Altadena Ale & Wine House

Wine was great, got the Boudoux. Nice little neighborhood joint, always happy to support local. This review was prompted by an alert I got from my credit card, asking if I left a 56% tip on a glass of wine, totaling $19.75. I did not. I signed the bill to total at an even $15. Maybe it's mistake. Maybe it's Maybelline. I'll prefer to believe the former for a little while. lll update this review when its fixed.

Delightful, friendly, make-you-feel-like-a-local staff who pour a great pint of Guinness. Cozy. Great jams 🎵Will be back soon and frequently!

I've stopped in here twice in the last two weeks and is now my go to spot to relax and have a beer. The bartenders are awesome and down to earth, very reminiscent of Cheers. They make great pizza and I hear they have hot dogs but have not had one yet. Indoor and Outdoor seating.

A very nice pub, so very happy they survived the Eaton fire. Friendly and helpful bartender who makes a great pizza and pours the best Guinness!

Altadena Ale & Wine House is easily one of the best spots in Altadena. The staff know their wine inside and out and love helping you discover something new. They’re welcoming, laid-back, and create an atmosphere that feels more like hanging out with friends than just grabbing a drink. With a great wine list, solid beer and food selection, and a classic old-school vibe, this place is a must-stop. Can’t wait to come back!

Nice, quaint atmosphere with a good selection of wines, beers, and other libations. Gareth was most kind and helpful. The only downside is the menu: just pizzas. They are good pizzas though!

Surprised by how delicious the bar pizza was! Great service and conversation. Neighborhood favorite.

Local dive bar with cozy vibes. The pizza is tasty! Be patient with the service staff, it's a small shop and they are amazing kind people.

Oh my goodness. We moved to the neighborhood a few months back and kept meaning to try this place but for some reason didn't get here until today. What a gem! Amazing wine and beer selection, delicious pizza, friendly service, and a super cool juke box. Will be regulars from now on.

Great little local pub. Fantastic beer selection. Cozy atmosphere. Always some interesting conversations going on. Digital jukebox which is fun to play. Friendly bartenders. Watched both an LA Dodgers game and a sumo wrestling match on their big screen TV one night which kind of explains the vibe too!

Best bar in Altadena/Pasadena area!!! If you know you know... also pizza is low key incredible and best conversations I've had in a bar

Best truly authentic bar in Altadena!! We love going to the Ale & Wine House! It's quite literally the only original "joint" in the neighborhood and the only "local" where you're going to experience the true Altadena community experience. They have a exceptionally good beer selection on tap and a sophisticated wine selection. To boot, the pizza is really good and the local color from patrons and the owners is unparalleled. Go!

Great little pub and wine house hidden gem in Altadena - super friendly owners. Indoor and outdoor areas and a few items on the menu - pizza and cheese board. Great reasonable prices, board games and darts and a jukebox. Lots of regulars - great place to chill over a beer or glass of wine

I stopped by after a horrible day the husband at the bar was a nice guy, however when his wife took over she reprimanded me saying I was making the locals uncomfortable. I get having regulars but I in no way shape or form or as being hostile or anything. She made me feel like a dirtbag and I have never felt that in my life. You want a dive bar fine but don't chase people out because you don't know them. Crap bar with crap people close this place down

This is an unexpected gem but it's a locals hang for sure. The no-frills vibe is charming. The local crew at the bar introduced themselves and made a point to chat it up. It's dark and moody and fit the dreary overcast day LA was having when I stopped in. There didn't seem to be any outdoor options from what I could tell. There are tvs, bar seating, and some tables in an adjoining space. The pizza really is amazing - get the supreme - it is fresh made (ask for extra garlic!) and the energy is good. The bartender is friendly and local so lots to chat about.

What a perfect little pub! Very cute and off the beaten path. Good vibes and intimate feel. Friendly and attentive staff. From what I heard, I believe many of the bartenders are also local teachers. That's really cool. They check your vaccine card when you enter. Indoor and outdoor seating. Large tables to accommodate large parties. We sat outside and enjoyed watching the Dodger game on TV out there. Delicious pizza too! We ordered a pizza with mushrooms, olives and basil. Very tasty and the crust was wonderfully crispy. Plenty of free street parking right outside the entrance and in neighboring side streets. I look forward coming here again!

This is a great bar with a great vibe. Highly recommend. Awesome drink and food options.

