I had a pretty frustrating experience here. One of the main reasons people use the jukebox at a bar is to enjoy the music they've paid for with their friends. My group put money into the jukebox and queued several songs well before last call. However, not long after, the staff noticeably lowered the volume to the point where you could barely hear it. It felt pretty unfair to pay for music that the bar then essentially muted before it had a chance to play properly. If there's a policy about lowering the music at a certain time, it should either be posted clearly or the jukebox should stop accepting money once that time approaches. Otherwise customers are paying for something they're not actually getting to enjoy. Overall, the atmosphere was disappointing because of that. Transparency and a little consideration for customers who already paid for songs would go a long way. read more

Random dive bar on Firestone is perfect for grabbing a beer after work while you wait for the traffic to die down on the 710, 105, 91 605 and 405. Ricky makes a delicious lemon drop shot and the beers on tap are ice cold. I personally loved drinking a bottle of Budweiser today. A classic that never disappoints. read more

See all

Seriously a chill spot to just kick back and have a drink. No drama. No flexing. No bullsh@t. Just a place to relax and listen to music and have a drink. They have it so you can use an app to pick songs also. Great place to bring your wife or girlfriend with no issues. read more

Guardsman Lounge - Chill - Dive Bars Near Me - Downey, California

See all

My sister just got in from Scottsdale and insisted that I go with her to the guardsman lounge. I mean, I remember coming here in my early 20s. She told me stories of all of her big life changes would be discuss at this bar. This is a great place to figure out what your next move is going to be. We had a great time catching up and playing DJ. We completely took over that jukebox. We were the vibe. read more

See all

Closing at 10pm on New Year's Eve is ridiculous. Get staff that understands the industry standard. Good thing The Glen was opened and exceeded the expectation. I found myself a new bar. Ps your BTs need to be more friendly. read more

Nice little place tucked in the corner. Staff is very nice and friendly. Ambiance is calm, music is good and people who come in are friendly. I happened to stop there by chance and love going there now read more

such a chill spot with a friendly atmosphere! Love this bar with the fish tank!!! and darts & shuffle board..

Hole in the wall, decent, attentive, cash only I believe No activities are available though, a pool table would really seal the deal but if you don't need an activity, this is a nice lil spot with a small crowd read more

Great place to chill great prices on drinks. Fridays are fun dj and good ambiance. Its always open.

Great dive bar! Great atmosphere. Me and my honey had a great time here. The owners are super friendly and the regulars seemed cool. read more

Guardsman Lounge - a woman holding a bottle of beer - Dive Bars Near Me - Downey, California

Stopped in for a drink this week and was pleasantly surprised. My bartender Cris was great. Not only personable but made a great Jack & Coke. On top of the service, the other patrons were friendly. This is a great neighborhood bar! read more

It's obviously under new ownership, and it shows... it's a dive bar with flair. I recommend you all check it out... Friday Karaoke

This bar is okay but the blonde bartender will flirt with guys she wants to serve but will pay no attention to you if you're not her type. Also which is a BIG violation is the fact she's still serving people past 2. MANAGEMENT: you need to address this read more

Guardsman Lounge - the time at the bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Downey, California

When in doubt always GUARDSMAN. Best bar in DOWNEY. Love it here and the people. Always so welcoming At anytime of the day. All bartenders are awesome. read more

Been passing this place by for awhile and finally decided to stop today. Gotta say I like this kinda local place with a good atmosphere and people. read more

Jack and coke and a vodka Red Bull = $12 Not too shabby especially when the drinks are worth it I came on a Friday night. There was about 25 people in the place but the bartender was very attentive to us. I dont like that it's a cash bar buttt very smart business move. It's super low key and everyone is here to have a good time. Karaoke is going on and surprisingly there's a few good singers!!! Not me lol If you're looking for a bar to join that's not the glen Bahahaha then check this place out! read more

My dads been going here for decades. You'd always see him between 6 and 7. The place is great and always treats you like a friend. The guys from the barber shop will be keeping the tradition alive, see you guys soon! read more

Guardsman Lounge - Every day after work, you would always see this man in his seat, Dave "the Barber" - Dive Bars Near Me - Downey, California

