Woody's

My friends had many great experience at Woody’s PRIOR to tonight. We were all going to celebrate with my pharmacy coworkers for a birthday. We previously went to a bar beforehand and the bouncer at the door questioned the birthday’s girl ID. Mind you she’s 23. Not only that, but they were extremely rude and picked on our friend who didn’t even drink that night. She stepped on the sidewalk and the man demanded her to step down. So of course she reacted like “woah okay then”. Immediately the man accused her of being too drunk and too tipsy. Again she did NOT drink that night and if they are so certain then why didn’t they bring out a breathalyzer? She was just taking a simple step back. I’m disappointed as tonight was supposed to be my first club experience, especially at an LGBT friendly bar. Obviously the security has issues as I’m not the only person complaining. We were welcomed at other bars and clubs without questioning and having our IDs scanned and checked. It’s a shame especially some of our friends in front of us had already paid but had to walk out due to them refusing to let my friend in. But after telling us to move, they had no issue letting drugies behind us going inside. Hypocritical. I expected the place to be a safe space and non threatening but my first impression definitely makes me not want to return.

4 cellphones were stolen at one night!!!! I had a terrible experience at Woody’s Dance Club last night. Unfortunately, both of our cellphones were stolen, and we noticed that two other people had their phones stolen as well. It seems like thieves systematically target this bar, which is really concerning. We spoke to the bar manager, but they were completely unhelpful. They didn’t even attempt to investigate or assist us. It’s frustrating because they could have easily conducted physical checks, just like they did when we entered. I won’t be coming back, and I strongly urge others to be cautious if they do visit.

Appreciate a bartender with a personality. Although prices are a bit steep, Justin knows how to pour a good drink and he is nice and pleasant. Thank you for taking care of the customer!

Do not go here with any valuable items on your body. Multiple people robbed on the dance floor, cross body bags with zippers had cell phones and wallets taken. Security in the moment was very unhelpful, telling us that we should have been more careful (how?) and a male staff member pushed a female customer when she was demanding to file a report. I wanted the opportunity to check the floor and trash cans after patrons vacated, as I am traveling and need my ID and credit cards to get home. This unfortunately was not feasible, so I filed a police report and came back the next day to check lost and found. Management did reach out to me via phone after I wrote an email detailing my concern about their systemic issue with robberies and apathetic and abusive security staff, which gives me hope that maybe this issue can turn around.

woodys is usually a fun time. their drinks aren’t too expensive considering bars overcharge in center city and they are very heavy with the amount of liquor they put in one drink so u get lit with only a drink or two. unfortunately woodys has been invaded by straight people even though it has been a historically gay bar and the space is no longer just for queer people. i went in one night and stepped out to get some air and they refused to let me back in because they forgot to give me a bracelet and were asking me to pay the cover twice …

I really didn’t want to write a bad review but I honestly feel like I have to because it needs to be said. First of all I will say that this bar has drastically changed so much since I was in my early 20s. Is this even a gay bar anymore? Why call it a gay bar if if the majority of the customers are now straight? They automatically charge you $20 bucks when you walk in the door for a bracelet to enter the dance floor even if your not trying to go up stairs to dance. That is absolutely ridiculous to me! Another thing is the atmosphere has become so ghetto and mixed up you don’t know what’s whats or who’s who. Back in the day like 10-15 years ago the bartenders were sexy gay men catering to gay male customers. Now that’s not the case anymore and it’s become this weird mixed crowd with ghetto vibes and a lackluster dance floor with no male strippers that used to serve shots. What a total disappointment this place has become. It’s really sad to see…

People from Israel are not welcoming there, which is a shame. I've just come to have a drink and some fun. The location is filled with voting posters for a certain candidate, rather than a free-speech environment. No recommendations unless you are antisemitic or racist.

Had a good experience with the staff. Drinks were fine but it was $16 for a vodka cran. This was barely a gay bar. Obviously they can’t kick people out for being straight but nothing about it communicated that it was a space that put queer people at the top of their priorities. Even the DJs were straight (could tell by their music). Every 10 minutes you were blinded in a smoke cloud. Id only go again if a really really good friend INSISTED but it wouldn’t be my pick. It has potential to be a really great space with spacious dance floor.

Love the people! Woody's is a great place for gay and lesbians to visit and be treated by Woody's staff with kindness and grace. The bartenders are awesome. Been going to Woody's over 30 years. Great place!

