Driving through the Cypress Park neighborhood on the east side of Los Angeles, you might drive right by this week’s Bored & Thirsty location. Footsies is an unassuming bar situated on the south side of Figueroa, near the intersection of the 110 and the 5. A gray wall, a couple neon signs and two cowboy-style swinging doors tucked in an entry alcove are all you’d see, but step inside and you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised.

Dimly lit with high wooden ceilings and red velvet accents, dark leather upholstery and a bar that stretches most of the length of the interior, Footsies is what you might imagine a bar would look like if you’d never been inside one. It’s quintessential – four or five beers on tap (including Chimay – a personal favorite), a well-stocked backbar and a bevy of regulars (“Hey, Al, how ya doin’ tonight?” and “The usual?” were both overheard during my time there) make it clear that this place has a reputation for serious boozing and serious client loyalty.

Footsies has all the components of a your new favorite bar – a pool table, a smoking patio and – according to Roommate Dan/DJ Shoebox – a jukebox loaded with tunes that’ll satisfy even the most hardened hipster. It might look like a dive bar, but in reality, it’s a well-kept, highly stylized lounge that works hard at creating a comfortable atmosphere. Footsies also boasts resident DJs playing most nights of the week, except for Sunday and Monday, so if you’re in the neighborhood and looking to unwind – in fact, even if you’re not – give Footsies a visit.

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WHAT: An east-side bar with citywide appeal
WHEN: Nightly until 2
WHERE: 2640 N Figueroa Street, 90065
$$$: About $7 for drinks.

Let us face it, every bar in Los Angeles has a gimmick.  There are fancy whiskey bars, Vodka bars, tiki huts plucked from the tropics, and speakeasy upon speakeasy popping up on every corner of our fair city.  Oh I love them all, but sometimes it is nice to put all that theming aside, and head to a bar that is… just a bar.  Burbank’s The Snug, fits that bill.

The Snug is just one room, brick walls, a bar, and some booths.  A few TVs show sporting events but it is not a sports bar.  A modest but well picked draught beer includes, Chimay, Bass, Sam Adams, Boddingtons, Stella, Fat Tire, and Guinness; all poured properly at a cold temperature in the proper glass.  The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable, and they even remember your name when it is time to settle up the tab.  They don’t serve food, but they have menus of some local places that are happy to deliver. 

There is one of those internet jukeboxes that can play any song that it can download, and it doesn’t blast your face off, so talking to the folks on the stools next to you is not a strain.  If you are looking to have a drink at reasonable prices, in place that makes getting that drink easy and talking with your friends a breeze; the Snug might just be worth the trek over the hill for a pint.

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WHAT: A bar that is a bar
WHEN: Daily till 2am
WHERE: The Snug
$: The perfect pint for $4.50

Fat Tuesday is just around the bend, and with no special festivities in Los Angeles to speak of, now is as good a time as any to pull up a stool at Piano Bar.  As far as I know they make no claim to be a New Orleans bar, but it certainly does have a NOLA feel to it.  Darkly lit by faux gas lamps, with low ceilings, and nightly live music; enough to make me crave jazz music and a muffaletta sandwich.

Friendly good looking bartenders, keep well balanced mixed drinks, and a small selection of beer on tap coming, all for typical LA prices.  A courtyard next to the piano offers smokers both stools and a classy safe haven for their exile (non-smokers even venture out to enjoy the night air).  It can get a little loud inside with a crowd and live music, but the lively feel will keep you smiling.

Happy hour is offered every evening, and live music is served up nightly around 10pm.  A night at Piano bar cozied up near the piano, with a stiff drink and a good friend, might be just what the Mardi Gras King ordered.

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WHAT: New Orleans feel, Cahuenga Corridor location
WHEN: Nightly until 2am
WHERE: Piano Bar
$$: Around $8 for a mixed drink.

