Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published September 22, 2024 5:00 AM
Because, really, who needs perfection in a watering hole?
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Topline:
There are bars, and then there are dives.
The former are all manners of drinking establishments, the latter are neighborhood institutions that felt as if they exist outside of time. And the term is only an affront to those who know no better.
I'm mildly interested, tell me more: We take you to three dive bars along a four mile stretch in the San Gabriel Valley to show you what is lost when we start losing these neighborhood establishments.
The dives we're visiting: Al's Cocktails in San Gabriel, Jay Dee in Alhambra, and The Barkley in South Pasadena. Bottom's up.
There are bars, and then there are dives.
The former are all manners of drinking establishments, the latter are neighborhood institutions that feel as if they exist outside of time. And the term is only an affront to those who know no better.
Here are three timeless dives along a stretch of 4 miles in the San Gabriel Valley, from San Gabriel to South Pasadena. Bottoms up.
Al's Cocktails
Al's Cocktails in San Gabriel.
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"Dives is a good term, I like that term," said Shawn Doyle, owner and operator ofAl's Cocktails in San Gabriel — a tried-and-true example of the genre on Las Tunas Dr. that's been open since 1945.
Doyle remembers going to Al's on weekends for breakfast as a kid, a good decade before his mom, Regina, bought the little watering hole in the mid-1980s. Eventually, the siren call of the family business lured him in. Now, Doyle mans the bar and his 76-year-old mom works the back office.
A gimlet with Bombay Sapphire for $7.00.
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True to its status as a local spot, Doyle says 80% of their patrons are regulars whose names or faces they know.
"Dive bar means it's a little bit of a neighborhood bar, but it's no-frills," he said. "Just kind of a friendly atmosphere. You know you're going to get a good drink. It's 'we're not gonna pay too much for it.'"
Especially nowadays, when a fancy cocktail at a fancy place can set you back a $20 bill before tip, Al's and other dives still manage to charge a quarter of that — with none of that cocktail jigger nonsense.
"You know, we're a small space and we just don't overcharge," Doyle said. "It's not that we keep [prices] so low. It's other places charge way too much."
Jay Dee Cafe
Jay Dee Cafe in Alhambra.
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Many of us have our go-to dives — and they come and go, the same way that we come and go.
When you live in a city long enough, its streets are dotted with their ghosts. Hop Louie in Chinatown. Smog Cutter in East Hollywood. Cosmos in Little Tokyo. Their disappearances make the ones that are still standing seems all the more surprising.
Like Jay Dee Cafein Alhambra, about 2.5 miles west of Al's. The century-old dive on Main Street serves breakfast on the weekend and has coffee on tap. Its lunch and dinner menu is also nothing to sneeze at — but the "cafe" part kind of ends there.
On a recent early Tuesday afternoon, Mary Arriola, her sister Josie and their friend Irene Rivera are nursing a round of drinks — a whiskey, a vodka tonic, and a vodka soda, respectively — at one of Jay Dee's slick round booths.
Mary Arriola and her friend Irene Rivera at Jay Dee Cafe in Alhambra.
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A view of Jay Dee's memorabilia packed wall.
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"The minute I walk in, they know what I drink. I never switch. Never, ever," said Rivera.
The ladies said they've been regulars at Jay Dee since the 1970s. Today's day-drinking was occasioned by Josie being back in town for a visit from New Mexico.
"Back when we started coming, all the bars were open at 6 a.m., and all the bars had regular people that, at 6 a.m., they came in and drank. And usually men," said Mary Arriola. "They were all lined up here reading the paper, eating breakfast."
The trio said the owners, Jimmy Lima and Eddie Krall, have always made sure the atmosphere is welcoming to everyone.
"We feel safe as women. Period," Josie said.
"Because we know everybody. Yeah, it's the locals and we know them," said Rivera, adding that the bar has stayed true to form in the 50 some years they have hung out there — and counting.
"Josie's been back for about 10 days," said Mary, only half in jest. "9 of them we have been at Jay Dee."
The Barkley Restaurant & Bar
The Barkley in South Pasadena.
