The Joker

I will defend this place’s honor to the guy who claims it wasn’t a dive bar (on the flimsy basis that it has Unilocal reviews – guess what, everything in LA has Unilocal reviews). I saw the craziest cat fight break out at the bar here. Profanity flew, hair was pulled, boyfriends tried to calm them down – it was awesome! The beer was cheap and the place was sparsely populated. It had this creepy clown head over the door, from which you couldn’t see what you were getting yourself into. They had a Galaga machine, which made the geek inside me pretty happy. There was a guy there who was tearing that thing up. He said he had been practicing for years. It’s these kinds of quirks that make a great dive bar.
God rest the Joker – may it live on in our memories.

Bummer… the Joker is closing for good on May 9, 2012, due to some bad apples that worked there that were selling illegal drugs behind the counter a few years back and got busted.
This classic mellow neighborhood icon that has been there for over 30 years will be gone. No more pool tables… no more nostalgic old bar… where shall we go next?
McCabes on Santa Monica Blvd. perhaps!
Thank you to the staff… Becky, Danny… and everyone who worked there that made this place THE BEST!!! WE WILL MISS YOU!!!

This bar is hilarious. I love having a true dive right down the road. The drinks are cheap and the crowd quite seedy. Downfall is that they don’t accept credit cards. Once there was a slow bartender. If you’re a really attractive woman or snobbish, I would stay away from this place as the usual clientele can be a little creepstery. However, I had a guy buy me a bud light so I’m not complaining!

More of a Pabst Blue Ribbon than Cosmopolitan kind of place.
Who knew these type of establishments still exist in Santa Monica?
With it’s cheap ass drinks, a pool table in the back, juke box in the corner, and scruffy regulars at the bar this dive is a welcome breath of stale air in increasingly snooty Santa Monica.
My girlfriends and I chose this place for a recent Thursday night drinkfest due to its impressively affordable menu of drink — $ 6 cocktails and $ 3.50 beer.
All that was missing was sawdust on the floor and taxidermy on the walls.
There weren’t many other women in the place, ‘cept us and the bartender, and one or two other girls. One old regular was saddled up to the bar beside his English bulldog.
So much character! Come here when you want a break from the regular scene. That is, unless you are an LA douchebag and then you should pass right by on your way to the Huntley.

Well, if you’re looking for a divey dive bar, I’d say this is it. It was fairly overpriced considering what a shit hole it was. I mean I like the shit hole quality, but part of that perk is supposed to be cheap beer. Maybe I just went on the wrong night. It was a Saturday evening I believe.
One of the barflies harassed me a little bit. I’m not sure what he was saying as it was a drunken mumble but I wasn’t that cool with it. We just sort of stared at each other and he just went back to his seat.
It was pretty empty so if you have a pack of people and you need to be somewhere, it might not be a bad place to overrun and just feel like you own the joint. Going by yourself of with another friend, eh, I’d go elsewhere. I did notice they open early as fuck on Sundays and have a bloody mary special. I’d say that might be a selling point if I need to get sloshed around 8 am.
Let’s hear it for mediocre, everybody!

Awesome, cheap dive bar with pool tables and fancy jukebox!
Rolling Rock: $ 3
Sam Adams on tap: $ 3
Jukebox: quarters
Pool table: dollars
Drunk douchebag patron who gets too close for comfort: Free.
*sigh*

Honestly this place isn’t that bad. Really just another typical dive bar.
Mostly I love this bar because my first visit I met Peter Dante and he bought all my drinks. So I basically got drunk for free.
I probably won’t ever go to this bar again just because I was driving by and stopped just to have a random drink. Awesome spot for cheap drinks, great if you live near by.

Now I know why the drinks were so cheap and the «regulars» seemed kinda sketchy…

Based on the people reviewing this bar, there is no possible way this is a dive bar.
The irony is, a true «dive» bar wouldn’t have any reviews because their patrons would probably rather take a baseball bat to the head then to write a effing Unilocal review.