On a recent trip to Hollywood I ducked into Dillon’s for a beer and a quick bite.  A sign outside proclaimed “$3 beers.”  How could it miss?  The place is decked out in dark wood, in just the way you would expect and “Irish Pub” to be, but somehow with the high ceilings and flat screen TVs it felt oddly cold and corporate.  Maybe the all female waitstaff in short skirts and knee high socks is the draw here? 

I tried the Avocado Fries and the Slider Sampler.  The Avocado Fries are just what they sound like, slices of avocado breaded and deep fried.  They were okay, but ultimately not as good as regular old potato fries.  The Slider Sampler was 4 sliders: a mundane pulled pork slider, a dry salmon slider, a Kobe beef slider that tasted like a frozen ground beef patty, and an inedible turkey slider.

Dillon’s Irish Pub may be a fine place for a cheap pint before catching a play at the Pantages, but in a town full of bars serving more unique beers, places with many more beers on tap and other spots to watch sports while eating delicious food, it is hard to recommend you head to Hollywood just for Dillon’s.

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WHAT: Cheap beer at Hollywood & Vine
WHERE: Dillon’s Irish Pub & Grill
$$: Every draught beer $3

Silverlake’s El Cid is an everchanging venue of events with a few choice constancies: tapas, steep stairs, and booze.  Seen from the street as mild mannered Spanish hacienda, the interior holds all kinds of untold wonders on any given night including, Flamenco dancing, comedy, murder mystery dinners, and live music (check out the website for a calendar).

Friday – Sunday nights $35 gets you a three course meal and one hour of live Flamenco dancers (try the paella which serves 2 people).  If you’d rather skip the show and just booze it up, a multilevel back patio serves up what you need.  You can’t go wrong sipping some sangria or a mojito.  Some nights there is a cover charge so call ahead. 

Tonight at ten there will be a comedy and burlesque act, and if you tell the bouncer you are here with Thirsty Club, the cover charge will be waived.  See you there!

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WHAT: Often a live show, always Spanish style
WHEN: Daily until 2am
WHERE: El Cid
$$$: $35 for some Flamenco, Free with Thirsty Club tonight!

The Gaylord Apartments were built in the 1920’s; I am not sure when the HMS Bounty was installed on its first floor, but I can guarantee it hasn’t changed since the day it opened.  The food here is pretty mediocre: steaks and seafood only your grandmother would enjoy, but the drinking is superb.

As you may have gathered from the name, HMS Bounty has a nautical/British pub theme, everywhere you turn is wood paneling or a picture of a ship.  Each red booth has a little plaque naming the old icons who preferred sitting there, Jack Webb and William Randolph Hearst amoung them.  If you need to use the restroom you must leave the restaurant, walk through the lobby of the Gaylord, down a hallway and some stairs, this place is definitely an experience.

At the bar regulars and hipster invaders drink stiff drinks in harmony.  It is relatively bright inside, never loud, and the mood is some how fun filled (might have to do with the heavy pour of the Seagrams). 

The HMS Bounty is one of those great old places that hasn’t changed a lick, but doesn’t seek to turn away the new comer.  This notion is made clear on their website where they admit, “the restaurant has become know to Gen X’ers as a great hang.”  If that statement doesn’t tell you what to expect I can’t help you.

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WHAT: Drink lik an old man
WHEN: Daily till 2am
WHERE: HMS Bounty
$$: Well drinks about $5

I am sure you all stayed home last night, lost without your weekly Bored & Thirsty to tell you where to go.  Consider this the late edition to save your weekend drinking plans.  Over the summer the owners of Bar Lubitsch took over the dive next door to Largo and created The Roger Room.

The Roger Room is another one of those sign-less speakeasy spots, so look for the black door next to the weird neon signs (pictured below).  It is the type of bar that is quickly taking over Los Angeles, old style vested bartenders, and fancy drinks with fresh squeezed juices (I am in love with this trend by the way), but a few of the Roger Room’s drinks make it stand out from the other places in town. 

