I checked it out a few weeks ago. I parked in the auto store parking lot next door. Apparently, that's a big NO NO.. your car may get towed. We paid $5 to get into the bar, which is a decent price. The place was very interesting; the decor is crazy! There's so much to look at on every wall and shelf. Everytime I looked back behind the bar, I'd spot something new: Sleestack, Elvis, demon, Jesus, etc.. The room is dark with a low red lighting. I felt like I entered a vampires' lair. The live band was cool and the drinks prices were OK. Especially the tequila shots. They had some for $2. But I'm not sure I'll go back again. It may have been the crowd that was there that night. I felt out of place, like if I needed tattoos to be there. read more

Went to Alex's last night to see Hellogoodbye. It was awesome! Concert tips: The lighting is great. It's just bright enough that you don't absolutely need to use the flash on your camera, although it certainly helped. BUY TICKETS ONLINE EARLY! Not because they'll sell out, but because you'll get in early. At about 7PM, they kicked everyone out and made us line up. My friend and I were the only ones with paper tickets and they let us back in immediately, while everyone else had to wait outside until doors opened at 8. Not sure if that's standard for all shows, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Also, they use a company called Brown Paper Tickets, which donates a portion of their tickets to charity, and you even get to pick from a list of charities! From the street, it looks pretty terrible. I was a little scared. But once we got inside, I was at ease. VIntage beer signs, Sailor Jerry stuff EVERYWHERE and an overall vampire theme since they apparently shoot True Blood there. The bartenders were very sweet and friendly. They didn't talk entirely too much or bug us every few minutes either. They're experienced enough to read their customers and know which ones want to be left alone. I tipped my bartender well for letting us sit at the bar for the whole show (even though I only bought 2 pints and a water) and he came over to thank me. That was pretty cool. As a concert venue, it's AWESOME! The stage is pretty low to the ground so you can have your favorite band member all up in your business. The ladies room was amazingly clean! It's baby pink with a mural of baby vampires, which I thought was clever. No outside drinks are allowed, but you can bring your own food! Pints of beer were $5, well drinks were $6 and non-alcoholics (including bottles of water) were only $1! They had tall cans of Tecate and PBR for sale, plus a good variety of draughts. They also have free wifi, but you need to ask for the password. read more

Whoa, was this place rockin!!!! Mr. Mister Miyagi karaoke night on Saturday was SO much fun!!! The vibe was cool, the bartenders were cool and the people were pretty cool too. Except the one crazy chick who was rockin to her own tune. Swayin and swingin her arms oblivious to the knocking around of people in arm length vicinity! obviously drunk, but after having more than half of your party gets hit by the erratic dance moves more than a few times, we can only take so much! Other than that, everyone was there to have a good time. Singing along to classic 80s jams, tall boys of PBR and Tecate or other drink of choice in hand. Only downfall was that one of the persons in our group got skipped to sing a song, and then time ran out before they could finish the list of people who signed up! Definitely going again! and definitely worth a shot to experience if you haven't already! read more

Went here for a friends going away party...she absolutely loves this place and raves about it.. I will say the 80's band and karaoke were good but overall I dont think I would go back...Beers are cheap, service is ok the bartenders are definitely overwhelmed good group of guys and gals who work their butts off..but it is kind of a wait to get a drink..parking is a little sketchy in an area thats a little sketchy, but we never felt unsafe.. Sorry I did not love it as much as my friend, but too each their own.. read more

