Flex

a dive bar and a gay bar in one! the best! and they host great events including RPDR queens on the regular!

One of the few neighborhood gay dive bars here in North Carolina that is not trying to be some dance oriented mess or anything else besides a damn good gay bar. Worth the effort to find parking and then a seat and have a beer and enjoy the cute butch guys of downtown Raleigh. One of the two gay bars in North Carolina worth visiting in my opinion.

Wandered in here one Sunday evening for karaōke — was definitely good times. An eclectic group of singers, friendly bartenders and cheap beers ($ 3 for all beer!) made for a fun evening. A dive bar (but nicely kept). The category listed here is «gay bar» but it has a style and ambiance which cater to and welcome all types of people. TIP: bar is cash only!

Bring on the Karaōke! If your looking for a laid back time with some good people and cheap drinks then Flex might just be your place. I knew I’d immediately fall in love I mean it is a real dive bar after all.
It was a Tues. night and there wasn’t much going on downtown, it was my BFF’s cousin’s 21^st birthday and I had to show her a good time. As we were looking for a place to sing Karaōke we came across Flex and best of all it was 80s and 90s Karaōke night. Yes Flex might be known as a gay bar but there are plenty of straight people who hang out here too. Another reason we picked Flex was because we had an 18 year old in our group so we needed an 18 and up bar.
Great tunes were sang by all, the DJ was so sweet and fun! The most important part is that our birthday girl had a smashing good time. The bartender made sure to treat us well and was awesome. As a former bartender 21^st b-​day parties weren’t always a good time for the server but she made sure we were taken care of.
Such a fun night out and we even met some new friends. Flex you have stolen my heart I will be back with all my new one-​hit wonders soon!

Flex is one of the last remaining true dive bars in town. Sure it’s a gay bar, but in this day and age what really isn’t a gay bar? Gay people go to (unlabeled hetero majority) bars y’all. And straight people go to gay bars. Share the love and respect each other honey, that’s what I say.
Flex has done a lot of sprucing up lately. They fixed up the little back patio area with some seating all around and a canopy in case of dreary weather. There has been some structural changes in the bar area to accommodate better seating options, allow for more room to mosey around and have a better flow with the layout. It all works well for the small space.
Trailer Park Trash night on Thursdays is a fun event that everyone should hit up at least once in their life as a Raleigh resident. It’s a quick one hour drag show that’s crass, silly and totally hilarious. And you can win prizes like gorilla costumes (yeah, that happened once.)
Sunday nights at Flex are becoming more and more popular within the service industry crowd as that is typically the beginning of our weekend and Flex offers all of their beers (which they have a really good bottle selection including a lot of local beers) for only $ 3 each. There is also karaōke going on with a good crowd of regulars and a pool table that’s only $.75 a game. This is a fun night to come down and get away from the normal downtown scene and do something different.
Tuesdays is $ 1.25 well drinks. Yeah, you read that right. Danger danger!
Wednesdays they are doing a fairly new local music night with cheap tallboys of PBR and Jameson.
There is plenty of free parking all around on the street or the parking lot in the back. The bathrooms are pretty tiny but they are always clean, don’t expect to be turning cartwheels in there or anything. Actually, don’t expect to do that most places, that would be weird. Flex is cool, live outside the box, it’s good for you every once in a while.

You’re better off going down the street to Legends, or The Burrough if you just want a drink in a lively atmosphere. At this place you’re lucky to get served when there are only 3 of you at the bar. And the fact that it was completely dead in there for a Friday night doesn’t help their cause.

When I first came out, I hit a couple of the other bars in the area. Online friends had told me Flex might scare me, being that early in the process, but after being terrified at a now-​closed bar and realizing the men I found attractive and scenes that appealed to me were no where to be found in these other bars.
I called Flex late one night. I explained my concerns to the guy who answered the phone. He said he tended bar on Mondays for the after work crowd, for me to drop in and tell him who I was, and he’d take care of me.
I showed up that Monday, and he introduced me to people I count as close friends to this day. He took care of me that first year out, and I’ll always appreciate him and the other staff at Flex. I call Flex my home bar.
The staff has always been friendly and supportive. Currently, Jason is probably the best bartender in the Triangle. He’s always taking care of me. And Matt, the new guy, is «sexy as all get out.»
UPDATE:
Flex is still my «home bar» even though Jason and Matt are no longer there. I dropped by about a week ago, and the two handsome guys tending the bar were quite friendly. There’s no place like home, Toto…

Made it here on a Friday night, pretty early — about 8pm or so. Bartenders were extremely nice, as was the small crowd. I met all kinds of folks who name this as their favorite *real* bar in Raleigh (you know — kind of divey, but with plenty of atmosphere and stuff going on), gay or straight, so that definitely appealed to me. I had to leave about 10:30, and the place was really starting to pick up. I’ll definitely be back!

The bar of choice for those not into hair product or drama. Cheap beer and warm hearts are what make this the place to be. All are accepted, even the straight couples who wander in off the street. Trailer Trash night is a big hoot!

Cold beer, flirty bartenders, fun dance music. Bear and «real men» friendly. This is a very fun place, in the blackout — leather tradition. Drinks are strong. Best value is Beer on tap. Oddly, occasionally straight couples wander in there. No sign out front. The Triangle area is slowly being discovered by the Loft dwellers. They will find a treat of Southern Hospitality and good service in an ultra casual gay bar called FLEX. People still smoke in bars in Raleigh. Stay in the Clarion hotel two blocks away so parking is not a hassle.