We had a fun time at this club. They don't serve food so bring your own. They have a full bar with…read moreexcellent bartenders. They were kind enough to reserve the back of the location for a friend's retirement party for nearly 50 people. We had a lot of fun. We brought in pizza, salads and cookies and most of our guests ordered alcoholic beverages - some in unique containers. Parking outside was plentiful. It's a very good place for special events or just relaxing at their bar.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Great decor, music, drinks, and service…read more Our part of four made it in time for the Hula Happy Hour ($3 off select drinks 4-6pm). I was intrigued by the Tropical espresso martini--you don't see these on tiki bar menus usually, but this one was very good. Others got the following cocktails and enjoyed them: Sweater Weather, El Diablo (the chili horns garnish really makes it), and Nor Easter. The drinks were well-crafted by our friendly bartender. None of the sickly sweet stuff here. No food, but there are plenty of restaurants in the shopping center. It turned out to be a great spot for pre-dinner drinks, and I'm eager to return!

I'm so happy we found this gem! I brought my daughter for the Afternoon Tea service on a Sunday…read more The space is so cute! Great concept, well executed and decorated with the best vibes! Plus the food and drink was fabulous! One of the best tea services I've had! The bartender/server was so kind and welcoming letting us know we could be inside or out on the roof when we came in. The roof area was super cute but it was a little warm so we settled on one of the cozy velvet couches. We ordered a little too much but so excited to try it all we started with the charcuterie board. It comes on a cute snail shaped board. Especially loved the honey walnuts and cheese. The tea service comes with tea, mimosa, tea sandwiches, scones, desserts and fruits. You can tell the cucumber and chicken salad sandwiches were made to order. The cucumber is fresh, the right amount of herbs and seasoning! The chicken salad was also amazing! Zingy from what i think was Dijon and both were so moist and delicious! Scones were perfect! The mimosas were yummy and so was the tea. We ordered the oolong and Jasmine tea that came with ginger and butterfly pea syrups! What a whimsical touch that made it all perfect.

I was really excited to visit this bar--I've always been a huge fan of fairy tales and thought the…read moretheme was such a fun concept for a bar. When we got there, I felt that the decorations and drinks felt a bit gimmicky, with random fairy tale-esque elements like a throne and massive red roses. I thought it would have been very cool to see Easter eggs and more intentionality bringing the atmosphere together. Since it was an hour before closing, we didn't plan to stay very long. The two people working at the bar were both unwelcoming and seemed upset that we were there (there were other people at the bar, including people who arrived later in the night than us). We paid for our drinks, which cost over $40 for 2 drinks with tip. My cocktail was $17 and came in a glass barely bigger than a shot glass. We left around the time they were calling for last call. I can understand not wanting stragglers who prevent the bartenders from closing late, but I would have much preferred being turned away at the door rather than paying and tipping for an overall unpleasant experience.

Went during happy hour and tried two of their cocktails. Despite being a little pricey the drinks…read morewere very delicious and they hit and our server was very sweet and made the drinks very fast. The room was very beautiful and had tons of elegant seating for a family lunch.

Nice place for a hotel bar. Good service (Thank you Steve!!) and enjoyed a great glass of wine…read morewith my wife.

I was overdue for another visit at Madre. I kept thinking about mole three times during the week…read morethat's when I know. Seating: usually like to decide beforehand if I want to sit on the patio or inside. Most of the time, I prefer the patio, and that's what we ended up with. Service: Staff immediately offered the heater, which I readily agreed to. Two people spoke and helped us out outside of the waitress, meaning they were constantly checking in on us. This checks out similar to the service I received last time I was here. Food: We had nachos. I had mole and the chido way cocktail. My boyfriend had dark Mexican lager and cochinitta pork dish. I was really happy with our The food was excellent, and my cocktail was truly exceptional. It was on par with some of the best fancy cocktail bars I've visited, yet prices were more reasonable, typical of a restaurant. The mezcal was smoky and delicious. I also noticed that most of their cocktails are tequila and mezcal based. You should get a cocktail if it's your first visit. Vibes: It's always loud, especially at its peak on a Saturday evening. I can overhear bits and pieces of conversations from three tables next to me, but somehow it all fits perfectly. Suddenly, a live mariachi band started playing an emotional Ballad. It's always cool when I run into live music when I'm here. I like it here! Wanted to let you know that they seem to have slightly increased the prices vs the menu? It wasn't updated on the menu, but for example my Mole Negro was $1.50 higher at checkout mentioning so others are aware.

We went to Madre on a Sunday. It wasn't really planned, but we were walking in Old Torrance, saw…read morethe place and decided to go in and try it out. We weren't really starving, just wanted to check the vibes, try the food and see how it was. Unfortunately, things just weren't how we were expecting. We love mexican food and we are used to the food trucks that we can find everywhere in LA. I used to have tacos from the taco truck across the street from me when I lived in San Pedro and they were just perfect, simple and on point. I think I had that idea when I ordered the taco, but it wasn't really what I expected. It was bigger and looked beautiful, but the amount of spice was extremely high, which didn't even let me taste the flavor. And on top of it, the salt felt off too. Too much spice, not enough salt. My fiance ordered tamales, and the mole was more on the chocolate side than anything. The flavors just didn't match. Service wise we have nothing to complain about. They were nice and helpful! It's just the food that wasn't good for us.

