Lock & Key

Lit.

Place seems cool. It was just very very poppin. Which made getting in and getting a drink a hassle. Took about 30 minutes to get in on a Thursday night :| show up early.
Oh and drinks are expensive. I’m not sure about exact pricing but beers seem to be in the 6 – 8 rand and mixed drinks 10 – 12

We got there before 10pm last Saturday and it took over 2 hrs to get in! The bouncers were letting a lot of other people they knew in without waiting in line. Total unfairness! A lot of people left because they couldn’t take the wait. Once we got in I was surprised how much room there was, I thought it would be really packed inside and that’s why they couldn’t let us in. It wasn’t though, you could have fit most of the people waiting outside in the lounge, which even had a good amount of empty seats.
The place has a nice ambience. Drinks are well made, but take a while to make and are way overpriced. I couldn’t enjoy myself because I was so upset from waiting so long in line. I didn’t read other reviews mentioning the wait time so I wanted to write this review to warn others: Don’t come here on a Saturday night! Maybe it’s not as bad on other nights, i dont know… but on Saturday go somewhere else. It’s not worth it.

Hmm, not sure why the low ratings here. I loved everything about this place!
+Décor/​Ambiance/​Concept: So this place is located on the corner of Vermont & 3^rd, next to Ramen burger, and very discretely marked with a neon key sign. Once you get inside, you’re in a dark room with a ton of locks and keys and you have to find the correct one to get inside. Yes this is very hipster/​LA but I LOVE IT. It’s unique and fun! Once you get inside, the décor is chic and it’s very modern and quintessential LA.
+Drinks: Inspired and a nice twist. I like how they have seasonal cocktails and they do traditional cocktails a little different. Their cocktails are all handmade by a mixologist and taste exquisite. They’re served in the proper cup and are not meant to be downed like your usual bar drink but meant to be sipped and enjoyed.
–Food: I found that everything was made well but nothing too different from your usual bar food.
–Pricey: It’s cool, it’s a little pricey.
Tips:
Dress LA cool
Park in the plaza or at Vons across the street
Come early to get a booth!

Came here Friday around 9 and there was no line yet! We happened to get lucky and got a table near the outside bar. Loved how this table was near the corner so we had lots of space.
Strawberry Mule: I love strawberries and moscow mules so I expected a lot from this drink… It wasn’t what I expected but you can taste the fresh strawberry purée in the drink. Alcohol is also strong.
Pear Flower: okay I love pears but THIS DRANK WAS AMAZING. It’s strong and tastes like pear. I will come back for this drink.
The music was old school… Not really dance friendly. It started to get crowded as the night went on but we had lots of space so I didn’t feel crowded.
Bartenders are generous on the liquor. I love it. Tasty and strong drinks!

Went here on a Thursday night around 8:30pm and it was the perfect time as the place was not too crowded, so we were able to get a table on the patio. Within an hour the crowds started to pour in and this spot transformed from a quiet bar with cool slow-​jammin’ oldies to a full on club scene, complete with an awesome DJ and amazing drinks!
A few large groups had ordered punch bowls, which looked awesome! I would totally come back with more people so I’d have a reason to reserve a table and order a punch bowl!
Also, security was on point! A guy who had one too many drinks was harassing us and at one point reach over and tried to flat out take one of our drinks, saying we weren’t drinking fast enough! There were three girls trying to pry the drink back out of his hand, when suddenly (after a quick glance/​point from one of our group) two tall men swooped in and asked the guy to leave! Sadly his friends who were cool had to leave too … he must have had the keys — ha!
Anyway … if you love good, hand-​crafted drinks (no sugary artificial mixers here!), good music, and a fun and non-​pretentious crowd — go here. Like, tonight!

Came here on a Tuesday evening to take my friend out during his business trip. We tried the about 4 different drinks. Manhattan and old fashions. Drinks take about 5 – 10 minutes to make, they put a lot of effort in it.
By 11pm girls come in asking for an amf. The bartender replies we don’t sell any blue liqueur but we can do well mixes.
If you come in during peak hours be ready to stand around the bar waiting for your turn to order because the «mixologists» have a lot of steps to make each drink.

This place is phenomenal, the bartenders are great! Wicked friendly staff from the bouncers to the wait staff, the drinks are delicious and having been to several speakeasy’s this one is by far the best!!!
The person we met for business loved it as well!!!

