I was dragged out to first cabin bar on a saturday night. Â My friends older brother does not go out much but when he does, he likes to unwind here. Â We parked in the rear, next to the chase bank. Â Our group proceeded to enter the bar through the alleyway. Â I guess only "tourist" enter through the entrance on Huntington Dr. Â To each his own.
Don't get it twisted, this is dive bar. Â The bar might be small but offers cheap drinks and good live music. Â If you get hungry, you can always snack on their signature beef jerky. Â I passed on the jerky on this occasion. Â
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The band is called Pat O'Brien and the priest of love. Â They play blues and classic rock. Â The bar also has a designated smoking area in the rear but the smoke penetrates throughout the bar. Â If you prefer not to smell like smoke at the end of the night, make sure to carry the febreeze in your car. Â To my surprise the mens restroom was very clean. Â Â
The male bartender was good at serving up the stiff drinks and bottled beer. Â But the female bartender/barback was exceptional. Â She was taking drink orders, clearing tables, and holding conversation like nones business. Â
I am glad I made it out to Arcadia. Â The crowd is a bit older but don't let that discourage you from having a drink here. Â If you love classic rock, you will love the first cabin bar.
Bumping this one up to 5. My favorite bar through the Arcadia/Monrovia/Duarte corridor on a weeknight, hands down.
Weeknights are sometimes dead, sometime medium busy. All ok and tolerable compared to the weekend rush.
Cheap drinks if you stay away from the more intricate cocktails and a good heavy pour.
Best bar in the area without question. Â So happy to have found this gem. Â Went on a Thursday night - small interesting crowd. Â The house band Pat O'brien & The Priests of Love were AMAZING. Â Reminded me of a great blues bar in Chicago. Â The smoking inside part is pretty lame, but it somehow adds to the nostalgic feel and charm. Â Looking forward to many more nights here.
Review Source:Great bar in a town full of good bars. Smoking is allowed because the owner Bobby works there as a bartender. He used to be an exercise rider at Santa Anita and has many friends from the track that frequent the bar. Pat O'Brien has been playing there for 19 years straight and is truly a guitar slinging legend. Bobby pours a good strong drink at the right price. Call it for $4 until the band starts and $5 after the music is playing. There is no cover charge ever. Thursday is the unofficial locals night and the place is packed by 8:30.
Review Source:Answer this question before continuing reading because I do not want to waste your precious time.
Are you a smoker and a drinker? - If yes, continue reading If NOT a fan of smoking and drinking, SKIP THIS REVIEW
Totally a hipster bar and lots of locals that comes here. Boyfriend and I decided to finally check out this place, once we walked in...already a negative.
You can smoke indoors while drinking. So if you are a smoker and actually want to inhale smoke into your lungs while drinking with your buddies and such, I guess this is a place for you! As for me, on the other hand, disliked it. But hey, it's rare to find bars where you can smoke indoors right?
Quite small bar. You can either park in the back or park on the side street. We ended up parking in the back, spaces are pretty tight, just FYI. There are TVs and a live band playing.
Drinks were pretty strong. Not dive bar price. It was more of a regular bar place kind of price. We both got a Jack and coke, and it was about $7.50 each? After that drink, we bounced because we seriously could not take it with the smoke.
So ding ding ding... if you are a smoker and a drinker? Here's the place to be for you
If you are NOT a smoker and only a drinker, I apologize that I have wasted your time.
Great little bar. Locals and strangers from the hotels around town. The band that plays here Rocks to Jimi, ZzTop, Rolling Stones, The Blues, and I even heard an INXS song in the set. Laid back scene and if you've had enough drinks they'll even let you dance! So, if you dig the music set you'll enjoy having a brew or shot of tequila here for sure.
Review Source:This place is pretty dive-tastic.  It's small and you can smoke inside, but the drinks are cheap, they have Red Stag, and beef jerky.  In fact, I think they have a special which is 2 beers and  beef jerky for $10. Amazing.  Also there is photo hunt, in particular the erotic kind.  Final note, they have surprisingly clean bathrooms. This place is a good time!