The bartender here is rude as f***. I came here around 9:30pm on a Saturday to have a glass of wine. I walked in and it was DEAD. There were maybe about 3 or 4 locals sitting at the bar, but the area inside of the bar didn't have any one in it. I asked the bartender if they were still open and he responds "Uh, yeah." with a very rude tone. Could've fooled me. There's barely anyone here on a Saturday night, and it looked like he was closing up early for the night. After sitting down at the bar and giving him my ID, he continued on with his very curt attitude and asked if I wanted to open up a tab. As he was getting my drink, he seemed really impatient and almost acted as if I was inconveniencing him. (even though there was literally no one ordering drinks or food and it felt like he was just twiddling his thumbs and finding things to do to keep busy at the bar.) Around 10pm, the few locals that were sitting at the bar left for the night, and it was just the bartender on the phone watching videos. I closed out my tab for the night and asked if he was planning to close early for the night. He said "Nope. Staying open until closing time." I asked him what time the place closes. He said "2am." He also stated that he technically "lives" on the property now, so he prefers to keep it open until closing time, unlike some of the other bartenders (who may be close early if there isnt any business). Overall, this seems like it's a watering hole for the locals. It doesn't have a welcoming vibe at all. It was so dead that I played two songs on the jukebox and THAT'S what sparked a conversation between everyone at the bar. If I hadn't played any music, it would've just been quiet, awkward, and dead with the energy of a rude bartender. The Pinot Noir was just okay. For $12, I could've (and should've) just bought a bottle at a local grocery store and drank at home. Conclusion: If you're looking for a bar with a good atmosphere and a kind bartender, you're better off going somewhere else. Maybe try Rancho Bar up the street or go somewhere in Pasadena!

The rudest place ever, from the patrons to the bartender! First time rude, after 5 years you would think they can be nice. Nope.... Rude as fuc*!

Always love to visit the Ale house. Gail and the staff are friendly and accommodating. Great wine and beer. Have to love the pizza.

Very cool little hidden Beer and Wine house.... Had a supreme pizza and it was delicious m. Gail and Vincent are very nice and attentive barkeeps.. Feel like your in a ale house abroad seas... Cheers :)

Gayle really has a gem I here. I immediately loved the modest atmosphere and overall vibe of the place. So happy to had stumbled into it and plan on making it a staple whenever in the neighborhood. The beer selection alone is worth a visit, but if you're an English Footy fan, you definitely want to call ahead and make sure a match is being shown. Gather the lads and head in over.

Went here for St Patty's Day. The female bar tender is rude as @&$!k ................................................. I'm an Altadena local and will never go back again. Go to Rancho Bar on Lake Ave.

I paid $33 what was supposed to be a large pizza turned out to be a kids size pizza went in arrived at our house was completely burnt and it tastes worse than a frozen pizza at the store that you make it home do not go to this place this place is absolutely horrible I will never step foot in there

Barf. You want this kind of quality? Go get a box of Franzia with a punch straw and burn your food in an Easy Bake oven. The bathroom is NOT up to code even a little bit, it's an afterthought. The 'selection' of wines is laughable Skip it. Save yourself and go anywhere else. Get your wine from Von's. Better choices. Oh and if you see a GOOD review of this place, it was bought and paid for and probably written when they were drunk at the bar itself.

I love this place! It's comfortable and home-y -- even on weeknights. Gail knows her customers well, and brings people together. My friends and I come after our weekly dance class and have had many parties and good times here. Truly, as others have said, this place is a gem in Altadena!

Doesn't get much better. The funniest bartender who is warm and welcoming, great beer selection including some Belgian brews, great music (tonight I heard Charley Crocket and Waylon among others!), dark, cozy vibe, hot pizza. The kind of bar I would love to be a regular at... sad I don't live closer but I will be back whenever I visit!!

Great local pub with a sense of welcome / community. They show all the big sport events and have a great patio. Wine and beer, pizza and cheese plates & the owner is super friendly / supportive of the neighborhood.

This place is such a gem. Love the patio, board games, 90s nostalgia playlist and general neighborhoodie vibe. The place has a warm vibe, which exudes from the gal behind the bar.

An adorable little place in general. The beers are interesting and the server knew a lot about the breweries and provided interesting facts on all of them. The pizzas are baked to order and are a perfect complement to the varied selection of beers. Great after a hike!

