DTLA: The New King Eddy is Now Open

I had sneaked in a dive bar crawl in DTLA last Fall before King Eddy closed its doors. It’s now re-opened with new owners and management. The cleaned up version no longer has that odd indoors smoking room. Instead you can play darts. In the main bar, all the walls have been painted black and some artwork evokes a more upscale feeling. There’s still some generic booze but you can now find craft beer and some better whiskies. The counters actually seem a bit empty without the logo memorabilia of cheap beer brands. Hopefully, they’ll get some more booze in to fill the counter space.

They may not open at 6 AM anymore but you can find the regulars there at 3 PM when they open their doors. Around 8, you’ll be asked to enter the establishment on Los Angeles street. The door on 5th Street won’t be available after 8. And in the most surprisingly news, I got carded.

However, there are things that haven’t changed. If you get there early enough, you can still have poetry recited to you by earnest regulars– I do wonder where they got their booze on during the weeks of renovation. Not that it matters, they’ve come back and King Eddy wouldn’t be the same without them.

This night I stuck to drinking Old Fitzgerald on the rocks though I eventually got a Manhattan. I learned one of the bartenders also worked at Bar Ama. I watched very carefully. No shaken Manhattans here. And they have Luxardo cherries. This new King Eddy is fancy pants.

Previous posts –

Dive Bar Recap

Dive & Craft Bar Recap

King Eddy’s Saloon

131 E 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 – (213) 629-2023

© The Minty 2013