Saints and Sinners (Culver City)

Go there. Do it as soon as the place opens. I hope Colleen is behind the bar. If she is ask her for her special. It blew my face off with pure deliciousness. Mitch and I met there on Thursday to grab a few drinks and stumbled in to Karaoke! Nothing better than two white boys singing "Forgot About Dre" or a woman screeching "Let's Hear it For the Boys" Kept us entertained while we sipped on the house amber ale and took in the dark, cozy ambiance. Some back areas for a little more privacy were available, but we prefer to stay right in the thick of things so the singers could walk right up and serenade us. This place has a lot going for it. Great bartenders, a cool atmosphere, and a laid back crowd combine with a great selection of liquor (though a pedestrian selection of beer) to make this place a quick favorite of mine. They sell Colt 45 in tall cans so that's a good thing. Plus, there's a Fatburger open late just down Venice so you can take care of your drunk munchies like we did.
Facts:
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: $$ ($5 for house 6.5 for other beers on tap)
Parking: Valet/Street (I found street with little effort)
Service: Perfection
Selection: Good all around
Vibe: Laid back fun
Bonus: Karaoke Thursdays
Website:http://www.saintsnsinnersbar.com/
Address: 10899 Venice Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90034

Sheddy's (Mid-City West/Fairfax)

I was at Sheddy's last week for a going away party for a friend moving to London. This place scores excellent marks for atmosphere! Reproductions of classical paintings of greek mythology line the walls of this tiny, dark, red-hued hole in the wall. An excellent place to kick back and have a beer, of which they have many. The selection tends toward the obscure, which I love. They even have Delirium Nocturnum, the darker and stronger cousin to my all time favorite, Delirium Tremens. Upon ordering, however, so problems started cropping up. First of all, the bartender was nowhere to be found. After a few minutes she appeared and took our order. I ordered, then ordered something else for my wife. They were out of the second beer so I asked her for another of the first. The keg blew while they were pouring the second so then they were out of that too. A beer bar should not be running out of tap beer! I was forced (oh darn) to order a Delirium Tremens in a bottle. I was informed that it was $11. That's almost $1 per ounce kids, and not a fair price at all. IO West has it for $8! This price gouging cut my night a little short, but I was glad to go and send Justin off to London. The word on Sheddy's: a great place to hang out if you can afford it.
The Stats:
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Price:$$
Selection: Obscure (aka awesome) as long as it's in stock
Service: Good when it was there
Parking: Street, but watch for permit zones!
Vibe: Eclectic and hip, 20's to 30's
Bonus: Quote board of things overheard at the bar
Address: 361 S Fairfax Ave
Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/sheddys-los-angeles-2

Tattle Tale Room (Culver City)

Hello Los Angeles! It's been awhile and for that I apologize. A crazy May kept me out of the bars far more than I would like. I am coming back with a great dive bar though, Roger's Exciting Tattle Tale Room in Culver City. This place is NOT for tourists or trendy people. It has three tvs, two pool tables, and karaoke. Is that how you spell that? Anyhow, the singers (including me) were terrible. I sang "I wanna sex you up" by Color Me Bad. D is not my key I guess.... I love terrible drunken mumbling into a microphone though, and when paired with free pool (Tuesdays) and PBR tallboys ($6) this place is great for unwinding after work. If it wasn't on my way home (ish) I probably wouldn't make an effort to go, but it's a place I really do like. Definately bring your own group though, as the clientele consists mostly of old alcoholic townies. Not that there's anything wrong with that, you just might not like it so much if you wander in by yourself.
Conclusion:
Rating: 3.5 stars
Price: $$ (high for a dive, not LA)
Service: Awesome (great lady bartenders who know their business)
Selection: Beer is pretty good(no taps :( ) Liquor is solid Wine is??? (It's a dive)
Parking: Lot
Vibe: Townie
Bonus: Pool, karaoke
Address: 5401 Sepulveda Blvd Culver City, CA 90230

Here Lounge (WeHo)

OPEN BAR! Got your attention? Good, now I will explain. This place has an open bar until midnight WITH NO COVER if you get there before 10pm on Wednesday nights. If you don't mind going to a gay bar with shirtless male dancers and bartenders who make you feel very bad about yourself then don't miss this place on Wednesday night. They gave you a choice of vodka, rum, or gin. The vodka was terrible, but free. I assume the other liquors were equally terrible, but equally free. Seriously though, the music was awesome, the drinks were free, and if you like looking at man candy there is not a downside as far as I can tell. Except make sure you designate a driver because with an open bar it's real easy to get too smashed to drive anywhere. The other potential downside is over-consumption (finger pointed at you Brandon) so try to keep yourself from passing out and having to have the security guard question you about whether you're going to puke or not. If you can handle an open bar (in every sense of the word) then you should hit up Here Lounge on Wednesdays
Conclusion:
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: -$
Parking: Street/pay lot
Selection: Limited for the open bar, I assume decent if you're paying
Vibe: Gay Dance Club
Service: Fast, friendly, and mostly naked
Bonus: Besides free booze? Go-Go boys I guess
Website: www.herelounge.com
Address: 696 N Robertson, West Hollywood, Ca

