I'd heard of Characters and their pull within the punk rock music genre for a minute. But the rep was always kinda sketch and I never had a reason to go. But when CMI announced a show I had to be there. And lemme tell ya. This place is awesome. Located on a section of Pomona with numerous clubs and bars Characters sticks out as it's on the end and the sign is easy to see. There's ample parking and if there's nothing in the lot, the streets have plenty available. Security was cool with no hassle. As I walked in I was expecting a greasy dive bar with sticky floors and garbage lighting. No! Total opposite. Very clean and the crowd was cool. Pool tables were pushed to the side and the stage was nice and high. Sound was phenomenal and of course the bands were awesome. It's 21+ so keep that in mind if you're interested in an upcoming show. Characters was the total opposite of what I was expecting. At least indoors it's a great place to see a show. It checks all the boxes for what I'm looking for and I'd go back 100%. Highly recommended! read more

after going to a show at the fox theater we tried looking around for spots to have a drink and play pool and we stumbled upon this place. what mainly attracted us was that they were having a karaoke night so we walked in, prior to us walking in a group of young men had just walked out telling us how they don't card, which isn't a problem for us since we were all 21 but the second we went to sit and wait for a pool table one of the bartenders, she was on the heavier side yelled at us from across the bartop instead of approaching us demanding for our ids, immediately that turned us off as she continued to scream at us we decided to take our business elsewhere and she continued to scream "BYE! BYE! BYE! GET THE FUCK OUT!" as we walked out and that was not only embarrassing but understanding as to why they lack business. characters definitely showed their character tonight, rude and unwelcoming. read more

I walked in and both security guards started laughing at me saying I didn't look like my id and shiny lights in my face telling me to take my glasses off and look like a dummy at the door and I was confused and tried to assure a bald short security or bar back and he yelled at me and said to just listen to him and what he say and to stfu. I've never been to this bar and won't be back I've never had that type of disrespect by a grown 38 year old bar back embarrassing to say the least read more

Tonight 1 of the bouncers from Characters disrespected my blind brother James just because he's blind so i will never go back to Characters again cuz that bouncer was very disrespectful trying to bang. read more

I come here anytime i want to just have a chill night , I like the other bartenders that work there like Jynx but i had a bad experience with somebody who was working the night shift on January 9 around 11-12pm ... She ignored me and my friend group plenty of times while we patiently waited for our turn which wasn't just us waiting btw ... She would stare and walk off , dance with customers and give drinks to others who weren't waiting in line at the bar table ... I called for her once , was ignored the other people waiting also POLITELY called for her which she then took the wrong way and started giving them attitude and saying "i see all of you but matter fact i'm gonna take my sweet ass time now " which is crazy disrespectful, my friend asked her if she was ready and she took it the wrong way as well ... Not sure if she herself was drunk but my friend saw her sipping on a cup with what looked like dark liquor... I understand this is a punk dive bar but that doesn't mean you have to treat your customers like shit .. and if that's what you stand for than odds are you're not punk lol !!! Let's also not forget a night that i went with friends and a whole fight broke off between a regular of hers which was a big male and a WOMAN .. she straight up let him lay his hands on her multiple times .. yikes .. I'm sure all the other reviews are about her as well since it sounds exactly how she was treating me and my friends. read more

Staff has always been great to deal with. Characters offers pool tables and also has bands that play on certain dates. I've always stopped by for karaoke night. I've always ordered beer since I'm definitely a beer drinker. Crowd varies on certain dates, sometimes it's packed, other times it's almost empty. Either way, grab a few friends and roll thru for a quick drink and a free game of pool. read more

Characters - Graffiti art on the back wall, definitely Pomona. - Sports Bars Near Me - Pomona, California

I laugh so hard at the one start reviews cus what do you expect it's literally a punk rock dive bar in pomona. The best punk rock dive bar in Pomona! Bartenders are the coolest unless your an idiot that doesn't know how to act right. If you are someone that likes to act like a drunk idiot then you'll need to be careful because it's not the security that regulates it's the big tough drunk regulars who love fighting that will have a ball with you. For food, sometimes they have hotdogs on the patio but mostly not you can take your own food in tho read more

Had a blast seeing Midnight perform here a few weeks ago. Everyone was cool as hell, the building allowed ins-and-outs, and the staff didn't mind me hanging around after the show to chat with the band. This is the model man! read more

i love characters!.. all the staff are phenomenal and are quick to help you and get you a drink when they see you ready to order.. i make it a point to bring allll my empty drinks, bottles, cans to the trash or bar intead of leaving a mess like a slob because i have manors and morals and there are plenty of trash cans around to clean up after myself.. the girls, behind the bar are alllll sweet and kind and treat everyone with respect.. its my favorite place to go a quick drink, get down with karaoke, and for some live music... read more