Showed up on a Sunday at 5PM to kill some time before our dinner reservation in DTLA.
We had the place to ourselves for a while, enjoying the extra attention from Lenny, he’s awesome.
I tried the Secret Society, punch of the day and something else exotically named. All drinks were delicious and reasonably priced.
I was very excited for their Japanese whisky selection. They had a nice variety and it was very well priced.
I’ll be back to try the 21 yr Yamazaki in the upcoming weeks.

Pretty awesome lounge to hang out for drinks. The outside is pretty nondescript, with just a neon light of a lock and key. I wouldn’t have even known about this place if my coworker hadn’t told us about it.
It was funny when we walked in and saw a wall of doorknobs and had to figure out which was the functional one that actually opened the door to the bar.
You can dress up or dress down, and it’s all good and fits in. :)
The DJ was playing pretty good beats, and a group of us were dancing by the bar. There is also a bar outdoors in the back, and they had the tent and heat lamps out to help ward off the winter chill. A group of us even managed to dance outside even though there wasn’t a proper dance floor, hehe.
I saw all kinds of whiskey bottles lined up against the bar wall, so I’m wondering if this place specializes in whiskey?
Diverse, mixed crowd, lots of fun. Be careful not to park in the supermarket lot across the street – they WILL tow your car!

Super cute speakeasy in Ktown! I was slightly embarrassed while trying to find the real doorknob on the wall of locks & knobs, but luckily it didn’t take me too long. My friend and I were lucky enough to get seats at the bar. All of the cocktails we got were pretty good! I tried the strawberry mule and razzle dazzle, which were both just fruity enough for my taste but still decently strong. We kept seeing the bartenders light drinks on fire — definitely want to try that next time just because it looked cool!
The butter garlic french fries were a huge disappointment though. They’re 50% off if you check in on Unilocal,but they’re soggy and not good so… you’re probably better off going to the ramen burger joint next door if you’re hungry.

Came from San Diego just to check this place out. It has such a cool concept!
Trying to find the lock just gives you a good adrenaline rush before entering. There’s no door fee btw.
Once you walk in there are tables, a bar, and a cool outside patio. There is literally no room to dance here unfortunately. Everyone’s pushing on one another outside and I just wish this place was more spacious.
Also, parking sucks! But this place just has good vibes. I don’t mind coming back again.

Attended this venue sober and I still couldn’t figure out how to get through the door. If I didn’t have a professional Lock & Key-​er with me, I would never have found the right key to get into the room where all the alcohol is. Plus, the room to get in with all the keys is Wesley Snipes dark and there’s only one candle lit with what I can only imagine to be from whale blubber. So, minus points here but I guess it could be considered «fun».
Ordered some drinks for friends and they had some nice sounding cocktails within the old fashioned family. The bartenders on the outside patio seemed to know what they were doing and took their time with the crafting of their beverages. I just got a ginger ale but I was impressed the used their own ginger juice and made it my drink from scratch.

When our friends took my boyfriend and I we were slightly thrown off. The location is right by the gas station with a ramen burger joint next door.
The wait was approximately 45 minutes or so and the majority of Line were men. When we finally got in, some guy ruined the mystery of which knob for us. Not a huge deal, but would have been fun to try and guess.
I like the layout of the bar and outside they have a patio. It was quite roomy and There were a lot of seating options but why sit? The DJ was really good — he played a lot of old school rap and then current rap, hip hop, and r&b hits. We couldn’t stop dancing. The crowd was nice too — other people from other groups were approachable and friendly. One guy stepped in to teach my boyfriend how to dance (he was really struggling). It didn’t help much but he tried. Another girl was being dragged out but I’m going to stick with she worked hard and played a little harder that night. My group stuck to Irish mules but check the bill– they add gratuity when you spend a certain amount.

This place is okay… I DO NOT like the parking situation. The venue itself is great for dates that are like one night stands in my opinion… haha…
Great for alcoholics…

Fun place to drink! Although the wait time is terrible (1 hour standing in line to get in), it was worth the wait. Once you get in, you pick the secret door to get in. For a speakeasy, it was totally easy to get into. The only thing that sucks about the indoor décor is that nothing in the lounge matches the theme! I would love to see furniture or decorations in the same era. It does take a while for the bartenders to make the drinks, but it takes 10−15min per drink. I chose the Fool Proof drink and it was very delicious!!! The drinks are strong and sweet. It’s every girl’s dream. There is limited seating space and some standing place inside and outside in the patio. They play great hip hop music for dancing! Half the bar was singing all night long. If you’re hungry, the Ramen burger is open next door till 2am. Enjoy!!!