Howl At The Moon (Universal Citywalk)

This is a cool place! Once you get yourself over the citywalk prices like $10 parking and cover charges you can have a good time. We got a special deal since a friend of mine was throwing a party there. Being with Tony meant we got in for free and got two tickets each for $1 drinks. In hindsight we probably didn't need to pregame...but it made Mitch dance in front of the window for everyone's amusement so I guess that was for the best. The music is what brings you all the way to Universal City folks. The Piano show on Thursday night was incredible, even though most of our group's requests were not played. In the defense of the band Virtual Insanity might be hard to play on the piano. These guys were doing everything from AC/DC to Prince and MJ. One of the male singers even did Mariah Carey. Well. Anyhow, decent selection of liquor, $1 miller lite cans, and a good overall vibe. Thanks to Tony, Ashley, and Lisa for getting us out to a place I would never even have thought of!
Conclusion:
Rating: 4 stars
Price: $$-$$$ (depends on night and if you tip the band (which you should))
Parking: $10 garage
Vibe: Young and fun
Selection: Better than average beer and good liquor
Bonus: Amazing music shows!
Website: www.howlatthemoon.com
Address: 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Univeral City, CA

Bigfoot Lodge West (Culver City)

Once I found the place it was pretty awesome. Their sign is a work in progress, and at the moment consists only of a theater marquee with "Bigfoot Lodge West" in tiny black letters. I passed it twice in the car before I found it on foot. I really like this place, just like the other Bigfoot in Los Feliz. They are very similar in decor, only sans animatronic puppets and make it a little smaller. Rustic lodge feeling with cool semi-ghoulish animal displays here and there. The best physical feature of the place is definitely the huge patio opening up onto Venice in Culver City. Ideal for smokers and people who just like to be outside, the patio is a real selling point to this place. Another selling point would be the service. It was pretty busy for a Tuesday and the bartenders were handling business nicely. Our bartender was nice, flirtatious, fast, and gave some good strong pours. Mitch was definitely loving her. We drank our Jamesons and beers (a good selection) and enjoyed the cool night air on the patio. A nice chill evening, and a great way to cap a hard workday. Just like the other Lodge, this one is a little pricey but worth it every now and then for a good night out. Try the Toasted Marshmallow!
Conclusion:
Rating: 4 Stars
Price: $$
Selection: Good all around
Service: Exceptional
Vibe: Low Key, early 30's
Parking: Street
Website: www.bigfootlodge.com
Address: 10939 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Kegs (Redondo Beach)

Way to go Population 8! A great 1st show for a band with a hopefully bright future. I rode down to Redondo with coworker Jesse to catch Mitch's band at this small boardwalk bar. I really like the boardwalk feel, with so many bars together in a small area it feels like a college campus bar section, only without the minors. A variety of bars with live bands on a Saturday night give a vibrant atmosphere set against a backdrop of sailboats and salty ocean breezes. If it didn't take me so long to get down there I would probably spend a lot of time on the boardwalk. Also if we didn't have such a hard time getting there. We parked without really knowing where we were going and ended up walking really far. I recommend springing for the parking garage if you don't want to hike around looking for an entrance to the pier. We did find it eventually, and made it in before the band started their set. Kegs itself seemed typical in size and layout to the rest of the boardwalk. In a word, small. Also loud. Very loud. But since the music was good that was okay. If there was a bad band playing it would be a little harder to hang out there. The bartender was great. She was fast, fun, friendly and she gave me free beer samples. The best feature of this place (besides the great music last night) was the great beer selection. For such a small place they have a lot of taps. (hence the name kegs but you might not have remembered the name until now.) They have a very limited liquor selection though, so if you need the vodka probably head elsewhere. When Population 8 wrapped up their set, Jesse and I hit the road so I could make my long drive back to Koreatown before I fell asleep. Workdays followed by beer drinking not exactly a recipe for alertness. I want to be sure to mention, however, that I did not drive drunk. Google is very clear that blogs must not condone illegal activity such as drunk driving, and I don't. Don't do it. Designate someone, take a cab, or find a good bar you can walk to. That PSA out the way, I'll wrap this post up with the important facts.
Conclusion:
Rating: 3.5 stars (no liquor selection, parking, cramped)
Price: $
Parking: Pay garage, distant street
Vibe: Depends on the band, but beachy/divey/ trashy/laidback when I went
Bonus: Live bands
Service: Good
Selection: Great Beer, poor liquor
Website: http://www.kegs-rb.com
Location: 120 North International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277 USA

Broadway Bar (Downtown)