My husband, our friend and I arrived just before 8:30pm today. The sun was still out. We opened the door and our greeting was some guy approaching aggressively while motioning for us to go outside. The interior was dark and practically empty and we were already several steps inside when he marched from someplace in the back to stop us from entering. Once outside he insisted we step back to the beginning of the stanchions that were arranged outside on the public sidewalk. There was no one in line. No one waiting to enter but he needed us to walk back before looking at us angrily and asking to see ID. There was nothing welcoming about the experience, in fact, it felt threatening. WE DECIDED TO LEAVE INSTEAD and walked around the corner to Franky Bradley's. Were we walked inside sat at the bar and took seats at the bar.

Normally don't leave reviews but the bouncer was a megadouch and grinded my gears a bit...kinda weird this place is cosplaying as a gay bar but all the clientele is straight and the bouncer is lowkey homophobic....went to go in and he started taunting me acting like I was rlly drunk so I was like okay f u imma go to Ubar lol. I think he got pressed but like calm down Mr $15 an hour LOL. I wanted to give this place a chance but sooo disappointed for my first night in Philly. I recommend Ubar way more they are just across the street and the atmosphere is more gay-centric and way more friendly. No cover and great service! Cockaroo too but they close early. LGBT people have a really high disposable income (no kids usually) so kinda odd business practice to isolate ur target demographic, but go off Woodys! Keep making the same mistakes and taking no corrective actions...great business strategy there. Heard nightmares abt this place and apparently people get their phones stolen all the time. Reported them to the BBB and I suggest you do the same, especially if you were personally victimized by the rude bouncer... what else does he get away with ? Something sketch is happening here. Not letting the rudeness fly honey . AVOID IT AND BOYCOTT IT. Let's vote w our dollars! We have more power than this place. Shut it down and build it back from the ground up. Fire all the bad employees too...its giving toxic. Toxic never wins in the end

Shortly after I posted this review-maybe a week or more-someone named "Michael" with no last name, no friends, no contact information and no title given messaged me and asked what date and time my friend and I were at Woody's. I told him. He responded to say he would "look into" who was working that night. Big whoop. Do I care? Did I believe him? Not one whit. Some no name person who can't even say what capacity he is in is not about to single handedly turn homophobic Woody's back into a safe, enjoyable, affordable bar/night club. I stand by my stance of never giving Woody's any of my money or business and I will continue to spread the word that this is an UNSAFE space for everyone-gay, bi, ace, non-binary, transgender or hetero. AVOID!!!!

Expensive cover and expensive drinks that are not as strong as most gay bars. I honestly love that its one of the few clubs that actually do have dancing and good music. Sadly, its not really a gay bar anymore. Its now an expensive tourist spot that isn't worth the cover for local gays.

Sadly, this is not a gay bar anymore, it's very heavily straight. Also very overpriced drinks but that's not my major concern, it's the fact that it's no longer a gay bar.

This hasn't really been a gay bar since Woody sold the place. A lot for straight people and a LOT of bachelorette parties on the weekend. The vibe is totally off now.

I've been going to gay bars for a long time now. I loved Woody's circa 2015. The Woody's of today is no gay bar. It's not welcoming. It's not affirming. It's a shame. Woody's is a fly in your Chardonnay. Philly has so many wonderful gay bars. Go to one of those instead.

TERRIBLE! As soon my friend and I step to enter, Bouncer was all angry for no reason. He called someone else to take over him, felt like he wanted to punch us. We left immediately we just didn't feel safe here. Definitely not LGBTQ friendly I would say.

I was so disappointed in this visiting this iconic establishment. I'm not gay and yet I don't even know why they call it a gay establishment. Three drinks were over $55 using the least expensive liquor and the clientele and the interior design felt like I was in a TGI Fridays.

I had such a great time a Woodys as young college guy learning about the gay world back in 2014 but this place has taken a horrible turn for the worst in recent years. Overpriced, rude staff, packed, and not even a majority LGTBQ+ crowd anymore. Went last night and probably the worst experience of my life. Don't waste your money

First off the drinks I think we're way overpriced the last time I've been there . 15 dollars for a vodka coke ( even with their cheapest vodka ) and it wasn't even that strong. They also seem to have got rid of their food menu which was very disappointing. The dancefloor cover for the upstairs portion was unavoidable and was 20 dollars . I did have fun , tho the floor was sticky and was not clean. I understand it's a club and drinks can spill , but this was right when the floor opened. Crowd was great and sociable . Bouncer was also awesome and let me in without a problem . I guess I'm coming here only for special occasions or when I have the money.

