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R Bar
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 pm - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
293 reviews for R Bar
Review Highlights
"You need a password to get in so it's pretty unique."
(in 15 reviews)
"I had a BLAST at this pirate ship themed bar hidden in K..."
(in 24 reviews)
"I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup."
(in 4 reviews)
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293 reviews in English
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Review from Kenneth A.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2012
This place is friggin amazing. My gf and I went there for the Superbowl. Their happy hour special was really good. The food was delicious and the drinks were tasty. They don't skimp out on the alcohol either.
I love this place. -
Review from Linda Y.
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is fun! My friend already knew the password, so getting in wasn't a problem for us. For a Friday night, it was pretty empty, but that's always okay with me. It's small, dark, and definitely feels like a speakeasy. It's not pretentious and not expensive.
The beer selections are minimal, but the drink selections are nice. I ordered a margarita and a Pimm's Cup. Pimm's Cup! You don't find that stuff everywhere! The bartender actually forgot to charge me for the margarita but I was too nice and reminded him. How thankful he must have been for that! It's a cool place to grab a drink and choose your own songs from the jukebox or come by on a night they have a band. -
Review from Tammy N.
West Hills, CA
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm not a frequent bar hopper so my opinion may not be very helpful. This place was cool at first but then the live music got kind of angry.. my friend described it perfectly when she said, "It makes me want to rip my eyes out".
It was so loud that I had a lot of trouble hearing anybody, even the people sitting right next to me. It was entertaining, I guess, but I don't think I'd want to come back. Even if I did want to come back, I would have no idea how to find it because the sign on the building is so easy to miss (typical hipster bar?).
One bonus was that I thought I saw Rafi from The League macking on a girl here.. I tried to get a picture on multiple occasions but failed every time. 'Til this day, I still believe it was him though. -
Review from K O.
Los Angeles, CA
2/2/2012
Favorite place to karaoke. The whole bar usually gets into it. I always end up dancing. Love the bartenders and the pirate ship interior. Wish they had a better beer selection.
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Review from Vicki T.
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The R Bar reminds me of that secret apartment in Harry Potter - hidden to the naked eye and only exposed when summoned via a secret password. "Mussels from Brussels!" Not as exotic or foreign, but hey, it gets you in.
Half of the joint is taken up by the bar itself and standing room for band performances whereas the other half is a dimmed seating area. Stiff drinks, jolly patrons, and a noise level probably 50 decibels away from going deaf, the R Bar was an interesting spot to hang out on a Saturday night. This joint can get pretty crowded at times, so guard your drinks from the Stumblin' Stans! The night that I was there, I heard plenty of beer bottles and glasses hitting the pavement.
Similar to Animal, the R Bar is a discreet establishment that is found without a signage. With a blank black slate above, the only thing that will assist in finding R Bar is the lit address, '3331.' To take discretionary to another level, you'll need to know the password in order to enter. Fancy! ( Not really.) Also, parking can be a pain, so be prepared to be well acquainted with the neighbors after all the circling that you'll have to do. -
Review from FoodFight.TV ..
Seattle, WA
Try the Pickle Juice shot!!
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Review from Heather J.
Los Angeles, CA
11/29/2011
I practically live at the R Bar, now. It's walking distance from the Red/Purple Line so it's Metro-accessible and the crowd is a pretty cool crowd.
On Tuesday nights, there's Action Trivia. (Starts at 8:30 but really closer to 9.)
You can also do karaoke here and they carry Hendrick's Gin.
It's not too expensive and it's not too pretentious, like a lot of bars in LA can be. (Expensive, and pretentious.)
Some flaws! Sometimes the kitchen will be closed in ways that will be random and befuddling to you, if you were counting on trying the ridiculous goodness that is the chili cheese fries. (I deduct a star for that.)
Otherwise, it's a great, cool bar for chatting with friends and having fun. -
Review from Kevin T.
Los Angeles, CA
12/1/2011
went there and luckily my friend got their "password" online. The place seemed really cool, but that night it was fully packed. Managed to squeeze our way past the hipsters to the bar. Ignored for a little then finally got a beer. Found a nice corner for us to hang.
