IBT’s

I’ve been going off and on here since 2001, and last year I finally said enough.
1. The place gets too crowded
2. The owner has an attitude problem. I approached him once or twice to ask a question about business or how the bartender situation was (e.g., need help?), and I got the cold shoulder.
3. It is not safe in my opinion, for example, too many people are allowed to be on the patio. If a fire breaks out, everybody is going to try to tun up the stairs and some people will be trampled.
4. The bathroom situation is atrocious; it is not handicapped accessible. Structurally perhaps, but if you have mobility issues or use a wheelchair, you’re going to struggle.
5. The cover charge. Seriously? It is unnecessary for a dive-​bomb establishment of this magnitude.
IBT’s needs a complete overhaul and to kick it up a notch. Dial down the twink factor and bring in some diversity. It would be nice to have a place to shoot pool and watch a baseball or football game with my partner that was gay-​friendly.

IBTs has been a great place to hang out and dance for gaysand straights and some cool dressed people who just want to lose themselves in loud music for many years. FUN DRAG SHOWS. KUDOS ON THAT. BUT PLEASE UPDATE YOUR BATHROOMS AND MAKE YOUR BAR MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR HANDICAPPED PEOPLE. Waiting for the one grimy looking women’s toilet is like a cattle call. You do well bringing in lots of people, but give a little back to make your place stand out to 2016 nightlife.

First of all, this place has a cover charge, which we almost decided right then to just leave. (We should have.) We live in Los Angeles, and all of the bars there I go to in West Hollywood don’t have a cover charge, so I don’t know who this bar in Tucson thinks they are. Even the bars we go to in WeHo have live entertainment (as did another two that we went to in Tucson) but no cover, so IBT can’t even justify that as an excuse.
But what really disappointed us was our experience going to the bathroom. Two of us waited in line for the very small bathroom. Three boys came out wiping something white from their noses, screaming, laughing… it was pretty clear they were doing cocaine in there. We went in to use the urinals and were a little confused as to why we couldn’t find a sink to wash our hands. We thought maybe there was a common sink outside between the male and female bathrooms, so we went looking for it. We were wrong, and another guest told us that the only sink was in the one stall with the toilet. We waited in line for the bathroom again, and noticed that nobody else who used the two urinals seemed to care about washing their hands, which is disgusting. This bar needs more sinks.
We then went in to wash our hands together, with the stall doors open, and a security person from the bar’s staff SLAMS open the door and shouts «ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE STALL!!!» This is a rule I’ve heard before and understand, so I typically wouldn’t mind, except for how rudely he yelled at us and what followed after. I told him we were just washing our hands, and he said it didn’t matter. (He could have stayed there and supervised us as we washed our hands for all I care.) My boyfriend left the bathroom to talk with this guy, but I stayed back to finish washing my hands. I couldn’t hear everything the two of them were saying, but I could hear the staff member’s rude tone. I left the bathroom to talk to them both, and after saying several other rude things, the security guy was justifying the lack of sinks by saying «well you know this place was built in the 1920’s, so we haven’t been able to renovate.» (Why didn’t you add a sink when you turned it into a gay bar because I doubt it was one in the 1920’s, and frankly, that’s a lame excuse anyway.) I said «no, we don’t know because we’ve never been here before.» He replied, «oh, well I didn’t know it was your first time,» I told him he should treat all his guests politely, and that if this is how he treats the regulars, I certainly wouldn’t want to come back. I ended the conversation by saying that we understand the rule about not sharing the stall, but it should have been enforced on the guys in front of us who were doing cocaine, and that the guy didn’t need to storm in the room and put on a display of authority by yelling at us and being so rude afterwards. I wished him a good night, and walked away.
We would have left at that point, but had already paid our cover charge, so we decided to stay for one drink. (Almost like we were hostages to the cover charge!) The bartender we encountered next was super sweet. We happened to bring up the story of the bathroom, and he was sympathetic and said that the guy shouldn’t be rude, and that his excuse of «I didn’t know it was your first time» was particularly uncalled for, and that everyone at the bar should be treated nicely. We paid for our drinks and went to sit down somewhere. After finishing our drinks we left, but the SunLink was 19 minutes away from arriving, so we decided to go back inside where it was warm and share one more drink. The same bartender was there and said he was worried the two of us had just left, and again was very nice to us. I wish I could remember his name.
We finished our drinks, probably never to return again, and writing this Unilocal review. One horribly rude staff member was all it took. Apparently doing drugs together in the bathroom is okay, but washing your hands is a sin. (A sin that even our cover charge wouldn’t allow us to commit.)

