2764 E. 4th St.
5335 E.
2nd St.
71 S. Pine Ave.
4918 E. 2nd St.
4100 E.
Ocean Blvd.
144 Pine Ave.
81 Aquarium Way.
110 E. Broadway
115 Pine Ave.
There are many things to
Here is a list of my personal recommendations of where to go and what to do if you're looking for a night out.
O'Connell's Irish Pub is a small place on the corner of Temple and Fourth. It is a great place to grab a cheap beer with a friend or two, even three or four for that matter.
You can also put change into the jukebox and blast your favorite Bob Marley track, play pool with your pals or even watch a variety of channels on the large screens above the bar. The bartenders are extremely friendly and know the "regulars" quite well. This is a great place to go to just grab a drink after work.
Shannon's Bayshore in Belmont Shore has lines out the door and down the street on the weekends. The place is very small and finding somewhere to sit can be near impossible but that doesn't seem to bother the people who frequent the place.
The Auld Dubliner is a staple for anyone who enjoys the pub scene.
Frequented by college students and business people alike, "The Dub" features live music and a modest variety of brews, including one of me favorite drinks on tap; pear cider. An interesting tidbit about pear cider: it has more alcohol content than most beer. The only negative aspect of the Dubliner is the acoustics make for difficult conversation.
While the music is great, it makes it hard to have an intimate evening. This is not the place to go if you're just getting to know someone, but I would suggest checking out the atmosphere at least once in your life.
Murphy's Pub at The Belmont in Belmont Shore is small, but the patio is great.
It's a nice place to have a beer when you just want to be around friends and you can't beat the view of Second Street from the outside patio. To get there, you must walk up stairs so it's probably best not to have too many drinks before the end of the night, lest you fall and break your neck. Some people are clumsy and I can't, in good conscience, recommend a place and not warn you of potential .
.. umm .
.. pitfalls
Located near the Olympic Pool is Yankee Doodles.
This place has fun activities for many people, whether you are there to have a drink with friends or engage in competition with buddies. Not only can you enjoy a refreshing pitcher of beer while watching a game on one of many large TVs above the bar, you can also play pool, ping pong, video games or darts. A note: ping pong can get very competetive, don't say I didn't warn you.
Smooth's Sports Grille on Pine is another great place to watch the game comfortably. While Smooths has a more formal feel than Yankee Doodle's and the drinks are a little more expensive, there is an added benefit to grabbing a beer at Smooths: it doubles as a club. On the weekends, the dancing is great and the corner booths are very comfortable.
Well, maybe not till dawn.
For dancing any time of the week, people tend to migrate toward V20 on Shoreline Drive. With theme nights and multiple rooms, V20 can offer those who love to shake their rumps plenty of opportunity.
If salsa is your thing, Club Cohiba offers lessons and music on Wednesday nights for a $10 cover. The downfall of Cohiba is that the dancers there are extremely talented. Great to watch, intimidating to partake.
However, you can walk across to the hip-hop room and let your inhibitions loose before throwing yourself in to the amazing time that is salsa at Cohiba.
If you enjoy cigars and pool, there is a room for you to relax, take in a cigar or two and basically just kick back.
Alegria Cocina Latina offers salsa music as well and has the greatest Sangria I have tasted in a long time.
You can buy it by the pitcher but beware, it's stronger than it tastes. The dance floor at Alegria is much smaller than at Cohiba but isn't as formal of an experience either, which can be refreshing after you have been put to shame by the phenomenal talent of the salsa dancers across the street.
Mai Tai Bar has an unprecedented two happy hours during which they feature impossible-to-beat drink specials.
I have tried each of the signature cocktails on the happy hour menu and can honestly say, I have enjoyed all but one. Another aspect of Mai Tai Bar that no other bar on this list has is Milk Cookies at Midnight, a Hawaiian tradition you can experience here in Long Beach. The chocolate chip cookie is tasty and the shot of Starbucks liquer with the milk doesn't hurt either.
But you can only get it at midnight. No cheating.
"Taco Tuesdays" at Taco Beach on Pine offers great deals on drinks and food.
The atmosphere is fun and the bartenders can get a little rowdy toward the end of the night sometimes. Beware of these moments, you may get sprayed with water like the bar flies in "Coyote Ugly." Bar dancing has also been known to occur and rumor has it that a certain BeachWeek editor has been up on that bar herself.
Another Mexican-themed happy hour is at Panama Joe's in Belmont Shore. On "Margarita Mondays" you can enjoy cheap - but tasty - margaritas.
On "Wednesday Lady's Night" the drink special is $5 martinis.
Add the live music and you have a cool place to hang out and enjoy inexpensive drinks and throw in some casual dancing.
The Yard House in Shoreline Village has the largest selection of beer I have ever seen. Being a beer drinker, I enjoy checking out the variety.
I like getting there early though, as finding a place to sit is difficult after the restaurant closes and standing in a great place in a cute outfit and high heels is pretty uncomfortable.
Also great for beer is Acapulco Inn on Second Street. There are four pool tables, pinball machines, a jukebox and a basketball game in the back.
AI only takes cash so be prepared before you go. The kicker, pitchers of beer for less than $10. While they don't carry the largest selection of beer, you really can't beat that price.
If you're looking for something to do, check out one of these places. Maybe you'll see me there.
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