I'll leave 5 stars because I support local music venues. Consider supporting this local business - I am sure they are worth checking out. I didn't actually get to go in though. The lady at the front was strange. I was denied entry. They check IDs. Mine had just expired. She made quite a big deal about it, even as I was trying to leave. She kept asking me questions, but seemed to get defensive. I kept repeating "it's all good, I'll come back next time" to de-escalate the situation. I felt really uncomfortable. I think the lady was drunk. She seemed pretty erratic. Either way, her behavior was unprofessional and unwelcoming - whether she was under the influence of alcohol or not. I will still try to check this place out next time on a better day! read more

Average but welcoming. We started our night with this location in mind but, later we're informed that they didn't have a kitchen.

First time here and we love the Dodger game can't wait to come back again Joseph is awesome very welcoming and plays amazing music and change the dodger game when we asked him to such a great vibe amazing people thank you Joseph for a great first time experience. We will definitely come back again. read more

1881 - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

Been here twice they charge a cover of $10 if a band is playing. The clients here seem to be 50 and up. Maybe older? I guess it's ok. Only been here twice. I didn't actually get a drink I stayed like a minute. Maybe I shouldn't be completing this review. Parking is free. read more

Very intimate. Beautiful atmosphere. Friendly bartenders. Drinks were absolutely to die for. I tried their take on a French 75, and it was amazing. read more

1881 - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I love this place! Vince really made my visit feel like I was at home. Definitely coming back for the jazz next time!

Great place and atmosphere. If you're lucky Joe is the one making your Old Fashioned. read more

1881 - Joe makes a great Old Fashioned - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

We visited 1881 on a recent Friday night and got to see a jazz quartet. There is a $10 cover. Street parking only. 1881 is a small neighborhood bar on Washington near Allen Ave. There are a handful+ of small tables to your left when you walk in and the bar to your right. There is a secondary smaller sitting area towards the back that is elevated by a few steps near the restrooms. I did not see a back patio. The bartenders were cool, the music was good and the older gentleman coming around to pick up finished drink glasses was great. Cocktails we ordered ranged between $12-$14. Those were for moscow mules and old fashioneds... This is a mellow, local bar and I'm glad we went. We for sure will return to hear some more jazz and have drinks with friends. read more

Vincent single-handedly raised the vibration of the room. Will return for more delicious drinks.

They said they were closed but they were clearly not closed. This gave me a great deal of confusion and I would like to understand if you were closed that night or not (this happened one time many many weeks ago). read more

Love this place, great local bar with live jazz! Excellent Manhattan made for by Vincent! read more

1881 - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

Neighborhood dive bar vibe with friendly bartenders and a great jazz band the night we went. Easy street parking

Went during vocals night and it was amazing! Great singer, great band and great drinks!

I had an amazing time at Club 1881 in Pasadena. Joseph made the best Mezcal Negroni in town!

Great music and great bartender. Such a gem of a place. Always an amazing place to go.

Such a cool little hidden gem. Great cocktails, awesome jazz, friendly service. You'd blink and miss it from the outside but it's well worth venturing inside! read more

Fun place. Welcoming. Intimate, comfortable seating for small talk while listening to wonderful musicians and meeting other Patrons of the Arts. I'll be back. Thank you. Great service. read more

Nothing flashy, just a good neighborhood bar with great people and drinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Layback environment, the live music is fantastic and folks are beautiful and friendly. read more

We decided to get a Christmas cocktail and went to this bar since we had be alway wanted to go. Nice atmosphere ( divey & dark), definitely a place I'd go back to read more

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Layback atmosphere with good music. This place attracts most locals and tend to get busy after 9:30pm. The drinks here are okay, good selection of whiskies but the cocktails are mediocre. No food is sold here except for peanuts. We were told we can bring our own food though. $10 cover charge is reasonable consider the live music. No frills, just that kind of neighborhood live music dive bar. read more

1881 - Brazilian jazz on Saturday night - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great bar for watching great jazz. Not crowded. Mostly a cocktail bar, but they had Stella on tap so we were happy. $10 cover charge for the music is reasonable, especially if it adds to what the musicians get paid read more

1881 - Brazilian jazz players, also a singer and clarinet - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

1881 for jazz on a Friday night was fantastic! A $10 cover provided fabulous music for three hours from 8:30pm to 11:30pm. On our particular night, we had a trio of drums, guitar, and bass. Street parking was plentiful and free. The bathrooms were clean. I appreciated the quick turnaround on drinks, loved my amaretto sour, and my friends loved their selections. Our tables were regularly bussed. Strangers sat next to each other. Outside food is welcome but I didn't see anybody bring anything in. No particular dress code is enforced as far as I could tell. After the show, the pasadena nightlife is just a short drive away. A dazzling night- I'd love to be back soon! read more

Great owner and vibe highly recommend. Ellen is tremendous and a big personality. Definitely make an effort to speak with her if you get the chance read more

I don't even wanna say anything good about the place because it's too small to be "Jumpin"..."poppin" or in anyway popular but the vibe is Killa and the bands are "banding" (don't judge me...was trying to sound cool). Go visit though. It'll be worth it. read more