Can you say not so much right now. I think the best thing they can do is that they can give a good price for the super bowl beers when they have the same flavors of the food. I love there chicken wings but that's it. I'd rather not say why I came here but I'm glad this will be my last expression of depression. Thanks for absolutely nothing but hot mess expresses and good for nothing warm water beer. See you never!!! read more

Chris is very cool bar person with a great attitude, she always in a great mood She works day's also say hello to Drew and Tony Fun place anytime read more

Be forewarned this place should only be a last resort. It is listed as a dive bar however their prices don't reflect that. I paid $10 for my drink. Ok fine they have a cold A/C, a fancy aquarium and they show Dodger games and it is Downey. The crowd is mixed and what I mean by that is expect to rub shoulders with some older retired folks like grandparents and maybe twenty somethings so the crowd varies. Not my favorite dive bar anymore. read more

I used to bartend at a bar in Temple City called the Temrose (which I will review next) and since the Temrose is filled with nothing but drama these days, I have been on the hunt for a bar closer to home. We heard about the Guardsmen from an ex bartender friend. I decided to check it out and went in at about 4pm on a Saturday. The guy bartender fixed me a GREAT bloody mary! I moved on to my dirty martini and he chilled my glass! (He made all my drinks EXACTLY the way I would have made them.) We stayed for a few hours due to the bartenders heavy hand and decided we found our new watering hole. TIPS EARNED!!! Fast forward to a Friday night about 2 weeks later - No. Not so much. The girl bartender with short dark hair was EXTREMELY unprofessional. The bar was dead and she sat there talking to her friends ignoring us, her thirsty patrons, for about 10 minutes before she came over and took our order. I ordered a extra limey bloody mary and it came with 1 shriveled, juicless lime. So, when I asked her for a few more - SHE HANDS ME THIS LITTLE CONTAINER WITH LIMES - IN OTHER WORDS: DIG FOR YOUR OWN! Gross. I imagined how many other people might have fished in that same container and where their hands might have been. Didn't finish my drink, didn't tip. The only reason why I have this bar 3 stars is because of the guy bartender whom made great drinks, great conversation and made us feel welcome. Oh, and they have a great box (except for the fact that some of the songs have been recorded off KROQ and burnt to discs). I will only go back on his shift from now on. read more

I firmly believe that bartenders make or break a bar. This place to me used to always be just...meh. It's the closest bar to my house, but there were two regular bartenders every time I went. One girl was just average but seemed way more into having her obnoxious Ed-Hardy-gone-pseudo-skatepunk friends hanging out at the bar and taking over the jukebox. Drinks were just okay. The guy bartender was okay, but nothing phehomenal. Not much for small talk--which is sometimes just what you want. Still, the Guardsman used to just be a cool place to swing by for a nightcap but was never the destination of the night, until bartender Erika came into the picture. Erika is by far the best bartender I've ever met. She is genuinely sweet, attentive, makes insanely great drinks and shares her cigarettes with you. I've been lucky enough to be there when there are only 3 other people and she'll sit and chat with you. Unlike bartenders who schmooze to try to get tips, she is just genuinely interested in the people who go there. She's just as nice to new people as she is to regulars----but if you become a regular she's just amazing and gives you a hug when you walk in. Once you're there, she introduces you to people she thinks you'd get along with. She only works every other weekend, so call ahead to see if she's working that weekend. The bar itself.....there's the typical long bar with the aquarium behind it plus about 6 vinyl booths. Jukebox is great and has a varied selection. Beers are about $3-5, well drinks about $3-5. Oh, it's cash only and the ATM in the taco restaurant next door charges too much, so swing by beforehand. read more

Seems like almost every time I've been here, there's been a story to tell. This is a great place for getting trashed without worrying about what people think. You can walk to the back exit and smoke a cigarette or come out the front and buy a burrito next door. Over time, the quality of bartenders has drastically changed. There used to be a girl named Erica there who made an amazing Alabama Slammer. Nidia, who is there almost every night I believe, she's a bit sloppy, but more so on busy nights. If it gets too crowded she becomes overwhelmed and won't make a Bloody Mary. I've seen boobs. Lots of boobs. First pair I saw was in the women's restroom. No idea why they were shown, but they were lovely. I've also seen another patron's boobs after she was pretty trashed and had spent most of the night trying to get me to kiss her. That same night, Nidia showed us one of hers and well, the decision was that natural boobs are prettier than fake ones. There's been lots of vomiting, crying, running, you name it. And you know what? Nobody judges you! I've met Elvis the cab driver, a quiet biker dude who let me sit on his motorcycle for a picture, and a Samoan who has psychic abilities. Now you tell where else in Downey you will find that? But it could be that I've been there way too many times in my life. The dive has seen several boyfriends come and go, but my friends and I remain the same. I recommend bottled beer, vodka tonics, and shots of Chocolate Cake. read more

