(credit: shuttertock)
More than a right of passage, the bachelor party is like the coup de grace a soon to be groom is mercifully gifted with from his closest compatriots. In addition to consuming irresponsible amounts of alcohol and channeling your inner frat boy, the evening almost needs to be a spectacle to ensure the kind of lifelong memory you will need to get you through the droning stretch of wedded bliss. Some call it debauchery, but really it’s bonding in the purest of forms. Considering the responsibility the groomsmen have in making the night a gem, it’s lazy to think a night at the bar would do it. There needs to be an over the top element that makes the morning after recollection a doozy. If you are celebrating/mourning a friend’s venture into the martial abyss in LA, here are a few places you MUST visit.
(credit: Winnie L./Yelp)
Sam’s Hof Brau
1751 E Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 623-3989
www.samshofbrau.com
When Playboy decides to stamp their seal of approval, the place might be worth checking out. Located just outside the Downtown LA skyline, Sam’s Hofbrau was ranked as one of America’s Best Strip Clubs by the publication and is frequented by celebrity clientele including boxer, Floyd Mayweather. The topless cabaret always has multiple dancers onstage and boasts one of the more raucous environments as there is a fully stocked bar keeping things fluid. $10 private dances, an open floor layout with no private rooms, and some surprisingly good pizza coming out of the kitchen, it’s safe to say that a bachelor party pit stop at Sam’s is a can’t miss.
(credit: http://www.sbe.com)
Hyde Lounge @ Staples Center
1111 South Figueroa Street, Suite Level C
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(323) 330-8018
www.sbe.com
The brainchild of nightlife giant SBE, the Hyde Lounge is a sprawling 4,000-square foot ultra lounge situated with one of the most spectacular views inside the Stapes Center. This luxury arena suite on steroids allows patrons to enjoy the amenities like premium bottle service while catching the Kings, Lakers, Clippers, or arena production concert happening just a level below. Combining the best of a live professional sporting event and upscale club ambiance, the Hyde Lounge in Staples works on multiple levels.
(credit: Kyle H./Yelp)
BootsyBellows
9229 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 274-7500
www.bootsybellows.com
Hypercolor décor, decadent textures, specialty handcrafted cocktails, celebrity clientele (considering David Arquette is the owner) and ventriloquists manning puppet versions of Spock, Obama, and Oscar the Grouch, Bootsy Bellows is a bit left of center even by Hollywood standards. Hosting impromptu concerts and nightly DJs selecting booming top 40 anthems, there is a strong possibility of watching the groom to be make a fool of himself on the dancefloor. Offering bottle service and optimum people watching, if the nightclub atmosphere is what’s o the agenda, BB is a great choice.
(credit: Winnie L./Yelp)
Jumbo’s Clown Room
5153 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
(323) 666-1187
www.JumbosClownRoom.com
A glorious beacon of dive bar brilliance, Jumbo’s Clown Room is often mistaken as a strip joint. Part local watering hole, part eclectic burlesque, the Thai Town institution boasts easily the most unique team of entertainers. However, calling these ladies strippers would be dumbing down what they do. Sans the cheeseball DJ, the jukebox in the corner sets the soundtrack as the ladies of all shapes and sizes work their money maker to invoke the generousity of their audience. Once their time onstage is done, you might find one of the ladies cozied up to the bar for a cold bottleneck of her own. Cheap drinks poured stiff, mirrors on the ceiling, and the kind of surly staff you’d expect, this bachelor party destination is guaranteed to get blurry.
(credit: Bigfoot Lodge)
The Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 662-9227
www.BigfootLodge.com
If taking the groom out for a weekend in the wilderness just isn’t in the cards, Atwater Village boasts a killer alternative in its Bigfoot Lodge. The Yellowstone, Smokey the Bear inspired motif is all kinds of incredible. Trading in barstools for tree stumps, pumping in the scent of pine, and serving signature cocktails like the Toasted Marshallow and the Girl Scout Cookie, it’s tough to not be enchanted by this boozy cabin. Offering a variety of nightly entertainment that ensures nothing gets stale, the woodman in the group will surely vouch, while the rest of you urban survivalists can get by with a properly poured Moscow Mule.
