Babes of Carytown is an LGBTQ friendly bar, founded in 1979 as a lesbian bar, and located in Richmond, Virginia.[1][2][3] It is known for its beach volleyball court, live music, and drag shows.[4][5][6] It is Richmond's only lesbian-focused bar, and one of only thirty-three remaining in the country.[7]
From 2011 through 2016, it was the first place Reader's Pick in Style Weekly for Best Gay Bar.[8] In 2017, Babes was inducted into the Style Weekly Hall of Fame.[9] It then tied for first place as the Style Weekly Reader's Pick in 2018, and then was the first place Reader's pick from 2019 through 2021.[10]
In 2017, it was selected by Thrillist as Virginia's best dive bar and in 2022 was recognized by Tasting Table as among the best LGBTQ bars in the nation.[11][12]
In a 2017 report prepared for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources LGBTQ Heritage Working Group, Babes is described as "a rare survivor from the pre-1991 period, during which the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board regularly shut down establishments that served or employed LGBTQ individuals."[13]