Lamenting Barrage, One of NYC's Best Gay Lounges
Many a gay first date took place at Barrage Bar before COVID-19 took it away
Beginning with the opening of places like the G Lounge in 1996, the late ‘90s in New York City saw a rise in what felt like a new type of gay bar—”the lounge” as it was called—a place where the interior decor blended a perfect hybrid of upscale and garish, where sitting down replaced standing around and dancing, and where a menu of elegant, crafty cocktails boasting Cosmos and Manhattans reigned supreme. This exact time period also saw the beginning of the gay migration northwards—when primarily queer men began moving on up, so to speak, from the West Village and Chelsea, forging the newest gay-borhood that became Hells Kitchen. It’s hard to believe now, but Hell’s Kitchen was once rough-and-tumble, with hardly a homosexual in sight. In a NYTimes article from as late as 2007 on the gentrification of gay HK, queer pioneer Addison Smith proclaims: “When I first moved here [in 2001], I felt specifically that it wasn’t a gay neighborhood. Hell’s Kitchen didn’t really have an identity other than its identity being danger.”
Such was the breeding ground for the birth of Barrage Bar, located at 401 West 47th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in Manhattan. Barrage Bar, or simply Barrage as it was often called, was a popular, glitzy lounge-type gay bar that opened in Hells Kitchen towards the end of the decade and which served as a popular date spot and casual meeting place for predominantly gay men throughout the entirety of the 2000s and 2010s. It featured floor-to-ceiling garage-style glass doors that would open up out onto the street on days with gorgeous weather and plenty of seating including plush, booth-like couches surrounding the perimeter. And finding yourself sitting down at Barrage was a coveted and powerful position to be in, as DJ Michael Borowski (@djmikeborowski) recalled: “When it first opened, it was REALLY hard to get a spot inside! The angst if we’d get a seat… 😂”.
Like other gay lounges that popped up at the time, Barrage also boasted a beloved and elaborate "Cock-Tail" menu which included drink names like the "Twink" (Bombay Sapphire, Triple Sec, Blue Caracao and Sours), the "Bro" (Bacardi Coconut, Apple Pucker, Midori, Pineapple and Lime), the "Jock” (Jim Beam, Raspberry, Pineapple, Orange and Sours), and the "Passive Top" (Brugal Extra Dry Rum, St Germain, Lemon, Sprite). How any of those drink names matched their corresponding flavor profiles beats me, but then again I’m no mixology master and I appreciate the whimsy nonetheless. Of course, there were simpler drinks available too, and Cosmos at the time were all the rage (thanks a lot, Sex & The City). As Mike (@knowledgeabledog) particularly recalled: “The cosmos [at Barrage] were frozen and served in milkshake cups. One could knock you off your feet for the rest of the night 😵💫”.
GayCities described the general vibe and appeal of Barrage Bar perfectly: "Barrage is one of the standard favorite gay bars in Hells Kitchen, the perfect place for a swanky cocktail. Be low-key or fabulous in this cozy and unpretentious neighborhood bar." NYMag, meanwhile, described Barrage thus: "A great (gay) place to go if you want to meet people; a very bad place if you want to brood over a Stoli raspberry." Metrosource added: "This Hell’s Kitchen lounge entices with au courant accouterments & outrageous drinks." Barrage Bar grew to become a favorite hangout spot and meeting place for gay men to assemble before going out for the night, as well as a prime location for many a gay first date. Technically, sitting and chatting was the primary activity at Barrage, though it was still very much a GAY bar where the music was typically blaring at full volume. NYCTourism humorously noted this classic gay bar conflict: “Take a seat with a few best friends or gather for a special occasion, though the blasting beats make conversation a challenge. (It’s a low-key spot, but you’ll still only be able to hear the person next to you.)”
Circa 2004, Pedro Alvorado (@pedroalvaradony), who currently owns and operates the gay bar Kween in Astoria, began working at Barrage, ultimately becoming its longtime manager. In a 2013 issue of Get Out! Magazine, Alvorado recalled getting his start there: "Barrage was being remodeled. The bar was changed from head to toe, revamping not only the look and feel inside but the staff as well. Everything was going to be brand new. This is when I applied for a bartending position. Once I had an interview [with] the owner and the manager at the time, I was hired. From that day forward is when my journey with Barrage began." Alvorado officially took over and became Barrage's manager in 2011.
In talking with AJ Moheeka in 2013, Alvorado elaborated on his time at Barrage: “I was given the opportunity to become a manager, I think, at the right moment. The manager before me returned to his hometown in Canada, and both him and the owner gave me the chance to take his position. They liked my job as a bartender, which I still do four times a week from Thursdays to Sundays, but they also saw my desire to go further. They talked to me about the idea of becoming manager. I was pleased with the fact that they saw the potential in me to create a new and fresh image for the bar and trusted me to lead this journey. It has been almost three years as manager of Barrage, and I can tell you so far, I love what I do!”
Alvorado at the time also included an invitation to newcomers: "For those who have never been to Barrage, come and enjoy our music videos while drinking one of our famous frozen margaritas or cosmopolitans. Hell’s Kitchen is the place to be and Barrage is a very friendly lounge." Alvarado also responded to my initial Instagram post covering Barrage, providing a very special anecdote about the role the bar played in his life. Alvarado wrote: “Wow this brings me back to so many good memories! Met tons of amazing people and artists there, I also met my husband @rolandoyubero there on a Sunday 💖 Such an amazing place.”
Throughout the 2010s, Barrage Bar continued to remain a popular destination, whereas many of its gay lounge counterparts fell by the wayside, including G Lounge which closed in 2016. Then in 2019, like all bars at the time, Barrage temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when every restaurant, bar and public service venue was forced to put a halt on their operations. Years later, when things finally normalized, Barrage Bar ultimately never reopened, becoming one of numerous gay bars in the City to shutter for good as a result of the pandemic. Barrage joined NYC’s gay COVID graveyard, which included other institutions like Therapy, Posh, Boxers and 9th Ave Saloon (the latter two have since been renovated and reopened). Barrage Bar’s space on 47th Street remained empty until 2023, when it was finally replaced with Gilda, a Mediterranean Restaurant run by John Dempsey & Maren Powell, who for over three decades have heralded other eateries popular with LGBTQ folk in and around Hell's Kitchen, including 'ritas, B Side Pizza, El Centro and VYNL. Sadly, gone for good is Barrage’s iconic red exterior, its wall-to-wall rows of colorfully-framed male models, and its legacy as one of NYC’s longest lasting gay lounges. Instead, new lounges have popped up in its wake, and the gays of Hells Kitchen now find themselves flocking to fresher establishments like VERS, HUSH, and FLEX, carrying on the legacy that Barrage helped build.
I'm glad I just saw this article. As the creator and owner of Barrage, I so miss the family that was created there. Sending love to everyone who loved Barrage.