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Once you become a dive bar convert, it's hard to go back. They are like a comfortable old T-shirt, you just can't quit it.
For Daniel de la Torre, that meant taking over one of his favorite spots in the San Gabriel Valley: The Barkley in South Pasadena.
"It was a much older crowd and I could just sit in the corner and not be bothered. It just looked cool, like you walked into the past," de la Torre said of the bar before he took it over in 2012.
Barkley's embraces its vintage feel.
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The owners wanted to get out of the business and one of them got talking to de la Torre.
"He goes, 'make us an offer'. And I was like, 'get out,'" de la Torre said. "I thought he was joking."
Talks fell through several times, but the thought that this neighborhood landmark could disappear forever pulled him back in.
"I dreamt that it became like some cheesy different restaurant," he said. "I called my brother, I was like, 'If we could break even every month and our friends' bands play there and we pump some life into it... we got a bitchin' hang out.'"
A sign outside of The Barkley.
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True to his words, The Barkley is all that and more. The 1951 steakhouse has been largely preserved — down to the original booths — with minor updates and flourishes. Yes, his friends' bands do perform there, including a jazz outfit.
As to the booze, it's also a throwback, down to the prices and the pour.
"You want to be reasonable enough so working class people could come and enjoy themselves for a few hours, you know, multiple times a week," he said.
Food, too, is still on the menu. But there's one big difference, de la Torre said.
"I would say we're more of a dive bar than a restaurant," said de la Torre. "A long time ago a dive bar was an insult. But now, I think youngsters started using that to mean neighborhood bar."
And remember, the first rule of dives still apply — for The Barkley, Jay Dee, and Al's Cocktails.
Libby Rainey
has been tracking how L.A. is prepping for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Published May 27, 2026 9:48 AM
Members with Unite Here Local 11 attended an L.A. City Council meeting on May 14, 2025.
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Topline:
The Los Angeles City Council has officially delayed minimum wage increases for tourism workers. The council made the final vote Tuesday, pushing back a boost to $30 an hour for airport and hotel workers from 2028 to 2030.
Why it matters: The controversial move comes after L.A. faced major pressure from business interests, which had gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal the business tax. That effort could have financially ruined the city if it passed.
The backstory: After the City Council voted to delay the wage from the November ballot, the leaders behind that ballot measure withdrew it.
Read on... for how workers are responding to the delay.
The Los Angeles City Council has officially delayed minimum wage increases for tourism workers. The council made the final vote Tuesday, pushing back a boost to $30 an hour for airport and hotel workers from 2028 to 2030.
The controversial move comes after L.A. faced major pressure from business interests, which had gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal the business tax. That effort could have financially ruined the city if it passed.
After the City Council voted to delay the wage from the November ballot, the leaders behind that ballot measure withdrew it.
It's a maneuver hotel workers have called a "shakedown." Originally celebrated as an "Olympic Wage," the $30 minimum was pegged to the arrival of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But a battle to upend it started as soon as the City Council passed it last year.
Workers who had counted on the increases aren't happy.
" I would expect my councilmember to stand up for working Angelenos, not help giant companies take money out of our pockets," Jordan Long, a bartender at LAX, said at a recent council meeting.
Stuart Waldman with the Valley Industry & Commerce Association told LAist that business groups decided to advance their ballot measure after unions wouldn't broker a deal with them directly.
"The business community has taken a page out of the union playbook to play hardball," he said.
Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the motion to finalize the wage delay Tuesday.
The Trump administration has mass-deleted information about prosecutions tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including cases of defendants who assaulted police officers. The removals mark the latest phase of President Trump's effort to rewrite the history of the violent riot.
Why now: Justice Department news releases that detailed guilty pleas, jury verdicts and prison sentences abruptly disappeared from government websites last week.
The Trump administration has mass-deleted information about prosecutions tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including cases of defendants who assaulted police officers. The removals mark the latest phase of President Donald Trump's effort to rewrite the history of the violent riot.
Justice Department news releases that detailed guilty pleas, jury verdicts and prison sentences abruptly disappeared from government websites last week.
On social media, the Justice Department defended the move, saying, "We are proud to reverse the DOJ's weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ's website of partisan propaganda."
