Dallas gay bars

6/13/25
As a celebration, the Anthony Bobrow Trust has given checks amounting to more than $300,000 to Dallas non-profits during this week. Over the past three years, that amounts to more than $1 million to continue their work to support and better the existences of our Community. With the US Government aid ending, their needs are becoming even more vital. We will be making smaller donations throughout the remainder of the year 2025, often another $100,000. We offer our gratitude to the patrons of the Hidden Door (and Tony's astute investments) for enabling this. Non-profit organizations who are receiving donations in this initial round: AIN, ASD, Legacy Cares, Taste of Hope, The Family Place and even the Oak Lawn Band.

After many decades of only accepting cash, The Hidden Door will start taking credit card payments, starting Monday, February the 10th, when the bar starts its business day.

'Times evolve after a half-century,' Harvey Meissner, who is the Hidden Door President and General Manager, remarked, explaining that forty-five years prior, in 1979, when the bar initially opened, when customers used credit cards for payment, bars were forced to make a call through a modem, manually enter their card details, then await authorization, then document everything more than once.

Jim Robert, who was the owner at the time, simplified the procedure by establishing a policy of only accepting cash payments.

'We've thought about accepting debit/credit cards over the years, but we were not able to locate the correct pairing of technology coupled with cost to make it feasible for the Hidden Door and still allow us to serve any customer just as fast, or even quicker' than when patrons use cash, stated Meissner.

He mentioned that Hidden Door bartenders have been evaluating the new system for accepting plastic payments and are learning how to use it most efficiently, so they're going to be prepared to switch over when Monday arrives.

However, he continued, old-fashioned types among us have no need for concern: 'For anyone who likes holding some loose change, we're going to still take cash. And the ATM will continue to be available.'

5/25/24 BOBROW TRUST DONATES $750,000

IN '23-‘24

The Anthony Bobrow Trust, established by Tony Bobrow, the late owner of the Hidden Door, delivered checks adding up to over $300,000 to several Dallas non-profits that serve the Dallas GLBTQ community this week. 'This represents the 7^th consecutive year that we have given unrestricted donations in the vicinity of $300,000 during late Spring. Organizations inform us that budgets are particularly burdened by mid-year, thus making our donations vital for their operations', claimed Harvey Meissner, President of the Hidden Door, Inc., and Co-Trustee. 'Our giving continues all year long and we are always doing our best to ensure a Merry Christmas. Later in '23 we gave $25,000 to the Greater Oak Lawn Committee with the goal of guaranteeing maintenance at the Legacy of Love Monument located at Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs for the five years to come, as well as an initial $25,000 for the Family Place. Many people are unaware of it as a resource: the Family Place provides services and resources specifically tailored for those who have survived relationship violence within the LGBT community.'

'The donations this week were inclusive of $75,000 apiece to AIN and Legacy Cares, $50,000 each intended for ASD and Taste of Hope, $27,500 toward the Family Place, $10,000 to the DFW Sisters and then $5,000 to the CASA Summer Camp Project by way of the Gay & Lesbian Fund intended for Dallas.

'It's the customers of the Hidden Door, as well as Tony's smart investments, that allowed the Bobrow Trust to send out checks for more than $450,000 throughout '23!

On how many occasions have you ever been on a patio that wins awards??? It holds the distinction of being the biggest in the Lawn, frequently populated by charming individuals simply waiting to be admired. And these characters are even likely to respond to you &8230; you might feel like enjoying a cold beverage alongside them.

Irrespective of what the season is, the Hidden Door patio is welcoming to patrons. It is kept cool in Summer, and heated up for those chilly Winter months. And, given that Texas weather often swings dramatically in opposing directions, it is really simple to change.

During one week there exist literally hundreds of separate reasons we're considered the friendliest bar located in Texas. And they wish to become acquainted with you.

To be sure, the inside is famed, and has undergone a total remodel. You will be enveloped in ActivePure Technology that, according to its manufacturer, does away with in excess of 99.9% of the airborne virus resulting in COVID 19! All sexes, appearances and gazes find acceptance here. Get ready to become festive, daily updates can be found on our Facebook page.

ALWAYS! Tons of free parking spots!

https://www.facebook.com/Thehiddendoordallas

The Dallas News' People's Choice gave the Hidden Door the title 'Best LGBTQ Bar and Club located in DFW.' And we couldn't agree more!

The Hidden Door is under the ownership of the Anthony Bobrow Trust. Each of our net profits get returned to our community by means of donations which, after the announcement of 2022's gifts, are approaching $ TWO MILLION. Our aim is for 25 cents of each dollar spent at the Door to fund efforts to better our existences.

(our thanks go out to the Dallas Voice and Dallas News for their recognition, along with use of their photos)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARVEY!

Scenes that come from an absolutely surprising Happy 75^th Birthday intended for Hidden Door President & General Manager, who is Harvey Meissner. Harvey has been an immense component of our legacy for almost exactly half of his lifetime! Over the years since Tony Bobrow's passing, Harvey's persistent efforts have made it feasible for the Bobrow Trust to donate approximately $2,000,000 to non-profits situated in both Dallas as well as Tony's hometown, that being Teague, Tx. He led us safely through the Covid crisis, ensured that the bar family remained united, remodeled and expanded, now we are on the other side, because of Harvey!

As a host recalled, 'Harvey said we needed to continue our efforts. ‘There exist too many individuals who rely upon us!''