For Long Beach this is OK. The stage area looks really cool but I have only heard rumors of good bands playing here and that is long long ago. Nowadays whenever I look for places that play good bands they are all in Echo Park, Silverlake or Hollywood. Long ago Long Beach had a really really ridiculously awesome music scene and there were a couple of great venues. Way back in the hardcore punk and the mid 90's eras. If any good bands play here now they are really so unknown that it is hard to get an idea of what they sound like. It's dangerous to go watch a band simply because it has a cool name. You could end up listening to some really bad stuff. Never judge a book by its cover especially if it going to cost you a cover charge haha! I have heard that there is a really good lounge act here. Phil Shane. The guy looks like a sort of Elvis. He's supposed to be really good. Seeing his picture was enough for me to take it all in and chuckle. I'm not into lounge acts. I would give this place two stars if it were not for the fact that this place brings back good memories. I came here with coworkers and friends a couple of times and had so much fun that the quality of the music and prices and quality of the drinks did not matter. Those times are gone now and I have little to no reason to come here in the present or the future. read more

Note that the people who are down-starring this place just aren't into the idea of a punky music venue. If that's not your thing, then just don't go. It's not ritzy, it's red-lit with day of the dead figures on the walls. It's got one worn pool table. The men's bathroom doesn't have a door for the toilet stall. Meh. Will it kill you to hold it? I tend to just go by myself, get a drink and watch the shows. If you're an insomniac, like myself, then it's a good way to kill time on a weeknight until you'd be able to fall asleep anyways. Most of the bands I've seen here, I've enjoyed. Some of the people are stand-off hipsters and some of them are just friendly locals. If you just bring yourself and you're friendly, there's a decent chance you'll end up in a conversation. Side note: I saw a drunk man pull a drunk girl into a photobooth to make out. I had not realized this was viable strategy. I consulted with my friends and apparently that's one of the classics. Apparently this was equivalent to asking someone if they had ever heard of a movie called "Star Wars." So, thanks, Alex's Bar, for opening my eyes to new ways to make out. Protip: If you open a tab, it's a $15 minimum. Even more protip: If you want to make the minimum, just buy me a drink. read more

Hmm...what can I say. I am local and wander into Alex's bar at least once a week. I do love going where everybody knows my name. Plus the bands are cool and cheap drinks. You rock Alex's! read more

Unique layout, chill vibe, eclectic crowds, live music, nightly events all week anddddddd $1 beers!!! read more

Alex's Bar - Music Venues Near Me - Long Beach, California

Updated.......4/10/08 Went again last weekend to see Mr. Miyagi (80's karaoke band) and it ROCKED! I think they play there the 1st Sat. of every month and I am definitely going back! No cover....cheap drinks and fun cool people! What more can a girl ask for???? Everyone is always friendly and welcoming......not at all pretentious! Whhhhhooooo hoooooo! Original Review.... Alex's is the perfect dive bar! Went there for the first time last night and had a great time! Drinks were really really cheap (we had 3 vodka tonics, a Heineken, and 3 PBRs in a tall can for $23)!!!! Now I know....PBRs are cheap but regardless 7 drinks for $23! Loved it! I have been wanting to go to Alex's after reading all the great reviews and am so glad I did! They had 4 punk bands playing and it was really cool. Everyone was really friendly and the bar staff definitely had their sh*t together......never waited longer then 3 minutes for a drink....NICE! Crowd was friendly and welcoming. When we went, we didn't know what bands were playing and it wasn't my usual type of crowd but it was fun and I had a blast! Looking forward to making this a local watering hole! read more

3 reasons why I love and keep coming back to Alex's Bar: 1. Secret Affair. This night is strictly '60 soul, motown and funk where ALOT of attractive single people from Long Beach come to mingle. It's the first Friday of every month which means a reason to get completely wasted and take........ 2. Drunk photo booth pictures. need i say more? sometimes I dont even remember taking them. and number 3. This is where they film TRUE BLOOD!!!!!! You know those scenes in Fangtasia? That's totally Alex Bar! read more

My first (and so far only) time here was when they had the 80's Karaoke band. It was so much fun! the band was all into it and it was fun, dance worthy music. The drink prices were decent. Nothing too amazing. It did get pretty crowded though, but most people were nice! Sometimes it took awhile to get a drink.... The decor is badass! It is all kind of 'darkish'. They filmed some of Trueblood here! Since i love that show, I was excited. Also, there is a hot dog cart outside of the door which is quite a clever idea. Even though the prices were a bit high for a hot dog, it was well worth it at 2 am. I will def be coming back. read more

