The Speakeasy

I got the Strawberry Surprise. Not impressed. Didn’t realize their «house infused lemon/​lime vodka» was going to be a $ 12 bottle of Svedka strawberry lemonade. My favorite thing about this place was the environment. Definitely had a classy vibe to it. Super loud however. My friend got the mint julep and raved about it however. Maybe I’m pretentious. But isn’t that a prerequisite to being a hipster? Like the very ones who frequent this bar. I was expecting house made lemonade, however it was the sour mix that came from the soda gun. And once again, disappointed jn their «house infused lemon/​like vodka.»

Went on a Saturday. Other than the way to get in,. It’s not really speakeasy once inside. More of a club feel. Cocktails were made good though.

Nice place, nice crowd. Three stars because of the drinks that are too small for the price ($ 12 to $ 14) and there is not enough seating.

I went in on a Thursday and it was pretty dead. That’s OK though, my friends and I didn’t really want to shout over each other to be heard. Plenty of space, looked clean and the bartender made a good old fashion. No complaints here. I’d come back again.
I know it’s the «speakeasy» and we need a password, but really, we just wanted to go in and get a drink. So that was probably the biggest annoyance of the night.

I’ve been here a couple of times and overall, I like the novelty of it being like a speakeasy and entering a bar that has a old timey feel, but I’m lowering it a star because their prices are a bit high and the service is also pretty slow. However, overall, it’s a good bar to check out if you’re in the area. Just be sure to email them for the password a few hours before you arrive. It’ll make entering a lot easier.

This place I love a lot because it’s very low key and not many people know about it. The ambiance and atmosphere can make any date night amazing. But I have to give props to Jeremy when I always takes care of me he makes my drinks just the way I like he is an amazing bartender. Jeremy in my opinion should get a raise or something because he goes above and beyond.

I considered giving this place 2 stars because being here wasn’t the most terrible experience of my life, but ultimately went with 1 because… I don’t know. I’m feeling stingy.
The entrance situation with a password and going through the kitchen (detailed in other reviews) is kind of fun, but also sucks for the large party behind me (who the bouncer badmouthed to us as soon as they were gone). But the speakeasy style is not what bothers me about this place.
I suppose they would lose customers if they played jazz music or had a more bold speakeasy atmosphere here. This is pretty much just an overpriced version of many of the loud clubs down the street where the bouncers are always trying to get more people inside by offering ladies free drinks (although no one was dancing in here). The house music was minorly annoying, but still, I wasn’t offended.
Here is my gripe with this bar:
Well drinks are $ 12. I repeat: WELL DRINKS ARE $ 12. Now, they made my whiskey sour with Buffalo Trace, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and they made it pretty strong. It tasted decent. BUT STILL. This place is pretty mediocre, and even the fancy spots I go, where I’m willing to splurge for high quality, do not charge $ 12 for well drinks. I shudder to imagine what their specialty items cost.
So, you’ve been warned. This place is overpriced and mediocre on every level. The speakeasy vibe is faint though can be fun, but you will pay way too much money for cheap drinks and probably not have a very good time.

Ok so I thought this place was going to be cooler than it was and maybe that’s what ruined my expectations of it. It’s kinda cool that it’s hidden since there is no real sign with a name on it and you do need a password to get in. There is a red light and a weird guy out there standing that will ask you for the password, then he will get you in. Someone will then greet you and guide you through the kitchen (wtf? the kitchen. really??) and then you are at the bar. The bar itself is super dark, aside from all the red lights (which are cool I’ll say) and super loud with not so speakeasy-​ish type of vibe (so not 1920s). The music is def not fitting to the place or the name of the place. Maybe it should be called the red room… Anywho, the bar gets crowded and service can be a bit slow. I ordered the kitty killer cocktail. Way too sweet for my taste and it tasted a bit like medicine. I didn’t order a second drink. Don’t think I’ll be back.

We came her through the back alley entrance. They only allowed 6 o
People at a time.
Thank goodness our friend had a bday celebration and they found this place for us to experience.
When you walk in you go right into the kitchen and enter where the dj is. The amazing race contestants were here celebrating the season end I am guessing. It was an amazing bar when you are a wall on bottles of alcohol.
The music was Dj and he was playing requests.

Let me start with the positive. Nice location, nice inside. Fun having to enter through the back alley then through the kitchen. The vibe and décor was great. And for a Saturday night it wasn’t too packed and we really really enjoyed all the music (mostly swing house/​house/​electronic which I shazzamed a lot). It was amazing… but then…
What brings this down to 2 stars were the horrid drinks. The bartenders must only be there for show. They certainly do not follow any recipes or measure ingredients at all or properly. It really made me think they don’t understand those are very important steps to get cocktails to taste delicious. You can’t guesstimate/​free pour things like the various fresh citrus or liquors or other mixers. You can’t just free pour proper cocktails as if you’re at a dive bar serving a jack & coke, its NOT the same t hing. It can throw even the simplest of cocktails way off if you are not measuring and following the recipe. Every drink any of my group of 5 bought was pretty gross. I gave up after the 2^nd one was a total fail.
Don’t bother with this place until they start having some pride in their libations.

