An iconic bar is celebrating its Dirty Thirty. From the leather clad bartenders and the poolroom to the chill back patio, Ramrod has been home to the local leather scene for three decades.
This weekend, the bar is going all out for its 30th birthday bash.
The party starts with Fetish Friday Gear Night at 10 p.m. Saturday sees DJ Herbie James take over the dance floor at 10 p.m. (Ramrod opens at 9 a.m. every day.)
The leather love kicks into high gear on Sunday. The patio is always a popular Sunday Funday spot, but this weekend they go all out.
An Underground Wilma DJ takeover starts at 4 p.m., with Nicotene Mark James, Dennis Baker, Trevor Oldroyd, Bryan Hukill, Rentboy and Pup Rockit all scheduled to rule the music.
There will be cash and prizes given away, including a helicopter ride. If you can make it to midnight, there will be a balloon drop and, likely, lots of cheers and toasts.
Fort Lauderdale’s Leather OG
Alibi is credited with bringing the LGBTQ community to Wilton Manors, but before they arrived on the other side of the river, there was Ramrod. While it is a levi/leather/fetish bar, it is and always has been open and welcoming to the entire community.
“Ramrod bar has been a pillar as one of the oldest bars in Fort Lauderdale where everyone is welcome,” Leatherman Will, the reigning Mr. Ramrod, said. “It has become a landmark to visit when vacationing in South Florida. Whether you live a leather lifestyle, are curious about leather or a voyeur, this is the place that encompasses everyone.”
While, like most bars, Ramrod is busiest on weekend nights, it also has a neighborhood vibe.
Ramrod isn't just a bar, or a place for a cocktail or a beer, many think of it like the ‘80s television show “Cheers.”
“It's a place where the same guys go every day after work and share their day with each other,” James, Mr. Ramrod 2023, said.
Its monthly signature event, the Pig Dance, is an appointment party for pigs and non-pigs alike.
The first Saturday night of every month, a giant, inflatable pig welcomes everyone. As you step onto the front patio, there’s a bartender to help keep you hydrated.
“The Pig Dance has given men a place to be men. Let your oink out dancing the night away,” Leatherman Will gushed.
There’s a certain irony that Pig Dance night may be the busiest night where just regular folks show up to party. Mr. Ramrod 2023 says that just reinforces Ramrod’s community roots.
“We are not scary leathermen, we are a family!”
Thirty years is a long time for any bar to exist. Ramrod has not only survived, but has thrived. Leatherman Will may sum it up best.
“No matter how much change happens in the LGBTQIA+ community, the Ramrod bar remains the same place where every leather person or people just discovering leather can come in and feel they just returned home.”