This place is so fun! Woody's always brings the unpretentious party. Better yet is that the street it's located on is closed to vehicle traffic so the party just pours outside. I was recently here for Halloween and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it anywhere else lol. The best thing about any bar in my opinion is the people. It's just cool here. Woodys does have an upstairs and I believe they charge a $10 cover. They're also connected to Globar, which I've never been to. As of recent I believe they've removed most of the bar seating - perhaps due to covid. Once you leave you find yourself in a good neighborhood. The PATCO station is nearby if you plan on heading to Jersey. Across the street from Woody's is a pizza shop. And just a few stores down from Woody's is some of the best fried chicken in the city: Wishbone.

This place is just the worst. I went here with a group and it was one of our groups worst experiences. We all like going out together and seeing what's up in Philly. This place was "recommended" (I don't blame the person who recommend they just had a friend who knew the place or something) but it was awful. Drinks weren't poured properly. I'm not stingy but like all of us would grab our drinks from the bar and take a sip and immediately look at each other like "wow that was like $20 from each of us and it sucked" idk do better

A $10 cover for a bar on a Thursday night? No thanks. Woody's has gotten a little big for its britches. First, the joint doesn't open until 7pm, ID is required and then, laughably, they expect customers to pony up a ten spot... when the Gayborhood is packed with fab fun destinations. You lose!

Look the fact is Woody's is a good time. The gays have done it again, no surprise there. There are four different areas to the club, and all of them have a different vibe. Downstairs there is the main bar area, which looks like where the bar fight scene took place in the Sonic the Hedgehog film (Great movie by the way. You don't need to know a lot of Sonic lore to get into it, but obviously that would help a lot). Good place to talk to the gays and drink while listening to music. Next to that is a well lit dance room that feels very swank and happening; Rouge the Bat would definitely be most comfortable here. Upstairs is where the real magic happens imho. There's two more bars with dance floors. The main one is large and has a wall of flashing multi-colored lights. It gives off the same vibe as Casino Park in the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. It's fun but there are a lot of sweaty gays there because it's very hot. That's why my favorite area is the other upstairs bar, which seems to be where the entirety of the world's air conditioning is focused. Seems like a scheme that Dr. Robotnik would cook up. Loses a star because apparently people get drugged here a bunch.

Had all my stuff pickpocketed and I've heard of many people experiencing the same thing. It's so hot and sweaty and hard to breathe in there

Friend got spiked. Not the first time. Bar didn't take complaint seriously. Money was stolen.

Awful experience. For a gay bar it's not very welcoming or accepting when you're transgender I suppose.

I used to come here all the time when I was younger... terrible bar idk why I kept coming back... I liked the crowd I guess, but the bar is terrible... I'd gotten kick out more than once for being "visibly drunk," even on days when I was not too drunk... they just won't let you back in if you leave and come back or will carry you out... but my thing, if I'm so drunk why can't y'all even call me a cab or Uber... one time my phone died and I couldn't even get an Uber... I had to hail down an expensive cab... very expensive cover especially on the weekends... I've also had my phone stolen here

We always have a great time here, although management isn't the nicest to deal with. The bartenders are fabulous and the atmosphere is fun

I love Woody's & have been going for a while now, but my friend had her wallet stolen right out of her purse with her entire life in it! This continues to happen every weekend to different people at Woodys. Their wallets or phone get stolen. Make sure to keep track of your stuff and keep it close to you at all times if you're going to go. Be aware of your surroundings too.

Here I am, yet again. My friend bribed me to come! Lol, but I'm glad I did. We decided to sit upstairs and enjoyed a free Drag Queen show. The Drag Queen had excellent energy, comedy, and great dance moves! It was very fun to watch and dance to the music with her. The hostess decided to seat us in the "VIP" section, which was nice because it gave us a comfy couch and two stools. The downstairs and upstairs menu are completely different for both food and drinks. The downstairs menu has a lot more to offer. I know I'm in a club, but it would have been nice to be able to hear our waiter without him having to take his mask off and get close to us. PS: They have a mini bar outside where you can go to get drinks.

I went to Woody's on 6/9/23 and will not be back. The woman at the door was extremely inappropriate/unprofessional and it's filled with straight people. My friends and I went through security and were told it'd be a $20 cover. I find this ridiculous coming from NYC where there are no/lesser covers. I turned around to leave and my friend paid for me. The woman at the door said I have a good friend and that I should "get a better job" since it's not that much money. Exact words. She then proceeded to grab me and say it takes a lot of money to run the bar. It makes me assume she's the owner. Once inside, it was filled with straight people spilling drinks, bumping into others, and making out. On the way out, I watched security throw women back into the bar because they still had drinks. The women shouldn't have had drinks, but security had no reason to be that forceful.

