Controversial SF bar is reborn after closing for good

After permanently closing at the start of the pandemic, Castro video dance bar Badlands reopened Oct. 4 under new management.

On Sept. 10, the storied gay bar posted an announcement on its Facebook page that it would reopen at 4121 18th St. and called for bartenders to apply. It was the bar’s first post since 2020, when it shared that it was shuttering permanently. On Wednesday, a Hoodline reporter posted photos of a full dance floor and bar on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Badlands had been open for 45 years when it closed in 2020. After opening in 1973 as Watergate West with a loosely Western theme, the bar was rechristened Badlands in 1975, according to SFist. In 1999, real estate mogul Les Natali purchased the bar and converted it into a dance bar.

In its most recent iteration, Badlands was known for its cheap drink specials, occasionally offering two-for-one cocktails. The establishment also featured a dance floor surrounded by wall-mounted TVs, which played videos for dancers, and a disco ball on the ceiling. The walls were covered in old license plates. 

But Badlands is perhaps best known for its history of controversy. In the early 2000s, the bar and Natali were plagued by allegations of racist practices. In 2005, a San Francisco Human Rights Commission investigation found that Natali and the bar had discriminated against Black customers and job applicants. A later California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control investigation cleared Natali of the allegations, but some would-be patrons remain unconvinced.

“That bar has always been garbage and owned by a racist dickwad,” one X user posted in reference to Badlands on Thursday, the day after it reopened.

Natali has also earned notoriety as a landlord for evicting popular tenants and leaving at least one Castro storefront empty for more than a decade. 

While Badlands remained closed, Natali spent months negotiating with nightclub owner and new Badlands co-owner TJ Bruce, Hoodline reported. According to Hoodline, Bruce will be taking on 50% ownership of the bar. It’s unclear in what capacity Natali will be involved. Badlands did not return a request for comment in time for publication. 

Bruce owns nightclubs in Seattle, San Jose, Fresno and Modesto. He also owns Badlands locations in Portland and Sacramento. Prior to purchasing a stake in San Francisco’s Badlands, he was a longtime consultant for the business.

Badlands looks a bit different from before, Hoodline reported. The dance floor is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and the ceiling is lower. The license plates that once adorned the walls are absent — at least for now.