The Red Room
1229 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 432-4241

I’d heard grandiose tales about “The Red Room,” an urban legend. A glorious place where the lights are low and drinks cost three dollars.

I was dying to go.

Upon arrival, I instantly knew that this was the epitome of a dive bar. The bouncer took my ID, gave me a sneer, and ushered me into the cavernous pit. I was immediately met by blend of artsy hipsters, punked out princesses, and grungy old men. All of them sporting multiple tattoos and piercings.

Heaven. I had come with my friends Paloma and James, who were both seasoned veterans of the Red Room, the jewel of Long Beach, as I have grown to affectionately call it. We had all congregated for Paloma’s brother’s birthday, and we quickly found them and the rest of the party on the other end of the bar. The bar is, shall we say, compact…. petite even, which made crossing the bar a small feat. It was however, a bit of an obstacle course due to the large pool table consuming a majority of the space. It took a strategy, with which I was not familiar, to navigate around the pool sticks jutting out in every direction. The dark reddish light (hence the name of the bar) did not help “light” the way.

It was worth the wait when finally reached the bar. I used my small stature to Macgyver a bar stool and plopped myself down. I was quickly introduced to Dana, who was named Long Beach’s best bartender last year. It was obvious why; she’s the most awesome person alive. She looks and acts like she’s heavily medicated and got dressed in the dark, which is very possible. Regardless, she’s a sweetheart to all the customers, newbies and regulars alike. To top it off, she makes a mean drink.

It took a while for the place to fill up, as it wasn’t really packed until midnight. I had so much fun talking with my friends and even some randoms, who were all very friendly. You shouldn’t be intimidated by the gruff looking clientele; they’re all super nice. Somewhere around 1:30, Paloma decided to drop her drink in my lap, the indicator of a successful night. By 2:00, the bouncer was kicking my wet pants out the door. We all stood outside the bar for another half hour, because we couldn’t seem to leave the joint. By 2:30 it really was time to leave as we were being threatened by the bouncers.

I’ll be honest; The Red Room is not for everyone. It takes a special someone who appreciates the finer things in life, like $3 beer and a pool stick to the face. Only a true epicurean could probably handle these luxuries. So if you’re feeling brave, drive on down for a truly Long Beach experience.

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