Happy Birthday Silvana! We went out to Broadway Bar downtown to meet up with the birthday girl. I really like Broadway Bar's atmosphere. It's dark and classy looking, with plush booths and mirrors all over the place. We were partying upstairs, which has a small bar, some mini booths and cocktail tables, and a balcony for smokers and people who are getting overheated. My wife and I, after some enthusiastic greetings, made our way to the bar and ordered a sidecar and a vodka cranberry. For $19. And they were both pretty weak. That was a big downer for me, seeing as I was really feeling the DJ, and loving the people. The people we were with that is. The rest of the crowd looked to be a combination of yuppie happy hour holdovers and Ed Hardy boys. Speaking of boys, the ratio in this place was at least 2-1. And that's guys to girls. It was a total sausage fest. What girls I did see (excluding our group of course) were not particularly good looking. They were also very bad dancers. One poor girl was badly butchering a two-step. How do you get off beat while two-steppin? It was pretty sad...This is definitely one of those places where you want to bring your own group. It had great music, a great atmosphere, and an awesome split level layout which made you feel more exclusive just by being upstairs, but this place is lacking in a few areas. For one, they advertise that the dress code is "strictly enforced". However, even on a Friday night I saw some pretty weak efforts. Most of the guys were just in polo shirts or tees. The should be tougher on that since this is a very nice bar. A hip, cool atmosphere deserves a complimentary style of dress from it's patrons. Also, it costs way too much. It's downtown, not Hollywood. I know it'll cost more than K-Town but $6 for a Pacifico? Oh well. If you're feeling classy and want to go someplace that looks classy (even if the crowd isn't) this might just be the place for you.
Conclusion
Rating: 3.5 stars
Price: $$$
Parking: Street, pay lots
Selection: Good liquor, decent beer (downstairs) limited beer (upstairs)
Service: Good
Bonus: Good DJ
Website: http://www.broadwaybar.la/
Address: 830 Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014

The Alibi Room (Culver City)

I want to begin by saying this bar has amazing potential. It has a great low-key feel, comfortable furniture, and an interesting layout. A great selection of beers and liquor combine with an interesting Kogi BBQ menu to give you almost everything you could want out of a bar. Before I get into what screwed up the night, let me rewind this tale a bit...I did not want to go out on St. Patrick's Day. I wanted to dye some PBR green and play beer pong with it. Unfortunately we couldn't find a venue to play, so Mitch and I went out looking for a bar that wasn't too packed. We passed Brennan's and the line was wrapped around the block. We passed Sports Harbour, line out the door. As we continued down Washington, just into Culver City we happened across The Alibi Room. Seeing no line, we found some street parking and decided this was the place. The night was looking salvageable! Then Mitch couldn't find his lighter. He looked in the car, found it, and dropped his phone into the street. I had to call him so he could find it. We finally make it into the bar and the doorman asks us for ID. I show mine, no problem. Mitch forgot his wallet; no money and no ID. "You're gonna hate me..." he says to me. I slapped him in the face with my wallet and turned to leave the bar when the doorman told us it was okay as long as he brings his ID next time. Another bullet dodged I suppose. We ordered two of the $5 specials, an Irish Red brewed here in California. I immediately noticed our bartender was drunk. He tried to charge me $14, or the regular menu price instead of the specials, and was really slow about it. We took stock of the people around, and watched with amusement as a fat ugly man was roundly ignored by every hot girl he tried to talk to. When he was successful at speaking to them, his game was lame. I mean pathetic. You have to be attractive if you're boring. Otherwise you need to be funny or rich (preferably both). As we sat in the patio area sipping our beers, Mitch said he had to pee. Well, he tried to anyway. Apparently as he stood at the urinal, privates in hand, a drunk man in dreadlocks cut around him and vomited in the urinal. On top of that, the bathroom was already flooded. Bummer. We went up for round 2 and it took even longer to get our drinks as the two drunken bartenders talked to each other, flirted with customers, cleared money from the bar, and basically did everything but take our order. When our friend and coworker Nazish showed up in time for round 3, I decided to time how long it took to get 4 of the same beer. 15 minutes at a bar that was not even 2 deep. Anywhere. She stood next to us and ignored for a solid five of those minutes, flirting with the dread-locked vomit machine. Finally she acknowledged us, and seemed annoyed that we wanted something. Then after she poured the 1st beer she told us she had to change the keg, and made no move to do so. Someone must have done it for her since she never left the bar. The crowd was quickly getting older and less cool, and with the inept bartenders over-spacing our drinks we decided to leave. I've never left a worse tip in my life. Anyway, I'll try this bar again on a night when the bartenders are less likely to be three sheets.
Conclusion:
Rating: 3.5 stars
Price:$$
Parking: Tiny lot, street
Selection: Great
Service: Terrible
Bonus: Kogi Korean BBQ
Website: http://www.alibiroomla.com/home.php
Address:12236 Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066

R Bar (Koreatown)

