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it's sort of looks like a dive bar in a run-down looking strip mall, but it's nowhere near as divey as it ought to be on the inside. (it's dive factor also went down when i saw the brand new black lamborghini of one of its patron parked right outside of it.) it does have a lot of requisite dive qualities... it's a little dark, fairly quiet, has a self-serve popcorn machine, a video game machine on the bar, and really old bartenders who pour a strong drink - pretty much all the makings of a true townie bar, if those actually existed here in l.a.
weird thing about the place is there credit card policy... they don't let you run an open tab. their policy is to close it out after each drink, which means you may have a handful of receipts by the end of your stay. i say bring cash and avoid the whole hassle.
it's definitely not a place that i'm gonna crave hanging out at, but it's a decent spot to grab a drink or two and have a conversation where you don't have to shout to be heard. and, i'm not gonna lie - i love the video game machine on the bar... i fed dollar after dollar into that thing, all the while staring at the screen with the maniacal gaze of a senior citizen sitting at the slots in vegas. so addictive!
Wow.... I was a jackass in my previous review.
I think my preferences changed a bit. I prefer to drink in quiet now ( quiet, when compared to other bars in the area). Still, there are tons of other bars I would rather go to, but everyone should check this place out at least once. You might enjoy the worn out feel.....
Stop #3 on our Wednesday adventure.
I have no idea why I keep coming back to this place.
The service…
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A hole in the wall with a vow to maintain good prices.
Darts, pool, cheap drinks and a good jukebox. The Chimney sweep is the textbook definition of "The local watering hole"
Its never TOO crowded but your bound to see new faces with every visit, along with some familiar ones. Free popcorn popping in the corner and big comfy leather chairs will keep you there for hours, not to mention the prices.
They have PGA Tour arcade golf (which i personally could spend hours on).
There is a small seating area outside with a few chairs and tables, mainly occupied by the smoking crowd (if there is one).
Not to much to complain about with this one. Its not flashy, no lines, nothing particularly "special" about the place. Great place for one of those nights when you want to hear a good tune or two, play a round of darts and strike up a conversation over a drink...
Definitely a cool place to go have a drink and watch a game. Drinks are definitely well priced, and the place has nice atmosphere. Met up with some mates that worked around the corner.
If you're looking for some beer-goggled lovin', unless you're into the cougar's mom, you probably won't find it here. This is just a good place to relax and grab a drink. Nothing more, nothing less. Place died down and my mates and me carried on the booze fest at mr.cecils after hours!!
Chimneys' , I love you. I've been coming here for years, it's just a good neighborhood bar you and friends can meet at and share some drinks. Mina, the bartender is awesome. She sported me some free drinks for my birthday one night and I ended up passing out in the parking lot, waking up briefly to puke all over myself, but that's my fault not hers. They have some of the best popcorn around, if you want a mix of pretzels and nuts just ask for the kibbles.
the popcorn is self serve. One pool table though, and it's tight playing.
A good juke box to pick songs on. Beautiful neighborhood girls aplenty.
It's the sort of place you feel at home in. If you wanted something a little more stylish then try Pineapple Hill Saloon. Same owners.
One of the most interesting and eventful nights of my life began here, at the chimneysweep on an unsuspecting Monday night. Chimneysweep, I love you.
Everyone wants to sound like they goto dive bars. Well, until you've hit the Chimney Sweep, you a'int been in no dives! lol
This place has it all. The fake wood paneling straught outta the 70s, the strip mall location, easy parking, darts, TV's for good sports watching, pool table, beer nuts at the bar, and CHEAP CHEAP DRINKS! We're talking $4 Vodka tonics, old man bartender, and the sweetest old lady server. No bullshit, hoity toity pretentions here. You are either down with it or you aren't.
If you don't know Sherman Oaks, it's one of my fave ends of town. Just close enough to Santa Monica and Westwood over the Hills, 10 minutes from Hollywood, and filled with everything from Preps to Valley types, to Actors and Musicians. Actually, when Britney Spears went bald and got her tats, it was down the street from here. She knows something you don't! Got it?
The jukebox works and it's always cranking, seating is fun, and it's a great spot to get away from all the hectic noise and get down to some old fashioned plastering of one's self. Want a great first date spot? This is it! Why get off to some BS start, when you can slum it, have fun, and get to know someone? Actually, chances are the girl you bring here could be Ms Right, if she's down with this kinda vibe. The people who hang out here are cool, and you will get a pretty fun scene, and pretty people as well from time to time.