Came by on a Saturday night and they were packed. We had to wait in line for an hour before we finally got in. If you’re hungry, there’s a little window serving food (ramen burger, fries, etc) They let groups in one at a time so you get a chance to figure out which door knob opens the door. Sadly for us, someone was leaving while we were trying to figure it out.
My friends and I grabbed some drinks at the bar and their drink menu had lots of good options. My favorite was the strawberry mule! It was delicious! The bartenders here take their time to make the drinks, so expect a little bit of a wait. But its totally worth it!
They have an outdoor patio with a second bar if it gets too crowded inside. The music was mainly hip hop and I loved it! They played some new music with some old school songs. Besides the wait, this place is on of my new favorite bars!

Decent spot in Ktown with a mixed crowd and great cocktails. Though the bartenders do take a while to make them. My favorite is the razzle dazzle, very refreshing and mostly tastes like cucumber.
The DJ usually plays hip hop and R&B but there’s no real dance floor. Sorry it’s not that type of party here though I see some people get down and dirty. More to hang outside in the back to take pics with the bush background for a new lyft profile.

My friends and I came on a Thursday night so it was very very toned down. But during the weekend it gets crazy and the lines are super long. So if you’re looking to come here during the weekends definitely aim to come around 10 – 10:30 or be prepared to wait 30 – 60 minutes.
Lock & Key is a great place to bring friends who’s never been here before because you can’t enter the bar unless you find the right door knob on the wall (there are millions), so it makes it super entertaining to watch drunk friends struggle muahaha.
The drinks here are pretty good and also nice and strong. I’ve tried the Sangria (Hennessey added for extra kick of alcohol), Pear Flower, Naked Pina, and Strawberry Mule. My favorite is the Strawberry Mule. Don’t forget to check in for a free basket of garlic fries!
During the week days this is a great place to converse with friends because it’s nice and quiet, but during the weekends this place is packed and it get’s pretty crazy. So crazy to the point it can take 30 minutes to get a drink. Totally different vibes.

My friends and I decided to check out this speakeasy after some bangin’ KBBQ a couple blocks down. The line doesn’t appear to be long in length, but since the venue is smaller and each group walks in one at a time to figure out which knob is the actual door/​entry, the wait can feel long.
I tried the following cocktails:
— Torpedo: pear vodka, pear nectar, lemon juice, egg white, maple syrup, fresh ginger juice, black pepper, toasted sesame seed oils ($ 12)
— Strawberry Mule: vodka, strawberries, mint, ginger juice, lime juice, ginger bear ($ 12)
The strawberry mule was pretty strong in vodka content, so I prefer the torpedo as it was a bit more creamy and very unique in taste. Would definitely order the torpedo again, especially since I have lower tolerance for alcoholic beverages.
It’s pretty dark inside and the music was overly loud, but I love old-​school hip-​hop and R&B. Okay, it was more like late 90’s and early 2000’s hip hop, but that’s basically old school nowadays (can’t believe it’s already 2015!). Although it wasn’t particularly crowded inside, having only two bartenders that night definitely meant you were waiting quite some time if you came with a large group of friends like we did. Overall, the bartenders know what they’re doing and are very skilled in preparation — entertaining just watching them even if you’re waiting a while. Stiff drinks and a good crowd made this a good night, but overall the venue wasn’t spectacular. I still prefer Prohibition in San Diego.

I stumbled upon this place getting a Ramen Burger. Who knew you could order the burger then go in to the bar to eat it and get a drink.
Lock & Key is set up like a speakeasy. You enter through the front door, and end up in a coat room kind of thing where there is a wall of locks. The bouncer was really friendly and jokingly made me look for the right lock. That same bouncer was playing the guitar and singing with a couple of passers by when we left!
The inside of the bar was also cool, there’s a nice outdoor seating as well. As I was there on a weekday in the early evening, it was a little slow, and the service was decently quick.
That all said, I was really turned off by the stale smell of spilled beer and smoke from the outdoors that travelled around the inside of the bar. And their upholstery on the couches were really sticky and torn. Oh well, maybe next time!