America's Most Infamous Strip Clubs

Next stop: moral bankruptcy.

Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Do you love bad bitches? Is that your problem? Well, so does just about everyone else. That's why the proliferation of seedy strip clubs has permeated every aspect of American culture. And where there is 'mo money and 'mo boobies, there is also lots of trouble brewing.

Some of the most scandalous strip clubs in our nation's history have been shut down, like Club Thunderbolt, Porky's, and Minxx, but there's still a lot of places around the country for you to shower a scantily clad sweetheart with one dollar bills and then get yourself into uncertain debauchery. Here's our list of America's Most Infamous Strip Clubs. Enjoy irresponsibly.

Spearmint Rhino Gentleman's Club Rialto

City: Rialto, Calif.
Address: 10010 Capital of TX Highway
Website: spearmintrhino.com
Claim to infamy: Attempted murder of a dancer

There are many Spearmint Rhino clubs, but this one is infamous for a tragic reason. Located in a suburban part of California, it would probably be the most nondescript club if an attempted murder-suicide hadn't occurred there in April of this year. The 40-something-year-old man apparently became fixated on this dancer and wanted to have a relationship with her. After she turned him down, the man went crazy, allegedly complaining that he'd showered her with money over the last year before he shot her in the face. It's too late for him to understand that's the whole point of a strip club, but it's definitely an important lesson to teach your kids. Strippers dance for your money, not your love and affection.

Sam's Hofbrau

City: Los Angeles
Address: 210 NW 11th Ave.
Website: samshofbrau.com
Claim to infamy: Amputees

If you like your strippers with a side of sausage, literally, come to Sam's Hofbrau in Downtown Los Angeles. The club is known for having a "diverse" range of dancers, and clientele who are not-so-discerning when it comes to dancers' looks. And by that we mean having at least three teeth at any given time is the minimum requirement. Because of the freak factor, hipsters love Sam's Hofbrau, and have made it an even more decrepit version of Jumbo's Clown Room. This really is where strippers go to die. It's also where people lose their limbs. Earlier this year, an angry, drunk man rammed two patrons against a car while in the parking lot. The man hit them so hard, the two men had to have their legs amputated. While really unfortunate for those men, it does open up a whole inappropriate array of lap dance jokes.

Teasers Cabaret

City: Newton, Ala.
Address: 14634 U.S. 84
Website: teasersrockhard.com
Claim to infamy: Triple murder

The Crimson Tide isn't just Alabama's famous college football team or a code word for when all the girls at the strip club are coordinated on their moon cycles. No, it's a metaphor for some of the honked up shit that can happen if you get a man too drunk, too horny, and too medicated to be committed in America. Although Teasers is known for its outrageous shows (see: midgets wrestling), last year a man came in there with a 9mm semi-automatic and killed three people, including a dancer, the owner's son, and the bouncer. Their motto is "come to the little pink building for big fun."

Tootsies

City: Miami
Address: 150 NW 183rd St.
Website: tootsiescabaret.com
Claim to infamy: NFL players with elevated testosterone

A sprawling 74,000 square foot gentleman's club in Miami Gardens, Tootsie's is a gaudy, lit-up wonderland of lust and lasciviousness. Whatever your flavor of lady, Tootsie's has her, mostly because the place is so huge that they employ tons of girls every night. The stage (and the towering stripper pole) are supposed to be one of the biggest, so it's perfect for an arsenal of tricks that would make a queen of any size thrilled. While this is considered one of the go-to strip clubs in Miami, its notoriety is not due to its lavish interior or the cushy couches that flank the stage for those less interested in being tits deep near the stage. Nope, it's their sometimes DJ, former Kansas City Chiefs running back, Larry Johnson, who has been garnering press. There's been more crazy NFL action here, too. New England Patriots Tight End, Aaron Hernandez, purportedly shot a man there earlier this year after a fight. So, there's that.

