday night drag shows (Pittsburgh has a LOT of amazing talent, so don't forget your $1s). It's easy to see why Blue Moon is acclaimed and Lawrenceville is lucky to have them. Oh and did I mention the strong drinks? Shameless note to management: the only bottle conspicuously absent from your otherwise well-stocked shelves is Fernet Branca, and the only thing that would make karaoke night even better is a good Fernet and Coke

Welcoming LGBTQIA+ venue, with a slightly artsy, alternative, sort of hipster flair. A pretty common criticism of places in this general vein is that you often feel like an outsider there if you are of any non-straight sexual orientation and gender identity other than strictly gay and male. Not the case at Blue Moon: bisexuals, pansexuals, asexuals, all welcome, as long as you follow basic rules of polite behavior (no instigating a fight, initiating unwanted advances, or giving off intentional signs you're there to cause trouble, although none of that should need to be said) and are respectful to the other patrons - there is even a short poem by the front door making the point that anyone can have a decent time here, and Blue Moon absolutely lives up to it. There's a healthy mix of friendliness and a no-questions-asked attitude at this establishment that says a lot in its favor. While I can not speak to this from experience (and I will leave that to someone who can), Blue Moon also has a reputation as one of the venues in the city that is most hospitable to transgender and nonbinary clientele. If you are a trivia geek, this place regularly has Jeopardy on TV on weekdays and the staff and customers treat it with much the same enthusiasm that many other venues treat Sunday night football. Strong, colorful cocktails and staffed by affable, quick-witted, and observant bartenders who can always keep up an excellent and entertaining conversation. 5/5 stars.

Not a bad place. For an early Friday night, it was pretty quiet. We just walked right in and got drinks. We noticed later that the door person was checking temps for Covid, but they didn't do it when we were walking in. Drag race was on so there was nothing else really going on in the bar except everyone watching the show. We were waiting for the karaoke to start, but decided to head out before it got started.

Could the staff at Blue Moon be any nicer? I doubt it! I decided on a whim to stop in last night to see an extended family member who is a performer while they were there. It was my first time going on a Saturday night performance night and I didn't expect that the bar would be THE place to be! WOW. It was awesome. Since We didn't plan ahead and waited until the kiddo's were in bed, the bar was already filled to capacity when we arrived. Line at the door. My cousin & I found the majority of those in line to be high spirits, patient, friendly, & calm despite the wait. It was a really merry & upbeat crowd. And that was before we entered for the special event! The doorman was quite nice and I gained quite a bit of respect for Blue Moon when I got to the front of the line. I was at the front of the door for about 10-15 minutes. I could have gone in at one point when there was room for one but was waiting for my cousin to be able to enter. And so here's what I observed & my thoughts. So I have some family members who are well know entertainers. They play shows locally and nationally. So I tend to get invited to shows and know their crew. I also have my own personal connections to neighborhood staff & business owners. I'm not trying to brag or anything. I'm just trying to explain my own beliefs in how individuals should behave when they have a connection to a show. Its my opinion that it's inappropriate to go to the front of the line & demand to be let in immediately and have a hissy fit when a place is at capacity and other people have been waiting for a long time. What I saw last night at Blue Moon was this- Multiple times people tried to cut the line and enter while the bar was at capacity. The doorman was still nice to those individuals but stated to everyone that the door policy is that all patrons having equality when the bars at capacity. Who you know, your gender, preference, relationships, etc, all won't give anyone special treatment over someone else who has been waiting. Which I think is really cool. I saw a couple people try to pull the special treatment card at the front door last night & the Blue Moon staff wouldn't have anything to do with it. It was really cool of the door staff to treat all of their guests equally AND state that all of their guests are import and equal. It might sound like a small silly thing but that's important. After entering the show last night was AMAZING. I can't say enough about it. As always the bar manager runs an amazing bar. I was at the bar and a patron that I don't know accidentally knocked over my drink. The bartender immediately cleaned up the spilled drink, handed me a napkin in case anything was on my jeans, and double checked the drink that I had been drinking to replace the drink they had just made me.

Great decor and very friendly bartender. And best of all, LGBTQ friendly! Only came in for one drink but I hope to be back the next time I'm in Pittsburgh!

