I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally visit this place. I came on Tuesday night and…read morethey were having karaoke. The hosts Koke and Gabe were such a blast. It was actually 5 de mayo when I went. They had good drink specials in general and some specific for the night. I had a really nice time. Would definitely come back. Parking could be a little tricky. But a couple a trips around the block we were able to secure a spot for free and pretty close by. Security was nice too.

Kiso is the latest in Gay bars in the heart of downtown Los Ángeles which from the late 1980's…read moreslowly bled Gay establishments to mostly West Hollywood and slowly reestablished Gay venues in the early 2010's with such bars as Redline, Bar Mattachine, Precinct which is still extant. New Jalisco Bar near the old L.A. Times building was a mainstay for Latinos, but that died out during Covid when bars were forced to close. Also, for historical value, must list Harold's and Waldorf's which were pre-1980's and were notorious for hustlers. Waldorf's particularly got the reputation for having drag queens who supposedly stuffed their handbags with a heavy object to use as a weapon to sling around and protect themselves. Now the former owners of Redline are establishing a new bar, Kiso, which was also home to the former Score and 107, and caters to LGBTQ+ Communities. Kiso is split into three spaces: 1) Front is airy, bright, and more for Happy Hour conversations over signature cocktails and has the original, old school, long bar, that reeks of OG (Old Gay) history, from the present Barclay Hotel. 2) Middle room is more chicly sedate with more comfortable lounge seating and darker to create a more intimate atmosphere. 3) The inner room has a large dance floor and entertainment venue to host shows and related events. Some representative entertainment are DJ driven themed dance parties, obligatory drag shows, private events, fund raising, etc. Hours are 7pm to 2am Wednesday to Saturday if there are enough guests using the space. Due to lack of kitchen facilities, food will not be a main focal point. You can host an event at https://www.sickening.events/e/ Good to see that DTLA has representation within the LGBTQ+ Biosphere. 5 stars for continuing to create new spaces for the newer generations.

good people,good drink. Owner is very kind man…read more I wish i could go the bar every night.

The Eagle is a classic dive bar through & through. It's dark inside with movies on TV that are…read moreNSFW. It's also a LBGTQ+ friendly leather bar and happens to be one of the favorite spots of beloved Yelp SFV AMB Quintin. I stopped here on a whim with some friends on our way home from a night out. We didn't want the fun to end, so one last night cap was in order. Parking is a bit difficult, but we managed to snag a spot. There is a big bar in the center if the room and a smaller bar out on the patio. There are also two pool tables and a stage for various events. My friends ordered beer and I kept it simple with a vodka soda. They don't serve food but the bartender said outside eats are welcomed. The DJ was bouncing and the staff & patrons were friendly and welcoming. I like the vibe here and would come back. They host nightly events such as: RuPaul's Drag Race Viewing Party on Fridays. $5 Domestic drafts on Sundays, drink specials and free pool on Mondays, $6 Wells on Wednesday and various contests monthly. Check the website for details. *Cash only. ATM on premises.

This is another gay bar that I recommend. It's in DTLA. Love the vibes here. If you want to grab…read moresome drinks have some fun and dance. Lots of go go dancers they great performers and good drag queens perform for you. The crew are very friendly

Sucks to say I've been a regular here for months , love the atmosphere, perfect night out for free…read morespirits and Spanish music lovers. Only reason why I can't come back is because security doesn't do their job when you feel unsafe. 2 men kept harassing me, following & touching me Legit had dancers ask for them to be kicked out & nothing. Imagine going out to enjoy yourself & asking security to remove someone who's stalking and forcing themselves on you and they don't :( please enforce safety so your guests don't feel they have to defend themselves no matter how. Terrible for real.

Another recommendation from Sam Harter. And this time, boy, did he deliver! I had the night of my…read morelife! Wow! Guys being guys. lol. MAN!!!! Wow!! Holy!! Just. I can't. All I remember is coming to at three in the morning wearing nutting but a fishnet cutoff tee shirt and some booty shorts, chowing down on a good ol' fat burger. Guy to my left. Guy to my right. I was like, What happened?! How was the Gay Rachero?! And they were like, great! And you know what, I believe them. FIVE STARS. NO, SIX.

Every 2nd Thursday of the month after the Artwalk, Jalisco Inn becomes a little less TJ Trashy and…read morea little more Downtown Hipster. Wander in before 10:30pm and you'll probably avoid the $5 cover, but you'll be bored for an hour waiting for everyone to show up. But then BAM! Wall to wall people. Beer and wine only, and a cash bar. Music was okay...I was hoping for more ranchero music, considering the name. Come to think of it, I was hoping for more gay rancheros. I'm officially over the whole gay guys with beards thing, and you should be too. Stop the madness and shave already. I get it: you want to look all manly and stuff, but you're not fooling anyone mary, especially once you start squealing about that new Lady Gaga mix you heard last night. Repeat after me: butch in the streets, femme in the sheets.

