The Greatest Shithole on Earth! Earlier this summer, my roommates and I stumbled upon this greasy, grimy, dingy, divey hole in the wall by accident... and my only regret is not discovering it sooner! If you're in the valley and looking for a cool, happening hotspot packed with hot puss, well... I dunno, take a stroll down Ventura Blvd. You'll find something. NOW, if you're looking to find a REAL, down-home, rowdy, slop-fest, where you can be yourself, get tanked, make friends, and act a fool... well brah, come on over to the Liquid Zoo! I'll admit, the first time my roommates and I walked in, it was like someone scratched the needle across the record. All of the regular bar patrons set there drinks down and looked up at us, cross. However, in LESS than a MONTH, we OWNED that bar! We'd go at least two or three nights a week, bringing in tons of new business a la our friends and our women. AND we've become fast friends with the staff & patrons. Ron & Daya run the bar's Karaoke 4 nights a week. Bartender Mia always greets us with a hug & a shoutout. John the Bouncer's got our back. And every once in a while, Manager/Bartender Audrey will be serving up delicious hot food, including her homemade meatball sandwiches - mmmm... goddamn, girl! So, yeah. If you're looking for some trendy, fancy bar to impress some idiot blowjob with legs... then fuck off, go down to Hollywood. If you wanna roll into a place with zero pressure or anxiety and just have a nice, fun night... then come to the LIQUID ZOO. It's good times all around. read more

You don't go to Beverly Hills for tacos, you don't go Little Italy for Chinese food. Yeah, ok, Liquid Zoo, not the best area, not beautiful, not trendy or hip. It just, "is." When you go to a certain place, you should have some kind of idea what you can expect. The service is cool, the drinks are cool, and the place is open at 11am seven days a week, now that is "done with consistency." I can't even get a beer on campus before 12 man! And...I'm an optimist. Place is kind of empty most of the time--HEY, PERSONALIZED service!!! Don't expect creme brulee and caviar, and you'll do just fine. Dig the yellow paint man. read more

I used to share the opinions of the prior Yelpers... that it had crack whore clientele, fucked up bathrooms and it was, in general, a skeevy place. I work in the area and went there only a few times a few years ago. Place just smelled, literally, like trouble. So I avoided it. After being invited there early last year by a friend who does standup at their Wednesday Comedy Nights, I quickly changed my tune. It's changed, and it's immensely better. Ownership had polished it up and installed a doorman (the lack of which was what led to so many problems a few years ago; altercations and working girls since then have diminished considerably). The female employees are veteran dive bartenders (Studio Suite, The Wild) who can handle their shit and even get down and dirty to kick (literally) troublesome clients out on the street, but if you're on their good side, they'll make you feel like you're a king and you'll come back time and time again. Sometimes, you're find a small chafing dish filled with homemade pasta or chili, or Sloppy Joe fixings with buns on the side for anyone to enjoy. A nice, personal touch. The crowd are now no longer "junkies, winos, pimps, murderers, drug dealers and thieves, whores and waste-oids" ; the people here are genuine, colorful, unpretentious, earthy and fun. You've got locals, blue collar guys, suited executives, off duty cops, sports fans, comedians, musicians, Valley Presbyterian nurses who walk in in their scrubs... even the drunks that live in the alley behind it are fun as hell. Granted, it is tiny, but I've always been able to find a stool. Always. read more

The only bar I noticed close to my place. Gave it a try and they definitely lived up to the name Liquid Zoo! I went on a Monday and it was a mess in a good way! Lol You could tell most people were regulars so everyone was pretty friendly. Drinks were cheap. The bartenders hooked me and my friend up with some special shots on the house and we listened to "show me your pussayyyy" lmao some raunchy ass song that had everyone dancing drunk. I'll be back for this little gem in the valley. 5 stars for the raunchiness lmao just how I like it read more

Eek indeed. I'm usually not one to judge divey bars (as I adore them,) but Liquid Zoo was divey in the herpes-rank stank-shady way. Upon entering, all the greasy men had their eyes on my friends and I as if we were prime Mignon. The bartendress was as drunk as a ragging hormonal teen, and was literally rubbing up on everyone and everything within a 4-foot radius. I mean, if that's how she rolls, it's gravy. But not being able to get a drink 'cause she's just -that- far gone? Not. Cool. read more

