We went here on a Sunday afternoon, so it was empty. The place is definitely a dive place, the bartender was nice. The clientele was different, and the music was heavy metal. There are also a couple of pool tables. Of course, remember, this was a Sunday afternoon. I'd probably go back and check it out on a Friday or Saturday night, but it probably wouldn't be my first place. It seems like a neighborhood bar. read more

they got like 15 beers on tap now! and great ones too. recent remodel has really helped out too. somehow this place isn't always crowded and overflowing. which is perfect for us customers. read more

Love this place! The beer is cold, the music's loud and the staff is incredibly friendly. This is a fun, low-key place to pop in for a brew, or to make a night of it if the spirit moves you. Bonus: the wonderful owner found my lost wallet (not in the bar) and took the time to seek out my contact information and return it. TRiP: Great place, great people! read more

If you like dive bars, this is an awesome place. It was the first bar I went to when I moved out here and service was great. You get to meet a few local Santa Monica people who are nice and love joking around. Come around Tuesday night for Karaoke. And everyone gets to sing. Really good drink prices and a pool table that is normally free. read more

Small bar with a good atmosphere. Good selection of drinks, live band was playing during my visit which was good. Prices aren't too bad either. read more

This place is just what it should be, a lot of fun. Went there for a birthday and had a blast, will not forget it.

Awesome dive bar feel, great stage and sound set up. However, the crowd on Saturday night was tiny (less than 10 people) and uninvolved, even though the bands were so great. Idk if it depends on the night or band, but not a great place to jam/rock out to music like I was hoping. Servers were great, made it feel like a small town bar where everyone would know you. Food options are rough. Ran out of the only two vegan things, so I ate a bag of chips. read more

This place is under new ownership. They did an overhaul on almost all management and the new owners dont know a whole lot about live music production / sound. They cut down live music significantly. They do have a burlesque show on Wednesday's but overall this place is just a. neighborhood dive bar. Dont expect a whole lit more. read more

this place was alright. i'd go back if there was a band i knew of playing. the thing is, this place is kind of in the middle of nowhere. i mean, only a short drive from the promenade and all, but literally the only place to hang on the street. we got there around 7 on a sunday and were pretty much the only people there. the bartender was super nice and they had a decent selection of beers. we were there to see my friend's band, which was super fun. they played for about an hour, followed by a night of "punk rock", which, i'll be honest, we left early for. read more

A cool little music venue, but the vibe is ruined by TVs. On the plus side is good live music and a nice little selection of beer (no hard alcohol). But on the bad side is too many Televisions that are on and distracting even while a band is playing live - not just over the bar, but also near the stage. It was disruptive to enjoying music and the vibe in general. TV's were not even tuned to sports or movies, just some random reality show. read more

A friendly dive bar. You probably wouldn't notice it unless you where looking for it, The place is small with tvs alongside of the bar. There beer selection is great with unique ones to add. The people working are friendly. I went on a weekday they had bands playing that night only a few people sitting around, I'm sure the place gets super rowdy at times but I would say during the week it's a pretty chill place. If you like to drink and check out new music from local bands this is your go to place! read more

Great neighborhood bar--- beer and wine only but still one of my favorites. Low-key during the day and live music almost every night. Bartenders and owner are cool also which is always a plus read more

I came here on a Saturday to see the live music and I had a pretty good time. At first I was a little disappointed to find out that they had mainly beer & wine, but they do also have Soju which caught me a little off guard because not many small bars would offer something like that. I was pleased to find this out though when I asked about their special cocktail, which was a mixed berry concoction with Soju in it. I ordered one and it was delicious so I recommended it to all my girl friends who then ordered one each also. The service was really friendly, the two girls behind the bar were very quick getting drinks and one of them even gave me a free beer! Super. Sweet. The inside of this place is pretty dark and small but there is a little stage as well as a pool table so they definitely know how to work with the space they've got. They serve food as well, not sure how extensive the menu is, but whatever was cooking filled the whole room with a warm, cheesy smell (sort of like pizza or a grilled cheese) that I was not hating! Overall I thought this was a nice joint and I wouldn't mind coming back for the live music or even the karaoke that some other Yelpers have mentioned. read more

Nice local hangout dive in Santa Monica. Stellar beer selection with something for everyone. Pool table. Juke box. What more do you need?

I've been playing music here for years and years. A darn decent music venue by night, many nights are free, no cover. By day, a terrific place to shoot pool, very nice and well-maintained table, pool is FREE from 1 PM to 5:15 PM on weekdays. Great beer selection, awesome staff and owners. Love this spot. read more

love Tuesday night jazz! giant beer selection + a couple ciders. pool table, super casual. watch out for permit only residential parking!