Drinks are very strong, tasty, and inexpensive. Definitely a dive bar with a vintage contemporary…read moreart deco LA vibe. We recommend the amaretto sour. There is a few pool tables and a nice outdoor patio area. They had an amazing photo booth with My Little Pony and girls night out girls coated photo strips. Also the bartenders were very friendly, helpful, and attentive. We got a midori sour, amaretto sour, dirty Shirley, and green tea shots for my group.

This place has decent drinks, decent music, and a trash crowd…read more Witnessed a fight go down, where a man was literally beating a woman and no one, (security included) stepped in. In fact, security or bar staff chose to close the door instead of calling the cops or even attempt to intervene. I understand what happens on "the streets" is technically off-site, but these people were exiting this trash bar and yet the staff took no responsibility to the mess that was taking place in front of their door. I did not know any of the people fighting, but it was very evident that no one cared to protect the woman. I couldn't believe that the same men who check your ID and make sure you aren't bringing in "a water bottle" can stand there and watch a fight to that level happen. F this place.

Local, East Los bar near the Hollenbeck police station and LA public library. Limited street…read moreparking. Watch street signs for parkIng restrictions. Felt as though I were in México, not in Distrito Federal but in a less cosmopolitan city where in the old days Straights and Gays kind of mixed together although in some bigger venues there were areas where Gays had their own corner. Redz Bar is too small for separation, and it makes it hard to determine who is who. I was there on a busy Saturday around 9pm. All the tables were taken by party goers. I stole one of the few bar stools still left. Beer & wine bar: Ordered a Michelada that is bloody mary mix from a bottle, lemon juice, worchester sauce?, Modelo Mexican beer. The lip of the huge mug is lined with a salty, not very piquant chile powder like El Tajín. It's a refreshing, savory, Umami bomb just perfect on a hot day or night. My first Michelada ever. So I look around and it seems like a regular neighborhood Latino bar. If there are any Gays they were sprinkled around and not particularly & obviously visible. The friendly bartendress offered a free plate of antojitos / snacks which consisted of a small Tamal de Puerco con Salsa de Chile Colorado, and a bowl of Bírria soup in consommé w/ a small piece of goat. To me this Bírria tasted closer to a Pozole. Very hospitable gesture by Redz to give out such a tasty mini-meal. Redz caters to an East Los Angeles clientele. It's a liitle piece of México. Music is loud with Norteño & Son Afro-Mexican music from Veracruz tonight. I felt comfortable, and a nice Latina lady sitting next to me talked in her limited English and I in limited Spanish. Nice way to experience the East Los scene. 4 stars.

Ambiance was great, locals were phenomenal and the show was amazing. Service was also very…read moreattentive.

This was the last stop in a night where Conrad and I stepped out to LA to have a good time. So by…read morethe time I got there I was tipsy. I was not falling down the stairs, nor was I slurring my words, nor was I misaligning my pool shots, but I was definetely feeling the good inside my blood. I note this, not to highlight my cool factor as if I was a frat bro in a Florida party school, but more to describe how my experience was fogged by my consumption. This place was definetely a hot spot to hit, but I just will not be able to descrbie everything with speicifc detail, more, broad strokes of a good time. The place is reached by going down a flight of stairs, which feels like one is going to catch the J line in New York. I think I felt this more because of the Spring St sign- a famous stop in NY, NY. As soon, I got there, the goal was to continue the good time and this place allowed that at a reasonable price. They had these can drinks that I really responded and they were only 7 dollars. Ok, I know that saying something is only 7 dollars in this economy can seem out of touch. But a drink in LA most of the time will run you at least 12 to 16 dollars, and I think it is mostly on the 16 side. So finding a 7 dollar drink in a hot spot is refreshing. It was a Suncruiser- a vodka spirit based drink- that was part of their specials for their night. maybe is more expensive on other nights when it is not on special? After the drink Conrand and I stepped into their floor. It was the first time we were there and it is basically a basement game room on whatever it is that Bane takes to make himself go from puny human to muscle-on-muscle-on-muscle villain. There is a lot of pool tables maybe like 5, and I saw ping pong, and other table games. Additionally, instead of a speaker or a recorder- the one's that spin old timey records- there was a band. I took a short video of the band but I could not tell you if this band was good or bad or their name or their style of music. I was partly present, and I just heard the music, I did not appreciate the performers. It happens. So Conrad and I play all the time together. And I saw a guy playing by himself. We quickly introduced oursevles and then we played pool. Here is the thing that I am happy to write about this place. Unline a regular bar with a pool table, where every one knows your name, this place had the opportunity to meet new people. And I enjoyed playing with this guy. He was a new challenge. He had fresh stories. And he offered a view of the world I enjoyed. So this place offers the opportunity to meet new people over a game of pool. If pool is your thing than this place will make you happy an if pool is your way of meeting new folks then this place will make you happy and give you opportunities to find the folks you imagine you need in your life. In the final analysis, I want to go here again, and experience the place more broadly. Not sure if I will write a new Yelp, because even though I bared bone this one, it still gives the primary messages I want to. And to the guy who I played with thanks for having a good time with me, even if it was short. And sometimes, short, can be just enough.

