Walk into JR's Bar & Grill on a Sunday night, when the bar holds its weekly vodka special, and you will find the narrow room crammed with so many gay men wall-to-wall that you wonder how they're all managing to breathe. But breathe they do – even navigate the crowd without spilling their drinks – while having the time of their lives in this 17th Street mainstay.

JR's attracts a sizable portion of the city's professional crowd – most of the men look like they should be posing for a fashion ad. It's a bustling place with the kind of good-time camaraderie one might find in a fraternity house. Owned by a Dallas-based corporation, JR's is comfortable and clean, with pristine brass railings along the room-length bar and large stained-glass windows. The high-ceilinged room sports a giant video screen, and there's an upper berth – a loft – that houses a pool table and serves as a getaway from the throngs.

The bartenders are affable to regulars and newcomers alike – there's little attitude here. And manager Eric Little is always dreaming up new ways for his customers to have rip-roaring fun, such as the annual Easter Bonnet competition . There's always a reason to visit JR's.

– Randy Shulman