They have an excellent (and boozy) champagne cocktail, The Dame, which is cognac, cherry juice, lemon,  and champagne.  And if you like alliterations you might try the unique Flim Flam: gin, Cynar artichoke liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino, and Sambuca Molinari.  The drinks can be a bit steep, so don’t come here with the intention of drinking cheap Tecate.  If you are looking for a little class and some good sipping drinks, The Roger Room is your place.

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WHAT: Speakeasy next to Largo
WHEN: Daily till 2am
WHERE: The Roger Room
$$$: $14 for fancy pants cocktails, $5 for a beer.

Located next door to its bigger brother Mexican restaurant El Chavo, El Chavito delivers a hip vibe and cheap drinks.  Purple booths and cement floors assure the casual drinker he is in the right place, and a calkboard of drink specials confirms it.

At happy hour between 5 and 9pm, one can get $4 well drinks and $2 tacos.  Tecate in the can is $3 all the time, and chips and salsa are always free at the bar.  On most nights a DJ spins interesting selections, and friendly hipsters abound.

If you are looking for a cover free spot to chill this New Years Eve, El Chavito just might be your place.
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WHAT:  Easy Eastside Drink’n
WHEN: 4pm – 2am
WHERE:El Chavito
$: $4 well drinks at happy hour.

If you have ever been to a bar on Christmas Eve, you know it can be a sad affair.  Tonight I suggest you stay home and avoid the angry, sad, and drunk souls that litter the bar stools of those drinking establishments which remain open tonight.  Staying home with friends and family is not always a pretty picture either.  The best plan of action is to stay home, but ensure everyone is properly lubricated with Christmas cheer.

Today I will merely link you to three delicious drink recipes to make your holiday merry:

Click here for simple and deliciously boozy eggnog reciepe from Drinks Mixer.

The more exotic Holiday drink mixer might try the Food Network’s mulled wine.

Or try something out of the ordinary and make this Apple Cider Martini.

Happy Holidays!

As the oldest restaurant in Hollywood Musso and Frank Grill has seen it all, and so have the waiters.  Indeed Musso and frank is like the restaurant time forgot.  Many of the waiters and bartenders have worked there for decades and have thus perfected their art of service.

 Musso and Frank reminds me a lot of Burbank’s The Smoke House but with even more class, and better food.  The prime-rib is quite delicious, but it will set you back more than 30 simoleons, so I prefer the liquid dinner.

When drinking at a bar that hasn’t changed in 60 years like this, it is best to order classic old style drinks, like a martini or a greyhound.  As you can see in the picture of Luis above (working at Musso & Frank since 1956) they do the old trick of keeping half your martini in a carafe while you drink the other half.  This helps keeps the drink cool and makes it twice as delicious.

If you are looking for a quiet drink with an old Hollywood feel, the bar at Musso and Frank Grill is exactly what the doctor ordered.  Sidle up to the bar and let Ruben serve you the same drink he has poured in that exact spot since 1967.

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WHAT: Martinis at the oldest restaurant in Hollywood
WHEN:  Daily until 11pm.
WHERE: Musso and Frank Grill

Possibly the most appropriately named bar in Los Angeles, Bordello knows how to please.  Situated on the outskirts of downtown, you definitely will never end up at Bordello just  because you are in the neighborhood.  If you find yourself in this sea of chandeliers, high backed velvet chairs and red red red, you are probably here to see a concert, comedy, or burlesque; Bordello is a destination.

The drinks are fine, but this isn’t the place to get fancy cocktail concocted with care.  Bordello is a place to have a bartender in a corset (or less), quickly mix you up a G&T (from previous posts you know the value of a good corset clad bartender).  I know it all sounds a bit sleazy, but the girls are really just a reflection of the bars irreverence which is infectious.

My first visit to Bordello was to see some comedy, which just happened to be interspersed with a burlesque show.  At one point I was pulled on stage by a dancing girl, where she made me sit in a chair well she frightened me until I was dismissed.  There is always something fun going on at Bordello.  It seems the schedule on their website is off (or at least the days of the week are wrong), so I would call ahead to see what is happening that night.  A couple of drinks at a live show at Bordello and you are dancing, cheering and having a great time.

