Mal's Bar

We went for goth night, to see what that looks like in LA. It was fairly empty, with only about 6 goths showing up before we left at around 10:30. The drinks aren't too pricey and they have their own selection of mixed drinks. I tried the Kool Aid, and met the bartender who came up with it. It was sweet and smooth.

I went for my birthday and it was such an amazing experience. It was so chill, everyone is amazing. Me and my friends mainly play pool all night and it was so fun with great music. But the best part was the atmosphere and the bartender. I wish I got his name. I wished I have tipped him. This really is a nice chill place to just be at.

Bartenders just doing their jobs. Big screens for games to watch. Good vibes.

Must bar stop... Upcoming LA bar... Nice atmosphere... Cool staff.. great drink prices.. awesome music.. great times😎👍👍👍👍👍

Great bar. It has a better vibe after pandemic remodeling. It feels more open and love the lighting. People is very chill. Pretty safe.

Nice little bar with outdoor as well as indoor seating. Bathrooms were a little dirty. They don’t serve any food.

We came here for a few beers from our hostel and were served friendly. Different Beers on tap for 8$ which is fine. It's a sports bar with screens showing ESPN, pool table available, bathrooms clean.

Mals bar, is a great place to go, and have drinks, My friend Mario81 every other Saturday night of the month, rents mals bar for events 80's music.

Chill bar, but always seeming to open later than advertised. I guess they feel they got it like that. Maybe need new management!

Vibes are great here. Drinks are really good and descent prices for the quality of drinks. Street parking is available and no entrance fee. Make sure you eat prior to coming they don't offer food and there isn't anything around to buy.

Came in on a Tuesday night. Pretty chill spot! Drinks are very reasonable. Bartender had a nice pour. There is a pool table and plenty of space.

Came in really looking forward to this Bar based on the reviews. Apparently they do not have a DJ every Saturday, It is a nice Bar and good if you come with a big crowd because is not busy.

Ben coming here for years. And it's always a great time at Mals Bar. This is an older Crowd. So the feel is different. No drama. Just dancing drinks and a good time.

Great service is amusing! I found this place a few months ago and I loveeeee it!! Great services by all staff!

This place is in such a random spot I did not think it would be cool. However, after going inside, I was surprised. There's plenty of space and a decent amount of tables. I watched a Lakers game here and there was a good crowd. I actually ended up going back a couple of days later. Beers are decently priced and you get free popcorn haha Definitely check it out if you don't feel like going into dtla.

Attended a cover charge event with DJ. We stayed about 4 hours and had a great time. The sound and lighting were great! The patrons were in good spirits and friendly. Bartenders did great with service. The bar itself is clean and decor is warm.

We came in for Thursday night football, the galaxy vs lafc playoff game, baseball playoffs, and Clippers vs Lakers (home opener) all happening at the same time. Cool place, great drink selection, popcorn, friendly bartender. We were having a great time. But, by half time of the Lakers game we realized someone had completely, unnecessarily taken over the juke box and pumped like 39 slow, sad, country songs IN A ROW. It was THE DEFINITION OF A COMPLETE BUZZ KILL. There's literally 4 epic sporting events going on on the 4 TVs. And just THE SADDEST COUNTRY MUSIC BLARING in your ears. I understand like up to 3 songs in a row, but don't bogart the juke box dude, if you want to listen to luke bryan on repeat, do that at home. As staff you have to retake control of the jukebox/music when that happens and save the vibe. We talked to one of the other regulars and they said "oh yeah this happens all the time." I'll come back because it was a good experience up to that point... great TVs and pool table, and there is nothing else like it in the area. But my girl says she can't come back after the music killed the experience. Come on... the slow country music in an LA sports bar-- We're all Dodger fans here, and someone is making us feel like we're in Houston, Texas with the music, that's not right. We were going to stay for the second half for another drink or two, but we couldn't take the 16th Luke Bryan song in a row and we left. You got to take control of the music by the 10th straight song that nobody is vibing to other than 2 people in the whole bar.

