Minneapolis Eagle and Bolt, Minneapolis, Minnesota

A trio of adjacent, jointly owned gay bars downtown near the Mill City district on the Mississippi River, the Minneapolis Eagle, Bolt Video Bar, and Bolt Underground dance club (515 Washington Ave. S, 612-338-4214 for Eagle, 612-338-0896 for Bolt bars) cater to a mostly male, fairly cruisy bunch - the Eagle, as gay bars with this name tend to, attracts more of a leather, bear, and uniform crowd, generally in their 30s and up (a dress code is enforced on weekends). The Bolt Video Bar's clientele tends toward younger and more eclectic, from jeans and T-shirts to even a bit preppy.

The Eagle was the first of these bars to open, back in 1998 - it's open nightly and especially popular for happy hour in the late afternoon. Off the back of the bar is a good-size heated patio, which also has access to Bolt Video Bar. In 2003, the owners opened Bolt Video Bar, and a year later, they added the rather industrial-feeling Bolt Underground on the basement level - both of these spaces have dance floors, and they're open Wednesday through Sunday. Sundays are a particularly big event at this cruisy compound - in the morning, the Eagle kicks things off with a Bloody Mary brunch. Then at 4 pm, there's an "all you can swallow" beer bust held at both the Eagle and the Bolt. Once a month, the Bolt Underground has an underwear party, and there are also leather (dress code enforced) parties on a monthly basis. If you're objective is meeting guys with the potential for a hookup, this is probably the best gay venue in the Twin Cities.