I could see it being a lot of fun if it were a little less crowded. I check out their specials and events all the time and they have some really sweet stuff happening. -
Review from Seena A.
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can remember a couple positives, and NO, that's not because I was getting crunk at the R Bar as tough as that may be to believe. The bartenders were all very nice + I was helped very quickly. There are also plenty of tables and seating even on a Friday night.
Negatives? If you have a large party it's sort of tough to get everyone in the same area. Very loud. Live music is great but if you're trying to carry any sort of convo you can forget about it now. Parking around here is a biaaaatch so good luck.
Remember the password to get in and you should be good. Oh, I ate almost all my friend's fries (they have food here) and they were good so tack that onto the "positives" I mentioned earlier! -
Review from Soleil D.
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's October 2011 and yes the password is still needed at the front door to get in. But, don't fret you lazy bastards, most people outside will tell you it if you're clueless.
Well, actually, if you're in an all guy group, patrons outside might be unwilling to share considering that the ratio of men to women is grossly high (4:1). As a hetero female you'd think I would be happy about the higher ratio, yeah no, it just overwhelms me!
The crowd: Mostly males in their late 20s, early 30s.
Dress: Casual/ hipster/ cute
Atmosphere: Lively (I was at the bar all night). I really liked the decor of the place--it was cryptic chic?
Drinks: Full bar w/ some great specials (for Los Angeles). The bartenders are pretty cool, one even offered me a line of cocaine! Haha, I kid I kid. She asked me if I wanted a LIME, and I heard LINE.
DJ: Whoever was playing on Friday played a great array of songs from different genres. He mostly played songs that you'd probably hear in a romantic movie starting Ryan Gosling (you know the songs that emphasis his suaveness).
Would I come here again? Yes! Do I recommend it for a party? Yes! Do I recommend it for a date night? Yes!
My only recommendation is getting here around 11-11:30--this seemed to be the point when folks started arriving.
The only downfall: the dance floor is SUPER small to non-existent.
Oh and $10 min on credit cards. Street Parking. -
Review from Thea G.
Los Angeles, CA
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
So cool! Go here!
Happy hour every day until 9?! A secret hole in the door where you have to whisper the casual "password that could actually be relevant to the situation a la Scott PIlgrim"? And there's some lady making pancakes on the street nearby for when I'm finished here? Cool.
Happy hour drinks are cheap. Drink titles mock Bieber fans, but obviously folks, because this is a pirate bar. Very cool scene for a party or group gathering. The guy at the door actually came over to see if the music was too loud for our conversation. Amazing setting, actually felt like I was aboard a pirate ship for a moment, a much cooler version of the Treasure Island show in Vegas. Parking seems to be tricky but don't let it stop you - this one is worth it. -
Review from Kenan A.
Los Angeles, CA
12/28/2011
When I walked in I didn't really see the pirate theme, except for a few bar decorations. But who cares?! The staff was really cool and the drinks were great. Karaoke night was fun. I will go again for sure. Thanks guys!
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Review from Trisha T.
Glendale, CA
12/21/2011
Pretty low-key, fun dive bar. You should know the password before you get in! And if you get there early enough, there's ample seating, which is great for larger groups like we had. Interesting, inexpensive drinks. Bathrooms are a little weird. It looks like it was once two little rooms, but only the front room (where nothing is) is lit. So you'll be peeing in the dark, pretty much. Can't check your makeup either, which works because the bar is super dark. Random place for a bar, kind of sketchy neighborhood at first impression. Definitely not enough to scare me away, though!
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Review from Hoang T.
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Live music with interesting drink names that they come up and the whole password thing is pretty fun too when you're trying to get in LOL. Overall, it's not that 'crackin' but might be fun to go in large groups just to drink !
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Review from Wes P.
Downtown, Los Angeles, CA
10/5/2011
Really nondescript outside, with nothing but mexican mercados and apt buildings around. You question if you're in the right place. You walk up to a door that's seen better days and is on it's 20th coat of peeling paint. You peer into the small window through the door wonder how to get that huge silhouette of a figure's attention, but he walks up and asks "know the password?" Scared you read it wrong or maybe they just updated it, you blurt out a weird phrase with doubt in your voice, but to your relief the door opens.
