Hub of gay nightlife in Valley celebrates 25 years

Most clubs and bars in the area let out a sigh of relief if they make it past the first year. Two years is cause for celebration. After three years, you're considered a "staple." By the time you've been around 25 years, like PBDs bar in McAllen, you're pretty much in a category all your own.

The bar, located at 2908 N. Ware Rd., has done some re-inventing since owner Drew Clark on February 18, 1984, choosing to brand it with the acronym for his nickname, poor baby Drew.

It was at one time a pub with pool tournaments and sports showing on TVs. Later, it transformed into a comedy bar. But it's former identities pale in comparison to its popularity among the gay community. But it's not a gay bar, said general manager of 17 years Jose Cervantes.

"This bar isn't exclusively for gay people. It just happened that 80 percent of the people who come here are the gay community," he said. "It's just a place where you can come enjoy yourself. ... We have a lot of straight people who come here."

The recipe for success, with gay and straight communities alike, Cervantes said, is simple: service.

"The only thing (we've done) is be kind to the customers, work hard. This is just a place for any kind of people to come and enjoy themselves," he said. "I've been doing that for 17 years and he (Clark) has been doing that for 25 years. It's nothing magical."

But how long can a rustic bar in the outskirts of nightlife activity stay around in an increasingly modern bar culture? "Until I die," Cervantes said.