Home to 75000 American citizens, Kalamazoo is situated in the south of Michigan. It has many intriguing features and accolades to its credit, such as the title of the celery capital of the world during the early years of the past decade. Furthermore, Kalamazoo is sometimes referred to as paper city due to the many paper and cardboard mills housed in the town. It also has an extensive collection of technological and historical exhibits showcased at the city’s valley museum.
All-in-all, Kalamazoo is a multifaceted city with something to offer to everyone. Hence, naturally, the Michigan City has multiple gathering spots for the LGBTQ community, though none are exclusive to the queer groups. Nonetheless, members of the LGBTQ circles can have a ball at a number of bars and clubs till they drop.
Generally, most of the social spots for queer people are sponsored by organizations that support the city’s pride parade. However, some places in the city offer endless opportunities for a fun night to people of all sexual orientations belonging to whichever gender group.
Here’s a list of the top gay bars and hangouts in the city of Kalamazoo:
The Eccentric Café
The Eccentric Cafe is the most popular hangout place in Kalamazoo, primarily due to its connection with Bell’s, the largest brewery in Michigan. Being a part of the Bell’s brewery empire, the cheery pub has uninhibited access to all the drinks produced by the company. Hence, Eccentric offers a wide range of alcoholic beverages, including the Bell’s Oberon Ale, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, and Hopslam Ale. Aside from the exhaustive list of spirited drinks, the lively hangout offers decent food with live entertainment and music sessions.
The Eccentric Cafe is unapologetically LGBTQ-centric as its parent organization is the main sponsor of the city’s pride parade each year. Furthermore, the somewhat LGBTQ hotspot in Kalamazoo hosts many queer events to support the LGBTQ community.
Food Dance
If the name isn’t enough of a giveaway for you, then let us tell you that Food Dance is an enchanting place that offers food and drinks concocted from locally produced ingredients. The dishes served at the diner are nothing short of culinary wonders; however, they are not particularly fancy. That is, you primarily get comfort food and finger foods at Food Dance. Some of the most popular food items that people gorge on at the pub are crab cakes, sesame-ginger salmon, vegetarian stuffed poblano peppers, and burgers. Aside from the rather extensive food menu, Food Dance also has a complete range of craft beers from Michigan and sophisticated cocktails. It’s an excellent place for both; either a fun night out with friends or a date with a stranger.
Other Locations
While the eccentric cafe and Food Dance are the most frequented social spots in Kalamazoo, some other places are also worth visiting, such as Crow’s Nest and Black Owl. Both restaurants serve delicious food and drinks and make a terrific choice for a laidback fun night in town.
If you have never been to Kalamazoo or if you have but haven’t been to the mentioned places, be sure to stop by them the next time you’re in town!