Yeah dramatic opening but for a cool place like this why not add in a little prose? I came when Shamrockabilly was throwing down some live music and it was awesome, fun and loud. In a small place with it's square set-up you get a real intimate vibe; connecting with the band and fellow patrons. It was like you were at a friend of a friend's party. Musky and divey it's a cool joint and worth stopping by on an easy, no frills night. -
Review from June S.
Cerritos, CA
10/17/2011
This place is pretty sweet even if it's not in my part of town I plan on going here at least one more time within the next year. I had my birthday party at the R Bar since I was having a large AYCE korean bbq dinner right before. For a speak-easy it's pretty easy to find (yay!) and they only asked one 1 out of the 20 of us for the password. In fact I wasn't even asked I just yelled it because it was my birthday and I felt like I could do whatever I wanted (when in reality I just was really excited about saying a password!)
The drinks here are really good since they're made the traditional way but it takes a long time to get a drink until they bust out the 2nd bartender. I also loved the fact that there was (strangely) no bathroom line..although that has nothing to do with the establishment itself it made it a good night. There was also a cool scotch tasting and surprisingly a lot of room in the bar to hang out. -
Review from Seiji N.
9/20/2011
What is this place full of white people in the middle of ktown?! This place is a fresh breath of air in terms of the crowd in ktown. When I went, there was a swing/jazzy band playing and the whole crowd was so into it. It was hard to get to the bar, but eventually we got our drinks. After listening to the band for awhile, we easily found a cozy back room to chat with people.
You need a password to get in so it's pretty unique. I think they post the password on their twitter or something. But anyways, parking is street and the bouncer stays inside until you try to open the door. Then he'll come out and ask for the password. A little intimidating at first, but he's super friendly once you say the password.
Def will be down to come back here again.Listed in: Night Life
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Review from Hugh Y.
9/14/2011
Call me a little kid, but I get a genuine kick outta any place that requires a password to get in. It's that fun "exclusive childhood treehouse" feeling that this place brings! Plus, c'mon, if you're walking in the middle of K-town and find a shady discreet building with a wooden door that just has the letter 'R' on its awning, you HAVE to go investigate! It's practically your duty.
I called an hour before I went and asked for the password. Walked up to the door and dropped the password. Boom, I'm in. There weren't too many people there at around 10pm, but what else would you expect from a speakeasy. It's a super quaint little place, and by quaint I mean it's small. Just a handfull of booths, a small bar, and a teeny karaoke stage.
My friends were already there and entrusted their drink decisions to the bartender who was making them some of the house concoctions. So, naturally, I stepped up to the plate and ordered a mystery shot. The bartender threw things together (I remember there being citrus involved, don't remember the other ingredients) and knocked it back. It was good, but seriously? $10 for a mystery shot? That thing wasn't even a full glass. It was mostly ice in a tiny-ass glass. I felt cheated.
Lesson learned. Nice place, nice atmosphere, nice bartenders, but I will stick to beer and the standard mixed drinks whenever I go here from now on.Listed in: Dive Right In
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Review from Eder P.
9/30/2011
I came here last year because of a deal I bought online.
It looks very uninviting from the outside and the doorman asked us for a password which I luckily remembered from an e-mail reminder sent to me.
It was pretty funny actually.
Inside was a great looking dive bar. Some people rather not call it a dive bar but a rose by any other name smells the god-damned same!
Because this bar is pretty reclusive, there was never a huge crowd inside. The bar was always empty and the people inside weren't loud and boisterous.
It's a real cool place to come and have a drink with a pal or two, -
Review from Angel B.
Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2012
had fun..nice ppl
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Review from Marissa S.
Los Angeles, CA
7/11/2011
I like this place. The vibe is great. Friendly bartenders. Usually a friendly, fun crowd. I tend to go there when I know it will be less crowded - weeknights, early for Happy Hour, etc.
