The Cuff Complex

I had been to the Cuff several times over the last 25 years, it’s still much the same. In other words they haven’t spent very much on the place. I was disappointed last night to have to pay a $ 10 cover which seemed like a gouge and then significantly more for drinks than usual.
There is some inconsistencies between the various sections. The bar near the main entrance charged $ 6.50 for a single, the middle bar charged me $ 7.00 for the same drink and the outside area charged me $ 7.50. Each bar station appears to be an independent business.
It seemed like a cash grab as the evening progressed, the place was over crowded and the drink prices kept increasing. I had been to CC. Attles and Pony recently but was only charged $ 5.00 -$ 5.75 for a single, stronger drink and I did not have to pay a cover charge.

I’ve been to this club a couple times, and every time i go i come out with great customer satisfaction! Service is wonderful there and id like to point out a specific bartender, he is an Asian guy and gives the best service. Had a bunch of questions and was curious about the place and he kindly explained everything to me. Whenever i go, he had a positive attitude towards me and to other customers around him. Seemed like he really cared about his work. Other bartenders there were kind as well but wanted to give him a shout out specifically cause he helped me out the most. I am most definitely coming back here!!!

Why would I pay $ 10 just to walk thru the door, to have to spend another $ 10+ to get a weak drink, when I can take the cover money and buy a really strong drink at CC’s and have left over money for a tip.

3 stars only because of the clientele. They were a good mix of fun and friendly guys. There was a stronger stink than normal, we’re used to it but it was strong enough to make a first impression in here. The bartender we had on Monday was a cool guy who made great drinks and charged us correctly for happy hour prices. But Tuesday we had this real short little guy for the bartender who had a very crappy attitude, he was busy talking with his friends and we were the only ones at the moment wanting a drink, he was very bothered and ever so slowly made his way over to us never muttering a single word, just stood there and stared at us like he was oh so bothered. He made the drinks just as slow and shoved them at us only ever speaking the price. We all looked at each other like what a joke! Talk about lazy. My friend paid after which I said how much was that?! The same drinks we had on Monday cost $ 8 more on Tuesday. After stewing about it a while I asked the bartender if happy hour is shorter on Tuesday or something, he said no, he was such a little prick that I was not going to get into it any further about the pricing, we just knew that he ripped us off. Too bad he had to be this way because it put a real chip on our shoulder. Watch out for the sour faced 5 foot bartender, if you see him leave!

Very cool and comfortable place to grab a drink.
I’m not much of a bar person, mainly because they can be so damn cliquey, but I never felt unwelcome here. The clientele here is older which is probably why I didn’t feel any of that «I’m better than you» vibe. I liked the music they played which was a mix of rock, alternative, and some dance stuff, much better than the usual club music played at other gay bars which after too long, can end up feeling like a dull drill trying to penetrate my brain.
There’s also a nice dance floor in the back with a patio for relaxing.
Next time I’m in Seattle, I’ll surely be back here for a drink.

Place is huge; there is are a couple of bars, dance floor, pool table, and a big patio. It wasn’t very crowded when I visited the place, but it may be that it was a sunday.

Busy bar

This place never fails me. The drinks are good, the music is decent, and the dancing lasts all night. I love how they have an outside patio with a bar to get some air.
Sure, you’ll see some guys walking around in leather, but the crowd is so diverse you’ll see a mix of everything. If you like dancing, this place is a must on your night out list.

I’m from Florida. The drinks here are not very strong. However, I had a great time both nights I was there. Music was good ok the dance floor and the pride block party was a lot of fu.

I love this place! It was one of the first establishments I came to in Seattle and I still go whenever I can.
They usually have a cover on the weekends, but there’s so much to the place that it makes sense. Pool, darts, a back patio, and a huge dance floor are all part of the fun. I’ll agree that it is better to come here after 11pm on the weekends if you want to ensure you’ll get the best version of the bar. However, I still feel totally comfortable just coming to hang out with a friend on a weekday too because it is so quiet.
It’s comfortable and yet still exciting. I am really looking forward to the party during Pride!

a seattle staple.
the cuff encompasses all the sub groups of the gay community.
i have my favorites, my friends have their favorites but the cuff has historically been the consistent cross over in which all friends can come together and find something they like.
let’s support our local bars and make sure the cuff is around for many years to come! it’s certainly the winning place for pride!

Always a fun bar. Many great times and nights are always to be has here.. I always look forward to the next adventure that they in store. Sunday Funday are always great with Disco Vinny!

It’s alright. One of the bartenders is extremely rude.

