I love BS West. But more as a novelty than anything else. I'm not sure if I would necessarily classify this place as "unpretentious." There is certainly some diva spiciness in the air here. But at the same time, it's friendly and fun. The crowd is consists solely of sexed up, well-groomed 20 somethings. And that one older skinny guy with platinum hair and the Bono earring.
BS is really only busy on Wednesdays when they have their 2-for-1 drink special all night. Then, it's packed. Wall to wall. Unfortunately, the drinks aren't so great. You really have to know the bartenders for them to make you a good one, with so many free drinks flying around (and people not tipping when they get them,) they slack. You might be better off opting for beer.
For us smokers, the proximity of the patio to the bar and dancefloor is nice. In other words, you don't have to isolate yourself to have a smoke. It's all one big churning pot of hair product and muscle, baby. This the place to people watch; ridiculousness abounds without fail. But the best thing about this place is undeniably its dancefloor. There are giant video screens in sync with what's playing (and no ADD DJ mixes). One of the best gay bars in Phoenix to dance at for sure. Nothing tired and stereotypical, just good booty music. Sometimes you need to get toasted and have a little Beyonce in your life. This is the place to do that.