When you get invited to a 12:30pm birthday party that's using a bar in East Hollywood as a venue on a Sunday in February, you already know you're in for a good time or should I say a Prime Time! Prime Time Pub is your neighborhood dive bar located at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and St Andrew's Place. Although my wife and I are no strangers to Melrose Hill (shout out Etra, Kuya Lord, and Ggiata), we've never gone here for a drink. It was only fitting that our first time was so much fun thanks to the birthday girl and mayor of LA Myra. This bar is cash only and offers both draft beer and cocktails. There's plenty of tv's to catch whatever game is on, high top tables to sit at, and even a smoking patio in the back. Don't let the location mislead you, all of the bartenders here were so down to earth and the drinks were all fairly priced. Day parties are always a good time especially at Prime Time Pub which had it all: trivia, karaoke, and limbo in the back parking lot. You can never go wrong spending an afternoon with friends at a pub while answering trivia questions about the birthday girl. For example, which city was she living in when she encountered a ghost while getting ready? Answer: Burbank read more

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Nasty bar. The guy hounded me from the moment I entered to buy drinks. Said cash only and when I didn't immediately buy kicked me out. Weird energy do not come read more

This is a small dive bar, a lot of regulars go here. I wish it was cheaper to be honest. Karaoke night is super fun! The bartenders are very nice, the crowd is nice too. Parking sucks that's about it read more

Love the karaoke scene and always feel welcomed. This is a hidden Gem. Liquor and Beer Here! And music is loud and Bumpin all the jams ! They have parking in the back also have a security guard too. read more

Great bartender! Love the diviness and the dark lights with neon colors Greattt prices, got a jack and coke for $8! But cash only, though they have an ATM on premises Also karaoke! Friday- Sunday 9 pm - 2 am Open everyday 12 pm- 2 am read more

Came here for some drinks and they were pretty good. They have many selections to choose from and they have good service, I had great experience and there were some friendly costumers too. read more

Great service, kinda pricey drinks but it's a good environment to be around. Only bad side is that it's only cash.

Had a great time here and not even a karaoke person. Nice bartenders and chill atmosphere. Visiting from out of town and would come back!

I've always hated Prime Time Pub, but the manager lady and the KJ are nice and I have warm feelings for them, so I chose not to write a bad review. But, after the way I was treated on New Year's Eve, I am DONE. Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy review. Let's get the basics out of the way first: 1) It's a dump. 2) It's in a sketchy neighborhood. 3) The sound system sucks. 4) It's cash only. 5) The drinks are WEAK A.F. and not that cheap. #5 is unacceptable for a dive bar. You have ONE JOB, and that's to pour a stiff drink and not charge a lot. Frankly, I just want the requisite 2 oz, and they don't even do that. I try to get my drinks from the manager because she actually puts vodka in them. I would never have returned to Prime Time Pub after my first visit, but my friends like going there because we get to sing a lot, and I like singing with them, so I go. From the start of our visits to Prime Time, there was a woman who was always talking to everyone, offering to get drinks for them even though the bar is just a few steps away from the tables. I asked her if she worked there and, as I recall, she said no, which made no sense. If you took her up on her offer, she would overcharge you for the drink and pocket the difference (or maybe pocket the whole thing - who knows?). One night, I was on stage, singing a sad song, and she got up on stage with me and straddled my leg and started undulating around and humping my leg. Not OK. She drove us all crazy, but one day, my friend told me that she wasn't there anymore. Someone at Prime Time told him they'd gotten a lot of complaints about her and that's why she was no longer there. There was much rejoicing. However, she's back. We avoid her as much as possible, while being civil, and we don't get drinks from her. On NYE, the manager was being a great hostess, circulating and making sure everyone felt welcome, so she was sadly not pouring drinks. I got drinks from 3 different bartenders that night. NO VODKA in them. That's right, NONE. Friend: "I don't taste any vodka." Me: "Because there IS none!" I didn't complain to the bartenders the first 2 times, but by the 3rd, I was really pissed. I'm a good tipper, so it's even more insulting, and I can go to Ralph's and buy 3 bottles of cranberry juice for the price of 1 "vodka" and cranberry at Prime Time. I went back to bartender #3 and told him there was no vodka in my drink, and he actually said, "Oh, sorry, people complain that we pour the drinks too strong." lt took everything I had not to laugh in his face. My dude. GTFO. NOBODY is complaining about a dive bar pouring too strong a drink. NOBODY. I said, "Yah, but this is my THIRD drink with no vodka." He said, "Oh," and poured more (or, you know, ANY) vodka in my drink. Fine. Thanks. The next drink I got, SAME ISSUE, straight up cranberry juice. My friend went to the bar and got them to actually put some vodka in it. Midnight rolled around with no countdown. They passed out Martinelli's sparkling cider for the toast. The manager walked around with a box of mini bottles of booze and let everyone take one. Cool. My friends had left, so I sat at my table and took some selfies and looked at Facebook while awaiting my next karaoke song. At 1am, the leg-humper came up to me with the security guard, who told me I had to leave. I said, "What?" He said, "She wants you to go." She looked SUPER pissed and kept gesturing at a mini bottle of booze that was across from me on my table. I said, "Uh, that's not mine." because it wasn't. Mine was in my pocket and destined for regifting. Unspoken thoughts: 1. The manager gave them out, why is this an issue? 2. Were I to smuggle in booze (which I have never done, but obviously should have), I wouldn't be dumb enough to leave it in plain sight. 3. The bottle of booze was unopened and I was clearly not drinking it. Leg-humper's angry gesturing continued, and I looked at the security guard and I said, "So, I'm being kicked out?" and he said, "Yes." I laughed in disbelief and said, "OK, I'm not here to make your job any harder than it is," and I gathered my purse and coat and left. Security guy was just doing what he was told. He's fine. So, yah, the stank-breath, handsy, creepy, incoherent weirdo guy who bothered EVERYONE that night (Friend: "I'm going to put in a song. The stage is apparently the only place safe from him") got to stay, and I got thrown out. Alrighty then. Boyfriend of the leg-humper was outside and he asked what was happening and I said, "Your girlfriend just had me thrown out." He said, "What? What happened?" I said, "I HAVE NO IDEA! I was just awaiting my next song, looking at Facebook, minding my own business!" He kindly offered to get me back in, but I declined, because F THAT. I do not want to go back. Ever. Thanks for ruining my New Year's Eve, Prime Time Pub! read more