However, that's NOT what it's about. What is IS about is an easy, but good time on the cheap. You don't come here expecting a crowd or fast times. You come to the Chimney Sweep because you are trying to keep it simple and divey!
Meh.... the drinks are ok...the first two I ordered were watered down. For being a "dive bar" the drinks are not all that. One of the bartenders gave me the feeling that serving us was a chore.
Geeeeez.......we're paying for your watered-down drinks at least act like you give a shit. Free burned popcorn....rude bartender....oh and found a worm on the counter. Save your money and go elsewhere.
I wouldn't go back. Thought the service was bad the drinks were expensive for the dive that it was.
I like coming here... i came more often back in the day..so i go there to meet my friend Dax there... its nice when its not so crowded... and yes there is free popcorn since they dont serve food... STAY AWAY FROM THEIR WINE.... its crappy... stick to the liquors..
I feel compelled to create my first post on YELP simply because I went to "The Sweep" tonight for the first time after having recently moved to the area. Look YELPers, it's real simple. There are two sorts of Angelenos. Those who feel at home at dive bars and those who do not. This is a dive bar in the truest sense. Pool table, dart board, ugly furniture and tacky pictures on the wall. 4 dollar beers, cranky old man bartender YET, and I couldn't believe this, there were actually cute girls there! Really, no kidding. Lets see... cheap drinks, laid back clientele, cute girls and the Dodger game on the TV? Yea, Ill be back,
The valley is hard up for bars, and places like the Chimneysweep are why. Last time I was here the doorman didn't believe that my ID was mine. He said I looked too young to be 28 and wouldn't let me in! Can you believe it?! What a crazy man. So my date, and three friends went somewhere else. This is why I sometimes hate the valley! I got denied at what is essentially a dumpy bar that hasn't been renovated since 1972. I'll see you in hell Chimneysweep!
For a dive, Chimneysweep is pretty middle-of-the-road. The drinks are just okay, the crowd is just okay, everything is just okay. Back in the day I used to like Chimneysweep more, then I discovered the bars in Silver Lake and downtown.
(2.75)
Lets be honest: if you frequent 'the sweep' you have more important things to worry about than what your peers rate [it]. That said, it is apparent that most of the reviews come from the occasional, not chronic, attendee. I'm not sure if my intense self-hatred or my uncanny attraction to the overtly bisexual cocktail waitress (her name is dani) keeps me coming back...Or perhaps it is the super-great juke-box and stale popcorn? But for some reason (most likely the close proximity to my *SUPER AWESOME JOB*) I cannot avoid the sweep.
Please take the following advice to heart:
1. PAY IN CASH - Some of the bartenders (*cough* *rick* *cough*) are notorious for changing tips on credit card bills)
2. Ask for the SNACK MIX - public popcorn has NOTHING on salty crackers and peanuts
3. Order food from CARNIVAL (the restaurant next door) - The sweep has no kitchen but you can order anything from Carnival's full menu and they will bring it over.
Good luck, and if you go home with Dani , tell her to say hello to her mother for me.
Wow, has this place changed. Used to be my go to place for weekend sports. Hadn't been in for a while and what a SHOCK!!!! My fave bartender, the cute Stacey, was nowhere to be found. In her place was an obnoxious, loud server (don't even want to call her a bartender) and getting a good drink just wasn't going to happen. I am totally disappointed and will not be back until I hear that Stacey has returned to her rightful place behind the bar. So keep in mind service may not be what you expect at one of your local faves.
We were lucky to find this place on our drive from a memorial service to the wake. The bartender was so nice and it was the perfect place to toast our loved one. Good drinks, popcorn, and snack mix. Perfect dive bar and very nice staff. We'll be back.
I happened upon "the sweep" perchance on the evening of Valentine's Day. St. Valentine martyred himself not for this diveiest of dives in the valley. I had expected an establishment much like the Pineapple, which despite its cleanliness, still technically is a dive due the demographic of its patrons. The Sweep, however, possesses the proper amount of filth and bartender surliness to be a fabulous dive. Thusly, I dub it a "five star" dive.