This is the kind of place you would never expect to find in this little neck of the woods. It seriously kicks ass compared to so many so called "rock and roll" bars in LA. This place is for real! The decor is retro-rockabilly chic...as well as many of the customers on most nights. The bartenders pour incredibly stiff drinks which is of course another total bonus. So don't come here to sit around and stay sober.....this is the kind of place to get dirty drunk!!! Oh and if you like local punk/rock music then you will definitely find that aspect here as well. The ONLY downfall and the reason I gave it a 4 and not a 5 is the location. It's not in the best part of town and my husband had his side mirror hit clean off his Expedition which was parked on the street once! No bueno! Other than that it rocks. read more

This place is pretty cool. i like the velvet Elvis paintings. The crowd is a little too mixed for my taste though. all kinds of old people, affliction beefcakes and then some run of the mill randoms. It was a comedy show so i guess certain types come out for that. A highlight (bonus) I was able to get the grand tour of the stock closet/cubby where vip get to chill with the mops and such pre performance. complimentary tub of miller light tallboys and everything. Also you can't bring your drink out onto the patio ? wha ? anyway i had a pretty good time. it was nice and spacious. i did have lots of arm room. total plus. also I had some sort of Delicious beer. i don't even know what it was. The bartender recommended it as a substitute for sierra nevada (which they do not have.) Alex's bar is a pretty chill place. if you are in the LBC definitely check it out. read more

This is *totally* not my scene! I have friends that come here all the time, so maybe it's just me. I'd give it another shot, but I didn't gel with the decor, the drinks, the crowd...anything! :[ Boo! AND, I had to pay a cover. Totally not cool. read more

Definitely one of my top 3 favorite bars in Long Beach. The atmosphere: Great place to see a show. Not so dark you feel like you are at a homecoming dance. You can actually see and talk to people! And everyone is pretty friendly. The decor: The pool table and corner stage at opposite ends of the room was a good plan. I like the kitschy naked lady paintings. All in all, a great rock and roll bar. Best nights to go: Great place for karaoke backed by a live band. And, of course, long live Phil Shane. read more

Love it! Was here for trivia night on Wednesday. Good, strong drinks, great food from the taco "truck"/stand they have in the back (you MUST eat that green rice he has). AWESOME categories (serial killers, bill murray movies, james bond theme songs, etc), but still fairly challenging trivia questions. Like who knows what fish semen is called??! Well, one team did! No douchey people in the crowd, just regular people who love trivia. I can't say anything else about the other nights, but trivia night is chill--I will definitely be back! read more

I think I have mentioned before that I am so down with a place that serves dry blackthorn and this place is one of them. I was just telling one of my friends who works at the Continental in Fullerton to check this bar out. Although, I don't think the security staff is as nice as the staff at the Continental, this bar can definitely serve up a good drink and make for a great time. Good bands, great decor, awesome jukebox and a self-serve camel cigarette machine. What fun!!! The bathroom and the parking are this places only downfalls. O and it can be hard to find, I have had to guide many friends there from the street corner on my cell phone many of times. Go to the website to get good directions and to see when/if you have to pay covers for what is going on that night. www.alexsbar.com read more

Wow, what a venue! This place is large, the bartenders are great, and the live music is simply tops. I was here to see the Swinging Utters and they rocked! The three bands (yes, count them three) were excellent, too. Everything from acoustic to rock to punk. You ask for it, they got it. Did I mention they have a taco stand on the patio? Really, I just can't say enough about how impressed I was. read more

I love the atmosphere and hear that true blood was filmed here. Big screen TV, super comfortable barstools with backs, and a decent beer local selection make this a great spot. It is very dark inside which can be nice. Will report back after I get to see a show here. read more

