Dimples

I can’t believe this place is closed. I really had a blast singing there. They had some many varieties of songs to choose from and also the owner omg he was amazing and truly a character. Also they had cool props
to wear while you were performing. I’m
Truly going to miss that place.

(Drank 01÷29÷15 TH @ 7:00pm and many times before): Many hilarious dimples were forged and memories I’d soon forgotten were created over the years at this local divey karaōke watering hole!
Here’s a posthumous ode to Dimples which claimed to be «America’s First Karaōke Bar». A favorite haunt of mine when I used to work in the area as I put myself through college and even after graduation, I gathered with coworkers, classmates and friends here to unwind after work, class or just for shits & giggles. This was a fond farewell visit to a 30+year institution:
[ONION RINGS/​STRAWS/​STRINGS ALERT — 3.5 of 5 STARS]
Onion Rings ($ 2.50 HH) — Even at regular price ($ 3.95) I felt these were priced accordingly. Before me was a decent portion of hot oily fried goodness in various ring sizes with a darker shade of golden brown breading just short of burnt which lent itself to extra crunchiness. Lacking were the delectable extra burnt nooks which I loved. Although not sweet Maui onions, they had a hint of eye-​watering pungency which was nice. Each ring was somewhat skiny but didn’t pull out when you bit into it. I couldn’t recall if ranch dressing was offered, so I grabbed the catsup bottle and squirted away. Yes, I’d order these again.
Newcastle Brown Ale Beer ($ 5.00 HH) — Served in a bottled plucked from an ice chest behind the bar, all was good in da ‘hood!
Corona Beer ($ 6.00) — Served in a bottled plucked from an ice chest behind the bar, I always had to laugh when Mexican beers were considered «imports»; come on, they just had to cross the borders only a couple hours away! Pass me the limes, por favor!
Pacifico Beer ($ 6.00×2) — Served in a bottled plucked from an ice chest behind the bar, I honestly had no idea how I ended-​up ordering these since it was one of my least favorite cervezas de Mexico; it must’ve been later in the evening.
Service — I arrived first and early enough that I grabbed a seat at the bar and was able to usher in the rest of my party as they showed-​up one-​by-​one. We were eventually able to snag a nearby empty table in the bar area that had a «Reserved» sign on it thanks to a cute female server. The female bartender immediately greeted me, was ready to take my order, and my initial order of drinks and food came out almost instanteously. Throughout the evening, the bartender and server checked on us and continued to sling bottled libations our way as quickly as we ordered them. Soon, the binder filled with favorite songs was passed around for perusing. As the evening wore on and got later, we each asked for our checks, settled-​up, and bid adieu to Dimples. Even the security door man happily welcomed and wished us a good night.
Parking (Free) — They had a medium-​sized private lot next door which appeared that they may’ve shared it with a nearby apartment complex. Otherwise, there was plenty of metered and non-​metered parking on all surrounding streets.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — This place was a neighborhood dive that managed to endear itself to everyone who ever set their sights onto the rundown wooden façade
and passed through its doors. Once inside, your eyes adjusted to the dim lighting but were immediately drawn to the brightly-​lit stage like a moth to a flame (don’t get burned!)
at the center of it all with an adjacent aforementioned bar
. A surprisingly spacious layout with several seating areas, it was crammed to its maximum potential with barstools, booths, chairs and tables. There was a plethora of advertisements, framed pictures
and other oddities that covered the walls. With the absence of any natural lighting, low electric lighting reigned supreme. There were a ton of monitors to watch the brave souls who grabbed a mic but no actual TVs. And there was background music until the karaōke began.
Attire — Simple casual, so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, jeans, and flip-​flops.
Overall, drunken fun times were had at Dimples over the years. It’s sad that they closed their doors for allegedly more apartments and a Whole Foods. From the perverted dirty old man owner, offkey singers (performance DVD for purchase), embarrassing moments, regulars, NBC studio execs, and late night shenanigans, I would sorely miss this place. I found good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total bill was around $ 26.00 before tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice… AMEX! 3.0 STARS

Never pay a cover to get into a bar. Unless there is a special event/​performance. Karaōke is not neither

Alas, Dimples is about to be dimpled for good… closing this weekend. Got to make way for… wait for it… wait for it… a supermarket! Just what the area needs (?) When are we going to learn? This was (reportedly) the first karaōke bar… Guess the area needs more over priced, triple washed, spider infested, organic bananas… yep…makes perfect sense.

The owner Sal is a damn fool and a creep that doesn’t know when to shut his mouth. Is this a bar or a museum?

Went for the first time on Valentine’s day. It is a little Divey, lots of Hollywood memorabilia. We had the best time EVER. It is crazy and fun. Lots of local nuts doing awful karaōke, and that is what karaōke is all about.
This place is super kitschy. Staff was awesome. I saw some people whining in there reviews about not having anyone come and take their sign up slips for karAoke.. . Clearly they have never been to a real Karaōke bar. You gotta get up and get your slips in. Everyone in the place was singing so it took a while for our turn to come around, but watching everyone else was so much fun we didn’t mind. I loved the owner he was so nice and was happy to tell us about the place’s history. The old Hollywood memorabilia was so amazing it belonged in a museum.

