The Blind Donkey

Karaōke night on Wednesdays is bumping! I didn’t realize the place would be so busy. By 10pm, you can’t really hold a conversation very well, but I’m sure that’s not why most people are there on these nights. The singers weren’t half bad.
There are a various games to choose from to entertain yourself, and high tables and barstools around the room. There are tables with booths on the side, but there were signs on the tables, so I figured they were reserved in some way.
The bartender offered quick service, and everything was smooth.
I’m not a whiskey fan (anymore), but if you are, this is definitely the place to be! The list is quite extensive.

At first I was excited to hear that this bar carried Hibiki. My best friend is a whiskey connoisseur and I wanted to take her to a place that carried Japanese whiskeys. Came to this place on a Saturday evening and it was bursting with people.
This place has great potential but nowhere as good as Seven Grand in DTLA. I ordered the Hibiki 12 year, 2 oz and turned around to play the Simpsons arcade game. My drink was half full and when I turned back after five minutes, my drink was gone. I was pissed because that was one half of the Hibiki that I didn’t get to drink.
Also, they ran out of ice spheres and served my boyfriend’s Hibiki with ice cubes. ICE CUBES. Total lack of respect for the whiskey. They could’ve at least let him know that they had run out of spheres so he could’ve opted for a whiskey, neat.

Fun bar to kill time in between jobs. Love all the games and i love the people who frequent here… Great get-​away

This place is pretty live on Friday nights. I had a good time and the drinks were pretty good and strong as well. They specialize in whiskey and you can try a bunch of different kinds. I’m not a big whiskey drinker but I still enjoyed trying a few of the various kinds. The only negative thing I would say is that there is very limited seating. So unless you reserve a booth, expect to be standing.

I was here a few weeks ago with some friends to get some drinks. I have to say I expected the place to be more crowded but thankfully it was not. They have a very large variety of whiskey and the bartenders are super friendly. The music is great, they have pool tables and dartboards which definitely helps if you’re hanging out with a group of friends. There’s a good mixture of college kids as well as older crowd so I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s specific to one type of customer only. If I’m in the area I will definitely come back.

Fun cause it’s underground BUT overrun with hipsters for sure. Can’t say the service is particularly spectacular, takes a lot to get a bartenders attention and order a drink. Granted they are busy, but still, hire more staff if need be. Drink prices are meh, not the worst but over what I would say it’s worth. None the less fun to go to occasionally.

Went here once don’t know why I haven’t been back. Yummy whisky, chill crowed, some karaōke, and a nice A/​c system. I want to go back…

Came here on a Sat night and it was a bit crowded, hipster kinda vibe.
If you like whiskey I guess this would be the place for u. Drinks were a bit pricey.
Just not my kind of scene.

One of my favorite bars in Long Beach!
It’s spacious, laid back with some of the friendliest bartenders I have ever met. I have come here on my own to drink a pint while reading my book, as well as brought friends and even hosted large gatherings, to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this place. No matter what or when, I always have a good time. They have a great happy hour, even on weekends, and they have delivery menus on hand if you want to order food.

I dig this place, especially if you are a whisky drinker, this is the place to be. I came with my husband for some happy hour on weekday. it wasn’t packed at all. good vibe, nice service and always happy end up with a photobooth photos.
Certainly one of my favorite place in long beach !

Been coming to this place before it got trendy with the young college crowd.
Always a good time with friends hence the repeat visits.
The place is downstairs. At the street level entrance there is a bouncer checking id. That’s how you know where the place is.
You walk into a clean dark atmosphere with light around the bar area. There are places to sit around the room (stools by the bar, high table and stools in the middle and couches on the outside). When it gets crowded, finding a place to sit may take some time.
They also have darts, video game, billiards and a photo booth to help keep you entertained.
Now to the good stuff. They have a good amount on tap that changes quite often. They also have bottle beers as well. They have signature cocktails and a few wine if you are inclined. But you come here for the whiskey. They have a good variety from different regions. A good place for novice and knowledgeable whiskey drinkers.
Don’t worry they have a list on clipboards of everything they have to serve. just pounce on them when you see one not being used.
The bartenders are very friendly and will help you decide. The amount of time they help depends on how busy they are but that should be expected.
The prices are reasonable but it is a whiskey bar so expect to pay a Jackson for a two drinks.
They lose a star for parking cause it can be a pain to find something.
Overall a good place to come with your friends.