I want to apologize for the tardiness of this post. I actually went to R Bar on Saturday. I'm ashamed of myself and you, loyal readers, deserve better. I can be better. I will be better. Anyway...R Bar! This is probably the coolest bar in K-Town. It's completely unmarked, you need a password to get in, and it's pirate themed. What else could you want from a bar? Once you find the place (corner of 8th and Irolo) you knock on the door and the very large and intimidating (but extremely nice) bouncer asks you for the password. It's usually a line from a movie and can be obtained by calling the bar or visiting their myspace page. Inside, they have a solid selection of cans and bottles (PBR to Smithwick's) ranging from 4-6 bucks. No taps though. They also have a pricey selection of specialty drinks, and a nightly specials board that is usually cheaper. Once they had Jameson Cider, which was amazing! Not tonight though so I ordered a Damnit Jim off of the board. The waitress described it as "a one and done" drink. It was not. While fairly strong, and tasty, it was served in a rocks glass which even containing straight scotch would not be enough for me to be one and done. Maybe it would be enough for you...My wife and our friend Celest both had Jack and Ginger's, of which the second round were not strong at all, prompting the need for a Jack on the rocks which was a large glass filled to the top. At $8 that is a real bargain so if you can take your liquor straight I would recommend that route. More bang for your buck right? We were sitting at a quiet booth in the back, quietly passing judgment on the tables near us. Seriously, who orders champagne at R Bar? This is not a club where one "pops bottles". Unless your table is celebrating a momentous occasion, drink something other that cheap champagne. And if the menu say Wine: red or white, don't ask for a pinot noir. It's unlikely they have anything besides merlot and chardonnay. A note about seating: if you have a group and want to be left alone, sit in the back. If you want fast service sit at the bar. I server dissappered for a loooong time, and when I went to the bar in search of more booze I found her mixing drinks. They seemed a little understaffed for a Saturday, though it was not too crowded. I've definately seen it more packed in there. Speaking of the crowd, I must warn you all that this is a hipster bar. Big time. They love the irony of a pirate bar in a place where their is no water. (I guess...I don't really know what hipsters want out of a place) It's not such a big deal that I would tell you not to go (I love it), just that you should bring your own group when you do. Sometimes on week nights they play Japanese monster movies like Big Man Japan, so that is totally worth it and might be a hipster draw as well...
Conclusion:
Rating: 4 stars
Price: $$
Parking: Difficult, Street
Vibe: Hipster
Service: Friendly but slow
Bonus: Monster Movies
Selection: No taps, but otherwise very good
Website: http://www.myspace.com/4rbar
Phone #:213-387-7227
Address: 3331 W. 8TH ST., LOS ANGELES, CA. 90005

Sports Harbour (Marina Del Rey)

Another weeknight out with the Yummy crew leads to more fun on the westside! We hit up Sports Harbour on a double recommendation and it was a definite success. After some trouble finding the place (It's right on the corner I just can't read signs), and a walk in the chilly wind we found the right door to a great bar. This is a dirty sports bar if there ever was one. Some people have categorized this place as a dive in their online reviews, but it is well above dive. It's just a sports bar, as a traditionally male hangout, is not generally up to the standards of hygiene other places are subject to. Basically, the bathroom was pretty nasty and the decor was nonexistent apart from televisions and gaming tables. Boy, does this place have a lot of gaming tables! Galaga/Ms Pac Man, two pinball machines, several pool tables, air hockey, and shuffleboard. Plenty of fun to be had alone or with a group if you didn't come down to watch a game. Shout out to Ed, a Yummy regular, for buying me a drink. Damn kind of you Ed, you're good people. This place has a great selection of beer on tap, and quite a bit more in bottles. We made good use of the selection as we played shuffleboard and shot pool. Then Mitchell and myself remembered we hadn't had dinner so we ordered some food. My club sandwich was pretty standard and the fries were above average. That need satisfied we went back to the gaming. I kicked Mitch's ass in Pop a Shot. (Twice) I got a couple of good pool tips from this 50 something lady who knew what she was talking about. She told me how to play the back rail on the table we were on, and it lead to me sinking a few balls. I lost both games on the 8 ball but we weren't playing for money so I guess it doesn't matter. I tried to convince Mitch to hit on some tool's hotter girlfriend, but he wouldn't man up to do it. Oh, well. A fun night night, despite the smell left in my car...Mitch.
Conclusion:
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: $.5
Selection: Great beer, standard liquor
Vibe: Low end sports bar, older townies
Service: Fast and friendly
Parking: Street
Bonus: Gaming Tables of all kinds
Address: 13484 Washington Blvd Marina Del Rey, Ca
Website: www.myspace.com/SPORTSHARBOUR

Bigfoot Lodge (Los Feliz)

I like going out on Tuesdays. The bars tend to be quiet, you get better service, and you can actually have a conversation with the people you go with. The Bigfoot Lodge in Los Feliz was not rocking last night, but that didn't stop my wife and I from having a great time as we sipped our house specials and listened to the awesome DJ spin amazing covers of classic songs from every era. My wife wanted to buy a cd, but I don't think they had any... The bartender, a very fashionable 40's style hipster, was very nice and handled the crowd very well. Most people seemed to be regulars, standard fair for a weeknight. The place was HUGE, so it's definitely a good spot for a birthday party because you'll be able to fit everyone in without too much trouble. And with faux rustic decor and animatronic forest animals what more could you want. I mean, it's practically a theme park of a corporation I am afraid to publicly mention while comparing to a bar. The drink specials were only so-so, $5 Jager on Tuesdays, $5 bourbon on thurs, etc, (definite loss of points for calling $3 PBR can a special) but the house specialty drinks are really good. My wife had the Toasted Marshmallow and proclaimed it the best drink she'd ever had ( not to get drunk on, only to sip), and I had the Dudley Do Right. I was immediately impressed by the combination of stiffness and sweetness, though it was a little sweet for my tastes. At $10 a piece, these drinks come in generous portions and are well worth the price. We didn't stay long seeing as I had to be up to drop the car off for service at six am and am posting this at 7, but we were there long enough to know that this is a place we would love to go with a big group of our friends. So anyone who wants to get drunk with us in a ski lodge but doesn't want to go to Big Bear or deal with snow, come with us to the BigFoot Lodge in Los Feliz.
Conclusion:
Rating: 4 stars
Parking: Street
Selection: Premium beers, good scotch and liquor
Vibe: Older Hipsters (it's in Los Feliz what do you expect?)
Price: $$
Bonus: Great DJ
Trivia: Jim Carrey movie "Yes Man" filmed here
website: www.bigfootlodge.com
Address: 3172 los feliz blvd Los Angeles, CA 90039