I came here on Friday night with The Puppet School. I brought FiFi. Enough said.
Karaōke is in my BLOOD. (It’s true. I’m Filipina, and we’re raised on good manners, high familial expectations, and impeccable stage presence. Ha!) Suffice it to say, I have my go-​tos for optimum karaōke-​ic enjoyment (i.e., something upbeat and preferably from the 80s or 90s, and bonus if it’s deliciously cheesy), so I judge karaōke bars based on their songbooks and the overall atmosphere. Divey? Check. My faves are listed? Check. Staff and crowd with personality to spare? CHECK!
Granted, I *did* come with a group of puppet enthusiasts, so good times were in store regardless, but still — it’s nice to see people having fun singing their favorite songs and not taking themselves too seriously. I only wish I’d met Mr. Belding. (FiFi’s a big fan!)
I loved the staff. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. I wish I remembered the name of the host, so I can thank him again for the heads up with the karaōke lineup — I got to do my song thanks to you! :) Hehe.
I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to go back :) Thanks again!

I grew up going here with my old man, now after 20 years have passed, this would mark my first time here as an adult. I really hoped for a better experience, instead I was subjected to the same kind of stuff I’m reading on here. My father goes way back with Sal but I decided just to walk out when Sal finally offered to buy me a drink. Horrible service, sleezeball host, and paid for a constant waiting process. Meanwhile not a single song I entered or requested ever came, and I actually waited till the end.

Standing in this joint now. Awkward. Weird. Terrible karaōke. I’m not sure how this place was «bar rescued,» but it suggests that show is a sham. Maybe it was worse before, who knows. I prefer dive bars, but this place doesn’t really fit that category. Unpleasant freakshow comes to mind. I guess this place is a staple, so I won’t put it down any more. But I’ll never, ever be back.

We went last night. The Karaōke Stage was fun! Bright lights in your face. To fun!!! Hate to see them close up but a new location is in the works I heard. Watch for it in Facebook! I know I will!

Dunno bout this place. I was dying to try it for months but it disappointed. It is worth going to to meet and sing along to the crooning of Dennis Haskins, but that’s just about it.
They may be the first karaōke venue in the U.S., but there are better ones walking distance from here. They don’t follow proper karaōke etiquette. During the three hours I waited for one song to come up, I saw some individuals sing three, four and five songs. The P.A. is terrible, the songbook out of date and the tracks are inconsistent. The free DVD is a nice novel idea, but it would be best to tackle the basics first.
Definitely not worthy of the door charge.

Dimples has been around forever and I will miss passing by and seeing it. I heard it was closing mid-​Jan after 30+ years.
While you aren’t the classiest joint, you get exactly what you expect here and have a fun time. You drink, sing and get it video taped to play later and laugh at yourself. Good times.

Still very cool a very cool place to be. Ower is a funny guy. I will be celebrating my birthday here on November

Ah… Dimples. You’re a moldy oldie but I love ya.
Here’s the deal with this karaōke bar: it’s really divey, and some might consider it sexist or offensive, but I guarantee you will have a good night here. The drink list is a little small, and the food is basically from the Costco frozen aisle. The stage is super kitschy; there’s a pole (if that’s your thing), hats and props to wear (to date, I haven’t gotten lice) and they’ll blast you with soap bubbles at random. (Fine, it’s not random, the control is on stage right behind a pole, should you dare punk your friends.) You can also get a DVD and photo of your performance, aka blackmail. Mwahaha! There’s a lot of song choices, and they do have most of the songs you’d want to sing.
The owner Sal runs the karaōke, and yes, Mr. Belding does come here to pick up chicks. What more do you need?
There’s rumors this place is closing soon, so I would definitely give it a whirl while you can. Burbank will never be the same without you.

Another classic spot! Try coming here with a group on your birthday. Be advised; bring someone you wouldn’t mind getting «nasty» with. Be prepared for lots of puns as well. Dimples has that divey feel you might be looking for if that’s what you’re craving. This place isn’t classy and it’s not meant to be at all. The theme is true to itself and you may run into the occasional celebrity up on the stage, singing a tune or 4.
Going to a karaōke bar to hear good singing is a bit counterintuitive if you think about it. People go to karaōke bars to release, have fun, get drunk maybe, and sing their hearts out which is most enjoyable when you can see people having fun. It can be quite comical! If you’ve got the pipes, by all means knock everyone out but most of all, just have fun!
The bar has a bit of an early happy hour, but at least they’ve got some decent deals, like $ 2 domestic beers… I mean it’s not the best happy hour, but hey. The place is definitely worth coming to at least on your birthday once. Totes fun and full of laughter. It’s a bit of a tight spot, but it’ll do for one night! Thumbs up!

