SUPER divey... I like divey... dunno if I like scary divey. That being said -- You can smoke inside... and when we asked for an ashtray -- the bartender said, "the floor." (in a testament to our brainpower -- we both started looking on the floor for the ashtrays... but no.. USE the floor as an ashtray) Beer was super cheap. $3. I haven't gotten a beer that cheap in l.a. EVER. The crowd is uh... slightly scary... and/or gross. Will I go again? probably... maybe... if I feel like smoking inside and not giving a crap about what I look like.. but girls, seriously, don't go in there looking cute unless you want to get leered at by scary scary men. read more

As soon as I walked in, I knew that I had walked into the right place. I went with some friends that had been here before and recommended it. So, how can I say "no" to an awesome dive bar with an amazing jukebox selection? Dive bars are my favorite! Especially ones where you can talk without yelling. Maybe it was quiet because it was a weeknight, but regardless, there was a fair amount of people. Not too empty, and not at all crowded. AND - it's so close to my house! So just going for a couple hours, talking with friends and getting one drink is perfect for a weeknight. I'm strange - I like to stay home on the weekends, meaning, I literally enjoy staying in my house and having people come over. I actually would prefer to go out on a weeknight. I'm hardcore like that. HAHAHA - just kidding. I just prefer less crowds and less drunk people that may get super annoying... LOL I know why this bar was recommended now. You can play pool, the jukebox has an AMAZING selection - zero exaggeration. You can even get various brands and ages of single malt scotch here!! HELLO!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT???!!! I witnessed with my own two eyeballs and I'm very short, "vertically challenged, if you will"... I'm 5 '1" - with certain shoes, an inch taller, but whenever I say that I'm 5'1" and 1/2" - I called out on it - EVERY TIME!! Really??!! But I really AM that tall w/shoes on! So from my vertically challenged view, the "good stuff" I saw was multiple ages of Macallen, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie. But since it was late and I wasn't planning on staying long enough to enjoy Scotch properly - plus I drove, I ended up getting a Vodka Tonic. This is an awesome and fun place for a group to hang out too, there was six of us... I would go to a dive bar over an overpriced "trendy" place in a heartbeat. I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but I haven't and probably will not go to any "trendy" clubs/bars/events unless I'm on the guest list and even then, I'm still "meh". After 15 years, I don't find "cool" clubs fun anymore. I feel that all the people trying to get in are just cookie cutter-ed from this season's fashion (NOT last season's since that's just tacky for an upscale expensive exclusive club). From what I've noticed, in these trendy places, most people are in early to mid 30s or their late 20s (if they're are already successful - I bought my first house at 26) and and just trying too hard... I don't know what they're trying for, but being noticeably desperate is not attractive. But that's just from my perspective as a native Angelino and when I was in my early 20s, I had people asking for my autograph and it freaked me out (I was a party promoter - "raves"), since I should not be an example to anyone, I was just a kid myself. I was 21 at the time. So Dive bars are the only places that I feel that I can be myself with my friends and be the REAL me... I very much like The Colorado. It's got better drinks than any "trendy" place I've been to, and they probably don't charge $30 for a glass of Macallan. SWEET!! Coming back whenever my friends say their going! read more

Nelson. The bartender. Older man. White beard. Complete disrespect and discrimination. Yes, discrimination. We came in at 1:20am after we failed at finding a place to play pool. We picked this bar. Aside from ol' Nelson, the bar is atmoshperically chill. We walked right in and went straight to the pool table. We needed quarters. My girl went got them at the bar. Yes. From Nelson. He decided to tell her that they are done playing pool and other games at 1:30am. Bars don't close at 1:30. They close at 2. And the other night we were there we played all the way until 2am with no complaints. The dart board AND other pool table were being used. Anyways he also told her that it is time to go home now. And that this isn't a pool hall. And that he isn't going to give her change. After saying please about 10 times and using her pretty girl charm, he then rolls his eyes and aggressively acquised and got the change, and literally slammed the quarters in front of her. The whole time she was ONLY pleading to play pool. Mind you, we were stone cold sober. So no attitude came from us. Nelson acted like a child who was forced to share his toys. We played one game of pool because that's all he would give us money for. I liked that bar. We'd been there a few times It's close to my house. Nelson, I hope your reading this. What the heck were you doing? You were completely out of line rude and lost at least 2 customers. Not to mention the people I'm going to tell. And I have a lot of drinking buddies. Your petty childish bossy attitude, well, then your loss. Good luck being you. read more

