Cocktails Akron 2.0

“Not worth the sacrifice...”

It costs too much in time, money, and personal safety. The neighborhood is dangerous. Some customers seem like rough trade. The one-way streets make it hard to access. Overall, it's unremarkable and not worth my time.

A visitor · Over a year ago

“Sick joke”

Friends warned me not to go, but I didn't listen. The area is threatening, the parking lot is poorly lit, and there was broken glass that could cause flat tires. The crowd was obnoxious and had attitude. Forget this place!

A guest · Over a year ago

“All talk, no s/m”

I'm skeptical of the claim that everyone talks to all who enter, but fun is subjective. Aside from the thrill of driving to a dangerous area at night (which is typical for gay bars in Akron or Cleveland), the patrons seemed ordinary, though not particularly fun. Every "man's" bar is essentially a hangout for older men and social outcasts of all ages. There were some men in leather, but no real action. Most guys just stood around chatting, and the bartender wasn't very friendly either. Maybe Daddys/Cocktails is fun if you come with a group of friends (though then you're not meeting new people), but if you go alone, don't expect a warm welcome unless you're some kind of huge leather god. It seems regular guys—those whose masculinity isn't entirely based on leather—aren't welcome.

A recent visitor · Over a year ago

“awsome”

Cocktails is an excellent place to meet people—there's no pretension, and everyone talks to everyone who walks in. Many out-of-towners come back to visit, and we visit them when we travel. Daddys hosts many events for the leather community across five counties and is the home bar for the Iron Eagles, Rangers, Arktos, and you can also meet The Ohio Boys of Leather. These men contribute a lot to the wider community. If you can't have fun here, you don't know what fun is.

A local visitor · Over a year ago

It has great potential but doesn't use it. The upstairs bar, Daddy's, was meant to be a fetish/leather bar but usually just has older men playing dress-up in drag. Real leather conversation or action is almost never there. To make things worse, the bartender (if he's still there) made shocking racist comments (as did some customers on other occasions, about Arabs and Latinos), but no one objected. Very disappointing. I don't know if it was part of some macho leather posturing or if those comments reflect true beliefs, but either way, my values are different and I feel uncomfortable there. The main bar, Cocktails, is the sister bar of Cocktails Cleveland. Many guys love it because it's an unpretentious, large bar, but it's seen better days. Sunday afternoons in summer used to be a lot of fun, with tipsy hot beefy guys on the patio and lots of sexual innuendo and hookups. In winter, things are slower.

A visitor · Over a year ago