Ah the Blind Donkey. One of the little hidden gems in Downtown Long Beach and what an awesome little spot. Eclectic, sure. A different vibe? Of course. But nothing beats a bar that offers everything from whiskey, bourbon, beer, and yes one of the best Moscow Mules you will ever taste.
The place has a pool table, a coupe games, and yes a photo booth, where you will laugh at the pictures the following day having no memory of having taken them the night before. Dark, dim, and the perfect environment to have fun with friends.
The bartenders are awesome and super friendly and will definitely answer your questions on anything scotch or bourbon. I’ve been here a couple of times and it has always been a fun experience. Do watch your steps as you head down to the entrance. But once you make it down there you are in for a fun time.

The one MAIN reason you shouldn’t come here is that you can’t play 2 person mode on Street Fighter because the left player’s joystick is a piece of crap.
I came here a second time and this experience was worst than the first.
The crowd here is a bunch of ratchets that want to pretend they’re in Vegas because they got a free table. Be prepared for drunk barely 21-​year-​olds pushing you out of their small «tables.» Which by the way doesn’t even come with bottle service.
Also the drinks here are still horrible. Bartenders make them super strong with bottom shelf liquor in hopes that you’d appreciate getting drunk over their bartending skills.
The shuffle board isn’t really a shuffle board, it’s so small compared to legit ones.

OVERALL: +4 stars for the place. –1 star for the service on a Wednesday night. I will be coming back :)
ATMOSPHERE: This was an AMAZING first experience. I was blown away! Never been here before but went with friends around 9−1230pm and had such a wonderful time. Total Dive Bar equipped with a shuffle board, POOL TABLE, karaōke set, dart boards, and plenty of seating areas aside from reserved table areas. I was everywhere… it was too good. Downside to the karaōke, it gets loud, make sure THEY HAVE YOUR CORRECT SONG! I was attempting to sing «I Will Survive» by Gloria Gaynor but was puzzled when «Ain’t Nuthin’ But A G-​Thang» by Snoop Dogg showed up on the screen. No f**ks given, I sang it through. It worked well with my dedication to my CSULB friends :).
SERVICE: There were 2 bartenders, and 1 waiter working the reserved tables. Getting a drink was downright horrible. Long wait to get a drink, long wait to get drunk, long wait to close the tab! But I can’t hold that against the 2 bartenders. They were trying. I felt bad knowing our entire kinesiology graduate department bombed them on an unsuspecting Wednesday night, But hey! It was after finals and everyone was in the mood to celebrate.

The photo booth makes this place so fun!
And their happy hour is not bad at all. Old Fashions all day err day.

Third time’s a charm!
Located downstairs and in a basement hidden between a sturdy metal gate and a small business, this bar is a great spot to meet up with a group of friends.
Lots of space to stand and sit, both video games and bar games galore (street fighter, darts, pool, shuffleboard, etc.), and a chill hipster vibe. A friend said that some nights they play hip hop over the speakers, but all of the nights I went, it was definitely not hip hop.
The first time I came, it was extremely crowded, so we left after about 10 minutes. The second time, it was much less crowded and learned how to play shuffleboard.
The third time was the first time I bought a drink here, and the drinks are awesome. Boulevardier ($ 10) is a strong drink with Templeton Rye and Sweet Vermouth on ice with a large whiskey stone. Thoroughly enjoyed this drink, but you definitely must like whiskey and strong drinks. Second drink I got was the Sauzerac ($ 12): Rye whiskey, simple syrup, absinthe rinse, and lemon peel. This drink is not for the faint of heart, a strong bitter drink that is not exactly my favorite, but I can see why people that love whiskey enjoy it.
*You can get pizza/​food delivered here!* We ordered two XL pizzas from a place down the street and the delivery guy walked all the way into the bar to our table and handed the pizzas right to us! AWESOME.
Lots of street parking (but can get hard to find, but it’s free!) and a few pay to park lots. There is one on Long Beach Boulevard/​Elm ²⁄₃ blocks down that is only $ 5. A good spot if you are traveling between the Blind Donkey and Pine Street bars.
Would recommend for a no cover bar for strong drinks and a good time in Long Beach!

