I went to the Desert Room last night to hear a great band (Debbie And The GoodMan Band), and the place is great! It was a diverse crowd and everyone was very friendly. Last night they had free food, free popcorn, even a piece of cake was free. How can you go wrong? And the drinks are reasonably priced. I will go back! read more

YOU know you are in for a good time when the beer is cheap, the popcorn is free and the karaoke machine is blasting. CAN you imagine spending about $2 for great beer! It's just cheap baby, and cheap priced beer makes for good times. SMOKE your buddies when racing to get here. This place can look a little sketchy but don't let the exterior fool you. INSIDE you'll find cool peeps, not those pretentious preppy douchebags that hang at trendy bars with popped collars paying for $10 coronas. read more

The Desert Room - Unusually empty on St. Paddy's Day, it's because all the drunks got kicked out. - Dive Bars Near Me - Gardena, California

This place I went on a date because the guy knew I loved cats and he was like they have a cat at the bar! (It was like our 3 date) so I didn't mind. It was a local dive bar in Gardena. The staff was friendly we went on a Wednesday so it was pretty empty. We went to the 2nd room and play chess and drank! read more

Fun times every Sunday Night at the Desert Room Blues Jam in the D-T-G (down town gardena). Visited twice and both times it was rock-n-blues fun, plan to return soon. Free popcorn, wide mix of patrons both regular, jammers and more. Extremely reasonable beverage prices, bartender Steve provides great service. The resident bar cat will surely stroll over and check you out on the initial visit !! Recap: low key local cool rock-n-blues fun in the D-T-G ps: Admit I thought the inside smoking thing could be an issue...but it is not. On the second visit I realized this venue / dive bar has a SERIOUS plan for air flow... they have three aircraft carrier class exhaust fans in the ceiling that work great... (but not wind tunnel gale force like to pull off my black cap...). I have been to a number of gucci clubs that are "no-smoking" but smell like a carton of cancer sticks. amazingly, this place does not and tip of that black cap to management for a very well executed air flow plan !! read more

See all

THIS is the kind of semi-dive, neighborhood bar that shines like a beacon in suburbia. After searching for a place that was open and chill and finding nothing, we finally came across this place. It was pretty busy but there was space at the bar, the people were friendly, and the service was fast. I wish this place was in my neighborhood! The only thing missing is shuffleboard. Definitely recommended. read more

It was not what I thought based on the reviews it has, I expected more and was disappointed. I did not see a "library" either but maybe it is no more. read more

Love this place. Nothing Negative to say. Reasonable Price Drinks. Good Music and People.

Came here for some drinks after our shift w some coworkers. It was early in the morning during the week, so it was us and the cat pretty much lol. The older waitress with the glasses was pretty rude. Not sure if it's because we weren't regulars but we didn't feel welcome at all. Sucks because this place had so much potential, she didn't even let us sit in the "library" section. Not nice. :/ read more

Finally, I got pussy at a bar! I mean the friendly bar cat came to hang out with us. I give this place 5 stars not because of its cleanliness or great drinks, but because it's exactly what this kind of bar is meant to be: grimy, smokey, cheap, and cozy in its own way. The Desert Room is the epitome of a dive bar. The crowd was pretty friendly though, and it didn't feel like the kind of place I would get into a fight at. I hope this place continues to be free to remain just as it was when I was there. read more

**Proof of Overcharging** Apparently one of the bartender's recently read my review and was offended that I accused her "homegirl" of over charging. She said that they charge a 10% fee to keep a tab open. So, I thought I should post a picture of the very last drinks we purchased, paid with a debit card that we deliberately paid for and closed out in case they gave us that excuse. ( I took the picture in case I needed to show the owners of the bar. ) As you can see, 10% of $8.50 does not come out to $14.25. That's two crappy excuses for their SHAMEFUL business practices. Wanna go for three? read more

