This is a good, laid-back bar in Silver Lake. It's a great spot for meeting up with friends in a non pretentious setting. The music is great (I went on a Friday night and they played rock) and it's easy to meet people. The place is a bit small, but I had a good time. If you're used to always going to trendy/upscale bars and lounges, this is a nice change. read more

Music is Bomb, vibe is awesome, music is good and the drinks stay steady.. come and get some.. it's an overall all good time. Leave your BS at the door and have a blast. Parking close by, free section and a pay section but I lost 5$ so why not spend it on a party. read more

I like that this bar is not in Weho but it was quite laid back. The decor is very middle eastern hence the name Akbar. If this bar is good enough for Zachary Quinto and T.R. Knight, I think I'd enjoy it. The drinks are pretty reasonably priced and the crowd was very Silverlake-ish (alternative, laid back, etc). The bartender and the bar-back were really friendly @ the main bar. If you say on the bar side, there is no charge for entry. However, if you venture into the dance area, on a Thursday night before 11pm....it is $3 or else $5. The music on Thursday was DDHC. (Dirty Dancing House Club) The music was pretty good if you are into House. It is best to go to the club portion later though. I'd definitely come back here again. I saw both heteros and homos at this club so it is a good welcoming environment for everyone. I like the lounge area in the back of the bar. It would be great for a couple to sit and enjoy the eye candy in this bar. I'd say that this bar is a solid 4.5. I ordered lots of beer but I noticed that the bartender pours really strong mixed drinks so I guess you get your bang for the buck. LOL. Oh, there's a McDonald's next door in case you get the munchies. HAHA read more

Great lil bar.....nice vibe and the drinks are passable. Sometimes it's difficult to tell if the guys are straight or not.....it's either I have bad "dar" or actually I do have bad "dar" haha. Most of the folks are of the hipster origin so if that's your cup of tea then come on over =) read more

Crowd is fun, but the "DJ" on 1/20/23 sucked and wouldn't take any suggestions. It was basically a sucky version of the abbey that night.

What's up with the short older bartender. He's really rude. Totally ignored my friends and I for twenty minutes before he waited on us as he waited on people he knew and a handful of twinks. I suppose it was because it was obvious they were a straight couple. The whole mean gay thing was over with madonna. Leave your attitude at home and loosen up. You work in a bar in Silverlake, not delivering babies. read more

DJ is old and out of date. Tried to request a song for my best friends birthday. I even wrote it on Notes on my phone, to be polite. The DJ called me a c-word. I left. Good luck boys. read more

For being supported by your community your staff seems very ungrateful. Coach your staff on how to handle guests. Your security is very rude and inconsiderate with the amount of money guests put into your company you should be a bit more considerate. Your staff was also very unfriendly. I used to love this place e but tonight changed things. read more

pretty busy place. wish i had actually talked to people when i went. not for the socially awkward aka shy

2 stars, instead of 1, because while I'm sure this place is someone's vibe, it sure wasn't ours. The bartenders were rude and ignored us for so long we had literally already ordered an Uber for somewhere else by the time the helped us. We asked for a margarita and the bartender looked at us and said "this is a dive bar". Okay, so you don't know how to make a margarita?? The drinks we ended up getting were made with probably the nastiest tequila I've ever tasted. I know this review probably sounds annoying but seriously the place was dirty, hot, and stunk. Not the move. read more

So Akbar has recently opened back up inside. I was very excited to support my local gay establishment on a Saturday afternoon but I instantly felt it unwelcomed their. First, my friend and I had a hard time getting a seat inside when my friend offered the doorman $100 for a seat inside he instantly perked up and scrambled to find us a table in the back which was once know as the dance floor area. He took us back to the almost empty back room and sat us down and placed a post it on our table with a time limit-as I glanced over at the other table that was occupied I noticed that they didn't have a post with a time limit on their table. Now, I do understand COVID protocols when operating a bar/restaurant in LA County but why were we singled out? Why, did it feel like we were treated differently from the door? The feeling was unsettling. We ordered rounds of drinks but it was hard to establish one waiter/bartender as well. They all begrudgingly wanted to help us. Ugh, it was so disappointing because all we wanted to do was to supply our local gay establishment but didn't feel welcome. read more

Quick pit stop on a Friday night. Wasnt all that but its a great place to grab a drink and chit chat. Not fancy or high end if thats what you are looking for read more