Came here because a show that was originally supposed to be at the Glass House was moved here. I thought I was late because I got here around 9:30, which typically at the Glass House the main headliner would be going on, but no, they were on opening band number one. Did I make it to the headliner? No, because I learned the hard way that the headliner goes on REALLY late, like beyond my bed time. I did see two really good opening bands and was satisfied with that. The stage was inside the bar instead of on the outside patio which meant it was crowded inside, but it made for a great atmosphere since it was a punk show. Outside on the patio was a hotdog lady and a bunch of random vendors selling their own creations. They have two bathroom stalls for the ladies inside in a cramped space but it's fine. Parking is right out front in the lot and cost is $2 for 24 hours. I liked the space, it's definitely a dive bar for the tough crowd, but the staff and security are all really nice and fun! read more

Noemi was rude and master manipulated we asked for two drinks and she told us PER POOL GAME ONW DRINK MINIMUM....like okay stupid we have been here plenty of times for shows ! We looked liked squares tonight and she took full advantage tonight of us ! Just because we didn't fit her SCENE ! When we told her that we were buying two drinks she told us that we couldn't and that it's one drink per pool table?? Like what and she told Us buy pitches or drinks ? Individually? No we have a tab and wanted to pay and we paid for the pool table when we called to speak to a manager SHE PRETENDED TO BE THE MANAGER And put a gentleman named Raul on the phone who apologized but we knew was not the manager of the bar ! WE'VE BEEN HERE ! None the less the service sucked and was coniaivibg she was high of of coke or crack and couldn't control her jaw for the life of her she lowered the integrity of the bar for a fucken tip we are good tippers and she lost out on a good tip to her VICE!!!! read more

ZERO STARS!!! I came here last year and felt unsafe. There were unruly drunk people being belligerent, but I came to support my boyfriend's band. The bartender at that time was so rude to my friend's girlfriend. The bathroom was small, dirty with blood and shit on the floor. I didn't return for a full year. When my boyfriend told me he was coming back here today, I wasn't excited about the location but I came out to support him again. I had COVID recently and I'm now past the isolation period, but I decided to wear my mask at the bar. I bought a beer to support the bar but didn't drink it because I wanted to keep my mask on. My immunocompromised friend was also keeping his mask on. The first bartender we had was named Ashley and she was very sweet to us. Enter the bar back. Ugly rude guy with long greasy hair. He demanded to know why we were keeping our masks on. When I told him I had COVID recently but passed the isolation period, all he heard was "COVID". He flipped out, cursing at us. Mind you, I'm not a confrontational person. I was just sitting there being cursed at by this man because he was uncomfortable that my friend and I wanted to keep our masks on and I was sick 2 weeks ago. He wouldn't listen to a word we said and told us, "get the fuck out of my bar " You would think he would encourage people to keep their masks on but I guess he's an anti-masker. This place is trash. Rude employees get uncomfortable with people wearing masks! Dirty bathrooms, sketchy place. They don't even respect their performers, much less their customers. AVOID!! read more

One of the shadiest spots to play as a local musician... management will book a show a month in advance, and cancel the week of out of favoritism towards another band. This has happened multiple times with multiple bands. The manager Mario was confronted about the matter and became angry that I was questioning his decisions. After repeatedly asking for a legitimate reason and him dodging the question, the truth surfaced through another source. Do yourself and your band a favor and do not play here... read more

If you want to dive into a dive bar or stage dive into a crowd of drunk people then this might be the dive bar for you! First I must talk about parking there is plenty of spaces that run along the train tracks making it very easy to get in and out. When you park make sure you remember your space number so that you can go to the machine and pay their awesome parking price of $1 that last tell the next day! After you have payed return to your car and put your payed ticket on your dashboard this will save you from getting a ticket! The bar itself has a great selection of bottled beers the staff was generally nice and that includes the security who were actually pretty chill about everything. The stage is right where it should be providing a decent amount of space for everyone to watch the bands. They have a huge patio area that has plenty of tables for you to hangout with friends and sip on your drinks which is definitely a plus because not many dive bars have this luxury! One of the coolest things about this place is they sell Lotto tickets that's a first for me I've never seen any bar that sells them and me being me you know I sooo bought a Mega Millions ticket! My reason for coming here was to see A Global Threat play they sounded pretty good for being in a small dive bar I spent the majority of the time in the mosh pit because that's just the best place to be at a punk show. One thing I must say is that they have a fire extinguisher right next to their ice machine I just happened to touch it when I walked by and wow it was super hot its definitely not a good idea to keep things under pressure next to a hot machine but I won't let that drag down their rating because it's not my call if they want to be unsafe and potentially lose their business. Overall I'd come back here again for a show the drinks weren't too pricey they sell Lotto Tickets it didn't sound that bad and they have a super mellow patio overall a great time in Pomona's Arts District! read more

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Chendo 10/10. Didn't have the right stuff for a midouri sour but made it work !!! Customer service , 10/10. would come back. Needs a raise. Thanks for a great night !!!!! read more

Good times, people were chill, bartender was awesome! Prices are great...... and Raiders won!!!!