The only reason I went out to Long Beach for this place was because of Yelp. I think I must of went too early. We got there like at 8:30pm. (I read that it gets really crowded, but it was pretty dead) As we walked in, we each had to pay 10 bucks cover for some band that we didn't even know was playing. All the seats were taken at the tables and at the bar. We felt kind of out of place just standing by the keno machine. I had my usual cape cod, which was strong, so that was a plus. Pretty cheap too=another plus. I surprisingly got a buzz from it. But it was only about 8:45 by this time and I found out that the band didn't go on til 10ish...I wasn't thrilled about spending 30 bucks within just 15 minutes...we just drank our drinks and left to venture on to another destination.... I will eventually give this place another try in the future. I must of went too early, or on a bad night (i didn't think saturday's would be so terribly dead by 9). Besides the strong drink, the only other thing I appreciated was the decor. read more

I am absolutely in love with this bar. It's spacious and the decor is right up my alley. I was definitely sold on the fact that True Blood filmed there (Fangtasia). I nerded out. The art in the girls bathroom is perfection. I would love to have one of the portraits as a tattoo. The drinks are a little pricey but they are delicious. They make a mean LA Water. Wednesdays are great as they have karaoke that starts at 10 pm. They have a wide selection of music. Everyone is chill there. read more

I bought tickets to see Crystal Method at Alex's Bar on Friday 4/27. Crystal Method is a band, with 2 members and that's who I expected to see. I was forced to wait through 2 excruciating warm up bands, when at 11:40PM out walked 1 of the original members of the band, Scott Kirkland. He was alone, at a DJ table, spinning music. Not exactly what I expected. I asked Alex's for a refund, they laughed. In the immortal words of Johnny Rotten: "Ever feel like you've been cheated?" read more

I used to live in Long Beach and this place was always a great hang out. When I moved away my old roommate ended up moving one block from Alex's Bar. Perfect. This is everything you want in a good old fashioned bar. Good people and cheap STIFF! drinks. I've seen a lot of bands perform there and it's a great little venue on top of being a bar. Nice jukebox to bully. Pool table. Plenty of room to roam. Nice old school photo booth (don't see that too much these days). Hipster factor is low and that's always nice. Plus when I'm drunk, I can just always stumble to Brian's house. If I didn't live so far away from Alex's, I would be a regular. read more

Overpriced drinks & and unnecessary cover charge make this place a little low on my "places to go list". However, when there is dancing this place can be fun And the old school photobooth is a nice feature. But overall this place takes the worst aspects of a dive bar, mixes it with a half assed club environment & sprinkles douchbags on top liberally.... its barely worth the cost of a taxi cab from 4th street & definitely not worth the walk or having to make 1 friend drive. Not much of a fan read more

If your old enough to remember Fenders, then your young enough to get wasted at Alex's. If you ever were, are, or want to be a weirdo freak then get your ass in there and absorb some culture! Best Punk Rock bar in Los Angeles. Period... read more

Alexs Bar is what happens when the stoners and drunks finally get together. Its just a party. The best part of Alexs is the first friday of every month they have the secret affair dance club. Definately worth a peep. The live karaoke Jams with KNACDC and Mister Mister Miyagi can get quite interesting as well. The crowd is as ecclectic as a line up at the DMV and the drinks are cheap...What else can someone ask for? Weird velvet paintings you say ... and a photo booth? They have that too... Once they bring in the balloons, midgets and strippers this place will be almost as fun as my last family reunion... read more

I heart Alex as much as I heart his bar. It's almost always a good night at Alex's. Between (my favorite) Bitches Brew Saturday (afternoon), karaoke, shows, or Sunday BBQ.. you can't beat it. I would have also given this bar 4 stars because of the bathroom issue last Saturday at Mr. Mister Miyagi, but I left it simply for the fact that Mr. Mister Miyagi karaoke exists there. Plus they have a photo booth (which I frequent) and they brought back the Pac Man table. At least I think I saw it back, but I was a little buzzed. read more

