The Late Late

I’m on a 5 star lick right now. The happy hour here is awesome. $10 beer and shot. They decorated the hell out of this place for Christmas. And they have a NES. So. Win.

The place was a nice spot to grab a drink and enjoy the food. Went here on a pulsd deal and got two drinks with two burgers. The place was dimly lit and the music was rock. Would come back for the other cocktails and to try the club sandwich

Last stop on our Urban Adventures Craft Cocktails. Fantastic atmosphere , a place to hide out from the crowds.

Pretty laid back spot we chanced upon while walking in the neighborhood. We only ordered a couple of drinks as no food was available when we went due to COVID (we were explained though that food would be back by mid-July). The cocktails however were amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the Caprese Smash. I simply can’t wrap my brain around how good it was and how much it actually tasted like a caprese. Service was attentive and quick, and it felt nice to be at a place where you are not constantly being rushed to keep ordering food or drinks. I’d definitely come back to try some of the food.

On behalf of my group of 9+ friends who came out for a sit-down nite and drinks last Friday, I have to say we were quite dissatisfied by the quality of service— especially after learning that it was the manager who was assigned to our table. By no means were we a rowdy or rude table— in fact, we all came straight from completing a volunteer project nearby— and we were looking forward to a low-key, mellow vibe on an early Friday night (it was, which is why it got an extra star). I even called ahead a few hours for notice. However: The issue comes with their poor, deceitful business practice of false advertising + their unwillingness to honor prices both printed and posted online. Sitting with a table full of lawyers, I had pointed out the happy hour special “daily until 9pm” which offers a beer and burger for $10 and other sorts (see photo). After sitting for 15 minutes before being approached, it was 8:05pm when the serve starts to take our order. Many of us were starving after volunteering for a few hours during dinner time, so understandably it looked like a good offer— until it wasn’t an offer. The manager says the offer ends at 8pm... we arrived and sat around 7:45 (with only 1 jar of water for 9 people mind you) and waited around for service. Regardless— the menu says 9pm and he wouldn’t honor the misprinted time/price. Remember, I’m at a table with a bunch of lawyers and we could certainly afford the extra fee bucks, but again— Service. He blamed automatically changing prices on the computer... the establishment was quick to update their computer pricing, but not have a new menu uploaded online as of today a week later? We proceeded with ordering and racked up an average bill of $230+ (which includes overpriced $15 vodka sodas). On top of that, we tipped $40. A mistake in my opinion. Each month my friends and I volunteer in the area and we thought it would be good to start a tradition of going out afterward. We’re not inclined to go back to The Late Late.

Enjoyed the drinks. The burger was pretty good but I'd stay for the drinks. They're well made and the atmosphere was pretty chill for a Friday night.

Update - I went back here 2 months later and it's still not great. Basement was crowded and they had one bartender for about 100 people. There's also no cell service or guest wifi in the basement so it's hard to communicate with people meeting up with you where you are. The basement was also uncomfortably hot and I didn't even have a sweater on. If it was my choice, I wouldn't come here again. Bar was empty on a Friday late night. My friends and I were literally the only 4 people there. DJ Petey was amazing, follow him for sure! The basement bartender was extremely friendly. We moved upstairs and my boyfriend got too close to a pipe and got burnt. The pipe was out in the open on top of a table and looked like a post and not heating pipe. We told the bartender upstairs and he didn't seem to care at all. It's a concern that these heat pipes are out in the open that anyone would naturally touch if they were standing next to it socializing or dancing.

The Late Late Bar has a fun aesthetic and feels quite cozy. There is a varied ambiance from a more intimate bar feel upstairs (decorated in a fun, kitschy style), and a more club/dance hall feel downstairs. The music can vary - the taste is eclectic. The bar selection is reasonable and so are the prices which may be the highlight. Overall, it was nice - it can get a little packed - but maybe that's part of the fun. I'm not sure if I'd make a night of the The Late Late Bar, but it could certainly be a stop on a crawl of the many options in the area.