THE BASICS:

WHAT:  A hidden bar and pool lounge disguised as an old-school Video Store (that VHS shit, kids)…

WHERE:  That sketchy Hollywood strip mall on the NE corner of La Brea and Sunset; behind the dirty Burger King.  Yes the plaza you probably stopped in once for Starbucks… and then never again because it was scary.

WHEN:  Daily 6PM-2AM…supposedly (we got there at 8:30 and they were NOT open yet…RUDE).

THE DISH: 

WALKING IN IS LIKE:  #THROWBACK.  After the big guy out front (you know, that one that all the girls flirt with to get in, but would never talk to typically, who’s on a power trip because the night’s fate is in his hands) lets you in, you walk through the “video shop” where you get allllll nostalgic; find your favorite old-school tapes, movie posters and suddenly remember that date in high school that started at Blockbuster and ended with a….(wait, so Netflix & Chill has always been a thing?).  As you walk through the curtains you enter the small “Adults Only” section with those OTHER movies that at some point every boy/man in history has been caught watching (hopefully not by their mom)… and maybe this 18+ section of the video store served as the sketchy backdrop for where you got your first fake id (not speaking from experience or anything)… anyway, you catch our drift.  Past the pornos is the bar… why you’re really here!  It’s like an old screening room, with gothic cathedral notes (sounds weird, but works somehow).  There are vintage movie posters and cult classics projected on the wall for your viewing pleasure.  Past the photobooth (well get into that mess late) and the bar is the billiard room with a pool table (yes, only one) and old stadium benches to cheer it on.  DJ spinning, films on cue, plenty of lounge seating…And scene.

WHAT ABOUT DEM DRANKS:  Cocktails ($14) are themed, like the “Clueless” (Absolut vodka, lemon, honey, raspberry, cucumber, young ginger beer) and “Dirty Sanchez” (Ilegal mezcal, lime, agave, cucumber, cilantro, serrano chili).  But it’s a full bar, so the opportunities are endless…

WHAT TO WEAR:  It’s Hollywood, but more of a laid-back Eastside vibe… so you can pretty much get away with everything and anything.  But sadly, in the small ‘adult only’ section, clothing is not optional.

WHO TO BRING:  Someone you can reminisce with about those awkward years back in the day.  From a lifelong friend who just gets it to a newer fling you’re trying to break the ice with.  Anyone who is down to cheers to how far we have come.

WHO YOU’LL SEE: Honestly, we were not THAT impressed with the crowd. While there are probably some hotties lining up to “get next game” for pool, there was no one we were trying to score free drinks from in the main room.

YOU CALL THAT A PHOTO-BOOTH:  The only way to explain how bad the photo booth pictures come out is that it was made in the same generation as the VHS’s out front.  The idea is fun and different- with old movie theater seats and a black & white vintage audience backdrop- but it just doesn’t produce the product.  With a strip of 4 pictures, not ONE of them was not blurry…and for $5 a pop, HELL NO.

EDDR LIFE LESSON: From Clueless to Pulp Fiction to Pretty Woman, the 90’s deserve some credit.

A² FINAL THOUGHT: While the crowd may be iffy at times, this is a fun spot to pretend it’s ’95 again and start or end the night…