Banter Bar

Classic dive bar! Karaoke on a Wednesday night (although it was keyed up for a birthday party) was great. There are 2 pool tables with an active crowd. Would be a 5 star but for the delay on service from the bar... delayed unnecessarily due to a disruptive guest who had to be expelled. Other than that, a fun experience. Would definitely go back again.

Great place to play quality pool players on a 'Bar Table'. They usually have free snacks too. Yes, I said FREE!

I've become a regular here and I love it! From the first time I visited the bartenders have been nothing but sweet and Emily the owner is truly the best. I always feel taken care of!

Definitely a place to chill on the weekend. One of the many places with billiards table. A little bit of Texas vibe which I truly love. Other than that, great service and awesome people around.

Right across my apartment. Will walk over. The vibes are always fun! My favorite is their snack table. Specifically the beef jerky.

Love this bar! A simple watering hole with good vibes and good people. I especially like the free bar snacks, not enough bars do this anymore!

Great neighborhood gathering spot. Best kept secret in LA. For sport watching, pool playing, bar chum gabbing, beautiful ladies… can’t be beat!

Best dive bar on the west side! Chill spot with fun vibes. There are two pool tables and several screens, a modern jukebox and more. All the bartending staff are great, kind and respectful, each one with their character and grit while friendly.

It's my first time at this bar when I first walked in everybody was hanging out, the bartender was very nice It was a male, and then they switched bartenders and a female bartender walked in, and she has not greeted me not once she has not made any eye contact with me, but she's talking to everyone else And sometimes that can make you feel uncomfortable When it's your first time somewhere and you cannot have a job like this if you're that kind of person you need to be open-minded and friendly and she seems to be a little shady. Just my opinion other than that it's a nice place. I will come back here again, but just not for her service

Great service and fun dive bar vibe. I really like the selection of liquor and unique holiday cocktails. One of the best bars in West LA in my opinion

I was looking for a low-key, laid-back bar where a group of friends could meet-up and catch up. Banter was the perfect place with a local neighborhood vibe. It had a great buzz between the pool tables,and the games on the TV, yet it was never too loud for our banter and chit-chat. As a bourbon drinker, I was not only impressed with their selection of bottles behind the bar- but they were quick to serve them up in a Glencairn- so you know they are serious about their whiskey program. Had a great conversation with Emily, the owner and mixologist behind the bar. I was also a fan of the free snacks at the end of the bar. I'll be back again next time I'm in town!

Bartenders define a bar. I believe that the best in Culver City is Em. She is personal. Everyone matters to her. Wiskey sour easy..... or whatever you can request willing. Behind me too pool tables for those that love the game. It has been multiple visits to see the consistency of service. This is why.... Emily is the Queen of Culver City.

Great place in Culver City to water your hole or play pool. Drinks are a little pricey for a dive bar but hey inflation is real. Don't forget to tip your bartender. House rules as far as pool goes you keep playing til you lose. Underground rules.

The drinks are strong and the price is just right. GO STEELERS!!! Would love to do karaoke again.

Came here on a Saturday to celebrate my husband's birthday and our group had a great time. The owner (I think her name is Emily) makes delicious cocktails. I came ahead of time to drop off a cake and they were happy to accommodate. There's a lovely patron offering free snacks at the bar. There was a live band that we really liked too. Ample seating and pool table kept the group happy for hours.

A fun local bar with Karaoke on Weds nights. They have reasonably priced drinks, strong pour, pool tables, and a digital juke box. Some "regulars" get annoyed if you change the music to something current and of a different genre, but oh well, it's there for everyone! Haha. My FAVORITE part of Banter on Weds or sometimes Thursday nights is the pop-up food tent in the back! PizzaKen is SO good and often has specials that are related to Puerto Rican or Brazilian faves. It's great to have a local spot with good drinks and great food!

This place is a hidden gem!! Went there on a whim and heard great music, great drinks, and such a great mix of people....young n old. Their servers are so warm n friendly. Great Service!! This is now my favorite bar!! Plus they have Pool tables and do Karioke twice a week. Loving it!!