Accidentally went on Karaoke night and made a very quick exit. It seemed like everyone was having a GREAT time, but listening to a bunch of people who think they can sing and whose friends encourage them... but, let's face it... that dude singing Lady Gaga NEEDS to get down from the stage. But, yes, they have a very popular karaoke night, trivia nights, comedy shows & rock shows. It's rare to find a nice divey place where there's more to do than wallow... so it's kinda great if you're in the mood!
The food is surprisingly decent. I'm in love with the Turkey Chilli Cheese Fries. Obsessed with them! Everything I've had has been good... just bummed that they got rid of their 1/2 Off Happy Hour and changed to a menu specifically intended for Happy Hour. Better ($) for them, but less awesome for me. Their Happy Hour offers $4 Well Drinks and cheap beers. Usually not that crowded.
The space itself is great. Small, dark, well-decorated with chandeliers and leathery goodness. Lots of small nooks to hide your moderately sized party of friends who want to be out but not deal with other people. Servers are available on busier nights... so you don't have to worry about fighting your way to the bar for refills.
I love that they really have a nice crowd for their regulars. I am slowly but surely becoming one of them. Enough so that the bartenders might not know my name...but they usually remember my drink. I like that. Anyway, so far this is my new home bar (as a kinda newish Ktown resident). It's good stuff.
Just, if you're a douche and you're reading this... uh... don't come. Ok? -
Review from Scott C.
Atlanta, GA
11/11/2011
I really like this place. yes, the password is a good idea. the bartender said it's not mean spirited, but it does serve it's purpose. This place feels authentic, the people were 'real' and place just had a genuine feel. Bartender was friendly and so was the guy at the door. And to top it all off, some of those patrons had good voices for Karaoke night! Thanks R Bar. See you again.....
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Review from Jason S.
San Jose, CA
6/13/2011
Exclusive little speakeasy that won't let you in without a password - though the password may be found on their twitter. Intimate setting with an open area and plenty of sitting areas. On the peripherals of Koreatown, but still part of the culture.
Diverse crowd. Amazing seasoned fries. The watermelon drink is very refreshing and recommended. - though maybe not as strong as a basic well drink. Street parking. Chill bartenders. Nice bouncer. -
Review from Ana F.
6/2/2011
Yes, there is a password, and no it's not difficult to get. Just check their MySpace/Twitter/Facebook or whatever they tell you to. I got lucky and just asked a friend who got there early.
Came here on a Wednesday night and the group I was with pretty much dominated the entire night. This is definitely a "good for groups" kind of bar when it comes to karaoke and drinking; I can't imagine coming here alone or with just one or two other people without feeling totally out of place or bored. Then again, I don't karaoke alone and I need to be mighty drunk, so groups are just common sense for me in these types of situations. The large banquets are designed for large groups, 8-12 people, and for you all to get drunk on decently priced drinks (whiskey-diet only $8!).
Staff here is super friendly, and their burgers aren't bad either. I come here mainly for the ambiance - chill with your large group of friends, get really wasted, and sing your little heart out.
One tip though - TIP YOUR KARAOKE DJ. Poor girl was sitting there with no money in the jar after hours of our drunk group harassing her.
And this place is pirate themed?! I couldn't tell. Seems like an old wooden bar to me! I'll update when I go on a weekend night, but I love how intimate and not crowded it is on the weekdays.Listed in: Party Machine LA
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Review from Anh-Chi V.
Los Angeles, CA
6/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is in walking distance of my apt, so I had to try it, esp with all the great yelp reviews. Bouncer was nice and normal enough, and we had the password, so no hassle. Walked in on a Friday night around 9pm, it was pretty empty but it definitely filled up later in the night.
Firstly, my fave part of the bar is the atmosphere. Its dark, its has lots of seats and booths...there's not many bars you can have a date at! The karaoke was going that night, and it was pretty hilarious without being obnoxious. Where else can you have white boys legitly pull off City High's "what would you do," Mamba No. 5 and Single ladies? Oh, and ya, everyone here is white... which I prefer over everyone being korean. sorry. no offense. must be the OC/Nor Cal in me, i dunno. bad asian.