What else do you expect from a bar in the middle of the Valley? This is the kind of spot I can se Johnny Lawrance and his Cobra Kai's hanging out at an reminisce about the good old days at Reseda High Schools. I had a good time. I liked the live bands. its small so bring ear plugs. Its run by a sister and brother and they are a good combo. If you like live music and chill peoples swing by and have a drink. Good times. Only thing that sucks is that they don't have draft beer. read more

Let me start by saying I used to be a "regular" in 2008_2009ish when I lived in Van Nuys. Compared to all the other bars in the area it WAS the best and most inviting. I could have a good time on less than $50 and everyone was super friendly. Fast forward to 2014. I went to visit family and decided to revisit the old hang out, hoping to bump into people I hadn't seen on years. Not only was it a cold atmosphere, but it had an entirely different feel to it. Did they change owners? Audrey was still there, but not as friendly, maybe it was a bad night. I paid $28 for two well vodka sodas. How on earth is a low ball well drink $14?! Because I didn't feel like blowing $100 to sit there for a few hours I left with a sadness equivalent to finding out an old friend had just passed away. Van Nuys is awful as a whole, but this place takes it to another level. read more

My boyfriend and I recently moved in to the area of Van Nuys. This bar is on the corner of Sepulveda and Sherman way, right down the street from our apartment. After a great night out we decided to cap it off with a visit to Liquid Zoo, since we could walk there. We have seen it many times on the way home from work and decided to give it a shot. The place is really small. It was a Friday night around 11:30 pm when we arrived. They had a bouncer at the front door, he was very friendly to us and asked to see our IDs. My boyfriend talked to him most of the night about the place and area, and what the bar used to be like. The two female bartenders were nice too, very sociable. I really liked their attitude. The drinks we good too, they definatly give you your monies worth. We apparently came on karaoke night, it was okay if you like that thing. I don't know why, but every time we go to a new bar, it's karaoke night. ::sigh:: There was probably about 10 people total there. Most if not all were regulars. We stayed till closing time. All in all we had a good time and we'll definitely go back. read more

Ok, so the zoo isn't the nicest bar on the planet - it's downfall is the neighborhood more than anything. The saving graces are a few of the people that work there. Mia, the bartender has a heart of gold and wants more than anything for you to leave the bar sloshed. Mark, who runs the music open-mic on tuesdays is a very nice supportive guy who will let you play an hour long set if he likes you. Fridays and Saturdays mean Karaoke with JenSing productions, Chelsea, Matty, and Jen - who are great at what they do and insist you have a great time! On, a slow night you can sing 14x on a busy night 2x. All in all if you can brave the battle to the space you can probably have a good time. The drinks are pretty cheap, the entertainment is pretty good, the staff get ya drunk, and half the patrons are cool people... the other half are undercover cops, hookers, and homeless people! addition- so apparently i offended the bartender in some way (she used to be one of my best friends ... ) and now she is a huge b*tch to me.... so...... um - i guess the only good reason to go is now down to having a mean bartender- don't ever go there... it sucks. read more

This place gets 4 stars because it holds a special place in my heart. I've been coming here for 2 years for the often depressing, sometimes excellent, and always volatile comedy open mics. For comics, this is a great work out room as far as the open mic scene goes. Pretty open minded group will tolerate anything you can think to say, and the hosts are liberal with the light. There's always a collection of comics willing to stand around outside for hours and talk about whatever your drunken heart desires. As for everyone who is not a comic, I really don't know how it is. I love this place because the mixture of miscreant comics and "colorful" clientele makes for some of the most fun you can have on a Wednesday night. I'd love to give this place 5 stars, but I have to admit that it's objectively a crappy bar. Dirty location and crazy people might be a turn off for many people. If you choose your bar based on the excitement and potential for fucked up stories, this is a great place. I'd recommend it to anyone who drinks with the intent of telling everyone at work about it tomorrow. read more

