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In the 60s, Eagle Rock was said to have the highest concentration of dive bars in Los Angeles. Where did I hear that? Maybe from someone on the next bar stool?
In the 60s, Eagle Rock was said to have the highest concentration of dive bars in Los Angeles. Where did I hear that? Maybe from someone on the next bar stool?
Photo by Jim Hughes
Eagle Rock -- In the 60s, Eagle Rock was said to have the highest concentration of dive bars in Los Angeles. Where did I hear that? Maybe from someone on the next bar stool?
Needless to say I was intrigued and dug into the topic. Sure enough, there was many historic drinking establishments on a stretch of Colorado Boulevard between Figueroa and Eagle Rock Boulevard.
Let’s stumble into a few:
During the 50s, a series of upscale restaurants occupied the corner of Colorado and Figueroa where today’s CVS stands. The Double H Club, Marabu and Duffy’s were just a few. Patrons, however, needed to be careful. Robberies in the parking lot were rampant in the late 50s, and one night owner James Duffy and wife were forced at gunpoint to return inside and a wild gunfight on the dance floor resulted.
Five years later at this location, the Roadhouse -- with the motto: “The Best Place We Know for Adults to Go” – lasted for only several months.
Nothing could compare to the infamous Booby Patch which opened in December of 1964. By the end of December, furious complaints that bikini-wearing waitresses, who drew beer at one end of the bar and then “Watusi-ed” en route to customers, must somehow be illegal. In less than a month after opening, the Booby Patch magically became the Bunny Patch – same theme, same owners, and slightly modified leotard-like costumes. In 1966, the Bunny Patch was no more, extensively damaged by fire.
The Hi-De-Ho was next into the space, with top tier acts including The Coasters, The Shirelles and The Ike and Tina Turner Revue. In the 80s,Club Riviera became the place to go with live music, a DJ and salsa-themed events. Surprisingly, that club had the longest tenure at the location, surviving until teardown by CVS in the late 90s.
Throw a rock, hit a bar
Moving westward in the '60s, passing Le Chateau (today’s Velvet), the restaurant/bars McGuire’s Inn and The Bavarian Inn were diagonally across Colorado at Eagle Vista. The Bavarian turned into the Blue Fox in the 70s with colorful regulars, a jukebox and more than one visit by cops, propelling underage kids to hide behind the bar with Coca-Cola and chips.
Further down, where today’s Fable stands, was Topper’s. Topper’s Cafe debuted in 1939, it became more of a tavern in the 50s, and then a stop for pool, bands and a late last call in the '80s and '90s. Legend has it that Lisa the bartender (perhaps Lisa Loring from Addams Family fame?) could throw an empty beer bottle from one end of the bar into a trash can at the other side. Hell’s Angels and Mongols regularly held court at Topper’s.
Continuing down the boulevard: hard drinkers hit the Harley House (now Cafe Beaujolais) in the '60s. The Red Carpet(known as “The Bloody Rug”) featured a live piranha in the tank behind the bar, and the small Tiki Hut stood on the corner at College View.
There are many more drinking establishments of note, but maybe that's for another round.
Cheers!
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(1) comment
Great article! Any photos for any of these establishments, by chance?
More content like this about Eagle Rock, please!
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.