Palace

The Palace, located on 11th and Ocean, is exceptionally famous for its drag performances, with their famous tagline “Every Queen Needs A Palace.” However, it wasn’t always a drag queen haven. Opened in 1988 by Steve Palsar, it was originally a fruit bar called The Fruit Palace. According to the prevailing story, the original owners put the word fruit in the name in an effort to not offend anyone, since the beach right across the street was known as a popular gay haunt. It instantly became popular with the gay community, and the shop began adding liquor to its juices, eventually offering drag shows. Over the years, it has changed owners, incorporated a full-service food menu, and become world famous for its extravagant drag performances. As rents priced out other gay businesses, the Palace persevered, and it’s now the only gay bar on Ocean Drive. They offer drag shows every night, but the main event occurs on Sundays, which is the drag brunch that started it all.