Spearmint Rhino (Lexington, KY)

Quality of Dances (9/20) For my first dance at the Rhino, I walked into the booth with a dancer about 15 seconds after a song started, and she immediately started giving an airdance.  I was crushed.  I've gotten very solid dances at their Vegas location and I've gotten very solid dances elsewhere in Lexington, so I just couldn't understand how things could be so bad here.  Well, that's because they aren't that bad.  When the song ended, the girl saddled up on my lap and announced that she was going to start the dance.  I wish I'd known in advance that the almost full song of air dancing was just a free preview so that I could have enjoyed it instead of sitting there pissed off thinking that I'd just wasted $30, but the gesture was nevertheless appreciated.

The actual dances are decent, with everyone providing a light grind and allowing varying levels of 2-way contact.  Breast touching is rarely encouraged though usually tolerated, but hands on the hips and legs isn't a problem at all.  My only real complaint is that the girls seem to spend as much time touching themselves as they do touching customers.  I know that preferences vary on that, but I prefer to get my visual stimulation on the floor and keep the dances focused on the physical.  If they insist on giving the gynecological tour though, they should at least try not to get too creative with it.  Several of these ladies did a move where they pretend to shove an imaginary dildo into themselves, but it really looks more like they're jerking off their imaginary tranny dicks. Not sexy to say the least.

Quality of Dancers (7.5/10) As long as you don't try to compare these ladies to the ones who dance at the Rhino's Vegas location, you should be satisfied.  There must be something about their corporate culture that encourages girls to get implants, but that's my only major complaint.  In general, these ladies are young, hot and in good shape.

Number of Dancers (6.5/10) – There were a few dozen women working the night that I was there, and even though too many of them hang out in the dressing room when it's not busy, it's nice to have a steady rotation of girls on the stage with no repeats for well over an hour.  The club makes all of the ladies line up and file through the club whenever they do the 2-for-1s, so it is an impressive sight when they're all visible at the same time.

Variety/Diversity of Dancers (0.5/5) – If you like thin blond white girls, you're in luck.  If you like thin brunette white girls, you shouldn't have any major complaints.  If you like anything else, you might want to consider hitting a different club.

Attitude of Dancers (6/10) – Most of the girls at the Rhino are fairly friendly and are happy to sit and chat as long as the club isn't too busy.  I did get a little push for the VIP from some of the girls, but it wasn't over the top and didn't really detract from my enjoyment.

Value (5.5/10) – The $5 cover and $3.75 beers are both very reasonable, particularly compared to the Rhino's prices in Las Vegas.  Less impressive is the expectation that you'll buy drinks for dancers, which is pretty much always the worst return on investment that you can get.  If the girl asks, I at least assume that she wants something, but waitresses asking if I want to buy a dancer a drink is the worst, and that's what happens constantly here.  The $30 topless dances are a little over priced, but if you wait for the impressive 2-for-1 lineup, your money will go much further.  I'm not sure if it's on any set schedule, but you know that it's coming when the DJ announces for all dancers to report to the dressing room.  The stage action isn't terribly intimate, but the pole action is good and you can see that just fine without having to sit and tip at the stage.

Dance Setup (6/10) –  The lap dance area is relatively private since it's a separate area of booths at the back of the club.  Just the right side of the booth is open, so no one can see you unless they're walking to or from their own dances.  Unfortunately, a floater checks up on you to make sure that you aren't getting too wild and the couches are fairly uncomfortable, but this is still a little better than the average lap dance setup.

Club Setup (8/10) – This is a very nice, classy club.  It's not overwhelmingly large, especially compared to their Vegas location, but it's very well laid out.  The ceilings are high and the seating is in tiers so that everyone has a good view of the main stage, and that also allows most customers to have their backs to a wall.  That's a very nice touch that allows the club to feel intimate, plus it allows for a little privacy for those times when you don't want to be on full display.   If you're sitting far from the main stage and want a closer look at the girls, they'll occassionally go up on the four satellite stages that are spread throughout the club.  The bar isn't in a great location in the far back corner of the club, but there are plenty of four person tables and a counter type of area overlooking the stage, so there're usually plenty of good places to sit.

Club Atmosphere (6.5/10) – The Spearmint Rhino is a little classier than the Platinum Plus and doesn't seem to be quite as good for a night of drunken shenanigans, but it's still a lot of fun for groups of all sizes and would be solid for a quick solo beer.  I've gotten used to the non-smoking clubs in the north, so the smoke bothered me a little at first, but it's not too bad as long as you don't have to explain your smokiness to anyone.

Club Accessibility (3/5) – The Rhino is further from downtown Lexington than any of the other Lexington clubs, but the fact that you could stand at the front door of the club and hit any one of a half dozen hotels will a baseball does a lot to make up for that.

Overall – The Lexington Spearmint Rhino is a very nice club that's deserving of a visit if you're in the area.  It's not quite as good as the Platinum Plus, but it's easily the second best option among the relatively classy Lexington clubs.

RAW SCORE = 58.5