Nelson and Tony are sweethearts . The ambience and the music are unbeatable and they also have great prices.

Love them cuz the bouncer checks my ID. LOL Its across the street from Denny's so when you get hungry from singing, drinking, BS-ing and playing pool your can cross the street and have a grand slam. The drinks are affordable and the bartenders are very nice. My friends always get beer but I get the audios. Haven't been in a minute but when back in Pasadena I always stop in. read more

I think this is one of those places where looks can be deceiving. From the sort of rundown front you would assume that this will be some dark and dingy dive. Once you open the door though you are in for quite a surprise. The interior is dark, but very far from dingy. It is a dive bar with a lot of class. There are big comfy booths to sit in, clean and well polished tables, and nice stools at the bar if that is what you fancy. They also have an area for live music and really nice pool tables. I know it surprised me when I walked in the first time. They have a full bar too and plenty of beers on tap. I wouldn't say the beer selection is outstanding, but it is decent enough for a craft beer lover. The prices of the drink aren't super cheap, but they aren't downtown LA either. Just don't go in expecting grungy dive bar prices. I wish I had come here sooner so I could have enjoyed this place longer. Sadly I only recently discovered just before I am set to move. 32/100 read more

The ultimate dive bar? Cheap drinks, check. Classic rock jukebox, check. Dim and smoky atmosphere, check. Battered pool tables, check. Grungy bartenders, Suspect crowds, and Sleazy prostitutes. Check, check, and CHECK (no joke). Pass with flying colors. read more

This is the most welcoming, laid back bar in Pasadena. It looks daunting on the first visit but I promise, the second you walk inside, you quickly realize it is the absolute coolest, most genuinely real bar around. The bartenders are cool without being trendy. The drinks are cheap. They have a GREAT jukebox. It's the kind of place you can just hang out with friends all night and just relax. Get as rowdy as you want, just don't piss off the bouncer(s). While they're cool and laid back, they don't stand for serious trouble (another reason it's such a great place to hang). read more

d-d-d-d--Dive!!!! Smoky air, sticky floors, mini trashed pool tables, that old man who keeps dozing off in the corner, cool bartenders, jukebox with classic rock. Drinks: cheap and strong. I love coming here to get my drink on!!!! read more

Kris M......this one is for you babycakes! Maybe it was the preparty buzz or the holiday season, but did they clean this place up? The bartenders are older gentleman that wouldn't take our CC because "they had too many at the time". I was told to stop by on my way out and just let him know what I had. Lovely. The tunes coming out of the jukebox were solid but hard to hear over the Lady Gaga top ten hits coming from Rio Rio across the street. Helpful tip: don't go to Rio Rio btw. Fabulously located across the street from Denny's...yes we hit it. Plenty of parking available on the street and in the lot on the corner of San Gabriel and Colorado. Bathrooms are clean, drinks are unpretentious, and the crowd is simply "Cheers" like. P.S. Bartender refused to take my card and gave me the booze for free. It pays to be a lady on some days....and in the Colorado. read more

A no nonsense, no frills, straight-up bar. I swear it used to be really dark and dank in here, but I guess they renovated. I was here recently for a friends birthday and was very pleasantly surprised at the conditions inside. Really clean, no smoky, and actually kinda cozy.. a neighborhood bar at its finest. Heads up though, one of the older bar tenders can't hear very well so make sure you're clear about whether you want your tonic with vodka or gin because you just might get cranberry instead. read more

