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I have been going to this place since the day it opened. I actually followed Jackie from Fern's to V Room to her own House of Hayden. Such a cool little spot and the jukebox has some choice music. Cash only bar but that's okay because they conveniently have an ATM machine there, too.
Jackie makes a mean drink and is always friendly! Unfortunately she wasn't working last night when I was there but we still a good time. If you're looking for a great bar to sit and have a drink then I highly recommend House of Hayden!
We swung by House of Hayden after experiencing SoundWalk and I have to say I really like this bar. The interior has a cool Dia de los Muertos vibe going on with tons of metal influences and dark colors. And it's super dim. The ladies bathroom is too nice to classify this place as a dive though they do toe the line.
They have a pool table and one of those video touch games where you can play naked lady photohunt (I really love that game so I play it everywhere we go.) And plenty of booths, couches, and bar seating. As a lot of other noted it is cash only so don't forget to bring your dollars and you should be having nothing but a good time.
I'm confused about this bar. Probably because it's a confused place. Its close to being good, all it needs is an interior decorator - or an UNdecorator in the case of House of Hayden.
Lose the surfboards and nic-knacks, change all the lights to red bulbs and dunzo. Instant street cred points boost!
Good service, nice drinks. Just needs atmosphere for a great neighborhood bar.
Like this place. A lot. Wish it was more within staggering distance of home, but it's still pretty close. Bar staff all have a good sense of humor and take good care of everyone. The local drunken regulars add to the atmosphere. Decor is cool with the handmade brushed metal.
I have decided that any bar where I can listen to Murder City on the Juke Box while I drink a CHEAP Amstel Light with some handsome boys definitely deserves 5 stars.
We bar hopped on Halloween and I'm so glad we made a stop at House of Hayden. Totally good, chill vibe here. It seemed like a nice mix of regulars and most folks were having a great time. I loved the style in here too, reminds me a little of The Castle in Tampa with an alt, metal, vamp vibe. There were also comfy seats at the bar along with plush booths along the walls. I look forward to coming back here again soon.
I worked down the street from this place and never thought to go in. When I finally did, I was surprised that it was much more spacious than it seemed from outdoors. You can lounge around at the tables or the bar or even shoot pool. Moderately priced drinks. Metered street parking in front and on the entire street. You can park for free in the metered spots after 6pm. A great place to gran some drinks and relax after doing some shopping at the various boutiques next to it on First Street.
Okay now i had ridden from Pasadena too Long Beach on a fricken bicycle. Starting at 2pm and getting there at maybe 7:30pm. as i got into town i asked the nearest shady person "whats a good bar to go around here?".
House of Hayden. THANK JEEBUS THAT THERE ARE BARS LIKE THIS STILL AROUND!
this place has only 1 pool table and only 1 tv. but when your at a bar with a crowd that would make a people watcher squirt themselves, you can't go wrong. i got there and ordered a newcastle on draft. they have stella and pabst(a favorite i found out) on draft as well. a full bar is available for all the drinks you could think of.
the jukebox plays everything from sly and the family stone too led zeppelin too ray charles to grateful dead. your always gonna find bikes outside, and there are always going to be bearded men there too.
bartender i talked to was Vince, not sure if he was the owner, but he sure seemed like it. him and i talked about local bars and gigs and jazz clubs. another bar patron named Tony and i were talking about music and bands for at least 2 hours while slamming back brews one after another.
i ended up buying a shot for 4 people!!
little things about the place.....they have a disco ball, powder soap in the bathrooms, the House is CASH ONLY! i stress this because the bar has a ATM, but with a 3 dollar charge. bring your cash so you don't have to pay that crap fee, if you look up in the rafters of the place, you'll see all sorts of things from saxaphones, to skateboards to an alien(find him!!).
good drinks, great crowd, good music, and a pool table.
i wish there were more dive bars like this. :D
More like House of HOORAY-den! Fuck yeah this place is awesome. I mean, really there's nothing special about it when it comes to decoration but when you order two cocktails that come out to $7, you're not really paying attention to how pretty the place is. To tell you the truth, it looked kind of like another Alex's or Johnny's but with more of a Tiki theme? Correct me if I'm drunk.