A true dive. Drinks weren’t as cheap as I thought but relative to LA, cheap enough. Drafts were $ 4.25 which consisted of Sam, Sierra and Bud. Domestic Bottles were $ 3.50 and all other bottles/​cans were $ 5. All the wells looked extra strong but we just stuck with the beer.
Yeah, the crowd does seem hit or miss (definitely some «regulars» in there) but it still seems like a good place to play pool/​get a drink. They also had a couple flat screens so even a good place to watch a game. And if you want to mix it up, Air Conditioned is only a couple doors down!

«I actually got all dressed up to go out to a play with your family, and then you don’t even want to take me out for a drink? Fine! Hmph!»
Gentlemen, if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with your girlfriend, don’t let her utter these words. Especially not the Hmph portion. That means an absolute we’re going to bed tonight to sleep and that’s it kind of noise. Am I exaggerating? Yes. But hey, that’s why you guys love me. Or why you hate me. But love me or hate me, you’re reading my review right now, aren’t you? Case in point.
I wonder why people have stopped marking my reviews as «funny» and only «useful» or «cool.» Right Frank?
So I gave in and took her out for a drink… she was dressed to the nines, so it would’ve been a waste to just go home and watch sportscenter like we usually do. So we drove up and down Pico looking for a place for a drink. Arsenal? Nah, looked too crowded. Treasure Island? Nah, too trashy. We had never been to Liquid Kitty, so figured we’d head over there. Supposed to be a trendy spot, which isn’t quite our cup of tea (too low key for that) but hey, might make for some interesting people watching. And we love overpaying for drinks, because money grows on trees damnit.
So we parked on Pico and were walking the half block to Liquid Kitty, when lo and behold a sight appeared. A door. With a clown’s face above it. Called The Joker. You couldn’t see into the actual bar. Being the adventurous type, we stuck our heads inside, expecting to see The Gimp standing there with Bruce Willis bent over a table. But no. We saw a pool table. And heard a jukebox. Liquid Kitty? Nah, let’s shoot some pool.
In we went. Had a couple of beers, prices were reasonable. The place wasn’t crowded, and there were several pool tables. Of course, my girl was the only woman in the place other than the bartender, so all eyes were on us. There were 8 – 10 guys sitting around the bar (clearly regulars and appeared to be thus), but whatever. Shot a few games and then bounced.
So I know that there are low star ratings for The Joker, but I’m going to disagree. If you’re looking for a dive bar without the trendy Saturday night crowd (think The Brig, my old hangout until it became so damn crowded and popular) where you can drink for cheap and shoot pool without having to defend the table (which we do quite well, thank you very much), then this is a good spot. 4 stars, but only if you’re looking for this kind of atmosphere.

The JOKER was on my list for a late afternoon dive bar pub crawl, so I had to check it out. Here’s my observations:
Certified Dive — check
Cast of usual suspects — check
Serious drinkers muttering to themselves — check
Rough looking gal with short spiked hair who brought a huge pile of plastic coat hangers in the bar and stacked them on the counter while she drank — check
Bartender who acted like he was doing me a favor by taking my drink order — check
Semi-​angry expatriate Brits with working class accents yelling F-​bombs (pronounced as F-​A-​W-​K) at a televised soccer game on the FOX «all soccer» TV channel — check
Positive vibe or a reason to return — Sorry, no check here. Save your time and effort or the Joke may be on you.

Totally in love with this place!
Joker is one of those dive bars reminiscent of my BGSU/​Ohio State college days. Several pool tables (that still operate on quarters), darts, small but good tap selection, neon juke box playing all kind of random country/​90s alternative that you find yourself singing along to. The bartender is an amazingly sweet lady, who will completely cater to any crazy whim drink you come up with and keep the drinks flowing… and cheaply of course. I had to actually say «excuse me, I don’t think I heard you right» when asked to pay $ 4.50 for two beers. I am a big dork because I was actually excited when I saw the old school touch screen machine complete with video match and pyramid 11 game.
The only major downfall is the parking, but I am still giving it a five star rating. It is the best lowkey place to hang out and play pool since I moved. Sooo completely noteworthy! Yeah, it doesn’t take much, huh?!

I LOVED this place. Came here for drinks with my friend. This place is very dive-​y from the outside, but it’s pretty nice inside (at least compared to what you expect). The bartender was a REALLY nice lady! She was SUPER sweet and helpful. They had drink specials and LOTS of drinks. Their special was Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka drinks for $ 6. (fyi… if you’re buying this vodka… a bottle is like $ 35). So you’re getting a dang good deal. Also, she pours those drinks STRONG!!! I was DONE after 2.
They also have nudey photo hunt… which could possibly be the best drunken video game EVER.
Also, the music here is pretty amazing. It’s a juke box. Amazing choices.
In essence, this place rules.

