Follow the Yellow Brick Road
by Emma Rose Kraus
Journalism Intern
If you’re looking for a cool dive to hang out in or a chill environment while playing pool or throwing darts, look no further than Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Yellow Brick Road Pub - YBR for short.
The historically lesbian but now LGBT+ and community oriented YBR is different than many of the other LGBT+ friendly hangouts in Tulsa, which boasts many downtown drinking establishments. YBR is located on E. 15th St. and as a neighborhood bar, it’s perfect for drinking and socializing with friends after a long day.
“We kind of pick up the stragglers,” says YBR General Manager Majda Al-Amoudi. “The people that don’t want to go out on the weekends when there’s a bunch of people everywhere.”
Unlike the crowded downtown Tulsa bar scene, YBR doesn’t have to focus on blasting music or flashy signs to get people to come in the door. Instead the customers come on their own, many of them regulars who come every week.
For anyone who’s looking for a place where they can hear themselves over the music and make genuine human connections with other bar goers, YBR is the place to be. With good prices and fast, friendly service, it truly makes going out on the weekend a more easygoing atmosphere that truly encourages customers to interact and let go of their worries.
“YBR is not going to be crazy busy and packed,” Al-Amoudi explains. “It’s definitely going to be more relaxed, and that’s why I think a lot of people like it.”
YBR is open every day from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., accepts cash, credit cards and has bike parking. The music comes from a jukebox that anyone can use and the bar has outdoor seating in the back, a cigarette machine and indoor smoking for the full dive bar feel.
“I love how welcoming it is; it’s just cozy,” enthuses Al-Amoudi. “The people that have been going to this bar have been going to it for years. There are regulars that have been going here since they turned 21.”
The pub is also no stranger to holding events, such as a recent luau with a tiki punch, a dunk tank and DJ Kyoie.
“Every time we do events we always try to help someone out,” says Al-Amoudi.
The bar, which has been a choice dive in Tulsa for over 15 years, is the best place to go for anyone looking for a cool, relaxed, out-of-the-way gay scene without all the bright lights and unnecessary frills. Described by one yelp reviewer as “the best dive lesbian bar Tulsa has ever had,” the Yellow Brick Road is the perfect place for anyone looking for a new place to call their regular weekend hang out.
YBR is located at 2630 E 15th St. in Tulsaand describes themselves as a “friendly neighborhood pub that welcomes the LBGT community.”
Copyright 2017 The Gayly – August 13, 2017 @ 10:45 a.m. CDT.