Review Source:Initially came here for a few drinks after getting bored of the more usual spots around the area. Â Drinks are dirty cheap, interior is extremeley divey and old fashioned. Â Has a nice warm feel to it. Â Its a plus that they allow smoking inside, but it can get overwhelming for nonsmokers in your group. Â It literally is a hole in the wall and is not well suited for big parties. Â Open at 6AM, but if you're drinking at the crack of dawn you may need to look into some alternatives for coping. Â Bartenders are nice and very experienced. Â Depending on your flavor, this place may or may not be for you. Â
PROTIP: Â Try their beef jerky. Â Pretty bomb and flavorful when you have drunk munchies, but will cost you six dollars.
My friend and I decided we needed a drink after a long week of kids (we are both tutors). We yelped it and decided to come here. I was a little surprised, since the population was much older than us, mostly middle-aged people. In fact, a man kept accusing me of being under 21, even though I insisted I was at least 21. This was a little awkward, since he was not being the nicest about it. I just took it as a compliment. I was driving, so I ordered non-alcoholic beer and my friend ordered cranberry vodka. The drinks were cheap, and my friend's drink was strong. They don't cheap out on the alcohol. Everyone is pretty nice, the band was enjoyable. Overall, good experience but probably not quite right for my age group.
Review Source:I love the Cabin! It literally is the best dive bar in town. Drinks are well made, prices are reasonable, and the environment is perfect for that post work drink, especially during the week. Toward the weekends, Pat O Brian puts on an amazing performance. I highly recommend watching his act, especially if you're into classic rock and blues.
I tend to like the quieter, chill Monday nights where the bar is filled with only a handful of people, and the vibe is lax. The bartender, Phil, is a fantastic guy to just chat it up with too. Manchester United! I love this bar and stop in every chance I get when I'm in that area. I suggest you do as well.
The best bar in the world! They open at 6AM. Perfect for when you've worked overnight.
My brother and I stopped in. We had a Bombay gin & tonic plus a Captain & Coke. The tab? $7. COMBINED. The hot bartender said the total after my brother's drink order, so we assumed that it was the price of his drink alone. We were surprised to learn that the $7 was for both! We'll definitely be back!
They sell cigarettes and snacks as well.
We went to The Station right after and the same two drinks cost $15. Lame!
As per request of a friend, I'm coming back to Yelp to do a review in 2011!
I came here about a month ago and thought it was an awesome little dive bar. For some reason, this place opens at 6AM.. I hope some AAA activists stop by this place sometime soon, but otherwise, pretty cool place to visit.
There's always local music and definitely brings back a "small town" feel...which is what Arcadia used to feel like. Drinks are decent priced, nothing too expensive or too cheap... I'd come here when the "trendier" bars are out of my price range/too impatient to wait.
Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday awhile ago and looks like a typical dive bar, but quite small (narrow). Â It was a week night so it was pretty empty but it was chill. Â A couple of my friends come here often enough to know the bartender well enough to chit chat and such. Â Crowd was mostly Caucasian, which was surprising since it's located in Arcadia, which I've nicknamed "Little Taiwan". Â Overall, nice hang out spot for after work and after hours, but not my type of joint.
Review Source:This place has a good vibe. Â Live music with a pretty cool band. Â Very diverse crowd - any one is welcomed here and I mean anyone. Â Still, a great place to hang out with your friends, have a few beers and maybe catch some hot ladies walking by.
We would definitely come back again. Â We already have ;)
Cons: This place is very narrow and it gets packed.
This place is first rate, all the way. Â It is an implicit dive bar with all the perks. Â
Not Golden Gopher-ed out (yet) so every Hwood yuppie is NOT crowding you. Â I'm pretty sure Smitty (the bartender) would pull a sawed off shotgun to the dome at the first inkling of any Affliction/Ed Hardy. Â Douchehood is very much not tolerated.