Friday at 9:30pm and it’s mostly empty. They made us look up and call the establishment for the password when there were 8 people inside. But oh well how are the drinks? Holy crap they’re disgusting. Our party for the maple Manhattan, kitty killer, and their special Moscow mule.
The maple Manhattan had more sugar then alcohol. Thought I’d get used to it but after a few sips but I couldn’t take it. My friends killer kitty tasted like super sweet cough syrup. Not sure if they made the drinks bad or their recipes are all off.
Plus a star since they remade the drinks as Moscow mules which thank goodness they didn’t screw up.
At least the environment is pretty trendy.

This is a fun little joint! Come with the intentions of enjoying the atmosphere and paying a little extra for a well made drink. The red atmosphere of the club resembles the hearts of those who were deprived of letting lose back in the day!

This place sounded like it would an experience. You need a secret password to get in. You find it on their website… hmmm…interesting. We’ve seen it several times and live close enough to it; however, never went. So, we decided to check it out and as we entered; after the super secret password was provided, the placed was lit up with only red lights! It was a bit dark; however, I get what they were trying to do…
It took forever for someone to acknowledge us at one of the tables and by the time we had our first drink, it must have been at least 30 minutes! Let’s just say, we tried it once, it’s novel; however, not a place that we’ll probably go back to when there are several other bars to hit in Old Town.

Stopped by for my friend’s birthday and we had a great time. Fun bar, ok prices, delicious specialty drinks. Really wish they had a small dance floor, I feel like that would have made it absolutely perfect because the music was good. They even gave us a bottle of champagne for free at midnight for the birthday and a shout out from the DJ. Fun experience, we’ll be back.

My goodness what a treat! This place would be my mini version of heaven. We went on a Thursday night so the boys got in without a hitch– even with shorts on.
I would say the crowd is more for the older folks. I feel like I saw several couples in their 40−50s. And they were the ones not shy about dancing and having a good time. I would’ve joined but I think that boldness comes with age.
The drinks were reasonably priced. But SD drinks are so cheap compared to DTLA. the bartender was super sweet and suggested a whole bunch of drinks not on the menu.
The seating was a little tricky but as long as you’re not too picky there’s always places to sit and mingle.
Didn’t stay too long because we were bar hopping. But def. the music here is on point! I wish I could’ve stayed there forever.

I celebrated my birthday here a while back and this venue was perfect. It’s a cool concept in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. We actually got to do the whole password thing and walk through the back, which was pretty awesome. Once inside, the music was bumping and we got our reserved tables and my pre-​ordered drinks.
The venue was pretty packed with a mixed, chatty crowd. The bartenders were pretty cool and all my guests had a great time here. We pretty much closed the place down because it was fun, cool, relaxed, and just a great atmosphere. The Speakeasy vibe is let throughout the venue. The drinks were mixed with excellence and people in my party did not have any negative feedback at all.
My only issue was dealing with the owner when trying to make the reservation. I was the one that kept calling him to get info, verify the info, make my order, get the password, etc. He would say he would call me back at a certain time. When that time passed (and yes, I gave extra time in case he got tied up with stuff), I ended up having to call back pretty much every time. It was quite annoying, but I already decided to do my birthday celebration here and didn’t want to change the location.
Also, when I called the first time for the quote for the table and minimum number of bottles, it changed when I called the second time to follow-​up because he straight up forgot and was probably winging it when talked the first time… not quite sure. I practically had to remind him and the sound of doubt on the other end of the line was quite evident, which as a customer is no fun at all. Needless to say, it was a bit stressful trying to plan this especially when you can’t really confirm stuff, don’t have your calls returned, and you have to constantly be on top of them for your reservation.
Despite this hiccup, the night went well and everyone enjoyed themselves. If you’re coming here for drinks with a few friends, then come on down! If you’re planning an event, make sure you have sufficient time and stay on top of things! I probably would hesitate doing another event here, but I’d have no problem popping for a drink or two.