Tonight, is Karaoke night with Eddie and great bartenders. Tomorrow night is New Year's Eve, every year that I've gone, it's been a blast. Great entertainers on Saturday night, something/someone for everyone. The Shot guys are a great nuance to the bar. Performers are top-notch entertainers, with Wednesday night being the "talent" night. Your chance to win some $$$ bring on your best performance. Holidays are jam packed so come early with lots of $1's. Halloween and special nights like "Spice Girl Night" "Bowie Night" and even "The Witch Show" are yearly traditions at Blue Moon. House Queens are phenomenal. Blue Moon encourages new talent as well as bringing in more traditional talent from Pittsburgh's Icons. Yes, it's a Pittsburgh Dive Bar, but don't be fooled because it's also historically been Pittsburgh's best gay bar straight for 7 years. It's great to come alone and sit and talk to bartenders during down time, as well as it's great to be a wall flower on Jam-Packed nights like "The Witch Show." Don't be afraid to talk to people at Blue Moon, because they certainly make everyone feel welcomed. Blue Moon aims to please and show you some hospitality.

Aubrey Plaza just gave this bar a shoutout on the Stephen Colbert show!! She said "it was one of the best bars I have ever been to. "

Awesome bar! There are so many amazing drag queens and performers! There is also amazing service. The drinks are on point. Everyone is so nice and the performances are great! If you're looking for an awesome gay bar this is the place!

I always have fun when I'm at Blue Moon. Whether it's to stop in for a quick drink after work or to see friends performing. Drink prices are average.

Fun fun times. Visiting the Pittsburgh area for a quick weekend getaway for football. We love drag so we were found this spot online what an amazing dive bar. The drag was definitely different and we had an awesome time and we met some great people. The drinks were great, priced well and the bartenders extremely cool. Once the drag show got started the place got crazy packed and that's when the real fun started. We are big RuPaul Drag Race watchers so we knew Sharon Needles season 4 winner and we've met Alaska Thunderfuck a few times in Jersey. Anyway very cool place to visit if you're in the area.

A bar on a Friday night, sure thing, why not. I figured it would be funny to go to Blue Moon during the blue moon. I haven't been to this place in a while, so of course I forgot that they have karaoke night on Fridays. I'm not a huge fan of karaoke...that is until I get a few in me and then I find it entertaining to watch people attempt their favorite songs in front of complete strangers. Maybe it's the meaning of the word derived from Japanese that makes it excruciating to watch at first (empty orchestra). After about two drinks I was able to tolerate it. The main area is a bit cramped when a show or karaoke is going on. Typical bar set up with stools around the bar. A few tables dot the area. Hard to find a place to just stand if you don't get there early. There is another area in the back that is more for just mingling than the front. A couch to lounge on, some high top tables and a smaller bar that I assume when they are super busy is in use. A small outside patio is out the back door. The bartenders were super courteous. I had gone up to the bar and ordered another round of drinks for my friend and I from one bartender and another bartender was right there to see if I needed anything. When I pointed to my beer to indicate that I was taken care of already he thought that meant I wanted another one. I attempted to apologize and pay for the extra beer and the bartender refused to take my money for the second beer. Of course that meant I was double fisting for a moment there, but all was good. As entertaining as this place can be, I doubt I would be a regular here. Not a good enough vibe for me, but I will return on a sporadic basis.

While Blue Moon may be considered a dive bar, I still think it's a step up from somewhere like Lucky's. However, just because it's "nicer" doesn't mean it's better. While I enjoy coming here, I couldn't see myself visiting for anything other than a drag show. Aside from the entertainment, there isn't much else of a pull to get me through the doors. Yeah, the drinks are cheap and the service is friendly, but not much else stands out. It's really not a bad place to go, but there are other places I'd rather go. There is a front bar (which is the biggest room) with plenty of seating options at the bar or at tables, a back room with more seating and a pool table and a smaller outdoor patio with some more seating and a way to escape the heavy smoke inside. As I mentioned above, their drag shows are always entertaining. I've seen a Christmas in July show as well as a Spice Girls one. I even heard they did a Britney tribute show once before! Their performers are always very unique and come in a wide variety. I would definitely check their schedule and stop by when there is a performance.

Here visiting from Texas. We showed up at the bar and walked right by the bartender on the way in as he was outside having a cigarette. We were standing at the bar for 5 minutes with no barkeep in sight. We walked to the back hoping to find a second bar top in the establishment, to no avail. We scurried back to the bar in front only to continue to wait for the barkeep to saunter back in from his break. We ordered our drink, I had a local bottled brew and my partner had an Angry Orchard that tasted like the lines in their draft beer hadn't been cleaned since before prohibition. I would highly recommend not wasting your time going to this establishment. We had 1/2 our drink and left. I gave 1 star out of pity. If negative stars were an option it would have definitely earned that.