Daniel Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to driving an electroshock device into the neck of former Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, and who was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
Albuquerque Head, who pleaded guilty to assaulting police and grabbing Fanone by the neck and pulling him into the mob of rioters while yelling, "I got one!" Head was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
Thomas Webster, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting law enforcement with a metal flagpole, tackling a police officer to the ground and trying to remove the officer's gas mask. Webster was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Christopher Alberts, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting police with a wooden pallet and carrying a loaded handgun on Capitol grounds. Alberts was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Peter Schwartz, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting police officers with pepper spray and throwing a metal chair at law enforcement. Schwartz was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The previously accessible news releases now lead to a "Page not found" message.
The mass deletion of government information about the riot, in which a mob of Trump supporters injured 140 police officers and threatened the lives of members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence, follows a broader effort by the Trump administration to whitewash the attack.
Trump granted clemency to every Jan. 6 defendant, including full pardons for all the most violent rioters and the erasure of seditious conspiracy convictions for members of extremist groups. The Justice Department fired dozens of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and hired a former riot defendant who was seen on video urging the mob to "kill" police. The administration settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the estate of rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed while storming the Capitol, for nearly $5 million. On the fifth anniversary of the riot, the White House created a website that distorts that day's events, describing the rioters as "patriots" and blaming police for causing "chaos." And just last week, the administration announced a $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," indicating that even rioters who assaulted police may be eligible for payouts.
When speaking about the attack, Trump consistently describes his supporters as victims rather than perpetrators of violence.
"I pardoned people that were assaulted themselves. They were assaulted by our government," Trump said last year. "They didn't assault. They were assaulted."
Police officers who were violently assaulted on Jan. 6 have described suffering lifelong physical and psychological injuries.
"I have been sentenced to a lifetime of medical issues that include physical pain and mental and emotional distress," former Capitol Police Sgt. Federico Ruiz said in a victim impact statement filed in a Jan. 6 case. "There is not a day that goes by that pain, discomfort, and/or a mental health issue do not flare up to remind me of that day."
Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor who worked on Jan. 6 cases, told NPR in a recent interview that the administration's effort to flip the story of the riot is part of a broader effort to attack democratic institutions.
"It's clear there is an ongoing fight to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, because these people know if they can successfully get people to forget about Jan. 6 — or worse yet, condone it — then they will be able to convince people to accept any attack on democracy," said Ballou.
Ballou currently represents two police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 and are suing to prevent payouts from the Anti-Weaponization Fund.
The searchable database covers all the nearly 1,600 criminal cases, including charges, convictions and sentencing outcomes. The archive also includes a timeline of the day's events and makes accessible hundreds of videos from police body cameras, Capitol surveillance footage and other sources. NPR is currently taking legal action to obtain additional video evidence held by the government, which has not been previously disclosed.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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Libby Rainey
has been reporting on L.A.'s preparations for World Cup games this year.
Published May 27, 2026 5:00 AM
Nader Adeli a group of Iranian-Americans from around Los Angeles who play soccer together on weekends in an adult league, under the team name Arya FC.
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Key takeaways
Iran's participation in the World Cup has been in question since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against the country in late February. Whether the Iran team shows up or not won't be settled until they arrive in the U.S.
L.A. County is home to about 166,000 Iranian-Americans — the largest population of Iranians outside of Iran.
The U.S. and Iran teams have only faced off twice in World Cup history.
FIFA is planning to ban Iran’s former Lion and Sun flag in the stadiums. That flag is associated with those that want to see a return to monarchist rule in the country.
If the teams both finish second in their groups, they'll face off in Dallas, Texas on July 3.
Los Angeles is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup next month in unprecedented circumstances.
As the U.S. war in Iran drags on, the United States is the first host nation in World Cup history to be at war with a participating country. And the Iran men’s team is scheduled to play two of its matches in Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian population outside of Iran.
Iran's participation in the tournament has been in question since the U.S. and Israel launched a bombing campaign against the country in late February. Whether they show up or not won't be settled until the team arrives in the U.S. to play. They were scheduled to train in Tucson, Arizona ahead of the tournament, but they've now re-routed to a facility in Tijuana, Mexico. FIFA confirmed the move on Monday.