It's a very interesting place very busy during the day with the neighborhood locals who can walk there at night however its pretty empty except Fridays and Saturday when they have karaoke Wednesday can be it or miss with the stand up comedy night The cool thing is the hookers they are very entertaining to watch and make best oh who they will pick up 1st.. They only have bottled beer unfortunately your best bet is our mixed drinks from jack and coke for 5.00 or stoli soda for 5.00 as well. Some nights you get the van nuys trash witch is always entertaining but most nights its locals and music from the internet juke box But if you like dive bars then you will love the zoo... read more

When it's a dive bar drunken kind of night tonight, take it to Liquid Zoo, drink yourself into a stupor, and stumble your way to a strip club afterwards, there's a dime a dozen up in the area! The space is tiny, the drinks are cheap, and the people are cool. There's a different game or event every night, and I suggest you check it out. The bartenders are attentive and talkative, in addition to the community being funny and quirky. This is a great place to stop in for after work drinks, a nightcap, or a pre-party venue for your long night out. From what I understand, the place has undergone some major changes. There used to be a "ladies of the night" problem here, but that's no longer an issue. The regular crowd here is friendly, generous, and well.. Drinks heavily. read more

Karaoke Fridays start at 8:30pm! Come early to get your song in and ask about the drink specials. The bartender, Sarah Jean, gives fast service and is a fun and sweet person! read more

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Super dive bar. No beers on tap. Lots of karaoke opportunities. But if it wasn't for Veronica, i wouldn't go there. She makes the experience so much better! read more

Rad little dive, karaoke. No fountain beer bottle only. No IPA or craft beer. Cool staff, fun bar A nice little diversion from the normal bar. No dominant clic or racial divide just a cool spot to go and be yourself and let it all hang out. read more

This is a great place if you are into Karaoke and a place to hang out. The staff are very nice but the only problems I have about this place where s sometimes the drinks are too high they charge $2 for using a card and no draft beer every beer is in a bottle I have friends who do agree with me Otherwise this place can be better read more

Little hole in the wall bar, about three blocks from where I live, not a great neighborhood. Some nights are OK, but some it's all scary thug people, not that I'm scared of thugs, the most harm they do is mean mug you. Wednesday is comedy night, and I prefer getting a root canal to watching open mic stand up comedy. Drinks are stiff though, and for that, I'll rate the place a 2.25 stars. read more

Small dive bar that is in the heart of the valley. Good drinks and fun people to meet! Karaoke is always fun too. read more

My husband and I chilled here last night, there was a DJ, he played 90's music which we love. A great place to chill after a hard day at work, especially for us because we local. We had good time just hanging out and drinks were on par. We will definitely come back.. read more

Liquid Zoo - Chillin at Liquid Zoo on a Thursday night.. - Bars Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Place is great. So laid back you'll fall over. Local young people finally starting to show up nightly. Not a biker bar with heroine and hookers any more. Hasn't been for a while. Security professional and talkative. Regular people drinking on the cheap! read more

Yes this is a dive bar but the Karaoke was really fun and the DJ kept things high energy. I hear they have comedy here, can't wait to check it out. read more

Liquid Zoo - Karaoke was a good time. - Bars Near Me - Van Nuys, California

I like this place, good to chill and nice vibe. The bartender is really nice and prepares you strong shots lol. Only parking sucks and they won't offer you snacks to eat with your drinks. However I've had great times here specially at karaoke nights. They get fun :) read more

Such a fun place ! There was a film being shot the first night I attended. I fell in love with the interior walls and mini-Valley history of this place. The team is spirited and the bartender that served was a riot! Don't feed the animals! Liquid Zoo will eat you alive. read more

This place is perfect, if you like hidden dive bars. It's kind of hidden off to the side. Very small and cozy. The staff was extremely friendly. What I didn't like about this place was the fact that you need cash to buy drinks. Drinks are reasonably priced, if you're paying with cash. Every time you buy a drink with a card it's an extra 2 dollars. Keep this in mind before heading over there and make sure you have enough cash. That and it was really dirty. Really Really Dirty. I didn't mind that the bouncer was drunk because he did his job and was very friendly and playing pool. read more

Finally decided to check this place out Heres the pros Easy to find. Great crowd. Has pool table Decent bathroom Heres the cons Parking is ridiculously small Older crowd Drinks are NOT cheap the bathroom has a towel that everyone uses to dry their hands (assuming they wash them) read more