Akbar - Gay Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I loooove Akbar. It's soooo anti fakeness, so anti Hollywood. The people are nice and down to earth. Everyone had their shirts on. Dad bods, ripped bods, whatever... It's just love. I initially went to the bar alone. It was early and ordered a margarita, it was really shi!!Y, honestly, not the best margarita. I quickly learned that it's not a place for a nice stiff drink, or a nice well crafted drink. It's a dive bar. So, stick to straight drinks like vodka soda or beer. The music - super cute! 90's, 80's, house, hip hop... allll sooo good. It's about dancing, not what you're wearing or whom you're with. I just moved from NYC. And, for those of you who know the old Wonder Bar in East Village... This place gives that realness. Please go to Akbar. read more

I've only been to L.A. twice and this was on my agenda both times. The first time was after the Depeche Mode concert in 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl. I danced my ass off!! The D.J. was incredible and the dance floor was the perfect size. Second time was during the day on Sunday (aka tea dance time) and they played 70s, 80s, and Disco. Thanks D.J. for taking my request for MacArthur's Park by Donna Summer, since we just drove by the actual one earlier that day. It was a Sunday Funday! Recommended by my Guncles who have lived in the Silverlake area for over 30 years. Highly recommend this hole in the wall, dive bar. Non-judgmental and nice to everyone on the LGBTQ spectrum. Check their website for the theme of the day and live a little! It might be what you're looking for or need. read more

Small bar with good parking, great juke box tunes and an excellent bartender. Forest was not only handsome and sweet but made a mean cocktail!! It was my good friend Jim's birthday get together and we were toasted. A few Jameson and ginger ales later and I was loudly singing George Michael. Everyone in the bar was nice, there was no drama and they have the most delicious green olives. I love a chill environment with great energy. I am sure I'll be back. read more

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Horrible. Just want to rip you off. Happy to take your cover and charge way too much for a simple beer.

Came here for the first time for a Grindr-sponsored party a few weeks ago and enjoyed myself for the most part, but be warned - it was extremely packed and the line for drinks was very long. The bartender seemed to be scatterbrained and not remembering who was next in line to order, which added to the wait time. Also, the music was very lackluster and one-note, but I know that's mostly because of the DJ that night. Luckily the drinks were strong, the vibes overall were good and we met some new friends along the way. I would give it another shot in the future! read more

Worst bartender ever! Mixes up our drinks & has 0 customer service skills ever! He is giving this awesome place a bad rep. Always shouting and yelling @ clients Sadly very very bad experience read more

This is definitely a five star bar with a 1-star bartender and thats what made our night. This night was memorable in both the right and wrong ways. The FREE comedy show was simply amazing and the best entertainment me and my husband have experienced this September (it even beat out our return trip to Disneyland after being blocked out all summer). Unfortunately our night was forever damaged by a very unprofessional short bartender in a blue shirt. Bro.....your a bartender. You serve drinks to your patrons. Considering the clientele at this location i highly doubt you receive any a--holes that give you problems. But the fact that you were so rude and disrespectful to us made our amazing night equally malformed. Hello Goodbye Akbar. read more

Come here all the time, always fun and chill. The dim lights make it so friendly and there's also a dance floor on the back in which sometimes they throw cool shows. The host awesome parties too, sometimes during the day opening their pretty wide back open area. It's one of the most queer places in la, which btw I think it's really lacking of. One of my favorite night places! read more

The staff is amazing. The drinks are strong. No cover if no special event going on. If there is an event the cover is usually $5 and well worth the price to enjoy whatever event is happening. Do not go to this bar if you are rude. Do not go to this bar if you are an asshole. Do not go to this bar if you don't like people. Do not go to this bar if you think your shit doesn't stink. Do not go to this bar if you think having a good time is over rated. Do not go to this bar if you hate yourself and everyone around you. Do not go to this bar if you can't smile and say hello to anyone except your mother. Do not go to this bar if you think the world should bend over backwards to kiss your rosebud. By all means, go to Akbar if you enjoy life. read more

Been coming here with my friends before Yelp! had the "check-in" option...before it even had an iPhone app! =P And always...Akbar has: Friendly bartenders + fun music from the jukebox + SUPER strong drinks that are at a reasonable price = 5 stars in my book! They even have a dance area in the back - past the id checker gal. Bathroom is a tiny w/c style but kept clean for a bar. Akbar is a few doors down from Malo's Tacos which makes it a perfect place to hit up for drinks after a dinner of pickle tacos! *THUMBS UP* Only minus 1 star because parking is interesting - you gotta hunt it down somewhere on one of the streets (I usually go one block West & park on the residential area - my friends like to risk it & park in the fast food parking lot...warning - you could get towed). read more