Friendly service and great vibe! Would definitely come back again. It was an awesome night.

Love Mals been coming here for years. Always a great time . Place has been remodeled and is even better now than before.

I went to the bar area and waited for the bar tender to finish serving another customers drink. When they were done another groups of people came in who seemed to be regulars. The bar tender proceeded to ignore my boyfriend and I and went ahead and served those people first. This was the second time my boyfriend brought me to this bar as he use to be a regular there. I don't know how you operate business if this is normal to you guys or you give preference to friends but I found it rude.

Good service and a cool dive bar. Definitely recommend... good ambiance and friendly people!

Cover charge for a half empty bar on a Saturday night absolutely a bad start to my experience, bar is not big but not small,different crowds came in for the night, dance floor was actually Vibing for moments of the night, bathrooms are small so lines might be an issue on a busy night. Bartenders was attentive wouldn't say polite but didn't expect them to be. Will definitely come back the set up is nice seems like a chill place for a beer on any random night ... but COVER CHARGE to a half empty bar isn't leaving a good impression.

I don't know where to begin with the horrible experience I had here. First, my friend suggested this as something new so we tried it out on a Saturday night. When we walked up to the front door there was a cover charge of $8 dollars. We immediately decided to go somewhere else. The bouncer, trying his best after we decided to try elsewhere convinced us to stay...For a $5 dollar cover charge instead. When we decided why not because we were already there... it was cash only at the door and no atm in the vicinity. They let us in only after charging the cover to my tab. However, the bouncer/front door service insisted FOUR times if we had done so and didn't believe us. We didn't stay long after the 20 miniutes of bothersome bouncer. Drinks were made poorly. Service by the bartenders was slow. Crowd didnt have a pleasent vibe. The neighborhood is sketchy to say the least. Dont try this bar!

Great place to grab drinks with friends Always a great time. Bartenders are courteous and respectful, very professional.

I had an absolute blast here, and you should too! Why? $5 for bottles, $6 for draughts. Other drinks are also really cheap. Like other people have said: the polished divey atmosphere Billiards is free and the pool shooting shimmy sheisters are friendly and will even give you advice if you are a horrendous at pool The popcorn machine The 80s music! There was a mashup of Kraftwerk and Grandmaster Flash that was fuego The service, fast and friendly. These guys want you to come back and they'll make sure you have a good time! The jury-rigged beer garden outside The murals painted on the warehouses adjacent to this lil watering hole Last, but not least, the clientele! They never judge and they are always quick with a joke.

Cool spot, spacious, great service, Dodgers & live music. Will be returning for sure!

Nice little joint for a drink after work, quick game of billiards or even when they feature upcoming community bands.

Mal's Cafe is in DTLA, but a little bit on the outskirts. This means you will actually find street parking. ^_^ Cute little bar with an industrial feel. Saw some cover bands play there. Sound system was decent for a bar. Would go there to see live music again.

If I can give it a zero I woUld, this place sucks. It's in the middle of nowhere and they have the audacity to charge 10$ cover charge. To top it all I waited 10 minutes to get a drink and I wasn't properly served, left after the incident and now to never return to this awful place ever again.

I have a bit of a problem. See, I'm from what many people consider the "ghetto" (aka Montebello). Thing is, I'm from the northside...the good side...and therefore, I'm kinda of a snobby bitch about things. This paradoxical situation lends itself to be rather confusing for those dealing with me. Basically, I'm a little bit country and a little bit rock n roll. Which is why I kinda like Mal's but kinda don't at the same time. You see, they have good musical guests. Latin music bands, DJs who know all the best Rock en Espanol songs, the type of music that makes my little Montebello corazon go bum bum bum. Most of the people who I've talked to there are friendly and sweet. But then that snobby bitch side shows up and fucks it all up. Some of the chairs are so rickety that if my ample booty sat in them, they would fall to pieces. There tends to be a sizable amount of very drunk locos in the house. The sound system leaves a lot to be desired. But that all pales in comparison to my number one bougie bitch fit. They don't have ginger ale. Which is fine...except when I order my drink, a Makers and Ginger, rather than tell me, "Sorry chica, no hay ginger ale" I get this horrific concoction of sprite mixed with cola. Ew. But if I said I didn't dig this place I'd be lying. I'll just have to teeter on that paradox of ghetto and bougie and order a Makers and Coke instead.