I was here last night with some friends. We were all enjoying ourselves. As the night came to an end, I went to grab some waters for us and the bartender (Bigger Gentleman), decides to help out the ladies next to me. I was there first but i did not make a big deal about it. I simply just turned around to my friend and said, "He ignored me". He came up to me and said, "Dont cry about it, I did not ignore you. If youre going to cry about it. Then you can go to the Hook Up." Again, I did not make a huge deal about, no scene was made but there was definately no need to attack me like that. I only say that because I am gay and basically telling me to go back to a gay bar is honestly such an ignorant thing to say. You work in the service industry, if you are going to talk to your customers like that, then you should choose another job. Overall, I do not appreciate being judged and attacked when there was no need and nothing i said should have been taken out of proportion. The woman next to me offered me to take their waters because he was acting out of line and I did not deserve to be spoken to like that. read more

Cheap booze, good tunes, friendly bar tenders, what more do you want? I come here after work sometimes and it is the perfect place for me. No fancy or pretentious micro brews here, this is a blue collar place that keeps it simple: beer, whiskey, tequila, and vodka. If you are looking for cool cocktails infused with local herbs this ain't the place. Think Cheers but for older Chicanos. This place bumps Zapp and Roger like you wouldn't believe. read more

Characters is awesome and has a lot of great bands! Been going there since mid 2000's and is my favorite local dive bar to see live music and play pool! read more

I would give this place no stars if I could. I've played several successful shows here and it's a shame that this promoter and bar tender at Characters in Pomona would be so disrespectful to fellow musicians and know when they are over serving customers. I will never play there again. And I hope you all will not give this place the time of day. read more

Characters - Apparently this is how business is conducted. No thank you Characters. - Sports Bars Near Me - Pomona, California

Best Dive Bar in Pomona! Diverse crowd, young old, music is always good, I've watched Aceyalone play and a guy on ukulele covering punk songs, great food vendors, just go to drink beer and have a good time and guess what, you'll end up having a great time. read more

Been here many times but the last time I came there female bartender was rude ignored us never served us our drinks when we finally got to order. Then rudely started taking other guys orders that came after and loudly started telling one of them how she shouldn't even make him a drink since he didn't tip her yet very ghetto and unprofessional me and my friend decided at that point we needed to leave. Never going back because of her read more

The name says it all..."Characters"...and boy let me tell you there are a lot of characters here. You got your truck drivers, lot lizards, ZZ top look-alike, Ambiguous gender aka 'Pat', veterans, young, old and everything in between. It's a good ol' American bar. On any given day you could find stressed out grad students debriefing with the "Characters". I find myself downing the juice, laughing with classmates and playing "Who would you do?", in which I would choose the gnarliest looking man in the bar! The 50 something year old with long hair and pony tail wearing a smock playing darts.Well it was between him and the inebriated regular who dry humps the bar top in the corner. Yep, I'm a classy girl and it can't get any classier at this bar. I'm usually outnumbered by the men so my odds are great! Lot lizards watch out! You have competition! read more

Characters - characters outside - Sports Bars Near Me - Pomona, California

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Where nobody knows you name, and they let you drink in peace, my kind of bar. Amazing punk and all sorts of music shows have taken place within these walls, i have never had a bad time here. Shout out to Mario and his amazing michelada !! read more

I went to see some Death Metal bands play at this dive bar. The hood rats hang out here but everyone was very nice. While the inside bar area was playing dance music the bands were jamming in the patio area. read more

Characters - Death Metal bands APR2014 - Sports Bars Near Me - Pomona, California

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This is a nice little gem in the middle of pomona. It is filled with a bunch of middle-aged/over the hill gentleman most of the time, but they're usually all friendly and in need of a good conversation. We stopped by here before our visit to the Mission Tiki Drive In Movie Theater, and we were greeted at the door by the regulars having a cigarette. Spaces in the parking lot were plentiful, but there were a bunch of broken beer bottles around the area. The bartender that helped us was pretty nice, she had a big smile on during our whole conversation and was very personable. I ordered two wild turkey + cokes for $5 a piece, and they were definitely worth it! She had a heavy hand, and the atmosphere was great. The actual seating area consists of 3 or 4 small round tables big enough to fit 3 people comfortably, seating at the bar, a couple of non-electronic dart boards, and 3 pool tables. It looks like it can get pretty crowded in here, and seating is going to be limited. Pretty good dive bar when all is said and done. Come here when you're in the area and grab a drink! read more