Great late night spot, just be aware it's cash only. Love the karaoke nights.

It's cool mellow bar for cool people. Today is holiday- thanksgiving but they're open and they're serving food and turkey. Anyone in the area come by!! They might open till 8pm. But food is here now. read more

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I had such a great time last night! The vibe was just right! The DJ was amazing she was very entertaining and her voice was amazing! The regulars had us laughing all night with their dancing and singing at the karaoke. This was my first time and I had such a great time! read more

Here's some things you should know about Prime Time Pub: 1) It's one of the shittiest dive bars in the country. 2) It's also one of the best karaoke spots in the country. 3) There is a regular (Sonny) who is always holding a small chihuahua in his arm like it's a bag of groceries. 4) Sonny does karaoke while holding the small chihuahua. 5) The chihuahua's name is Dave. 6) Dave the dog frequently is wearing a nicer shirt/sweater than Sonny, his owner. 7) You used to be able to buy drugs off the bartender like you were purchasing scratchers at a gas station. 8) They got busted for selling drugs at the bar. (Like LITERALLY at the bar. Just like they were drinks). 9) You can still buy drugs off the bartender while sitting at the bar most nights... 10) Cash only. 11) Everything about this place is perfect and I hope it never changes. read more

Don't go to this bar unless you want to be harassed by the bartenders!! I was there with my friends last friday & some of them were doing karaoke, but because I wasn't & because I hadn't ordered a drink, the bartenders harassed me about the 2 drink minimum to karaoke until I left the bar. They didn't harass any of my other friends who hadn't bought 2 drinks, just me! Also! I wasn't even karaoking! This bar is discriminatory and will harass you 0/10 read more

Love this place. Yes true a dive bar but aren't they the best anyway. So come and sing your heart out or just come by to drink with a group that will welcome you in read more

Prime Time Pub - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is a dive bar. It would be okay if they accepted credit cards, and I would understand the cash option if the cost was cheap to save on the transaction fees but Coronas for $6 is not a cheap bar. The karaoke host gal is nice, as long as you tip her every song you sing. The sound system is AWFUL. It's a long narrow space with a bad sound system, cash only and not cheap drinks - yeah, go somewhere else. read more

So I've been to the bar a few times and had a great time with the low key karaoke KJ situation.

