I love dive bars and I am always on the look out for a new hangout. The perfect dive bar has the right balance of a seedy atmosphere and cool crowd. On Saturday night, we ventured to the Red Garter in Venice Beach and it definitely fit both my requirements.
The crowd was a “cool” blend of the Silverlake hipsters and Westside bar rats. The bar was equipped with a small dance floor, which was a pleasant surprise because many dives don’t have dancing. The DJ played a classic “bar blend” mix of 80s rock and 90s hip hop. It got pretty hot inside, so we spent most of the evening outside on the patio.
The “seedy” nature of this bar surfaced when 3 girls in my group (myself included) were hit on by the same very aggressive girl. While I don’t think that this was indicative of the rest of the crowd, I would advise coming here with a larger group of friends. That’s the thing about dive bars, they always make for great story telling the week after.
With regards to price, this bar definitely fit my budget. There was street parking, no cover charge and the drinks were relatively inexpensive for LA standards.
Next time you’re in my neighborhood, drop me a line. I’ll make sure no more strange girls hit on you.