Wow. I just received my first Yelp hate mail for my previous review of Akbar. I'm almost up to 50 reviews now, so I guess it was coming sooner or later. Someone named Scott C. messaged me with the following choice words: "Really? Someone from f***ing Hawthorne is dissing Akbar? Get the f*** out of our neighborhood and never come back. Thanks!" Hmmm. Scott C., you only have 1 review on Yelp, and it's a 5-star review of Akbar. Scott C., I saw you on the "Meet the Staff" page of the Akbar website. Shaaaady! I think it says a lot about a business when they harrass Yelp users and post fake reviews. I also think it's ironic that his review of Akbar describes it as "never a snooty attitude" when this guy told me to get the f*** out of Silverlake. Sorry bro, I just didn't have a good time at your bar. :( read more

The thing I love about Akbar is that whether you are gay, straight, in between, dating a donkey or divorced, you will be treated to the same level of love and respect and your drinks will be poured just as strong and power packed as the rest of the patrons. There's usually great music, a fun and happy vibe and there is no shortage of eye candy on either side of the gender coin. However if you are seriously looking for a donkey, I think the policy here is BYOD, but I'll have to check on that ;) read more

Akbar - please note the guy passed out at the end of the bar...priceless - Gay Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

It went a little something like this: Wait in line. We're in. Drink. Drunk. Shot. More drunk. Dance. Dance. Dance. Gay boys (in male gay lispy voice) ....everywhere! Sweat. Pose. Picture. Pose. Sweat. Dance. Shot. Shot. Drink. Random girls talking to us. Dancing. Posing. More gay boys. Drink. Bar closes. Shot. Sour Kitty Face. Pause. Slurring. Body shot on English chicks. Wobblin' out. Thank you to the lovely people of Akbar for a most drunken evening. read more

I GOT CARDED!!!! I GOT CARDED AT THE DOOR!!! Holy Crap I have not been carded in ten thousand years. Mr. Bouncer I think I love you, will you marry me??? Oh.....OK....the bar: Nice! Friendly! Gay and straight, nice mix. Did I mention I GOT CARDED????!!! And it was DAYLIGHT!!! Yes, we were drinking in the afternoon (only one beer), what's it to ya...... Keeps me young. read more

There is some dispute over how this bar was named. Possibly it was coined for the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar - The youngest ruler ever to take the throne of Delhi. That would explain the Indian theme. Interesting fact: Emperor Akbar also was the first to invent prefabricated homes. And after a visit to the Akbar bar, it makes me wonder if Ol' Jalaluddin wasn't also an interior designer. Or it's very possilbe that the place could be named after these guys. http://www.futurama-area.de/LiH/OComics/3.gif http://yourfaceisanadvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/jeff-and-akbar11.jpg Who knows but I'm not gonna do it without my fez on, that's for sure. I visited this bar on a "safe" night for the Yelp Duderino Shindig celebrating The Big Lebowski Normally this is a gay bar and hence I wouldn't have come alone because "I didn't mean to turn you on" is something I'd rather not have to say especially if it's one of the songs the dj is spinning. I will attest for a nice vibe, a large dance floor requite with a mirror ball, Eastern Indian architectural themes, competent bartenders that the women at the event could not stop eyeballing, and STRONG white russians. (Besides myself and Roman of course, I'm talkin' about the drinks). You know? I can SO see Jeff and Akbar hooking up here. Sweet! read more

I hate gay clubs. That's probably because I'm a terrible gay man. I like my dudes to look scruffy and a little homeless, I hate dancing, I'm only kinda in love with Ryan Reynolds (mostly Amityville Horror/Blade 2 Ryan Reynolds, the one where he's all bearded and bruised, but anyway, I digress), and I think Lady Gaga's only so-so. Unfortunately, my friends all like to go clubbing so when they're in town, I feel obligated to take them out. Now WeHo sucks because a.) the dudes are all way too snooty/pretty/coked out and b.) where the hell do you find parking? Well, thank God for Akbar, where my friends can go dancing while I drink my rum and coke in a corner and pretend not to check out the bearded hipster leaning against the wall. The bartenders are super friendly (and boy, do they make the drinks STRONG), and the music's all right as far as I can tell- there's very little Lady Gaga, which helps. The people are generally standoffish but what do you expect for Silver Lake? It gets crowded on Fridays and Saturdays, and it's small so it feels even more crowded, but not any worse than most gay bars/clubs I've been to in SF or other places, so it's fine. The dance floor is usually less crowded anyway, so my friends are happy (especially with the way they dance, limbs and heads flinging all over the place- yeesh). Afterwards, there are plenty of 24 hour restaurants (or places that at least open super late) in the area to go and chill if you want, and parking is not usually that hard to find in one of the many residential side streets nearby. You might have to park a little far, but hey, that's what your feet are for, and anyway, it's good to work off all those extra calories the alcohol adds to my fat stores (yeah, yeah, I might be a terrible gay man, but I'm still a gay man). read more