The Bar in Terminal A of Bob Hope Airport (Burbank)

This place was lame. I stopped in while waiting for my flight to Phoenix and it was super dead. Maybe because it was 6:30...in the morning...but the place didn't even have a bartender. It actually had a really good selection of tap beers and liquor though, so I guess if you get delayed out of Burbank you can get your drink on with decent variety. It will probably cost you 7 or 8 a beer, but if you're captive in the airport and need to get hammered you'll pay any price.

The Room (Hollywood)

I must admit I had my reservations about going here. I thought it was a different club than it was though, and I was mistaken in my negative thoughts. This place was really pretty cool. The occasion for going out was a sad one, since I was saying goodbye to my Australian friend Sonia because she moves back down under next week. That stinks on ice. However, the club she chose didn't stink. We had an awesome private section with some really comfortable lounge furniture. The DJ was pretty cool, though some of the song shifts seemed really forced. Didn't stop our group from dancing though. No false modesty here; we were definitely the coolest people in the club. Speaking of the other people, there was some weird stuff going on. Some kind of fashion show that required obnoxiously bright lights was in the section across from us. They had some ugly t-shirts for sale and a cardboard sign the said benefit for Haiti. A hand-made, spray-painted sign gives the air of authenticity that I look for in a charitable cause. I assume the money was going straight to the red cross. (In case my sarcasm doesn't come across in print, I'm pretty sure it was a scam to guilt people into buying crappy t-shirts) If the lights had been darker the atmosphere would have improved greatly, and did when Mitchell pulled closed the curtains on our room. I won't go into details here since many of you know the parties involved, but I felt a bit like we had suddenly been transported to a strip club. Not from nudity, just the dance moves! Shifting gears here, the bartenders were pretty good. They were quick, with decent pours. They were also quick to help guys...rare trait in a Hollywood club. The Jameson with a splash of cran I had was not as strong as it could have been, but not overly cranberry-tasting. I had to leave the night a little early for a morning flight (I'm posting this from Phoenix as we speak) so I don't know what transpired after midnight but I am sure it wasn't good or decent.
Conclusion
Rating:3.5 stars
Parking: Expensive for their valet, I parked at IO and drank there 1st
Price: $$.5 (10 for Jameson, 6 for Stella)
Selection: Decent all around
Vibe: Hollywood
Address: 1626 N Cahuenga Blvd
Website: theroom-hollywood.com

Prince O' Wales (PLaya Del Rey)

I was drunk when I got there, and used the time to get sober. That being stated, I really like this bar. It is an absolute dive. Exposed concrete floors that are none too even, dirty walls and all. As the manager, Dakota, put it to me, "You can paint it up however you want but this is a dive and that's all it's ever gonna be." I like her because she told me I had spunk. I don't know why I had spunk, but if she says so I believe her. Also she told me to move out of Ktown before I get stabbed...I thought this was a pretty safe area but I suppose not... Her husband Phil is cool too. He got up and started to play the tambourine with gusto during this dude's music set. And they have trivia and sometimes karaoke... If you live anywhere near this bar you should be a regular here. The beach bum barfly crowd and the low key, drink till everyone is fun atmosphere is exactly my kind of place. When I left around 1, my yummy crew was still having mad fun in the front section. Nice to see everyone drinking to their hearts and livers content. I'm starting to remember why I do these posts the next day...a whole lot of typos need correcting so I'm gonna head straight for...
Conclusion
Rating: 4.5 stars ( It's too out of the way for 5, and too much of a dive to want it)
Parking: ummm street? I was still parked at Mo's...
Price: $
Vibe: Dive/awesome
Bonus: Live music
Address 305 Culver Blvd
Website: http://www.princeowhales.com/

Mo's Place (Playa Del Rey)