Horrible place.. family went there for the first time and was disrespected by a regular customer and the security guard kicked them out after the regular customer called them the "N" word.. read more

Decent dive bar, strong drinks. Bartender who was working was very nice. Overall vibe is cool aside from the security guy who is too busy texting and staring other guys down. read more

The Liquid Zoo is my home away from home. As every Sunday for the past 4+ years, I've been hosting Sunday Night Comedy in the little dive bar on the corner. It's become more than just a open mic for comics to hit up. But they network and converse with other comics and the bar patrons. It feels like family every Sunday Night. And the ladies behind the bar are some of the hardest working bartenders I know. Kai takes on Sundays like a champ! Working with comics and bar patrons like a magician. The drinks are affordable and their is always special deals on Comedy Night. For the performers on Sundays, their is a two drink minimum. But that doesn't change the fact that I give them a lot of time to work out their material. The Liquid Zoo is more than just a dive bar, but a legendary room that has housed a lot of famous performers in the past few decades. I mean, who knows who you're going to see working out their material as they sip on a Pabst. The Liquid Zoo is more than just a Dive Bar! read more

This place is usually a shit hole! I know it's a dive but the service seriously sucks really really bad!! The usual bartender behind the bar, if u can ever find her who is being followed by an elderly man looking for ur order of booze that should be at the bar. All I can say is wtf?! This place would get a big fat zero! I am only giving this place 5 because She is a legit bartender, attentive and super friendly. I will only come here on Tuesdays and Fridays knowing I will be at a well run fun bar! Good luck local zoo and please get more people like her!! read more

I've always wondered about that puke-colored building at the corner of Sepulveda and Sherman Way, so I stopped in a few months ago. The inside looked like it was covered in puke too. My friends and I were happy because there was karaoke, but we quickly changed our minds. The host was terrible. He was just so sleazy I didn't even want to go up to him with a song request, I felt like he was maybe the pimp for the prostitutes who hung around outside. The blonde bartender was beyond rude to my friends and I. She seemed really drunk, and she messed up our bill (which pissed my friends and I off because there was already an additional charge for using a credit card). The girl with the tattoos was cool. She fixed the bill and bought us a round herself. I heard they hired a different karaoke company recently, so I went back to check it out. This time, it was only the blonde bartender who was rude. So I turned right back around and went to Pat's instead. read more

Comedy nights Cheap drinks Friendly staff Cons. Dive pit Dangerous area No soda No mixers Bad beer list read more

okay so first off its on the corner of Hooker St. and Slut Ave. [Sherman way and Sepulveda] and right next door to a gas station. talk about creepfest. actually though i was pleasantly surprised. =] i moved from my apt in valley village to a condo right down the street from the zoo......the only bar i could see on my drive around the new barrio.. so feeling rather brave one night me and a girlfriend decided to check it out...Now we go almost every weekend. FIRST OFF- DOES NOT SMELL GROSS now I'm not sure if there are new owners or what but other yelpers ragged on the smell and I've been there at least 4 times now and no one has ever noticed anything foul. 2nd- AWESOME karaoke fridays....great selection..the DJ can find you any song you want and there is always a chance to get up on stage =] 3rd- Great bartenders- always nice and attentive.....had a weak drink here 1 time- but only 1 time, true to someone elses review one bartender I have noticed drinking while on duty...annnnd she did begin to get a little sloppy towards the end and we saw her crying outside smoking later...but who really cares? 4th- pool table, usually not being used, nice and new and clean looking. 5th- special theme nights, once we went on a whim and there was Polynesian dancers performing- random but entertaining to say the least. read more

Liquid Zoo is a cute little dive bar in Van Nuys with Karaoke and Pool tables also offering live music on certain nights. Great spot little diamond in Van Nuys great service and vibes :) read more

If you need an emergency alcoholic beverage and you happen to be right in front of Liquid Zoo then have at it. Other than that, don't. Just don't. This place is a no. read more