Came here looking for a cheap good drink. I got an expensive weak drink. Don't let the other reviews fool you. This place is not cheap, and I cannot beleive the short pours. Giving 2 stars because the service was great, and the place was a decent dive bar. But again I would not come back. I should've looked elsewhere. read more

I went here with a couple of girl friends for St. Patrick's Day. Initially, we were having a great time. We got drinks and put our names down for karaoke. We were constantly tipping and were also filmed by who appeared to be the owner because we were dancing for everyone while they preformed. Unfortunately, it took a terrible turn. About an hour after being there a bar tender came out from behind the bar and up to our group and told us we had to order more drinks. We told them we ordered them earlier (we even took out cash form the atm because it's cash only). After continuing on, we were also approached by who appeared to be the owner, after she had she had literally just finished filming us for cheering for the current karaoke singer, and told we had to continue ordering drinks if we wanted to stay. We told her we had ordered earlier but they said we had to keep drinking if we wanted to stay. This is not only an unsafe practice to enforce on patrons, let alone on a holiday that is linked to over drinking, but also just inappropriate. And as our group's designated driver, I was particularly annoyed and angered. The bar tenders charged us for water and gave extreme attitude when we turned down drinks. The bar was moderately full and we were bringing a ton of energy, but ultimately the owner told the security to kick us out if we weren't going to "consume more alcohol." The security guard had even been the one to walk us to the atm to take out money. We left after being fed up with the constant badgering. None of us have ever experienced this in any bar anywhere. We tipped for every song we sang and all bought drinks. I wonder if we hadn't drank our drinks so fast and kept the glasses in our hands if this would have turned out differently. We had all planned on wanting to go back but after this awful end to the night, we will not be returning. Bonus bummer, they didn't even have green drinks for St. Patrick's Day so we ended up drinking crème de menth, which we hated but drank because we asked for green drinks and wanted to have a good time. Apparently that wasn't enough. If we didn't have so much fun with the singing, this would have been an easy 1 star. read more

Calling Prime Time a dive does a disservice to how genuinely Los Angeles this place is. I've never eaten here, but the drinks are stiff and the karaoke is a plenty. I deserved to be thrown out every time they've asked me to leave... even that time with force! read more

Prime Time Pub - Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life.... - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Thank you Adrianna! I was able book karaoke on an off night and they let me bring in food and get crazy. Super fun, everyone had a blast. Cool laid back place. read more

This place rules. LA institution. All these people hating on the place for being sloppy and the staff being brusk should try running a jam-packed dive bar karaoke night every week for years and see how polite and delicate they are with patrons. Boo hoo. Go sit in silence at a wine bar in sherman oaks. The rest of us will be singing our hearts out and making memories for life at the best karaoke bar in Hollywood. Long live Prime Time. read more

I hesitate to share this one with you. I really do. You'd never think to go there - or any of these places for that matter. But I really think we might have hit the gold mine here. You are stuck on Santa Monica and Western - need a drink?! Parking in the rear! Its PRIME TIME! Full liquor - big enough space that you can sit at the bar and still be by yourself if you like - nice older wood bar and back wall. Clean and newly painted or so it seems. Its not decorated well - but its not ridiculous either... Might get a queer look if you play, say Search and Destroy - but that's what you get when you have one of those Internet enabled juke boxes - trouble and shitty looks. The bartender was cool - we actually stayed for a few drinks before making our way down the street. I'd lower the lights a bit but seriously one of the biggest surprises. We'll have to roll in there closer to 11pm to see what we have... awaiting further review. read more

The negative reviewer simply doesn't get it. Not that I am a huge drinker, but please, lady! You cannot possibly appreciate the greatness of a dive bar if you don't drink. That's like a vegetarian reviewing a taxidermy joint. I mean, DUH! Prime Time is THE BEST place to have your birthday party. There is parking in the back, the drinks are cheap, and if you actually order one and tip the bartender (and the KJ) like any non-DB would do, they are super friendly! You won't have to wait ages for your song to come up. I am with the reviewer who hesitated to review the place, but the negative review irritated me enough to help leak the secret. If you hate the Brass Monkey, but are a fan of the Smog Cutter, check this place out. read more