It's kind of hard to give most bars of this nature more than three stars. Are the drinks amazing? Probably not, but they are most likely pretty heavy pours. Is the atmosphere something to rave about? Probably not. Is the bathroom super clean and the staff unfailingly friendly? Nah. But, these bars are necessary in a community when you just feel like kicking your feet up, having a cold drink, and enjoying the company of your fellow man without all the hipster hooplah. I was shocked (shocked, I tell you!) to find that they had beer on tap (or rather, a beer I should say), which was definitely a nice surprise for a small bar like this. The prices are reasonable and the bartender was friendly (despite many previous comments, I didn't notice her being particularly bitchy, though she may be a victim of RBF). For it's purpose that evening, which was catching up with an old friend, it was just perfect. read more

dc SEYS: duude this place is awesome (and not for the reasons you might think) Sooo one morning I was at work with a couple of co-workers shooting the shit.... more then likley about drunk hook up and all that useless guy talk when it dawned on me.... I havent got shit face first thing in the morning (by the way i was working the graveyard shit at the time) the i remembered THE GUARDSMAN! (the only bar that I know of that opens at 0630) soo after trying to explain to my co-workers that this would be a good idea to get completley hammered at 0700 they agreed!..... soo when we left work we headed over to downey.... And trashed we did get.. the bartender was soo appreciative of the tips and good fun me and my co-worker were leaving with each round (which consisted of singles and loose change) He gave us two rounds on the house.... there was only one man besides the four of us...and he was minding his own having his (what I may assume) is his usual irish coffee... He did get a kick watching us play darts all shit faced We left there roughly around 1230 conviniently ate 8 steps over at tacos mexico and called it a day..... since it had only started ALL IN ALL: if you and your mates wanna have a smashing good times and arent worried about picking up on girls or being cool for a couple of hours head down to the guardsman and challenge someone to a game of darts... I bet rounds of beer and a jukebox session!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Great spot! It gets a bit crowded at times, but that just proves they have a good following. The drinks are strong and the bartenders are friendly, the crowd is diverse. Plus, fellow Yelp user Marianna was there and gave me a psychic reading. Miss Cleo ain't got nothin on her! I had fun, made new friends. It was a great night. I'm definitely going back. read more

Guardsman Lounge - a dimly lit room with leather furniture - Dive Bars Near Me - Downey, California

It's a nice old neighborhood dive bar. There are some flatscreen TVs so you can ask a bartender if you have any preference. There were two female bartenders and both of them were very sweet and talkative. Even if you are there for the first time by yourself, they will care about you. I talked to two of the customers who looked like regulars and we all had a great conversation. This is how a good ol' neighborhood bar should be! By the way they only accept cash and there is an ATM inside the bar. Also they don't serve any food, so grab something from The Market Place across the street if you don't mind waiting. Also the taco place right next door is pretty reasonably priced. read more

This is my favorite bar, my wife and I are regulars here especially every Friday night for karaoke. We've made really good friends here, the customers are fun people and always in a good mood. The service, well what can I say about Nidia, except the best bartender and friendliest person you'll meet at any bar. She makes you feel welcome all the time and you never have an empty hand while she's behind the bar. Yes my wife and I go to your Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili's, Lazy Dog, Bar Louie I could go on and on but no matter what we always end up here to close out the night with friends and the best cold beer. If you like dive bars you gotta try the Guardsman, believe me you won't be disappointed and you just might make it your regular spot just like it's mine. read more

Having a good night here chilling with my buddy Derek. He's a good guy and great bar tender. Good amount of people in here to chill and relax. Good times! read more

An old school dive bar atmosphere. Digital jukebox. Serves beer on tap and whiskey with a nice pour. New ownership. Good vibes. Great prices. It's the local cheers spot. Nice people in there. Still has the small town feel. Cool little place to have a few. My co workers enjoyed it. read more

