Hardware

Always a good time at Hardware, especially if Shequida is performing. The bartenders aren’t usually the friendliest (why I’m giving 4 stars). The server however is very sweet. Drinks are reasonable priced and there’s usually a large selection, but they definitely tend to be on the weaker side. Unlike places like Pieces, this venue is large and features a lot of seating as well as 2 bathroom options which is great. Overall, I recommend, especially for their nightly drag shows.

Go here to dance!! Went at around 10PM on a Friday night, and the dance floor was kinda dead until around 11PM, and then people really showed up. Drinks were not the strongest, but tasty, and the dance floor was huge and atmospheric. Also, great bathroom, and drag on and off. Definitely coming back!

Nestled in Hell’s Kitchen, Hardware NYC delivers intimate drag performances and solid hospitality. A smaller crowd on a rainy Thursday night made the experience more personal and enjoyable. Ambience: Chill and cozy vibes. Despite the smaller turnout, the bar’s energy didn’t disappoint. Decor: Classic and understated, with a focus on the stage for performances. Crowd: Low-key due to the weather, but this made for a more intimate experience. Drinks: Good service with attentive bartenders who ensure patrons are well cared for. Entertainment: The highlight of the evening was the drag shows. Sabel Scities delivered an electrifying performance that left the crowd wanting more. They rotate drag performers daily, so there's always something new to see. Music: Complementary to the performances and not overpowering. Pro Tips: Check the lineup for drag shows ahead of time to catch your favorites. Even if the crowd is small, the quality of the entertainment makes up for it. Overall: Hardware NYC shines with its stellar drag performances and excellent service. It’s a cozy spot to enjoy a fun night out, even on quieter evenings.

I've come here after BARS kickball now twice (Sunday afternoons) and I've had a good experience. Bartenders were friendly enough and the place is well air-conditioned. Each time the prices were good, especially getting a 16-ounce Blue Moon for $5 (unheard of). I also appreciate that there's way more space and indoor seating here than at DBL. It seems to me that this place is well suited for a relaxed, social drinking experience with simple highballs or draft beer; I haven't been on a Friday or Saturday night looking to dance and I haven't ordered a signature cocktail, so I can't speak on that

My favorite bartender is Steven M. First off he is an amazing bartender and does his job so well. Always knows my drink before I come thru the door. Secondly he is an amazing person and human being. One of the greatest people I know

One of the best drag bars in NYC! As both an event planner and patron on many of these establishments, I find Hardware to be the most friendly bartenders and servers. Drag shows every night, but my personal favorites are Broadway Mondays and Thursday KnockOut.

Disappointing Experience at Hardware I recently visited Hardware with high hopes for a fun night out, but unfortunately, it turned into quite the opposite. I was excited to try their signature cocktails, but what I received instead felt like a letdown. Security is a very nice guy. The bartender is a loser I hope he gets fired for his vodka cocktails when you ask for a Negroni The bartender seemed to have a different idea of quality. The drinks tasted off, almost as if they were made with cheap substitutes rather than the fresh ingredients promised on the menu. It left me questioning the integrity of the establishment and the honesty of the staff. To my shock, when I raised my concerns about the quality of the cocktails, I was met with disbelief. It escalated to the point where I was asked to leave the venue, simply because I am a woman. This disrespectful treatment was not only unacceptable but also deeply frustrating. I felt marginalized and dismissed, as if my voice didn’t matter. Every customer deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of gender. I believe that Hardware should reflect on its policies and ensure that all patrons receive fair treatment. Perhaps some training on inclusivity and customer service could help restore trust and create a more welcoming atmosphere. I hope my experience was just an unfortunate anomaly, and that future guests do not encounter the same issues.

Still one of my favorite gay bars in Hells Kitchen, just because it is who it is. Not pretentious, just an everyday crowd, gorgeous and funny drag queens, and fun and personable bartenders. They have happy hour specials and plenty of space with the stage and DJ at the back.

Steven has to be the best bartender in NYC! You don't even have to ask for another drink, he's already got it ready for you and in front of you, and with a big smile as well. There are usually shows going on at the back of the bar, which you can go to see or stay in the front if you prefer not to. The bartenders are all easy on the eyes and extremely friendly. A great place to meetup with friends in Hell's Kitchen!

This is like being thrown into the depths of hell. I read about this place, thinking it would be a welcome change, but, boy, was I ever wrong. First of all, the sign out front is misleading; it says two-for-one happy hour, but only for margaritas and long-island iced teas. Imagine my surprise (and, most assuredly, no one has heard of Holly Near, Cris Williamson, or Meg Christian at this place--just Beyoncé--when the bartender charged us $21 ($10 tip) for two drinks, then $19 ($5 tip) for the next round). Do you call this happy hour? And to have to put up with shrieking, common-as-all-get-out drag queens acting like complete morons at 6 PM? Never again will I set foot in this den of decidedly idiotic philistines (yes, that means shitheads). The only redemption was the functional air conditioning.