As of 5/1/22, Bobrow Trust donations are nearing $1.9Million. Click right here to read more

September 1, of 2021

AIR INSIDE HIDDEN DOOR IS PROTECTED

The Hidden Door has proceeded to install ActivePure Technology that, as stated by its manufacturer, eliminates over 99.9% of the airborne virus resulting in COVID 19.

According to Harvey Meissner, who serves as President and General Manager, 'There exist over one million ActivePure systems currently in use to provide assistance in safeguarding front-line workers that are located in hospitals, for example, the Cleveland Clinic, but also in various government buildings, and the Texas State Capitol is included in these buildings.

'We set up upwards of twice the quantity that we were advised was needed, including three in the overhead air ducts, three stand-alones intended for the sides of the bar, and one inside each of the rest rooms.'

'The manufacturer informs us of the fact that, unlike traditional, passive, filtration-based air purifiers, ActivePure is effective right away and requires no capture or exposure time. It swiftly and without stopping fills a given room with virus-neutralizing particles which then quickly break down viruses to their components, making them harmless. It likewise destroys viruses when they're on surfaces.&8221;

'We assessed various types of equipment before settling on ActivePure. Highly-ranked laboratories have put it through tests, each of which obtained similarly impressive results. Offering our customers the very best protection to be found, alongside the suggested vaccinations and practicing common sense in regards to masking, makes us confident that the Hidden Door staff and the family of customers that we have are being kept as secure as possible.'

According to Meissner, despite the sophisticated air treatment, the Hidden Door is still requesting that their customers wear masks any time they are not drinking inside of the bar. 'That's what County Judge Clay Jenkins claims will put a stop to the spread. We view masks as a minor inconvenience that is only temporary. They are optional on our patio, which is the largest within the Oak Lawn vicinity. If they manage to prevent even just one case of Covid, then all of the efforts that we make will be worth it.'

The airperfect system is in operation around the clock at the hidden door, and so there isn't any time that the surfaces as well as the air won't be 99.9% free of Covid 19, in addition to other viruses.

The Hidden Door has now reopened,
with its traditional hours of operation.
It's open 7a-2a from Monday to Saturday, and from 12n-2a on Sundays.

Melissa together with the group coming from Legacy Counseling got together with Harvey and also the Hidden Door bunch so as to celebrate the bar's re-opening.

The Hidden Door has opened its doors once more today — which was Wednesday, June 16 — on Tony Bobrow's birthday, after having remained closed for over 15 months as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hidden Door President Harvey Meissner and all of his team members took the opportunity afforded by the down time to perform a bit of remodeling, and as a result, a newly-renovated patio was revealed to a crowd who approved of the changes. Dallas Voice's Chad Mantooth attended so as to take pictures of the re-opening party.

We send out our thanks, as always, to the Dallas Voice!

During the second round with respect to donations for the year, the Anthony Bobrow Trust has donated a sum total of $250,000 to a total of four distinct community organizations, according to what co-trustee Harvey Meissner mentioned.

Here we have Harvey Meissner and Evie Scrivner coming from Dallas Hope Charities

The trust has previously made some smaller donations during the year, which came up to around $10,000 total.

Organizations which were recipients within this round of donations encompass Legacy Counseling Center, AIDS Services of Dallas, Dallas Hope Charities and even AIN.

A check coming out to $62,500 was given to each agency.

The Anthony Bobrow Trust owns and receives funding in part by means of the proceeds that originate from The Hidden Door, of which Meissner is its president and general manager. Jim 'Polock' Roberts was the individual who opened the bar in 1979 and was the owner until his death during the year 1988. Anthony 'Tony' Bobrow, who was a long-time employee, then took over to become the owner of the bar as well as the manager of the Jim Roberts Trust. When Bobrow passed away in February of 2018, the bar along with the remainder of his estate went on to the Bobrow Trust, and Meissner became the president and general manager of The Hidden Door and the co-trustee of the Bobrow Trust.

Acting in accordance with Bobrow's wishes, Meissner together with his co-trustee then closed out the Jim Roberts Trust through donating its assets and creating a plan to make donations on an ongoing basis to LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS community organizations out of the assets held by the Bobrow Trust.

Here is Harvey Meissner, to the left, in addition to Christopher Turman coming from AIDS Services Of Dallas

Despite the Hidden Door having been shuttered ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic which happened in March of 2020, Meissner stated during this week that the bar and the trust are to be considered 'legally separate entities,' adding that the trust is 'well-funded plus is in a position to continue its donations irrespective of Hidden Door revenues.'

That isn't to say, however, that Meissner and the staff at Hidden Door aren't working with the aim of re-opening the bar. They are simply intending to do so in a way that's as safe as can be.

'Dallas continues to record upwards of 200 new [COVID-19] cases not to mention around 20 deaths each day,' as stated by Meissner in a statement. 'Hidden Door doesn't believe that it's truly safe to re-open, even with numerous precautions in place, until those numbers decline coupled with even more members of our community getting vaccinated.' He went on to say that the bar is keeping a target date for re-opening the doors in mind, but that date is going to be dependent on 'whether the rate with respect to new infections as well as deaths continues on its course of dropping.' And even in the event that the bar does indeed re-open its doors, 'The long-standing policy of being open during every hour permitted by law is certainly going to be reduced for the time-being.'

Meissner stated that he is hoping to announce specifics in the near future.

Apr 05, of 2021