I was looking forward to going to a booked event at this bar and 1 week before the event I was advised that the event was cancelled! Not because the person that booked it had cancelled it, but because the bar had someone else book that timeframe, so they just bumped the exisitng reservation!!! Completely skeezy and unprofessional. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS, especially since its on Sepulveda right in hooker territory and about 10 ft from a gas station. .. Ugh! read more

Happy hour until you pull out your debit /credit card... $2 FEE!!? WTF! Go to Gyu-Kaku, cheap draft Sapporo's ($2.25!!) I only stopped by because it's close to home, never again. It's like strip club prices without the pole... Ugh read more

Liquid Zoo is disappointing even for a dive. Drinks over priced, service abysmal. They have a bartender, whose name starts with an "A", who is the MEANEST bartender I have ever encountered. She is particularly mean to men but doesn't discriminate completely and can be a jerk to women as well. I honestly have never had a bartender ever be mean to me until her. Very little parking as well. Karaoke hosts are poor and put themselves in the rotation to sing WAY too much and their sound mix is lacking also. The only things I can say that are nice: 1. It doesn't smell like vomit( but the bathrooms always smell funky. 2. They sometimes have a free little happy hour food offering(but I'd be careful about dipping into that). read more

Well, I USED to have a minor fondness for this place. I have lived in the area for over 15 years but only started going to LZ perhaps 5 or 6 years ago. In fact, when they had their old sign with the script Z, I had assumed the name was Liquid Loo for the longest time (and I thought "what an odd name" ha). I don't go there all that often, maybe 2-4 times a year, so I am not even close to being a regular but I think I've experienced the place through several ups and downs. One thing is for sure, the clientele is a better group when there is an event like karaoke or comedy; it is usually pretty dead otherwise and there tends to be far more barflies (in the negative sense). This is not a "dive bar" from the hipster perspective but in a real sense: even in the relatively few times I've been there, there have been a high percentage of incidents that required the bouncer to get involved. None of the instances I witnessed were particularly violent but I don't go to bars hoping to see people drunkenly yelling at each other. Despite the potential negatives, I would have probably continued going here if not for what happened last night. My bro-in-law likes to go there when he's in town and was basically my motivation for going a lot of the time. The thing is, when he was 3, he was hit by a car, was in a coma for 6 weeks and is permanently disabled. His balance and muscle control is poor (e.g., he can't drive) and his speech is stilted, While he is of average intelligence, many people assume he has major cognitive deficits simply because of the speech thing. Growing up in impoverished circumstances, he's been treated like crap regularly by ignorant people. The night before he had gone to LZ for their open mike comedy and got up and did a routine. I wasn't there to see it but, however it might have gone, I was proud of him for doing it. And he was justifiably happy with himself. He went back last night just to hang out. But he called me much earlier than expected for me to pick him up. When I got there, there was a conflict happening outside between the bartender and a barfly. Inside, the whole place (maybe 8 people total) seemed tense as was my bro-in-law, so it was a pretty weird thing to walk into. I had assumed this was all due the the happenings outside but there was also something going on between the bartender and my bro-in-law. Apparently they had served him one drink and then refused to serve him a second, thinking he was drunk or on drugs or something. I can't say such things haven't happened to him before (and I fully get why strangers jump to that conclusion) BUT he's been there many times before and the bartender knows him. Some patron (who seemed pretty drunk herself) accused him of the drunk/drugs/weirdo thing and seeing no defense of him by the bartender that he has had a friendly relationship with, I dragged him out of there. He was angry but mostly really hurt by the experience. As there are thousands of bars in LA and most better than LZ, I see no reason to ever go back there. read more

Was looking forward to a friends birthday event and came to find out it got canceled because someone else decided to book the space after the fact. They didn't seem to care their was an existing reservation for that night especially for a birthday. Rude and unprofessional especially when my friend confirmed it several different times with the bar and had several different conversations with them. Don't make events here because they will more than likely get bumped like my friends did, even better, don't bother going to this dive bar. I've never had a good experience going there anyways. read more

Please have your bartender know how to do simple arithmetic and not be a bitch to local patrons...overcharged more than 50 bucks and then complained about a tip. Well drinks at the zoo are not, and should not be, more than 9 dollars. Are you kidding me?! This place is losing customers left and right.... read more