So the place was packed like cigarettes and granted, portions of my gin n' tonic did get spilled but I'm still giving it 5 stars for the price. Plus it's in the Downtown area and it's within walking distance to other watering holes. I really don't agree with putting a pool table in the back right next to the bathroom because the last thing I want when I'm needing to piss and standing in line is to get a pool cue to the sack. But hey, game on!
So if you're broke as crap like me, but still want to party hard like Andrew WK, I strongly suggest to leg it over here. You especially look cool to the ladies if you're buyin drinks for everyone (and still got funds in your wallet). Own it people!
Last night, after a little bit of appetizers and vino at Utopia, Manfriend and I walked down to House of Hayden. We had passed it on the way over there, and I thought it was a really different looking bar. I was intrigued.
When we walked up to the bar... there was an older "gentleman" getting up in a younger greaser-looking guy's face... interesting. He was screaming at him and calling him an asshole/douchebag/beep/beep/censored. Noice. Can't go wrong with that first impression. Once inside, I found out that he was getting all violent and crazy over someone taking to long to take a shot during a game of pool. REALLY? I should have phoned my Grandpa to come down and kick his ass. For reals.
I think this place is pretty cool... dimly lit (my favorite!), LOOOOONG bar, badass restrooms... But it seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. I was loving the decor until a longboard hung from the ceiling caught my eye. Ummm... don't get me wrong, I'm all about eclectic... but would you stick Keanu Reeves in a Joy Division video? Weird.
The bartender seemed to be a sweet lady. She warmed up to us a bit once she took a couple shots with a group of guys. She made a damn good VC, and the prices were pretty reasonable. After noticing the dwindling crowd, Manfriend said, "This place would probably be packed if they had some hot young girl behind the bar." I agree completely. But I'm getting more of a locals/dive-bar-without-the-trashy-look kinda vibe..
One thing... CASH ONLY! Bring your plastic, and you'll be subjected to the ridiculous ATM fees that do nothing but piss me the hell OFF.
Anyway, I'm sure I will be back.. I love the East Village/Arts District area of Long Beach, and its within walking distance of my home. Good thing, too... because 2 of those vodka collins and I was knocked on my tocus. Say Heeeey! ;)
Came here a long time ago with my buddy Anita S. who is a regular there (Shout Out!). This bar is very cool. We went during Halloween time so they had gargoyles and other creepy things in their decor that for some reason, I think would fit in any season of the year! There's a cool jukebox there too. The bar is super dark, the entry is a little daunting, but once you get inside, it's actually really comfortable. The bartender was super nice and the drinks were really good and a-hem, generous. I'll need some liquid courage to come here again someday, but Halloween IS coming around again! Anita? :)
I've never been to House of Hayden during peak hours, but it was cool when it was dead and I've gotta assume it gets better when it's busy. At least that will remain my wishful thinking until I get to find out for myself!
I love the whole concept. The gothic church motif and the fact that it's really an old church. I love love love the decor and the ambiance inside. The drinks were stiff. They had plenty of seating areas and a juke box. I spent an hour or so drinking here with my husband and friend, enjoying good conversation and people watching through the front window, and gazing up at all the random little decorations all over the bar.
I see a lot of dressed up people there on Saturday nights, however I'm always in casual clothes checking out Second Saturday and I've never gone in when it's busy like that. I'm not a bar person at all and I don't like typical nightlife spots. But I'd get myself gussied up to go here on a Saturday night.
WHY WHY WHY.. Is it that when I come here I feel like I am on a set for a Cure video? Better yet a Siouxsie or Bauhaus video or a Christina Death video? I have to say that the drinks are nice and strong and hmmm I still feel like I am that little goth girl when I am here. We came by for ONE cocktail recently. The chick made a strong vodka collins which ONE left me feeling like I should phone a cab. The dark lighting is also nice.... I would just rather be at the Pike or the V Room or Alex's than here... They still get 4 stars for bringing me back to my goth days!
here's a few clips....
http://www.youtube.com...
http://www.youtube.com...