Ghetto bar has a cover charge . Be careful when you leave your tab open !!! They will add drinks to your tab . This is the second time they added random drinks to my tab . So I kept track of my drinks once I closed it I noticed they added the drinks that my friend had paid for in cash to my tab . Fucking thieves.

A very Easy going atmosphere very fun it is a great local watering hole for the everyday joe also caterers to the the occasional club atmosphere honestly "i wish they had more night like that" but cool place period

The cover is usually minimal. The bartenders SUCK!!!!!!!!! It takes way too long to get a drink and when you do, it's not even potent. But, whenever I go to Mal's it's to see friends perform...Santos de Los Angeles, Latin Flavors, etc...so it's always fun thanks to them...

Cool music ok drinks but ..... The place smells like urine everywhere!!!! From the moment I walked in ... You guys really need to do something about that It's bad!!!

This is not cool my friends came all the way from West Covina to hear rata blanca play and then at the end they told us that they were not going to play because they only were going to get 20 mins that's not cool at all please get a better planner or what ever it takes to give every band a chance to play

Only one point of sale machine. Fuck that. Bro invest some money in your business. You're in a horrible spot in LA. You charge a cover. I will never come back to this place.

Had a great time good atmosphere with my brother over from UK watching Jose Maldonado.

Best hole in the wall bar in the lesser active parts of dtla. Close to the reef if you are there for any events.

Pretty good place to come and listen to live bands..Area is pretty grungy, but you can tell, remodel is underway. Came here last night with Geneva W. and some friends to listen to this Smiths cover band Louder than Bombs. Atomsphere was chill, service at the counter was fast, and oh they have the cutest bartender..Forgot her name, but she knows who she is. Places looks really nice and open, ever since the remodel. Restrooms were very clean. Would definitely go back...$4 buck Henie's. Cant beat that.

Reporting live from Mal's Cafe. THE AMBIANCE: In the middle of nowhere sits Mal's Cafe. Tonight is The Smiths/Morrissey night. The music is bumpin' and the people are dancin'. $10 cover. The space is medium sized with a bar and dj booth. The women's bathroom has two (2) stalls (super small). THE MUSIC: The sh** if you like 80s. This is my first time here so no idea what this place is like other than tonight. THE BAR: Typical well drinks and beer. THE TIPS: They give birthday shout outs. Woot!

Came here for their happy hour in the afternoon. Prices were decent, I believe it was $4 for a pint for draft beer, They had on draft their own house brand hef, sierra nevada pale ale, fat tire and some blue moon. Cocktails started at $6 with a decent pour, although they didn't have lime juice for a gimlet the guy substituted for fresh lemon juice... It's in a rather incongruous place in the middle of a bunch of warehouses, but inside it's not too shabby. The place was practically empty when we went in but then again it was like 3pm. There seems to be shows here because there's a sign that tells people " NO MOSHING! NO SLAM DANCING!" ...... maybe it's a punk rock or metal place. Not bad, it's near USC, so if you want to go to a happy hour and it's not 4pm yet, you can go here instead of the 901 bar.