It's seems kinda silly to give a dive a 5-star review, but your rating based on what it is, not what it could be. The Colorado is a dive bar, and a great one at that. The owners and management are constantly on site pouring and chatting, and the regulars there don't treat newcomers like shit, they're either welcoming or indifferent. One of my favorite coworkers made this spot his go-to after work, and it quickly because his favorite. As a send off, the rest of us wanted to do something nice and that'd be memorable, but also something he'd enjoy. Before the end of his last shift, a coworker and myself popped in to the Colorado to see if it would be possible to do some minor decorating. (At a dive bar, you don't expect them to hold tables or do reservations) but as soon as I told Tony who it was for he said, "oh yeah, absolutely! Do whatever you want!" We put some streamers and balloons, and returned an hour later with our friend in tow, and were greeted right away. He even said to call when we were on the way and he'd have a drink ready and waiting, and he'd even start chilling some champaign for us! Super accommodating, very great service. Being a larger group it can be difficult to make sure everyone is taken care of, and Tony did his absolute best, we were all happy and there were no complaints from anyone in my party. Our friend had a great send off at a bar he loves, and we all got to hang together in a cool, low key environment while playing pool and singing to great tunes from the jukebox. All in all, a great night. The Colorado has stepped up its game in recent years, but it's still an awesome dive with good people. Great night! read more

Friend was in town and we decided to find a bar near his rental. Showed up to Colorado Bar and had a great time. Great bartender, welcoming atmosphere, and cold beer. What else could you ask for!? read more

This is the type of place you either LOVE or HATE. It's dark, trashy and cheap. Huge fan of Johnny and Nelson and their "take no shit" attitude.You piss them off for any reason, you're out the door. Amazing people watching day or night. 5 star dive bar, especially now that they banned smoking inside. There is no fluff in this place, just a good old dive bar with friendly locals. If you like bloody marys, try johnnys. They are the best. read more

I was there visiting from out of town and when we got there, the place has good vibes,lighting and atmosphere . The bartender was great, knowledgeable and offered suggestions to help me decide on what to get. I really enjoyed it! read more

Like most dives, this is probably a love it or hate it kind of place. I love it. here is why: The bartender every time I have visited was an older man with an accent and horrible jokes. The jukebox plays what jukeboxes are meant to play. Two pool tables that seem haplessly thrown into the joint. Peeling wallpaper and perfect dive decor. Friendly bouncer that remembers you. Clean bathrooms for a bar of this type. A Denny's directly across the street. Much recommended for dive aficionados. read more

A nice little divey place that is not pretentious in any way shape or form. Drinks are very reasonably priced and if you like pool they have 2 tables in the back. Very mixed crowd on a Friday night but it was easy to get an open table to hang out at. read more

I walked in sort of buzzed with a friend, this was the 3rd bar on our stop on a Wednesday night out. The bar tenders are friendly, the place is a nice place to relax and grab a beer, or in this case, a liquid cocaine (though that shit ain't cheap, let me warn ya!). Total bill for 2 beers and 2 liquid cocaines came out to around 28 dollars + a tip. They've got pool tables in there if you want to play, but the only thing I wanted to do that night was sleep on them... While other people were playing. Trollololol. Hobbled out of that bar and continued onward in our drunken, decadent journey through the city! read more

Such a hidden gem in Pasadena! I am so glad I discovered this place. My friend and I were looking for something to do on a late Tuesday night. Not surprisingly, we weren't able to find anything that was still open and were just about to give up when good ol' Yelp led me to this place. This little dive bar is perfect if you just want to chill somewhere that is relaxing and unpretentious, grab a drink, and maybe shoot some pool. The people that work here are all super friendly, from the bouncer to the bartenders. I loved Tony especially! They have an awesome, old-fashioned jukebox so you can play some classic tunes while chillaxing. And they're open til 1:30 am, but we were there til 2 and they still didn't kick us out! Awesome, super chill dive bar. Will definitely be back! #thingstodoonatuesday read more