I came in at 1:30am on a Sunday night because I was drawn by the Karaoke I was hearing. I tried to put my name down on the list but unfortunately it was all full. Luckily, they had a "juke box" which was all digitalized and cost 2 credits per song. $5 for 15 credit. Thankfully there was credit on the machine and I was able to have my own karaoke session and was the last to leave. I promised the closing guy if I could finish my favorite song "U don't have to call" that I would give him a review. Thank you for not verbally kicking us out and just pacing around, Sir! I had a very memorable, spontaneous night. Lastly, bring quarters to play pool. It's 1 quarter per play.

Small, quaint sports bar. Cool vibe. No kitchen but a lot of restaurants nearby and they allow you to bring your own food. Good amount of TVs. Gail was cool. Drinks were okay but nothing crazy.

Best Place To Watch Steeler Football! Excellent Service and Great Vibe! When food is not provided there are many choices within walking distance! See You for the Playoffs!!

Love this place. Went here with two friends this past week and had a great time. Pool tables are nice and the music selection is fun (customers can use a jukebox system). Service is fast and easy, we started a tab and just kept getting more as we were having so much fun. Highly recommended, will be back!

I was introduced to this bar by a friend and loved it from the get-go. The owner Emily is bad ass and really brought life into this bar after taking ownership. The drinks are cheap, the vibes are good, and they have karaoke on Wednesday and Sunday nights at 9. Kiki who runs the karaoke is also awesome and makes the experience fun. They also have pool tables and snacks out at the bar. I love dive bars and this is a great one. Every time I go I see familiar faces as they have a lot of regulars. Highly recommended!

I had such a good time here I just had to come and sing their praises. Music, amazing food, cool vibes, great crowd! I can seriously say I had one of the best nights of my life here playing pool and singing with my friends. I have to give a special shout out to Mr. Mike the manager who was so generous, knowledgeable, and personable, and made us feel like old friends coming home to roost.

Amazing bar filled with amazing fun people! highly recommend!! Had a great night bar hopping and will most definitely be back!

This is a great hidden gem nicest bartenders everyone here is super mellow. It's a nice crowd and you could play pool watch the games and as well bring your own food. You have the best of both worlds here with a fun bar and eating whatever you like to bring to eat.

Came here on a Tuesday night and it was such an amazing time! Amazing prices, music, and vibes! Plus the owner, Emily, is the sweetest!! I can't wait to come back here for karaoke and the other events they have.

We love this neighborhood sports bar. We go there for the pool, karaoke and fun people. It's owned by a woman and the bar has a softer, friendly atmosphere that we like and appreciate.

This bar is great. The bartenders are really friendly and the drinks are good. Chill ambiance and the snacks at the bar are a great added touch. It's been my go to Friday night spot to grab a drink after work for a while for a strong vodka soda!

Jimmmmmmyyyyyy snacks. If you know you know. What a great value. Great local bar !!! Thank you for always making sure we have a good time.

We are new to the neighborhood and came here tonight to check out a local bar. This place surpassed our expectations! The bartenders were friendly and attentive, the ambiance was relaxed and cozy, and there were snacks to go around. Happy to say we will be returning regularly!

Great bar. Experienced bartenders. Great vibe. Prices are the best in the area. The jukebox cost less here then anywhere else if that matters to you. They don't serve food but is close to so many options and you can bring food in.

The community that comes here loves this place--regulars. It's copacetic, a good group of folks who enjoy sharing the Banter Bar experience.

I currently host Karaoke here on Sundays & Wednesdays, and this one of my favorite places to host. The place is newly revamped and has nice clean bathrooms. Emily the owner is the only female bar owner in LA, which is a crazy fact. Her, Gail, & Mette make the best fancy cocktails with all sorts of fresh fruits and herbs. My patrons who come here are always happy with the prices compared to other bars. Karaoke people who sing here are so fun, I really enjoy all the different groups that come through & my musical enthusiasts. The sound system she installed is top notch, best sound of all my locations, and I have to pull back a bit because its so powerful!! If you want to sign up for Karaoke before you get there just email your name & song request to singkikikaraoke@gmail.com

Always wanted to come in and finally did snd wednesday so much fun pool and great drinks at reasonable. Fun abd good people

The owner of this bar is extremely invested in providing good service and a nice ambiance. The bar is spacious and the crowd extremely diverse. Sadly, the service can be sorely lacking. Waiting for drinks is no fun while your watching the bartender chatting it up at the other end of the bar!

