IT JUST AIN'T RIGHT. These fine, bulky bartenders with painted-on "Wassup N ATL" wife beaters move about the game-room bar at Club 836 like African gods. OK, that's actually the good part.

The injustice comes when you watch them pour an Absolut and cranberry using tired shot glasses — no free pour, no topping off. Just a quick lick of liquor, then a river of red. Thanks, studs, for the wimpy drink. I'll take a lime and baby bottle with that.

Becky Stein/SPECIAL (ENLARGE)
When DJ Truz from Hot 107.9 gets into his flow, clubheads flock to the dance floor in droves at Club 836, a new Midtown spot with a game room, theater/lounge and two outdoor areas.
Becky Stein/SPECIAL (ENLARGE)
Female impersonator Isabelle Diamante does her glamour thing for the Memorial Day weekend crowd.
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Despite this tragic flaw at 836, a new hot spot inside the Armory in Midtown on Thursdays and Saturdays, the joint is a slamming hodgepodge of mature, civil brothers in the life.

SCENE: Wassup N ATL, the event promoter, has been throwing sexy parties for gay black men since 2002. In December, Wassup breathed new life into the Armory, a spot once famous for its drag shows. Now, clubheads stroll in from Bulldogs — gotta get a decent cocktail somewhere — for the show in the back theater/lounge. Sightings include Celine Dion, a plump white queen who tears it up as Lil Kim and, the highlight, a phenomenal Miss Ross.

Soon after midnight, when the crowds really roll in, dynamic security duo Demetrius and Cardell Wyatt and their respectful cohorts usher in the lively 20- to 40-somethings ready to dance and show off their Buckhead Crunch results. Club 836 has a butch, white-T crowd, so the few ladies circulating have a stare that says it all: "You sure he's gay? I could turn him out!"

SPACE INVADERS: The game area has two pool tables, and with two rarely used pinball machines and an air hockey table (nice touch), it can get cramped. A small bar with those African gods round out the space. Blue Christmas lights dangle overhead in an adjacent area, with a long bar, metallic faces and geometric shapes popping from the walls.

But it's those two spacious patios in Club 836 that are the best places to chill, chat and flirt. Each has its own bar and ambience: one a garden setting with wooden benches, the other a sprawling upstairs deck with a tropical theme and cozy bar tables.

GIMME A BEAT: DJ Truz, from Hot 107.9, on a recent Saturday made the surround sound speakers gush rhythm and energy. The crowd on the boxed-in dance floor went bananas off such tracks as "Hollaback Girl" and the "Hate It or Love It" remix with the Game and Mary J. Blige. Truz even laid down a hot collabo "debut" featuring Toni Braxton and T.I. With MC Lisa Cox at his side, his mixing flair and diverse track selection were a refreshing change from his sets in previous weeks.

Also, DJ Class Heat is set to spin house music on Saturdays from 1-3 a.m. in the lounge. This should appeal to those who prefer a heavy flow of old school and deep beats over hip-hop.

And maybe that'll inspire the bartenders to pump a heavier flow of Absolut in my cocktail.

• THE 411: $5, $5 parking (pay box, not attendant) in adjacent lot. 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Set It Out Saturdays and Tipsy Thursdays at Club 836. Glamazon show 11 p.m.-1 a.m. in lounge. 836 Juniper St., Midtown. 404-246-9000, www.wassupnatl.com.