I cant believe that I have no been here before as i've been living in PA my whole life. I was such a ball of fun coming here. I basically came here to check out the guys, and I have to say, they are cute as hell. I spend most of my money tipping the guys than I did buying drinks. Sexy guys dancing, beer and just a good time!! What more can a gay man ask for??

Incredibly rude security at the front door. Every time. I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt but they are always awful.

Ronnie is the best bartender I've ever had. The bar sean is where it's at this place is popping due to this bartender.

Had a ball! Everyone appeared to be. There was a line outside however it moved quickly. Once inside you paid the cover charge and they gave you a wristband. We then went to the bar and the bartender was polite and made good drinks. There was music videos playing on the TVs which I liked . I would definitely come back.

This place is huge , bars within bars and each room with its own vibe and atmosphere! I stayed in the main saloon and the music was great! Specialty drinks, competitive pricing and a really great dj! Loved how the music video to the songs played and with really cool transitions as well! Would definitely come back!

Came here during the outfest it was it was packed a bunch of people outside and inside on the bottom floor. Upstairs was plenty empty but when we there is an event down here expect this place to be lit.

I'd so go back. I went with my sister and it was our first time there, music was great. Different spaces / floors of music. Drinks were okay. Safe and busy location. I truly have no complaints.

I went here once and my friend was roofied. She could have wound up in the hospital if she finished her drink that night. We contacted Woody's several times for camera footage of the night to see when it happened and who did it. They never answered once and never got back. She also tried to file a police report and they did nothing. Do not go here. Do not support this business. People have been roofied by their bartenders. This establishment needs to be investigated and closed down.

Other than going there for having a great night, I go there to see Nadia! She is definitely the best bartender and makes sure you are having a good time. She is fast, aggressive and beautiful!! It is honestly so hot! If I could I'll go there everyday!!

this place needs better ventilation asap- globar and upstairs room get stuffy fast, you can taste people's breath and the air is thick af! also play more hip hop/rnb nobody wants to fist pump for 5 hours

I was just assaulted in the bathroom and no one bothered to help. I said I had called them police and they said - get out of here we don't need bad press. I have the guys description, black male 6 foot tall and very thin. Employees knew who he was and that is why they didn't care. Now I know why Philly has a bad reputation. #nevercomingback

I can't wait for this place to go out of business - seriously- really can't wait until I see that day!!!

So a little transparency here... when my husband and I walked into this bar.. we had no idea it was a gay bar. Just happen to stumble into it as this was like our 4th or 5th location of the night.. But we LOVED it! There was a little bit of a line when we first got there... and we were there pretty early on a Saturday Night.. i think around 9. IDs checked and got a little pat down.. and then went inside. Ambience inside was a chill type vibe. Clean and very open, like even if it were crowded, I wouldn't feel too cramped. Dark but with good lighting. Enough to be able to see the menu. Music was great and not too loud. You can still hold a conversation or enjoy the music and dance or sing along. We sat at the bar and they had a number of beers on tap, lots of options for hard liquor to make cocktails and also bar food like chicken tenders, hot dogs, tator tots etc, enough to get your munchies on to soak up all the alcohol. Word has it the food is AWESOME, so go check it out. So the funny thing that I enjoyed the most about this bar was the music and the music videos that were playing on TVs at the bar. It brought me back to the 90s when TRL request Live was the thing on MTV and you watched all your favorite music videos! I could sit there all night just sippin some drinks and watching the music videos lol. Great place to chill but also lots of room for dancing too! Great crowd of people and even greater bartenders to be with at this place! Will definitely be back!

Good people and great strong drinks. FYI the neighborhood has very little parking so be prepared to pay for it. .

Bad experience with the bouncers and kiosk desk. We arrived at around 930 with a group of 5 who all went into the bar after having our ID's checked at the front. My friend left for a few minutes to drop something off at her car after asking the bouncer if it was okay to leave and com back which he confirmed yes, it was fine. Then- when she tried to come back, they wanted to charge a cover fee because it was now 10:01 and would not let her in even though our whole party was already inside. It's dumb that he wouldn't have warned before she left and they were very rude! Dance floor and ambiance are nice but the drinks are waaayyy too expensive to be worth it.

Phone was stolen and I've heard of this happening to many others. Maybe keep a flip phone you don't care about to bring here!

3 kettle sodas cost 54 dollars. Drinks aren't strong. If that doesn't deter you idk what will. To me this place is a rip off.