Good craft and domestic beer selection, decent bands (depending on who is playing), and free pool. Hang with friends on a Friday/Saturday night. read more

I went there last night with some friends. This place is great for a little dive bar. They had a great beer selection, 1 of which was Hoegaarden my favorite beer. With the exception of a few high end Belgian brews they were all $5. The bartender Shira and the owner John were behind the bar. Both very friendly. I will be back for sure read more

Walked in to a horrible, horrible stench. The whole place reeks! Couldn't even get a decent Vodka drink because they only serve beer and wine. I bought some incense to deaden the smell because a friends band was performing and I couldn't leave. I was told I had to put out the incense, that its a fire hazard. They post all these pictures of food on their site, but I didn't see or smell anything, I think its false advertising to get customers. Needless to say, I will never go back. read more

Local bar with live music that feels more Silver Lake then Santa Monica. Great chocolate brownies and good food all around. Big selection of beer but no spirits. I've yet to see a bad band here and there's usually no cover charge. Worth the Trip! read more

It was a cool bar, but we waited OVER AN HOUR for our food. It wasnt very crowded when we Ordered. We tipped REALLY well when we placed our order. Our friend showed up 30 minutes after us, and got her food within 5 minutes. We ordered a turkey sandwich, pretzel, and a bag of chips. It had gone unnoticed by the waitress until we mentioned it about 40 minutes after waiting. She mentioned that she had given our order to the wrong table. Then, she told the guy making food that we never got our order. He continued to make multiple other orders. It seemed that even though the sandwich chef knew our order was flubbed, he didnt care about getting our food out as timely as possible. Then, he brought over the WRONG sandwich and we had to tell him that we had actually ordered a turkey sandwich. He made a few other sanwiches before finally get our order over. Considering the mix up, horrible service, and little initiative to quickly correct the mistake, it seems that SOMETHING should have been compensated. read more

This place was super cool! I came here a couple weeks ago during the day after walking around at Venice Beach. The bartender (I forget his name- a Scottish man) was super friendly and took his time recommending a beer to me. They have a GREAT selection of beers, by the way. Everyone there was nice and seemingly excited to get to know a couple of girls who aren't regulars. The décor is very psychedelic and the music was pretty good, too. I didn't get to stay for the band, but I still had a great time! read more

Good selection of beer on tap and in bottles but good luck getting any. Bartenders are very non-responsive and unprofessional.

The bar is close to home, so I checked it out recently. It was trivia night and it looked like there was a nice mixed crowd of low-key people there. Some younger starting the night out and some middle-aged and some older, all getting along great having fun, playing some trivia. The food at the bar is surprisingly good too! Drinks were good, reasonably priced. The band was so-so, but there was no cover that night, so I really couldn't complain. I'll definitely check this place out again. read more

This little beer and wine bar is just the place for a early drink on a Thursday afternoon. Live music nice crowd. Good beer selection.

Stopped in to Trip by chance recently when I was in town. The Irish guy behind the bar has to be the friendliest guy in all of LA, seriously. I didn't expect that from a Dubliner. The top-notch beer selection is why it gets a 4-star. They have excellent sandwiches (great pastrami) but make sure they have staff on hand to make them; otherwise it will take a while. read more

The Bands were both VERY GOOD,Beer was COLD,Bartenders were nice & "Pulled Pork Sandwich" was OUTSTANDING ! [parking in front was easy too]We had a good time.Above average for a "dive bar",[if you wanna call it that...] read more

I went to the trip a week ago to check out a friend's band. It was a cool atmosphere but not a lot of people were there. Drinks were pretty pricey for the dive barish setting. read more

Great fun for beer and music. Sometimes it is hard to believe such great music is free!