The place is a chill local bar that I have visited a few times. Unfortunately the service is awful. First incident was with the blonde bartender. She made snarky comments to my boyfriend once. I figured okay, one bad bartender, but it wasn't make or break. Upon a second visit I had my friend go order me an IPA and she returns with an 805. My friend is not a beer person so she didn't know, but I figured the bartender would. When I returned to ask about exchanging the beer I was met by the old brunette bartender with short hair. I asked if she had IPAs available and she didn't even know what an IPA is. When I realized she had 2 available, I asked for an exchange due to the mix up. She off the bat was giving me attitude saying that's what was ordered and she can't change it blaming my friend for the mix up. Not my best moment, but I did say "well I feel as a bartender you should know what an IPA is". I was then told "fuck you" by this bartender as she stormed off. She calmed down after about 20 seconds and came back offering an exchange of the beers after she cursed me out. It was so unprofessional and trashy. I really can't believe she's in customer service. Anyhow, the bar is cool but I hope the employees are retrained or fired because the service is unacceptable. I unfortunately won't be returning or recommend this place anymore.

While Gabe's will forever be in my heart, Banter Bar is a great replacement. Great interior. Smooth Ambiance. Friendly folks. Reasonably-priced drinks. Also, Emily is a BADASS. I definitely recommend you come and check it out.

I am new to this bar. Reminds me of neighborhood bars in the midwest. Fun atmosphere and very friendly bartenders. I highly recommend! Don't forget your quarters for the pool tables. P.s. it's also been remodeled and is very clean.

Love it. Strong drinks and good peeps. Carryover from LNF and the original Gabes. Not a better diver semi-posh in the Westside.

Very cool place. Had a great time. The drinks are reasonable in the atmosphere is wonderful.

Cool bar if you like to play pool, watch sports and drink cold beer. No thrills, local.

First time encountering a bar with free snacks (candy, chips, etc) for everyone, which was pretty rad Bathrooms are fully stocked and clean enough--nothing fancy, but not gross either Karaoke on Sunday was fun and not too crowded. You sign up via a QR code, which was super convenient. You can tip to get further ahead in the line, which is interesting haha. The audio and acoustics are good; I was happy with the quality. My only complaint is that it's a bit loud, but that's pretty normal for bars. Haha It wasn't very crowded on a Sunday. There are two pool tables that are well lit. Not sure if there's a fee to play. Parking: free lot next door, shared with food joints

Really cool spot! Came here this past Friday for my homegirls Bday party. The owner is so beautiful and super cool, she definitely knows social cues. I love seeing Women doing boss things! Not many bartenders know how to make an Alabama Slammer and she killed it, tipped her the same price of the drink, it was that good! Plenty of parking behind the bar, I'm glad my friends pointed it out to me. I'm big on parking, especially on the Westside. Two pool tables, lots of places to sit as well. I was thinking of maybe having my 40th there? I will def be back.

Banter Bar is my new favorite karaoke spot on Wednesday and Sunday nights. This place has great atmosphere, a good sound system, and plenty of big TVs. Formerly Gabe's Sports Bar, it's been recently refurbished, and is now a cozy and welcoming little neighborhood watering hole. Kiki is a delightful karaoke host, and Carrie and Emily are charming and welcoming bartenders. The pours are generous, the bar snacks are plentiful and free, and there are two pool tables with good house cues and plenty of room to shoot. The regulars are a fun and eclectic group too. Come sing with me at Banter Bar!

Wondered how it would be when Gabe's was bought by this crew...they have done a great job updating it and familiar faces are still around. It's still a great place with some awesome bartenders. I'm a sucker for the digital jukebox too!!

