Good Neighbor Bar
Bar · Altadena ·
Creative mixed drinks, classic recipes, and bespoke cocktails
Creative mixed drinks, classic recipes, and bespoke cocktails
"Opened less than two months before the Eaton fire in January 2025, Good Neighbor Bar—owned by Randy Clement, April Langford and Emely Cubias—survived when so much of Altadena did not, and I watched it quickly become a protected gathering place where survivors process their feelings, share resources and rebuild community ties. After Clement used social media and the restaurant’s delivery app to check on evacuees’ homes, the bar turned into an emotional hub: neighbors compared stories at the bar, bartenders like Nathan connected with patrons who were also fire victims, and the patio area and parking lot hosted fundraisers and events. Outside the shop is an 8' x 14' color-coded map of the fire’s destruction by Noel McCarthy that became a meeting and remembrance site, and a bright mural by Eric Junker that helped raise funds after he sold posters (raising $40,000 for Altadena Mountain Rescue). Clement and Langford’s sons organized a school concert in the bar’s lot that raised $7,000, and the lot was the start for a multistop 50-kilometer ultra that helped raise $50,000 for local relief organizations. In short, I saw Good Neighbor evolve from a newly opened bar into an incubator for relationships and a pivotal community center in Altadena’s recovery." - ByEsther Tseng
"Randy Clement and April Langford (Silver Lake Wine, Everson Royce Bar) embodied the title of good neighbor during the Eaton Fire, surveying neighborhoods and helping families determine whether their homes survived the disaster. Now, their bar acts as a watering hole for the community with comfortable banquette seating, an outdoor patio with mountain views, freshly popped self-serve popcorn, and a playful menu that features booze-forward cocktails, natural wine, and tiki drinks. The NA options are just as thoughtful, like the passionfruit sour shaken with honey and lime." - Mona Holmes
"Sometimes we drive around Altadena just to see the craftsman bungalows and 45-year-old screenwriters walking their dogs. The unincorporated area north of Pasadena is quiet and cool with a moody Pacific Northwest energy, perfect for a place like Good Neighbor Bar. Run by the Everson Royce folks, this casual, mod-designed hangout has great wine (and a bottle shop next door), $5 cans of Modelo, and comfy banquettes ideal for sitting with your spouse and discussing the Duplass brothers. But the reason to make a special trip to Good Neighbor are its cocktails. The expansive menu includes dedicated sections for highballs, tiki punches, and frothy drinks shaken with egg whites. Our favorites are the “Booze Forward” cocktails, including the silky, citrusy Rolls Royce laced with gin. There’s no food available but you’ll usually find various pop-ups serving in the parking lot." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"This converted parking-lot patio has pure neighborhood vibes—ideal for outdoor gatherings—attached to an owners' wine shop and offering an organized cocktail menu with sections like refreshing highballs (try a mezcal Paloma), booze-forward drinks (a mezcal Negroni), and sweet tiki cocktails (rum-blended Puka Puka Punch). The venue typically hosts food pop-ups (for example, Shucks Oyster Company on Friday and For the Win on Saturday), has a 21+ indoor bar area, and features a striking mural by the owners that commemorates local wildfire damage." - Eater Staff
"Altadena is an unincorporated area north of Pasadena with a cool, moody Pacific Northwest feel, perfect for a place like Good Neighbor Bar. Run by the Everson Royce folks, this casual mod hangout has great wine, $6 cans of Modelo, and comfy banquettes ideal for sitting with your spouse and discussing the Duplass brothers. But the reason to make a special trip to Good Neighbor is its stellar cocktail menu. The expansive list is filled with classics and deep cuts divided into sections like highballs, tiki punches, “booze forward” and “shaken with egg whites.” We’ve yet to try one we didn’t enjoy, but we’re still thinking about the silky Rolls Royce with gin, vermouth, and Benedictine in particular. There’s no food available, but everybody orders in." - brant cox, sylvio martins