I saw the Cuff not admit a guy because he looked too drunk. However, I was talking to the group while in line and none of them were drunk. They only had a few beers at a previous bar. It looked like some wierd prejudice was going on so I left the line and went to Madison Pub. Just the possibility of discrimination is enough for me to go the other way. Sorry Cuff… I heard great things of this place before almost going in for the first time!

I feel weird giving this any star level because Cuff is great for some things and meh for others. That said, after living in Seattle for ages I finally went the other night and was underwhelmed.
First off, someone stole my sweater, which really annoyed me. I’ve never known Seattle as the kind of town where that kind of petty theft happened. New York, where I’m from, people stole anything that wasn’t nailed down. But Seattle? That was just lame. It made me feel like it wasn’t a neighborhood place, but more a collection of strangers.
The GOOD thing about Cuff was that on a Saturday night is was a lot gay-​er than any other gay club I’ve been to lately on a weekend. I’m a straight woman, and I just go to dance. But I know a lot of guys go out specifically to be in a very gay mix or to hook up or just… maybe to be in the majority for once, and if you are looking for that, Cuff is great. Good on them for keeping a gay club gay!
The music was decent. The dance floor was super duper packed, which I guess is to be expected on a Saturday. I didn’t feel at all unwelcome as a straight person. It was just… fine. Except for my sweater getting ripped off. LOL. I’m still pissed. I really liked that sweater!
So I guess my only comments are these:
1. Great club for gays looking for a very gay scene.
2. I agree with others that all roads seem to lead there on weekends. It’s «the place.»
3. Watch your belongings. Because Cuff is a «complex», aka large enough that there are people from all over in there, some of whom will swipe something if its unattended.
Happy club hopping, hoppers. :)

Wonderful bar. You get a more authentic leather crowd, a great staff and an awesome hub for the gay community here.

If you are visiting from out of town and are researching gay bars know this: On a Saturday night all roads lead to the Cuff. Yeah most people start at Purr but eventually those who want to have an epic night will move on to the Cuff around 11:00pm (they stay open until 3am). The bar is huge. In the rear of the bar there is a big dance floor and covered patio. The front bar has dart boards and a pool table. They also serve a selection of fried food – chicken fingers; fries, cheese sticks ect. I think they have a Fry Daddy 8000 in the back. While the space isn’t much to look at, the place sure is popular – particularly with those who want to stay out into the wee hours of Saturday night/​Sunday morning.

The bartenders and security are super nice. But the music sucks, it’s filled with generic middle aged gay men who wear socks with their sandals or dirty white sneakers, and the music is pretty bad. Head to the back dance floor or patio if you want to not get oogled by the forementioned men. Plus the bartender who works the back bars is awesome. He wears a utilikilt and is gorgeous.
Also, they let bachelorette parties in. WTF. GTFO.
So, if you’re looking for bears go to Diesel. If you’re looking for leather folk, stick to the weekends or ask for the date of the next social. If you just want to get drunk, come on in.

The Capitol Hill area continues to be a breath of fresh air for Steven and myself! From the state we last lived in we were definitely short of gay.
It may even be standard that gay bars and dance clubs here on the west coast are relatively large and sometimes have two stories. In the big cities anyway.
The Cuff Complex is no exception. The place is large (compared to small town standards anyway) and has lots of elbow room. In the first room there are pool tables and a nice large bar! Downstairs is another bar and a good sized dance floor. Like most gay clubs the best time to come to Cuffs is on Fridays or Saturdays or anytime there is a special event. Not to be confused with nights where they play a specific kind of music but actual events.
We have been here twice now. We went on a Friday night and it was ok. It was not too busy so there was not a lot of people watching to do but we were here very early which explains the small turnout at the time.
The second time we were here Steven wanted to go here on a leather night. It was bustling much more and was much more fun. It helped coming in later as well! On this night I met my first sister from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence drag group and that was lots of fun! So nice and friendly!
Cuffs is a dance club we can see ourselves going back to. It is lots of fun and gives the gay and dance deprived a healthy dose of what they are needing!
Historical Note: Today is June 26, 2013. The day when the United States Supreme Court struck down DOMA!
So…go celebrate at Cuffs!

The Cuff used to be a Levi-​Leather gay bar. It’s turned into a «catch-​all» and not really a gay bar anymore.
I don’t like going, but I get dragged here too often. I like to dance, but not when rude people get on the dance floor and don’t know or don’t care that there are other people on the dance floor!
I’ve gotten sick many times from drinking not-​dried sanitizer from their stupid plastic glasses. I should just switch to bottled beer!