Akbar

I gave them my credit card and opened up a tab and the bar. At the end my bill was $26. I had the cash so I ended up paying and tipping them in cash. Two days later I see a charge on my credit card for $50 dollars. DO NOT TRUST THESE GUYS WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: Price were okay, a little high but ok. Cons: DONT GIVE THEM YOUR CREDIT CARD. THEY DO RANDOM CHARGES ON IT!!!!!!!! more

Been to Akbar a few times. Great place to relax and unwind. If you are looking for the pretentious weho scene, this is not the place to go. Very low key, lots of locals, and down to earth people. Met my partner at Akbar so I cant complain!!! Only inconvenience is the 20 tab on credit cards. Other than that not a bad place to go to. Pros: drinks, location Cons: parking, seating more

While it IS agreed here that the bartenders can be rude and curt and very easily agitated, the place is quite fun. A very diverse crowd as opposed to a few years ago and more space than before. With a little less "I'm Silverlake-cool so everyone annoys me" attitude, it could be the best place ever. Pros: Cute guys, gay, good neighborhood place, fun music Cons: bartenteders attitudes... more

Jeffrey Wylie here, manager of AKBAR. Regarding the previous posting by "foodielover1": even after 11 years here at AKBAR (and 27 years total in the bar business), I am still amazed at how drunk people THINK they remember events correctly, and how they refuse to take responsibility for their actions. The bartender in question wrote in the bar journal book about this guy the night he came in, and how agro he became after getting drunk (even before he cashed out), and even said they guy might call to complain. He didn't, and he also never disputed his credit card charge. Maybe after his hangover cleared up he realized how rude and obnoxious he behaved toward the staff... Remember folks, if you can't be a happy drunk, don't be a drunk! Cheers! more

After a week of arduous work, I went there alone to drink and relax. And it turned out to be the worst night ever. My bartender, Fred, not only accused me for drinks I haven't even ordered, I later found out that he charged twice of what I had spent on my debit card without my authorization. I will soon deal with it with the consumer protection agency. There are bartenders who worked long enough and I prefer to deal with, but FRED...he's got be fired. more

Back in the day this was a neighborhood bar named Jolie's. The seven or so guys at the bar nursed stiff drinks and the owner/bartender was as drunk as they were. Sounds perfect.. except they were all at least 70. Not that I minded because I was in my 20s then and hungry for male attention and thirsty for free liquor, both of which were in no short supply. Flash forward 10 years. Silver Lake is younger, straighter and hipper. Jolies disappeared like The Detour and Cuffs. Akbar is the perfect bar for the friendly folks now living in the 'hood. Any night finds gay folks and straights, men and women proving that in Los Angeles, we can all just get along. The crowd is edgy but friendly and approachable, even for gay guys like me in their late, late mid thirties. My only complaint is the effort it takes to get a libation. When you first approach the bar it seems as if two guys are working their asses off and seven guys are just ignoring you, then you realize there are three barbacks for every bartender, which means your half empty drinks disappear like the shrimp at a buffet but actually getting a drink is like a person of color trying to get a cab in the rain. The $20 credit card minimum is a bit annoying, as suggested by other reviewers, more actual bartenders might improve the overall experience as well as their attitude. If you are gay try MJ's on Hyperion (the former Woody's) and if you are straight try The Good Luck bar (which was some gay bar before too but I forget the name). Pros: Great crowd, fun and easy going and approachable Cons: You might die of thirst more

It's another great night at Akbar: a fun cruisy friendly young crowd, Bowie cranked on the juke box, you and your friends celebrating the end of another tough week or maybe a birhtday or special occasion. . relaxed and fun. . . and then, it's time to order a drink. . . GOD HELP YOU. . the staff there is a total bummer. . . cold, rude, impersonal. . . all over the city bartenders greet you with a smile, remember your name, remember your drink and gladly accept your credit card and open a tab. . but not HERE. It's as if most of the staff (and there are some notable exceptions) can't wait until everyone goes home. I have a problem with the $20 minimum on a credit card. . not because I'm not going to spend more than $20 but because they make such a big deal out of it. . and in the process they ignore that age old tradtition of friends at a bar. . buying rounds. . . if I want to buy a round for my friends and it comes to $15 and they are going to buy a round for me, then Akbar should make it as convenient as possible for that process to occur. . yet they insist on charging me a $20 minimum and all my friends (buying identical rounds) the same minimum and I find this somehow reprehensible. So definitely go to Akbar, take your friends and enjoy. But be ready for some attitude and some below par service at the bar. Except for Thursday, (when D.J. Tony Powell does a mix that is just SICK) expect a great music selection on the dance floor with some lazy D.J.'s who don't even bother to beat match. Nevertheless, a good time is generally had by all. The crowd is warm, fun and friendly. Drinks are potent once you get one. And the place is totally cool. Pros: Nice friendly fun crowd totally mixed and eclectic Cons: The barstools have more personality than most of the staff. more

