(Credit: Tracy Williams)
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Crowd: We went on a Sunday and a Wednesday night, and got completely different experiences each time. Sunday played host to a boisterously rocking crowd of mostly gay and lesbian youngsters. We were expecting something similar on Wednesday, so we were more than a little surprised when we rolled in and found ... Bingo? Yep, it was a bingo night and the scene was about half homosexual scenester and half gray-haired grandma. We certainly realize that gray-haired grandmas might also be gay, but we didn't pry.
Libations: A well-stocked bar means that the bartenders are ready and willing to serve you just about any combination of alcohol that you can dream up, and $2 Skyy cocktails on Mondays and half-price domestic drafts on Tuesdays are pretty good reasons to come by at the beginning of the week.
Sounds: The last Sunday of every month is Latin Night hosted by Elora Frost. Friday nights feature karaoke in the back room, and the first Friday of every month a Drag King show is hosted by Dutch Ticklestick, which makes it well worth the trip. Really, though, the best thing about the Hippo is the roster of DJs, including Shawn Q and DJ Farrell, who rock its high-energy dance nights.
Service: The saloon bar is constructed so that bartenders stand in the middle of a rectangle and serve in 360 degrees. It can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to get the bartender's attention, but we were able to get served in about three minutes on both visits. As for the dance floor bar, the main problem is just trying to push your way through the crowd to get noticed by the bartender, but hey, it builds character and muscle tone at the same time.
Bottom line: Great dance floor, but lacking in other respects -- if you're not the dancing type, you're better off across the street at Central.
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