I was referred to come and check this place out by a bartender at another establishment. I’ve been a whisky guy for close to 10 years, so I was always excited to hear of new places to check out… until about 2 – 3 years ago.
Now there are IPA loving, fedora wearing, twistie mustache hipsters claiming to be whisky and bourbon connoisseurs diluting the experience. All the while only drinking poorly made Moscow mules, manhattans, and old fashioneds.
However, I had faith that this place would be decent and have some good booze on the menu. Low-​and-​behold, I walk in to this place and found nothing but a sea of hipsters sipping on the three cocktails mentioned above.
I’m thinking «great, there’s only going to be sweet whiskeys and bourbons on the menu.» So, my girlfriend and I wade through the sea of fake reading glasses and ironic scarves (it was a summer night, mind you) to finally make it to the crowded bar. We check out the menu and see that there is actually a decent selection of booze! *one star added*
The bartender acknowledged us almost immediately and suggested a couple of different cocktails, but we were not interested. I saw a couple of unfamiliar Irish whiskeys on the menu and we both ordered a different brand to try them out. (On the rocks, not the $ 2 ice block that they try to upsell). We were served immediately and were promptly informed that we just missed the happy hour and would be paying the full price of $ 12 each for our precisely underpoured serving of whisky. *one star for service*
We again swam our way to an empty table to try and soak in the atmosphere and try to understand why they were playing random shitty movies on the tvs.
The place as a whole gives a very trendy atmosphere with a lost identity. Surely, it would be a much better place if it wasn’t swarmed with the trend of irony.
So, if you want to pay high prices and be underserved while watching Netflix movies on mute, this is your place.

I enjoyed this little establishment located in what seems like a basement.
My friends and I headed over to The Blind Donkey after dinner. I wasn’t really looking forward to going to this bar/​lounge but they actually had a variety of things for everyone to do. Obviously it’s a lounge where people just chill and hang out around but there was a pool table off to the side, a couple games here and there, television on for those who wanted to just sip their beer and watch tv, and dart boards just for fun.
It’s not too crowded to the point where you can’t move, but it wasn’t dead either. A good mix of young folks in their early 20’s to maybe early 30’s.
Workers seem very nice and the atmosphere just seemed really chill. A great place to just hang out with friends and get a little competitive with all the surrounding games they had.
Parking didn’t seem all that horrible, but we ended up parking at the parking garage 10 minutes away from this place. I would definitely come back here again if I’m ever around this area.

I don’t go out that often any more. My brother forced me out this past weekend. The Blind Donkey is cool. It was very crowded and loud, I wouldn’t go here for a date. Perfect for groups though. We played darts, which was free. They’ve got some great Whiskey cocktails here and the groups are pretty mixed up. I know there was music, but nothing that stands out, just background noise. They were also playing Batman on the TV’s, which I love. The first Batman is my favorite.
There are some areas that you can reserve for seating, but we almost sat on the floor due to lack of seating. We got stopped. If you want to sit, come early to secure a spot. Otherwise plan on standing around. No food served here, but they have a vending machine with snacks.

With Old Fashion’s as strong as a donkey-​kick to the face no wonder this place is called The Blind Donkey! And for only $ 4 bucks during Happy Hour you really can’t go wrong. Besides the excellent liqueur selection this place has so many pros…
1. They do not serve food BUT they allow you to bring outside food at no charge. They even have menus of nearby eateries that deliver. This is great venue for birthday parties as they will allow you to bring in your own food while you boire their tasty cocktails.
2. They have billiards!!! When you get bored of drink and talking with friends (which can never happen right?) you can partake in a game of pool or darts. Darts are free but you have to pay for pool but it’s not pricey at all. And if those games don’t tickle your fancy they also have shuffleboard. I know not how to play this game but for those who are familiar. YAY!
3. They also have TV’s that play all the sports you desire so another plus…
ONLY CON– HORRIBLE «Old-​timey» photo booth that takes zoomed in photos in black&white. The photo quality is horrendous and it takes entirely too long to print. It’s really not worth a mention.
Overall great bar! Loads of room and street parking was easy enough. It wasn’t really crowded on a Saturday at around 5pm and HH runs SAT — SUN 5:00pm — 7:00pm.