The best drag brunch in San Francisco is not something you should skip when you visit The Golden Gate City. While this city is chock full of hot drag brunch spots, we’ve narrowed it down to our picks for the top seven the city has to offer. Drag brunch events have grown in popularity over the past couple of decades and are fun for people of various ages and orientations.
Though it may have changed over time, drag shows have been around for centuries in some form or another. Today, these shows provide a platform for some in the LGBTQ+ community to express themselves and connect with people in a positive way. Read on below to find out where you can catch one of the best drag brunches in San Francisco.
7 Best Drag Brunch Spots San Francisco
San Francisco has one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in the United States. It’s been known to be the first gay-friendly city. And while the Castro District is central to the LGBTQ+ culture, the community is not isolated to one area of the city.
That means that you’ll find drag brunch shows throughout the city. We’re going to tell you where to find the 7 best drag brunch spots, though, so you can choose one wisely.
Let’s get started.
1. Beaux
Beaux Drag Brunch
Beaux is an all encompassing gay bar on Market Street in the heart of downtown San Francisco. This place hosts a variety of events. One of its most popular, though, is drag brunch.
Beaux puts on drag brunch every Saturday and Sunday. The cool thing is the show changes depending on what weekend of the month it is. For instance, you can see one show on the first Saturday of the month and a different one on the third Saturday of the month.
The brunch menu consists of burritos, nachos, and other Mexican-influenced foods that are all moderately priced. There are some inspiring cocktails to choose from, also.
Oasis is a bit different from Beaux as it’s not somewhere that puts on drag brunch every weekend. You’ll have to be in town at the right time to experience the Oasis drag brunch. It’s called Oasis at the Phoenix and it’s held at the Phoenix Hotel.
Oasis is a gay bar, performance club, and nightclub located on 11th Street. The Phoenix Hotel is on Eddy Street, only five minutes from the club.
Once a month, Oasis takes over the Phoenix Hotel to host a drag brunch event. You’ll get to see different performers and the themes change from month to month. For example, October has a Halloween inspired drag show.
The menu is short but well balanced, including yogurt parfait, chicken and waffles, and quiche, alongside a few other items.
Shows start at 12:30 but the doors open at 11:30.
3. Diva Royale Drag Queen Brunch
Diva Royale Drag Queen Brunch
This spot is a lot of fun. The Diva Royale Drag Queen Brunch is based more around entertainment than some of the other places on our list. This place has some of the best drag celebrity impersonators in the industry. It’s located on San Bruno Avenue close to the Bayview area.
You can catch the Diva Royale Drag Queen Brunch every Sunday. The shows are at 1:30. There are a variety of ticket options to choose from. You’ll find everything from a general admission ticket to large group discount tickets and even stage “hot seat” tickets.
You’ll see drag performers impersonating some highly recognizable celebrities, such as Dolly Parton, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Beyonce, and more.
This is a great place for bachelorette party-goers, birthday celebrations, and anyone looking for good entertainment along with a boozy brunch.
4. Lookout
Located inside the Castro District is Lookout. It’s a gay bar that puts on a few renowned drag shows but brunch is one of the best it has to offer.
Every Saturday, Lookout hosts the Lips and Lashes Drag Brunch. The show changes from weekend to weekend. There are a variety of performers who rotate through the shows. The performance type varies, as well. You may see magic, singing, dancing, or even comedy. Whatever it is, you’re sure to enjoy the show.
The shows start at 12 noon and 2:00. You can order some delicious food and a few hand-crafted cocktails while you enjoy the performance.
5. Jolene’s Bar and Grill
Sungay, as it is shown on the calendar of events on the homepage, is the day for drag brunch at Jolene’s Bar and Grill. This spot is located on 16th Street not far from Dolores Park in San Francisco.
Seating starts at noon for the burlesque and variety drag show.
Brunch is served buffet-style. You can stack your plate and order any of the theme-inspired drinks on the menu. Of course there are plenty of mimosas and bloody mary’s to go around if you like to go the traditional route.
6. Midnight Sun
Another popular spot for the LGBTQ+ community located in the Castro District is Midnight Sun. It’s situated on 18th Street and has stood the test of time. The doors opened in February of 1971.
Drag brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday hosts the House of M’s drag brunch and Sunday is sometimes the Transtastic show, but the Sunday show rotates through a variety of others.
The doors open at 1:00 on Saturdays and Sundays so there’s no need to get up early.
7. 620 Jones Bar and Restaurant
620 Jones isn’t far from Chinatown, so if you’re going to be in that area anyway, you might as well plan a stop. As the name indicates, it’s located at 620 on Jones Street.
You can go to brunch every Sunday at 620 Jones. There are rotating shows that start at different times from 12:30 to 3:00. You’ll see a variety of performance types that all bring their own kind of entertainment factor.
Drag brunch is typically hosted by Princess Poppy but the spot has been shared with a newcomer Afrika Amerika while Princess Poppy spent time participating on a season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
You can make reservations but they must be for parties of six or more.
This is our pick for the best food. The chef, Erik Hopfinger, changes up the menu from season to season to use ingredients that are fresh and locally-sourced. The brunch menu features things like:
A variety of benedicts
Chicken and waffles
Huevos rancheros
Avocado toast
And more!
Why Drag Brunch?
The question isn’t why drag brunch but why not? This is an experience you won’t forget. The shows are fun. The atmosphere is positive and inclusive. The food is good. And the drinks are flowing. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Drag shows are some of the most entertaining performances you’ll find. You’ll laugh, sing, dance, and maybe even get an invitation to join the queens on stage. Drag performers are well-known for audience participation. They get people involved in the fun. It makes for a better show.
And of all the places you can see a good drag show, San Francisco is the place to do it. Not only does this town love drag queens but they love brunch too!
Things to Know About Drag Brunch
Just in case, let’s go over a few important things to know before you go to your first drag brunch. These are tips that come from drag queen performers themselves, so they’ll be quite useful.
Never touch a performer – What we mean is, never touch a performer first or without invitation. One of the biggest complaints drag performers have is they get touched when it wasn’t invited.
Show your appreciation – You should always clap and cheer for the performers but don’t forget to tip them. Many of them make a base fee for their shows but tipping is where they really make their money.
Don’t steal the show – Many people attend drag brunch to celebrate something. That’s ok and the queens love to celebrate you for being there. But let them have the lead in letting you know when the time is right.
Be understanding of wait staff – Drag brunch is or any meal with a performance is tough on wait staff. Be patient and understanding so you don’t make an already chaotic situation worse.
Final Thoughts
San Francisco is one of the best places to go out for drag brunch. With so many options across the city, we wanted to help you choose one of the best.
There are others worthy of your time and money but these are our picks for the top seven in this inclusive city. Don’t miss out on one of the most fun experiences you’ll have in the Golden Gate City.
If you have a trip planned for San Francisco, you can go ahead and book a reservation for one of these drag brunch locations online now.
Hello, my name is Gay Worlley - no, really - and I love learning about all things queer. I am also a qualified gardener and enjoy traveling in my spare time.
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