LADIES BEWARE OF THIEVES AT TRIPS! I had my purse stolen here during one of the Chicago Bears football games. Yes I was careful of where my purse was. A group of my friends and family were sitting at the alcove area in the bar, my dad and I were sitting at the table-so I had not left the table, and my purse was tucked away in the back part of the booth by the pillows-it was not out on the table or in range that was easily accessible. Trips was packed and with limited seating (as it usually is) a guy asked if he could sit on the end of tour booth. I thought well I guess that is ok since my dad and I are here and it would be rude to say no you can't sit down, so I said okay. A few minutes later he was gone and so was my purse. That quick. Here is the issue that I have with Trips- it is very dark, there is no security either a bouncer or camera's, and they allow so many people in the place that it is a thief's dream place because he/she can slip in and out undetected. I called the within minutes of my purse being stolen and also spoke to the owner. Just FYI-neither were helpful. The police said unless there is video tape or a way to identify the guy there isn't anything they can do. The owner kept saying he has a NO STEALING policy yet he has no surveillance or security and the whole time made me feel like I was lying about the whole thing. "I can't believe anyone would steal something from here". Yes they sing the Bear Down song and support the Bears but its not worth it when you are on extra high alert for the next person to steal something. It is not a "neighborhood" feel. Now I have to drive to Culver City to watch Bears games there. I used to recommend Trips to everyone but now I tell everyone what the real deal is. read more

3rd best place in the city of Santa Monica to drink and catch a show. It can get crowded on popular nights. No cover, awesome tap.

Very cool neighborhood bar. Staff is nice. Entertainment is usually good. Food is fine. Could be a bit better. However, it is a bar I really enjoy to visit. read more

just moved here from Chicago. guess what the TRiP centers around: BEER, BANDS... & BEARS! love it.

TRiP Santa Monica has a great selection of beers at great prices. The staff is always friendly and they have great live music. Burlesque night on Wednesdays is blast. And TRiP is home to "Hollowbody LA" where Donovan books some of LA's best singer songwriters. All in all TRiP is the best dive on the West side. Cheap, unpretentious, friendly and well worth a visit. read more

I couldn't believe how uncomfortable this place made me feel. I came out last night (Friday) to see one of my favorite live bands Lights in the Sky play only to be denied of a good time. The live sound mixer/doorman (never a good sign) told the drummer that he didn't have the right sound for this environment. Everyone that came to see Lights in the Sky play was having a great time and couldn't believe that they were getting kicked out for playing the music that they were expected to play. In the midst of all this confusion, my friends and I were getting harassed by a very drunk, creepy man at the bar. He was being very loud and offensive toward everyone in the bar, especially the women. But, of course he got to stay, and my friends and I weren't welcomed to come back. The next time you're out and looking for a good time with your friends, stay away from this place. read more

These idiots lost my debit card...I was there for two drinks and the place had about 7 people there... They charged me for my drinks and somehow managed to lose my card...inexcusable...stupid idiots... read more

Love the Trip, especially Friday night trivia. 20 Questions Trivia is the best game in Los Angeles. And the selection of craft beers is astounding. read more

I used to be a regular here, I lived nearby and wanted to find a place to unwind and watch sports. I'm a nurse, so I don't get much time off. I should've took the warning signs and never came back. Greeted my first time by a dude who wanted to let the black.guy know this was his bar. Held my ground, thinking it's life, gongs happen. Proceeded to spend $$$$ there over a years time, but was always looked at as "the crazy black dude". Was in there sloshed one night, and this crack whore says I stole her scarf. The prick bartender Shane accuses me because of my skin color. I go in the next day, and he's telling me "sorry brother, but even though I know u didn't take it, that's why we don't like YOUR type here" WTF? They cater to the caucasian, and even though they have "urban" music on the jukebox if u play it then they turn it down, say the bass bothers the.neighbor (an upholstery store that's NEVER open). And in top of all that, they serve food thats ill prepared and has gotten quite a FEW people sick! Check it out at your own risk... read more

This place gets 3 stars for the fact that it has live bands and a variety of them. It gets minus 1 star for the drinks served. They don't have a hard liquor license so it's beer and wine unless you'd like the severly watered down vodka or whisky which probably has less alcohol than a mikes hard lemonade! I had several shots and couldn't even catch a slight buzz! On the other hand the bartenders are super nice and it's not their fault they have to serve garbage. I also liked the original name of the place, "The Bitter Redhead" but now it's boringly named "Trip". The place is tiny inside and dont expect anything fancy or even kinda nice. The bathroom is a single stall tiny thing but it's typically not too dirty. Also parking can sometimes be a hassel and as someone stated, it's across the street from two hooker mo-mo's (motels) which usually drags in that riffraff to the bar. So if you're there to see a band and not to drink/get buzzed, or hobnob with the uppercrust, then you'll be fine. read more

This is the sickest place I've been to since I moved here to Santa Monica. I didn't think it was possible in LA to get great beers for five dollars and see the best local shows around for free, but here it is. Even on a packed night at most places you wait forever to get a beer but I was able to get one in minutes from the best looking bartender I've ever seen. You definitely have to see this for yourself. read more