Went here with a few friends for a drink and a game of pool. Great dive bar. I'd go back. read more

I love this fucken bar. and cursing is appropriate. It's just that type of place. Bikers, weirdos, freaks, geeks, escaped mental patients. This is my type of bar! It ain't classy, it ain't hype. It's a fucken dive bar. The owners always have a joke to tell, or a tale to speak. Just watch out for the cops later on. read more

This place may be my favorite dive bar in the world. That being said, dive bars aren't for everybody. The place is really dark, a number of the fixtures are falling apart, and the cheap neon signs flicker on and off through the smoky air. The beer is cheap, the bartenders don't fuck around, the patrons are dubious, and it's always time for another round. When I've been here I have seen fights, drunks passed out on the table, bikers, hippies, yuppies, and cops (off-duty, of course). It's fantastic. I'd usually say more, but words won't do it justice. *beer is cheap *it has character SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: This bar may be too cool for you read more

It was a Sunday afternoon and we walked in looking for a cheap drink dive bar... all we got was dive bar. Everyone said cheap drinks here, but $6 per drink is not cheap to me : / Anyways, there was at least a record store next door. So we had our not-cheap drinks and left. Good divey feel, not cheap on Sundays I guess... read more

The ultimate dive bar. Surly regular patrons marveling at the New years eve revelers ability to consume mass amounts of Irish car bombs, PBR in a small amount of time before continuing the party elsewhere is truly a sight. There were 20 of us so the impact of coming and going was noticed. There weren't alot of people in this joint even though it was Down the street from the madness that is Colorado Blvd. on New Year's Eve. It was great! read more

This was the only place I had fun during my two day stay in the Los Angeles area. No joke. The bartenders are hilarious, with their dirty jokes and 'woo woos', the patrons were friendly in a non-creepy way, and the air was so thick with smoke that my eyes burned. Thats ok, I was contributing to the smokiness. Seriously, I smoked, talked, and laughed so much here that I could barely talk the next day. Four stars! read more

Friendly crowd with sweet bartenders. You use to be able to smoke inside a while back which I was into at the time... Now not so much! I came on memorial day weekend on sat. All the regulars were super friendly and invited a friend and myself to indulge in the pot luck they had put together! read more

Ahhhhh....the Rado..... This place used to be my favorite hangout until I quit smoking. I have many a great memories from that place. Seedy dive bar. I still go there every once in a while, knowing that by the time I leave I'll smell like a freaking ash tray. It's cool though. The bartenders have always been cool as long as you're cool. Once you piss them off...you're done.....no way back. So...be nice to them. They will treat you as you treat them. NOT your place if you feel disgusted about sticky bar stools or strangers talking to you about their most personal things. It's very dark there, you wont be able to see your feet if your in the corner where the jukebox is. Hang out on a late Friday nite and you may be lucky to meet some pretty interesting folks. Hang out later....and you might wake up the following morning finally finding out what Coyote Ugly really means.... read more

I love this place! It's just a little dingy not-so-fantastic dive bar but it's the best dive bar so far and whenever I go to visit my friend Paul, we have to stop by "The Colorado". I love the owner Johnny who means business and doesn't take shit from anyone, and his brother who's pretty much the same way and would kick you out the minute you start to fuss. I love the way they hook ma drinks up... I enjoy the loud music from their very up-to-date juke box, I love watching others shoot pool and watching people, people- watch. Yep, it's the place to be if you're in no mood to play dress up but wanna have a good, low-key time on a Friday night ;-) read more

