Marisa Z.
Yelp
I remember back in the day when this bar first opened up. It was a cool little place that was filled with the local crowd who happened to stumble in accidentally. It can be hard to notice if you are not really looking for it. The bar is unassuming, basic and plain from the outside. The inside however has lots of low tables and pods to sit on. The bar itself is on the smaller side, but seats quite a few patrons. There are two small rooms in the back, one for lounging with the same low tables and whatnot, and the other has a pool table.
It is rare to see a pool table in bars here in LA, especially when you are intentionally looking for one. It is more rare to actually get a spot on the table, and it can be difficult to play your friends you came with. That is , unless you win and get to play over and over and with everyone. I am, however, not good at pool at all. So needless to say I did not end up getting to play my friends, but rather watched them play two sharks that wiped the floor with all of us.
The drinks are decent, not right on measured pours but free handed pours. Not generous but not stingy either. My curiosities were sparked when I noticed a specialty drink menu on the bar that I had never seen or noticed before. I was instantly drawn to the hot and dirty. A vodka martini with olive juice and hot sauce..... hold the phone, did I just say hot sauce? Yup I did. It was interesting to say the least, sparking the interest of the group of friends I came in with. Everyone wanted to try it at first until they saw the face of the first taster. Hence, I got to finish my drink without further requests for sips. The alcohol was all mine. The hot and Dirty is a drink you don't mess around with, either you love it or hate it, there seems to be no in between. I loved it, despite the hot flash it sent through my body, not exactly what you want on a hot summer evening.
The atmosphere is intended for lounging with your friends and sipping on a cocktail, while the jukebox plays some classically great tunes. A good jukebox that has at least one song for everyone on it is hard to come by, but NoBar has succeeded. So much so that Carson Daily has made this spot one of his local haunts. Due to this fact, Friday and Saturday nights can be a tight squeeze for a few people let alone a large group. So Get there early, relax and listen to some tunes. You never know who you may run into. :-)