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WHAT: A night at Bordello
WHEN:  Daily until 2am.
WHERE: Bordello Bar
$$$: Occasional charge, so call ahead: (213) 687-3766

One the the Smog Cutter's finest bartenders taking a break

Los Angeles is a great town for Karaoke.  You can hit up Sardos, The Gas Lite, or  Dimples and have a great night, but for a truly unique karaoke experience, head to Smog Cutter.

Smog Cutter is a dank, narrow watering hole which on its own is nothing more than a bar in the corner, a less than spotless bathroom and tiny pool table near the door; but come 9pm a petite Thai woman fires up a karaoke machine next to the bar and all bets are off. 

The women who run this place are all insane and wonderful.  The bartender demands that you buy a drink immediately upon entering.  Take to long to decide what you want to drink and expected to be shouted at.  They are mean but they are hilarious and they do it with love (so I imagine).  Put in a song with the karaoke hostess and she shouts “You pay me now!” and you better because she means business.  The drinks here are nothing special but they are certainly strong.  Stick to one kind of booze because you will be high pressured into drinking lots and lots more.  The ladies of Smog Cutter drink too as the night goes on and only become louder and more amazing. 

The karaoke is also loud,  and there is no stage.  One just sings in the crowd next to the bar.  It is fantastic to sing in the face of a complete stranger and to have them sing loudly with you treating you like the amazing karaoke star you have just become.  Head to the smog cutter next time you are feeling down, and be prepared for a dive into greatness like you have never experienced.
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WHAT: Crazy bartenders, crazy karaoke, and a crazy good time!
WHERE: Smog Cutter
$$:  $6 to $9 for stiff drinks.

Looking for authentic Chinatown atmosphere without having to leave your hipster haven of a neighborhood?  You are in luck, because right next to the Vista Theater lurks Good Luck Bar.  Covered in red and gold, lit by Chinese lanterns this watering hole serves up such unique drinks as the Yee Me Lou, The Fists Of Fury, and Chinese Rose Whiskey (no one knows what is in these drinks).  It is a great low key lounge, often with a DJ at night.

One week from today happens to be Good Luck Bar’s 15th birthday, and it will be a celebration not to miss.  On November 19th from 7pm to close selected beers are just $2, and Stoli, Sailor Jerry, Cazadores, and Jack Daniel’s cocktails are all served for only $5!  The Koji truck will be parked outside for all your Korean-BBQ-taco needs, and the evening will be capped off with a Chinese burlesque act!  I think I will be calling in sick next Friday.  Check this newmusicreviews.net to get the full press release (I don’t know why the info is on that site, but it is).

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WHAT: Chinatown charm in Los Feliz
WHEN: 15th anniversary celebration November 19th, 7pm to 2am.
WHERE: Good Luck Bar
$$:  $8-10 for a cocktail, $5 on the 11/19/09.

Are you aware that there is a whole other city right below our own?  Yes indeed there is, it is called Culver City and it they even have their own mayor (pictured here wearing a funny hat, brandishing a shovel, while riding a tractor).  This heating pad of a municipality, essentially warming the nuts of the more grand Los Angeles, is not without its own selection of fine bars.  One of these bars is Mandrake.

One of the many bars in the greater LA are without real signage out front; to find this place you should only look for the address, and that little “BAR” sign pictured above.  Mandrake is a hip little bar with tree stump tables and cool art on the walls, as well as in the gallery/dance floor.  They have a happy hour from 5-7pm where you can get a PBR and a shot of whiskey for $5, and you can take $2 off the price of a cocktail.  And I do recommend the cocktails which they make with fresh herbs.  The Moscow Mule is great but on my next trip (one week from today with Thirsty Club) I plan to try Rose’s Garden which is Grey Goose shaken with cucumber and mint.  What could be more refreshing?

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WHAT: Cool Art Bar in Culver City
WHERE: Mandrake
$$$:  $2 cocktails off if you make it happy hour

As you may have heard Halloween is just around the corner.  It is in the spirit of Halloween that I bring you Little Cave.  A dimly lit gem, hidden in Los Angeles’ deep East of Highland Park, Little Cave frightens you with bats, then comforts you with cheap booze.