I've been coming to this place on and off for about six years. The thing I liked about this place in the past is that the pub has a mix between a traditional British pub and a mainland European biergarten. They used to have an excellent selection of Ales including on ale from the Flanders section of France that was expensive, but oh so good. But what once may have been a fun spot to go years back is anything but now. The employees are okay, but with the patrons it is like a clique because the patrons have been the same 35 people there whenever I have been. Usually that is a good sign because locals tend to go to the good establishments because they know the area better then outsiders. The problem is if you are not part of this group, they treat you as some type of leper. Not only is that rude it removes from the ambience of the place. I went a couple of days ago and the selection of draft beers was terrible. Like really terrible. A few less than average California microbrews and Stella and Guiness (gross). No Belgian beers to be found and after I came to this place, I was wishing I went to Lucky Baldwins instead. The prices for the drafts are pretty good compared to average prices you will pay in Los Angeles. You can get into some strange conversations with patrons, but I was just like I want to have decent draft beer, put $10 in the jukebox and listen to some music with my musical tablature project I brought with me to the bar (I really had to get out of the house). Someone complained about my Jukebox pics (two Iron Maiden songs), and I just said, "That's fine, you can skip that song if you want", but again this is just the example that this pub is more of a club than it is a random watering hole you can go to. The patrons all know each other and even if you live in the neighborhood, you are an outsider. Just remember that. Twilight Zone level weirdness here. Honestly, there's no reason to come here anymore. It is a pub so beer and wine only, I called ahead about their Covid-19 policy to see what the rules are, and they were very straight forward about this but that still doesn't make it a good experience. Sad that Altadena doesn't have a good place to go to.

Do you like good wine but don't care for the pretentiousness of the atmosphere that often comes with it? Or, do you prefer good craft beer, but scoff at the often present beer snobbery and puffery found in craft breweries and tap rooms across LA? Or maybe you just want to order a clean cool Stella Artois on a hot day without the beer snobs looking down their noses at you? Well whatever you are in the mood for, this place will allow you to escape the self proclaimed elitists in beer and wine and allow you to enjoy your choice amongst an unpretentious friendly neighborhood crowd. If Howard Hughes was a drinker, he may have frequented this place to maintain his anonymity and drink in peace. The wine list is mostly French with a good selection offered by the glass. So feel free to enjoy a couple glasses of Chateauneuf du Pape or Lussac-St. Emilion in cargo shorts as you watch a baseball game or have a casual conversation with the bartender. Or if you prefer, enjoy a Lizard's Mouth Imperial IPA, or Lost Coast Indica IPA without a nudge by a guy with a growler embellishing on how long he has been drinking craft beer before anyone heard of craft beer. Or just enjoy a Stella! Alatadena Ale & Wine House is actually a high end drinking hole disguised as a dive bar. It is unassuming if barely visible from the street. Go too far and you are in a residential area. Across the street is a cemetery. Come as you are but check your ego at the door. Cheers!

The Altadena Ale & Wine House is a hidden gem. They actually clean their beer lines so the draught beer doesn't taste like shit! You'd be surprised how many bars neglect that. The beer here tastes clean and fresh. Fair prices considering how hard it is to be a small business in today's economy. Impressive assortment of French wine. The pizza is delish, especially after a couple of drinks. I've read some reviews that complain about the clique-ish-ness of this place. Don't let that intimidate you. Most people here love conversation and community. When you walk in the door, you become part of the community. You have just as much right to be there as the rando who comes every Mon/Wed/Fri (unless you're a dick). Have confidence in yourself. Beer can help. That being said, it's a bar! The mood varies based on the crowd, who's bartending, whats on tv/jukebox and the day of the week. Give it a chance and come back more than once before you decide it's too much of a locals spot. It really is chill, and you can meet some super cool people--Disney animators, NASA engineers, chefs, farmers, Art Center students, jewelry makers, musicians, movie industry folks, etc. Highly recommend :)

...just called and asked if they're open until 2 (which is stated on Yelp) lady was SUPER rude about it. I'm not currently living in California & have no idea how the restrictions are.. the energy she sent me, was W A C K

Best place in town to meet with friends and get to know new friends. The owner is super nice (Gail)

Wine and beer place... very good selection. Great pizza... they have cheese plates. Friendly owners and regular customers. Very cozy atmosphere.