Props to the bartender that night (skinny white guy with glasses and a sleeve i think). Great drinks, great service. He even taste tasted my drink with a straw, which is a skill that i know bartenders learn at high end restaurants. And the drinks turned out great.
The $13 sampler is HUGE fyi. After a while it was evident that the sandwich was forgotten but we didn't say anything cuz we were full. The bartender realized it later and came over and said we could have it on the house. We declined cuz we were full and didn't want to put the cook to work. So bartender gave us a free round of shots. Win!
We WILL be back, whether on another date night or with a posse. loves it. -
Review from Gary N.
Los Angeles, CA
10/25/2011
I really like this bar a lot. Its a great little hole in the wall place but you have to know the password or they WILL NOT let you in! Drinks are a bit pricey, but they are HUGE.
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Review from Warren C.
7/7/2011
Twitter for the password. It does change fairly often, almost daily I think.
Small bar with a small stage, and a few booths.
We landed here on a Friday night, they were having a karaoke session. I was afraid to go up since everyone else was so good and looked like they legitimately practiced. I figured no one wanted to see me down 2 drinks and then try to wing it on stage. Either way, it was a lot of fun, I wouldn't have minded staying longer.
Oh, and for some reason, it was like they were celebrating Canada Day in here. I didn't realize that was so trendy here. -
Review from Nick C.
4/20/2011 1 photo
Bar with a password?
I've only been here for happy hour, but R Bar turned out to be a pretty laid back experience. There's live music, and it doesn't seem to get that crowded because there's a password system (although if you go early enough I don't think they care too much about the PW!) Happy hour specials aren't that bad.
This place definitely has a more of an east coast vibe to it. People there are pretty cool, and aren't all stuck up like some other places I've been to. Good place to "chill-lax" and have a good time. -
Review from Steph C.
2/18/2011
It tripped me out when I walked into R Bar to find the whitest bar in L.A. Okay, that's an overstatement - how about the whitest bar on the east side? It must be the whitest bar in Koreatown, but that almost goes without saying.
Before you pounce on me, this is just an observation. I love whitey. I went to school on the east coast, and my boyfriend only eats cheeseburgers and pizza. I pay to watch movies, and therefore I implicitly endorse a world where 95% of the important people are white. It's just funny that that demographic holds as true in a bar in the middle of K-Town as it does on the big screen. My group of friends provided the only two Asians and the only black person in the house.
It seems that R Bar is home to a whole lot of regular hipsters. Tons of questionable facial hair and "effortless" "thrift store" fashion. I know there are Asian hipsters, too, but strangely, they were absent. Perhaps it was the choice of music. While no one minds Aerosmith or Tom Petty, when a bar plays them back to back it really evokes nothing more than what Matt B. described as a frat party in the 90s.
The bar does have a comfortable feel to it that I can get behind. The decor is unassuming, but well kept with lots of dark wood. Still, I find it funny that it supposedly requires a password, which I don't remember having to give. I mean do you have to give a prostitute your phone number? R Bar is more dive in spirit than it is San Francisco speakeasy.
There's plenty of seating and easy access to the bar. Nothing fancy in the way of drinks, and the mixed drinks vary quite a bit in alcohol content. I suppose that's just how it is at most casual bars, though, so if you want it weak or strong, it wouldn't hurt to ask.
We didn't stay the whole night, but R Bar was a fun place to start. I don't think it's going to be a regular haunt for me, but it's a good stop for a Koreatown bar hop, especially if you're sick of seeing Koreans. -
Review from Andrew L.
Philadelphia, PA
7/26/2011
One of the friendliest staffs i've come across since relocating to the LA area. The bar is very dark and has a cool 1600's/Pirate-y feel. No password was required when my friends and i visited but apparently they generally require a password to enter (i believe it's "johnny's avocados").
A little more expensive then i expected ($4 for a can of PBR) but you really can't beat the service, both bartenders were super nice and chatted with us through out the night. We came on karaoke night (Monday) and the karaoke DJ was THE MAN. We'll definitely be back for the tasty food and good service but will probably get sauced somewhere beforehand to avoid the somewhat steep prices. -
Review from Mike Q.