Now this is what I call a dive bar!! Good times at Alex's bar...especially when you have Mr. Mister Miyagi on the 1's and 2's hypin up the crowd to showcase their best 80's moves. Such an excellent time. Drinks are not over the top crazy expensive. And there's plenty of room to move your feet and get down to the sounds of the 80's. Only downer is the parking or lack thereof. And as you may know the streets of long beach aren't exactly parking friendly. But who cares if you have to hike it to Alex's bar--when you get in there you'll forget how far you parked just to experience it. Good times...thanks Mary S.! read more

Went to Alex's for the first time last night to go see a Pogue's tribute band. The band was thoroughly entertaining, so I might have a slight bias because of them, but we had a good time. The drinks were too stiff for my wife, but I thought they were ok. Their well liquor is the crappiest of cheap liquor, but $4 for a stiff drink wasn't too bad I guess. I will upgrade to top shelf next time. The bar is decent sized and with 3 bartenders roaming all over, I didn't have to wait too long for my drinks. I actually assumed the place was going to be smaller than it was. The stage and floor area was pretty big for a dive bar venue. I didn't sit down anywhere, but they had some relatively comfortable seating in places, but once the show starts, if your sitting, forget about seeing anything with all the people standing in front of you. It doesn't seem to be the kind of place you go to chill with friends, but the feature some good bands, so I'll definitely go back for the music. - - - - - - - - - - UPDATE - - - - - - - - - - I'm bumping Alex's to 5 stars because of something I just found out. When Alex heard that his friend Eric, one of SYNDICATE's barbers, had a horrible family tragedy and had to stop working, he openly offered up his bar for a benefit to help the guy out. I just found out myself today, but the event is going on right now with a car show, goods to be auctioned off and live bands inside. All proceeds will go to Eric and his family to help deal with the crisis. I just think its cool when people in the community come together, and I give big props to Alex for stepping up. I'm a true convert now. read more

Whether it's a lazy Sunday afternoon or a rockin' Friday night, Alex's is always a great place to hang out. Love the eclectic decor, photo booth, and tall PBR's. Live music, dancing, and some really cool super old Elvis-ish dude doing Karaoke - priceless! Big enough to hold a sizeable group....small enough to feel cozy and local. Um, and did I mention it's where the bar scenes for True Blood's Fangtasia are filmed? Yep. Overall = can never go wrong at Alex's. read more

More commonly known as Fangtasia from HBO's Trueblood nowadays, Alex's is still a nice place to go to disappear from the world. ATM on hand. Pool tables. PBR tall boys. Karaoke and great live bands. Don't park in the auto store parking lot next door and don't make a lot of noise going up and down the street, otherwise the bouncer will have a chat with you about respecting the the fact that people live in the area and are trying to sleep. Alex's isn't really a dive bar as far as I'm concerned anymore, but still a great place to hang with friends. read more

What is there not to like about Alex's Bar? Super laid back atmosphere. Non-pretentious. A continuous stream of live music (bands) all night. A photobooth that my friends and I always end up in! Cheap drinks all night! What more can you ask for? If you're looking for a good bar with a unique (dirty) sense of style, attentive bartenders, cheap drinks and live bands, then Alex's is the place for you. Oh, and if you didn't already know - this is FANGTASIA for all you True Blood fans. read more

I love this place. The cool thing about Alex's is that great bands play here. I have seen the riverboat gamblers and the Bronx here and they were both great shows. The hardest working man in Karaoke, Phil Shane plays here often too and he always moistens undergarments with his hypnotic gyrations. The drinks are pretty cheap and they sell tall boys of Tecate and Pabst which if drank with the correct posture and zazz will subconsciously convey to women that you have tremendous endowment and girth in the crotchular region. The denizens of Alex's are usually quite affable and as diverse as the city it is located in. You get a lot of dudes in here that wear v-neck shirts and swear by the artistic genius of the Dandy Warhols. An hour or two later you will notice the same dude holding a Pabst while trying to talk up a fat rock-a-silly chick. Poor guy, he has no clue she going to end up leaving with Phil Shane. read more