Service is 10000/10!! Staff was so patient, knowledgeable, friendly and hilarious!…read more We ordered a bunch of different cocktails but for some of them, I don't recall the names: - Sidecar 5/5 fruity and sweet - Singapore Sling 5/5 - Highball - forgot how that one tasted lol but in my notes I wrote "good if you like Japanese whiskey" - Old Fashioned 4/5 sooo strong - Gin and tonic 5/5 refreshing - Whiskey Sour 3/5 not my thing - Secret 5/5 lycheee - Pasao 5/5 fruity, orangey - Manhattan 3/5 like an old fashioned but stronger, I didn't like the taste of that one Yes, there is a cover and then you pay for additional hours BUT it's so worth it, I loved the ambiance and the crowd wasn't obnoxious. It was so great we stayed for about 3 hours!

I had high expectations for this place based on its description and reviews. However, I left…read morefeeling a bit disappointed. It's a Japanese speakeasy in Gardena in a random strip mall. There is a cover charge of $10 per person for the first hour, and then $5 for each hour after up to $20 max total. So after the third hour there, there's no further cover charge. They don't have a cocktail menu. The bartender can basically make any drink you want. Our server suggested the gin and tonic which my friends got and I opted for a whiskey sour. We liked our drinks but it wasn't anything spectacular or out of the ordinary. Just a standard gin and tonic, and a standard whiskey sour. It was smooth and well made but considering that there is a cover charge, I expected the drinks to be phenomenal or for the vibes to be really amazing. However, I felt that the place was overall a bit lackluster. It didn't look particularly nice inside. Kinda reminded me of an old restaurant with a few tables and chairs. They had Halloween decor up and were playing Halloween music or random 80s music. I also wished the lighting was a little darker or it would have been nice if they had live music or a live DJ. Just some things I hope the owner will consider since they're charging a cover as if it's a club or exclusive lounge. We all felt like the place wasn't worth $100 (including tip) for just 3 drinks. Parking: free in plaza lot

Firstly, I enjoy how the entry is very speakeasy vibes; where you try to find it and you start to…read morefeel unsure if this is the entry nicely done. The ambiance of the wooden tables and the total feel was cozy and welcoming. Once seated at the bar, we were greeted immediately by a very awesome Mixologist/Bartender! Amazing banter A+++++ Service The drinks : My Whiskey Sour was delicious, it had the perfect balance of sweet to sour notes. We also had the old fashion yes. May I have another, soo good. And, this place has a couple games to play and on some nights entertainment, which is pretty cool but on this night I only partake playing some pool. Overall, the drinks were crafted wonderfully, and I would recommend this lovely joint!

1 Star - Worst Experience I've Ever Had at a Bar…read more I've been to The Blind Donkey in downtown Long Beach before but what happened last night deserves to be shared. I came here with a friend last night and ordered a blonde beer that tasted completely off -- it genuinely tasted like blue cheese. My friend encouraged me to ask for a replacement since something was clearly wrong with it. When she brought it to the bar, the bartender told her he'd replace it and that it was on the house, but then made her pay for the second drink anyway. If I had known she'd still be charged, I would've just not asked for another drink. When I came up to the bar to clarify why she paid for something he said was comped, the bartender backtracked and said he "didn't mean" that. I asked if they could void the second charge, since this was supposed to be a simple replacement. He kept explaining that he is charging us for this second one because it was not a blonde, it was a white ale. I told him that's fine, but why did he say it was "on the house" and now charging us anyway? He ended up bringing over the manager. The manager was a short, Latino man with a hat on. He was incredibly rude from the moment he arrived explaining the beer was a blonde- which I know what I ordered, but tasted whack. He didn't look at us, didn't listen to anything we were saying, and without asking a single question he grabbed both drinks we paid for and dumped them down the drain. We were stunned -- we paid for both of them and now had nothing. When he came back, I calmly told him we paid for both drinks he just threw out. His response? "Don't expect to come here and get free drinks." Which is wild considering we never asked for anything free -- we were just trying to get the mistaken charge fixed. When I told him he needed to void the drink he dumped, he called security on us. We weren't loud, drunk, or confrontational. Security refused to give us the manager's name, and only one finally whispered "Ken," though at that point it felt like they were just saying anything to get us out the door. I've worked in customer-facing roles before. I understand dive bars aren't known for luxury service, but this wasn't about service -- it was about basic respect, integrity, and not charging customers for drinks you throw away yourself. I'm leaving this review as a Long Beach local, it's saddening to see how a popular bar like The Blind Donkey treats their customers. This was the worst experience I've ever had.