I've never had a bad night at this bar, ever. Four Loko be damned, I've had some wild nights I can't even remember. Karaokee on Friday is awesome. Drag shows there will never disappoint. The bartenders are ALL sweet and helpful. The prices are just awesome.

My mom always said that drag queens have more fun. With that in mind I decided to spend New Year's Eve at the Blue Moon. There were two firsts for me that night. It was my first Four Loko. Halfway through the can my friend asked me why I was looking at him funny, and I answered, "I feel scared and excited like a balloon." What does that mean? I don't know, but it's a pretty accurate description of how drinking half a can of Four Loko makes you feel. There's a good reason that the bartender tells you with a gentle voice, "Honey, I can only serve you one of those." Second, I sang karaoke. I've wanted to do karaoke for as long as I've been going out to bars and even though I'm no wallflower, the idea of me singing in public just seems wrong (more like cruel). Now, I won't deny the Four Loko and NYE mood contributed in their own special ways to me finding my voice, but I think the encouragement of strangers at the bar is what really got me on stage. And then all the hugs and air kisses and people singing along kept me up there. Like all dives it's dark and sort of run-down and has cheap drinks, but it also has a very warm and friendly crowd that will make you feel instantly comfortable. They also do one-off events; last week there was an all-you-can-eat vegan pierogi night for $8. So, you know, if you only get to have one gay bar in your neighborhood, at least it's the Blue Moon.

Arguably one of the most culturally important bars in our city. Best place for drag, karaoke, and the bar staff couldn't be more welcoming. Drinks are cheap, atmosphere relaxed, patrons polite. One of my favorite places.

it is like some trashy old homo went into my brain and put all my favorite things in one building. A dive bar with cheap drinks, porn, karaoke, and Haus of Haunt. I went here every night during my vacation in Pittsburgh for the premiere of Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race. Every night was a different event, but all were simply delightful.

I just moved to Philadelphia and I am convinced that I will never find a place like this again. I love this bar and the people in it so much and they have become like a family to me. Some of the greatest friendships I will ever have started here. As for the bar itself, the staff are wonderful people, the drinks are inexpensive, and the crowd is friendly and accepting. I have been going here once or twice a week for the past year and very seldom has there been a problem with the patrons. Just go. You will love it.

I liked it. I have to admit that when I came out I didn't like the T in GLBT, and wished they would go off and have their own equal rights movement. I'm glad I evolved. This bar provides a nice setting to hang out and have a few drinks with some of the most individual, quirky, unique and innately beautiful brothers and sisters in the Burgh. The bartenders were polite and friendly, even to my drunk ass companions, and me (the driver) just standing around taking up space. Drinks were reasonable and quite generous. (Too generous, which for many is a plus!) They were cute too. Patrons are the reason to go though. From the hot girl with the purple weave, to the 7 foot tall lady who greeted us and knew I had never been in before, to the young fellow who I suspect had a vagina - this place should have been where Gaga filmed her video for "Born This Way."

Best gay bar in town. Great energy, a safe place for queer folk. Drag night on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Karaoke on Fridays! Drinks are cheap!

Simply the best drag shows in Pittsburgh. Come on Thursdays for a more lowkey performance or on Saturdays for a packed house, just make sure to get there early because the bar is small and there will be a line outside if they hit capacity, which they usually do around show time (midnight) on Saturday. They mean it when they say NEVER a cover and the drinks are cheap, so make sure to bring singles to tip the queens! My absolute favorite place to go out in Pittsburgh.

Tgirls, trannys and some transsexuals meet here on Saturdays. I went. Sometimes there is a drag show. I am not into the shows, but I do love to be with other tgirls. Its more of a gay crowd, but they welcome everyone.

This place is everything I love in a bar. It's unapologetic, divey and cheap. They have different events depending on the night from drag shows to karaoke and the crowd is always fun. I've never had a bad time here wether it's packed wall to wall or a random weeknight with only a few other people. As far as gay bars go this is one of best in Pittsburgh not just Lawrenceville - just a no frills, inclusive place to have a drink.

Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders, and drag queens - It doesn't get any better than this!!! Beware though that it does get a little smoky inside, so plan on getting your clothes dry cleaned afterwards. Totally worth it though.

I walked in. It smelled like a smokey bar from 1995. I asked if they allowed smoking, and the doorman proudly said "yes". So, we walked right back out and went elsewhere. Shame, because I'd have loved some karaoke. I'm just not willing to tolerate swimming through an ashtray for it, though.