Good chill bar everyone is friendly. I have been here several times on Friday's and Saturday nights. The drinks are good and the price is right. Check their IG page to see what DJ or band is playing. They are very diverse they have Cumbia nights all the way to 80's night. Great fun and chill place Parking: Plenty on the street Cover Charge: None

Amazing bar, super random location but amazing place once you get inside. You would never see this place if you were not looking for it. But once your inside, it's such a great spot. Friendly staff, clean, great drink specials, great atmosphere. I don't use this word often on Yelp but I love this place. They have live bands a few nights a week or DJs it just depends. It's different all the time. So if your looking for something different with great drink specials a great staff and a great atmosphere this might be the spot!

Cool little hole in the wall bar in South LA. This is one of those bars where you can hang out and relax with friends and listen to the state of the art jukebox, or play a few rounds of Pool. Good spot to catch Monday Night Football, it does not get super packed. * Friendly staff * Great drinks * Plenty of street parking * Bands on Friday & Saturday nights * Cool mixed crowd * Beer specials, hot dogs, and chips & salsa on Mondays

This place has potential. Not sure if they have a person that mixes or the bands do it themselves but when I was there everything was super loud except the microphones. I bought two beers while waiting for the change the bartender kept a dollar as tip. If he would have handed me all my change I would have left more. Parking is sketchy.

I had the best night tonight, in a very long time. Heard some amazing mariachi divas. They were great and entertaining. The bar was crowded, but everyone seemed to be having a good time. Singing along and dancing to the music. Will be back, FOR SURE, for the next event.

As I'm driving down Hill St. Just south of Downtown L.A I always see this trendy little bar called Mal's. I've always wanted to stop, but being in that neighborhood I wasn't sure. So tonight I stop and checked it out, to my surprise it was a gem. Alternative music, great t.v's for watching any games, the music was Rolling Stones, Doors, and Black Sabath. The audience was sociable and relaxed, and there us a pool table to enjoy while listening to great music. I didn't try the food but I herd it was good, I definitely will be bak when there's a band on the stage.

Mal's bar is such a hidden gem in this area. My band played a show there and it was a total blast. The sound people really know what they're doing, more than any other venue of this size. And it was fun to just hang out afterwards. Good beer selection and prices too

This venue has nightlife history lasting from the early 80s! It's is still a thriving and happening spot. Great cocktails and beer specials. Depending on the night, the DJ's are always spinning the cuts. From punk, new wave or tribute bands! At times the have amazing tacos or quesadillas to eat. The venue is also nice and cool especially after burn the floor with your hip dance moves. Love this place. Check it out.

If you want to go to a place where a bald, a**hole bartender will be rude to you, leaving you waiting, bill in hand, for 20+ min to order a drink and after he rudely asks "what you want?!" then gives you attitude about the drink you want, then by all means this is the place for you!!!!!! And no, I am not used to fancy, upscale bars. I'm a dive-bar kind of gal and this, by far, has offered me the worst service and treatment ever. My friends and I miraculously managed to get 1 drink each and left to NEVER COME BACK.

...what you're Mama gave ya. We've all been there before... You know: "Yeah, sure I'll go." "Where is it?" "Wait, what? "Where's it located?" "Yeah, ok, I'll go." Sometimes it works out and sometimes, well, you'll probably never go back again...for whatever reason. My time happened about a month ago and Mal's Cafe was the destination. I went to see Very Be Careful play and if you know anything about the band, you know that the females love them. VBC playing = myriad girls around shaking dat ass. Sooooo, onto the review... Mal's is in a section of town I don't regularly frequent. South Los Angeles. Yes, the area where the bar is located is a little seedy, but there is plenty of parking and if you get there when most people are arriving, around 10pm or so, there should be other people around looking for parking as well. So, no need to worry. Anyway, Mal's Cafe is a rather refreshing bar/ club. By refreshing, I mean, that it's an incredibly well run establishment. From the moment you arrive til you've had your last drink or dance, Mal's Cafe does it right...top to bottom. Let's start with the doormen. Professional, friendly and completely chill. While they do search you at the door it's just a simple pat down and not a TSA-like frisk. Immediately to the right of the doormen, is the smoking area where one can get their cancer on. It has a few tables and chairs where you can enjoy your cigarette. As you walk into the place itself, the bar is straight back, there's a pool table to the left and the dance floor/ stage is to the right. It's a good sized bar with a medium sized dance floor and a pretty small stage. The building itself is good sized and, I guess, could probably fit 100 people comfortably. The bartender's are all incredibly friendly and professional. All of them, which a lot of times is a rare experience now-a-days. They were quick with the drink orders and attentive at your approach to the bar. Like most bars, they had both hard liquor and beer. Not sure if they had wine, but it's safe to assume they did. I remember there being quite a decent collection of Mexican beers. Definitely not your craft beer type venue, but they got in where they fit in. What was also very cool, literally, is that when the music was going and the people were dancing, at no time did the place get muggy and hot. The A/C was going and the temperature was comfortable. That alone was surprising and welcomed. Needless to say, the show was a success and I even got to cut a rug to a few songs. If the opportunity presents itself, I would definitely go back.

