08/29/09
great place to go-if you like high prices and lots of rules
by Noelie84 at Citysearch
Friends and I were looking for someplace with a patio and some live music in Portsmouth, and we stumbled across the Gas Light. We coughed up the $5 cover because paying a cover at the door to a bar usually ensures cheaper beers, better service, you know, some kind of benefit. We sidled up to the bar and placed our order. Three beers came to $15. Definitely on the high side, but not ridiculous. One of my friends and I wanted to have a cigar, but were told that we can't smoke them on the deck. All around us were people with cigarettes, but no cigars allowed?! WTF? The rules continued to pile up, and so did the prices. No drinks in the bathroom (not ridiculous). No shots. 1 drink per hour limit. If you want to order a round of drinks, you have to have everybody at the bar when you order. Once you go to the nightclub, if you want to go back to the deck you have to pay the cover again. You get carded all the time (once at the door to the deck, at the bar on the deck, at the door to the nightclub, at the bar in the nightclub, etc etc). No drinks on the dancefloor. If you want comfortable seating you have to pay $25 to get into the VIP section (really just a roped off section of the nightclub with some couches). No shots here either. Nothing straight up, nothing on the rocks, no drinks with more than 2 types of alcohol in them. The list goes on and on. Plus, even though it has a cover to get in, this place is EXPENSIVE!! $9 for a mixed drink, $5 for beer (a budweiser, no less!!). Even our DD had to pay $2.50 for a COKE!! Save yourself some money and a lot of hassle and go someplace else, this place isn't worth your time or consideration.
- Pros: unique patio lighting
- Cons: pretty much everything else
08/16/09
The Nightclub is a Corny Hot Mess! Just skip it!
by jjamesj77 at Citysearch
I have to agree with the review of the establishment as a bar/nightclub. It was so corny and so rediculous. The staff are quite rude, as if to project some sort of self-importance or use some kind or reverse psychology to get you to think you are at some exclusive nightclub ( I hear they actually hava a roped off V.I.P section in the danceclub which I think is hilarious, as it is a business driven mostly by white tourist from New England suburbs. The approach they are taking to make sure yu know just how much you you need to be there, seems to be by creating as many lines to wait in as possible...maybe so from the street you think you are looking upon the next Studio 54. We waited in line at the mis-direction of one staff person just to be barked at by a "Look at my tatto sleeve, everybody" chick who was guarding the upstairs entrance like it was One-Eyed Willies treasure. She rudely demanded we go back outside and wait as it had it's own entrace. Confused as anybody in their right mind would be as we had just gotten in and paid 8 dollars each doing so, just to return to the line. We were aggressively directed to return to wait in line again, carded again, and met up with the same terminator lady, who cut my wrist bracelet and grunted at my "Thankyou". Aside of the entitled abusive treatment of the staff, the list of this club is total joke goes on...weird and police-state environment that monitors your drinking like you are at the prom...one drink limit ordering, no shots, bouncers grabbing your wrist to check your (completely unneccessary) blacklight stamp if you get too close to any entrance. Almost all staff were incredibly rude and abrupt, and we could not wait to finish our drinks and get out of there, as there are many places to choose from that turned out to be waaaay better even without the barely used dance floor and college frathouse disco lighting. Save your money and go to the irish bar around the corner to Ri Ra for friendly staff, fun environment, live music, and a good time.
- Pros: Sour service... not worth a penny of your money!
- Cons: Air of self inflated, self-importance, and Disrespect
12/31/08
Stay away
by TLC2k9 at Citysearch
Like many of the other reviewers, two friends and I recently paid the cover at Gas Light and before finishing our first drink were asked to leave by the bouncers upstairs. When we asked why they told us they had received complaints but would not provide details. Hmmm... all we were doing was sitting at the bar and talking amongst ourselves. They refused to refund our cover and literally escorted us to the "mandatory" coat room and then down the stairs to the front door. As a group of professionals in our late 30s who has frequented many establishments, we found the whole thing QUITE odd and somewhat discriminatory as the majority of clientele in the nightclub were in their twenties. We agree with many here, stay away. There are plenty of other places in Portsmouth to frequent.
- Pros: nothing
- Cons: bad service, cover
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