Drinking on the Cheap: LA’s Budget Friendly Bars

Cheap drinks are to Los Angeles as sobriety is to Charlie Sheen: it just doesn’t happen. Or so visitors to LA may think. But in reality, hidden between the ritzy $20 cocktail lounges and touristy pubs serving $10 beers are dozens of drinking holes catering to the spending habits of the common man. Throw happy hours and daily drink specials into the mix, and boozing for a bargain just got easy. Below are three bars in LA that are guaranteed to have you leave with your wallet ‘winning’.

 

The Roost

This campy re-imagining of a 70s dive bar is an ultra-cool alternative to the pricey bars of nearby Hollywood. The Los Feliz locale is cash only, but offers $3 beers and $4 cocktails that even the thriftiest of drinkers can’t resist. PBR-loving hipsters and vintage locals are regulars at The Roost, and the weekend brings in a fun and outgoing crowd that make for entertaining company. And for those that feel giddy when they see the word free, a popcorn machine offers, that’s right, free bowls to hungry residents. And yes, as the sign outside of the venue advertises, there is a big TV inside.

 

Mom’s Bar & Lounge

Between the abundance of students, young professionals, and laid-back vibes, the Westside is full of affordable bars �" but ask any local where the cheapest is and they’ll all point you to Mom’s Bar & Lounge. The cozy tavern is a relaxing option for after-work drinks, and is well known for becoming quite the rowdy mess of mingling and drinking the later it gets. And when some heartbroken drunkard steps up to the karaoke machine to give their best Shania Twain impression (which you find out quickly is quite awful), a back lounge makes for a nice respite from the crowd. Make sure to bring a student ID on Thursday nights for $2 beers and $3 well drinks.

 

Cha Cha Lounge

The purposeful tackiness of chaotic décor that is Cha Cha Lounge passes the coolness test and has become a favorite hangout for the hipsters of Silverlake �" or it could just be the super cheap PBR. Play foosball amidst the sombrero-covered ceiling or relax with a bargain drink in the comfortable booths alongside murals, Christmas lights, and angry paintings. Thursday through Sunday is an overload of flannel and denim as the hordes of locals descend on the one-room bar.

 

Daniel Hogan is a writer at Party Earth - a global media and entertainment company that publishes reviews and listings of the best social experiences around the world including: clubs in Paris, beaches in Ibiza, plazas in Rome, bars in Los Angeles, parks in New York, festivals and concerts everywhere, and more.