The Gator Club, Sarasota FL

How great we feel every time we are here at The Gator Club! If you visit our town and want to be part of Sarasota nightlife you can't miss this club. The atmosphere is a lot of fun. Not just the live bands downstairs always play great music but also upstairs the DJ. Great drinks! Always a good vibe and everyone is very welcoming.

I can't stand to go to a club and have to breath cigarette smoke. That is the case here and it is the only one around that still allows smoking inside. Besides being unhealthy, the place stinks from the smoke! Continued. Since I can't respond to the owner's response, I can only edit mine. I have only reviewed on 3 sites but at your request, I will go to all the others. And as you know, the real problem is with your staff not keeping the rules you state you have about smoking. And you would rather keep your staff happy than your customers. Poor way to run a business!

Security here is extremely over the top. As someone who's bounced before its extremely unprofessional to try to watch anyone use the bathroom between the deviders reguardless of the circumstance. Then again maybe some of your security is on the down low. Wont ever be back. Keep your 5 bucks or 10 whatever the cover is go to smokin joes down the road security wont stare at you while you relieve yourself

If you are looking for a place to go on a Saturday night look no further. If Johnny diamonds playing you’ll have one of the best bands around.

The gator club had wonderful employees! Jay, Jason, & Jessie! They were the best! Highly recommend this bar for a goodnight out in downtown Sarasota, FL

Well, I've never been here. But from a having a career in management there is enough reviews here to warrant a possible change.
It seems there is an overwhelming common denominator regarding your security. The worst thing you can do is not listen to your customers. There is a reason why all these fortune 500 companies spend millions on reviews and feedback. Good luck.
I had to give a star indicator to write any kind of message. I don't know if you warrant 3 stars. I just think comments about security is telling.

A must stop for me whenever I’m in Sarasota! Drinks are stiff. Bartenders are friendly and there are great bands on the weekends!

Super sketch crowd and weird bartenders. Smokey, unfriendly and the blonde bartender CANNOT do math. Watch your check / change. Will not go back. Lots of other places around to get a drink.

Great place for dancing, cocktails and live music. The only problem is they allow smoking inside. You leave smelling like smoke and are exposed to 2nd hand cigarette smoke. I want to have fun not die of lung cancer. Send the smokers outside!

Had an amazing night here celebrating NYE. The staff are accommodating and will spark a conversation with you (when they’re not so busy. After reading all the bad reviews about security, I would like to point out that the security are NOT there to be your buddy. They are there to keep people safe and I think they do a fantastic job. In the world of bars, you have to except trouble when you’re surrounding by drunk people and some, that clearly drink too much and can’t handle it. This is not the bars fault and after being a randomly attacked by a very drunk man, for no reason.it was a pleasure to see them act immediately, professionally and calm. If it wasn’t for you guys being so responsive, it could have gone a very different way and for that I am forever grateful. Everyone makes mistakes, we’re only human and if you get penalised for something, even if you are not in the wrong there is always a reason and I believe that it’s how you behave towards the staff, will reflect on their behaviour to you.

Bartenders Fantasia and friendly, lovely venue with comfy seats and a smoking are up stairs (inside). Drinks are averagely priced, great music and a great vibe. Don’t be out off by the bad reviews, you can’t please everyone and I can only imagine how hard their job must be. Keep it guys, we will back! Thank you!

What a fun bar to visit while in Sarasota! We went with a group of friends on a Saturday night and they had a live band playing 90s/early 2000s sing alongs. It was a blast. The drinks were very reasonable and service was quick enough for a packed bar!

Have never been to the Gator Club as a customer, however have been planning to go for a while now. Two nights ago my girlfriend and I were playing Pokémon Go downtown and were asked by a man for money. When we said no he began following us. As I’ve lived in a city before, I know how important it is to be able to read your surroundings and react accordingly. I pulled my girlfriend into the Gator Club and watched as the strange man rounded the corner and stayed there. I informed the bouncer of what was going on and he went above and beyond to walk us out of the establishment and stand guard until the man saw him and walked back the way that he came. I made sure to wish he bouncer a good night and we took a short walk to our car. Had it not been for the bouncer I’m certain that we would’ve been mugged. This was on Tuesday night. I can say that the Gator Club just gained two customers and I feel incredibly safe there. Thank you for looking out for the ladies downtown and we will DEFINITELY be back soon!

Overzealous bouncers for no reason whom solicite fights but are afraid to do anything off the property. A tiny bartender whom took advantage of my forethought to not want charges pressed against me even though I was the one being assualted and lies fabricated about. A cocktail waitress whom lies and instigates but also gets naked at parties which would have been fun and all if we weren't dating and I asked her not to ahead of time since I knew there were butt fiends afoot. Manager whom acts nice to your face and has no inclination of finding out the truth of what happens and why at her establishment. Negative stars if possible but unfortunately I cannot. I will not support this establishment and many people are doing the same.

UPDATE: I expected no less than your lame reply. Remember how you praised me for doing the right thing and allowing us to speak first which you seemed so appreciative of but yet went against your own word and have employees that are fakes and liars whom you'd rather support than the people doing things proper in your community. Good luck with that. Take care yourself.

Love the bar and the atmosphere, although it could be better with friendlier staff especially the door guys. Seems like they are looking for trouble and try to intimidate, very rude.

The bartenders at Gator's will steal your heart. Quality bar run by even better people. It's worth your time.

Jamie is absolutely wonderful and Jenny at the bar always greets you with a smile. Great Atmosphere

Great bartenders great prices, these two guys stole drinks I tried to tip the bartender as much as I could cause I felt bad she was a nice girl. An to do a good deed like that an be treated absolutely HORRIBLE BY SECURITY when a women told me to leave a spot that no one was sitting in cause she claims I was stealing her spot light an when I refused to leave cause I was waiting on a friend she threw a drink in my face this security guard gave me two sprained wrists a hematoma in each wrists an when I tried to grab my money off the floor he punches my sister in the back several times as she's trying to get my phone off the ground keep in mind this guy is 4x times our size my sister is 5'4 an as he comes back over to me to remove me from the club as I'm trying tell him he pulled my top down he pushes me so hard the downtown side walks are huge an I still landed in the street with my breasts exposed GREAT place SECURITY IS COMPLETY HORRIBLE AN DOES NOT MAKE THIS PLACE FEEL SAFE AN ABUSE OF POWER EMBARRASED FOR YOU HOW YOU GUYS MADE THE ESTABLISHMENT LOOK SECURTY GUARD BEING EXTREMELY FORCEFULLY NEEDS TO BE FIRED HE IS THE WHITE BALLED ONE VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED WILL BE POSTING PICS

They charged my card $50 for two drinks. I've called repeatedly, but they never answer and voicemail box is full. This happened to a friend of mine there also. Stay away!