My lovely Valentine's Day date and I (Jab Uppercut, if you read my blog http://iamastacharles.com), ordered drinks after a dive-appropriate fifteen minute wait to get the bartender to get us our drinks.
Now, my expectations were lowered significantly. These drinks did not possess the proper proportion of alcohol to get me sloshed in accordance with my plans. We tipped poorly and realized to reach our drunk zenith, we must order shots to add into the beverages themselves.
The surliest bartender ever to stand behind a bar was the man that would give us our shots. Upon ordering, he curled his lip and shrugged in an angry fashion. We felt like assholes for being alive, let alone drinking alcohol.
The final note was a positive: the jukebox played "Playing With Fire" by The Rolling Stones. A song quite appropriate for me, since I'm a roman candle of spontaneous disaster and misanthropy.
The Sweep is as a dive should be. It receives five stars, mostly because at long last, I did become "the drunk".
I like it. It is a place my friends and I can go and enjoy cocktails and have a ceegar on the smoking patio. Nice and dark on the inside and a good jukebox. Smiley the bartender makes a good stiff cocktail. It is right next to Carnival, the best middle eastern food in LA. So if you don't enjoy having a good time, don't go to the Chimney Sweep. If you are a groovy person who enjoys life, go to the Chimney Sweep.
I think it's odd that a few of the reviews here say that the staff at the Chimneysweep provides hit and miss service! The reason it's odd is that there are 2 bartenders, 2 security guards (who are awesome, btw) and maybe three barbacks. Seriously, that's the entire staff!
Because of that, it often takes a few minutes to get a drink on a weekend. And yes, the place gets pretty busy these days. Oh, and yes, the parking lot is small and that's a problem as well. I went there about a week ago with a friend who was hoping to save cash by drinking beer and found the supply to be bottled only. Sad! How is it possible that there's nothing on tap!?
Additionally, I've spent quite a few nights there over the past year and for some reason I still get no love! My drinks are not any stronger or any cheaper than anyone elses, and I wait just as long despite the 20% that I always leave behind. As I write this, I decide to lower the rating a little...
But it is 70's tastic, and let's face it, if you live in the valley there are not that many bars to chose from. The reason why I keep going back is that this bar attracts mostly people in their twenties and thirties. It's not a spot where you're forced to pay $12 for a drink while loud, poorly mixed house blasts through a massive sound system (yes, I am referring to Clear.) And it's not frequented by weirdos or old people.
I used to like this place... it used to be a well-kept secret. Now it's the newest and greatest thing with everyone in the Valley, and you can barely fit yourself in there. The drinks used to be strong and cheap, but I think that since they've gotten so many people in there, the owners figure they can water their alcohol down and jack the prices up... with no one caring or noticing. Well I did.
Thumbs down. Go elsewhere.
Can't help but love this place. Normal people. Not a scene but not too divey either. There are usually two bartenders- a man and a woman. The man is miserably grouchy and the woman is delightfully friendly. You never know who you're gonna get.
Really good sized room with flat screens all over the place. Comfy seating. The bar is really comfortable to sit at too. The lighting is just dark enough. Fantastic chimney-themed art on the walls.There's a small space outside for the smokers. Totally easy parking.
And last, but not least, the POPCORN! There must be something in it because it's impossible not to stop eating it... you can go bowl after bowl and not even know.
Another wonderful feature- totally convenient location.
Definition of a dive. They have darts there and a small patio. Good drink prices, the clientele's pretty good too. Not really a destination bar but an adequate standby if you're just looking to have an easy night out with some friends.
This is a cozy little place with an antique fireplace and a dark environment. Some call it a dive bar, but that label is so loosely used these days. Its definitely "divey," and the crowd is hit or miss: Sometimes its an upbeat, trendy crowd that seems to have just gotten off work from the studios in Burbank. On other nights, its ugly locals dressed in tank tops and Big 5 type attire. On most nights, its a mixture.
The bartenders wear black vests over white dress shirts. One of the waitresses, who has a Russian accent but claims she is from Baltimore, is quite friendly and always recalls your drink when you come again.
Above all, I love that its down the street from me in Sherman Oaks. I just wished they had beer on tap.
I have to admit. I miss the Sweep. It was always such an anomaly.
-Dive bar with a great crowd.
-Rude staff that are great once you get to know them, if you're not a dick.
-Packed with a line out the door one Friday, empty the next.