The Desert Room - Proof of overcharging. These are the 2 vodka cranberry drinks we always ordered at $4.25 a piece. You will see the total is $14.25. - Dive Bars Near Me - Gardena, California

Judging by the Kiwanis plaques that line the corridor outside the bathroom, The Desert Room has been pouring stiff drinks for over 47 years. It seems that their nearly five decades in business has taught them the secret to success: cheap drinks keep the suckers coming back. Expect an eclectic crowd on weekend nights that skews towards a younger set, but with the obligatory sprinkle of creepers and people that can only be described as 'characters.' You're fine as long as you come in a group, so that you have the power in numbers to openly point and laugh. Oh, and you will be pointing and laughing; it's going to happen when you realize that most drinks can be had for $2-5. An adjacent room to the main bar is open for reservations. Besides its own bar and plenty of bar stools and tables, this room features hundreds of antique collectibles housed within glass display cases, as well as a couple of book shelves that hold several hundred books. For well under $200, you can rent out this space for a weekend night while having a friend of yours DJ and enjoy the sight of your friends sitting at the bar tossing back cheap brews all the while enjoying flipping the pages of their favorite Sherlock Holmes novels. read more

A true hidden gem in Gardena . My go to bar when I want to have a good drink and a good time. All the locals are friendly and it doesn't hurt they have free pop corn. They also have ovens and microwaves to heat your food there. Drinks are nice and cheap and you can get pretty wasted for so little money. I go with my best friend Ernie all the time. read more

This is the place that every hipster wants to discover before the word is out. But Gardena isn't a hipster spot, so you'll find folks of all ages, colors, and well...... not all socio-economic backgrounds because most folk here are working class. My last trip to the DR, about half the patrons were over 60, and half were under. Ran into a couple of friends from 25 years back. There was also a ferral cat walking in and out of the bar with no bother to the bar man or customers. Hey, at least they don't have a mouse problem. Old school neighborhood spot. How old school? My Dad used to drink here in the 70's after getting off his shift at the card clubs. I've seen this style of place from Silver lake to San Francisco. Dark, low ceiling, smoky, a little worn, with strings of Christmas lights strung across the room. Except this place is the real deal, before a young bar owner got a hold of it and started serving $10 cocktails. Drinks are cheap. About 5 drafts on tap, 2 of which are Bud light and Coors light . It's my only mark against the place after having moved to the the San Francisco Bay Area and gaining more aristocratic tastes in beer (they did have Sierra Nevada). Free popcorn, and it looked like a spread for Sunday football, not sure if the hot dogs and chili were free. I love the back room. 1 part library, 1 part hideout and 1 part bar lounge. Some old lounge chairs and tables and an entire wall of bric-a-brac oddities, and thousands of books. A genuine place with friendly people, cheap drinks, and slightly worn atmosphere from yesteryear. read more

A variety of $2 beers on tap all the time. Knowledgeable bartenders. One of the last places you can actually smoke a cigar in the patio. It's kind of a hole in the wall but it will grow on you. Everyone there is a real character. You always find something or someone interesting at the Desert Room. read more

This is a cool, "in the cut spot." Me and my companion visited The Desert Room on a Saturday night. When we parked across the street we could hear the sounds of "Sweet Child of Mine." Upon entering we found a nice lil late night bar in Gardena. We got 3 drinks (upon the bartender's blunder) for only $12! Me likey! Great spot for a quick Saturday night buzz. Would I come here again...yeah! Karaoke + Cheap Drinks on a Saturday night = Great time in Southern Los Angeles. Check this spot out people. read more

This is the place hipsters want to discover, but are too scared to go to. I ONLY go to The Desert Room on Sunday nights, for the amazing blues jams. Master musicians from ALL over the county converge here on Sunday night to show their talents and it's one of coolest things you'll ever experience. There is amazing diversity here too, and a very friendly atmosphere. It's like Cheers, but way cooler. read more