1/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Now, I know this place is categorized as a dive, but what proper dive bar requires the use of passwords? This is like putting a velvet rope in front of Sizzler. Ok, maybe that analogy doesn't work for you, but the warranty's expired, so sorry, no refunds.
Anyway, the night we went (as part of our Epic Saturday™) there were multiple birthday parties being celebrated, as well as a band playing on ... well, I didn't see a stage, so, playing on the main room floor. Suffice to say, the noise was at about jet engine levels. I could barely shout over the din to get our drink order heard by the bartender, but the drinks all came out correctly, and strongly, to boot. Definitely a plus in their favor.
We retreated to the back room reserved for the birthday celebrant, where it was much calmer, but also much darker. Due to our collective poor eyesight, Hazel and I often joke about spawning mole children if we ever had kids, so this was like practice for living in a mole environment.
After about two drinks, we just couldn't chat, mingle, or hang out comfortably due to the combination of loudness on one side and utter darkness in the other. I'm gonna write it off as an unfortunate mix of circumstances, and I'd probably give it another shotListed in: Epic Saturday™
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Review from Trina L.
Alhambra, CA
3/18/2011
This place was pretty sweet when I went there, but it wasn't really happening since I went after work on a Tuesday night.
But I bet any other night it would've been dope.
The Texas Sweet Tea was a must have there
The drinks were decent priced and strong as well.
There's a cool lounge area with dim lighting
and there is live music, but it was a weird western/country night so it really wasn't my thing.
But I would check it out again on a better night with a better crowd. -
Review from David A.
San Jose, CA
9/18/2011
Had a really good visit here. Sitting in the deep corner of the bar, I felt like I was under the deck of an aging pirate ship. The dim candlelight and vintage lanterns were a really nice touch to the experience. Service was friendly, live music was great. The vibe was a bit hipster but I liked what was going on. A great place to catch up with old friends, as I did on this particular night.
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Review from Sherie M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/25/2011
R Bar was the 2nd stop on my "Scurvy Thirty Birthday Party" Asian Pirate/Ship Bar Crawl back in 2010. Wasn't too bad of a walk from HMS Bounty - just head 3 blocks down Wilshire, hang a left on Irolo, and then a right on 8th Street and you're there! (If you pass Taylor's Steakhouse, you've gone too far.)
I had done a lil Yelp research earlier on and that's how I found this place. Never heard of it before, but I thought it was cool that it fit my party theme (ship-interior like HMS Bounty) with a great schtick- you needed a password to get in. I followed instructions, looked on their Myspace page, then gave them a call to find out the password for the day. I was warned by the other yelpers that if I forgot the password, the bouncer would at least try to quiz you on something. If you got that trivia question wrong, you were outta luck and couldn't get in.
My drunk ass was grateful that we had a bit of walk before arriving so I could sober up. I realized I'd forgotten to tell anyone else the password and would've felt dumb if I was drunk and stuck outside with my party of 15 people. Plus, there was no signage at all at the time so I'm glad I remembered the street address too.
We get in and the ENTIRE interior is ship theme and deceptively small. All of the dark wood hides additional seating in the back and I'm totally admiring the decor. My guests and I settle in and start walking up to the bar and ordering drinks. This is my last impression of the bar because soon after, my gf orders me a couple of sweet teas (vodka and sweet tea mix) and then I'm gone. Thank you R Bar for pouring some stiff drinks. Woo! Some new guests arrive and recommend we go to Frank and Hanks, which is next door to the next stop on my bar crawl list.
Next thing I know, I've told my bf and friends to follow us and I just jump into my gf ride and speed off to Frank and Hanks...
So speeding up to March 2011, I finally went back to the R Bar with the bf and some of the homies for Thursday night drinks and karaoke. Completely filled with guys (except for the 2 lady bartenders and 1 karoake regular), I'm looking around and it's still the same as I remember. This crazy Ace Ventura/Elvis Presley gold shades white pant wearing shirt unbuttoned down to his navel pompadour'd karaoke host comes up to start the festivities.
