Gator Club

We were visiting Sarasota for only one night and heard that this place was decent. Granted it was a Sunday night but there was actually a band playing and a decent sized crowd. Mostly locals and it seemed everyone knew each other. The beer selection was decent with some local craft brews and service was also good. The upstairs was pretty awesome with tons of old Victorian couches, tables, etc … They also have pool tables and a bar upstairs. The one huge thing that would keep me from coming back was that they allowed smoking. All in all a decent place to check out.

Another good venue for live music in Downtown Sarasota. Bit of a dive bar, but those are the best kind!

I doubt I would visit here again. It wasn’t terrible, but this is why I wasn’t crazy about the place. First of all, you should probably not come in if smoke bothers you. I’ve been in places that allow smoking before, but this place is seeped in an old smoke stench. I felt like it stayed in my hair, even after a good long shower. The draft selection is extremely limited… I think the bartender only had 2 on tap? The bottled beer selection was a little better, but I really just wanted a draft. Also, I guess this place has a lot of regulars, because the bartender ignored us for them. Great for the regulars, but not if you want to build your clientele.
However, I liked the old style exterior and interior. I would probably come in here after walking about downtown on an evening that we pub crawl, but it would be my last stop. Then again, maybe it was just an off day for them and the service and selection is normally more inviting. If so, I’ll let you know.

It’s an OK place to grab a drink. Live music and a dance floor.

There used to be many clubby places to dance in Sarasota, back in the day…
While clubs have dwindled… Gator Club is a mainstay here and it’s a great place to ‘get down’ when the urge arises… in a fun, relaxed, bar /​lounge environment…
It’s definitely not a dive, or a ‘club’ by any stretch of the imagination. When I think of ‘clubs’, Crowbar, Shelter, and Sound-​Bar in Chicago come to mind. Huge venues blasting Techno and Trance with no shortage of floors to dance on… countless strobe lights glaring and a crowd hungry to move. Gator is like a cross between a charming Tavern and cozy dark lit Bar with character… smaller-​ish dance floor, yet you know they have one. Great spot for DANCING & LIVE MUSIC and that’s why I come here… dancing and booze people.
This building has an interesting tale of history and its survived since 1913.
Some say it used to be a brothel… I say, bring it back… what a sight (or opportunity) for the geriatrics that would be… Ha…
I’ve been coming here for a long time, and can’t say its really changed all that much. You have options here. You can either boogie to bands on the first floor, or DJ jams in the lounge upstairs. Yes, you have a choice…
Some of the vintage décor has remained untouched, dark wood floors, windows… I love the look of the upstairs… nice seating with pool tables too.
Good genre of bands on lower level and upstairs you’ll find the DJ spinnin a varied selection of dance tunes & top 40… I’ve requested songs many times and the dj was pretty cool about playin ‘em.
The crowd at times can leave more to be desired, sometimes you get a few obnoxious stragglers, no big deal… I was just recently here and it was copacetic…
On occasion I’ve had the pleasure of being bumped into on the dance floor…
Men here will approach you to dance, and its great if you need a partner (who is not drunk). When it comes to dance partners, I don’t discriminate…
Bands range from Top 40 to Blues… they feature new bands and guest DJ’s all the time.
The drinks are well made and reasonably priced. The crowd can be pretty diverse depending on weeknight or weekend… and you will find people of all ages here. Nice mix. this place gets BUSY… it’s a happening, casual spot in the downtown area.
There is a $ 5 cover for bands, but sometimes I slither in with a pass…
They offer weekly drink specials and Happy Hours…
Unpretentious ambiance, good dance vibes… very. laid. back. If this isn’t your ‘thing’, I suggest going to Marina Jack (live music and piano)…more upscale ambiance, more ‘mature’ crowd, if you get my drift… but can be hit or miss with danceable music, and you’ll definitely pay more for drinks… different scene altogether.
Mattison’s is nice too, (various bands) but has a ‘restaurant feel’ and don’t expect to have much room to get your groove on.
And if your mood is swanky w/​a 20ish crowd, head to Ivory Lounge, but not before 11pm, unless you want to be alone with yourself.
I can guarantee when I’m at Gator, I’ll listen to tunes that’ll get me on the floor… and that’s why I dig this place…(great lighting too.).
I don’t expect to be swooned over by servers here… I’m not at a high-​end establishment, and yet I’ve always found service to be fair & friendly, even with swarms of people demanding their drinks… I’ve never had an issue with staff…
If your a laid back person looking for some live music or dancing or drinks and just want to have fun… Gator is your best bet in the area… just ignore the obnoxious ones, if you happen to see some…

$ 5 cover for an ok time and getting insulted by the DJ.
We came here on a Friday night. There is a live band downstairs and a dj upstairs. There was an older crowd downstairs and a younger crowd upstairs. I enjoyed the live band, but my friends wanted to go upstairs so after listening to a couple of songs we headed on up.
My friend was drinking champagne. The bartender couldn’t find his champagne glasses, so he put it in a wine glass. Nothing wrong with this, just pointing out you shouldn’t expect complete class.
The DJ played very mainstream songs. My friends like old school hip hop better and got him to play some songs. When he switched back, one of my friends went to request another song and he told her something along the lines of be happy with what I played and get your old ass back on the dance floor. Seriously?! My friend is in her mid-​30s. And even if she was older, nobody should be that rude to customers. We left right after that.
People like that ruin nights. I hope that DJ learns some manners.

I Love the Gator Club! I always have a great time there. Very good diverse crowd, always! Live band downstairs, two bars fun atmosphere. Upstairs is a totally different vibe, with a DJ, playing great dance music. Both levels have wooden dance floors. I introduced a friend from Tampa to the Gator club he now drives the 60 mile trip from Tampa just to go to the Gator Club! If you love to dance and have fun, the Gator Club is the place for you!