We went here for my friends b-day, we are all straight but had a blast dancing with the guys who showed us some moves! The bartendars are nice and boy, do they not play around with thier alcohol...usually my drinks taste too juicy but here, one sip and I already felt a buzz. The music was non-stop great and the people were so friendly. Pros: good drinks, good music Cons: only two toilets! more

This place has loads of atmosphere, stiff drinks, and friendly people. Too crowded for my tastes on the weekend (so crowded it's hard to move), but during the week is a great hangout. The back room hosts several weekly events - tuesday night comedy, wednesday night craft night, etc. Plus, try one of the bartender's homemade cookies! Pros: stiff drinks, great price, atmosphere, friendly and diverse mix of people, weekly event nights, homemade cookies Cons: parking lot is too small, too crowded on weekends more

I was not thilled with the service at all. The place was extremely crowded and bumping my drink. The staff were taking their time serving me, and to top it off my drink was not what I had requested and it was impossible approaching the bar again since it was sooo crowded. I just let more people bump into me, and in no time my drink had spilled and I was out the door. Pros: parking Cons: bad service more

A WONDERFUL PLACE. DELIGHTFUL HOST AND WAIT STAFF. INCREDIBLE FOOD. JUST FANTASTIC. I WILL BE COMING BACK FOR SURE. AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT!! more

Neighborhood bar, hip and friendly crowd. The decor is warm, funky moroccan sort of theme; really nice vibe. Everyone there is relaxed and cool, making it a comfortable environment (with good eye candy). You'll see couples, big groups, people by themselves, and the small-ish space makes it easy to meet and interact with others. I love how they have Crafts Nights and other fun events during the week. It's really a community. Plus, have seen the owners - hot! more

I was visiting a buddy in LA from boston and he asked a coworker for some reccommendations on where to take me out for drinks. Akbar was right up at the top of the list along with tiki ti. We arrived very early on a week night,6ish, but it was to our advantage. The funnest part of the night was watching all the characters who poured thru the door. What a mix! the bartender was super friendly and had amazing tats drinks were fantastic and it wasn't untill a few hours had passed that we even realized it was a gay bar. I would tell any one with any sense of cool to stop in and check out this place. I also heard a rumor that Matt Groening is an owner. Pros: smoking, tattoos, drink wheel Cons: crowded more

Akbar finally got their groove back. No more cover charge on weekends and the back room/ dance floor is finished. Great bartenders, strong cheap drinks, and about the best juke box in town in the front room make this a fantastic neighbor hood bar. No attitude,but it does get busey on the weekends. Always someone for everyone. Pros: great jukebox, strong drinks, cool bartenders more

who decided that the akbar could charge on the weekends? may as well go to weho now. too bad too. the bartenders are rad and hot. the drinks are nice and stiff...ahem, the drinks, not the bartenders. Pros: drinks, bartenders, jukebox more

Akbar is OK... It can get really crowded and stuffy. I always feel like I am trapped in there. Weeknights are the only time I will venture inside. more

i like it when the crowd is unpredictable, the weekdays yea i like it when this mexican guy brings homemade tamales yum i like it when sabatian is working, grabed him 1s (was drunk) hot i like it when I can hear the jukebox la la la i like it when i met a cute straight guy, a good kisser mhh i like ti when getty is there, he's a fixture ha i like it when they send the smokers outside bla i like it when it's not 100% gayboys (or straights) rah i don't like it at 2 and i'm still buzzed and have to walk home damm Pros: sebastian, jukebox, naked boy in a fez Cons: smokers, weekend crowd, ugly beige exterior more

I've never really detected a clear pattern with Akbar. Some nights you go in and it's obvious this is a gay men's bar. Other nights it feels extremely straight. But it doesn't really matter because whoever's there is really fun and really friendly. The smoking rules are about as clearly defined as Netty's hours. Sometimes they'll make you go outside if you light up, other times everyone in the back is freely puffing away. It can get a little wild in there, but in a baseball game sort of way where you're just happily drinking your beer relaxing through another relaxing but non-eventful inning when ... bam! So, be prepared for anything. Pros: good location, good jukebox, fun people Cons: can get too crowded more

This place is the diva of neighborhood dives. Crowded with a painstakingly hip crowd, blessed with a killer jukebox, and saturated with a calculatingly casual vibe, it's the quintessential east-side scene. For in-your-face smokers, it's a dream come true--not only can you light up inside, but there's also the added rush of knowing you just might get busted by the cops for it. For non-smokers it's, well, a drag. For a better night at the bar, stop in on a Tuesday (live DJ), Wednesday or Thursday night, when the place is less crowded and conducive to conversation and has a genuinely friendly neighborhood vibe. Pros: Great jukebox Cons: Often crowded more