Turns out to be a fun night and althought their song books doesn't have everything, there's a lot of songs to choose from. Bartenders are still pouring a good stiff drink (rum & coke for me this time) and me and the homies are lauging/cringing at the cheesy fun singing. I even take a turn and share the stage with the wise crackin host. All in all, not a bad Thursday night. If you're craving karaoke and want to skip the wait at Brass Monkey, head on over to the R Bar.
Just don't forget the password! -
Review from Amy S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/23/2011
I've been wanting to try R Bar for a relong time, because the pictures I've seen here on Yelp made me believe this was a unique posh Victorian kinda place. A friend and I decided to check R Bar out, after we had a few drinks at the Bounty a street away. What struck me about R Bar was the fact that it's very... inconspicuous in that I would have never noticed it just based on its exterior (which makes sense I guess because it is a dive bar). Either that, or I was too tipsy to notice its exterior at the time.
Walking in, my friend made me notice the ceilings. The ceilings are spectacular! The pattern was interesting, and it was even cooler in the dark. The drinks here are decent and affordable; although it's considered cheap, it was more expensive than the Bounty but not by much. However, R Bar wasn't as crowded and had a very young-ish crowd. There's a jukebox by the entrance, and I forgot how much it is for one song, but there were already some credits on the jukebox, so I got to pick a couple of songs for free. The bouncer complained that there was only one rap CD in the jukebox... it's true though.
They sell pickles here and I never figured out what the deal with the pickles was? When I was sitting at a table with my friend, some table behind us kept on taking pictures of the table next to us... I wonder if the guy sitting at the next table was famous or something?
I know this review is very sporadic and random, but my parting thoughts about this place would be: it was a lot smaller than I anticipated it to be. Great place to hang with a younger crowd and very dive-y. Will probably be back in the near future.Listed in: Near USC
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Review from Brett H.
Los Angeles, CA
11/24/2011
cool spot. met a group of people here for a friend's birthday. parking SUCKS.... but that's not their fault. the bar is pretty small and has a cool, dark dive-bar kinda vibe. it felt much more "local" than most of the bars in hollywood. check their twitter for the password to get in before you go.
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Review from Ben H.
Los Angeles, CA
9/10/2011
After recently moving into the area, I decided to check out the local dive bar scene and stumbled upon R Bar. It's one of the few places around Ktown that I've found has awesome live music and younger, somewhat friendly patrons. The doorman is awesome as well as the tenders and the secret password to get in is a nice touch that makes me feel more at home in La La Land.
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Review from Love E.
San Francisco, CA
8/31/2011
Decoration: Cool and very comfortable couches.
Food/Alcohol: They have wide and big selection from same old Vodka to Very very expensive Louis XIII
Service: Nice -
Review from Helen M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/1/2011
This place is pretty fantastic. Spent my birthday weekend here with a group of friends a few weeks ago and we all had a great time...from what I can remember. The password is ever-changing and quirky and I would seriously stop getting a complex over it people. It's all in good fun...don't you like fun? It's in a very unassuming area of K-town but it's not sketch in the least bit. Mainly just hustlin and bustlin with people selling things from carts, doing laundry, walking their kids, yada yada.
The bar itself is dark and smells/looks like you're below deck of some rickety pirate ship. The drinks are stiff, not pricey and the bouncer wasn't a prick about kicking us out at 2. There was a show that night, but the music wasn't bad and it wasn't loud either so yay to that. And there is plenty of room to party in the back...I also vaguely remember munching on some garlic fries...I think they were good. I also vaguely remember sampling their specialty drinks...oh boy...
I wish this bar was closer to Culver City so that we can make this our weekend home away from home. Maybe it's a good thing that it's not. -
Review from Irina S.
Los Angeles, CA
1/9/2011
Yes, it's in K-town. Yes, it's slightly seedy. Yes, the drinks aren't particularly cheap or amazing. However, if you want to go to a dimly lit, unpretentious spot and actually get a table/seating with a big group, this is your spot. The password isn't hard to come by, the doorman is nice, the vibe is relaxed, and holy shit - the jukebox has The Dead Weather and it's 7 hits for a dollar!
Definitely making it a staple for neighborhood partying.