-A jukebox with millions of songs that always seems to play the crappiest old songs imaginable.
-A smoker's patio that you can't drink on after midnight.
-Tons of TV screens that are as likely to show Animal Planet as they are to show the Dodgers.
The Sweep is hit or miss. If you go once, you might have a great time or you might not. It's inconsistent as Hell.
But I miss the place. Go with a group and you'll have a great time. Just be prepared to be patient at the bar! And if you pay with a credit card, don't expect to grab your tab and leave quickly.
As a West-sider, I rarely venture up to the Valley, but because a friend had a friend in play in Sherman Oaks, my face made a rare appearance to this side of town. What a find!!!
This place is 70's kitch cool. All staff were wearing "I (heart) Chimneysweep" polyester vests or t-shirts. The decor was 70's-tastic: charcoal drawings of little chimney sweep boys, an in-house fire-pit, and woodwork that has obviously adorned the walls for several decades. They had pool as well as "digital darts" for patrons to play with.
My cocktail (Sapphire and tonic) was satisfying. They didn't seem to have any beer on tap, which I found pretty surprising. The homemade popcorn was also pretty dang good.
Parking was a bit of an issue, but happily we found a street spot not so far away.
If I lived near this place I'd prob be a regular. It's pretty effing rad!
This place, upon my first visit, reminded me of a Burt Reynolds movie for some reason. It has this vibe of a bar you'd find in the lobby of a hotel off the Vegas strip who had it's hay day in 1975.
And all of that above is a compliment.
It almost feels like you've entered someone's living room. Mind you, the person probably drinks Pabst and hunts deer while listening to Molly Hatchet or something, but that's the vibe I got.
Still, a compliment.
The beer is reasonably priced and the ambiance during the day is a completely different world than at night. If you head in at night, especially Friday or Saturday, expect it to be crowded with a lot of 20 and 30 somethings. The place still gives off a nastalgic cozy vibe.
That reminds me....I think I need to go there sometime soon.
Ah, Chimneysweep. One of the few places in the Valley where I don't mind getting my drink on.
I've come here on many occasions. To pre-pre party before shows. To lament the fling gone horribly wrong. To just sit and watch the good looking crowd. I was even here on a particularly sad Valentine's Day, where my other single friends and I sipped on rum and diets and watched the Westminster Dog Show on the big screen TV. Our conversation that night: "Bah! Boys! Who needs 'em when you can watch dogs groomed like mops!"
But I digress... This place actually seems to be a good litmus test for dates. Can they charm Nina into offering up some of the "kibbles and bits" she offers to her favorite customers? Will they appreciate the divey atmosphere? Will they sidle up to the bar and attempt to make the old cranky bartender smile? Will they pick something decent on the jukebox?
So much you can learn in a divey old bar, grasshopper.
Been to this dive bar plenty of times with my friends and I like this place. The drinks aren't too expensive and the bar is pretty chill. Pretty good hangout.
It's Cheap.
It's Chill.
And it's a great little Valley dive bar for a hang with friends.
There are no shortage of locals here and the place probably hasn't changed since it opened. But in that lies the charm of a good dive bar. They also have little fire pits, that never seem to be lit when I go in, but hey it's decor and decor doesn't always have to serve a working purpose.
There's a parking lot and usually plenty of street parking, oh and they have free popcorn. Need I say more?
Im all about dive bars, this one takes the cake. Loved it! Actually came here to continue an engagement celebration.. It was fun, cozy and dark. Had all your typical dive bar "decor", if you will....a jukebox, sticky leather bar stools, stale bowls of popcorn adorne the countertops, TV's and yep, a chimney. If you're thirsty for a beverage on tap, step right in, if you want a classy cocktail...you got that too! Kinda makes you feel as though you've stepped into a schnazzy old Chicago bar in the 40's.
Being from the East Coast, a dive bar is usually not that special. The Chimney Sweep however is an experience you don't want to miss if you're in the Valley.
It's dark and doesn't have much of an atmosphere(you have to make it on your own, and I for one do), but the servers are great and reminded me of home. The drinks are cheap, so if you want to have a few too many and cozy up by one of the too fireplaces then you won't go broke.
The crowd is always a toss-up. Sometimes the crowd is colorful locals, some of whom believe that breasts only need vaguely elastic tops in order to be contained. Other times you have a few vaguely upscale folks just knocking back a few.
