What's the best dive bar in Los Angeles?

Bar/Lounge recommendations for downtown Los Angeles?

• Not looking for dive bars or places that are pure clubs. thanks

• Answer:

  I usually speak highly of LA Live, but the Lucky Strike there totally sucks. The atmosphere is great, but the waiter kept screwing up my drink order (I asked for a Newcastle, dammit!). And when I forgot my phone there, i called them to ask if it had been found, and they told me no. So on a lark, I went there anyway to find it, and it was in the Lost & Found box!!! Idiots. All of them. Go for the bowling, but ditch out for the drinks. Here's where you should drink downtown: LIBRARY BAR on 5th and Flower near the public library (go figure). They have an impressive selection of craft beers and Belgian ales. Also, their steak fries are to DIE for. They're drizzled with bacon fat. Killer in more ways than one. THE STANDARD ROOFTOP - Just cati-corner from Library Bar is the Standard. Great view. Pricey, but great drinks. Water beds. Swimming pool. It's swanky, and you're really paying for the ambiance, but it's a good time every time. 7 GRAND - Whiskey bar near the intersection of 7th and Grand. Impressive selection of whiskeys, but they also serve other things. They also allow you to order pizzas and have them delivered to the bar. BROADWAY BAR - Near 8th and Broadway, by the Orpheum. The street scares me sometimes, but the bar makes the trip worth it. Check it out Wednesdays if you like indie rock. I have friends of friends who DJ there. The drinks are good and pretty reasonably priced. CASEY'S - Irish pub downstairs near Grand and 6th. What can I say bsides it's Irish? YARDHOUSE - It's a chain. The food is good. It got a perfect score on its health inspection. The beer selection is killer. It's a little bit of a frat party, though. Good if you wanna watch the game, but it's not intimate. And just for good measure... 2nd STREET JAZZ - It's in Little Tokyo, but my colleague tends bar there once a week. They have interesting DJs there.