"Sports is supposed to displace war. It's not supposed to be war."
— Kevan Harris, associate professor and vice chair, UCLA
Iran's first match is June 15 at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand. In the meantime, Iranians in Los Angeles are anticipating the coming tournament with complicated feelings.
" Sports is supposed to displace war. It's not supposed to be war," said Kevan Harris, a sociologist at UCLA who studies the Iranian diaspora. "Teams fighting it out when a war is going on, it has a flavor that's very difficult to process. Do I want them to win? Do I want them to lose? I don't know. "
For some, those dynamics and their opinions about the Iranian government are inextricable from the coming World Cup. For others, it's just about the soccer.
Mixed feelings for soccer players in LA
In Woodland Hills, a group of Iranian-Americans from around Los Angeles play soccer together on Sundays in an adult league, under the team name Arya FC. On a recent weekend, many players said they were excited for the World Cup, and most said they'd root for Iran's team, known as Team Melli.
"It's a lot going on in Iran right now, and there are a lot of mixed emotions," said Bobby Riahi, an Arya FC player who said he was going to a World Cup match and would support Iran. "You can't be a soccer fan and not be excited about the World Cup. Am I excited about seeing my national team? I have mixed feelings this year."
In Woodland Hills, a group of Iranian-Americans from around Los Angeles play soccer together on Sundays in an adult league, under the team name Arya FC.
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Between stretches and warm-ups, others said they doubted Iran would advance beyond the first round of the tournament. Some named players in Iran that they followed or said that they watched Iranian football.
Most didn't want to talk politics. Those that did, including one person who said he wouldn't support Iran because he thought it was the regime's team, didn't want to share their full names.
" It's a tough moment for sure for a lot of Iranians. I think a lot of my compatriots are pretty much divided," said Mehran Janani, another player. "There is a split, I think, in the Iranian population, about the Iranian team being here. There are some folks that are excited. There are some folks who are not happy for the presence of the Iranian team. And that all comes down to politics, unfortunately."
Nader Adeli, who manages the team, said he hoped all that could be set aside for the World Cup.
"Soccer has always been the most-watched sport in the world. And I think that will bring everybody together, at least for a period of one month of June to July," he said. "Let's hope for the best – that Americans will see the other side of the Iranian people as well."
A history of controversy at the World Cup
Iran's participation in the World Cup has been marked by political controversy before, including just four years ago. In 2022, the Iranian national team headed to Qatar for the World Cup as mass protests took place in Iran, sparked by the death of 22 year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Christian Pulisic of USA battles for the ball with Ramin Rezaeian of Iran during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Al Thumama Stadium on Nov, 29, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.
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"There was all kinds of pressure around trying to say that the team was not a national team, but that it represented the Islamic Republic, and therefore it should be boycotted," said Niki Akhavan, associate professor of media and communication studies at Catholic University of America.
Iran did end up playing in the World Cup in 2022, where the team faced the U.S. for just the second time in tournament history. They lost 1-0.
Fans with the USA and Iran's flags attend the Qatar 2022 World Cup match between Iran and USA at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha on Nov. 29, 2022.
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Prior to that, the two countries faced off in 1998 at the World Cup in France. The showdown came after nearly two decades of hostility between the U.S. and Iran following the Iranian Revolution and subsequent hostage crisis.
Score board showing the final score of the World Cup 1st round match at the Stade de Garland on June 21, 1998 in Lyon, France.
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Naim Sadav and Mehdi Pashazadeh of Iran and David Regis of USA in action during the World Cup match at the Stade de Garland on June 21, 1998 in Lyon, France.
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That match was dubbed "the mother of all games." The New York Times called it "the most visible head-to-head sporting event between the two countries since the Islamic revolution in 1979."
USA Team players exchange flowers with the Iranian Team before the World Cup 1st round match at the Stade de Garland on June 21, 1998 in Lyon, France.
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"There will be protests"
This time around, some members of the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles think that protests around the World Cup are inevitable.