If you want to get in a fight, then this is the place for you. I'm also not a big fan of how Nidia seems to almost encourage a certain type of crowd to return cause it lines her pockets. They over-serve and people get much to wasted in that place. I was racially slurred before I even stepped in the place by a guy standing outside smoking. I won't be going back. Very sad cause things use to be different. read more

Chris the bartender is a rude individual. She says that the bar is hers. Incredible that a person that doesn't even own the bar takes our beers and tells us to get the fuck out is a great business practice. She got mad because my wife told her to get off of her phone and get us a drink. Mind you, my wife asked her for a beer cordially. She told my wife, " don't tell me how to do my fucking job!" When my wife told her that all she wanted was a beer she told her to shut the fuck up. She handed us our beers and after two minutes, she took our FULL beers and she threw them away and proceeded to tell us to leave her fucking bar! I asked her if she owned the bar and she told me why the fuck do you care! I ask the owner of the bar, are you okay to give out free drinks? Since 10:00 p.m. that we were there, she kept giving 2 guys free drinks. There were not enough patrons there when we got there. Probably because of her sunny disposition! Please feel free to contact me, owner, if you want to settle this. I have lived in the downey area since 1979 and this is the first time I get treated like this at an establishment in downey. This type of customer service should not be tolerated. She even accused us of being deviants and said that we slot mad because ou "swinger shit" didn't work out! Apparently she doesn't realize that accusing someone of something without it being true is defamation of character. She called my wife a whore, because we were talking to 2 guys next to us. I say to you, bartebder, that's called being friendly and cordial. Not all of us have our m I nds in the gutter like her. read more

Guardsman Lounge - This is is the bartender that told us to get the fuck out of her bar! - Dive Bars Near Me - Downey, California

awesome dive!!!! i love this place...you guys can catch me here on thursday nights. the drinks are relatively inexpensive... you could also pick up a game of darts or check out the non-functional arcade games. its kinda dark and when i think back on it the atmosphere is definitely lacking in the "WOW" department....but what has me coming back for more is the crowd. ive never had a bad time here....i always meet new people here. its right next door to tacos mexico so for those post-drunk munchies all you gotta do is literally walk outside and grab something to eat and a kfc across the street!! read more

Strange bar. The bartender on duty when I went there was a nice and average looking. She had some tats like me and seem to be a bit of an outcast with charm. I'm thinking great conversation. Don't worry people I know that it takes a miracle to get a bartenders phone number much less a stripper, not what I was trying to do. People came in but it was still slow and I tried making small talk with her and she acted like I did not exsist. After a couple more attempts I realized that big bad ugly guy at the end of the bar was her boyfriend (I would have never guessed) and she was not allowed to talk to guys like me. Oh the old farts were okay, but not me. Hey now the name of the bar makes sense. Time to go I guess. It had such a great start. Been back a couple of times just not my kind of place. If this was my bar with the awsome Mexican food place next door........well you get it. read more

Luvs it! Cheap drinks, awesome jukebox! And Nydia the bartender is weee-oooo-weee!

Very chill dive bar. They got some darts, plamas, and good jukebox with anything from Depeche Mode to Justice and some other odd stuff I didn't dig. Cheap drinks. Cash only. Free parking in the back or front. read more

I was having an all day Sunday Funday with a girlfriend, movies, beer etc. Wanted to keep drinking. Walked into this bar, off the bat had EVERY SINGLE person at the bar single us out as we walked in. There were 2 seats available and my friend was unable to get a seat because the party seating previous to us was "saving" it. Wtf? It was an available seat. Point is we sit down and right away the bar tender is rude, not friendly at all. It seemed as if everyone knew each other and we were the odd balls in the bar. We just came to have a good time and felt very targeted. If you're not part of this bar circle don't even bother to show up, it seems they have there clientele preference. read more

Nice jukebox, good people and lovely decor. Plus... tacos five feet away.

Cool little hide out in Downey. Close to home, low pro... good times! I run into a few people I hadn't seen in a while but usually it's usually super chill when me and my girl go. If you want a chill night and a good place for convo.... The Guardsman Bar is the place! read more

Meh, I've been in worse. The wife likes to go to have drinks with her friends and occasionally we'll both go. Good place to have some cheap drinks and its local. The bartenders sometimes seem overwhelmed, and who doesn't know how to make a Bahama Mama? Very quiet on weeknights, which is good for a quick drink after work. read more