This is the gay Pittsburgh scene that I believe is the truest representation of our wonderful city. Always a friendly non pretentious crowd here. I always feel welcomed here. The entertainment is always amazing. Not just good. Like they should charge a cover, awesome. I cannot WAIT to come back for another comedy night!!!!! It was such a riot! I can't wait to come back

Love Andy and the staff! Always feel welcome. The drag shows are the opposite of a drag. Eddiokie gets Fridays pumping! Great neighborhood LGBTQ bar! PLUS THEY HAVE A PATIO! And a killer jukebox. Nuff said.

Best drag show!!! Alcohol is cheap. Great atmosphere and super nice bartenders. The drag shows are what get the place going! It usually consists in about 5 queens performing and lip sync to (99% of the time) crowd favorite hits. Awesome LGBT dive bar. Friday and Saturdays are always packed. I definitely recommend stopping by when visiting Pittsburgh.

Just recently went to Blue Moon to see the Spice Girls drag show! I loved it! The show was wonderful and entertaining with music from the 90s!The drinks were reasonably priced and the diverse crowd (especially the performers!) were very welcoming and talkative. There were a lot of people smoking indoors, which was a little overwhelming for a non smoker in such a small area. There were pool tables and couches located in the back of bar right before the patio entrance, which was not as crowded. There is a cute outside area where you can get some fresh air, but it was pretty filled with people and didn't give you a whole lot of room, although it was nice to have a patio to sit outside on! Overall, it was a fun bar that offered a great night full of reasonably priced drinks and entertainment!

Probably the funnest gay bar in Pittsburgh. The crowd is also diverse: lesbians, gays, drag, trans, straight- and everyone is there to just have a good time. I know a couple of the bartenders there- and they are super nice and laid back. The drinks are cheap, strong (the long islands are in like 24oz cups and deadly). The drag show is generally not my scene but still a fun highlight if you're going with a group of friends and have strolled over from Remedy after a few drinks. The outdoor patio in the back is great in the summer, and pool tables in the back room is where I'm usually at. Overall, good people, good drinks, and a good time.

This is generally a fun bar with a diverse and friendly crowd of all ages--and cheap drinks. Not sure I'll be hurrying back though after how rude a bartender was to me this evening. I ordered five drinks and was only charged $2.75 when I went to close my tab. I guess I should have kept quiet and gone on my way, but I tried explaining to the bartender that there was an error and I was sure I owed more. He actually barked "well, I don't know what you want me to do about it" in response. I thought he misheard me, so I repeated that I needed to pay for five drinks and was only charged for one, to which he responded even more rudely than before. So I paid for my one drink + tip and quickly left--absolutely dumbfounded. I can't imagine how this guy is going to react if the person who gets charged for my four other drinks dares to question it. WTF?

Great bar open and friendly. A definite for Pittsburg. Yes its a gay bar but it don't matter here.

it's fun and lively place to hang out with friends and Lawrenceville. They have entertainment pretty much every night, open stage, karaoke, drag shows, bartenders are awesome. Prices are reasonable.

Came here on a Thursday and the bartender was so nice A great happy hour special and a nice atmosphere!

What a great bar! What a gay bar! Having been here a number of times for the drag shows, Blue Moon is one of those places you never forget... All the perks of a classic Burgh dive bar, plus weird gay touches.

It seems like a decent little bar, the decor is gorgeous, I just went there during Pride and it was SUPER packed, which was a little uncomfortable. It's an extremely friendly crowd whether you are gay/straight/bi/trans/cis/whatever, so it's definitely worth dropping in!

as a straight person, i had a blast here. my friend and i stopped by for open stage. it had a mix of everything from drags to people singing. everyone was having a good time & they were so friendly. we ended up making a few new friends. overall i had a great time. I ordered a few captain & cokes. They were in normal bar glasses rather than those tiny ones. The drink was strong and a good deal for $8.

pomegranate long island ice teas are very gourmet for this hidden gem in lawrenceville. Double shot cocktails are nothing to mess around with either - make sure to call a cab! Staff is WONDERFUL and down to earth. There is also a cute, quaint back porch if you want a more intimate setting before winter swings through...

Great place to hang out with friends and possibly meet new ones...very relaxed and layed back bar. I visit there every time I return to the burgh...

I've never found a bar so welcoming to so many different kinds of people, who oddly enough all seem to get along! I'm a lezzer but I bring my straighties with me and even a few gay boys... Sometimes it's hard not to stare at all the penises on the video projector but if you're not easily offended (in a Puritanical way), this place is for you too.

Only been here twice but I agree the drinks are hefty and the bartenders are super cool.

Fun and diverse crowd, friendly and attentive bartenders, and inexpensive drinks. This is a great neighborhood bar with fun shows also.