The 10 Best Bars in Silver Lake

By Paul T. Bradley Thu., Feb. 14 2013 at 4:00 AM

Flickr Commons

2. Hyperion Tavern
Hidden along the verdant side of Hyperion Ave, you could walk past Hyperion Tavern and not know anything was there, unless of course, you knew to look for their only sign -- an old-school barber pole. They may have only beer and wine, but that lack of liquor is easily overcome by the fact that Hyperion is a stalwart supporter of freaky-deaky and far-out varieties of local niche music. Any given night of the week, you can pop in to see weirdo bassoon noise or microtonal violas set against crystalline projections. To boot, the Tavern's library / saloon mash-up decor is the perfect set-up for Silver Lake's thinky drinkers. 1941 Hyperion Ave. LA; (323) 665-1941

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1. Cha Cha Lounge
If you're saying, "But I went here on a Friday and it was full of girls/guys who won't talk to me" or "I had to wait in line, so it sucks," then you're going on the wrong nights or you're just not that cool. During the week, Kevin Willis' Seattle-based outpost on Glendale has the best dive bartenders, music and kitschy wall crap in L.A. Hands down. Sure, it's packed to the crevices on Fridays and Saturdays with kids who can't identify the '70s and '80s referencing wall art, but that hardly detracts from its charm. This is what you want your local east-of-Hollywood watering hole to be -- cheap, fun and flexible. 2375 Glendale Blvd. LA 90039; (323) 660-7595

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Stagger Rex

hey guys, whats going on over here? can i play too?

Johnny O's

1 Like

you mean 10 best gentrified bars serving the incoming wannabe hipster yuppies

LA Weekly

I appreciate the feedback on my careless phrasing. It's great reminder to watch my words. Thank you!

Paul T Bradley

I'm curious, where in the post -- under my byline -- do I refer to Silver Lake as the East Side? And Julian, buddy, while I respect your facility with a thesaurus, I question your people pre-judgement skills and bong-belched pseudo-philosophy. I don't edit the LA Weekly's Facebook posts, a very nice over-worked and underpaid person does. Aaron, relax man, it's a beautiful day out there.

Aaron Mendoza

It's what u want to be at ur middle- aged u bumb

Paul T Bradley

What's a hipster?

Milko Rivera

only out of town transplant hipsters think silverlake is east LA. To a native angeleno, calling silverlake or echo park the "east side" just makes you look like a clueless ignorant prick who is scared to venture out of your little gentrified bubble.

Julian David Segovia

A cross-eyed cartographer with myopic diffidence would better understand that the Eastside of Los Angeles begins nowhere near Echo Park/Silver Lake, but in fact > EAST of the L.A. River... relative to the greater history of Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles. Respectfully speaking, geometro revisionism from East Coast transplants such as Paul T. Bradley does nothing more than a disservice to the citizens of Los Angeles and to those reading from far-flung liquid crystal displays around the world. Writing and publishing misinformation infects the ignorant en viral masse and devitalizes our collective culture like a plague, which given enough time through repetition… a lie eventually becomes a truth. Mr. Bradley is most likely an affable human being with no malicious intent to disinform the unsuspecting cyberliterati . 7____7 Nevertheless, Paul T. Bradley’s expertise in journalism should be a philosophical reminder that he shouldn’t unwittingly or otherwise inadvertently sow the seeds of division between those whose antecedents in Los Angeles span the greater legend of truth. Sincerely, Julian David Boyle Heights Flats/East Los City of Angels… EastSide. Over & Out

Aaron Mendoza

La Weakly staff are a bunch of LA implants

Andreissz Kunningham

eastside? wtf. I'm going to unsubscribe

Chris Zippert

don't come to silverlake tonight, multiple DUI checkpoints.

Dan Ortiz

Silver Lake is the East side? Hmmm... someone needs to look at a map!

Nicholas Pell

Yeah, I'm sort of amazed that this slipped through.

Mario Carrera

Somebody like Salty food

Bebe Castellanos

yay for chachas! :)))

Bob Gomez

Eastside? Get a compass! What next, North Central?

Luis Saldivar

Someone at LA Weekly is smoking some bad stuff.... or they are just not from L.A.... or maybe they mean East Hollywood? LOL!

Osvaldo Javier Mendoza Gonzalez

Silver Lake is Not the Eastside!

Eder Herrera

It's pretty odd how silver lake is considered the "east" side haha.

RowenaHills

No, no, and no. This is a terrible list. If you turn it upside down it's better, but still no. I do have to admit I'm smarting from the lack of historical knowledge or any acknowledgement of how many of these nite spots started their existence as--or were until quite recently--lesbian or gay or Latino, or alloftheabove, hangouts. But still, and again, no. Just no.

Motor27

The venues shouldn't be included on this list, because, lets be honest, their bars and bartenders SUCK. Edendale is incredible and isn't even included! Whoever wrote this article, didn't do their research, or the writers are trying to protect their own favorite bars from the masses.