Mable Peabody’s

College students make sure to take someone with you. The front door lady is unnecessarily rude. As someone new to Denton and wants to explore let this place be the last on the list to visit.

I’ve been to Denton a number of times and I always wondered about this place. The name alone gives it a funky feel and one night while visiting my family in town I decided to give it a visit. I was all alone heading to the bar but it has that vibe that makes that okay. Not an intimidating atmosphere at all, friendly staff, and you can tell its a nice local place. A drag show was going on when I arrived and I’ll admit I was quite impressed with the quality of the ladies, you know, given that «chainsaw repair» is in the bar name. I enjoyed the show. The bartender was great too, he made good drinks, they were cheap, and he was pleasant on the eyes. I think this is a neat little joint and definitely worth a visit. I’ll definitely come back when I visit Denton. Sometimes it just too much to trek it to Dallas and deal with all that so this bar is a nice little relief for a low-​key yet enjoyable experience.

As a GLBT bar it rates a 5 because of the friendliness. I am rating it a 1 because like many other people have said if you aren’t in the clique you aren’t singing karaōke and the place is drabby and needs a update. The pool tables on the left side, the bar in the middle (straight eye shot of the restrooms too), and the karaōke to the right behind the glass wall is kind of a bad set up. And the cover charge isn’t really necessary. $ 5 is a bit hasty but they will gladly run you off if you don’t have cash at the door. This would be a great place if it was ran differently.

The bartender was completely incompetent. My friend and I asked for a shot and she made it HORRIBLY! Rubbing alcohol would have been more appealing. However, the band was great! The $ 5 cover was a little much for me, not really worth paying a cover but whatever. Nice vibe overall.

I was very excited to attend what I believed to be the best karaōke in Denton. I sadly realized that if you aren’t a regular you will not get to sing. She told us we were 3 people out and after 5 people she came to us and said she needed to let these people sing before us. So we paid our bar tab and left after waiting over an hour. So sad, I really wanted to have a good experience. Too bad, we won’t be back now.

I Love Peabodys. Kelly is the Best… The prices are fair. Hard to find anywhere. The drinks are great. You can order in food. The Staff is friendly, and makes you feel at home. This is a wonderful place in Denton. The best Gay Bar Ever! All the college students, Yummy. It’s the place to be In Denton. I’m sure it will live up to any expectations. Kudos Ms. Kelly. Luv ya Babe. Martin. ya the New Yorker. lol

The BEST only GLBTQ bar in Denton, check, but as an ally it’s also one of the hands-​down (or hands up or sideways or jazz) most FUN!
From drag shows to kamikaze karaōke and offbeat Sunday churchy inclusiveness, this is the spot to sponsor your party rainbow. Read the bathroom graffiti, gossip with your bartender, and shake yo booty like no one is watching (but seriously they are) cuz Mable’s is where your social chainsaw can find new life! One love, no H8, gotta embrace da funk to appreciate! Keep on keepin’ on, Madame Peabodys, we do so love you.

Its been 10 years and I can still smell the scotch on Kellys Breath. The glasses were always washed, there were always all sorts of characters about. It was never a dull night.
I’d forgotten about memberships.
Note: the bar IS very close to TWU (ALL FEMALE UNIVERSITY — OK, men in post grad programs)
Denton IS a moderate and more conservative town so its not surprising there us only one gay bar, but the town is full of gay friendly places.
Ask Kelly for the «Pool Table Special»

Neighborhood dive Gay bar. The only Gay bar in Denton. They have drink specials and live shows, such as drag and open mic night. We had to stop in Denton for the night, and, were unsure of what to do or where to go. Unilocal came to the rescue. Always does for the most part. The name of this place is very creative and hilarious: Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlour and Chainsaw Repair. The name alone makes you wanna check it out. So glad we did. Normally, I would go three stars on this type of place, but, because it was in Denton, I had to be a bit more flexible with my rating. You’re still allowed to smoke in establishments in Denton, so, as a non-​smoker, I can’t judge this place on the smoking. It was Tuesday evening when we went there. It was $ 2 Vodka shot night with Country music. The place is divided by garage doors. One side is the bar and pool table, the other is the entertainment area. Everyone was super friendly and a pleasure to hang out with. Kelly, the owner, came over and chatted with us awhile. She was really nice and, explained Denton’s racketeering drink laws. If, the establishment doesn’t sell food, you have to have a membership to drink. Membership here is free. I’m still confused on the drinking laws. Beyonca was the bar tender. What a jewel, thanks gurl! We made a couple of new friends, and, exchanged some numbers. All in all, we had a intoxicatingly [is that a word?] great time!!! Good memories for sure. Worth a stop if you want a friendly atmosphere with good dranks!