This review was long over due, as much as I despise karaōke, I do enjoy watching others get up on stage. Maybe its the notion that my voice sucks and sounds like my nose is plugged up with water. Or perhaps its all envy as I watch others glamor in front of the crowd with their talents. Dimples offers something different from the rest of the sing-​a-​long bars.
For what it is, what other place can you run into so many has been celebrities at a inexpensive bar. Yes there is sometimes cover charge, what do you expect in this type of market. This isn’t the slums and I’m sure the rent in this area is pretty competitive. The food here is somewhat decent and the drinks, well you can never go wrong with a rum and coke.
The night of my visit, I got witness some below average singers and some great ones. Fortunately I spared the audience of my voice and was a spectator instead. As for the crowd, well sometimes the lonely end up here and seek a friend. That night I got to listen to a drunken patron on one side and the other side music. Luckily the bartender told the drunken patron to back off the newbies. As you see this spot draws the unusual peeps of the town but hey thats what makes life interesting.
Who wants to spend their time at a dull bar with normal average people, not this guy. If you need your karaōke fix and are lost in the valley, come here. Worthy visit especially after a long day at the studios across the street.

My friends and I went to Dimples for the first time on a Saturday night, and they had a $ 5 cover at the door. Inside, we learned that on top of the $ 5 door cover, they had a 2 drink minimum. Most of us were going to spend that money anyway, but the DD and one other friend wasn’t, but they had to pay $ 5 for a coke. It might just be me, but I think $ 5 for a coke is a little bit too much, especially when you already paid $ 5 to get in. Come on, It’s a dive bar!
You are not allowed to wear hats or hoodies inside the bar. Again, come on — It’s a dive bar!
The sound wasn’t very good, the music was too low, and the karaōke vocals were too high. An old man (from reading other reviews, I think it’s the owner of the bar) tried very hard to make us sing, and dragged me up on stage, put bunny ears on me for a picture with my friend who was singing, and a machine in the ceiling blew something that looked like bubble bath foam in our faces.
Afterwards we got printed pictures, and the singers got a DVD of their performance. Everyone is saying that you are getting the pictures and the DVDs for free, but I’m guessing that this is why they have a cover at the door.
Our waitress was super nice and funny!
I didn’t like this bar but I can see why other people might, so feel free to give it a try!

Take Your Antibiotics Before You Go!
–10 starts if I could.
Looks like I don’t need to go into details, as so many reviewers have been witness to what I and a few of my girlfriends had to endure on Saturday night.
Hey, if you dig this place, go for it.
But have some regard to the fact that it’s simply not funny to shove a woman’s head into a guy’s crotch (this guy was a total stranger the lechy owner brought over, btw), whether it’s 1950 or 2014. My friend, who had chosen to go for her birthday, went along with it, laughing it off. I wished she had punched him. Unfortunately the guy went along with it as well; I had hoped he would have the character to stand up and walk away, but nope. And by the reviews I read here, this is a NORMAL AND FREQUENT PRACTICE?!!
Disgusting. The behavior and the place. I didn’t want to sit down anywhere, or touch anything if I could help it. Only dealt with one waitress who was pleasant and attentive, even though I had one ice water… and a long shower the moment I got home. I held my bladder and tried not to move until it was time to go. And what is that fetid, foamy gunk being BLOWN out of a vent AT the singers? Get your vaccinations up to date before you inhale on stage… and the owner walks up and sticks some old hat that’s been sitting around for god knows how long in a pile of other old and worn costume pieces. Blech. (you would put that on your head?!?)
If you enjoy going there, good for you. But please let’s not allow this abhorrent behavior by this owner to continue! Men, stand up for your ladies; ladies, stand up for yourselves! This is NOT okay. Not even on a silly Saturday night of fun. Don’t think that behavior does not solely remain within that bar; it doesn’t.

Based solely on the fact the owner was a douche bag to my girlfriend, we will never be back. I felt the need to knock his teeth out of the back of his head for caressing her like a creep while trying to get her to sing. But I took the high road, paid our check, and protected her. She was really uncomfortable, and we didn’t stay long.
This is a Dive bar, with Mediocre everything. Food is old, boring, and bland.
Drinks were weak by any Dive standards. I’ve never heard a worse sound system for Karaōke. Staff was friendly, but I find it hard to believe any self Respecting Woman would or could work for such a chauvinistic owner.
I can’t believe with such obvious and crude Sexual Harrassment, that Dimples hasn’t been sued 100 times over.
Have some self respect, spend your money elsewhere. This throwback to a time when Women were treated like objects isn’t acceptable at all.

We stumbled across this place on our way back from the Tonight Show taping. It claims to be ‘America’s first Karaōke bar’. Well, we couldn’t pass that by!
The actual place is quite quirky, lots of old pics on the walls & other knick knacks.
It was a bit weird at first, almost empty bar with random blokes playing fake guitars on a small stage. With access to other fake props such as instruments and hats…
It seems to be a place for people to feel like they are actually music stars…
Local crowd there too. We met a lovely man called David. He sings on a Tuesday night. He told us all about the history of the place and about the various staff members too.
If you go on a Tuesday look out for him!
Owner was a bit odd, but hey, it’s LA!
Overall, we had a fun night! We are not Karaōke fans unless we’ve had a few drinks. So after a few, we were singing our hearts out wearing hats and playing fake guitars. We felt like rock stars! Oh yeah!
They give you DVDs and we got a picture too.
I’d go back for the laugh! It’s like something from a dodgy movie! Ha!