Barracuda Lounge
Logo | |
The bar's entrance in June 2021 | |
Interactive map of Barracuda | |
| Address | 275 West 22nd Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Chelsea, Manhattan, New York, US |
| Coordinates | 40°44′41″N 73°59′54″W / 40.7446°N 73.9983°W |
| Owner | Bob Pontarelli |
| Type | Gay bar |
| Public transit |
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| Construction | |
| Opened | October 1995 |
| Closed | March 23, 2025 |
Barracuda Lounge, or simply Barracuda, was a gay bar in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1995, the bar was known for its nightly drag shows. It was a sister establishment to Industry, a nightclub, and Elmo, a restaurant. Barracuda was home to "Star Search", the longest-running bar show in New York City, which began in the early 1990s and may have served as an inspiration for RuPaul's Drag Race. In the 1990s and 2000s, Barracuda was a popular celebrity hangout, and it was frequently the site of promotional events for new music and Broadway plays. The bar shuttered on March 23, 2025, due to damage from a demolition project in surrounding buildings. Critics generally praised Barracuda for its intimate, relaxed and entertainment-focused atmosphere, which was unusual at the time of its creation, and some credited this with revolutionizing the concept of gay bars.