Back Door Lounge
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Late Night
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Thu
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
57 reviews
Sacramento, CA
"Went there last night and I'm sorry to doubt you again my yelpers. I didn't think it could be that good based on the menu selections and it…" read more »
31 Reviews for Back Door Lounge
Great vodka martinis, lots of olives and anything by Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, or Patsy Cline. Every time I go here, alone or with friends, I end up enjoying myself and feeling better about life. It could be the martinis, true. But I think there is just a good vibe here. Haven't had the breakfast yet but its on my list. We're doing a peddle pub crawl soon and this will be on the itinerary.
Updated: The bloody marys are excellent. Breakfast is pretty good. The waitstaff and bartender are great human beings. Just can't beat the juke box.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
haven't been in years, but...
By far my favorite bar to go to if I want to get out of my neighborhood. I don't like crowds, and i don't like the scene. What i like is a cool place to go and get something to drink while I enjoy the company of my friends. This is that place. Plenty of seating, plenty of drinking, and plenty of experiences. If you haven't been, you need to go.
Look out. Old sac on a friday and saturday night is a place where losers go to be losers together. They steer clear of the Back Door, but they are still around being lame and shouting too much.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Picture a lounge crossed with a brothel crossed with a fancy victorian living room and with an entrance that is literally in an alley in the middle of old sac. At least its title definitely makes sense because you enter this lounge/bar/restaurant from literally the back door. There is no cover here and the drinks are made really strong and the bar tenders are very nice and willing to make any drink you can come up with.
Grab a seat in one of the booths with your cocktail and it will take you back in time to the victorian era instantly. You will either feel like a woman hired to entertain a man for the night because of the ambiance or a woman attempting to be wooed by a man from high up in society behind closed doors. Either way at least it is a unique feeling that you can't always experience elsewhere. And it is never very crowded later into the night so intimacy is a definite possibility here even if the crowd at times can be a little older. So let the Back Door Lounge be your time machine for a night and enjoy the ride!!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Of course, I'd give it Five Stars. I love "working" here! It's not so much work as my weekend home away from home. The people here are the best in town and the boss is a great lady with a heart of gold.
Re: Erin N.'s review-thanks for the props, but Rudy hasn't been there for years. And when I'M doing my thing and people want to talk, no problem, that's why there's great seating upstairs. lol
I invite everyone to come and join the great atmosphere at the Back Door whether it's Friday or Saturday night when I perform or any other time. You'll have a great time. And the breakfasts and lunches are fantastic.
For more info on me, see http://www.leediamonds...
And for some videos of my performances at the Back Door Lounge, see- http://www.youtube.com...
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (4)
Great breakfast! Slightly limited menu, but what you get is great. My daughter got the biscuits and gravy and it was HUGE (I wish I would have had my camera with me). I had the denver omlet (minus the ham) and it was super tasty. If you like salsa, ask for a side of it; the chef makes it fresh everyday and it was spicy and yummy. Their home fries are the best I've ever had. Seriously. I was a bit leary of taking my teenage girls in here for breakfast (especially when we walked in the door and the first thing you see is a nice, big bar) but it's surprisingly family friendly.
This place is SO cool. It's everything I love in a bar.
It hasn't been redecorated since the 70's, it's dark, the bar area is swarming with barflys, the jukebox selections rock and the bartenders are memorable. Plus the drinks are reasonably priced and fairly strong.
It's hard to have a conversation when Rudy Valentino's doing his thing, but he's great.
I heart this place!!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
i am probably the last yelper to go here ( i had my prom AND my in-law's got married @ the firehouse --- how is it possible?) ... and thanks to becs weekly antics --- i finally dragged ass in the cold and warmed said ass here ...
+ the decor is old school. black vinyl booths, paisley wallpaper, and grand piano: a place to hang out on a cold spring night
+ it was friday and it was a 'frank sinatra'/lounge singer night --- truly, a beautiful voice and seasoned performer. to wit: "you girls over in the corner, are you ok? have enough drinks?" love it.