If you love karaoke but don't love being locked in a room in K-Town, then this place is DEFINITELY for you. My friend lives close by to here, and he invited us out for an evening of singing the hits of yesteryear. From the outside, the bar looks super sketchy. You can barely see the sign in the overly dirty and graffiti'd window pane. Inside, the bar is dimly lit, long, and not what I had in mind when we wanted to do karaoke. But seriously, once the music started it was AWESOME! Besides the party of 6 we rolled in with, there were maybe 4-5 other people in the bar (very clearly regulars), which meant you pretty much had your pick of songs all night long! I never get to sing that much at karaoke bars, so being able to sing four+ songs to a small but rowdy group of friends and strangers was fantastic. The bartender had sass. The drinks were cheap. And a man named Sonny who travelled with a chihuahua at his side the entire night sang the back-up to my rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and rocked it so hard. It was the magic moments that you see in movies, and I am so glad I got to experience it. I can't wait to come back here. read more

I am a big fan of rowdy bar karaoke and not much of a fan of private room karaoke. This was my first outing to bar karaoke since I moved to LA. The place is tiny and if it weren't for it's sign sticking out of the building, you would never know the bar was there. All of the other businesses surrounding the bar are closed for the night and have their gates down. PT is like a little beacon of drunken hope. Parking is in the rear. You have to drive past PT and turn into the alley behind the bar. There are something like 20 spaces in the lot. Drinks are good and the owner/bartender is a hoot. I was really disappointed that the bar is cash only. There are Direct TV boxes to control the flat screens and even little security cameras to watch the goings on at the bar but there is no credit card reader? Hell you can take a smart phone or tablet and do a card purchase. You don't need a whole PoS terminal. Bah! ... so ...anyway, tis cash only. (no ATM on site) The karaoke was okay. The host sings well but doesn't seem to know how to properly control the audio system. There were waaaaaaaay too many feedback loops and over-amplified high ranges. I was told by a patron that the guy that does Friday totally messes up the audio system and then the Saturday DJ has to attempt to fix it. Not sure if that is true but a quick picture of the equalizer with a phone or camera when it's at nominal settings would clear that up just fine. The music selection was okay. Nowhere near what I am used to in OC but there was a good selection. There was a good mix as well, not overly top heavy on a particular genre or band. I really wish there were half star ratings. I'm not sure this would be a 4 for me. I will have to visit one or 2 more times to make up my mind. For now, this place is an okay karaoke bar. The drinks are good and fairly inexpensive, the host is lovely, the patrons are friendly, the karaoke is fun, and there is a place to park. read more

Karaoke in LA often means arriving at a bar by 7pm to maybe go up once after hours of listening to girls who were the best singers in their mid-west hometowns...Not at Prime Time! It's far enough from the Blvd. and divey enough to avoid large crowds, so you and your friends will get some real mic time. Plus, the song book is divinely inspired - as in, they have more than one 90's TGIF theme song!! (Full House! Family Matters!) Love this place, the crazy, sassy bartender lady, and the truly eclectic crowd. No divas here, just real folks singing for their lives!! + Parking in the back. This is Hollywood, so this is huge. read more

We're a fan. Know what you're getting -- it's a cash only bar on Santa Monica. Don't be a dummy: order a beer from a bottle. Drinks are dirt cheap. Enjoy! read more

will not let designated drivers do karaoke with their friends who have already purchased drinks which is extremely dangerous -- staff shamed and sweared at me on microphone for not buying drinks -- I almost never write negative reviews but we are never coming back read more

We stopped in here before a movie screening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, as we were a little early. It was a Sunday afternoon..thankfully no karaoke (sorry, it's just not my thing), so I can't comment on that. We stayed for 2 drinks and from what I could tell, this place is loveable and a little crazy! I'm a fan of dive bars and this didn't disappoint..definitely a bar for locals, it seemed like everyone knew everyone's names, but it wasn't off putting to be an 'outsider'. The bartender lady is definitely a little wild, and succeeded in getting both of our drink orders wrong, twice..but that was part of the charm. There was pretty loud music, dancing, some party preparation going on..a very friendly vibe and good people watching. The only slightly negative thing I have to say is that it was pretty warm in there, they have little portable fans on each of the tables which help a bit, but certianly no need to take a jacket to this spot. Oh, and CASH ONLY! but fear not, there is an ATM in the mini mart next door. All in all, a solid little dive! read more

Cool Karaoke spot in holly wood. Very divey they have a huge selection of songs and good drink specials. Parking is kind of sketchy but other than that it was sufficient for what we were there for which was sing and drink lol. Can't go wrong on a Friday night in the city when you with family and friends read more