Are you guys serious with these reviews? Who is writing these things? I would say the only good thing about this place is the fact that you can smoke inside. And I don't smoke.... There is a sign that says, "If you smoke and get caught, it will cost you 200 dollars in fines"....And then there is a rotating smoke machine to buy packs behind the bar. Awesome. I'm a male, and there were about 20 males, and 4 females in the bar. So do not expect to be making any significant population advances through chemistry.. The bar was pretty dirty, worse then usual. There was kegs sitting in the side of the bar by the pool tables. The wait staff was excellent. They were quick and very friendly. I have to say, I personally would never go back there. But I am sure this suits some's taste. It is just not the kind of dive for me. Notes: 2.75 beers, Ample street parking. read more

This really is as good as a dive bar gets. After experiencing what real dive bars are like, :cough: in the SFV, I was pleasantly surprised when my friends and I went in. Not only did the place NOT smell like cigarettes, you can actually have conversations here because the music isn't too loud. The old bartender dude is awesome. He even educated me and my friends about how much some bottles of whiskey costed and gave us suggestions for different price ranges on top of pouring stiff drinks. Overall a great place if you aren't in the mood for the crowded bars of around old town. read more

Good dive bar. I came for a birthday party about a year ago or so and just stopped in for one drink last weekend. I like the jukebox and the bartenders were friendly. Good beer selection as well. read more

This was my first time at the bar and I was very disappointed. The bartender was very rude to us from the first time we walked in. We tried to play pool and when I got a hard shot and the table, she immediately yelled at us to quiet down. If you're looking for a place to hang with friends this is not it. read more

I am musician and i can see the difference between good and bad music. I've been there month ago and liked the ambiance. I do not remember bands name, but they played a very good and tasteful music. Especially drummer was super prof. 5 stars.. read more

this is one place that if you believe in the five second rule; this isn't the place for you.. the floors are soo dirty, no matter how intoxicated you are; you wouldn't pick up your LAST half smoked cigg off the floor to take those last few puffs. However, because of the latest city rules and regulations of No Smoking in a public place, this bar no longer allows the smoking inside; and therefore is much cleaner. (My true belief of what a real dive bar really is, still Does allow smoking)!! This place is still great, the drinks are cheap, and the owners are cool enough to take shots with you.. read more

This dive is a keeper. Some friends and I met here for our Happy Hour club. Tons of beers on tap, pool tables, a good jukebox. Plenty of parking in back. Who could ask for anything more? Except maybe the poor barkeep, who was on her own serving the whole room! read more

I'm a fan of the dive bar, and so when my friends told me they were going here, I piled into the car. It's quite a drive for me, and definitely *in* East Pasadena, but if you're around that area, it's a good place to go for a nice, relaxed place. There's an impressive collection of tap and bottled domestic and import beer ($4.50 for a Harp... I love that they have Harp), and the bartender was prompt and tallied our drinks at the end of the night, which I thought was a great throwback. The pool tables take quarters, which is cool, and there's a front and back room, so it doesn't seem crowded. There's also a Jukebox. Classic. And of course, as some have mentioned, there's a Denny's across the street. Just saying. Overall, a good dive hang. Gotta be feeling a certain way to go here, and I was feeling it that night. read more

Easy laid back pool bar. Takes coins which is a plus and the bartenders tend to favor the girls with drink special for a smile and a wink! lol I'd go back. read more

My favorite bar! Johnny & Tony are the best! The jukebox rocks, the drinks are always great, and atmosphere is laid back, dark and welcoming. read more

Great Dive BAR! Really small but its great to hang out with the regulars. There are Pool tables to mess around around with and just a great way to pass time and chill. Four stars for me cause since I don't smoke my eyes starts tearing after awhile. But great for smokers! read more

The original and classic... Colorado Bar. You either love it or hate it. I'm personally in between. It has character, but it might be way too divey for me. Cheap drinks. Some people will say that this is a first class dive bar - dark, scary and eclectic crowd, dingy... Fun place to take your guy friends. Not so sure about this being a "date bar," though. Don't spend too much time here, because the smoke in the air WILL rub off on you. Just saying... read more