LOVED this bar......UNTIL they started closing their pool table on karaoke nights!!! They do Karaoke on Thursdays - Sundays. That's right 4 NIGHTS A WEEK!!! I know there's a lot of karaoke fans out there, but the pool table is on the other side of the bar (even though it's a small bar). I use to like this bar as it was close to my house. But, being a pool player, this was where I would come to play pool. There is now a sign posted that the POOL TABLE IS CLOSED DURING KARAOKE.......NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!! RIDICULOUS!!!!! Someone needs to inform the owners that they are losing money by closing the pool table so people can sit around and listen to bad singers!!!!! read more

This is a cool "hide-away" spot...A few of my co-workers decided to take me here after work for my birthday . When I arrived, I must say I was a bit nervous. I was thinking, "Where in the world have they taken me?!" But to my surprise, I had a great time. A diverse crowd, and everyone was so friendly. The juke box had us dancing, and the drinks and pool table kept the party going. Karaoke was cool. If you want to go to a bar where you are not harrassed, or don't feel like being around obnoxious people, I recommend this neighborhood bar. read more

I love this place! I'm a "hole in the wall" type chick, so I have a soft-spot for this place. Cheap drinks, bare bones and no attitudes, very friendly. Free popcorn, they even let you BYOF (Bring your own food). I might ave to slide in there with some of my best dishes to share with everyone, why not? Everyone I bring to this place, loves it, and why wouldn't they? The frou-frou bar/lounges are getting tired with the overpriced drinks and bouncers. Sometimes you just want to have a drink, laugh and belt out some KARAOKE! read more

Amazing place. Very chill and old soul vibes. Karaoke is fun! Free popcorn and the bartenders are the friendliest people ever. Amy makes the BEST cosmos! 10/10 recommend read more

Love and miss this place hope to be back soon this whole thing sucks and it was always nice to come here and have a drink and listen to music read more

I've been visiting this place for the last 3 years. Me and some friends meet here to watch the laker games while saving money with the cheap drinks. Free popcorn. During some of the popular games they also serve free soup and free sandwiches! This place is a dive bar and makes for interesting people watching. Mixed crowd. All shapes, sizes and colors. You will even see roaming cats and sometimes a dog. The only complaint I have about this place is the do not show UFC fights. read more

Good spot. Nice mix of peeps. Good cheap drinks. Free popcorn. read more

The Desert Room - Friday around 8:30pm - Dive Bars Near Me - Gardena, California

Best place ever one of my favorite bars awesome bar tenders good beer and drinks awesome sports bar every time time I go is always a good time and good vibes read more

Dive Bar! Superbowl! Prime Rib! Yeah, I said it... prime rib. Free! Bet I have your attention now. ;) There are dive bars and then there is the DR. I love me some DR. The place was full without being packed. Plenty of space to enjoy the game. Cheap draft deers. Free prime rib dinner just for hanging out with the DR family for Superbowl. At half time along with the prime rib they served sides, salad, and desserts and even had a cute little sign that let you know you could come around for seconds. Even when it's not Superbowl, they have popcorn and snacks around for you to munch on. Great chill atmosphere with the nicest bartenders and owners around. Who doesn't love a good cold beer with friends without the hassle of club attire or VIP lines? Maybe it's just me, but the dive-y DR is the way to go. read more

This is a local spot for us so we decided to check it out. It has a nice laid-back atmosphere and the drinks are reasonably priced. They also serve a few food items. It is a nice low key spot. I will definitely be back. read more

so... this place is alright. Nothing really to talk about. I came here for the first time last Sunday for the super bowl. The crowd seemed to be on the older side and very local.There was a mixture of different backgrounds.The beer was cheap enough, 2.00 dollars for pints of bud and miller lite.Bottles were 2.50. I really detested the very large fan blowing cold air at night.The cool thing is that this place provided free food and cupcakes. It was like I said Nothing special but I did appreciate the free meal. The place is pretty big it has 2 rooms connected and lots of space.Unfortunately the place is on the older side and many of the T.V.'s were very small and the picture quality sucked.That was my biggest problem with the place.I dont think this is the place for me. read more

