Element

In a world of disappearing gay bars, Element is a welcomed refuge. Colorful lights, upbeat music, videos, and mirrors adorn this establishment while the chopped bar and worn carpeting give it a comfortably familiar feel. The bartender is easy on the eyes as well. Digging deeper, as in out the back door, there's an intimate patio perfect for looking at the moon or sucking face on a summer night. As an added bonus, there are several bars and restaurants asking the same street making element a great place to start and/or end your evening.

I was in Pittsburgh over the 2013 Labor Day weekend.  I visited Spin on Saturday Saturday, August 3, 2013. I planned a visit to Spin based on reviews that I read on Yelp, Urban Spoon and Gay Cities.  I was very disappointed. This is not a dance club!  I was unable to locate a dance floor anywhere.  I don't know why there are reviews that referred to this club as a dance club!  They do play music videos and the music was very good and could possibly be classified as dance music but again, there was no dance floor. On a Saturday night around midnight the place was very empty.  There was about a dozen people inside the place and about 6 people outside. The place is beautifully decorated.  One of the best looking bars I have ever seen.  The two bartenders were very pretty with very nice toned and tanned bodies but they were kind of on the fem side and very persnickety. I did not see anyone smoking inside this bar which I liked because I do not smoke and hate being around it. There was a nice patio on the back of the place where no one was but I think it could be used for smoking. Out front there were a couple tables where patrons were sitting and smoking. One of the tables was very large with about six people sitting at it. It was so big it consumed the whole sidewalk.  Myself and my partner had to step into the street that was busy with traffic to get around the table and continue our walk down the sidewalk.   I hated that and I wonder if it was even legal for the bar to block the sidewalk in that manner. Another problem I experienced, was when I asked a bartender if they had Black Velvet, he said yes.  So, I ordered a Black Velvet & ginger ale but before I got my drink and a few minutes later the other bartender who was at the other end of the bar approached me, acting as though he was an aficionado on liquor.  He said we do not have anything called Black Velvet. We do have something called Black Navel.  I said no that is not it.  I asked this bartender if he ever heard of Black Velvet and he said no.  I told him that it was a fine Canadian whiskey that is usually a staple in any bar and I couldn't believe that the bar did not have it and that he had never heard of it. Anyway, I then asked him if they had Canadian Club CC and he said they did. So, I then ordered a CC & ginger ale. The glass he served it in had some sort of speck of dirt on the rim that I rubbed off with a napkin. The drink tasted to pretty good but it was $5 and that is a bit pricey. The bartenders were not friendly at all. They were almost borderline rude and avoided both myself and my partner. I had similar problems at the 5801 Video Lounge that is on the next city block and across the street.  The 5801 did not have Black Velvet or Canadian Club either and was full of straight / heterosexual couples with a few Gay people scattered about. 5801 is not a Gay bar. Unlike the 5801 Video Lounge, Spin did have Gay patrons and they were mostly men but there were not many of them there.  About a dozen patrons inside and about six out front and keep in mind that it is Saturday night around midnight on a holiday weekend. The worst problem though, is that I wasted my valuable vacation time on a Saturday night to visit this club with the thought that it had a dance floor and that it was popular. It had no dance floor, it was not popular, the staff was unfriendly and I could not get "my" drink there.  I wish I had gone elsewhere. I do not recommend anyone going to Spin. It is not a dance club! There are much more fun places, such as Blue Moon, Cattivo, Brewers Hotel, P-Town and Tilden.  These places aren't as pretty but they are real friendly and whole lot of fun.

My boyfriend and I came here for the drag queen bingo with Alora and had an amazing time. The drink special was good and we have a ton of fun. Even though we didn't win anything it was well worth the trip out here for Alora's craziness. We will be coming back!!!

Bartenders are great! Friendly service! Great prices. Loving Musical Monday's! Adam the bartender is the man!

Meh. It's small and there's almost nowhere to sit. The layout is just really strange and not conducive to watching the drag shows or hanging out with friends. Drinks are average.

Great service and bartenders here! And smoke free, highly recommend this place!

Swank bar. Cute bartenders and good drinks. Staff is nice enough.

Great bartenders, service, and drinks. This place is completely smoke free!

Adam is fantastic, genuine and great time. If your in Pittsburgh be sure to stop here.

Friendly staff and delicious drink choice menu