I wanted to post a long overdue review for my favorite watering hole (and dartboard). The beer and wine selection here is great, pizza is pizza, the board game selection is decent, and you are almost always guaranteed a fun time chatting with the owner, bartenders, or locals. You can almost always find a place to sit and you can have a conversation you can actually HEAR. It's exactly what you want from your local. The jukebox is great, too. I haven't been since the pandemic, so I am not sure exactly what the scene is right now (once I am fully vaccinated I am excited to return), but hope to bury the haters below with their scabrous reviews. Why is someone from outside the state calling about opening hours? Do some research on restrictions before calling businesses! Don't like the pizza? Its pizza! Jeez. It fills my heart with joy that I can get pizza with my beer and keep my dart game fueled up. I don't go to AA&W for the pizza (I go for the BEERS), but I have always been happy with the pizza. Also: I have had a great time on the patio. I met some cool people, played some cards, argued about science and religion...fun times all around.

Best pizza ever!!!! Gale asked me and my comrades if we were atheists before she would agree to serve us some beers. We all said we were atheists or agnostic so we could keep partying like the god fearing men that we are. #BlessedAF

If you want to have a good time this is the place! Really nice and friendly people, great selection of wine and beer! And there is tasty food. Thanks guys!

A great relaxing spot for our Altadena community. My wife and I usually come on evenings for the special variety of ales and ciders that the proprietor, Gale, comes up with and conversation with random people at the bar. We also love the place as a regular evening gathering spot for our group of seniors and retirees.

Love this place for my stouts and ales. It's very tiny and intimate, but it does have live music on the weekends. The wines and ales are wonderful, but the pizza not that good, although it smells really good. The pizza is about a 3 out of 10 to me. The cheese plate was a little better though, and I haven't tired any of the other foods. I would say, not to go here for any food, but instead focus on the wines and ales, because that is what it is after all; an Ale house. The staff is nice and the are even games there like checkers and cards.

Dog friendly bar, both inside and out, with a great selection of beers on tap and by the bottle, tasty pizza and a low key but very cool and welcoming vibe.

Your palate will thank me. The French wine selections are second to none. This place is not to be passed up. Stop by say hi to Gail. Talk about her experience with France and she will convince you to buy a airplane ticket to the beautiful country. You must go. Taste all the great reds they have and ask all the questions that are on your mind. You're not a wine person yet. But you will be. Promise

F this place! We tried coming here, party of 8 to enjoy some drinks and pizza. We get there at 11:45 and they say it's last call so we have to order everything we want right away. Bartender didn't seem happy to serve us at all. Server was okay but it seemed like they were excited to leave and maybe not happy a big party came in. Then they tell us we have to sit outside in the back... woulda been cool but super sketch area so legit had weirdos lurking in the back... glad we came with a lot of people cuz was super sketch. Never coming back!! Haha Then they burned our cheese pizza and the server didn't seem to want to make the situation right. Fast forward 30 mins and I hear my friend and the server yelling at each other from outside. We go inside and the bartender and server are yelling at my friend to go back to where we came from and that what she ordered was what she got. Meaning they were cool serving us burned food and not making the situation better when it was pointed out. This is besides the fact the pizza was sooooo small, lol like smaller than a toddler would be okay with, haha... especially for the $, we were really surprised!! Don't ever go here.

I came to Altadena Ale & Wine House to meet with some fellow Toastmasters. It is the perfect place to meet with a group of people, have a drink and converse. What I loved: - Cozy environment (I felt like I was in one of those cool Oregon bars) - Trying an alcoholic version of Root Beer for the first time (Amazing, GET IT) - Taco Wednesdays. I will probably only come back on a Wednesday, for the tacos, - Game selection - wonderful service from the Bartenders.

Convivial non-scene-y watering hole for the 'dena denizens. This dive bar with Brit theme has been here since 2010. They offer beer, wine and champagne, though no hard liquor. Mellow and laid-back, here is just the right cosy pub to wind down your day. The place has two rooms: the bar area has stools and a few small two-person tables, another room with large round tables and pleather benches against the wall. Music playing was Bowie and other good stuff. I must have been thirsty, downing an entire bottle of Samuel Smith of England's strawberry ale-- lively sweet jolly goode delicieuse. Only hot food option: pizza, like one of those Red Baron personal sizes from the super-market frozen aisle. It might even be exactly that, but enhanced with jalapeño and goes well with beer. How about some Tayto's english potato crisps, salt and vinegar flavour? They got them here. Staff seem nice, chill.. good vibes all around. Ye Little Altadena Ale house is a kool spot to sip beer and have a great gab, catch-up and laughs with friends.

