Rainbow House Bar & Grill

Rainbow House Bar & Grill

Rainbow House (December 2012)

Location: 815 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

Opened: 1998

Closed: August 2013

Clubfly is straight to the point; Rainbow House is a lesbian bar:

Type: Lesbian Bar
In a nutshell: Rainbow House is the local choice with great views of Atlantic Ocean. Friendly staff, no cover charge, free wi-fi, and full menu. Daily happy 4pm - 7pm...

Over at yelp, however, there is no mention of this being a lesbian bar though there is one review claiming that this is "Myrtle Beach's oldest and respected gay bar." Review are basically good though, with particular praise for the great food, especially the fried clams ("the clam strips are a personal favorite of mine").

Rainbow House (May 2013)

GayCities also claims this is a gay bar--and with no reference to it being a lesbian bar:

Fun and friendly gay barThis vibrant bar and restaurant has something fun going on every night. Don't miss the popular Saturday Night Dance Party, or Thursday Gayme Nights.

So what gives? Flipped through the photos at GayCities, and I'm inclined to think that if this was ever a lesbian bar, it was lost to the gay men, drag queens, and trans women by at least 2011. I see very few photos of patrons who are easily read as lesbian, but a lot of the aforementioned groups. And there are the visual representations that tag this as male territory and not female territory. Like this one:

Rainbow House (October 2011)

Tellingly, this particular venue description doesn't even use the words "gay" or "lesbian"--though it does outline the history:

At the Rainbow Bar & Grill, guests can dine, chat, dance, or play, competing with other patrons as well as bars from all around the country. We also have a number of video arcade games and a pool table for your enjoyment. Our extensive menu will satisfy even the fussiest palate, with everything from burgers & fries to seafood dinners. Rainbow opens daily at 11 am and continues to serve our complete menu until we close the following morning.

Our unique experience includes murals depicting the old Myrtle Beach Pavilion, a 50's style diner, and the Land of Oz, along with our "Rainbow Venus de Milo," all painted by local artist Sheik Ster.

Our History

Rainbow House began in an actual house in 1998. Our guests always felt at home, and the tradition continues today in our current location in Myrtle Beach's historic downtown Five Points as the Rainbow Bar & Grill.

Originally part of the Dog House family, Micki Strickland purchased Rainbow House In 1997 with the goal of creating a "down home" bar & grill. She envisioned good food in a friendly atmosphere where everyone would be welcome. Now with a full, tasty menu, the completely remodeled Rainbow Bar & Grill is the new favorite for locals and area business persons.

Same goes for the description at Clubplanet:

Rainbow House - So it’s midnight. You’re still feeling it. You’re still buzzed. Why go home? You don’t have to. Rainbow House, located at 815 N Kings Hwy, is open well after normal closing-time, so you can keep the vibe going until it’s scandalously past your bedtime.

Maybe they were counting on the "rainbow" part of the name to get the point across?

Just to add the confusion, the Facebook page for Rainbow House does appear to depict mostly lesbians. But there is nothing saying this is a lesbian bar. So go figure....

At minimum, I guess one can assume that the "lesbian bar" status was always provisional and contested at best. Probably more "mixed" to male-dominated than anything else.