+ you can tell there were regulars who DANCED. by 11p it was packed out.
will for sure take hubby back here for some hand holding.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Recently, some friends and I found ourselves ducking down a dark alley in Old Sac and timidly stepping through the iron gated doorway of the Back Door Lounge. Crossing over the threshold, we found ourselves confronted with a sight that equated a cross between Liberace's boudoir and an old time brothel. As your eyes adjust to the candlelit room, you're greeted by a sleek piano, gilded frames, and various mirrors tucked here and there. After taking a moment to absorb our surroundings, we sidled up to the bar and were greeted by a sprightly barkeep with a strong pour and a quiet smile. Seeing that he was the only person manning the entire bar, I was a bit in awe that the barkeep was able to keep pace with all the orders, all the while routinely putting coasters under the drinks to preserve the glossy wood bar. Leaning against the bar, I found the scene at the Back Door Lounge to be soothing. The atmosphere was dark and sultry and the old time crooners floating from the jukebox seemed to placate the masses. Besides the large bar counter surrounded by velvet flocked toile wallpaper, there are also deep booths to slide in and out of, as well as an upper level where couples can engage in a quiet tete-a-tete. We were advised that the Back Door Lounge can get a bit raucous when the lounge singer is in full effect; however, the night we were there it was much more subdued. Probably not a locale I'd frequent but I did enjoy my sojourn there.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (7)
Funny (8)
Cool (10)
I've been meaning to write this for ages, but reading these reviews finally nailed it.
The Back Door is not a dive bar. In fact, nothing in Midtown outside the Monte Carlo or perhaps the Flame is really a dive bar.
Suburbanites, read closely--just because it's not like the Chili's in Roseville or some ninja turtles sushi joint where the drinks look like they come from some kid's chemistry set, it's not a dive.
Dive bars open at 6 am, have male to female rations of like 3,000:1, and produce a stabbing at least once every six months.
The Back Door is a classy establishment and the men follow the golden rule that a man's drink should never contain more than two ingredients, (don't worry brah, Jager Bombs are still choice!).
Highlights include Lee Diamond, (who can sing the Italian parts to Dean Martin songs) and that one time I sold dances with my date for shots of whiskey and some Taft oil tycoon ended up buying me like 10.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (6)
Cool (6)
The Back Door Lounge is a true relic of the past - the kind of place Nick the Lounge Singer would feel right at home in. It has that fake Italian restaurant decor that was specific to the 1960's, and that for some reason I find appealing. I also like that it feels like your underground - it gives it an even more grungy, secret-hide-away kind of atmosphere. It's also surprisingly lively on weekend nights. I recommend to start drinking there and then hit some bars with a wider variety of drinks.
Sheer old school greatness. Walk in and you will be transported to a simpler time, where cocktail hour was mandatory and no one had heard of AA. Shadow boxes filled with dried flowers complete the dark, romantic kitschy mood. Drinks are stiff and a warm hearth-like feel abounds. The ongoing underground popularity of this place proves that 50's and 60's lounginess never went out of style.
I get happy musing on the Back Door. I hear a swinging beat in he back of my mind and lyrics like these:
Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words hold my hand
In other words darling kiss me
Fill my life with song
And let me sing forevermore
You are all I hope for
All I worship and adore
In other words please be true
In other words I love you
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (3)
so i FINALLY made it in to the back door lounge. i can't believe i'd never been here before. the decor, well, velvet wallpaper is all i can say. fantastic. we went on a saturday afternoon and the bartender was hilarious. she was super friendly. she bought my friend who was moving out of town a drink and talked up a storm. absolutely loved it. the patrons were all very friendly and one of them had her adorable boxer with her whom i got to pet while drinking my jameson and miller. (no pabst, but i won't mark 'em down for it). haha. a place i will most definitely be returning to. i heard it gets super packed at night, so i'll more than likely be a daytime visitor.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (8)
Funny (2)
Cool (8)
Best bar in Old Sacramento for a Sierra Nevada on your lunch break/between crappy jobs. Man, that was a rough summer. Nice, down-to-earth folks who won't bat an eyelash at you and your liquid lunch. Bonus points for the boudoir red-velvet wallpaper and mirrored ceiling above the bar. Not my favorite bar in Old Sac, but not the worst, by far.
Head down on the weekend to catch Lee Diamond. Class act, that guy.