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Super place...great bar tenders! I've been coming here since the early 90's...I seen good bands and drank a lot of beer here. Don't be scared to have a drink here. Great friendly people here. Not the mos isley space port. Good drinking hole. read more

I have been here a few times. Recently my friends band "American Zombie" have had the opportunity to play here again this late summer. I have met a lot of really cool people and other bands that occasionally play here. Decent bar prices. The inside area is a bit small but it does have a pool table. The outside patio area is really nice. The food cart guy kicks butt with his nachos, lol... seriously gotta try them out. They are the bomb! I will definitly be back here! Parking can get filled up quickly so be there on time when coming to hangout and see your favourite bands perform. Friendly employees and cover charges just depend on what day of the week or weekend you are here and if its a night where bands are playing or not... read more

Characters - A bit blurry, Outside patio area "American Zombie" on stage! - Sports Bars Near Me - Pomona, California

Ultimate Favorite Sports Bar two Balanced Pool Tables more then Half Straight Pool Cue Sticks, Amazing Bartenders this Place has the Works. Sundays with the Maestro Dave for Karaoke. & those Delicious Hot Dogs & Sandwiches out in the Back. yUMM!! read more

Attended for Pantera tribute night and ended up enjoying myself to the fullest here. Drinks were served cold and it's small but efficient ambiance makes it work. I fairly enjoyed my experience here and definitely wouldn't mind returning sometime soon. read more

we always drink here and have a good time. we always stay until 2am (closing time) but for some reason this time when 2am rolled around, the bartenders / security started forcing us out saying get the fuck out already. obviously that type of talk isn't the type we would respond to, but this time they forced their issues onto us. after we already were outside the bar, the "security" at the front door started calling one of my friends a faggot and followed him to his car and started to fight him. we all started yelling to get off him and some of us started to record the altercation. my little brother was one of the ones recording, and all of the bar "security" started to fight anyone recording. saying things like "that's all this pussy generation does is record things". the 30-40 year old security came and sucker punched my 21 year old brother just for recording what they were doing. he was knocked out and hit his head on the asphalt. my friends girlfriend was also sucker punched for recording. obviously they were in the wrong if they needed to fight everyone who was recording. my little brother had to go to the hospital for a broken finger and a concussion from when he hit the floor. anyways, this bar is filled with nothing but cowards who depend on group force and can't fight on their own. don't come here if you like to have a good time because this staff will make sure you end up in the hospital for it! read more

Characters is a terrible bar and venue. This place was initially meant to be nothing but a bar. You can tell having bands play was a complete after thought. The sound system is terrible. They only have three speakers. This is unfortunate for any band that play there. The promoter should utilize a better and more professional venue. They do have reasonably priced drinks and there are a couple of employees who happen to give good customer service, but all around the bouncers and people who run the door are rude, unprofessional and lazy. I only come here to support bands that play here. Other then that I do not support this establishment. Support the music, not the venue. read more

Based on some current events I'll be taking my business elsewhere. This "bar/venue" is clearly TOO "legit as fuck" for my taste... ....and it seems the owner would rather condone his staff's terrible conduct instead of correcting it using responses and apparently threats to his former patrons. Very professional indeed... ...one bar I wouldn't mind seeing either shut down completely or changed over to a more respectable owner who knows how to run a legitimate business. These people clearly have a lack of respect for their customers. Plus security is more focused on laughing at their patrons rather than helping them when needed. Want a knife pulled on you? Look no further! Security there has that covered as well. If their response to a patron who was looking to a bar wench to regulate a belligerent drunk,whom they over served,was "This is Pomona! If you don't like it,get the fuck out!" then they're be better off rotting there in their little dive dump in their beloved Pomona. read more

Characters. This place definitely has 'em. I came here to see a bluegrass band play. There were punk kids, rockabilly kids, raver kids, and even people who weren't kids at all. This place was packed to the brim with characters. The bar area was a completely different atmosphere from the outside stage area. It was more of a ghetto dance club with a DJ. The ladies' bathroom is a single and there is a hallway after a door for you to wait in. It's kind of awkward if there is more than one person waiting for the toilet. It gets more awkward if the person in the bathroom is throwing up. And more awkward if you get hit on by a seasoned lesbian disgruntled with her drug-addicted lover.. read more