I love a good dive bar. Decided to stop by one night randomly to check out this place with a fun name. The bartender was very friendly and the drinks were flowin. Good, fun people.

This place is horribly run. The bartenders are completely unprofessional. If they didn’t have a monopoly on gay bars in Denton, this place would be done in it’s first quarter. It’s no wonder only the closeted and the lost are the only ones who come here. Admittedly, they did unplug the jukebox and throw a dirty bar towel at my lover, but seriously.. .WHO DOES THAT?!?

I like Mable Peabody’s– it has a great atmosphere, really nice customers, and they have monthly events going on. The beers could stand to be a little colder, but other than that, it’s fantastic.

This is by far my favorite bar in Denton– and it just so happens that this is the ONLY gay bar in Denton. The best way to describe it is that it’s a Denton take on JR’s in Dallas– classic Denton feel (read: divey and local) but without all the flashing lights and neons. And the people are way friendlier.
They have yet to make a bad drink, and have a pool table and dart board if you’re looking for some place to hang.
Definitely worth going to if you want a local bar atmosphere with a gay twist. And you don’t want to spend the time/​gas/​money driving all the way to Dallas or Fort Worth

I just want to reply to Mr. Brian J:
First of all, I don’t think you understood what was the point of my review. After the lady at the door denied us entrance to the bar, I did not want to get in there! (God knows I don’t ever want to go in there!). We understood that the ID my friend was holding at the moment was not valid in this place. What bothered me, is the fact that she assumed we were illegal aliens in this country based on an ID (There are many reasons why someone can have a foreign ID, including: double nationality holders, tourists and yes, people that do not have official documents) and how based on that assumption she treated us worse than trash (Which pretty much can be considered racism by any sane person)
Just to clarify things, you can actually get to bars in the United States (including Texas) without a valid United States ID (as you are calling them). These IDs are called Passports. Passports are not issued by the United States government but by the governments of other countries (Unless its a passport from the USA). A Mexican Passport is considered a Mexican ID and it is perfectly acceptable in any bar in this country, as would any Passport from many other countries… Oh, and Passports are also considered legitimate IDs in pretty much every country (including the United States of America).
I find it funny/​interesting that you took my review as a personal attack and insult me 2 times in your «review». I don’t have the interest or time to reply to your comments. I am not interested in continuing this discussion in any way, I just wanted to let the public know that I experienced a racist event in this bar and I hope they avoid it at all costs or know that there is a chance that something similar might happen to them in there.
Wish you the best Mr Brian J.

In response to J R.‘s crappy review and as a former bartender he is absolutely WRONG. In Texas you have to have a valid United States ID. A mexican ID is not acceptable. I’ve actually stood there and witnessed morons like you holding up the line because you just can’t believe you can’t get in without a legitimate ID. So you can take your comment and shove it.
Everyone is welcome in the bar. Even stupid people with a valid ID.

First off, if you’re not LGBT friendly — don’t even bother pulling in. This is a gay/​lesbian bar.
Seems to be more females than males most nights
Drinks can be a little expensive, depending what you get. However, the often shirtless male bartenders make up for it. :)
It gets pretty smokey inside, like most Denton bars, and they usually charge a cover on weekends. Weekends generally have karaōke.
Unfortunately, the pool tables aren’t in the best shape — but they rarely are in most bars.

Strange place

oh man that was so sad hearing about how this place caught fire i dont know if its open again, but some of my best times are here. I met so many friends had parties and got wasted. This was one of the best bars in Denton I hope Kelly did open this place back up

I’M NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE OPENED UP AFTER THE FIRE, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY GAY BAR IN DENTON. IN LIKE A 60 MILE RADIUS, ACTUALLY. ITS A LITTLE SEEDY, NOT AT ALL TRENDY – JUST A GOOD OLD FASHIONED WATERING HOLE. EXCEPT HERE THE COWBOYS TWO STEP WITH EACH OTHER. BE SURE TO TALK UP KELLY, THE OWNER.
many many years ago i hosted an open mic and booked bands at mable peabodys on sunday and tuesday nights. those are some of the fondest memories of my life.

It used to be one of 2 gay spots in Denton now it is the only true «gay» club in town. This used to be a place where you catch a great band any day of the week, except Friday or Saturday. The straight crowd would outnumber the gay crowd. I suppose it is kind of a throwback to an era when the gay/​straight crowds were more segregated but Denton just isn’t like that anymore. The bartenders are fun.