This has become my home bar. It's a great spot for locals to hang and make friends, but also I've…read moremet lots of people who drove from LA to have a Long Beach day, which is fun. Definitely worth it! The vibes are unmatched. It's a unique blend of "top notch cocktail crafting" and "beer and a hot pretzel after work." You can dress up, you can dress down, it's very 'just be yourself' which I love. I've literally had caviar AND hot dogs there in the same night at an event. They know how to blend high/low. Incredible knowledge and ingredients but not snooty patootie. Super inclusive and fun, with cool popups and events happening all the time. It's a full bar so you can get any cocktail you would normally order if you're keeping it simple, or beer, wine, boilermakers, etc. There's a span of offerings and price points, so something for everyone. (Also really good N/A cocktails!) The menu is super inventive and creative! And the cocktail menu changes out every so often so there are new things to try. This area is vintage vibes and Baby Gee speaks it fluently. Really cool decor, curated by the owners who design everything from the playlist to the cocktails to the invention of never-before-seen flavors and shapes of jello shots. Try the Baby Gee appletini while you're there. Mezcal, tequila, sake appletini you ask?? Yes. Trust. And get a hot dog. Do it.

This is definitely a place with a very Long Beach vibe (so it really depends on what you think…read moreabout Long Beach in general). The seating is a little funky, but the drinks are solid. The food is definitely bar food that's ideal for late night eats while buzzed, and the service is fast! Food: 3.5/5 Drinks: 4.5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Value: 3.5/5 Overall: 4/5

This is such a cute hotel bar with beautiful decor, we made a quick stop before our stop at their…read moreterrace bar. We arrived and there were a few parties leaving, we walked to the bar area and the two servers were occupied with other guests, so we patiently waited. Finally one of them approached us and shared the menu, another gentleman came to the bar and he was quickly greeted with a hello and our same server immediately shared the menu. The gentleman politely said, these ladies were here first please take their order first, which the server did but was not so happy about. To our surprise the server still prepared his drinks first. The gentleman very surprised apologized since he knew we were there before him. With our drinks in hand we found a table with some empty seats. The table side where we sat had a sprite glass bottle and a glass that hadn't been picked up since the last party left. We moved it a side to set our drinks and finally enjoy our conversation. A different server came to the table and asked the gentleman next to us to get his empty glass and she completely ignored our side. She did another round and I finally asked her to pick up the bottle that was left by another party before us. I asked her for the menu again, she brought it but she did say that I had go back up to the bar to order any additional drinks. We decided to not order a second round and head up to the terrace.

I had this place on my "to go" list and I randomly decided today was the day…read more Decide on a lavazza cup of coffee with almond milk. So good! The service? Incredible. The bartender who is also the barista was so welcoming. I love the historical aspect of this building and they did an incredible job with the maintenance of it. The marble and gold and earthly tones which are deep and rich! Sigh! They're open til 10pm... I'll be back

My sister was actually the first one to visit Darrow's, and after she told us about it, we knew we…read morehad to come try it for ourselves. From the moment we walked in, it felt like we were at home with family. Uncle Darrow greets everyone like you belong there, he remembers you, makes you feel seen, and creates such a warm, welcoming atmosphere that you instantly relax. And the food? Absolutely delicious. Every bite was full of flavor and clearly made with love. I highly, highly recommend this restaurant if you want great food and an experience that feels like community. We loved it so much, we're already planning to come back next month to celebrate my birthday there!

I ordered the soft shell crab po boy with red beans and rice on the side,…read more The po boy was the star. The soft shell crab was crispy, flavorful, and packed into fresh bread that held everything together without getting soggy. Messy in the best way and exactly what you hope for when you order one. The red beans and rice were comforting and well seasoned, a perfect side to go. The place has a laid back, welcoming feel, and the staff was friendly and attentive. The owner was super friendly and very hospitable. Definitely living up to the southern hospitality. Food came out hot and fresh. Definitely a spot I'd come back to when I'm craving New Orleans style comfort food.

Ate here for an easy dinner to watch the baseball game. What a great spot that is convenient for…read morehotel guests. For the price, I was astonished at the quality of food. It all tasted good and everyone was happy. Pizza not pictured had raving reviews from the little ones and grandparents.

I'm sitting at the bar while writing this. So this is not my first time here…read more The place is happening, like a few folks diverse for sure. I like their Fish and chips and the bar is right. However, im big on C.S. 3 bartenders maybe 1 or 2 servers I think. All three bartenders was behind the Bar all looked at me, 2 walked passed me. No one greeted me for 15 mins. I'm the only one at the Bar with only a menu in front of them. EVERYONE else had a drink and I'm solo. I'm hotttttt. One guy finally came took my order after I stared them down. I timed them. Now this isn't he only time I experienced this here. So imma chalk it up to life. So this is wild. Dude that took my drink order came asked me if I was ready to order food! I told him make the drink and come back (he had a glass in his hand) 20 mins later...SMH remember im keeping time. #DoWithThisWhatYouWant #HaveYourOwnExperience