(when robert was young)
http://www.youtube.com... (siouxsie)
http://www.youtube.com... (peter a smaller peter)
http://www.youtube.com... (christina death)
http://www.youtube.com...
So, last night a friend and I went to House of Hayden after dinner. I really like that place. Jackie and Pam are the nicest bartenders. The crowd is always cool. I've been to other LB bars and there is always some lame knuckleheads that get into fights, not like that at House of Hayden! It is the type of bar where people just want to hang out and drink stiff drinks. VERY very stiff drinks. Good thing it is only a five dollar cab ride away.
Thank you, House of Hayden, for being such a fun place to drink! Could you start making drinks that don't cause dry heaving in the morning and massive headaches? Thanks!
I have a lot of favorites around town. So many, in fact, that I have to sometimes sub-categorize just to keep them straight. Especially bars. I've got my favorite dive bar, favorite upscale bar, favorite bar for live music, favorite bar with a view, etc.
But House of Hayden is hands down my favorite bar...period!
Taxi-strength drinks. Lovely bartenders. Zero attitude. Eclecticly cool decor. Awesome jukebox. Off-the-beaten-path location (i.e. galaxies away from 2nd Street). And the bathroom is so freaking fantastic I want to live in it (please note the men's room is not nearly as cool as the ladies'!).
You won't get any happy hours or fancy ass drink names here, and there's no food either. Parking sucks (but the drinks are so strong you really should be in a cab anyway), seating can sometimes be a little tight, and they only take cash. Deal with it.
HofH looks like the kind of place you walk into and feel like a dork because your aren't cool enough to be there and all the other patrons make sure you know that. But that's only what it looks like--it's actually a pretty friendly place with an interesting mix of locals, bikers, punkers, suits, college kids, and professional drinkers. It pretty much rocks and you should check it out.
The things I love most about this place are the bathrooms and the jukebox.
The bathroom's exterior looks like the portal into an S&M chamber, but the interior looks like it came straight out of County Jail. It's all metal and shiny and hot. It's very distracting. Dates think I've got VD or something because I use any excuse to check it out as often as possible. I love it.
Long Beach has a good music scene, but most bars are all caught up in the same 80's pop music/Country/Top 40s cycle de la muerte, and it's driving me mad. This bar did away with the internet jukeboxes and has an OG jukebox with select CDs. Order yourself a beer (a cocktail if you don't mind being maddog'd by the burly old bikers that sometimes show up), select a couple of decent tunes and wince the night away.
I absolutely love it here. It is easily my favorite bathroom in Long Beach. I can speak for both rooms as I have puked and pee pee'd in both.
Great decorations and dim lighting ( makes me sleepy, when am I not). Good jukebox and very clean. Come on Super Bowl Sunday for the potluck! It's a good place to hang out.
Drink Recommendation: Shot the Root. A shot of root beer schnapps in a little glass of PBR.
Oh yeah, say hi to Pam for me.
Had just moved to lovely Long Beach caliPornia for new biz start-up and had taken my first evening walk down to the beach @ Shoreline Ave & Ocean Blvd from my condo by Cooper Arms.
Not a big liquor drinker more than socially typically, but was in rare mood to have a cocktail but dressed in sandals n shorts n tshirt and was looking for apropos spot for such beach attire when I asked the Valets outside the 'high brow' 555 Steak House.
They pointed inside the 555 restaurant which I had already discerned was formal &/or professional attire genre, and was trying to clarify this when a very strong looking, flat top haircut, fagg smoking lady stepped out of the shadows and told me to walk just round the corner to House of Hayden where you could dress as you like!
