44 N E W T I M E S B I G G A M E G U I D E Feb. 9th-Feb. 15th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com Le Girls Cabaret Location, as they say, is everything. And Le Girls Cabaret’s ideal spot straddling the Tempe and Phoenix border is a perfect illustration of this axiom. It’s roughly equidistant from Arizona State University’s Tempe campus, Sky Harbor Interna- tional Airport, Scottsdale, and east Phoenix, resulting in a mixed crowd of college kids, tourists, and upwardly mobile loft dwellers during the neon-filled strip joint’s busy periods on weekends. What unites them? A shared appreciation of the female form and watching women dance on stage or in their laps. Le Girls is actually two clubs in one: a 21-and-over side featuring topless performers and features a fully stocked bar, and an adjacent 18-and-over showroom (which stays open until 4 a.m.) offering nude entertainment. The cover is $10 most nights and lap dances are $20 each on either side. A three-song private dance on one of the many plush couches is $100, if that’s your thing. (5151 East Washington Street; 602-244-8000; instagram.com/leegirlsphoenixofficial) Platinum Plus Cabaret Formerly the home of a Christie’s Cabaret location, this 16,000-square-foot establishment was remodeled and rebranded by its current owners in 2021. Wisely, they kept the place’s opulent decor (including plenty of marble), upscale atmosphere, and penchant for cleanliness. On either of its two floors (VIP and private areas are upstairs, and stages and general seating are downstairs) you’ll encounter plenty of gorgeous dancers. Elsewhere, there are multiple bars, a pool table, a hoop hanging from the ceiling for aerial performances, and a full kitchen. Try the $10 prime rib. The parking lot is also sizable, well-lit, and has ample spaces available. If you’re looking to get the most for your money, covers are $7 during the daytime, $10 on weeknights, and $12 on weekends with semi-private couch dances starting at $25. What more could you want? (44 North 32nd Street; 602-275-3095; facebook.com/platinumplusphoenix) Skin Cabaret A die-hard strip club connoisseur we know described Skin Cabaret thusly: “It’s where to go when you want to catch a buzz and see some beautiful almost naked women up close.” It’s not poetry, but it’s an apt summation of this exotic establishment. A topless lounge that’s become a Scottsdale institution for de- cades — despite the best efforts of former Mayor Mary Manross to shut down the place in the early 2000s — Skin Cabaret features an almost supper club-like setup with an array of small tables surrounding the stage, each offering great views of its lineup of bombshells. Amenities like posh VIP rooms, premium bottle service, and private parties are also offered. They also stay open until 4 a.m. each night, in case you want to keep things going into the wee hours. (1137 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; 480-425-7546; facebook.com/skincabaret) Sugar 44 From the outside, Sugar 44 resembles any of the nondescript buildings common to its corner of Arcadia. Inside, though, the topless club is a lascivious tempest of vibrant lights splaying across undulating half-naked bodies. If not for the large octagonal stage equipped with a floor-to-ceiling metal pole in the center of the room, it might be mistaken for a nightclub or even an intimate music venue. Sugar 44 is on the smaller side, but it compensates by packing plenty of action into its red-drenched digs with two VIP areas, a full bar, and plenty of comfy seating. Sugar 44’s deals are also as sweet as its name: There’s a coupon on its website for no cover from 7 to 11 p.m. nightly, table dances are $10, a VIP wristband is $20, and private sessions are $25 per song. No wonder strip club enthusiasts swear by the place. (4420 East Thomas Road; 602-840-5143; sugar44.com) Xplicit Showclub If you’re looking for a topless showclub in close proximity to State Farm Stadium, Xplicit Showclub is set along a stretch of Glendale Avenue. Catching some of the Westgate and post-Cardinals game runoff, Xplicit features 30-foot-tall poles on the main stage that are touted as the tallest in the Valley, plus features like VIP areas upstairs and downstairs, two full bars, and a decent menu at Café Risque. The 10,000-square-foot business, which has been around since 2009, also has a crew of “Xgirls” and features more than a dozen high-definition TVs, two projectors, and special events during sports games. Add in monthly drink specials, a daily happy hour with $2.50 domestic drafts and $3.50 import drafts, and free admission for first responders and military, and you’ve several explicit reasons to swing through before and after the big game. (11701 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale; 623-872-1365; xplicitshowclub.com)