Banter Bar is awesome! Totally a vibe with pool tables, bands, outdoor activities. Great location and awesome drinks, great place to hit up on a Friday or Saturday night!

Got off work and wanted to grab a beer and relax a bit before heading home. Never been here but looked promising as I'm always happy to try a new dive bar and the reviews were great. Being industry myself I didn't mind that the solo bartender didn't seem to notice me for the first 5 minutes that I stood at the bar. It wasn't crowded but there were a decent number of people posted up sipping on drinks and karoke was going on. I killed the time by chatting it up with the friendly guy next to me sipping a beer as I waited for the bartender to get around to noticing me. When she finally did I asked about the beer selection having missed the darkly lit beers above the backyard that she motioned to as she walked away. I made my selection within moments and patiently waited for her to return. The guy next to me started loudly making comments about how he felt bad for me at this point because I still was without a drink and it had probably been a mellow 15 minutes since I arrived. I watched the big digital clock tick a few additional minutes by hoping the bartender would look my way or return but in the end it was a lost cause and I gave up and decided I was better off heading down the way to Cinema or the Cozy. I wasn't impatient or rude, but definitely a bit disappointed that my quick post shift beer I was excited to get at a new place I hoped would become a favorite was a bust and a waste of 30 minutes. Needless to say I bet the bartender didn't even give it a second thought and won't care that I won't be coming back.

I love how ex-Gabes has transitioned with both some of the bartenders and regulars to this new bar. Wednesday karaoke night is so much more enjoyable than before and they now have a stage for it. They upgraded the floors to make them hardwoods but it's basically an upgraded version of Gabe's and feels like home again.

As a patron of the establishment that preceded I was skeptical about the change. At this point I can report with no degree of uncertainty that there is at minimum a par level of Taylor Swift played. If you need more information than that I genuinely feel sorry for you. The end

Nice bar. I was never a big fan of lost&found or Gabe's but this place looks like it will be really good. I like how spacious the bar is, as well as it being decked out with games, 2 pool tables, random pinatas, plenty of TVs, a jukebox and a nice clean marble bar top. The walls are dark but there is natural light coming through the windows and it seems like there is parking in the back. Good local people here. Emily was amazing and really sweet! I will be back.

Okay really wanted to like this bar since it took over my fav Gabes but ....... Really I gues there's two girls that run/own it now one girl brunette totally cool great customer service good drink then there's the blonde .. she totally rude acts stupid and proceeded to lay a song about exiting the building when I was not even done she started this 1 min after 2 extreamly rude but she was rude the first time..... don't recommend this no atmosphere dump there's to many other bars around that actually have customer service skills .. too bad coulda been bad ass but your attitude is everything dummy

i give it 4 stars cuz i think it's only 4 days old. Previously Gabe's, where we went to watch our Marine gandson sing karaoke, they are just getting started, and still "Looking for that lost shaker of salt". That said, the remodel is clean and stylish, the staff knowledgeable and friendly, and though it looks like it will cater to the 20-40 year old crowd, this 68 year old bar designer sees a bright future for this place. Lots of parking, good locals appeal, good drinks. Start coming in here and get these guys off to a good post-pandemic start !, and no, no one paid me to write this, it's just so important to get new businesses started. Cheers !

This place was amazing , great break from the pretentious vibe, and the pool tables were a great addition need more places like tbjs in LA

Emily has really stepped this bars game up! Highly recommend-- great drinks, good karaoke, pool tables, everything you need.

Love this place. It's chill and the drinks are cheap but strong. The bartenders are really nice and there's a huge parking lot in the back.

Love this place. The women who run it are formerly from The Lost & Found a few blocks away, a place that apparently never recovered from Covid. But the remodel they've done here is fantastic, really cool look to it. And great drinks at a good price. I will definitely becoming back regularly.

This place has all the small dive bar charm with the joy of karaoke nights and drink specials. Every Wednesday sing your heart out and have some gourmet street tacos in the back. Its a new hidden gem and its only getting better. Good drinks, great vibes come check it out!