I just burned my tongue on microwave three cheese rotini. It hurts. Nothing to do with this post, however, so let's get down to business. Tonight I hit Playa Del Rey with my Yummy.com coworkers. I realllllly like Mo's place out there. First off, on Friday's they serve clam chowder in a bread bowl. It is amazing. Tonight, no chowder so I got the grilled cheese on sourdough bread. Not as good as chowder but still pretty good. Mitch and I got there first, so we split a pitcher before anyone else arrived. The bartender, I believe her name is Rhonda, was an older lady from somewhere north of Waterloo, IA. This makes her awesome because she reps the midwest like I do. As the coworkers/friends began to arrive we started shooting some pool, albeit very poorly (I'm looking at you Bryce you dank shesh man you) We also spent some time listening to one old alcoholic call a second old alcoholic an f-in idiot etc, etc for about five minutes. Also, Mo himself was present and told Bryce not to put his shtunztsy beer on the pool table. This place was a crazy blend of people, as it always is. It had your aging alcoholics, LMU students, mid-20's hipsters, and us...we're the regular working class people. Anyway, we locked down a table at Mo's from about 10-12, then as the crowd was dissipating we downed our pitchers and headed North to the Prince o' Wales...
Conclusion:
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: $.5
Parking: Lot
Vibe: Barflies to college (vibe depends on who you bring)
Bonus: Pool, Friday Night Chowder
Selection: Solid tap/bottle, moderate liquor
Service: Fantastic (Old waitresses who know their business)
Address: 203 Culver Blvd Playa Del Rey, Ca 90293
Website: http://www.mosplacepdr.com/

H.M.S. Bounty (Koreatown)

Tonight I set sail for...nevermind the nautical puns. I went to the H.M.S. Bounty tonight with my friend Ada. It is a nautically-themed pub, with food and grog promised on the sign. (In case you can't read the picture) Being fairly early on a Tuesday, the place was actually kind of busy at the bar. So much so, in fact, that we couldn't find two bar stools together. Instead we grabbed a plush red-leather booth under a painting of some sort of dutch boat. Very comfortable in our sheltered booth, we begin taking stock of the crowd. Quite the eclectic mix: you had your old alcoholics of varied racial backgrounds, middle-aged hipsters, young hipsters (apparently this place is heavy on irony) and some young fashionable Koreans. The place was eerily silent though, since apparently no one wanted to pay for the jukebox. We ordered our drinks (vodka-cranberry, which I like to use as a measuring stick for strength of pour) and Ada ordered some dinner. I assume it was good but not inspiring, as every meal I have eaten here falls into that category. We sat and listened to the ridiculous conversation in the next booth (among things overheard: "he was walking around naked, and he was not attractive") as our drinks arrived. They were just like I like my men...I mean drinks. Tall and strong! Service was adequate, though not as available as you would like considering how few tables there were. Oh, well. The music finally kicked on with "Hello...is it me your looking for" and at that point I finished my second drink, collected the tab and decided it was time to head on home since Ada had to be at work early. Not an eventful night, and as my pal Mitchell would say, "Is this story going anywhere?" No, it's pretty anti-climactic but again, it's Tuesday. Overall, the Bounty is an excellent neighborhood bar and I love it for a variety of reasons that will be made clear in the conclusion.
Conclusion:
Rating: 4 stars
Parking: None for me thanks, I live 2.5 blocks away. If you don't, street parking on Wilshire or any of the side streets if you can find it. Also convenient to Red and Purple line Metro stops.
Price: $
Selection: No taps, decent bottles, solid liquor
Service: Quick, heavy pours
Vibe: Total eclectic with a hipster lean on the weekends, older alcoholics on weeknights and afternoons
Bonus: Decent bar food, nautical theme
Address: 3357 Wilshire Blvd La, Ca 90010

Ye Coach and Horses (Hollywood)

After catching a show at IO tonight, I called up my buddy Alex and he agreed to go on a bar scouting mission with me. After leaving his place, we just started walking down Sunset and using his i-Phone to find a place to drink. The 1st place we went to was crowded and lame at the same time, so we kept walking until we hit Ye Coach & Horses. Go figure it was raining. The five days out of the year it rains and I'm walking out in it. Oh, well. At least it was only rain...back in the midwest I would have been walking through 2 feet of snow in sub-zero temps. Now I remember why I live here... It was Friday night in Hollywood, so naturally the place was wall to wall jammed. Looking around, you immediately notice the Western decor. The place is decorated like a saloon, with a bunch old looking wood, horses etc. The decor is about the only thing that supports the theme, however, since neither the crowd nor the music was western in any way. Speaking of the crowd, let's dwell on that for just a moment. The crowd was interesting for a Hollywood Friday night. A pretty good mix, skewing to the late 20's to mid-thirties. At 22 I think I was probably the youngest person in the place. There were also some old dudes creeping at the bar and in the corners. Not a lot, just enough to make the place feel more like a neighborhood bar and less like a trendy "Hotspot". We got up to the bar with perfect timing, since a couple was leaving and wee could assume their bar stools. I immediately noticed the cash only sign on above the bar. That's a strange thing to see these days I think, and a bit of an inconvenience really. Not a large one, but still. We sat and chatted while sipping on some PBR tallboys (that's a 24oz can for those of you who don't drink cheap beer) and watching some ice dancing on the tv in the bar. It is the Olympics after all. Overall, this place is not a bad spot to pass some time and consume some alcohol. If you live nearby, or you're visiting someone who does then check it out. I wouldn't make any cross town trips to go here, but if people wanted to go I would totally meet you there. Call me...no seriously call me. I want to go out to the bar with you.
Conclusion:
Rating: 3.5 stars (Points lost on cash only and lack of beer on tap)
Parking: Street
Price: $
Vibe: Young professionals slumming it
Selection: Good bottle beer, good liquor
Service: Nothing special
Bonus: Great Happy Hour (according to their website)
Website: http://www.yecoachandhorse.com/
Address: 7617 Sunset Blvd