"There's no doubt that there will be protests. The question is where will they happen?" said Harris, of UCLA. "What will be the slogan? What will be the demand? That's hard to tell."
Sheila Rossi, who was born in Iran and is now the mayor of South Pasadena, said she expects there to be conflict over the flags people will bring to the Iran matches.
Many demonstrators in Los Angeles have carried the country’s pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag as a symbol of protest. That flag bears the same green, white and red stripes as Iran's national flag, but includes an image of a golden sun and lion instead of an Arabic inscription.
"If there's going to be a fight, it's going to be about this flag issue," Rossi said.
Still, others are hoping the tournament can usher in a time of celebration for Iranians who have spent much of the year worrying about the war and family inside Iran.
Shaheen Ferdowsi runs a Persian restaurant in West L.A. called Meymuni Cafe. Throughout the year, he's hosted events to bring together Iranians from around Los Angeles, and opened his doors to people after protests against the Iranian government and amid the war.
Shaheen Ferdowsi runs Meymuni Cafe in West L.A.
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Now, he's hoping the cafe can be a place of celebration during the World Cup. He's planning watch parties and special menu items like lamb nachos for the occasion. He's also hoping his restaurant can be a space for Iranians visiting from other parts of the world for the tournament to gather.
"The heartbeat of the Persian diaspora is in Los Angeles," he said. " I think that there's just going to be an electric vibe of Iranians all together here."
Back on the soccer field in Woodland Hills, Mehran Janani, one of the players, said he hoped the tournament could bring some levity to people inside Iran, who have endured months of war and a crackdown on protests before that.
" I think with the current political climate in Iran, I'm hoping that at least the soccer will bring some joy to the Iranian nation," Janani said. “I know as a country we love soccer.”
If both teams do advance through the first round, it's possible that the U.S. and Iran teams will face each other again, this time on American soil. If the countries each finish second in their groups, they'll play in Dallas, Texas on July 3.
Makenna Cramer
covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California — events, processes and nuances making it a unique place to call home.
Published May 27, 2026 5:00 AM
Morning fog slowly burns off over Universal City on May 31, 2025.
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Topline:
Southern California is in store for cooler temperatures, gusty winds and a chance of showers this week as a mixed bag of “May Gray” weather moves into the region.
Why now: The cooler forecast is expected to stick around through Thursday before warmer temperatures kick in Friday, lingering into next week.
Cooler conditions: Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below normal “at the very least” in L.A. County for the next few days, according to the National Weather Service. That doesn’t mean L.A. County won’t see sunshine, particularly in the mornings.
It won’t be quite as chilly in Orange County, according to Lauren Villafane, a meteorologist with the San Diego office. But in the Inland Empire, she said, temperatures will be “well below” the seasonal average.
Rain: Showers and a brief thunderstorm or two are possible, mostly in the L.A. County mountains and higher terrain areas, but there is a small chance of wet weather drifting into the valleys and coastal areas.
The marine layer is back in Orange County, which Villafane said could bring some patchy drizzle in the mornings.
Winds: It’s going to be gusty on L.A. County beaches, mountains and desert areas through Thursday. A wind advisory was in effect Tuesday for the Antelope Valley, as well as parts of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Some of Santa Barbara County, including El Capitan State Beach and San Marcos Pass, are under a wind advisory through Wednesday morning.
Orange County mountains will see winds between 40 to 50 mph with isolated gusts around 70 mph. Villafane encouraged people to be careful driving through the mountain areas, especially with taller vehicles “because they can get blown around a little bit.”
Surf: A high surf advisory is in effect for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara county beaches until Wednesday evening. Dangerous rip currents and large breaking waves between 8 to 12 feet are expected, according to forecasters.
Rip currents could also kick up along Orange County beaches. “So definitely to be careful when they're swimming out there, pay attention to those flags and those lifeguards,” Villafane said.
What's next: By early next week, L.A. County temperatures will hang around 90 degrees in the valleys and mid-80s in downtown L.A. Temperatures on the coasts are expected to stay near normal, likely in the upper 60s to mid-70s.
Next Tuesday looks like it’ll be the warmest day in Orange County with temperatures up to several degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service.