Your East Pasadena neighborhood bar. Very charming, with some of the best bartenders you'll come across in this city. Not too large at all, so bar space is limited on busy nights, but it's all worth coming in for a cold one. Not too much on tap, but the bar is fully loaded with the hard stuff and all sorts of cocktails. Decor is interesting. Haven't quite figured it out, but it's all good. The real attraction here is the live entertainment. Came on a Friday and they had an amazing jazz quartet. Paid 10 to get in, but that's insignificant when you get yourself a front row seat to some world class jazz. They have other themed nights during the week, like a comedy night, so check the website. Parking is everywhere, out front on the street and next door in the Stater Bros parking lot. Also noticed that there's a taco stand behind the building! read more

I've been making it a habit of going on dates with myself (wonderful for the self esteem BTW) and I was hankerin for some good jazz. I've already visited a ton of places on jazz nights and wanted to try something new. Since, I decided Pasadena was my playground for the night, it only made sense to give 1881 a visit to listen to some good music on a Friday night. Ok, tip: $10 cash cover, but there's a wells Fargo and Chase within eye shot. (But as a single woman in heels at night, it wasn't fun walking and coming back). Got in around 9, and immediately headed to the bar. I loved the vibe. The crowd was diverse and totally fun. People were groovin, dancing, and enjoying themselves. There's definitely an air of familiarity in this place (maybe it was a special night ?) lots of hugs, hand shakes and back pats. The music was great! I was previously at the Langham hotel for their night of jazz, which was a bit too classy for what I was looking for. I wanted something meatier- something I could sink my teeth into. 1881 saved my night! The music is right up my alley, great stuff, and no one batted an eye when I was bobbing and swaying - it was that good. I had two great and stiff cocktails which ran me about ~$50 with tip so pretty average for the area. Loved my visit to 1881! I will definitely be back on Friday jazz night. read more

This is the most extraordinary bar experience in the southland. The vibe. The music. The community. It is all on display every night. What a wonderful thing to have in our backyard. read more

Fun and laid back old school bar with a classy cocktail menu and a lot of live entertainment on the regular. Also has foosball and a digital jukebox. Lots of parking in adjacent grocery lot. I prefer Friday Jazz nights and the monthly comedy show with a Manhattan or two! Service is good and the bar team is friendly and knowledgeable about the many different drink options like the Paper Plane. No food offered here but you're welcome to bring your own from a nearby spot, the Starbucks across the street, or the Stater Bros in the parking lot. read more

1881 - Manhattan - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is a very chill place. Went in on a Tuesday didn't have that many people. I wouldn't mind seeing how it gets on a weekend.

Hit this joint up on a Friday night for some live jazz and some tasty libations. The trio played smooth music you can shake your head to and snap your fingers. Very relaxing vibe in this small venue. Get there early because it fills up fast. We got in at 7pm to set up for our party of 12. They sell no food but are allowed to bring your own while enjoying the music. read more

Every Friday night, the 1881 consistently turns into Pasadena's coolest local jazz haunt. World-renowned jazz musicians mingle with old masters of the craft and young emerging talent. If you're a fan of jazz, this place is not to be missed. The cocktails are good. The whiskey selection is strong. Bartenders are cool--not bougie or stuffy--and friendly as long as you are a decent person. Just don't be a dick!! They have a decent jukebox, foosball in the back room, and usually either sports or vintage movies playing on TV. If you're cool, this place is cool. If you suck, you probably won't like it. read more

1881 - Foosball in the back room. - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Pasadena, California

Really cool laid back place. I like live music they have here and the drink selection.

Love Tuesday nights ! Great Irish singer songwriter, feels like cheers. Super friendly , great drinks

First time here. Came in a Saturday night to see the Swing Riots (quark-tet). What a cool place. What a great whiskey selection! Dive-ish. We will definitely come back. No food, eat before you come. Sounds like they also have great Friday night jazz. Scotch, Whiskey and bourbon drinkers will love this place. read more

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Had an amazing time at their comedy show last Saturday. The lineup was pretty funny, the bartender was awesome - great attitude and made delicious drinks. Strong and delicious. I agree with the other reviews on this thread - the vibe is super down to earth and I love that they had so many different spaces to sit and drink. Overall, so glad to find this little gem! read more

Great drinks! Thank you bartenders Relaxing atmosphere! Exceptional jazz band! Thank you 1881. , Thank you. read more

This is one of the closest bars to my apartment, and I love it! Although the exterior looks pretty divey, the interior strikes a perfect balance of being cozy, clean, comfortable, and classy, without any pretentiousness whatsoever. The bartenders are friendly and they have a fantastic, affordable cocktail menu, without the price point you'd see over on Colorado Blvd. I tried the cucumber basil gimlet and loved it! There is also a super cool jukebox that you can control from a phone app, if you wanted to DJ! I hope to come back for live jazz on Fridays. Great place to take a date. I'm kinda glad it isn't within walking distance, or I might be here multiple times per week. read more

I went for jazz night last night. Couple of things I want to point out considering the worlds circumstances with COVID. This place asked to see proof of vaccinations and you must wear a mask to order at the bar. THANK YOu! I do wish more establishments took this serious! I had a Irish mule and Jameson. Drinks were reasonably priced and yummy! Great crowd, great service and the music was phenomenal! I highly recommend!! read more

It is a great place! People are friendly, there is live music. The cocktails are fantastic! They have my favorite one ... the Moscow Mule with Bushmills or Vodka :) you wont go wrong! All of the bartenders are very proffesional and kind! You will have lots of fun over there! read more