Backstage Bar & Grill

After years of sampling what our fine city has to offer, I can now say without a doubt that Backstage is my favorite bar in LA. It's that perfect combination of popular but still low-key and not scene-y. The drinks are strong and cheap - especially with the daily drink specials. The bartenders are really friendly and totally take care of you, and the karaoke with KJ Shane on Th/Fri/Sat is the best!!! Huge song selection book, and he's just the sweetest, most genuine guy and really supports everyone. (Even my friends who are terrified of karaoke have gotten up and sang there.) Pros: Strong drinks, awesome food, great staff, fun karaoke, and super easy parking Cons: Only one toilet in the ladies room more

My buddies and I were looking for a place to watch the Laker game last night. I stumbled across the Backstage while looking for bars on Citysearch. What a great find! With over five televisions we never had to strain our necks to watch the game. It was a Tuesday so the drinks were like two bucks a piece. We played pool at halftime. Only one of us ate, but my buddy said the burger was good. Overall, it was a great experience, except that the Lakers lost. Pros: Cheap Drinks, T.V.s, Pool Table Cons: Lakers Lost more

After seeing all the rave about this place on City Search me and my boyfriend decided to check it out. more

What can I say about this bar? The service is great, the drinks are very strong (consider it a warning), the people are friendly, the Karaoke is fun whether you sing or watch, and best of all, it's cheap for all you penny pinchers. I don't consider this a dive bar. It's a clean establishment, and the crowd is far from mean or crazy. The food looks very good, although I havent tried it, the people eating seemed happy. I'm giving a 1/2 point deduction, because most of the stools are uneven and some I found to be very uncomfortable. If only all the high chairs next to the eating area had back support, this place would be flawless. Another 1/2 point off for the sound quality of the speakers. It is way too loud when the Karaoke is being played. Keep in mind, I am being somewhat fussy with this review, and that you will not regret going to Backstage. Highly Recommended. Pros: Service, Karaoke, Specialty drinks Cons: Too loud when Karaoke is played more

Down the street from where I used to work, the Backstage is a haven for studio crews and visual effects artists alike. Their food is decent and their karaoke stage features both local and imported inebriated girls singing the same 9 songs you've already grown sick of. But since their drinks are strong, you won't notice. I came here with a bunch of coworkers to celebrate the completion of a film and we had a blast! more

This place is just fun- we had a big (40+) party here and they were accomadating and very nice. Karaoke was great, drinks were awesome and the food was top notch (which surprised me!) All around, a great time and I would definitely go back. Pros: Staff, food, drinks Cons: Parking is mostly street more

This is definitely one of my favorite bars in all of LA. I found it on citysearch, and wasn't disappointed. I've been here frequently, and always have a blast. Even if you aren't brave enough to sing karaoke yourself, it's just as fun to watch others sing. I had my birthday party here and attended someone else's going away party, and they are very accomodating to parties and large groups (plus they brought everyone who was celebrating their bday up to the dance floor and gave everyone a free shot). Their food is also really good, I especially recommend the macaroni and cheese. The drinks are cheap ($7 for a HUGE long island iced tea) and tasty. I recommend going early on the weekend to get a table so that you don't have to fight your way up to the bar everytime you want a drink. And if you're planning on singing, you want to get there early to put your song requests in because the spots go quickly. All in all, this bar is great for a never-fail good time. Great music, great drinks, lots of amusement (karoake, pool) but it's also a great place to get a big table with friends and just enjoy the evening. Pros: Cheap drinks, good food more

Had a bad experience my first time at Backstage, but manager made up for it. He graciously and generously made it worth my time to give this place a 2nd try and even offered an explanation as to why my friends and I experienced what we did. Gotta respect that. I was impressed enough to raise my citysearch rating. Pros: Beautiful L.A. people in a dive bar setting Cons: Service more

one of my coworkers is a triathlete and we went to backstage for a drink after work. he had a 90 mile training ride the next morning, so of course i got him loaded on irish car bombs and he was cursing me the entire next day...good times. more

I found this place with some friends of mine while searching citysearch. I love karaoke but am a little nervous about singing. I have to say.... Backstage karaoke is a show! Everyone is so into the singing and the KJ Shane guy was a sweetheart. He helped me pic a song and the when I was scared he cheered me on and danced with me. My friends and I are still talking about how much fun we had. It was like a party all night. It did get very crowded but the people were very friendly and the drinks were inexspensive and good. The service was great as well. The only bad thing was I wish I lived in LA now. I am moving in November so I have to wait till then to return. Thank you for making my visit wonderful! Pros: Service, Karaoke, people Cons: the candles werent lit LOL more

