Speak Easy Cocktail

Doesn't Recommend

jimmydog

Joined 6 years ago

stay away between 6p-2a wednesday through saturday night. Most of the bartenders there are friendly and kind. See Spud on Saturday afternoons for a great time. But the times noted above are when perhaps the worst bartender on the face of the planet works...Ruthie. If you come in with a good time planned, be prepared to leave while wondering why you came. She spends almost as much time smoking, playing pool or singing her awful versions of the classics during the torturous Saturday nite...as she does tending bar. Some of the locals commented that her arrival for the 6pm shift is akin to turning on the lights in a cockroach-filled room. And whatever perfume she cropdusts herself with prior to her entry isn't worthy of the hazrdous waste bucket at the local jiffy lube. if you bring your prettier wife/girlfriend, expect the cold shoulder.

Doesn't Recommend

manny80

Joined 6 years ago

Use Caution. This place is downright scary. It's stuck in 70's and has no intention of leaving them. Two things to watch out for 1) Lipstick on your glass 2) Dirty old men sitting in the corner trying to pickup your wife. Not to mention, $5 for a bud bottle is awfully over priced considering the atmosphere. Better off heading a half mile up the road to the Daily Pint, at least they have beer on tap. Would not recommend to anybody.

Recommends

givesadamn

Joined 6 years ago

Had a Blast. There is a bartender here named Ruthie who is awesome. And she sings! This place is a great place to bring a group of friends and unwind. Very comfortable and super friendly people seem to be regulars.

Recommends

mollyfast

Joined 7 years ago

Best Dive Bar in Santa Monica. If I wrote about the Speak Easy everytime I went there there'd be no room for anyone else to comment. I love the Speak Easy for so many reasons. Here are some. 1. Spud. 2. Ruth. 3. You can order in food from anywhere and eat it at the bar. 4. Nice jukebox, even though Ruth's CD isn't a feature anymore. 5. The owner's favorite line "If you've got a drinking problem, bring it here." 6. Not too popular...yet. 7. Yummy dot com is right next door. 8. Bartenders are willing to customize drinks for you if you have a weird request (like Vitamin Water and vodka...don't judge just try it). 9. Never a problem to find parking. 10. If you have too much to drink, you can leave your car there over night!

Top that.

Recommends

carmer

Joined 6 years ago

Local Classic!. The Speak is a local classic that is not to be looked by. It's a great place to relax with your friends if you want a cozy atmosphere and friendly bartenders. I try to make it in for 'Spud' dogs and Monday night football each week. The place also has a great juke box, a couple of pool tables, and the Thursday/Saturday karaoke is not to be missed.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Editorial Review. Local regulars and few celebrities check in this casual bar for some offbeat sing-a-longs and cheap drinks.

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marinagirl78

Joined 8 years ago

Cheap Drinks, Great Dive!. I mean "Dive" in the nicest way! This is a great place to relax and have a beer if you aren't in the mood to pick up or be picked up. This is definitely no "scene" so you can go wearing anything, which is nice sometimes. Ruth is the bartender, every time I go in. She's super friendly, great person AND she used to sing...her CD is in the juke box so we try to get that going while we're there. Couple of pool tables, but not much else.

Recommends

dzevans

Joined 9 years ago

Scots and karaoke. If a nearly empty bar with two pool tables, a few televisions, and a hilarious Scottish bartender sounds like a good time... then the Speak Easy is for you! Stop by with a few friends and you can pretty much run the bar. Regular patrons include groups of Scottish people, a Catholic priest, and some truly awful karaoke singers. Thursday and Saturday nights are dedicated to karaoke, run by a very friendly guy who calls himself "Porked: The Other White Meat." Overall it's definitely a strange hole-in-the-wall bar, and worth checking out.