Forget New York: Atlanta has best gay bar in Mary's

It's nearing midnight on Saturday, and a gaggle of women in trendy dresses snake their way through Mary's bar in a cloud of perfume and make-up.

The women walk past a transgender woman waiting to sing Elton John at karaoke. They push through a throng of white and black gay men deep in conversation about the presidential election. They sidestep an East Atlanta local who walks down in a baseball cap to grab a beer.

"We're not here for the men, and they're not interested in us," one woman says, explaining why she and her friends — all straight — headed out to a gay bar in the East Atlanta Village for the night. "We're just out to have a good time."

The word about good times at Mary's has apparently gotten out. Logo, a cable channel geared to the gay community, last month named Mary's the best gay bar in the country.

The best gay bar in the country? As in, better than the swank spots in L.A. with guest lists and lines of wannabes at the door. Better than the New York clubs where Lindsay Lohan was known to jump on stage and sing (pre-breakdown, of course).

Mary's, named for the campy term of endearment among some gay men, is a self-described dive bar known mostly for its karaoke. It's where kitschy theme nights feature the likes of a Double-Dutch jump rope battle or dressing up as your favorite Frenchie for Bastille Day.

"At Mary's you never know who is sitting next to you or what will happen next," said John Polly, the editor with Logo Online who collected a national panel of travel writers, journalists, party promoters and gay celebrities to decide what rose to the top. "People are charmed by that."

Put another way, anything can happen at Mary's. It often does.

Co-owner Mike Dover remembers the time a giant RV lumbered into the back parking lot. A lesbian couple decked out in tie-dye were on their way home to Florida from the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee when they called around to bars in Atlanta. Mary's had the nicest person answer the phone, so they decided to stop there.

Meanwhile, a limo dropped off a bachelorette party at the front door. Tipsy and celebrating, they wanted to have another toast to the soon-to-be bride.

On most nights, Mary's is a mix of gay and neighborhood patrons. But everyone is welcome in the two-story bar, where the ceiling drips white Christmas lights and '60s and '70s paintings adorn the walls.

"All the things that are right about Atlanta get reflected in this bar," said co-owner Bill Overall. "It's the mix of people in a place where it all just comes together."

Adds Dover, "We're neighborhood people, gay people, straight people, black people, white people. Why can't we all go to the same place?"

That attitude of a gay Cheers — only not too gay — strikes a chord with regulars and newbies alike.

Tara O'Bryan had just moved to Georgia last year when a friend took her to Mary's. A transgender singer, O'Bryan was expecting a cookie cutter gay bar, where she would feel isolated by not fitting the mold.

Instead, her regular table in the corner became known as the Diva Section by other regulars and staffers. It was where, two weeks ago, her boyfriend got down on one knee and proposed.

"It doesn't really surprise me that this is the best gay bar in the entire nation," said the 27-year-old O'Bryan. "I'm just glad they got it right."

A few minutes later, O'Bryan pierced the bar sounds with her take on "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," the Elton John song. "I can't light no more of your darkness," she sang.

The crowd cheered while others waited for their turn at the karaoke mic. The next wave of songs would feature tunes from the '80s, Motown and even some country.

At Mary's, there's something for everybody.