At first the bar seems like your average frat boy hang out, but when you sit down and watch the flurry of singers belt their guts out, you see that this bar has that special something. In the early hours (9pm) it seemed that the mic was dominated by ""regulars"" which was good, because it seemed to get things rolling. As 10pm came the fun really started to happen. Lots of people poured in to get some rather inexpensive drinks and listen to some karaoke idols. Let me say that the people there are awesome. Everyone is supportive and gives a loud applause, even after the worst of singers. The KJ is extremely friendly and supports the singers and keeps the crowd entertained. There was one really funny lady there...her name was LaRonda, and she dropped it like its hot all night, well whenever the KJ let a song play. It was mostly people singing, but tons of fun nonetheless. The only complaint I have was the politeness of the bartenders. The male bartender was very nice, but the ladies weren't so much. One tossed my change at me when I looked away for a brief second, which was pretty uncalled for. Other than that, this bar is awesome, the crowd is even more amazing, and if it wasn't for the bartenders, I would have easily given this bar a 10. Highly recommend, especially if it is your first time! Pros: Karaoke, crowd, drink price Cons: Bartender service more

We went on a karaoke night (Saturday). They have an awesome crowd. Really diverse, all ages, everyone was really friendly and gave generous applause. The waitresses were sweet and conscientious, and the drinks were pretty inexpensive. The atmosphere was perfect. Everyone was singing and dancing and it was just an amazing night. I'm sure a good number of the singers were regulars, and would love to go watch again. If you like to watch, there are tons of people with truly impressive voices. If you want to sing but are afraid, don't worry...everyone is supportive and friendly and just there to have fun. I thought parking would be difficult, but somehow we found street parking right in front. Pros: service, crowd, prices more

I went with a group of friends & we were more than happy! The drinks were cheap, the vibe was laid back & real & the food...was better than any restaurant in los angeles. We shared the mac and cheese, skirt steak, Cheese burger & Chicken fingers----WE WILL ALL BE BACK!!!! The entire staff was girls & they are hot Pros: food, hot chicks, cheap Cons: parking more

Although LA has many bars to choose from everytime my friends and I want to go out we can never all agree on a place....until now. BACKSTAGE RULES!!! We had so much fun. It's not a meat market like most bars, we drank and ate and our bill was so cheap. The food was sooooooo good one of my friend's wanted to marry the chef! The drinks were so strong and unique I had shots I didn't know existed. I'm so happy we have a new place to call home Pros: food, prices, fun Cons: culver city more

I had my birthday at the Backstage a few weeks ago and had a really great time. The place was busy, but we were treated really well. Free shots for the whole party and great food made it even better. I even tried karaoke (never had the nerve before) and loved it. Everyone there was cheery and the whole place felt like a party. I couldn't believe it when closing time rolled around. We'll definitely be back. Thanks! Pros: Friendly, Fun, Cheap drinks more

The drinks, like everyone says...are strong. You really get your money's worth. The food too was good although I've only had one dish. The karaoke on the other hand was a big disappointment. The song book was extensive but the DJ takes your selection and decides if he wants to hear it or not. So basically, you could be sitting there for hours waiting for your song to come on...and it might never happen. All because the DJ would rather play bad hip hop and top 40 than anything you might want to sing. I'd suggest going early for the drinks and skip the karaoke until they get a fair DJ in there who doesn't play favorites. People go to Karaoke bars to sing THEIR songs, not what the DJ wants to hear! more

After another karaoke bar screwed us over, The Backstage accepted a super last-minute reservation for my friend's surprise birthday party. The owner called me personally to set everything up and he was incredibly nice and helpful. On the night of the party, everything went fabulously well. He had reserved the firepit corner nook for us, which was perfect. Our waitress was very friendly and super efficient, even though she was really busy. The food was quite yummy...it really IS the best mac n' cheese ever! Oh, and most importantly, the karaoke was awesome! The KJ guy was cool, without being annoying, and his song selection was massive. Thank you, Backstage, for a great party and a fabulous night!! Pros: Tasty food, Cheap drinks, Karaoke! Cons: Bathroom lines more

This is my favorite bar EVER! I would however love it if they served champagne (cheap bottles or splits). Just a suggestion... Pros: Shane, James, Bartenders more

This gem of a bar in Culver City is the hottest spot going. The new owner has really turned this place around. This is the best dive bar this side of the Mississippi. The food is simply amazing, everything on the menu is top notch. You may think the food prices look at little high for Bar food, but this ain't bar food. Try anything on that menu and you will not be disappointed. All of the bartenders are nice and cool, it doesn't hurt that they are all hot. Even the female crowd will like the men bartenders that are usually there nights only. The whiskey pours in this place are phenomenal...you really feel like you are getting your moneys worth. It's hard to find that feeling in L.A. No matter where you live, this bar is worth the trip. Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Bartenders more

Went to the Backstage bar with some friends for the first time. Kareoke was awesome and their burger alone is worth the drive. We were a small group and the place was packed with party people. Chani is HOT! and she makes the best margueritas. Service was great and friendly. Our girls loved Josh's scooby snacks. Their drinks are cheap and if you don't know what you want, trust the bartenders! We had a fantastic time (without cash) and we're going back this week-end. See you there friday! Pros: friendly staff, cheap drinks, strong drinks more