Dudley's, Charleston

About Dudley's

Dudley's on Ann is Charleston's oldest operating gay bar, running since 1984. It started life on King Street — a new owner bought the former Street Car bar and renamed it for the grandmother whose house sale helped fund it — and later moved to its longtime home at 42 Ann Street, just off upper King. A 2012 change of ownership rebranded it as 'Charleston's Everybody Bar' and gave the place a facelift, but the welcome stayed the same. The signature here is the 'living-room' drag show: performers work the floor right in front of the crowd rather than from a distant stage, which makes it feel less like a revue and more like a party at a friend's place. Around the drag, the week fills out with karaoke, DJs, and weekend dancing, and the bar keeps a seven-day schedule. It's the dependable anchor of downtown Charleston's small but loyal queer scene — the first stop most locals and visitors name.