Band AMAZING Drinks Good…read morePo boy 2/10 I was given my poboy on stale/hard bread. As a cook, how did you not take enough pride into what you're serving people to not notice? After picking thru it because I was hungry, I spoke to an manager and he just seemed as if I was not being honest, so I pulled the broken bread pieces out to show him; and he didn't offer anything in return. I won't be back.

Such a cool little spot to check out in Downtown LA if you're looking for something low key after…read moredinner. They have a bunch of old-school arcade games from the Nintendo/Super Nintendo days, and you actually use tokens to play, which makes the whole experience feel even more nostalgic. They also have a DJ and a full bar, and honestly, the drinks were really good! It's a fun place to hang out with friends, play some games, grab a drink, and just enjoy the atmosphere. Definitely recommend stopping by for a nightcap if you're already in DTLA and want to do something a little different.

Walked in on a Friday evening around 8:30-9. There was no line to get in and the place didn't seem…read morecrowded. My husband and I walked around before we decided to grab a drink at the bar. I had already drank at some breweries before we came here so I didn't want any more mixed drinks. I got a canned drink, I don't remember the name We had some coins and started to play. A couple of the machines took our coins but the games never started which was a bummer but we just moved on. We later saw people playing on them so it was probably something we did wrong. The place was a good vibe with a do playing music. We spent about an hour before we decided to check another place out. My husband and I had a lot of fun. Good way to reminisce when we were young kids playing these games.

Summary of Guest Experience:…read more The overall sentiment reflects a significant disconnect between the pricing model and the physical environment of the venue. The primary grievances center on aggressive markup rates and a chaotic atmosphere that compromised guest safety and comfort. Key Areas of Concern: 1) Aggressive Pricing & Value Gap: The most notable issue is the price-to-product ratio. Charging over $40 for a round consisting of two tequila shots, a Twisted Tea, and a beer (Victoria) represents a markup of approximately 300% compared to retail market value. For many patrons, this premium does not align with the dive-bar setting. 2) Atmosphere & Climate Control: The interior environment was described as physically uncomfortable. High temperatures combined with a "cluttered" and "too dark" layout suggest inadequate HVAC performance and poor spatial management. 3) Capacity & Safety: The venue felt "too crowded," which is particularly concerning when paired with reports of staff (bouncers) engaging in or escalating arguments rather than de-escalating them. This creates a volatile environment rather than a controlled, social one. **Note**: While a 3x markup is standard for the hospitality industry to cover overhead (rent, labor, insurance), the lack of "atmosphere" or "amenities" (like AC or space) makes this markup feel predatory rather than professional. Conclusion: For a bar located in the competitive Downtown LA landscape, the current operating model appears to prioritize high-margin turnover at the expense of patron retention and safety. The combination of high heat, excessive crowding, and aggressive security interaction suggests a high-risk environment for the average customer.

It's been a few years since I've been back due to the next door Five Star venue being closed during…read morethe pandemic and finally reopening. The minimal crowd that gathers here are mostly Hispanic with the occasional over flow of metal heads coming by from next door. They have no beer on tap so expect bottled beer and a variety of mixed drinks at somewhat reasonable prices.

celebrated my friends 21st out in silverlake and THIS was the bar to write home about!!! they play…read moregreat music (new and old) and the aesthetics are PEAK! bartender made us a fun drink for our bday girl and truly made the night special!! we even chatted up with the security guards outside who were so sweet and very cautious. party here if ur sexc!!!

I stopped by this bar briefly for a friend's birthday and had a really concerning experience with…read moreone of the security guards. To be clear - this is not about being denied entry. I understand ID policies. I had lost my ID and only had photos of my passport and identification, so I asked politely if there was any way I could come in. I also mentioned I wasn't drinking just there for a friends birthday. What followed was honestly one of the most uncomfortable interactions I've ever had at a business. Instead of giving a simple yes or no, the security guard began loudly berating me for several minutes in front of a full line of people. He repeatedly said things like "what kind of person doesn't bring their ID" over and over again, questioned my intelligence, and spoke about me to my friend instead of addressing me directly. I stayed calm and kept saying it's completely fine if the answer is no - I just needed an answer. But he continued escalating, repeating himself, and making the situation more and more uncomfortable. At one point, people in line were visibly confused and reacting to what was happening. I ended up leaving crying, shaken and upset, which is not something I've ever experienced from simply asking a question at the door of a bar. I have never been so confused and shaken up this is such concerning behavior. Again, I fully respect policies. A simple "no, sorry" would have been completely fine. This review is only about the way the situation was handled. It felt unnecessarily aggressive and honestly unstable, and it created a very uncomfortable environment not just for me, but for everyone standing there. I hope management is aware of how their staff is representing the business, because this kind of interaction leaves a lasting impression.