My friends and I were looking for a place for girls night and happened upon this bar. The vibes were immaculate and the bartender Anthony was so much fun. Highly recommend! read more

Behind Bars - Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great place once you can actually find it! LOL! I had to wonder up and down this alley asking several people where it was until they opened at 5:00pm and put out their sign. *Hint ~ it's located next to Edwin Mills by Equator. The bar has some great cocktails to try but I went for "Don't be a Prick." Yes, the name alone had me at "hello," but it was a prickly pear margarita which is my fav! I lucked out! It had fresh blueberries in it and was very good! My Yelp sister Nikki went for the same drink, my sister Sam got the Purple People Eater which was rum based with Ube syrup & my sister Hannah ordered a specialty mocktail created by our bartender Lou who was dyno-mite! We enjoyed the music while catching up with each other. Great hang for friends with plenty of tables and bar seating. *There is a quaint courtyard that separates the bar from Mills Alley restaurant which offers a "lite bite" menu to Behind Bars. *Meter street parking & local parking garages read more

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I've never been behind bars, and I never want to be unless it's as cool as this place. Behind Bars is a relatively new spot in Old Town Pasadena located where Wokcano's back bar used to be. Blink & you'll miss it because there is no sign. However, it's next door to Edwin Mills by Equator. I met my lovely Sisters B here for Happy Hour. The place gives off friendly neighborhood dive bar vibes. Bartender Lou is fantastic! Friendly, upbeat, & attentive. 5 stars for him. The cleverly named cocktails incorporate unique ingredients such as Ube Syrup, Ube beer, & lime dust. Our drink order consisted of Don't Be a Prick, Moon Rocks, & Purple Peter Eater. Lou was kind enough to create a lovely mocktail for Ms. Hannah. The Purple Peter Eater is a picturesque drink that combines rum with Ube beer and gets its pretty hue from Ube Syrup. The Moon Rocks had a bit of a kick and is a tad on the sweet side. I really enjoyed the Don't Be a Prick, which was a tasty combo of Tequila, Prickly Pear Syrup, & Lime garnished with blueberries. The music can be a bit loud, but there is a quaint courtyard that is shared with adjacent restaurant Mills Alley if you prefer to sit outside. You can also order select food items from there as well. We sat inside and had a great time catching up. It's always a fun time when the Sisters B get together. read more

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What a hidden gem!! Behind Bars is a super fun little speakeasy tucked away in an excellent location in Mills Alley (Old Pasadena). Met the girls for happy hour and had a lovely time!! Our bartender, Lou, was such a delight - so attentive and helpful and even made me a delicious mocktail not found on the menu! My mocktail didn't have a name but it had grenadine, pineapple juice, cherries, and I'm not sure what else but it was light, refreshing, and not too sweet - it's like Lou read my mind! Flawless! Our group also tried the Purple People Eater, Moon Rocks, and Don't Be A Prick. Every drink is beautifully presented - and everyone loved them all except the Purple People Eater. It's a vibrant ube-forward drink - but the "ube beer" made it kinda strange (according to my friend) - didn't seem like a good choice for a carbonated drink (should be more creamy with the ube maybe?). But they have a dizzying selection of liquor choices and plenty of beers on tap. No doubt something for everyone. They also have a small food menu and share the quaint courtyard with the restaurant next door - so you can chill inside at the bar or tables or enjoy Al fresco seating out there. They're right in the thick of Mills Alley too so if you hit it right, the live music from the alley drifts in and adds to the chill vibes. Prices seem to be on par for the area (moderate). The entrance is very nondescript and almost easy to miss (there's no sign on the building) but google maps takes you right to it. There are several parking garages in the area - I parked at the DeLacey garage one block over for two hours for only $1. The area is very walkable with lots of restaurants and shops. Excellent place to meet up with the crew...So great to see my gals - tysm to Lou for helping us have a blast!! read more

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Behind Bars is a small bar tucked in an alleyway in Old Town Pasadena. We stopped by on a Sunday evening and were told they had happy hour BOGO for draft beers. We ended up getting one beer each which came out to be $8 for two. It wasn't packed at all when we arrived but there were a decent amount of what looked to be regulars who were familiar with the bartenders. Along with the interior there was also a spacious outdoor patio. Above the bar were three TVs playing sports. They had a good amount of beers on tap, a cocktail menu, and a full bar for anything you want. read more

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Bartenders are friendly. Fries is great, although not much people on a Monday. I enjoyed my night.

Behind Bars, located in Mills Alley was previously known as Wokcano's bar. I used to frequent the restaurant and the bar often many years ago and it was a trip to be in that familiar space. My husband and I lead a run crew that meets once a month on Friday nights (Pasadena Pub Runners) and we chose Behind Bars to be our local business to support. My husband had communicated with the business ahead of time via IG to make sure they can accommodate 20 or so sweaty runners ready for libations. We were greeted by friendly bartenders. Beers on tap, cocktails on deck, and friendly service. My husband ordered us a couple drinks. Happy hour drink prices were very inexpensive. Can't beat that. Didn't get a chance to order food from the restaurant in the front. Might be called Mills Alley. Sadly the kitchen was closed by the time our run ended. I peeped the menu though, so I will be back. Djs were nice. Pumped us up and asked if we were coming back. They had a cool set up in the outdoor patio when we returned post run. read more