Sue's Rendezvous

City: Mt. Vernon, NY
Address: 96 Gramatan Ave.
Website: suesny.com
Claim to infamy: A bouncer-on-bouncer murder

One of the oldest strip clubs in the tri-state area, Sue's Rendezvous is where famous rapper groupie-turned-MILF Amber Rose, first showed off her twerking skills and catapulted to success and relationships with two of hip-hop's biggest names, Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa. But before Sue's was name-dropped in Nicki Minaj, Jay Z, Rick Ross, and Notorious BIG lyrics, the club made headlines for Kenneth West murdering fellow bouncer Allen Edwards, a crime he served 14 years in prison for.

Crazy Horse Too/The Horse

City: Las Vegas
Address: 2466 Industrial Road
Website: facebook.com/HorseTooLasVegas
Claim to infamy: Racketeering

Now dubbed The Horse Gentleman's Club, this widely touted Las Vegas establishment was one of the classiest strip clubs near the Strip. Dancers like Jenna Jameson made their name here and it was the place to go if you wanted to bleed your bank account dry on a "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" kind of excursion. Crazy Horse Too's owner, convicted racketeer Rick Rizzolo, was the subject of a 10-year investigation by the FBI and CIA for a number of reasons, including tax evasion, narcotics, racketeering, assault, and prostitution. When Rizzolo pled guilty for tax evasion, the club lost its liquor license and took a break before it re-opened as The Horse. Just call The Horse a phoenix from the flames.

The Ball Gentleman's Club

City: Knoxville, Tenn.
Address: 3005 Alcoa Hwy
Website: stripclubsknoxville.com
Claim to infamy: A shooter (with an arrow)

If you want to see some knockers in Knoxville, The Ball Gentleman's Club is where it's at. But, before you go, you better practice your medieval defense tactics—people get shot with arrows in these parts. Earlier this year, a bouncer was shot with an arrow in the wee hours of the morning at The Ball. The mystery man who went all William Tell on the bouncer wasn't found, perhaps because the bouncer's attacker was the stripper patron saint, Cupid, who missed and shot the wrong person instead of the horny clientele. At least, that's our guess.

The Seventh Veil

City: Los Angeles
Address: 7180 Sunset Blvd.
Website: Facebook.com/pages/Seventh-Veil
Claim to infamy: Name-checked by Motley Crue

Steel Panther, a fake (but totally real) metal band, sings about Hollywood's Seventh Veil in their appropriately-named song, "Stripper Girl." Romantically, the long-haired metal frontman croons,"I met you down at the Seventh Veil/the first night that I got out of jail/Your lips were red and your skin was pale/You were the one that I wanted to nail." Which is basically the premise of every metal song ever, but especially Motley Crue's strip club anthem, "Girls, Girls, Girls." The song name-checks The Seventh Veil and is one of the most infamous and popular songs about strippers ever. Frontman Vince Neil even named his brand new rock 'n' roll themed Las Vegas strip club after the song. Basically, The Seventh Veil is the unofficial muse behind all other strip club songs and, probably, behind the loss of many lap dance virginities.

Dreams Houston

City: Houston
Address: 6405 Richmond Ave.
Website: dreamshouston.com
Claim to infamy: Name-dropped on Drake's "Miss Me”

Not all Drake songs are inspired by sweaters and hot baths. On “Miss Me” he mentions dancer Maliah Michel, who is not a high-end tea importer in Toronto. Drake apparently fell in love with Maliah after seeing her dance at Dreams Houston. She later appeared in the video for "Find Your Love" and went on to date the rapper for a short time.

Casa Diablo

City: Portland, Ore.
Address: 839 NW St Helens Road
Website: casadiablo.org
Claim to infamy: Being vegan

The only meat curtains you'll be seeing at Casa Diablo are, well, not in the food. Casa Diablo is infamous for being a vegan strip club: no meat in the buffet; no leather on the dancers (even before they take their clothes off). If you have a leather fetish, better go elsewhere. Random tidbit: When you trade in your large bills for smaller denominations, they give you $2 bills, because if you want to sit close to the dancers (who like to jump into your lap and give you a "full-contact" experience), you have to double down.