I had seen its bldg with the neon martini glass sign and assumed it was bit upper crust due martini ref. Upon stepping through its heavy, cool ass-ed front door, I was bit taken aback by the internal decor being a truly intriguing mix of goth / Scifi / biker / 'too many cool things up in the ceiling to see over months of study' to entertain you EVEN if no other people were present to watch or visit with! (Have since learned its a tradition for Dave to continuously stash new little trinkets up on ceiling to keep his wife Jackie from taking them down! ;)
I explained how not much of a drinker to the beautiful lady (later found to be the owner & wife of fellow owner Dave, Jackie Hayden) and how when I do drink my palate is for Bay Breeze / White Russian / Mudslide / Peach Schnapps genre. She promptly described the cinnamon flavored Goldschlager complete with liquefied gold which was a profoundly perfect suggestion since I had relocated to Long Beach expressly to start a new franchise Long Beach territory my partner & I had just purchased! Gold in the veins seemed apropos! ;]]
That was my very first visit to House of Hayden, which quickly became my first ever favorite pub of all time! Not being a bar drinker here, much less a drinker in general, I had never had a fav pub before HoH!
The overall atmosphere, combined with:
* could see HoH out my bedroom window (down alley shared w HoH)
* could walk there in seconds
* had really cool mix of bikers gays n lesbians n professionals n ??
* cleanest overall pub I have ever seen (ex bartender here BTW ;)
* perfectly centered to LBC's cool n growing East Village
* yet moments away from the Pike and Aquarium & Shoreline!
* TWO 2 TOO MANY MORE great reasons to list here!
..has since made it the hub of the majority of my new LBC circle of friends n social peer group. I now call Dave Hayden a friend. Have made my best friendships there too! (Have even been teenager prom night drunk there 1st time in 20+ yrs too having too much fun! FORTunately, I could stumble down the alley HOME! ;)
House of Hayden RULES!!! (Just ask Dave! ;))
Flashing neon martini glass signage? Check.
Dimly lit interior perfect for drugging unsuspecting women? Check
Group of people dressed as pirates pouring over their pints??? Um, check.
Yeah, I'm not sure what that was about but this place is like that guy from American Beauty. You know the one; the guy that films the paper bag. Yeah, that's what this place is like. It could be a stroke of brilliance. But really, it's just an odd collection of decor.
I came here to meet up with a date. We were enjoying our witty banter when all of a sudden she looks up to see an alien (not hispanic) looking down at her, with it's pee pee saying "Hello!" Yeah, it was frickin' odd.
Don't even get me started on how I was a jerk to, quite possibly, the nicest man in the world... When I come here; I think "What the f!ck?" Seriously.
This is a one-issue rating:
House of Hayden is an awesome bar with a silly, discriminatory policy. If you have a federally issued permanent resident ID card and you're over 21 you apparently can't drink at house of Hayden. I've been a couple of times and have totally loved the experience, but recently went with an immigrant friend (a totally legal, permanent resident) and the friend was denied entry based on his identification. (By the way, because he isn't a citizen, he can't get a normal driver's license or state-issued ID.)
A little bit of the law: The California Alcohol Board of Control clearly states that federally issued IDs like the permanent resident card are totally acceptable forms of identification, look it up if you don't believe me. Now I understand that the ABC are a bunch of vultures waiting in the wings for bars to slip up and serve alcohol to a minor--and that totally sucks! That isn't House of Hayden's fault.
But while a decent amount of blame can be put on our government for having harsh, over-enforced, drinking laws, House of Hayden is definitely not blameless. There are thousands of bars in California that accept permanent resident IDs (probably more bars than not). Discriminating against people like this is a personal choice made by House of Hayden. Please, House of Hayden: train your bouncers to recognize and be familiar with legitimate forms of identification other than driver's licenses! Stop discriminating!
That being said, if and when they change this policy I would gladly give them a 5 star review and recommend this place to all of my friends!!