I love dive bars, but this one is a bit too divey for me. When you walk in, there are two pool tables, a couple of tables to sit at, and the bar itself. They have adequate televisions, but nothing special. When we went there on Friday, 4/26, their debit/credit card machine was down, so if you didn't have cash, no drinks for you! The beers were pricey, too. Ordered two pints of Modelo and a bottle of 805, came out to $20. The women's restroom only has one stall, so if you need to go, good luck waiting in line. They have a jukebox, too. The outside patio is not too bad. Went there to see some bands, but too bad there weren't any heater lamps. They do have a taco person that comes, and they do have vegan tacos, so that was a plus as far as food. Would I go there again? I vowed not to. It just didn't seem up to par for me. read more

This place is a sh*t hole ghetto bar with SHADY bartenders & employees. The guy outside threw away my full beer while I had my head turned helping him collect empty bottles. When I asked the bartender to replace it they said no and told me to keep a better watch on my beer. Ok fine with me so I bought a beer (bud light) gave her a $20 and she gave me back $6. So I basically paid $14 for a bud light. I didn't notice until I got back to my seat and the bartender wouldn't give me the rest of my money. I think they assume that everyone is wasted and won't know the difference so they totally take advantage of you. The bartender was DRUNK and I'm sure that contributed to the problems. Additionally the bathrooms are disgusting and you can smell urine oozing from the men's room. The women's bathroom used to have a toilet that never flushed but they finally replaced that. The only time I will ever go to this place is to see a band that I like. I'd never go here otherwise and I LOVE Dive bars.... read more

Hanging out on the patio. ..who cares! Pay another $10 to sit on the same dang patio when the band shows up. Not cool, for a regularly cool place. We arrived to have a few drinks and relax on the patio. We had ordered a pitcher and a few beers. After finishing our first pitcher, and having a second one on its way, we were told that we would need to pay an additional $10 to stay. To help set the stage, their was no one else on the patio besides a small group of WWII vets shooting the breeze. No one was lining up to hear this local band. We told them we'd rather spend the money elsewhere than give them a penny more after the gal kept interrupting us while we tried to finish our beer. The bartenders have always been cool people. Friendly and quick, which is what you want when you want a drink. The gal hustling on the patio cost the bar our money that night ( it was a heavy drinking night filled with taxis) and every night since. Because of this experience, we have not been back and it is no longer a place I will visit. I don't want to settle into a spot to enjoy a few drinks with friends to be interrupted every few minutes for more cash to listen to a local band that is getting its feet wet. Summary: Bartenders are cool people! The front door bouncers are decent guys. The people who a trying to get door money for the patio can lick a battery. read more

Not sure if their namesake is describing the people who go here or the staff. I'm thinking probably both. I came here with some friends. The bartenders are pretty cute, but the bouncer and other staff are pricks. And no, I wasn't belligerently drunk; in fact, I only had a single beer (Dale Brothers Pomona Queen, which is an okay local brew). The caliber of people here is not that which I would go out of my way and come here on my own. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm far over the bar scene anyways (and was long before I turned 30). The other thing I didn't like about this establishment is that they kick everyone out around 1:30. This means if you have to use the bathroom, too bad - do it outside. Need some water to try and sober up? Nope, you're fucked, we don't care. Need a cab? Not our problem, just drive home. Other bars in the area, namely Acerogami, will call you a cab, or even insist you do NOT drive home if you're plastered (which is legally what they're supposed to do anyways). I know, because I always observe the actions of both establishments while walking my dog at night. Needless to say, I really don't want to ever come to this shithole place again if I can help it. read more

I came here for a Halloween party that my friends car club was sponsoring. It is located in a decent part of Pomona and there is plenty of parking for everyone. I kind of expected this bar to have a little more character and be a little less dirty and more aesthetically pleasing. The bartenders were nice, I don't agree with buying soda and being handed a thimble sized portion that consists of mostly ice. They had a taco cart outside, it kind of sucked that they didn't have drinks. We sat outside on the patio that is of course a smoking patio and it's kind of covered on the top which traps the smoke inside. My asthma was really not liking all the smoke. What really gets me is that they don't clean up the tables. There were so many bottles and trash all over the tables. I find it a little unsettling to pay a cover charge and on top of that to bus my own table. read more

Great dive bar that is located in the historical down town Pomona. They have live band, a large selection of craft and domestic beers. The bartenders are great and always serve you with a smile. If you want to get away from the typical YUPPIE bars than this is your place! Great prices on all drinks. read more

Characters - Sports Bars Near Me - Pomona, California

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