Sue Ellen’s
Did you know that Dallas has a gayborhood? I certainly didn’t, but as I’m driving down Cedar Springs Road, I’m pleasantly surprised by the rainbow flags, gay clubs, and leather shops that proliferate the street.
Sue Ellen’s is tucked away off the main drive, attached to its brother bar, JR’s. Before you ask, Sue Ellen’s is named for the Dallas TV show character, JR’s is just a coincidence. The butch bartenders have easy smiles and easygoing attitudes, and I grab a Pacifico before chatting with Nicole and Vicky, two of the managers. They get me a Green Tea shot, my first ever (yes I know,) and we head up to the quieter upstairs patio.
Sue Ellen’s is large, with four bars total, two upstairs and two down, and outdoor patios on both levels. Downstairs there are pool tables and arcade games, and a large oversized beer pong set up made with trash cans and volleyballs.
Immediately Vicky tells me that she thinks southern gay bars are so successful because they’re in the south, where the spots that do exist are few and far between, so you’ve got to support the places that stick around. Sue Ellen’s has been open for 33 years and has seen its fair share of changes.
Sue’s is one of the most laid-back and safe spaces on The Strip, a low-pressure hang-out spot for regulars of all kinds. Vicky tells me some of their most loyal regulars are married gay men, who come here to take the pressure off of being flirted with at the clubs down the street.
“People come here to meet people and make friends. We have a fun little Cheers bar vibe.”
Nicole has been working here for a year, and Vicky started working at Sue’s for the first time twenty years ago and then returned four years ago. She tells me that Sue’s was originally in a different building down the street when the whole block was single story. Sue’s is part of a group that owns several of the bars on this block, and that is one of the reasons they think it’s remained open when other Dallas lesbian bars have come and gone.
“There’s a big family feel with all the gay bars in the neighborhood. The people are the best part of working here.” Vicky and Nicole tell me that when they go out drinking on their nights off, they feel like they’re hanging out with all their friends, no matter where they go.
“I kinda forget that the straight world exists. I live, work, eat, and drink down here and I stay in my happy little bubble.” Vicky even tells me that Sue Ellen’s was her kids' first playground, the first place she ever took them besides the hospital and their home.
Nicole tells me she used to come here all the time before working here and now feels like she’s “in her element” and privileged to work in a space like this.
Even though other Lesbian bars have tried to open in Dallas, they often close after a year or two. Vicky thinks this is because of location. What little real estate left on The Strip is expensive, and people like to come to the gayborhood for the inherent safety and community present there.
Sue Ellen’s has a name and legacy that is recognized across the city. Dykes come here as a right of passage, whether they are baby Dykes here for their first legal drink, or new to town and wanting to find their home.
Of course, there is also a privilege of being owned by a larger corporation. During the pandemic and slower months, they have been able to stay open when other bars may have closed with the extra flexibility they get from their gay brother bars.
We joke that lesbian bars have closed because lesbians like to nest, whereas gay men can party at any age. Older lesbians cycle out of the club scene, but at Sue Ellen’s they will often make appearances at the regular fundraisers held in the space, including one of the largest fundraisers for the Human Rights Campaign in the country. These fundraisers help Sue Ellen’s stay open but are more about keeping the community together and engaging all the sub-groups of Dykes in one shared space.
After our chat, Nicole and Vicky show me around the currently closed upstairs, which boasts an additional bar called The Joy Bar, named after the very first Sue Ellen’s employee who passed away a few years ago. A large photo of her with red plastic clown lips is labeled “NEEDLEDICK” and other phrases around the space are common Joy catchphrases that became her legacy.
At Vicky and Nicole’s insistence, I take a break to wander around the gayborhood and grab a bite to eat, and I’m struck by the sheer number of queers out and about. It reminds me a lot of West Hollywood or the Gay Village in Montreal. There is a lot of history here, but it’s also definitely skewed towards cis gay men and partying. There are some beautiful murals of Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, and I enjoy once again walking on rainbow crosswalks.
When I come back to Sue’s a few hours later, it’s pretty quiet, especially compared to the packed patios and busy streets around the corner. There was a big happy hour crowd earlier in the day, but as I said, lesbians like to nest and have mostly turned in for an early Sunday night.
TVs around the bar play either procedurals or a baseball game and Whitney Houston blasts through the space. The crowd is majority Dyke, and the Dykiest of Dykes at that. Flannels, patterned button-ups, hoodies, jeans and tees, leather fringe jackets. Mostly casual, but in an elevated “this sweatshirt cost $150” kind of way.
Dykes groove easily against one another at the bar while they wait for drinks. The crowd is very diverse, as is the entire block. Particularly in southern bars, I’ve noticed a much stronger butch/femme dynamic, unlike the more androgynous Gen Z queers I’m used to. There are more butches in general, hard butches who could be mistaken for men at first glance, aka my ideal woman and my ideal presentation.
The popular drinks of the evening seem to be evenly split between vodka sodas and pink-and-blue layered slushies in beer tankards. A gay boy walks by and shouts “hey ladies!” while twerking for the patio crowd. That’s solidarity baby.
The crowd continues to thin out as the night goes on, but those who remain seem to be familiar with one another, greeting friends and joining tables for a drink. Once again, I’m the only person here alone. I wonder why that is. Personally, I love going to bars alone, but I’ve noticed very few solo folks out and about on this journey. Go to bars alone people! You’ll either have a nice bit of alone time where you can drink and enjoy yourself at your own pace, or make some new friends, just like we used to do before dating apps.
Inside, two sets of queers play impromptu volleyball with the beer pong set, enjoying the space to goof around for a while. Even though Sue Ellen’s is a nightclub, there is an easy energy about the space that feels welcoming and low-commitment. You can come here on a busy night and dance the night away, or spend a slow Sunday sitting at the bar and chatting up the bartenders. Cheers to that.
Baseball caps: 6
Dallas, TX