I'll be the first one to admit it. I was a ska child. When I was the ripe age of 15 and 16, ska was king. Not the cheesy stuff, mind you (well, most of it was pretty cheesy...), but the "Traditional Ska". Like the Moon Ska Records band, the Skatalites, Desmond Dekker. Even the Specials, the English Beat, Madness. I've seen almost any ska band you can think of play live. It was my life. I have "skanked" away thousands and thousands of calories. I have said "pick it up" a few million times while singing along. I'm aware of the fact that "No Doubt" started out as a ska band in Orange County. I've even heard some of their old stuff. I once bought a trombone, ok? That was I. But, time progresses, you forget, you move on, tastes change with the times (or vice versa - times change with the tastes) and soon ska and skanking and "jazz-like horn riffs" (as Wikipedia describes it) was a distant memory. You grow older, more cynical. You find out about life. And cynicism leads one to a greater vice than ska: beer. And, man, does that beer flow! What's my point, you may ask. Well, bear with me, my friends. Bear with me. Because as you consume more and more beer, you grow tired of the old, and you are always craving the new. Out with the bad, in with the good. Isn't that what's this whole living thing is all about: living better? At least that's how it worked for me, with beer. I am always looking for a better beer. I've moved from the cheap Budweiser (sh1t) to the more pricey whatever. I'm always on the hunt for a better beer, a darker lager, a more flavorful ale, whatever. And believe you me; I am not an expert on beer, far from it. I still can try, though. Through my trials and errors I have found a lovely beer (what I consider lovely), Anchor Steam. A fine San Franciscan beer that is sort of hard to come by. I was happy. I didn't think life could get any better. Until: My phone rang. It was a boring Monday, work just ended, I was tired, home was beckoning me to return and mope away my Monday blues. Who the hell could be calling me? It was Emerson, my brother. "Hey." I answer. "Hey, Duff, what up?" His voice, distorted through the glorious via we call a cell-phone. "Going home, tired." "Scratch that, come out with us! They are having Ska night at the Akbar on Mondays." "What? That's awesome!" "Yeah," he replies "and $1 Anchor Steams on tap. You in?" Hell yes I was in. Hell yes. I mean, I've been meaning to go to the Akbar anyway. They were voted "Best Bar in LA" by Los Angeles Magazine about 3 years ago. It's in my favorite town, Silver Lake. It always has a bunch of heads hanging outside of it every late night, smoking or stumbling home. Now I had an excuse. Now, for my review of the place, I do admit that I as initially shocked. When I walked in, looked at the place, my first reaction was: This place is the best bar in LA? It looked small and dingy, like your all-too-common dive bar of Hipster-LA. After a while of jamming out to the sweet melodies of 60's ska (and a couple Anchor Steams) I was sold. Maybe it's not the best of LA to me, but the Akbar has officially won a place in my heart. I mean: for Christ's sake, $1 Anchor Steams? Old school Ska spinning on a turntable? In Silver Lake? The Akbar is awesome, even on (or especially on) a Monday night. 4 stars. I have no idea if they have continued the Monday Bluebeat night (I think that's what they call it), but you need to check it out, just in case. read more