It’s was fun and the bartenders are so cute

Made the mistake of returning. I’ve only met friendly people since moving to Tucson, but this establishment is successful at finding the least friendly staff. The door guys (especially the $ guy with the fan robbing me of my $ 3) went out of their way to remind me why I don’t want to spend my money here – RUDE! Bartenders could give a crap. This is the WORST gay bar I’ve ever been to (been out for 30 yrs and traveled the world) IBTs makes Council Blufffs, IA look like the Castro. Owner/​management should be ashamed to represent our community… CLEAN YOUR BATHROOMS!!! On a positive note, the entertainment is really good… I just feel sorry for those talented performers.

Waited 15 minutes for a glass of water drunk ass people who were up to the bar after me were served first.

IBT’s in a nutshell:
Sunday 2 for 1
Monday 3 for 1 (plus karaōke)
Thursday 2 for 1
Good DJ’s, fun vibe, cheap drinks, what’s not to love?

I’ve been to IBT’S a couple of times; once during the day for lunch and another in the late evening.
The bar is quiet during the day so the service was fine for lunch as was the food. The bar menu is from The Kitchen so it’s a fairly expansive menu for a bar. I’ve submitted a review regarding my lunch from The Kitchen that gives greater detail. It’s slightly expensive, but I found it to be a great value, ESPECIALLY if I were to have the same experience at Midnight as advertised.
I was in, a little more than a week ago around 11 pm and was surprised to see as many people there as I did on a Monday night. 3 for 1 drinks and karaōke were the specials/​entertainment. The bar is in 3 sections: large dance floor, main bar with seating and a patio with another bar.
It’s located in one of the two main university entertainment areas, so parking near your destination is a bonus.
The bar had about 60 – 70 people, mostly where the karaōke was being done. I sat in the bar section where I could clearly hear the entertainment. Actually, I thought my ears were going to bleed because the volume was so high. I suppose if I’d had a few in me it would have been better. I smoke so I went outside for some good electronic dance music. The music from the inside clearly dominated the music outside. I watched a little video from the screens inside, did some people watching, talked to a couple of acquaintances for about an hour and left.
The crowd is very mixed, very unintimidating (for heterosexuals) for a gay bar. The peeps were good-​looking 20 – 30 somethings with a few middle aged (like me) men.
I definitely did not have a bad experience. Although, it’s not my «scene», a friend and I plan to check out their go-​go boys pretty soon. I can definitely appreciate men hard at work.

Had a terrible experience tonight. The kareoke host Kenny was rude and ghetto. I asked him to turn a second microphone up and he acted as though I was too drunk to understand. This was less than 15 mins after he told me his job «sucks». He commenced to grab security because I told him I would launch a complaint… coincidence. I guess because he had a drink in his hand he wasn’t thinking clearly… Didn’t know someone who was drinking while working got to dictate who’s too drunk. Won’t be coming back on the nights he host. I’m shocked people who aren’t acustomed to bar life host late night events…

This is a great place to go dancing or see a drag show! It is a fun and energetic environment, the people are friendly, and I have usually gotten fast and friendly service. Granted, on a Friday or Saturday night, you may have to be assertive to get drinks (mostly just because it’s so packed) but I feel their staff is as fast as humanly possible and I’ve never had a problem.
Great outdoor dancing area, but the dance floor is adjacent to the smoking area, so if you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, it might not be the place for you. Drag shows are super fun and engaging, though the performers do get up in your space a bit (which is part of the experience for many).
Reasonably priced drinks and you are guaranteed to have some memorable moments here.

Decided to check out the gay scene in Tucson during our road trip. We chose ibts? Whatever it’s called. The bar inside has awful service. If it wasn’t for the barback, we would’ve never gotten our drinks. 2 bar tenders leaving the middle of the bar unattended. That’s smart. Some eye contact or a wave to go to the ends of the bar would’ve been helpful.
The only reason I’d give this place a star was for its music.

We were there for a birthday. The Friday night drag show started off awesome. After a while one of our party was asked to leave. None of us were drunk. None was obnoxious and causing problems. The manager stated that there were complaints about one member’s BO. That was completely ridiculous. There was no BO. We were asked to leave because one member of our party was a bearded straight man who was wearing a dress. Nothing more. In what should have been a welcoming environment, this man was singled out because he was enjoying himself in a way that bothered others. In a bar that should be entirely inclusive, we were asked to leave because someone took offense to how someone was dressed. I will never be back.