As one might imagine from the name, and the hanging bats on the sign, Little Cave is dark and has rounded rock walls to complete the cave feel.  The atmosphere certainly lends its self to some Halloween time drinking.  Some of the regulars might seem a little frightening at first too, but all arguments can be forgotten by simply slipping outside and enjoying a Danger Dog from a street vendor.

On Friday and Saturday nights Little Cave offer selected beer for only $3 and $5 well drinks between 8:30 and 10:30pm.  On weekend night the place also gets pretty packed later in the evening so prepare for a crowd, and be ready to stretch when trying to reach the bar.  The bartenders have been known to put on a little fire show on occasion as well, which is always fun.  If Little Cave doesn’t put you in the mood for Halloween, nothing will.

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WHAT:  Spooky Divey Drinky Drink
WHEN:  Daily 5pm to 2am
WHERE:  Little Cave
$$:  As low as $3 for a good draft beer

Sgt. Recruiter has come and gone, in its place rises the new and exciting Salaryman.  Japanese slang for the working stiff, Salaryman a fitting name for a bar attached to the newest location of the Japanese burger joint Umami Burger.  Salaryman has fun variety of mostly Asian Beers like a Coedo Sweet Potato Beer, Hitagchino, and Nakhon Lager.  Salaryman doesn’t limit himself to just one continent though, they also have tasty beer’s from our own great nation like the Allagash Curieux which I plan to try on my next trip (it is $19 but is also 740 ml), as well as a Stout Beer Float for the more adventurous types with a sweet-tooth .

Being attached to Umami Burger is also a definite plus.  When Genara reviewed Umani’s original location last month she was absolutely correct in her assessment.  The burgers are pretty good, but the Umami flavor might just be an acquired taste; that said these burger are still great and ten fold better than your average bar burger.  I also cannot recommend the Tempura Onion Rings enough.  Salaryman is small and can get crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, so if you are headed over on the weekend and want a bar stool you might get there early.  If the Salaryman has piqued you interest, good old Thirsty Club is meeting there next Thursday, check out TC’s Facebook event and join them.

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WHAT: Exotic Beer and exotic burgers
WHEN: 11am – 2am daily.
WHERE: Your local B&N
$$$: A Beer will run you between $3.75 and $20 so choose wisely.

With Dodger fever gripping our city (and myself missing tonight’s game slaving away at work), I thought I might review a sports bar that gives a little something extra.  The Happy Ending in Hollywood serves up gourmet food in a sports bar/frat house atmosphere.  Happy Ending serves up kobe beef everything and fancy pants mac and cheese with delicious cheese and mushrooms (I recommend the Filet Mignon Sliders on Pretzel Rolls though, since you asked).  They take so much pride in their fancy bar food they even put the chef’s name on the menu.

A handsome fellow celebrates after catching a delicious Lobster for only $2

Even with the gourmet selections you can hardly call The Happy Ending classy.  Beer pong tables upstairs, a drink special wheel, flat screen TVs in every direction, as well as drinks that are served in beach buckets prevent this bar from ever claiming itself a Gastropub.  The crowning achievement by far is their The Lobster Zone: a claw machine like any other except instead of crappy plush toys inside, it has a tank of live lobsters waiting to be plucked out (please don’t tell PETA).  If you are skilled enough to catch a lobster, the chef gladly boils it up for you and serves it with a delicious sauce and asparagus.

If you are hungry, want to watch sports, and are not afraid to occasionally interact with the more Ed Hardy types,  The Happy Ending is the bar for you.

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WHAT: Sports Bar, Good Food, Party Atmosphere
WHERE: The Happy Ending
$$: Spin the Drink Wheel to get a new drink special

Like an aging bare-knuckle boxer the Smoke House Resturant in Burbank is not to be trifled with.  With its virtually windowless rooms, plaid floors, red booths, and low ceilings you know what you are getting into as soon as you open the front door.  This place has not changed since it opened in the late 40’s.  If you eat here you are eating the same exact meals your grandparents would have eaten when they were young; in fact if your grandparents happen to live near Burbank they probably still do eat at the Smoke House quite regularly.