Remember the Worst Toilet in Scotland from Trainspotting? This is its sibling. The place is filthy. The "kitchen" is a toaster oven, the bartender is Karen and the ambiance is that of a mechanics shop off the I140 in Oklahoma. Utterly disgusting! Why the Health Dept. has not closed this place down is a mystery.

Such a cool, welcoming place with awesome locals to converse with. Great pizzas and fun conversation. Highly recommend for people looking for casual night out.

I have been told SO many times I should check this place out. I would like it. It is a dive bar, but with an extensive french wine selection. Me: ?!!! My interest is piqued. BUT. But its WAY up the lonely hill in Altadena. So it took me a while to meander up this way. We drove right passed it. I knew it looked like a dive bar, but if you blink, you missed it. It only says PUB on the ramshackled outside and its next to a ramshackle body shop. But it is right across the street from the cemetary. So when you see the gravestones, heads up, you are there. Hockey was on the TV when I walked in. Instant extra point! Love to see Washington get spanked. Typical dive bar decor. Which should not be a surprise if you bothered to look at the outside at all when you walked in. There were a few patrons seated at the bar. The bartender, Gayle, was very knowledgable and familiar with her stated 40 french wine selection. Let her know what you like, what you don't like, what your mood is, your astrological sign, and she has suggestions for you. And good suggestions. The patrons were friendly, and in no time, we were introducing ourselves and chatting it up with the neighboring bar stool tenants. There is a simple cheese platter which included some basic cheeses (manchego, roquefort, and brie) which came with a nice crusty loaf of hot bread and butter. There was an interesting English chutney included with this. And there was pizza also offered. I thought it was great! It was so nice to have an extensive choice of wines and a helpful person suggesting for you, all while relaxing in a casual divey environment with the hockey game on. If I lived closer, I could see myself as a regular here.

I came here to watch my friends band play and it was obvious that it was a total dive bar... I mean that in the most positive of way too! The place itself is super small but man its cozy! They even have Arrogant Bastard & Lindmans Raspberry beer... ftw! There is limited seating by the bar, but they have a little open space/den area where you can chill or listen to the band thats playing for the night. Hell there even was enough room to have a mini dance party. Street parking everywhere, on the main street & side streets. This location feels a little out of the way, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're into dive bars.

Dubbed by the LA Weekly "The Best Place To Drink With Smart People!" Home of the Los Angeles Limerick Fest! This place pours the best pint of Guinness! And, I might add, they have the best wine and beer selection! See for yourself!

Great food and amazing wine selection My wife loves it here. Bartenders are really cool and friendly and prices are acceptable.

Good selection on beer and wine but the bar tender is trash, either he is on his phone or with his gf. Service has dropped since he started working for his mom

I'm not much of a beer drinker, or any alcoholic beverage really. I'm a very occasional imbiber. What I found pleasant about Altadena Ale & Wine House is the public house atmosphere. It's homey, low key, comfortable, not smoky, seedy, dingy or stale. It's well lit, cheerful and appears to be well loved by local regulars. It's a great spot to sit and talk, play a card game, listen to music, or linger with a glass of something you enjoy while you relax and unwind. There's a small food menu if you're peckish and need a snack. There's a patio if you're craving fresh air. It's a really nice neighborhood place, that's out of the fray of old town Pasadena, very casual and welcoming. If I did drink beer or wine more than occasionally, I'd be stopping here to have my indulgence.

Great place for true Pasadena/Altadena locals. The feel 10-15 years prior to what old town was. Dive bar but with a genuine Professional feel- not to miss!!

Driving by I was a bit skeptical. Parking in the back, I was scared. Walking in, I was hesitant and THEN! Looking around I felt like I was at home. The ambiance and atmosphere was unreal. The bartendress was nice, great, fantastic, and so informative. I dont think we rec'd great service because it was only 8pm and there were only 10 people in the bar at that time. I honestly believe that this place thrives to be great. Guinness was delicious. Served slightly colder than room temp. Bodingtons was delicious also! What a Gem this place is...

So I had gone to a funeral of a friend earlier in the day across the street at Mountain View and had been drinking with friends all over town and was invited by other friends to come through and partake of tasty beverages here at Altadena Ale & Wine House (run on sentence) and it was fantastic. The beer and alcohol prices are just right. They have a jukebox, small patio, etc. My needs were met and it's also near the house. Great times were had by all and I will most certainly be back. Oh, my favorite drink they had in the fridge was Delirium Red. It was amazing. It's about $11 per bottle. Worth every penny.