Bonus bonus points for having a euphemistic name, and for not being a gay bar with an overly euphemistic name (I'm looking at you, Head Hunters.)
It can get crowded, but that's a rare occurence.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (1)
I don't know that I would call this a dive bar. If anything, I would call it a swanky bar.
First of all, there is red velvet on the walls. Red velvet!!! How can you beat that? Old photos framed in "gold" hang on the walls and candles flicker away in red holder at each table.
To round out the swanky feel of the place, every Friday and Saturday night they have someone singing songs from Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and others. A few years ago, when Rudy sang here, this was ALL he would sing and it was glorious. Now you may have to hear some KC and the Sunshine Band later into the night...but it is still worth the cab ride to Old Sac.
There is usually a great crowd here, ranging from young to old. My favorite thing to do (other than shots) is to watch the older couples dance; graceful and romantic it gives me the warm fuzzies (but then again, that might just be the shots).
I give this place four stars because I miss Rudy, other than that it is great!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I had to go to Sacramento this weekend and while there, I really wanted to see what this city was all about. I asked the concierge at my hotel for "the best experience in Sacramento, someplace you would take your out of town friends." The guy disappeared for two minutes and came back with not only the address, but reviews of The Back Door Lounge. I took his recommendation for the "best bar in Sacramento" and around dinner time, headed to Old Sac to find this place. As I walked down the alley and towards the orange doors, I began to get nervous about what I was going to walk into. After all, being from Los Angeles, the back door lounge could have been any number of types of places. I hope I didn't give the guy the wrong impression. I opened the door and was relieved/surprised by what I saw. There was a lounge singer with greased hair, a turtleneck, and a sportcoat wailing out some Sinatra in the corner. At the bar sat a bunch of sixty-somethings sipping whiskey sours and some of the more agile patrons were dancing in the middle. I was desperate for a way out without seeming rude. Quick thinking took me to the bar to find out about the food situation. With the negative I was hoping for I left the establishment until later. I headed across the alley to the restaraunt I had notice on my way in. After hearing more people rave about the back door while at dinner, we decided to give it another try. It was now about 11pm and the place had transformed. The lounge singer was still there along with some of the age-endowed crowd. But the addition of quite a few younger patrons made it a whole different experience. There was now conversation we could relate to and a crowd that seemed more familiar. I really came to enjoy the cheap drinks that complimented the loungy well-dated interior. The music stayed fun and it created a very casual and friendly feel. It's hard not to enjoy a place where people belt out the lyrics to Neil Diamond and nobody seems to mind. My favorites were the interior awning that covered the stairs, the drunk 50 year old lady sitting in the corner and the more drunk seventy five year old lady hitting on the 26 year old at the end of the bar. Overall, this place was really fun and a different pace than the bars we went to downtown later in the trip. Well done Back Door, way to be unique.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (4)
Cool (5)
Do yourself a favor and find this place. Excellent dive bar. Love the never-renovated decor. No food, eat before you get there. The jukebox is stocked with sing along favorites. The bartender is excellent and the drinks are strong.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Despite it's Old Sac location, if you're in the market for a Dive, you've basically hit the jackpot with this one. Love Nick, the bartender. He's a real sweetheart. Dark, crusty, dated and it's in the alley - (extra point awarded for random/strange location)- good times.
Cool old bar lounge with friendly bartenders.
Great place in Old Sac to meet up with friends. I want to come back here during one of their Friday or Saturday nightshows with Lee Diamond, the guy who sings old Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, and Nat King Cole songs.
They are totally cool about being mobbed by 40 Santas coming in for an afternoon drink.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Possibly my all-time favorite divey bar in Sac despite being located in Old Town. This bar has saved me during the all-time big drinking "holiday" St. Patty's day where practically every place in downtown was so packed you have to stand in line just to get into let alone get a drink but at the Back Door Lounge, our party just simply walked right in and got our drinks without the hassle of pushing and shoving everyone out of our way. What is not to love about a bar in an alley and hidden from the rest of the mainstream.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (4)
The last time I was here I had an in-depth conversation with the bartender about where I might be able to acquire a rack of antlers for my wall. Really I was trying to butter him up in hopes that he might offer to sell me some of his (hunting came up earlier), but according to old man bartender, a real hunter never parts with their antlers.