Clermont Lounge

City: Atlanta
Address: 789 Ponce de Leon Ave NE
Website: clermontlounge.net
Claim to infamy: Mumford & Sons got kicked out

"This club is for the girls who are not built so great, but have great personalities," said Clermont Lounge's blonde-wigged proprietress, Blondie, on Anthony Bourdain's Layover. That's the understatement of the century from an aging woman who crushes beer cans with her breasts, and to whom gravity has not been kind. But, that's also what makes Clermont magical. Situated in the dank basement of a motel, Clermont, open since 1965, is a seedy den of sin. On any given day, people get so drunk and rowdy on the cheap drinks that they pee on each other. One stripper lights matches on fire with her nipples. And 70-year-olds take their clothes off for the very mixed crowd. Because, why not? This tactic brings tons of crazy celebrities through the door, including the likes of Kid Rock, Marilyn Manson, and most recently, uber-Christian folk boys-next-door, Mumford and Sons, who got kicked out during karaoke for ruining the DJ's set.

Jumbo's Clown Room

City: Hollywood, Calif.
Address: 5153 Hollywood Blvd.
Website: jumbos.com
Claim to infamy: Courtney Love stripping

This isn't the kind of club where anyone ever makes it "rain," but the girls that have danced here look like they all have stories to tell. You don't have to be especially skilled to dance at Jumbo's Clown Room, but you do have to be a special class of crazy. We've seen girls with missing limbs, girls with vampiric fetishes (they'll bite you), and barely-legal girls with questionably sexy names. But Jumbo's biggest claim to fame, and what keeps tourists coming in droves? Rock's kinkiest, kookiest femme fatale (maybe literally if you ask Nirvanaphile's), Courtney Love, danced here. For some, that's riveting. For us, it's just gross.

Mons Venus

City: Tampa, Fla.
Address: 2040 N Dale Mabry Highway
Website: monsvenuslive.com
Claim to infamy: Several raids, thanks to their very liberal touching policy

All of the "World's Most Beautiful Women" flaunt their wares at Mons Venus. There are no real "rules" here. The dancers are famously touchy-feely, and patrons are encouraged to be the same despite the women being completely nude. This liberal touching policy enraged the local community so much, multiple raids occurred on Mons Venus, leading to arrests and a six-feet rule where patrons have to be six feet away from the strippers. That rule barely holds these days, and doesn't detract from the awesome peep show-esque energy of Mons Venus. Lap dances are performed on the floor so everyone can see. If you can't make it to Mons Venus, they have a "live" strip club from the comfort of your living room. You can watch the main stage action for free, or check out the girls in the dressing room for a price. You can even "make it rain" via your online voyeurism; there's an ATM above the stage that showers your favorite dancers with $1 bills. It's pretty mesmerizing.

Stadium Gentleman's Club

City: Washington D.C.
Address: 2127 Queens Chapel Rd NE
Website: stadiumclubdc.com
Claim to infamy: A multi-million dollar lawsuit for sexual discrimination

Most strip joints ply you with serviceable wings and overcooked burgers, but Stadium is where you come to have all your needs satiated. Part fine-dining establishment, part gentleman's club, beautiful ladies aren't the only thing on the menu. There's also a reputable steak house, an amazing Chilean sea bass, and a luscious creme brulee. With an open bar and a supposedly female-friendly environment, Stadium is one of the premier places for freaky ladies to get their goodies tantalized. It was even the back-drop for a reality show called Strip Club Queens. But no infamous strip club is without its seedy stories. Despite a classy appearance, earlier this year, a stripper filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the strip club for alleged sexual discrimination.