Smoking is very much encouraged inside. Â I'm pretty sure they've been grandfathered out of the no smoking in CA policy. Â We met someone who played there in 1971, nuff said. Â They sell cigarettes and there's an 85% chance Smitty will be puffing on one while strong pouring your cocktail.
Grey Goose/Belvedere and soda's are $5.00. Â No, not $50.00. Â $5.00. Â Drinks haven't been this cheap since I was trying to buy them underage. Â Our group literally had 3 Crown/Coke, 3 bourbon rocks, and 3 Grey Goose/soda; tab totaled $29. Â They can't possibly be in it for the money...they probably paid it off in the 70's and are just open to give them something to do. Â
We usually go on Monday nights, which are pretty quiet. Â I know they have a famous stage where many talented bands have played, but I have yet to see them. Â The restrooms are a little cramped because the place itself is teeny tiny, but those restrooms are impeccably clean. Â
Overall, no frills, no ridiculousness, and a super fun place to get your drunk on.
First off..I am the hugest fan of dive bars. And after a long day of work, there is nothing better than a couple of drinkis in a dark little bar. So at 11:30 on a Monday night we were in search of a chill little dive (out of towners) with a jukebox and strong drinks...and we hit gold with this place. Definitely the sweetest little dive in Arcadia.
Everyone was super friendly, including Phil the bartender. He poured us shots while we shot the shit. The music was a great mix of 70's rock. The drinks were great, and the bar looks like something out of a time warp.
We had so much fun, we're heading back tonight.
This is a dive bar, no getting around that. Â For years, it has had younger, (arguably)hipper bars and dance clubs next door but those places always close down and First Cabin stays open. Â
Its success has a variety of ingredients, here are the two that I'm most familiar with:
1. Bob at the Helm. Â The bartender who years ago cut off what could have been an award winning mullet serves up great cocktails. Â I've never gotten a bad drink at the first cabin, and I've never paid more than $5 for on.
2. Pat O'Brien and the Priests of Love. Â This dive bar band plays blues and classic rock, often better than the band they're covering. Â Pat O'Brien appears like a vampire, mainly because he's porcelain white, not an ounce of body fat, and drinks protein shakes between sets. Â But appearances aside, you will be rocked by this man, do not doubt it. Â Every break he takes, he commands you, "...priests of love gonna take a break. Â get a drink, catch up on your conversation." Â make sure you know what day of the week it is though, he's only there Thurs, Fri and Saturday.
I have seen a variety of craziness occur at this bar, everything from public intercourse to a women dancing with a guy in a wheelchair. Â i've been going here for 10+ years, and never seen a fight. Â If you're under 30, expect to be the youngest person in the bar.
I just moved a block away and lucked out with this bar. The house band "Priests of Love" rocked the place with my favorite Zep song and Bob the bartender is friendly. The place has a lot of history with pictures of jockeys and locals everywhere and seems to draw a pretty diverse crowd. If you are going to get something here, get a mixed drink cause you're going to want to stay a while!
Review Source:What can I say? I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE First Cabin.
It's a tiny - seriously, it has one row of high tables, the bar, and about a 2' stage - but it's GREAT! My favorite bartender at the helm - Bob - sweetest man with a mighty good hand for pouring drinks...
If you want to make a whole night of it (which is totally doable), get there a little early so you could actually find a seat at the bar or get a table. Again, it's tiny so finding your spot might be a problem after about 10 pm.
The drinks are served well. Size and price can't really be beat.
One of the best parts - the music. The house band - Pat O'Brien and his Priests of Love - is super great. The lead singer kind of reminds me of Iggy Pop, long hair, super slender, super lean muscles (it's hard not to notice, he always plays with his shirt off). Their music is a great blend of jazz, soul, garage rock, and all other genres that are cool and require a smokey voice and bad ass guitar riffs. When the band isn't playing, it's usually a pretty good selection playing over speakers.