Located at the end of the Art District in Long Beach
I have been in here at least three dozen times since they first opened.The bartenders are nice and pour a good drink. The jukebox is good, with some great classic rock standards: Johnny Cash, Elvis, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac etc..
There is a pool table, and though I am not great at pool... I do like to play sometimes while I am having a drink.
Decorated like a gothic surf shack, with chandeliers, exposed brick walls, leather booths and surfboards suspended from the ceiling. I like that it is dimly lit and that there are plenty of comfy spots to sit. The exposed brick walls reminds me of the bars I went to while in New Orleans
Really quite adorable, if you consider nouveau goth sheik to be adorable. I enjoy grabbing a few beers while exploring the art walk as it is in the direct vicinity(certain weekends), but the service has never blown me away and there is an interesting issue with their pool table, it's placement being extremely close to a wall forces one to use one of their provided midget sticks should you be so lucky to get a shot at that angle. Cute but meh..
Okay, so the Bar Gods have put Madonna's "Hard Candy" next to Johnny Cash and Guns 'N' Roses for some unknown reason... Maybe they have only four minutes to drive away their entire patronage of bar flies. Nonetheless, this is the kinda dark, gothic bar that LB has long needed. Don't be fooled by the flames, skulls, and copious amounts of industrial metal apparatuses and fixtures. This place rocks: the PBR is ice cold and even though it took Pam about forty visits to remember my name, the pour is rather heavy.
Oh yeah, and if you're chill, they always give you peanuts. Health value of peanuts? Nothing -- your digestive system can't do anything with 'em. Health value of a pseudo-white-trash-desert-racing-gone-goth bar? Priceless.
This is easily my favorite bar in long beach. the owners are very nice, the drinks are strong and cheap, and i sort of feel like I'm in a commuter space ship bathroom when i pee! you can't beat that!
Not to mention it's pretty much always full of decent folk (unlike some other bars in the area....ahem) and at one end of the bar you feel like a giant, he other a midget. gotta love it!
I don't get out much. Ok, that is actually a MASSIVE understatement. In fact, both Brian Wilson and the late eccentric, Howard Hughes, would both agree that I need to get out of the house more often. I haven't resorted to putting a sandbox in my bedroom or wearing Kleenex boxes on my feet, but I probably could get out more often.
Recently, my wife and I and a bunch of her work friends ended up here. I had no idea this place even existed. (Big surprise... I know!!) Right off the bat, I felt very comfortable here. Being from Northern California, this place has the feel of a cool San Francisco, North Beach area bar. I like that they have a big comfy couch and table area which can accommodate big groups.
Here are the the top 5 reasons this has become my favorite bar in the LBC area:
1. No frat boys! More importantly, no frat guys drunk off their asses running into me and dousing me in PBR. A major plus in my book...
2. A kick ass jukebox that surprisingly never got monopolized by some douche bag insisting on playing the entire Staind catalog. A great eclectic mix of punk, alternative, classic-rock, and good country. I actually heard all the songs I played! Yes, unfortunately they do have Staind on it.
3. Strong drinks! Maybe a tad too strong... I ended up inviting everybody back to our place for a Rockband fest. I don't think my neighbors were super thrilled with that stunt.
4. Roomy and not so loud that you have to scream things over & over in order for your friends to hear what the hell you are saying.
5. Really cold PBR! Super cold PBR = good!!! Semi-warm PBR = rat piss.
Well there you have it, I got out in public and had an amazing evening and I owe a lot to the fantastic House of Hayden!! Hopefully It will become more of a regular occurrence!!
**Also - A HUGE plus for having a clean men's room!! The toilet seat and sink were vomit and urine free, and it didn't smell like rotting ass. yay!
Occasionally, I fail to understand the thematically odd decor of house of hayden. It's like the TGI Fridays of the dive bar world. Surfboard on one wall, non-matching wooden benches over there, and hand-crafted stainless everything else.