We Unilocaled the Speakeasy however didn’t know how to get in! So we noticed there was a door where people would exit and spoke to the bouncer there. He definitely wants you to get in however he will not give you the answer right off the bat. You’ll have to guess it for yourself lol!!! Once he gave us the hint to the password, he directed us to the back where the red light is next to the door. That’s the door you would have to knock on and say your password. Note that it changes though. One night it was BBQ chicken pizza and the next it was arugala. Super random. But once you get in, there’s a sign above the bar on the right (if you’re facing the bar) where it displays all the secret passwords are for the week :)
The lighting was very dim when we got in however it was pretty spacious. Plenty of room to sit or stand anywhere. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think you have to order at the bar then you can grab a seat anywhere. Staff was friendly and accommodating. For instance they’ll adjust drinks to how you would like them to be. You just gotta be vocal and communicative about it. In terms of drinks, I’ve been here twice and have always gotten the strawberry surprise as well as the Moscow mule. The drinks here are pretty sweet and therefore will give you fatty hangovers especially the Strawberry Surprises. Tastes pretty much like juice so you gulp it down. It’ll literally creep up on you and you won’t see it coming! Overall I’ve experienced better speakeasys.

This place is so much fun and the Moscow Mules are amazing!
You need a password to get in so you either have to know someone or promise the world to the bouncer out front for the code. From the outside, you can’t tell that this is a bar, it’s extremely low key. Once you get the password, head on to the alley where they will kidnap you and sell your organs… haha jk. maybe. From the front of the bar where the bouncer is, make a right into the alley and keep walking until you get to the back of the building where you will see a red light. Knock on the glass door. I’m going to stop here because the mystery is the fun part and I don’t want to spoil it for you. You may or may not have to give up your organs. I’m not sure because I only remember lots of red when you get inside. =D
Moscow Mule: Freaaaaaakin amazing. it’s the best I ever had (and YES that’s what she said!) so you should get one.
Parking: The One Colorado Parking structure (One Colorado, 24 E Union St, Pasadena, CA 91 103) is the closest one. $ 6 flat rate after 5pm on Fridays & all day on weekends. This garage closes at 2:30am so make sure to get out of there by then or you might be SOL.
If you want to save one WHOLE dollar, you can park at the other structures (see below). The flat rate after 10pm is $ 5 (just make sure you’re out by 5am party animal). These garages are free for the first 90 mins during normal business hours.
De Lacey Parking Facility
45 S. De Lacey Avenue (½ block south of Colorado and De Lacey)
Marriott Parking Facility
171 N. Raymond Avenue (between Holly and Walnut)
Schoolhouse Parking Facility
33 E. Green Street (corner of Green and Raymond)

This review is based solely on the cocktail service.
I had heard of this place and was drawn to the picture other Unilocalers were painting. Dark, red, picture collages featuring some of the most famous mob bosses in history and media.
I am a whiskey and bourbon girl, who will sometimes have the occasional vodka soda or martini. However I spotted Hudson on the shelf and had to try an old fashion, I like to test bartenders and their abilities on how they make them. Do they have any special or fancy talents that they add into the making of the cocktail? Of course they do. I know a great cocktail will be enjoyed if they light the citrus rind on fire releasing the oils into the drink and on the rim. I really really liked that old fashion, in my top 5 for sure.
For my second drink, I tried the kitty killer, which did not disappoint either. The guys I was with looked at me as though I had a third eye when I recommended this spot, most likely thinking they would only have froo froo drinks for ladies. I am happy to report that they were very pleased if not delighted by being oh so wrong. It was a quiet night there even though it was a Saturday, but that was totally fine by me, it was much easier having a conversation with my table mates than if we had been at one of the other bars in the area.
I also love the fact that it is much like what an old speakeasy would have been like. The doorman gives you a riddle that must be solved in order for you to gain access to the bar. I also heard that there is another entrance in the alley way marked by a red light. I however did not see this entrance, but then again I wasn’t really in the mood to be lurking down dark smelly alleyways in heels. The next time I have house guests from out of town I will make sure we stop in here for a drink or two, as this place wows those that are first timers including myself.

I’ve never done a birthday event for myself with my coworkers but as this is my last year in my twenties and after last years fiasco, it was time to have fun and a redo!
I knew I wanted to go to a nice and classy bar so I decided to look around Pasadena or Los Angeles however I wanted to keep things local so Pasadena it was! I came upon The Speakeasy through this lovely Unilocal app and was happy with the reviews already.
I called the place a week in advance and spoke to a nice gentlemen named Leo. I told him about my birthday and he kindly gave me the password for that night. It was red velvet cake. Cute. He also suggested I get a table but I decided not to.
Finally that night arrived and I really couldn’t be happier with the place original atmosphere! For a Thursday night it was not crowded but there was still people. Lucky me, they gave me a table anyways so at least my coworkers and I could sit. At midnight they even gave me a free bottle champagne to celebrate!
Overall, I had a super fun night (even if things got a little fuzzy) and would come back! The staff was friendly and the place is very 20s! A red lipstick kind of place!
Tips-​parking is literally across and look for the New York Deli sign. Parking is not free. I wouldn’t get a table. Most likely they’ll give you one without the fee. The guys at the door are friendly. They’ll probably give you the password if you ask nicely.