It's easy to strike up conversation with most people that go there. A ton of locals from the 210 and 626 regions. I've met some pretty awesome folks, even if they are just one-night barships.
So if you're headed down Hunington Dr. and need a drink or need a break from the monotony of club music - this is the spot.
My first time at the first cabin was last night. A friend of mine has been a regular there for years and he talked the place up so much I thought there was no possible way it could be that great but it actually was pretty darn cool.
First off, I saw an open seat at the bar and asked the old guy sitting next to it if it was opened, he said it was just for me and he liked my hair. For that alone I would give this place at least 3 stars. The crowd was pretty awesome. A friendly, non-threatening bunch of people, everyone was there to have some drinks and some good times. The house band also fits, everyone got into them and I was entertained.
The fourth and fifth stars are for Bob. He really does makes good drinks at decent prices and the second round definitely seems a little stiffer then the first. He was also very attentive making sure all his patrons had a drink in their hand. I appreciate not constantly having to do back flips to get the bartenders attention.
Also I gotta mention for the bathroom. I know, I know... but seriously for a dive bar the ladies room was pristine. I don't know if it was just a good night but that impresses me.
First Cabin is a daytime bar for me. Â You know how sometimes you just want a drink at 2 in the afternoon on a Sunday? This is the place for that. Â It opens at 6AM so by all means start earlier than 2 o' clock, if that is your thing.
The daytime crowd is mainly older men who are there to watch and discuss the horse races. Â They're a fun crowd, all bawdy jokes and heavy coughing fits. Â There's always some sort of home-cooked food set out on Sunday afternoons, like a pie or cheese and crackers. Â Very welcoming atmosphere. Â All of the bartenders are great fun. Â
The house band isn't bad for what it is, but honestly I stay away from the Cabin at night because it gets way too crowded and loses most of its neighborhood divey charm.
If you are looking for a low key, fun rock & roll night, this is the place. One of my favorite dive bar. I go there for Pat O'Brien on Friday or Saturday night.
Most people are generally a little older, local, casual, but nice. Not a place for people watching, but that what I need while I Â am in LA, a place you can actually get a drink with a decent price, and enjoy some live music.
It is never overly packed, you can always sit down a bit. There is a tiny dance floor near the front door, in front of the band. People have to make space for you though, if there are more than 6 people on the dance floor.
A place that I would return.
I love love LOVE this place! Thank Goodness my friends had sense to bring me here a few years ago! totally awesome! I love Pat O'Brien and the Priests of Love who play on weekends. Â There's nothing like hangin' out at a dive bar, getting trashed with friends on decent priced drinks while Priests of Love are getting down on some Zeppelin or Stevie Ray Vaughn... they are so bad ass. I don't care if they are as old as my dad!
Crowd also provides entertainment. I like to see the cougars in action and sometimes we get to see this guy who comes in with shorts and socks with birkenstocks rockin' out.
Bob is a great bartender and the waitress is great as well.
Get there early if you want to sit and have a table on weekends... otherwise standing room only!
One of my FAVORITE spots to hit up at least once a week!! Drinks are great and at decent prices. Bob makes the best drinks and pours the BEST patron shots! Â Pat O' Brien and the Priests of Love are always rockin over here!! I love Jimmy!!!! he's hilarious! The bar maids/waitresses are the coolest girls around, they always take care of us! A great and friendly crowd, more of a chill and casual spot, mixture of all ages! This bar is for people who enjoy local dive bars with great live music =) I love the crowd and have made some cool friends here! A neat little spot that I am at almost every friday and saturday night!