I didn't try the food but the ambiance was amazing! We were visiting from LA and did not know what to expect but we loved our experience. Service was attentive and quick also.

Love it here. Perfect if you want a chill happy hour drink after work or if you're wanting to dance into the night on a weekend. Fun drag shows and always pumping pop music. Steven, Anthony, Tom and Greg will always treat you well!

More than anything, Hardware is the kind of bar you can make your "safe place". The staff is beyond professional and extremely friendly and will go the extra mile to make you feel safe and comfortable. This place has become a "home" and without a doubt, one of the best bars in NYC.

Hardware is a Hell Kitchen's bar that has a good drinks, a great beer selection, and plenty of entertainment during the week (esp. when Ru Paul's Drag Race is on). However, what make Hardware truly shine is its service. I would give it's service a rating of 6 out of 5 stars if I could. Why? If you are looking for a bar with truly friendly bartenders, Hardware is your spot. Every single Friday that I'm there, the bartenders greet me with a smile and remember my preferred drink! Plus, they are super welcoming to all. Definitely recommend stopping by. And if you live in HK, highly recommend that you make this one of your regular bar stops.

Cheap and strong drinks + fun drag shows = winner in my book. A great spot for drag any night of the week!

Came here alone after a show to wind down. A colleague whose partner usually frequented Hardware recommended the bar. Sat down close to the bar in view of the drag show that was happening in the back. Eventually migrated towards the back to sit with the rest of the show-goers. Lots of fun with the queens--lip syncing, no-bars Q&A between the drag queens and the audience, and free shots! Patrons and bartenders were friendly. 5/5. Would love to come back whenever I'm back in NYC!

Great bar with a lot of comfortable seating to choose from. As an introvert, I am elated with the relaxed vibe I get when ordering from the bartenders.

Hardware is a staple Friday hang!! If you're in need of great music, cool drag shows and somewhere to watch Drag Race head over asap. If you want amazing drinks to go with the vibe ask for Steven.

One of my go to gay bars. Great crowd, great music and great bartenders (Steven especially)

Nice gay bar, and I have not real complaints. Anthony is a pretty nice and friendly bartender. I came on a Friday night, but it was not too busy. I guess it was too early in the evening (around 5-6 pm) for the true party folks. I could not really get a feel/vibe for the place because there were about seven people hanging out, and three of those were folks who worked (or used to work) at the bar. I guess this means that the bar has a nice vibe if workers are willing to hang out there on their days off. Hardware definitely is worth it for a quick drink or eight.

I lived down the street & spent a lot of time at Hardware for nearly 5 years. After moving, Hardware is still one of my go to spots for going out. This is your friendly neighborhood gay bar that turns out strong drinks, stronger friendships, and fierce drag shows (and queens). Hardware never disappoints & you'll always have a good time & find positive vibes. This place gets busy on the weekends so if you're looking to dance & have fun you will. If you go here at 11pm on a Saturday night looking for a quiet cocktail... stay towards the back by the entrance and you'll have the vibe you need. Love the staff, love the bar, love the queens, love the vibes.

As gay bars go, it's really just another day bar. Nothing particularly good or bad. The venue seemed clean. It was fairly crowded but a small space overall. Although almost all the gay bars in New York are quite small.

I went to this bar with friends and some guy pushed me while I was going to go to the bathroom. This guys friend then follows me to bathroom and harasses me telling me his friend is the dj for Saturday nights. He also asked me if I wanted to say something to him for pushing me since I was smaller than him. This made me feel very uncomfortable so I told him I would take my money elsewhere. He then pushes me while I leave. I left the bar feeling terrible. Not a nice place avoid if possible, my opinion.

Several drinks added to the check that were not ordered. what is the point of taking a person's info to start tab if you are going to let other people order under someone else's name

I came in on a slow afternoon just to kill time, & I'm so glad I did. It's a gay bar, & I felt SO comfortable & welcomed regardless. I had the best time being served by Philip & Steven, who not only poured strong drinks but also gave me some free candy! I had such an enjoyable afternoon and I will definitely be back. Thanks Hardware!

Whenever I visit NYC, I always swing by Hardware! Always a fun time and the bartenders are solid.

I paid 18 dollars for a martini served in a plastic cup I would use to drink water from my bathroom. So many better options in the neighborhood. Avoid this bar at all costs!

Awesome bar with amazing service! The ambiance is wonderful and the bartenders are the best!!

Love Hardware. And the bartenders are sexy. And kind.