WHY would they take away the small pub tables and chairs during the super bowl..AFTER people were already sitting with their food and drinks?! Horrible decision from the owner. The bar is not at capacity. AT ALL. But they are clearing the space from some fictional guests that they expect. News flash. It is already game time and there is plenty of walking room and plenty of space to accommodate the chairs and tables. I would give 0 stars if i could, just for this horrid decision.

I went to woodys about two weeks ago and I was unfortunately drugged. One second I am in the upstairs area completely aware of my surroundings and the next thing I know I wake up hours later with no memory of the night. This was after having 1 drink. I've attempted to call woodys and no one has picked up. I've left more than 1 voicemail asking to talk to the manager or review the footage of the night and have been waiting to review them to give them time to respond to me and help me get justice or whatever footage I can of the night. Absolute radio silence. Seeing other people come forward about their recent experiences here has only further affirmed that not enough is being done to stop this issue. Be extra careful and make sure to keep an eye out for your friends if you go here, I would hate for what happened to me to happen to anyone else.

I came here and initially enjoyed it. We went to request a song from the DJ (DJ PRICE) who was rude and condescending. I went up to him to try and at least reconcile with him after he excused me to the bathrooms around the corner during the first attempt. This time after I told him that how he made me feel as a customer he told me "ok". After that, I knew that this wasn't his first time making a customer feel this way. I've dealt with MANY DJs around the WORLD and none were never too busy to take a request. Not sure if it was because it was I was black or gay but I will never feel welcomed in this place that they say is supposed to be feel as such. and check out the great photo of him mocking me...

After been there at least once a month for last couple of years, I was denied entry with the explanation "not tonight". After confronting the security, the answer was "we are private establishment and can deny entry without explanation ". I suspect it was because of age. I'm 53

they don't accept non-americans apparently... they didn't let me in because i didn't have an american passport card... r

I recently visited Woody's a few times, not in my official capacity with HHS but as a customer. I was so disappointed. The doormen were obnoxious, actually rude, and egos beyond imagination; they seated me, every time at a table that wobbled a lot, three different tables on three separate visits, each time tipping a minimum of $5 for the seating. Because of the pandemic, you had to be seated at tables, not at the bar, although they were right against the bar. Each time the table wobbled, spilling the expensive, overpriced cosmopolitans. Service was slow, and the server was friendly, never said his name, served drinks with no Bev naps and took forever to clean up spills caused from the wobbling table as he sat the drinks down. I moved my glasses and Powerbeats Pro to the bar I was right against to prevent them from being bathed in my drink spillage. Sure enough, on the last visit, they were gone. I second-guessed I left them in the car, glasses fog from masks and the power beats pro with over the ear clips are effected by the removal of your mask; however they are in my photos. I only had two drinks each visit, so I wasn't drunk, but both the $800.00 Nike prescription glasses and the $250.00 Powerbeats were gone when I left. I checked the car, and when they weren't there, I went back, and it was just after 11. I knocked, and I was told through a crack in the door to fill out an online form for lost and found, not being let in to get them. Still today, there is no sign of them, and I have heard nothing from them. The drink tasted good, but the environment and service made them not worth it. I still tipped the server well since they were there, and I always take care of service people, especially during a pandemic. I was required to order food, pandemic rule so I did, and it was only fair and served with no napkin. When leaving the third time, I told the doormen, next time, maybe you can seat me at a table that doesn't wobble, and the two of them looked at each other and made a face, not saying anything. I would have expected my tips would at least result in an apology. There is obviously no management here and no sense of responsibility. I travel a good bit, and in other cities, the LGBT establishments have more class than the others, definitely not here! The lack of having my glasses and Powerbeats returned, or at least hearing from them, is disappointing. There was a bartender behind the bar where I sat them, I was right next to the service bar, and the place was not busy, but to hear nothing from management, like we checked the video or anything, tells me stealing from the customer is not only that they don't care but its how they do business.

After frequenting Woody's almost weekly from 2014 to 2019, I can say now that it doesn't even seem like a gay bar anymore and the prices are now a complete ripoff. I stopped in tonight at about 6:30 pm with a friend and there were only about 6 straight women and 3 gay guys in the entire bar. To help decide whether to stay or go I asked how much a gin and tonic would be. The BT said $16. I said we had just come from Ubar where the same cost $10. I said no thanks. The BT said "i get that a lot". We decided that Woody's best days were behind it, at least for us, and went to a nearby straight bar, which believe it or not, was much more fun and had better drinks for the money. Will probably never go back.

You can't go bar hopping in the Gayborhood with out stopping at Woody's. Great crowd, great drinks, and a great place to people watch. The gay's know how to have a good time.