Why oh why has it taken me so long to discover Akbar? I guess I thought I was over the straight-girl-at-gay-bars thing...maybe just needing some testosterone flung my way, and although I loves me my gbs, I wasn't gonna get it from them (unless we're talking Miss Kitty's night at Dragonfly, where confusion reigns...as in: hey wait! you're not gay? and your hands are where? ummmmm....). Cue to a jaunt to Los Feliz courtesy on one of those "okay now what???" nights. I wasn't driving, we were up for another drink and some dancing, and lo and behold there was a parking space within spitting distance of Akbar (always important when you're wearing 4-inch heels). And as soon as we stepped into the joint, we knew we'd made a good decision. The music was great, the crowd was diverse and as non-Hollywood as you can get in L.A. (and also non-Short Stop--such a tediously and self-consciously wanna-be-alternative place). Yes there were lovely gay boys (and girls) but there were also cute couples, straight boys loving all the attention, girls ricocheting between gender flirtatiousness, and a general air of hands in the air whirly fun. Emphasis on the kind of fun generated by a good dance mix and generously poured drinks (and friendly, professional bartenders, let's not forget). Two hours flew by and then we were off to seek late-night nourishment. I left giving big hugs to people I didn't really know and would likely never see again, but it felt good and you know, what the heck. We'd danced together and shared endorphins and complimented one another on our outfits (mine: an Alexander McQueeen lace halter-top dress over black capris). All was good in the world, and about to get even better (read: we were off to get chicken n' waffles at Roscoes). All in all, a very happy night. read more

Oh man, last Saturday's music was SO BAD. My friend (um, French gay boyfriend- I'm running out of nicknames for all the gay men in my life) dared me to go up to the DJ to tell him he sucked. Okay, now there's apparently "only" a $15 minimum on credit cards. And if you open a tab, they will hand you back your credit card. It's very confusing since I then expected them to close my tab with the return of my card. We got there in time for the last of the Belvedere in the front bar apparently. I had a Belvedere tonic and the gay boyfriend (not the French one) had a Belvedere and diet. About an hour later, they ran out! And then acted as if we're crazy to ask for it. The back bar had it though. I did discover the tiny one-person ladies' room towards the back of the front bar lounge. Yes! It was clean! The crowd was pretty diverse that night. We had a lot of people coming in from the outdoor movie down the street. Stalk that back parking lot. Sometimes you may get lucky when people leave the restaurant next door. read more

THEY HAVE PHOTO HUNT AND TIC-TAC-TRIVIA. NEED I SAY MORE? I've lived in the area for three years, and although Akbar isn't really my scene a friend wanted to go last week so I relented. And then I walked inside and saw the Photo Hunt/Tic-Tac-Trivia machine and my heart fluttered. As if that wasn't good enough, it's 4 CREDITS PER $1. Dude, I grew up on the East Coast and at all my old local haunts you were lucky to get two credits per dollar! I told my friends I'd meet up with them for last call, but don't disturb me until that time. The drinks weren't especially strong but they were decent. Prices were pretty good. The crowd was more diverse than I thought it'd be. I can't dance but that didn't stop me from trying for about five minutes. Then I realized I'd left 17 credits on Photo Hunt so I went back and played some more. A cute blonde girl took over my remaining credits for me when my friends finally got tired of me being antisocial and dragged me away. The homeless guy with the picnic basket filled with magic brownies and space cakes was a hoot to talk to. Is he a regular? In any event, his prices were pretty cheap. It took almost four years of living on the East side for me to make my first trip to Akbar. I'm now ashamed of myself for not supporting more friends and going sooner. I could've found out about the Photo Hunt machine years ago! Whatever...now that I know it's here I know I'll come back. I hope they don't reset the machine each night when they close, I got an almost perfect Tic-Tac-Trivia score and I don't want anyone to take my score away from me. I *earned* that shit, let me fucking revel in it! read more

This is where I am going to find my lesbian lover. I love the vibe. Dive bars are my fav bars. I'm glad there is a relaxed gay bar in my hood so I don't have to go to Weho to get freaky. I went on a Wednesday and it was super mellow.. Definitely want to check out a weekend so I can get my groove on and get a lil sloppy and make out with some hot ladies.. Or gay guys if they let me. read more

Drinks are strong, drinks are cheap, and as if that wasn't enough, I found a four foot tall speaker screaming with bass on the dance floor. If that doesn't deserve five stars, I don't know what does! read more

I haven't actually been to Akbar in a few months, but I spent so many of my baby gay days there that I feel I must put down my opinion of this place. AKBAR WILL GET YOU F"ED UP MAN! Oh my goodness I've made so many sloppy, funny, awesome mistakes there. And if you've been you know you have too! Mike the bartender has always treated us well and has been very heavy-handed with the drinks. Dance floor is super fun for throwing down the moves you'd be too embarrassed to try out at any other place. Smoking outside always leads to extremely entertaining conversations with complete strangers. My friends and I have been coming here for years, and though I frequent it less these days... (can't handle the raging hangovers post akbar nights) I still love to sometimes revisit my old stomping grounds and have the time of my life! read more