Though the steak and prime-rib are both delicious (not to mention their famous garlic and cheese bread!) the reason I love the Smoke House Restaurant most are their fine cocktails, specifically the martinis.  Any martini drinker knows that the longer your martini stays cold, the longer it remains delicious; a warm martini is a bad martini.  At the Smoke House they have come up with a wonderful way to keep that martini ice cold from the first sip to the last drop.  Martinis (or anything that comes in a martini glass really, Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, etc) are brought to your table in a personal sized, pre-shaken shaker and then poured into a chilled martini glass before your very eyes. The key point comes next when the server  leaves that shaker behind so as you drink from your classy glass, the remainder of your drink remains on ice, for you to pour in at your leisure.  Genius!

The crowd at the Smoke House is always eclectic.  From old ladies there to see the lounge act, to young starlets there to hide her hidious thumbs in a dark booth, they all love the Smoke House.  If you are feeling too cool for the Smoke House, just remember that the coolest man alive George Clooney likes the place so much he named his production company after it.

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WHAT: Old school vibe, cold drinks
WHERE: The Smoke House Resturant
$$: About $6-10 a drink

There are now more taps than are shown in this photo.

Lets face it folks beer is delicious.  It is sometimes easy to forget how varied and delightful beer can be; but not at 1739 Public House.  The Public House has something like 100 beers on tap, all for only $6.  It is hard to get an accurate count on the beers, because every time you turn around they are adding more taps! 

As I say all the beers on tap are $6 so careful what you order.  While it is great to get a Chimay for $6, but it sucks to get a PBR for $6.  They also have a world of exotic beers in the bottle ranging in price from the $5 Spaten Optimator to $69 for the 750ml Deus Brut des Flandres, so it is best to know what you are getting into before pointing to a bottle and just saying “Give me that pretty one.”

The Pub also serves some decent food, and most of it is under $10 which makes it taste better.  During happy hour (3-7pm) you get a free cheese pizza with your beer.  On the weekends you can get brunch for $11 with a free Bloody Mary.  1739 Public House is value, and you can’t miss with all the beer they have.  A good cheap, friendly neighborhood place for Los Feliz and you to enjoy!

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WHAT: Too many beers!
WHERE: 1739 Public House
$$: Every draught beer $6

Possibly the worst kept secret in LA, the Tiki-Ti is a delight on Sunset Boulevard.  The Tiki-Ti is literally a shack, which has been completely decked out in Tiki/Polynesian theming, and only serves tropical drinks.

Opened in 1968 by Ray Buhen, the Tiki-Ti is still owned and operated by Ray’s descendants: son Mike, and grandsons Mike and Mark.  Ray collected and created the drinks on the menu over several decades by working at various Tiki bars around Los Angeles.  These original recipes of Ray’s are still used today; at Tiki-Ti you are drinking the same Mai Tai your grandfather would have enjoyed back in the 1940’s.

The bar is owner operated so smoking is still permitted inside, so if you are allergic to cigarette smoke it might not be the best place for you.  The smoking combined with the fact that they only accept cash, in my mind only adds to the classic LA Tiki bar feel.  It really does seems like you have stepped into a time warp (except for the modern day drink prices of course).  The Tiki-Ti isn’t necessarily open every day, so before you head over be sure to check the calander on the website to make sure they will be there to serve you.

This is a great place to bring out of town guests to impress them with LA’s depth of fun.  Have them order the Blood and Sand, and watch them smile when the whole bar erupts in shouting “Toro!  Toro!” as the bartender pours tequila.

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WHAT:  Classic tropical drinks in a time capsule of a bar.
WHEN: Wed-Sat 4pm to 2am
WHERE: Tiki-Ti
$$$: $12-$15