The Desert Room is very inviting and kick back. So kick back they have a mascot kitty. That is a place I can see myself returning to even with the distance read more

Just a cool neighborhood bar. I come here occasionally, have been for a few years now. Regular people patronize the Desert Room, there's nothing showy going on, no pretenses, people chat with you whether they know you or not and someone's usually laughing about something. I've had drinks bought for me for no reason at all. You won't find your buttoned-up bartenders or an exotic drink menu but they always seem to keep things flowing. Good place to grab a beer or well drink at the end of the day. And the library is a homey, quite annex to the main bar where you can dive into your iPad if you need to while sipping your cocktail. read more

I love this place!!! I've been coming here for years. It's a great place with cool regulars and cheap drinks. It's had its ups and down in clientele but it's still an awesome spot. A great hole in the wall bar. If you're not a fan of dive bars or cigarette smoke than this place is not for you. read more

This place is fun and there is such a mixture of people it's awesome. I just love George "Georgie" the bartender!!!

Awesome Sunday night Jazz show!! The other side of the bar is just a regular neighborhood dive bar, which seemed to have a lot of drunks lol. The side with the live music was very nice though. I will be back for sure. read more

Fun little dive bar great bartenders and everyone is very friendly. The drinks are cheap there not a really good food selection but can't go wrong with few bags of chips. Best thing about this hole in the wall is it's a diverse crowd from all cultural backgrounds and a wonderful non-judgmental environment. read more

Broadly speaking, I find bars insufferable and stupid, but this place is great. Dive with cheap drinks, and basically no rules, except no gang attire. Come do karaoke, eat free popcorn (or bring your own food), and smoke inside. Also, a cat lives here. read more

i always like places like this hole in the wall .. FREE POPCORN awesome... cheap drinks, pool table parking in back ,friendly people just having a good times good vibes.. first time here... like it... read more

See all

I have been visiting the Dessert Room for almost 3 months now and frankly I'm hooked!!!! The drink prices are right on and the people are great. I enjoy the fact that I meet all different types of people and ages as well. They have a pool table, pop corn, sometime free food, very nice bartenders and FOOTBALL!!! To top it all off I get to hold my www.route69romanceparties.com team meeting there once a month on Thursday nights at 8pm. 11/03/11 is my next meeting and this time I will be selling inventory on the spot. (Cash only please) So if you find yourself interested come on out and talk to Debbie but don't forget to stay for some drinks and music. Hope to see you there. read more

Went for Karaoke night... for a bday. The drinks are super cheap... duh dive bar. Tiny place but we had a decent size crowd there so it was fun. Mixed crowd... One pool table... free for paying customers. Cool staff... and I am in love with the bartender...LOL... no but seriously HOT guy will hand you your huge $5 beer.... mmmm... both the beer and the bartender! They smoke inside, there is a cat roaming the bar, and at the end you can buy a 12 pack to take home with you.... idk... There are some nights where i might think this is all eh , but some nights where i think this is all awesome! :) Will return! read more

Love this bar!!! My only complaint is I won't go Sunday nights. Mainly due to the band being WAY to loud. It's a small bar with a lot of noise. Every time I go I'm screaming over the band, get a raging headache, and feel sick due to headache. My friend and I have decided that although the band is good the, way too loud, noise isn't worth it. read more

The Desert Room is such as diverse atmosphere, people of every race, class and everything you can imagine as a great family the bartenders are so friendly and prompt with their service and the entertainment rocks! I could not ask for anything better! I feel very safe and looked out for The best thing about this place is there are so many beautiful men and women. It feels like a Cheers atmosphere, but we embrace and want to new folks! If you haven't experienced the Desert Room then you are missing out. Come in and see for yourself!! read more

Looking to get drunk for cheap this is the spot for you. Drinks are cheap but very strong. We ordered 2 kettle 1 volka's with a splash of cran spend about $6 for both. read more