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We were looking for a new post-run hangout spot for our monthly run group meetup and decided to give Behind Bars in Pasadena a try. I reached out via Instagram to let them know we'd be coming through with a pretty large group, and whoever runs the page gave us the go-ahead. After our run, we rolled in with about 25 people--sweaty and ready for drinks. The bar is small inside, and the regulars definitely looked a little surprised when we showed up in full force. But to their credit, the bartenders handled it like pros. There's also a large outdoor patio, which later hosted a live DJ spinning music--a nice touch that kept the vibe fun and lively. I ordered a couple of beers for my wife and me and was pleasantly surprised when happy hour prices kicked in--$8 for both beers. Can't beat that. Service was friendly and efficient despite the crowd, and I had a great conversation with the bartender, who mentioned that Behind Bars is owned by the same folks behind Urban Pocha and a neighboring spot. We left to finish our run and came back later that night to keep the fun going. That's when we met Coco, who was helping her boyfriend Dumpling set up for his DJ set on the patio--super nice people, and it added to the community vibe of the place. The only downside: by the time we returned, the kitchen was already closed, so we didn't get a chance to try the food. Definitely gives us a reason to come back. Highlights: - Affordable happy hour drinks ($8 for 2 beers!) - Spacious patio with live DJ - Friendly, capable staff (especially with big groups) - Part of a local ownership group with other nearby spots - Large parking structure nearby Heads-up: - Indoor space is small--better for small groups unless you're on the patio - Kitchen closes earlier than the bar, so plan accordingly if you want food read more

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We came here to enjoy a couple of drinks before the Oasis concert at the Rosebowl. As you can imagine 80000 fans were invading Pasadena so every bar in Old Town Pasadena was completely chockablock full of people trying to get drinks in. We came in and this wasn't completely full, we were actually able to get drinks in really quickly. The drinks were a great deal and there were nice and stiff! Its a pretty new place from the looks of it, but its a fully stocked bar and the bartenders were friendly. They also have a shared outside courtyard patio space with some kind of Asian restaurant? Didn't get ot check that out. But i'm really happy that we came here, it looks like an undiscovered gem. It has a kind of rock n roll kinda theme of jails and skulls? Definteily coming back to check out their specials! read more

First time checking this bar out and it really surpassed my expectations. The food was great (thick slices of sashimi), drinks kept coming, and the bartender working that night, Brianna, held it down. Thanks for the experience and I'll see you guys again. read more

Cool bar in old town Pasadena. Came on a Friday night with some friends to check out their speakeasy. The bar itself was very lively and filled. They have some table top games aa well. The speakeasy was cool and I appreciated the fun entrance. read more

While in Pasadena for a wedding weekend, a group of us walked over to Behind Bars from nearby Livery Studio. Thank goodness there were some locals with us - it was located down an alley and I don't think there was even a sign! I understand they haven't been open very long...they don't even have a Google listing! What a hip little gem of a place! It was packed and hopping. The drinks were great and the bartenders friendly. We had just come from a dinner so didn't get any food, but I understand it's quite good. Would definitely check this place out again when in Old Town Pasadena! read more

Behind Bars - Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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If you want great beer great atmosphere and great cocktails hit your boy Lou up for the best hospitality ! We recently had a horrible experience at Javier's up the street and he went above and beyond to make us feel like we were at home! Best bartender in the world and best hospitality in the world from from your boy Lou! read more

Behind Bars - Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great vibes and drinks. Anthony is an incredible bartender. We'll definitely come back again!

Came by on a random Tuesday evening and Anthony was just the right person to be the night going! Great service, great vibes!

Absolutely love this place! The drinks are good the vibes are THERE and they have food. Came here to watch the World Series. Roccos was PACKED and this place had no lines. The food is good and so are the drinks. The bartender is a whole vibe. Highly recommend read more

Behind Bars - Gin and tonic BOGO - Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Service was amazing! Anthony is super sweet and attentive. Drinks were on point and music was chill, great spot to grab a drink in old town Pasadena. read more

STOKED that this bar is open under new management! It looks even better than it did before and their liquor selection is amazing! Lou, the bartender there is awesome! Great service and very knowledgeable! I'm happy to have a new spot to go to in Pasadena! read more

Behind Bars - people sitting at a bar - Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Behind Bars is a brand-spanking new bar located right in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. Entrance is right off Mills Place, right next to Edwin Mills. Just happened to see this place on Tuesday night while walking by with friends. Brought two other friends just last night. We all love it! Behind Bars is in soft opening mode right now. And they're making the bar business look easy! They have a great space, and Behind Bars is in prep mode. You'll want to visit now, and get to know Lou who's the bartender. He's such an outgoing, friendly, welcoming guy. But most importantly, he's a killer bartender who makes the best drinks. The quality is up there with the very best in U.S. You could put Lou is any exclusive bar, but Old Town Pasadena is lucky to have him. I guarantee you: When Behind Bars officially opens, it's going to go off. There'll be lines to get in. So go see and experience it now while you can! As good a person as Lou is, he's going to be so busy he's not going to be able to say hi to anyone once Behinds Bars is fully rolling! So far, I've tried: Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned, and Industry Sour. Also tried the Chicken Karaage and edamame. The drinks were fantastic like I said. And the food was too. read more

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Cool bar with delicious drinks and Japanese food . Everything is clean and fresh. The music and vibes are awesome. Thank you Janelle ! read more

This place is a must! Very friendly Bartenders and the vibes are always on point! Did not really order food.

Came here after a hiatus of not going next-door to urban Pocha and we got to meet the lovely Sin Jin per the Jasons recommendation. This gives me a speakeasy vibe because if you know, you know there's no name on the building, but you walk in a great vibes cannot wait to come back and actually be able to try the food this time. We were just too full from going next-door. read more

Awesome chill little bar in an alley. I'm sure this place will become a hot spot so get in there and pay a visit before the hype becomes unbearable. Jonah was our bartender and was probably one of the coolest and friendliest people I've ever met. Wish I lived closer! read more