Robert's Lafitte, Galveston

About Robert's Lafitte

Robert's Lafitte is Galveston's original drag bar and one of Texas's oldest gay bars — run by Robert Mainor since 1970, which makes it the longest-running gay bar in the state under a single owner. For decades its stage has carried an ever-changing lineup of queens, with the Ladies of Lafitte drag shows still the main event, backed by strong pours, a pool table, a jukebox by the door, and a two-drink minimum. The crowd skews chosen-family — locals, old regulars, and visitors who came for the history and stayed for the welcome. After a 2026 community fundraiser helped cover urgent building repairs, the bar is still going — a reminder of how much this room means to Galveston's queer scene. It's 21-and-up, cards accepted, with an ATM inside by the door. Come for the drag and stay for the kind of unpretentious, everyone-belongs energy that's kept it alive for more than half a century.