Review Source:This is a divey dive bar in the best sense. The bartender ("Captain Bob at the helm") is an old guy who looks like he fell out of a circa-1940s sailor movie, and he makes a mean Long Island Iced Tea. The house band, Pat O'Brien and the Priests of Love, throw down rollicking 3-hour-plus sets of blues-rock every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. If you're looking for a no-nonsense, stiff-drinks-for-cheap, rockin'-music type of night out, the First Cabin is not a bad stop.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCiw07CjOZQQ&s=01bbc1102eeb23e79defa2ddf461adbce45c74ffdf4722046fae13c60c6dc1de" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUFlBBa104hE&s=81c846e7d465b5f7f0ff02ff4dcf0bab9f390b22062eb64047a79d93869e83cf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
I've been going to the First Cabin since 1994 and it continually rocks. Â Although it's been awhile since I've been, I know that it will always be cool with Priests of Love!! And the drinks are knock-out in every sense of the world. Â We were so hammered once that we stepped out and brought In and Out Burgers for a least 35 patrons,well.... just because....it was wayyyy too much fun. Although the parking lot is miniscule, you can alway use the bank next door's parking lot, just get there early for a cool seat and parking space. Really, when you're in Arcadia, don't miss it on Huntington Drive at Santa Anita...a block going west toward the Santa Anita Race Track.
Review Source:I remember entering the bar. Â I don't remember leaving the bar. Â That means extra stars because I am told I had a blast. Â I am told that I had fun dancing all night to the band. Â I am told the drinks were strong. Â I am told that the people there were nice and friendly and I chatted them up. Â I am told I passed out in a car while my friend had to take a taxi home to get their spare car keys since the original set went missing at some point. Â I am told I said "I have no idea where those keys could be. Â I don't have them. Sheesh. Check the floor."
The next morning I found a strange set of car keys in my pocket that weren't mine. Â Interesting.....
Should be called the Worst Cabin.
Not only is their house band, the Priests of Love, predictable you can guarantee you will hear the same set every weekend. Â Not to mention...I absolutely abhor that kind of music.
The few times I have been there I was always dragged and was sure to get shitty service. Â Case in point, the mullet toting booze-slinger behind the bar is as up to date with his customer service as he is with his hairstyle. Â At 1:30 a.m. the bar was practically vacant and i still couldn't get him to close my tab. Â The drink menu was limited. Â The combined customer intellect was just as limited. Pass this one by and hit the Pepper's bar down the street, and don't forget to say hello to Rudy. Â Hell, even the 100 to 1 has an "up" on this bar.
Since Joe broke First Cabin's Yelp bubble, I might as well throw in my two cents.
This place opens at 6am, and when I walked by the place at 8 in the morning to run in the park, you can catch the whiff of the comforting and familiar smell of cigarette smoke combined with carpet as the jukebox blasts and you have one or two regulars already there.
One wouldn't think such a place in Arcadia would exist, but this is a true dive bar at its finest. With Captian Bob at the helm, drinks are STRONG and cheap, and one of the best bands that plays blues and classic rock, Pat O'Brien and the Priests of Love are there every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It's a tiny spot, so if you want to get a good seat, I highly recommend getting there early, otherwise you'll be SOL for a good view. Bring your singles too, because the band takes cash requests, and they know a good number of songs to play (so long as you keep to the blues/classic rock for the most part; though I hear Pat does an AWESOME Wicked Game I have yet to hear)
This really is a place for people who love listening to live, rocking music and have a stiff drink while doing so. It's also great to see all the regulars cut a rug right in front of the stage. Last time I was there, someone requested "Zoot Suit Riot" and my cousin and I were challenged to swing to the song right then and there (he's my swing partner). So we did.
Never a dull moment at the First Cabin.
This is an "Old School" joint that is kinda divey. Â It gets 4 stars 'cause the House Band is rockin', they play covers of blues standards and rock classics. Â I remember going in there a couple of times 15 years ago, I think it's the same band! Â If you go on the weekend the place is pretty packed. Â It's like most dives - deeper than wide, and the bar run down one side. Â Sort of an awkward placement of the stage by the front door makes for a crowded entryway. Â The clientele is a pretty local, wide mix drawn in by the tunes. Â It's tight but If you find a table its OK. Â Again, it's the music... Â If you like rockin blues, this Pat O'Brian and the Priests of Love (I think that's the name) are pretty damn good. Â No cover
Review Source:
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