Great live bands but poorly planned layout. Very narrow, once you walk in the congestion starts; the first bar is where ever stops blocking up the entrance, small dance floor right in the middle of the room. Upstairs you’re funneled up in the a pool hall and past another dance floor. With such a narrow club the live band is booming and throbbing holding the music back.

Good band but if you like people gazing then avoid. If you like hangibg out with a mixed crowd from 18 to 88, then this is the spot.

Okay– as far as having a fun environment– it’s a great place IF you enjoy watching seriously intoxicated people make fools of themselves.
We came here strictly for the dancing environment and had a wonderful time except for two MAJOR issues.
1. We went to two separate bars on the second floor — they were probably 20 feet away from each other — and the bar near the dance floor charged 5 $ more for the same drinks we ordered 15 mins prior from the other bar. Something fishy going on there.
2. We came to Sarasota to hang out in a classier environment– unfortunately– we had to leave early because I was vomited on by an extremely intoxicated girl on the dance floor. Seriously– one minute I’m happily dancing with my husband and then the next I feel a hot geyser of filth spray across the back of my hair neck and back.
It was so apparent that this girl was wasted– she should have been ejected from the club hours earlier. The bouncers need to keep a closer eye of the customers so people like me don’t get barfed on.

My boyfriend and I were planning on hitting up the Ivory Lounge since we’re in our early 20’s, but it looked pretty bougie… and we were looking for something a bit less «high-​class». So we hit up the Gator Club. Cover was $ 5.
The crowd was late 20’s and up, but was pippin’ nevertheless. There are two floors, each floor with two bars and a set of bathrooms. Definitely not used to that in Chicago! It’s nice to have bartenders actually TEND to you. Downstairs there was a live country band, upstairs there are two billiards tables and a dance floor for hip hop and EDM hits.
We ordered a jack&coke and captain&coke, which came out to $ 14.50. Not bad, considering they were pretty strong. Yum!

Just vacationed for a wk in Sarasota and had an amazing time at The Gator Club 2 nights in a row. The live bands were great!!! The dance floor was hopping. The bar tenders were friendly and efficient. I can’t say enough greatness about this place. This is not your college bar… If you’re looking for that, head down the street to the ivory lounge. This is for a more «mature crowd» avg age there was 30 – 50 ish crowd. The bands played a variety of dance music that appealed to most all types of music lovers. I was very impressed and sad to leave my vacation in Sarasota and not be able to dance the night away here.

Upstairs– if you like sweaty smokey commercialized music you’ll love this place! DJ Circus Freak was horrible. He lacked originality. You can keep your CD music. The upstairs bartenders were top notch. Fast service in a packed bar.
Downstairs was much better cool live music and great bartenders.
Would I go back? Not by choice.
Paid a $ 5. Cover.
Love the history behind this building.

The Gator Club was a nice little bar hopping experience in downtown Sarasota. This place offers strong drinks, live music, and a good time. This bar is a little grungy and smokey so be forewarned. We had a good time though.

I came in the middle of the week, so my view is limited as to what they are like on the weekends but they had cheap cosmos on ladies night and the bartender (Andrew maybe he name was? An older gentleman at the upstairs bar) was incredibly friendly and the building is unique and the furnishings are very cool. I enjoyed he environment and the billiards upstairs.

F.U.N! Such a great nighttime spot! Two floors, live cover band on first floor and a DJ on the second floor the night we went. We stayed upstairs mostly because we found a sweet corner bench seat to rest our bootys after shakin them in heels on the dance floor lol ;) Bartenders were quick and made some sweet cocktails. Crowd was late 20’s 30 ish. We can’t wait to go back!

I loved this place. I was in town to visit a friend and we checked out Gator Club. We had a blast. A nice variety of music downstairs and upstairs, lots of dancing, great people and great drinks. Highly recommend it.

Fun on the weekends especially upstairs with hip-​hop playing. My favorite bartenders are Andrew upstairs and the older lady w/​the big hair. She pours ‘em strong. The upstairs section used to be a gentleman’s club aka brothel. Rumor has it is haunted w/​the ghost of a former working girl who was offed by her john. The original window is up from when money was collected for a stiff drink and «good time».
I have been during the week. I am not old enough yet for cougar status so I wasn’t feeling it so much. I would really love to see some live bands downstairs that play original music. I am really tired of cover bands, which seems to be what this town caters to.

Cool history to this dressed up drinking hole, the surly characters past are probably way better than the pickled hobos present… at night, there’s a vibe that’s fun & you don’t get how weird they are, because this is a spot you jump into when you already have your swerve on… get in & get out! Fun times.
If you come in here during the daylight hours or before the band starts, you want to climb to the roof & cannon-​ball off it… it’s that depressing.
A soul-​sucking, blues singing, high-​end dive bar that’s a mosaic of class & crap, worth visiting! … when the sun goes down.

I had a GREAT time at The Gator!!! I was not thrilled about paying the cover charge but once I got in it was one of the coolest places I hit in Sarasota. The place used to be a brothel back in the day and it continues to ooze Old World charm.
A live band played rock covers from Jovi to Tom Petty to U2 one the ground floor and a bar catered to everyone’s thirst. Upstairs a DJ played hip hop while a lounge area with pool tables catered to the more mellow with the upstairs bar serving both crowds.
Really a great place to dance, take in tunes, have some drinks and revel in the historic atmosphere of the place.
To top things up, we saw an actual hooker get busted by the cops just outside the door… doesn’t get better than this kids!