Great bar! Great service. Steven was amazing. (And hot ). Drinks were strong, and decent priced. 10/10 would recommend!

Hardware is a special place for me and my friends. The bartenders are great, Tom and Steven especially, and are a big reason why we keep coming back week after week.

Our friends and I come to Hardware every single week, and we all look forward to our happy hours. The bartenders, Steven and Tom, are always extremely friendly and quick with their service. The crowd that generally shows up is easy to talk to, the music is on point, and they play RuPaul's Drag Race with everyone cheering along. Highly recommended you stop by to see everyone.

A good gay bar. They have good happy hour specials and I've never had a rude bartender. The place can get pretty packed on weekend nights. The space is pretty narrow at the bar and it can be tough to get through to the back or find a spot to get in and order a drink. They have TVs and will put on some fun movies and videos.

Hard pass for Hardware. Went here for a friend's birthday. He's lovely - but this place was not. They absolutely overcharged my card on my first -- and LAST -- visit here. I ordered a round of $5 Happy Hour drinks for three of us when we first walked in ($15). You better believe that they conveniently did not come around for our drink order until after Happy Hour was over about ten minutes after we arrived. I proceeded to order two vodkas on ice after HH was over, which each cost me $9 per drink (I made sure to ask the bartender for clarification on the cost, as others were quoted varying prices in our group) so that equals $18 for those two drinks. I should have been charged $33 total, but instead got a check for $38.11. Even if it was somehow some sort of tax because I used a card (LAME, and also, you should tell patrons that beforehand), the tab doesn't make sense at all. At some point, they clearly overcharged me on drinks or added one to my check, and for a venue that was already overpriced, louder than loud, and with only ONE working toilet, that extra $5 really does make all the difference.

The bartender made sure I knew I wasn't welcome there with his attitude. I looked around and noticed I was a minority. Once I saw how he treated gay white male patrons, the contrast was apparent. Will not go back ever.

Hardware...you truly won me over. One of the first nights that my husband and I were in NYC, we decided to look for a gay bar in the area that we were staying to have some fun and drink some cocktails. In our search, we decided to check out Hardware, and thankfully we did, as we went back every night that we were in NYC. Hardware has shows with drag queens on a nightly basis, and the drag queens are truly fun, engaging, and polished. On top of lip-syncing and dancing, the drag queens interacted with the audience and made sure that everyone was having a good time. Hardware surely knows how to line up some good talent! As far as the drinks that Hardware provides...do they do handmade cocktails that are out of this world? No. However, if you are looking for your generic cocktails and you are looking to see a fun show, then this is the place to go. Definitely some place we will return to on our next trip to NYC!

Yes a basic drink in a small plastic cup was $15, yes I was shocked and disgusted at that price BUT Tina Burner was performing and I would pay more just to see her so it was a trade-off. The entertainment area is extremely small so we stood by the bathroom but I was still entranced- without that performer or someone of that level I would have 0 reason to come back here however.

Great place for drinks, dancing and meeting amazing people Go and visit steven for happy hour every weds from 12pm to 9pm $4 well drinks, beers, and wine $5 stoli drinks

HK staple. I highly recommend any of their drag shows. I've seen some of the funniest, most talented queens perform here. Also one of my favorite places to go dance, DJ 2Face knows what his audience wants to hear

I was kicked out after contesting the $10 added for "vodka" for each drink i bought for friends. Yes I was drinking, but I can read an itemized receipt. Don't try to pull ins (or 3) over on me.

I frequent Broadway Mondays and the really tall bartender is always so kind, which is very refreshing in gay nightlife! Also, the dorky cute geeky guy, Rob, is nice/funny

Hardware used to be so great. What happened? I want to support my local LGBTQ+ businesses, but $9 for a foamy Bud Light draft served in a plastic cup is INSANE. Especially for a bar on 10th Ave where there are a dozen cheaper and equally enjoyable gay options along the walk there. The bartender couldn't be bothered to look up from his phone during the mostly deserted happy hour. Just not a friendly neighborhood vibe, which is what the design would suggest and what my past experiences were. The drag show was terrific but I don't think I would go back given the prices and the service.

Interesting place...very eclectic crowd. Drinks are reasonable, bartenders are friendly. Sometimes when they have the front window/garage door open it can get a little warm inside. The front part is very bar like, then there's a weird middle part and then a loungey back part that usually isn't opened til later. From a branding standpoint, I'm not sure what their differentiating proposition would be. It just seems like kind of a generic place, which has its pluses and minuses. You can sort of make it what you want but the fact that it lacks a distinctive personality sort of puts it out of your head when you're thinking of places to go. I've only ever come here with a group of friends so we're in our own little world anyway, but the music is decent and we have fun so how can I complain?

