Before Wilton Manors became the go-to queer nightlife destination in South Florida, Keith’s Cruise Room stood proudly down in Hallandale as one of the region’s first truly known gay bars. Locals and visitors alike knew the name — even those who had never stepped foot inside — because it was the place in South Broward where queer life thrived after hours.
Keith’s wasn’t just a bar — it was a marker on the map: a place people pointed to when someone asked where the scene actually was. It opened in 1969, a time when queer bars were few and far between, and gay life had to be lived in whispers or iconic, memorable storefronts like this. Over the years it closed and reopened a few times before finally exiting the scene for good, but its reputation never faded.
