Nellie’s Drag Brunch

Nellie’s weekend drag brunch was one of my go-to events before everything shut down for quarantine.

There are a lot of drag brunch options in Washington, D.C., but what keeps me coming back to Nellie’s is the consistently strong cast of performers with fresh songs and outfits every week. Out-of-town performers also often supplement the regular cast, giving me the opportunity to see new talent.

What makes the Nellie’s cast so strong is its diversity — you’ll see different styles of drag, song choices, outfits. There are cis-men and trans-women, various ages, and all races. (And yes, even in D.C., there are some other venues with all-white casts and audiences. That’s never an issue here).

The diversity is also reflected in the audience — you can see a 21-year-old college student, a great grandmother, and everyone inbetween.

The details

This is how things operated before the pandemic:

Tickets: The cost is $40-50 per person, which includes entertainment, a buffet brunch and a starter mimosa or Bloody Mary.

• Tickets are available online via Eventbrite — best place to find the link is the Nellie’s Sports Bar website.
• Follow the Chanellie’s Drag Brunch Instagram account for discount codes.
• The larger your party, the more likely that you need to reserve a tickets in advance.

It’s easier to have separate ticket purchases seated as a single group than to hear complaints from “that friend” who failed to get their ticket before the show sold out.

Time: There are two seatings — 11 am and 1:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. This is one of the few drag brunches that actually starts on time, so don’t meander. I’ve seen people show up more than an hour late before. Don’t be that person, the buffet will be packed up.

Tipping: Prior the shutdown, tips operated on a cash basis. There’s an ATM at the bar if you forget to bring cash — but it’s easier to stop by your bank’s ATM before brunch to avoid fees.

I don’t know how Nellie’s drag brunch will change after things reopen, so be sure to follow the event Instagram account or Facebook page for full details.

This was definitely one of my favorite memories of the past few years, so it’s worth booking your spot once this brunch restarts.

But what about the straight women?

The most frequent concern that my gay friends have about drag brunch is the amount of straight women in the crowd. I find this bizarre for several reasons:

1. That’s how drag brunch works. Most successful drag brunches are predominately attended by straight women celebrating an event such as a birthday, engagement party, or other event. That’s common everywhere.
2. It’s great that straight people support queer artists! Many gay men who religiously attend Drag Race watch-parties are suspiciously absent from drag brunches. This is unfortunate because brunch gigs are how many of the District’s best drag queens can afford to keep performing. Gay men should also not complain about straight women financially supporting the queer artists and establishments that we enjoy — they are literally why we can have nice things.
3. It’s still a queer event. Straight people at this drag brunch are just here to have a good time, not to make any LGBT folks feel uncomfortable. The host and performers are also completely capable to handling anyone who gets out of pocket, but this is exceedingly rare. I suspect that the price-point of this drag brunch also keeps out the most ratchet bridal showers.
4. The audience demographics don’t impact you. Given that the straight women aren’t going to harass you (see #3), the gender and orientation of the audience is none of your business. You wouldn’t avoid going to a play, concert, or movie because there are too many straight people in the audience — this isn’t any different.

Plus, it is not the case that LGBT folks are unable to get tickets because straight women are snatching them up. The gay community just frequently fails to support its own artists, which is a shame because these brunches are a lot of fun!

Because I was somewhat of a Nellie’s regular, I have hundreds of photos from pre-pandemic brunches. So this coming week, expect some additional posts featuring specific Nellie’s performers.