YardHouse L.A. Live (Downtown)

If I make it to heaven, I think it's going to look a lot like YardHouse. It has great food like lobster mac and cheese and an insane variety of delicious burgers (get them with sweet potato fries), a solid wine list, great specialty cocktails, and most importantly, over 150 beers on tap. This place is a beer drinkers heaven no matter what you're into. From the mainstream to the obscure and everything in between, they have it on tap here. I like the Belgian whites like Hoegaarden and Delerium Tremens. If you like something a little darker try North Coast Pranqster. It's a California brew, and pretty darn tasty. Seriously though, if you can't find a beer you like here, you don't like beer. At all. Try their sampler if you want to test some things out. Also, Laurie the Lush (a real person and a real lush) recommends the Malibu Peach Martini. They have solid happy hour offerings as well, so if you're downtown for work or play check this place out. With the prime location at L.A. Live, its a great place to get a bite and beer before or after Kings games. (or Lakers or Clippers if you like the NBA) Or, even better, it is an excellent place to begin a night of bar hopping to all the cool places downtown. The drinks are reasonable here, with $10 being the price for a martini That may sound high, but for how strong the drink is I think it's a pretty good deal. On another note, the music is always a sweet selection of classic rock tunes, and you can't go wrong with burgers, beers, and classic rock.
Conclusion:
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: $$.5
Parking: Don't park at LA live, look for street parking or nearby cheaper lots
Vibe: Busy and very LA (everything from hipsters to hos)
Selection: Awesome in all areas
Service: A bit overwhelmed, but competent and quick to make things right if something isn't
Address: 800 w. Olympic Blvd LA, CA 90015
Website: yardhouse.com

Beauty Bar (Hollywood)

I'm going to try and keep my current sour mood from tainting this post. Commuting makes me very unhappy...possibly why I drink as much as I do. Anyhow, last night I went to Beauty Bar in Hollywood. Ladies, this is the bar for you. You can get a martini and a manicure for $10. I think that's a pretty good deal, though I can't vouch for the quality of the nail work. I can vouch for the martini though. I had a prell, which is a girlie drink if there ever was one, but what the hell. I mean, I was already sitting in a bar decorated as a 60's hair salon so I thought a girlie martini of vodka, midori, and pineapple juice would fit the motif. We were there on a Thursday around 10 and the place was pretty dead. It wasn't quiet though, as they had a DJ spinning a pretty good variety of tunes in the corner. Comfortable bar seats, with plenty of room to dance if you felt like it. Two ladies did feel like it while the wife and I were there, and I sincerely wish they hadn't. Their awkward moves to Cage the Elephant's No Rest for the Wicked were painful to watch. The bartenders were attentive and generous, especially with compliments. (She told me she liked the color of my shirt, which I thought was really nice since I like the color of that shirt. It makes my eyes pop) Overall, a positive experience. I recommend hitting whatever specials they are running. They had Three Olives martinis for $8, mixed drinks for $6 and bombs for $5, and let me tell you they are not shy about the pours. Those drinks were plenty strong, even for a liver hardened by years of fratting hard 5 nights a week. Also, I think they have every flavor of Three Olives vodka, including triple shot espresso. So your possibilities are almost infinite. At least they're infinite in so much as you probably can't drink all the flavors in one night without dying. This place is definitely worth checking out if you're heading up to Hollywood.
Conclusion:
Rating: 4 stars
Parking: street (I recommend you park at IO's valet, get validated then come around the corner)
Price: $ (if you get the specials)
Bartenders: Friendly, Fast, Generous
Selection: Great for vodka, average for other liquor, mediocre for beer
Bonus: Manicures and a photo booth
Vibe: Feminine, hipster
Address: 1638 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca
Website: www.beautybar.com

Bacaro, L.A. (USC)

This place is a little unusual for me. The wife and I were looking for someplace to go out on a date, and we decided on Bacaro because it was close to our old apartment and I had never been. It's a tiny wine bar with tapas style food. So this place isn't strictly a bar, but it is an alcohol focused restaurant so I thought it would be good to include. Wife and I pull up and look for parking. I don't see anything on the street immediately, so we pull around into the dark alley behind the bar and park in what said 1 hour visitor parking. We were there quite a bit longer than an hour and didn't get towed or anything. We get inside and I realize that the place is tiny. Probably 10-12 tables and a six person standing only bar. It was full when we got there and we probably waited 10 minutes for a table. This was fortuitous because it gave us time to peruse the wine list and pick a bottle. I have to suggest the Mas Malbec. It is an Argentinian red and it was delicious. Bought the bottle for $28. Seriously, you'll like it. While we're on the subject of what you should get, here are a few others: grilled hangar steak (medium rare), crostini, and finish with the bread pudding. The vibe in this place was eclectic, with a crowd ranging from USC undergrads, young hipsters, old hipsters, and people who wear baseball hats in restaurants. The last is a personal pet peeve of mine so if that applies to you, please don't do it around me. My wife and I had a fun time making up the history of the couples around us. There may have been a professor dating a student, and we determined that he taught English. That was, of course, pure speculation. Food was well paced, and we got around five plates not including the bread pudding. Did I mention the Mas Malbec? I did? Well, go drink it already. I'm probably going to BevMo! today to get a bottle for home. Left the wine bar around 10:30 and it was still full. All in all, a good night out, just a little on the pricey side at $85 including tax and tip.
Conclusion:
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Parking: Street, and some behind bar
Selection: Great Wine, good beer, no liquor
Service: Nice, Knowledgeable, a little slow
Vibe: Eclectic
Price: $$ (dependent on consumption and if you eat)
Address: 2308 S Union Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Phone:(213) 748-6030