Visited Hardware last night and had a blast! We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather and fantastic drinks. Our server was Philip and he was awesome!! He made sure we had everything g we needed, he chatted with us, and made us feel right at home! So fun! Can't wait to visit again.

Not bad at all, but you know what this place needs? A Real Housewives viewing party hosted by Barbara. She's in. We'll come. Thanks in advance.

It's always been a fun bar, however recently the "newer" bartenders have been skimping on the liquor, for instance a Vodka Cranberry should NOT be this RED and WEAK. Definitely lacking liquor, his tip will reflect my unhappiness

Hardware Bar NY: Manhattan: Hells Kitchen 9pm Friday 4th June 2016 Four Stars After dinner at Obao, we hopped on over to Hardware. Its the Westside equivalent to the Toolbox on the UES. The place was pretty filled up but still easy to get a drink. I had a couple Vodka Sodas for a pretty reasonable price. The drink came in a plastic hurricane glass. The bartender called me "sweetie" and "babe." They were playing SNL's Superstar on the flatscreen TV. This was a great stopping off point for the rest of the night.

Bartenders spend most of their time on their phones ignoring customers or chatting only with patrons they personally known. Not welcoming. I work in the liquor promotion industry and if I were managing this bar I would fire all the staff and write new standards for bartending. This is pathetic example of happy hour. Lazy and conceited. Yes you look nice in your acid washed jeans now do your freaking job!

Great drag performance! Will definitely plan on coming back when I return to the city!

I went to about five bars in my last trip to NYC & this one was my absolute favorite. The staff were friendly, the drinks were great and priced well, and the vibes were just *chef kiss. The drag show was everything, the DJ was amazing, and it was just damn good time. Literally will be the first place I hit up when I am back.

Bad experience with bartender , ordered 7 shots of tequila... when I tipped by mistake I left less than I thought I was leaving. When returned for more limes he confronted me why I left that little. I did admit mistake and actually changed the bill I thought I had left. Asked for lime I got a # seriously"? At this point I could've escalated..He demanded 20% for pouring 7 shots. I left him 30%. But the people around me were astounded. The place is nice but managers hire good customer service bartenders above nice pecs. It was my birthday

Out of the 5 nights spent in NYC, pretty sure at least 4 of these nights included an appearance at Hardware. Not only was it 2 blocks from our place but it was also so much fun! Out of all the gay clubs/bars in the area, I found Hardware to be the most welcoming with a great crowd of people. Everyone here was looking to have a good time and meet new people which was very refreshing. I will say that I have also never been so flattered in my life as at least five times a night I had some random guys tell me how beautiful I was...... I mean who doesn't love compliments! Can't say I hated it. The entertainment here is also great. Just about every night (if not every night) they have a drag performance/show. All the shows/performances that we saw were hilarious, engaging, and very entertaining. A lot of the NYC queens from the current season of RuPaul also perform here which was amazing! All of the staff here is very attentive and kind. The drinks are average price but were strong, so I found it to be worth it. If you are looking to have a great time and make some great people, I highly recommend checking out Hardware. I know for sure that next time I am in the city, I will definitely be coming back!

The drinks are watered down. I ordered Bombay Sapphire on the rocks and that was NOT Bombay but I was charged for Bombay. I recommend beer....in a can or bottle.

Hardware is arguably the best gay bar in Hell's Kitchen. The staff is incredible and always takes care of my friends and myself in a timely manor. Steven Gabriel never disappoints... good looks and great drinks. If you have time for one bar while you visit, this is the place to go.

The bartenders are the most friendly staff in nyc. I have been coming here for5 years and the staff just keeps getting better. Stephen is my favorite and you should say hi to everyone who walks in because it such a beautiful welcoming place.

This is easily one of my favorite gay bars in Hell's Kitchen. Whether a chill drink with friends, or coming for a show, or sometimes even a night of dancing, Hardware Bar has it all. It also claims cheapest drinks in Hell's Kitchen - which is generally true as well drinks are $7 at other bars nearby versus $6 at Hardware. It's a very cool space, with lots of room to roam. The every-Thursday Shequida show is something you need to come for if you haven't yet. She's absolutely amazing (I mean, fabulous!). Sundays from 3pm - 8pm they have drunk liquid brunch: $3 margaritas $3 bloody marys $3 mimosas $5 long island iced tea I mean, who can beat that?

I was visiting the city on the night after a blizzard and expected it to be completely dead. I still wanted to go out and attempt to experience some gay nightlife at Pixie Aventura's drag show. There were literally 12 people in the audience but we had an absolute BLAST! Pixie was so fantastic, fierce and fun. I also loved the layout of the bar itself with the stage at the back. I will definitely be coming back this summer to see it in full action!