Mary's

Gay dive bar · Atlanta East Atlanta Village

String lights, lanterns and a narrow bar: Mary’s is the first gay bar in East Atlanta Village and has been one of the city’s best bars for years, with Mary-oke, drag and DJs.

• ★ 4.4 on Google (243)
• Mary-oke on Wednesdays
• Drag on Thursdays
• Closed Sundays

Address

1287 Glenwood Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30316

Opening hours

Mon–Sat from 4 pm
Closed Sun

Crowd

very mixed: gay men, lesbians, queer and some straight guests, mostly 25–45

Flirt factor

medium

Programme

Mary-oke karaoke every Wednesday
Drag every Thursday
Gay Video Night every Friday
DJs every Saturday
Hall-O-Weenie costume party at Halloween

Getting there

in the middle of East Atlanta Village, about 15 minutes by car or rideshare from Midtown

What makes Mary’s special

Mary’s opened in the late 1990s in a former snack bar on Glenwood Avenue and was the first gay bar in East Atlanta Village. Since 2005 it has been run by Ben Cheaves and Bill Overall, both former regulars and DJs.

The narrow room glows in the light of lanterns, string lights and light machines. Out Magazine named Mary’s one of the 50 best gay bars in the world in 2007, and Creative Loafing voted it Atlanta’s best gay bar from 2010 to 2018. The Hall-O-Weenie party and its appearance at the East Atlanta Strut are legendary.

Atmosphere and crowd

A relaxed, very mixed crowd in which, as The Infatuation puts it, every letter of LGBTQ+ is represented. The mood is pub-like and warm, and once the DJs get going it becomes colourful and loud.

Contact

Editorially researched, as of October 2026. Sources: Rough Draft Atlanta, The Infatuation, Google reviews (4.4 stars, 243 reviews). Opening hours, prices and programme may change, please check before visiting.