My personal interior taste aside, hayden is a fantastic local bar in the arts district of Long Beach. Cleverly designed and spacious, it attracts what can be considered the most diverse crowd in the area. The drinks are cold and powerful and the jukebox is acceptable. It's never consistently flooded with archetypical crowds and does quite well being complacently local. I'll admit, I've enjoyed many an afternoon and evening with satisfied conventioneers and LB regulars in the same jolly environment.
If i'm not mistaken, it was a labor of love for the owners. This is overtly apparent and witnessed via the comforting aura of the place in general.
Who am I to judge decor. Bring on the pieces of flare with a bottle of high life!
This place is GORGEOUS. Flames, Skulls and really neat stain glass windows. Now if there were really hot chicks and bartenders under 40 I might have really loved this place more.
Good Points-
Nice Pool Table
VERY cool feel and vibe
Neat bathrooms
Good Jukebox
It seemed like a really hip place, but there were a bunch of old white guys hanging out at the bar giving me and other homo friends dirty looks. Meh...
I absolutely love this bar. I love the people that work there and the owner is awesome! He rebuilt this place right down to making the tables you rest your drinks on.
I know the girls want to know about the bathrooms and they are nicer and cleaner than my own. The nicest bathrooms.
They also have some awesome parties. Superbowl, random luaus, birthday parties, etc they're great!
I've become a fan of this bar for a number of reasons when I visit Long Beach and stay at my parents:
1) It's the closest bar to their place
2) Nice dive bar feel
3) Pool table
Decor is interesting - kind of industrial/metal feel (men's bathroom has a hand-crafted/welded lock, and the toilet, urinal, and sink are all stainless steel, painted flames on the walls, etc). Definitely not the vibe of the place though, as it seems to be more of a locals/dive bar.
I've been two times: Christmas Eve in '07, and the day after Christmas '08. (apparently, I only visit my parents at Christmas time). First time there was some holiday hat contest, and the second time was just a standard night.
Being what appeared to be a dive bar, there was definite potential that it wouldn't be very welcoming to "tourists," but no issues there. The bartender/co-owner was friendly, and the people I chatted (a mix of locals and other visitors) with while I shot a few racks were nice as well.
A good place for a drink and some pool, but not somewhere I'd recommend if you're on the prowl . . .
I've been stoppin' in this bar every so often for the last few years. The area is supposed to be tragically hip, but luckily the people who shop for clothes and look at art on this stretch of 1st Street don't seem to flock to House of Hayden- at least not when I'm around. I am usually the youngest person in the bar. I like it that way. Plus, their bathroom is one of the cleanest in a bar ever. It is pretty amazing.
Last year I spent my 24th birthday drinking noon-time beers with Brian and our favorite bartender guy (aka the owner, mr. hayden) was makin' us the famous rootbeer shooters. He is a great dude and a real hard worker (always cleaning something and giving out peanuts). Last time I was at House of Hayden I caught him singing along to the back-to-back Bowie jams I chose. I've played some mighty interesting tunes on that juke, ranging from No Doubt's "Trapped in a Box" to John Cougar Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" to The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing." Somehow I've never been shut down, although clearly that may be overdue.
The strong drinks, fun people, dim lighting, wonderful bartendress and, great juke box make this place a necessary stop if I'm spending the night in Long Beach for one reason or another.
The decor is very gothesque but as far as I can tell, this isn't a goth bar. It's just good people looking for a good time.
One of the bartenders here is just fantastic. I only go to this place a few times a year (I live 500 miles away) and last time I was there she guessed my usual drink like I was a regular!
In my younger punk rock days, I would knock this bar for it's insincere replication of that "dive bar" vibe that Long Beach is so famous for. I have since realized that wait a minute - stinky bathrooms, shitty parking and asshole bartenders are NOT good. I know, I know, stay with me here.
There's actually NOTHING wrong with having a place to sit, good and courteous service at the bar, not worrying about having your bike fucked with or stolen while it's locked outside and not having to hover eight inches over a toilet seat (while simultaneously pull a chain connected to the door to keep it shut!) at your favorite bar. These are actually GOOD things.