Fun, easy going crowd. Karaoke on Saturdays. Only drawback is that cocktails are pretty expensive (eight bucks for a tiny vodka soda). If you can stick to cheap beer and pre-game before heading out this place is a good choice for laid back weekend fun. read more

WORSE PLACE EVER! The manager charged us $3 for water and could barely carry a conversation with me because of her lack of English or on Xanax. Also while sitting and chatting up with a customer at a bar. The sweet bartender girl was SO EMBARRASSED to tell us she had to charge us for WATER. read more

Walked up to the bar to get a beer, I saw they didn't have a credit card terminal so I asked if they accepted cards. The bar tender rolls her eyes and says "cash only, " then points to the ATM. To my surprise this place was scummier than Gold Diggers (before it was renovated) which I didn't think any bar could match, until I walked into Prime Time Pub. If you enjoy being talked down to under a lingering stench of what I can only describe as a wet mop then I highly recommend Prime Time Pub! read more

I will never, ever go back here again. I went there on Christmas day to do karaoke with my boyfriend and some friends. Neither my boyfriend or I drink, and didn't have cash with us. We had been there a week earlier and spent time with our friends, while they drank, and did karaoke without having to buy anything, so we thought it was fine. We were literally yelled at by the bartender, told if we weren't getting anything we had to leave (after we said our friends would be drinking), and were harassed by the other people in the bar, and told "Merry Christmas," in a very sarcastic tone as we walked out. Very rude people and I will not be going back there ever again. read more

Starting with the staff, the people here are so welcoming! I always have a great time here, and most definitely get my karaoke fix!

Sort of like Denny's, Prime Time Pub isn't the sort of the place you GO to, it's the sort of place you END UP at. I wish we could give 1/2 stars on yelp... PT is more like 3.5 The first few times we went we couldn't find the "parking in rear," but we finally did and that is definitely helpful so you don't have to walk past some of the seedier places on that strip. PTP is seedy itself, but in a much more harmless, dive bar fashion. It reminds me more of some places on the East Coast. It is never very crowded at all, so you will always get a chance to sing karaoke. The drinks are relatively cheap. Not as cheap as I've heard some people boast, but I guess it all depends on what sort of places you frequent. A whiskey and coke will run you about 6 bucks, I think. Sometimes it will be a weak drink and sometimes it's straight up whiskey, so consistency isn't really their strong suit. I think beers are like 5 bucks... pretty standard if you ask me. The crappy thing is they only take cash and I think the closest place with an ATM is a gay club a few doors down... no big deal, right? The song book is extensive and the KJ there on Saturdays always tells to "pick anything" because it's not in the book he can usually find it. There is a tip bowl up by his stand, and according to their website you should tip $1/ song. I almost always tip, but if it's not crowded and we're going up a lot, I don't tip every single time, maybe every other time. Last time we were there I sang at least 5 songs and all our friends sang a bunch too. I believe there is one regular named Sammy and he will always dazzle with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me." A lot of the other regulars are sort of creepy and might stare you down in their drunken coma. The occasional drag queen might stumble in, and that's cool with me. Overall, I like this place, but I think they could stand to make some improvements. Oh and they don't have ginger ale which is always upsetting. read more

Rolled through the Prime Time Pub on a Friday night and we were met by Fabio, the cool and nimble karaoke disc jockey (w/ a great list of songs and an excellent sound system) and a few friendly patrons; seemingly locals. With a full bar and cheap drinks and an amicable staff, I was surprised this place wasn't as busy as it probably should be. Though the neighborhood may appear a bit sketchy - located on that stretch of Santa Monica Blvd many of us zip passed to get to the 101 or to some Hollywood destination - be assured that you can leave your worries behind once you enter this place because this is PRIME TIME, baby! read more

This Is my favorite regular bar (4 years loyal patronage). This karaoke joint has almost no wait time to sing!

Well this place is definitely interesting. It is what I would for sure call a dive bar. The people who come here are really eclectic too. There are old people, young hipsters, and crazy drunk people. The mixed drinks are not the best, and I tried a decent variety. Maybe stick to beer. They have karaoke, which is pretty rad. although I can't quite remember which days, sorry. It looks sketch and some of the people are definitely off, but nothing too bad, and overall a good time. read more