I.O. West (Hollywood Blvd and Cosmo st in Hollywood)

Where to start? First, I'll apologize for this post likely taking on the tone of a high school girl talking about the boy she likes. Then I suppose I'll start gushing as I go through my night. Here comes the gush...I pull up next to the bar and flip the keys to the valet (quick tip: come down cosmo from hollywood instead of up Selma, otherwise you have to turn around) The valet is $4 with validation 7 nights a week. No, it isn't a typo. No, that's the real price...stop arguing with me the valet is really cheap okay? Good, moving on. I get inside and the bar is not over crowded (it does get mad packed when shows are letting out) and I belly up to the bar where the bartender, who is awesome, hands me an ice-cold $3 PBR. Can we not argue the price again? Music was playing off the bartender's mp3 player and was pretty good music. He never plays anything irritating, although some of the bartenders tend towards 90's boy band pop. I took my PBR into the show ( did I mention this is the home of long-form improv comedy? Well, now I am.), which was Dasariski and therefore phenomenally funny. That might be the best part about this place, I mean apart from cheap parking, cheap beer, good music, an awesome crowd, people who don't judge you on what you're wearing, and the possibility of running into cool celebrities. The comedy on the main stage (usually a 5-10 dollar ticket) is always really funny. Oh, and cocktail service in the theater. Anyhow, the show let out and I said goodbye to all the people I knew and headed for the door, but not before running into three more friends from my improv classes. Got my car from the valet, paid the $4 and drove on home to my big comfy bed.
In CONCLUSION:
Rating: 5 stars
Parking: Valet $4
Selection: Great Beer, Good Liquor
Bartenders: Awesome, Friendly, Fast
Vibe: Low-Key
Dress: Whatever you want
Price: $
Bonus: Cheap and awesome comedy shows
Best Night: Thursday (for Dasariski), Fri-Wed
Address: 6366 Hollywood Blvd
Website: www.west.ioimprov.com

A LOOOONG ROAD

Hey kids, it's me. Just sat down to the computer to do some research on this little project of ours, and I'm realizing the magnitude of the mission I am to set forth on. In 10 minutes of yelp checking, I came up with 25 bars to visit spread across about 20 miles of Los Angeles. This list does not include many of my top 7 (only two)...better condition my liver and find some friends who like driving because I have some rough nights in my future, starting in about three hours when I head to IO West to give you a fresh review of one of the happiest places on Earth!

Top 7

Here is a quick list of my favorite LA spots that I've found in my two years out here. In a very particular order they are:
1. IO West, Hollywood
2. The Association, Downtown
3. 7 Grand, Downtown
4. R Bar, Koreatown
5. Mo's Place, Playa Del Rey
6. HMS Bounty, Koreatown
7. Robin Hood, Sherman Oaks
To date, these are the top 7 places I like to do my drinking. If you note a downtown/K-Town bias I ask you to forgive me because I live in that area and it makes getting home a lot easier when you can walk or take a $5 cab ride. If I go out to your neighborhood I might need to sleep at your house, is that cool? This is just the quick list of places I think you all should check out. Detailed posts on all these places will follow in the very near future. For now, peace, love, and alcohol.

Hello Los Angeles

Hello L.A. My name is Adam and I like bars. (HI ADAM!) A lot.I like drinking in them, working in them, and occasionally singing in them. I also like writing, so here we are. In this great big city it's hard sometimes to decide where to spend your hard earned dollar on liquor. I aim to make that decision easier. My mission is simple: to range all over this city of 3.5 million people and find the best bars, the worst bars, and the weird bars and get that information back to you so that you don't waste any time on a place that sucks. From Silverlake to Playa Del Rey, Hollywood to Santa Monica, and Koreatown to the Valley I'll try to hit 'em all. I hope to entertain as well as inform you of everything you need to know about a bar before you go. Where to park, what specials to order, how strong the drinks are, selection, how cool the bartenders are, and how much it cost will all be covered in each of my posts. If something fun happened on the way to, at, or on the way home from the bar...well, hopefully you think my stories are as funny as I do. Anyway, thanks for following, and if you have any suggestions of bars for me to hit, or any places you've always been curious about let me know and I'll get them up here,