Oh, and their jukebox, after Red Room switched to that shitty internet one, takes the cake as far as having the best "metal" selections. Melvins, Maiden AND Thin Lizzy... perfect.
My advice for people with hang ups about the interior decor: get really really drunk. Then it won't bother you a bit.
Popped in for a nightcap after a long day. It was a Wednesday, and the pub was virtually empty. Nevertheless, it was clean and the bartender great. Great decor and eclectic crowd. If you're in the neighborhood, not too shabby...
$2 dollar champagnes of beers too...
Embarrassingly enough there has even been an occasion or two where I've had to ask for a splash more cranberry in my Cape Cod.
I've always preferred my bars dim, my drinks stiff, an eclectic music selection... seating, not standing, and clean bathrooms. House of Hayden for the win.
The best thing about this bar, hands down, is the bathroom. I can't speak for the men's room, but the women's room is absolutely gorgeous and CLEAN--makes you feel like you could sit on the bare toilet seat (gasp!) and not contract any diseases. In fact, the entire bar always smells like PineSol or some other cleaning substance. Sometimes it's a tad overwhleming, but I'd rather a bar smell like chemicals than puke or sewage.
The ambience is great--dimly lit, ornate light fixtures, glossy wooden bar, fun artifacts and other random objects attached to the ceiling, etc. I rarely go downtown so I'm not a huge fan of the location, but at least it's in walking distance to food and other bars. And to top it all off, the bartenders know how to pour a stiff drink. The drinks aren't cheap, but you'll save money by not needing to order 5 cosmos to catch a buzz.
Great bar. good vibe, good crowd, good music, neat decor, CLEAN, dark. Not really a dive bar, but doesn't fit any other category.
That said, only 3 stars because I've never felt truely at home here, and I have had CRAPPY service on more than one occassion. (never from Jackie).
I'd definately recommend it, but don't expect to find me there too often.
Classy, clean and Fleetwood Mac on the juke!
Oh yes. I keep forgetting to Yelp this joint but alas tonight, I have the time to spend on my reviews.
Let's see here...
This former church was beautifully renovated into the perfect cocktail bar on First Street.
The decor is remarkable -- goth-inspired ambiance, fancy light fixtures, surf boards on the ceiling, marble-like finish on the clean bar table, steel door bathrooms, comfy stools and booths, a juke box loaded with all the greatest classic rock hit makers. Um, can we say Pat Benatar, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Van Helen and PETTY???
I am sure you can find some punk rock in there, but you don't come for the punk rock...you come for the Bloody Mary or how about a Goose and Tonic? No? You want a Jack n Coke? Sure, why not?!
Either way, as long as Jackie is behind the bar -- as she usually is -- you are guaranteed a stellar drink.
However, I must take away half a star. Reason being; No credit cards accepted.
There is an ATM machine allocated inside the bar -- that is, if you don't mind the $4 transaction fee.
Hey, $4 gets me lunch at Mickey D's, man!
Anyway, I love this place...it's where I go when I don't want to listen to the loud and obnoxious...and it's a place where I can be loud and obnoxious while singing along to The Pretenders.
warning......
If you use the Juke box, every third song is auto set to play Pantera.
House of Hayden, a true local bar. My kind of bar. Drinks are cheap, there isn't much on tap and no one within it's doors has brought their soapbox to stand on. The jukebox has a bad ass selection and the vibes from it's staff and patrons are mellow as can be. This is the type of bar that you start your night off with or end the night with.
side notes:
-Cash only
-Street parking; do not park in the lot next to the bar unless you want to get towed. Park overnight on the street Saturday nights only!
-If you plan on buying cocktails all night, order call brands. The speed rack at HOH will give you a killer hangover.
Jackson Rules!
Long Beach, CA
Category: Pubs
Long Beach, CA
Category: Bars
Long Beach, CA
Category: Lounges
Long Beach, CA
Category: Wine Bars
Long Beach, CA
Category: Dive Bars
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