There's a jukebox and a game room, but don't bother. Go for the people and the conversation. This bar is great for people watching. Oh, and there's free salty food, and you know, I don't know about you, but when I'm knocking back a few vaguely fruity drinks I need some popcorn.
The Sweep!! You know, dive bars like this are hard to come by! Especially in the SFV where they are on just about every corner like Starbucks. You can find people from all walks of life here. College kids, suit/tie professionals, and some folks who bear a close resemblance to your own grandparents... with this mixed crowd...you can't go wrong.
If I had it my way I would rename this place Chimney "cheap" sweep! The beer and mixed drinks are less expensive than any blue light special at Wal-mart. And who can forget about the free popcorn, pool table and kick-ass dart board. Add all these figures up and you are bound for a memorable night...or at least half of it! If you are looking for a great dive bar and are in the Valley...The Sweep is your place!!
Dangit..this bar rocks. The past few times I've been to this bar there has been a good crowd. Its a dive feel, but still has that "let's go to the chimney sweep" til 2am kinda place. There's a fireplace, pool, and yes, free popcorn :)
Fine bar, dark, clean, good atmosphere, great jukebox as corporate jukeboxes go, but one problem...
Look, I'm cool with grouchy, old-school bartenders, actually I prefer them. I can't stand the T & A bartender who won't do her job, but prefers to chat with her friends all night. This guy is grouchy and taciturn, fine enough, but he pours a weak drink; yes, the one unforgivable sin in my bar book is a weak wrist on the pour. Sorry buddy, but that vodka soda was, at best, a "by the book" pour, I'd have gotten better from an electronic spigot. I go to dive bar happy hour to get a little buzz; a good dive has me there at drink one.
-Ubu
This is a great bar. Free popcorn, good drinks, reasonable parking. The only thing that throws me off is that its in a strip mall type building. Normally, I wouldn't find that appealing in a bar. Definitely check this place out.
I have no effin idea what the hell I was doing in Sherman Oaks.
Whiskey and cokes.
That's what it was.
I was blackened to perfection but I'm not sure if it was the soot, the company or the drink.
If I get lost in Sherman Oaks again at least I have a place to go.
I've been meaning to check this place out for a while and finally, finally, got my ass in there last week. The parking lot, as mentioned once or almost every other review, is quite small. I went on a Tuesday night and found the last spot in the lot.
Going inside was like stepping into a time before I was born. It was so frick'n awesome for a visit -- campy, not cozy. It was easy to get a drink (a very fine gimlet) and a table by the wall. I also loved the digital jukebox. Most digital jukeboxes are little things stuck on a wall, but not here. This was a classic sized jukebox. I know it changes with the wind, but when I went one of the cheaper albums to choose from was the best of Sam Cooke. It was nice to listen to "Cupid" while waiting for my friend.
As soon as my friend showed up we moved into the other room where the dart machine was. That was one fancy dart machine. A flat screen monitor lets you know when you've done well (and not so well). All this technology and still on $.25 a game!
I don't think this would every become "my" bar, but I still liked it and be more than willing to go back any time the occasion calls.
This place is awesome! It's like walking into 1975. Leather chairs, pool table, friendly staff, jukebox that has everything, FREE POPCORN. This is probably my favorite dive bar in LA, its a great place to gather and knock a few back.
This was one of the first dive bars I ever went to in the Valley. I was meeting a blind date there, and I thought I'd try to impress her. So at the bar I ask what they have on tap. The extremely gruff and grumpy bartender glared at me and growled, "Water." Nice, so much for impressing her.
She proceeded to order "Dr. Peppers", which if memory serves was Bud Light in a pint glass with a shot of Root Beer Schnapps dropped in. She was half my size and drank me under the table.
So obviously, this place has some fond memories for me.
Great place to go for Monday Night football. They have a plethora of free food for you to dive into. Try the giant pots of meatballs. Its weekend scene isn't to bad either. There is plenty of non-hipster eye candy for the guys and I always seem to run into a good conversation while I'm there. I guess that could be because the music isn't rediculously loud. The only downside, in my opinion, is there has always been a line outside after 11 on the weekends. Sometimes it has taken 2 minutes to get in, other times over 20...
Drink prices are "LA Reasonable" around 4-5 for a bottle of beer.
One of my top 5 Valley bars.
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