Despite leaving without my antlers, I've yet to leave sober or without a good chat with the bartender. And that's really the point of a bar like this.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (9)
Great rat-pack throwback atmosphere. One time I saw a huge dead roach on the floor. But hey, at least it was dead. Drinks are more expensive than dive bars like the Flame, but you gotta pay for atmosphere like that. There used to be this lounge singer/impersonator guy called Rudy Valentino but I think he left to pursue his career elsewhere. They have a piano and sometimes you can get this old drunk to play songs for you and buy you birthday drinks. It is a great place to meet up with a group because there is this whole raised seating area, and there is rarely anybody using it.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
One of the best bars in town.
Highlights: Kick-ass bartender, juke box, red velvet wallpaper, it's in Old Sac
Lowlights: It's in Old Sac, the slight fear that Jimmy Legs is going to bust in and shoot the place up.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (3)
Gold/red velvet flocked wallpaper, a truly bad lounge singer, "regulars" who dance with their walkers/canes and drinks the way they were meant to be made: strong. What's not to love?
This is one of my favorite places to take out-of-towners to show them that SF ain't got nuthin' on Old Sac!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (2)
I'd have fonder memories if not for that whole thing after the company Christmas party...and how I felt the next day. But that is not the Backdoor's fault, no, no, no. That is Jameson's fault and someday that bastard will pay. But the Backdoor is just divine. Velvet wallpaper is always good in my book, so are faux leather seats and Sinatra. This place makes me wish I could dress-up like Jackie O. and have a secret rendezvous here.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (5)
Cool (1)
Love this place. It's old-school to the max. Flocked wallpaper, red vinyl booths and a grand piano. Once I was served drinks by a 60ish year old woman wearing a long t-shirt with a shapely body wearing a bikini printed on the front----and no pants. Stiff drinks too. Minus one star only because going to Old Sac is really a pain in the ass, especially since they put the stupid parking meters in.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
What everybody else said. It's Fucking Awesome!
-Update July '07-
Yep, still Fucking Awesome. Whatta jewel.
boobies
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
This place was sweet - if only for the atmosphere. Red velvet wall paper and mirrors on the ceiling of the bar. I was expecting the drinks to be much stronger though...
The place won't be the same without Rudy Valentino, but I still love the come-as-you-are-meets-cheesy-swankiness that gives this place life.
Plus, they allowed a dog in from the rain one night. You've gotta respect that.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (2)
I really like this place. The location, the piano, the old bartender dude. it has an old 70's Sacramento feel to it. Another great Dive Bar group destination.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
Last night was the Dive Bar YELP party and the bartender was giving out free drinks allll night long! We'll definitely be going back.
I'm only kidding about the drinks, trying to make the no-shows feel guilty.
The atmosphere is awesome. The decor is super schmaltzy with patterned wallpaper and lots of red [was it the floors or the walls?] which has all probably been there since the beginning of time, or at least as long as the geriatric bartender. His drinks were strong and tasty and he was chatty with those seated at the bar. One old dude at the bar was telling the bartender that he'd just come from another bar and he said, "they treat me like gold there, no, wait, they treat me like expensive gold". Ha ha ha ha!
A rum and coke was 4$ and a real Black Russian [not those cheap pre-mixed ones] was 6$.
If you're new to the area or get lost easily make sure you get directions on how to get to the Back Door Lounge. It's tucked away in a back alley behind the Firehouse restaurant.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (2)
This place is really nice. Old schools red, gold, and black velvet thing going on. They even have a Bar top piano. Nice place for a night cap or to take a date for some one on one conversation at a chill spot. It's a hidden treasure. About every six years some hip crowd discovers it but they die down in 2 more and it's back to normal.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Bar Hopping in Sacramento
Whatever you want to call 'em...Dive bars,… -
'cause i'm a lush who…
i don't drink nearly as much as i used to. when i…
Hot and New
- Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies
18 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Old Sacramento
9 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Freeport Bakery
72 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Lalo's Restaurant
4 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- La Bonne Soupe Cafe
113 reviews
Sacramento, CA