Only been here once but it was pretty much the nail in our coffin on the decision to move to long beach soon. We've been looking for the 30-something-non-hollywood-type part of town since we moved here and I think we finally found it. Anyhoo - back to alex's. PBR tall boys, decent service, good shows, what more do you need? saw the Samoans there Fri night and had a blast (10 bucks - we saw them at House of Blues when we first got here, it was almost 50. Live and learn). Cheap drinks, a badass collection of 70s/80s bar signs, everyone that worked there seemed really laid back (which, coming from hollywood, its rare to find non-douchebag "im so much cooler than you" bartenders) I like that its in a real neighborhood, there's an actual community there, and we had a great night. Def. going to be a regular there in the near future. Oh and for people not from LA - they have freakin high life. Hooray! read more

I come here fairly often for the Karaoke nights, if Mr. Mister Miyagi is playing you are pretty much guaranteed a good night Drinks are reasonably priced and be forewarned the bar can get insanely busy on a good night. read more

I know this place has been reviewed up the ass but still I have to drop my two cents... I love this place because its just a happening rock bar. You can't find a better place for space, great live music, beer selection, photo booths, crowds, or devils behind the bar taking a fat dump! The pool table is rather mediocre but the company is awesome. I can recall many a times meeting awesome people over a round of pool and beers. The couches kinda suck but you're not there to sit. You're there to stand and listen to the music whomever may be playing and your by the bar ordering another drink. One of the few places that have really awesome cheap beers and the bartenders are always the coolest. take the time to say Hi and get to know them... they will be your best friend in that place. decor is unmatched and of course its been in movies. Take the time to check out the fine ladies in the velvet paintings around the bar. As far as bathroom goes you'll love the typical stickered out look with the never fading scent of pungent urine... ahh how I love bar bathrooms! overall you're a douche for not going to this bar and if you see me there I'll gladly buy you a brew! read more

I went on a weeknight to hear my co-worker's band play. They have a $5 cover. I took advice of amaretto sour recommendation in reviews on here--and yes, they were good! Even my male friend tried my drink & liked it. There's seating at the bar & some tables withchairs . There's a photobooth, if you like that sort of thing. They have dia de los muertos themed decor. The women's restroom has 2 stalls, clean. It's kind of a dive, but I like it! By the way, this is Fangtasia in True Blood. I'm sure someone's mentioned this in their review by now. Located on the north side of Anaheim, between Gladys & Orizaba. read more

I heart Alex's Bar. Seriously, the best bar in Long Beach! Down to earth crowd, freakin awesome punk music and live bands, pool, air hockey, Pabst on tap, and karaoke Tuesday nights! Just a warning, on karaoke nights, get there early and order 4 drinks at a time. One night, I had to wait-- get this-- 25 min. to get a drink! Other than that, the place is super. Great stage and freaky-but-cool paintings hanging on the walls (and in the bathroom, too). Definitely worth checking out. read more

This bar is awesome... i always come here.. especially for the Secret Affair. and i danccccccce the night away! read more

Awesome dive-bar with a gorgeous interior...pretty classy without being upscale; hip without being obnoxious. I didn't get the name of the female bartender who served me, she was an older lady but seemed pretty hardcore. She made me the best mixed drink I've ever had at a bar -- I like to get rum and cherry coke because the cherry grenadine helps everything go down. Hers was just...hands down the best, I don't think I could have done a better job if she allowed me back there to make it myself. Not a whole lot of seating for when it gets crowded, but again, it's a sick spot. I really wish I would have gotten a beer while there because it seems like they had a pretty decent selection on tap! Next time. read more