I'm not a fan of this place, and I love gay bars. The atmosphere is very dark, dim and...musty? Sometimes there's a cover charge, and the idea of paying $5 to feel awkward is not my cup of tea. I don't think the drinks are anything special in terms of price, either. Fun fact: I had an ex sob on me here, a phenomenon we referred to thereafter as "beer tears". And we saw a drag queen here named Tamale Ringwald. Excellent. read more

I came here after having dinner at The Kitchen which is right next door. After such a great dinner and such a high from next doors ambiance this place had it's work cut out I'll admit but my experience was very meh. I'm definitely not a Hipster nor am I trying to be but I personally am in no rush to make it back to Akbar. Some highlights from my visit: (1) The bartender was nice & she had HUGE BOOBS little bit of a pin up trying to go drag queen vibe about her? It was interesting. (2) Both bartenders working were unusually CLUMSY, they would spill drinks or break glasses and barely flinch as if it was a normal occurance (3) Creepers over here, Creepers over there! Be On the lOOk out (4) Calling All the Hip-staaas (5) Possible the drinks are strong here, but let's just say mine wasn't strong enough to offset everything going on.. (6) The BROKEN Juke box.... O M G... Ohh-Myy-Gawwd. It definitely isn't working like it did 25 years ago, they need to fix it or get rid of this thing. It played the same song 10 times in the 90 minutes I was there. I also paid money to pick a song and the one I went to choose the box wouldn't let me choose it.... GIMME-GIMME-my-dollar-back This place just wasn't for me and that Juke Box definitely took this review from a 3 to a 2.If you like Dive bars, Hipsters, enjoy an eclectic ambiance you are going to have a gay old time at Akbar. read more

There is a special relationship with House Music...and Gay, Black Mens. love love love. Oh, and that there are guys there with purses -love it. And they aren't murses. They are clutches. Faaabulous clutches. Oh, and guys with beards. with clutches. love love love read more

I wasn't going to, but after careful consideration I do feel this needs to be labeled a D.A.D. (pt. 3): Having attended a fabulous bubbly-laden Silverlake Wine tasting, our next stop was Akbar. I had been here once before but it was a quick stop so this time I sat down, had a beverage and a proper look around. It's dark, red, and loud but don't get me wrong, these are actually all good things. I was one of the few females in there but that is more than fine with me, if you read any of my reviews you know I am a fan of the gay club scene. It wasn't out of control by any means, everyone was chilling on the various seats around the bar area (more than enough seating) chatting it up with their party. The pours on the drinks are S-T-R-O-N-G, by this I mean not for the weak at heart. I ordered a Cuba Libra, what I thought would be nice and easy but what I got was a glass of Bacardi with just a small splash of coke. Whew baby! I tried to play it off and took small sips but after a minute my certain someone had to get up and ask the bartender for a bit more soda. (Bless his heart) What's really nice about this place is the lounge is completely separate from the dance floor area/club side. In fact you even have to pay a cover to go to the other side (minimal, 4 dollars) So you can either dance the night away or just sit around having drinks hanging out with your friends. A good time with plenty to offer, including strong enough drinks to be very tipsy after just one (enough to insist on heading over to the nearest Kwik E Mart - what fun!) read more

DIRTY DIRTY HOUSE CLUB This review is specifically for Thursday nights at Akbar (club area, NOT bar area), featuring DJ Tony Powell. Every Thursday night, house music veteran Tony Powell enlightens us with his mixing genius, bringing to Akbar the most soulful, bangin, spiritually-lifting, deep house in LA. It's why my buddy and I call it our Church. From the moment you step in the door, until the lights go up, bodies are gettin down dirty on the dance floor. Usually, you won't see dance circles, popping/locking, or drug-induced fits of hyperactivity. Just people boogying down, having fun, and loving the music. And not to mention, this place has cheap drinks. $5 cover plus $12 - $14 for two drinks will be all you need for good times. The only downside is that the place is fairly small. On a given night, it is perfectly balanced. On holiday weekends, it's over packed. But regardless, the music is consistently awesome. Yes, Akbar is a gay club, but unless you have a problem with that, everyone is welcome and has a great time. After all, house music is about love, movement, and soul. If you've got these, you will love DDHC. Currently, my favorite house club in LA. read more