I've been here a couple of times. The second time I was accused of breaking into my own car, (note there were four other people with me at the time too) But Mal's is loveable for the entertainment value it provides. This is a dive bar, but a dive bar with love for the Latino underground. This is a place to come to small art shows with music or hear up and coming bands that are rough and tough just like Mal's The prices are decent and people are cool. Its just too bad that your car might get broken into around the neighborhood. I'd go again but maybe somebody else drives.

This place is cool...But for my 32 year old brother and his old school high school lame buddies... Haha! I went in a few weeks ago because my I got a flat tire right on front of this place. So while I waited for my friend to scoop me up I went in for a beer. The crowd is probably 30-40 year olds... The music playing was old Skool house/techno.... However I've been here once before when a Cumbia band was playing and it was pretty happening... Too bad there wasn't space to get my groove on...

Hidden litle gem place, love the vibes, the music and the prices for drinks. Service is great every single time

I would rate this place a 5 but i ran into my ex which pretty much killed the mood for about 30 seconds lol , but other than that it was great.. I love 80's music and I enjoyed every song they played, as for the drinks.. woahh they are cheap.. i mean i did not pay but I saw my dates tab,. haha.. so folks if you are a cheapy this is the spot to buy her drinks.. I am jk! Nonetheless I wish more people were dancing, I felt like everyone was kind of just watching each other and looking around.. but I did not care I was there to have a good time and I did.. No one could stop that especially when you are joined with great company :)

Came to the bar, my friend and I ordered a beer (in a bottle) and my friend paid right after with his card. While my friend was signing the check I asked the bartender for change for a $20 bill and he literally said, "depends on how much your friend tips." I thought he was joking and my friend didn't tip because all he bought was two bottles of beer. The bartender then said "no." and gave me back my 20. I was like "WTF?" I was surprised he was serious. Never returning to this bar.

This is the closest Bar with the cheapest prices, never in two years did I think I would be a bar person, I always wanted to be a Cafe person, but cafes are always short of space. I usually come here on Thursday nights, they have a pool table, and for 75 cents you can play pool; yeah, my friends and I go to a bar just to play pool, how lame is that? Beers are four dollars, and shots are eight. There's an internet jukebox, a Defender arcade cabinet that doesn't work anymore. There are also two bathroom stalls in the back, and the mensroom used to have a mirror (it's small, wait for your turn to use the potty). They have three large flat-screen TVs that usually play sporting events on it. When they have bands playing, there will be an admission charge; a heads up for the cheapscapes out there, but really, last time was only $3 so I don't complain (plus a beer ticket). So yeah, last time they had some good ones, too bad I couldn't stay too long because my Mom kept calling me; had to sober up with water and IHOP that night. Bonus points for the free popcorn and letting people bring outside food; funny enough, where the bands play now is where they used to have a kitchen. So yeah, this place is pretty cool, just don't be a jerk and brag about how well you can drive drunk, or they'll consider helping you outside to take a nap and meditate on life choices.