So, IBTS is a pretty nice place to go and hang out with friends. I use to spend a lot of time here although it is always packed on the weekends and you can hardly move. The space is very tiny. They recently started serving food which is pretty good. I had the steak street tacos (really good) They come with a small side of beans (needs spice). They are over priced for bar food nearly 10 bucks for 3 small street tacos. The other thing I didn’t care for I ordered a sprite and was charged refills. I like they are trying something different and I would recommend giving them a chance.

Usually like this bar but have recently noticed a few things. Make sure you pay cash, they have a habit of charging more to your tab than you order when it gets busy, especially if your a girl. Don’t trust the specials, they’ll advertise something that doesn’t start until later in the evening. Also if you want a well drink, make sure to specify otherwise they’ll serve you a more expensive brand. Drag shows and music are still great just be advised.

–_-_-_-IBT’s FOOD REVIEW-​_​-​_​-​_​–
Tried their new kitchen menu on Wednesday of opening week, and we were pleasantly surprised.
All the proteins are seasoned or marinated well. Tacos on corn tortillas are street style (3 for ~ $ 8) and a variety is available including carne asada & chicken. Shrimp is fresh and well seasoned also. Fries are thin cut and well fried, crisp and light. They use good ketchup, Heinz good.
Until the Kitchen’s dining room is complete, they set up high-​tops in the main bar area and serve food in paper takeout boxes. I hear once the renovation of the dining room is complete, there will be tables and dinnerware along with a decidedly more «restaurant» vibe available to those who do not want to eat at the bar.
Let’s see how this plays out.
3.5 stars when getting food at the bar
?.? stars when eating food at the Kitchen restaurant

I’ll start this out by saying that I’ve never been disappointed with IBT’s at all. Unlike one of the bars I went to earlier in the night.
I have a diverse and wide array of friends, and when 4^th Ave is failing, and failing, and failing some more. We know when and where to close out the night. It is indeed IBT’s.
The music is always on, and on, and on. You don’t have to expect the lull. It’s song after song to keep you moving. The DJs on both floors know what to do, and they know if you’re there to drink and dance that you’ll find the time to make it to the bar. No need for them to fit in a break for you. The front floor is four those that love some «skull pounding beats», and the back, well the back is a lot of that popular stuff. There’s great variety in such a small bar.
I’ve never waited a lengthy amount of time for beverages, and for as busy as it can be they do a good job.
As mentioned by Agustin O. it’s not the classiest of establishments, but it does a great job of entertaining the masses. There’s always a show of Queens, or something else happening. It’s just all around a good and fun time.
The only warning that I have is the bathrooms. They’re not dangerous, but you’ll wait a good while to use it if it’s packed. Especially the ladies. There’s always a line.
As I said before, I’ve never been disappointed with IBT’s, and that’s about all I have.

It’s Saturday night and we feel like dancing! Super fun crowd, eclectic in nature. I really enjoy being around a diverse group. The only issue is the ladies room. It needs some pampering. We had a nice time and will be back real soon y’all!

Best gay bar in town. Not the classiest but it’s a great show and drinks. DJ is okish, depending on who is spinning. Owners try and bring a variety of entertainers to add to the great shows on a Friday and Saturday… I appreciate that! I go with friends so it is always a great time…

This is the best place to go dancing in Tucson. We’ve been going here for years and have never had a bad time. Music is always a great mix and service is friendly or at least very efficient. Drag shows are awesome too! Great place to just go and have some fun :)

I’ve been coming here for years, and IBT’s never fails to disappoint the liberal-​minded among us who prefer their swagger with a little flourish. I come here to dance and enjoy the world-​class drag show Friday eves, and have not been disappointed. I usually arrive with a fairly large, gregarious straight crew, and we are always treated respectfully and served promptly. No one, male of female, gay or straight, is ever short a dance partner. The dragsters are an eclectic mix of old and young, flambuoyant and mock demure. Jenna May should have her own Vegas act. Entering through the back door is advisable here (ahem, I mean the patio entrance because one can usually find a parking space before 10pm). I nipped a star only because the single-​server restroom causes a twitchy, foot-​tapping backup on busy nights. The security crew is professional, vigilant, and thorough, and the bartenders, who have taken a few media blows for short-​shotting of late, are all friendly and generous, in my experience. Get your Kinks on:
I met her in a club down in the Old Pueblo
Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola…
She walked up to me and she asked me to dance
I asked her her name and in a dark brown voice she said Lola
L-​o-​l-​a Lola lo-​lo-​lo-​lo Lola