What can I say about this place?
The basics– big bar, cheap booze, big screen, pool table, clean toilets, free parking, dartboard, atm on site, pac man tabletop arcade
I meet some neat old guy every time I come in here. Chill funny people. Great diner across the street.

I not much of a drinker, but i hang with someone who is and who brings me here more than i would like to admit.
its a friendly neighborhood dive
no frills
you order a beer and sit at the bar
don’t expect no pretzels
don’t expect no chips
i feel comfortable going to this place
and there’s always someone to talk to
(even if its just the bartender)

According to my bookmark the things I wanted to remember about The Joker were the $ 5 7&7s, 50cent pool games, and the chick wearing a only a sports bra and sweats.
The Joker is a dive bar extraordinare. I am really digging this place. As mentioned above, the cocktails are CHEAP! Where else in L.A. can I find a 7&7 for $ 5? The bartender was an old guy who looks like he’s been around the block a time or two. The crowd is the same as many other good dive bars, one of those everyone knows your name types of places. Make sure you’ve got 20’s on you because The Joker is CASH ONLY! The drinks are really inexpensive though so you’ll probably already have enough dollars in your wallet to cover your drinks for the night.
Stopped by with Roman and his friend after we got tired of trying to shout at each other next door at Air Conditioned. We wound up playing several rounds of pool because it was so cheap — 50 cents a game! Maybe it’s not that cheap, I’m not real familiar with how much it costs to play pool at other bars but it seemed pretty cheap to me here.
Definitely a casual place. One woman there was just hanging out in a sports bra and she didn’t seem out of place or under dressed at all.
You’ll find parking pretty easily either right there on Pico or on one of the side streets. Just watch the signs and make sure you’re not violating a permit parking time restriction.

Surrounded by 30+ bottles of SIlver Bullet with a bunch of friends, the only non-‘regulars’ in the place, and some country music playing on the jukebox, I realized the Joker was what I had been looking for on the West Side… a legitimate dive bar.
It only got better when the waitress took her top off for no apparent reason. Trust me, this was NOT the kind of woman you want taking her top off, but it just added to the divey experience. Go Joker!

Its friday, you and ten of your friends have nothing to do. go to the Joker.
On any given night of the week. You and 10+ people can walk in here and get good service, cheap drinks and listen to a calamity of good bad music on the jukebox. I suggest getting there early to own it for the evening.
This is just one of the greatest dive bars on the west side. Pool tables, touch screen games and a list of Who’s who in mental illness.
I usually find myself there on a night when there is little to do and I don’t want to deal with venice. About a year ago I ended up here with a bunch of friends. There were cops coming in and out almost every two hours arresting someone for something. In the back, you smoke. You have insane conversations. Some, not so insane.
Courtesy factor: I have never had a problem here. The locals here just like to get good and sauced and go home. Any jackasses I have seen were cut off and asked to leave by a prune spot.
If you like the color and flavor of the common man. I think this is your kind of bar. You wont be seen. Know even really cares what you do here. Just be respectful and keep your hands off other guys girlfriends even if they are coming on to you.
Cheers
Cash only folks

Soooo… I went sailing for the first time since I have been in LA this last Sunday. I went with a fabulous crew of gorgeous peeps. We sailed away… well along the coast and enjoyed views of Venice Beach and the Santa Monica pier. So fun!
After a nice few hours on the boat, we headed to a friends house in SA and had some Cabo Wabo… and something else… hhmmm? Soon the crowd began to dwindle… what do we do? Do we go home or do we go to the Joker. YES! Dive bar! I am so lucky!
So we drove over. yes, drove. ahem. To the Joker and I totally loved it. I played songs in the juke box, can’t remember what, had some Patron and something else, can’t remember what. And I threw darts at the dart board and think only one of them stuck. I had soooooo much fun! hell yeah!
Love this place. My kind of dive bar. And our bartender was sooo tender. She tended to all our happy alchy needs.