Vinnie Nolan on Friday nights - I love to get my Friday nights going by starting at MTL listening to acoustic/electric guitar 60's, 70's classic rock. Â Â Vinnie and his partner are there from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Â Its a laid back atmosphere and they do requests and interact with the crowd. Â Â The music is great. Â The food, drinks, and staff are fantastic as well. Â I highly recommend it.
Review Source:fun place.. we went for st patricks day last night and saw cool sexy chick bag pipers.. that in itself deserves a few stars! Â The food was typical bar fare fried stuff. Â There's a pool table that always seemed to be occupied but the crowd was cool and diverse. Â Everyone from the young hip crowd to harley bikers to foreigners (my bf and his best friend). Â and last night.. i even got my green beer!
Review Source:Nice place to check out bands and have a drink. The place is open and has seating but the bar itself is pretty small. So when its packed it can be difficult to order drinks. They have nightly entertainment and drink specials. Also so convienent to be able to buy cigarettes there and they have a large cigar selection.
Review Source:Mission Tobacco Lounge; nice quiet place to grab a drink in the afternoon I must say. Â A tall stella and an old fashioned sent me back 13 bones but that's usually expected. From the looks of it, this place gots your pool tables, your bar, your dance floor and your stage and what appears to be a second floor. They were playing mellow jams which was great for being on a date. The bartender was real cool too.
They got cigars but I'm not sure if you could smoke in here like some of the other establishments I've come across in LA. All in all its close vicinity to the mission inn, right across the street, and a nice place to toss a couple back and enjoy your company.
THEE WORST BAR TENDERS. If you want something you DID NOT order to drink then come here. The STUPID bar tender who wears a vest and a news boy cap is a complete b***h made vajajay and threw my drink out, that he made wrong. NOt to mention he nearly pooped his pants that he had to make another one to correct HIS DUMB ASS F@#$ UP! F this place. Don't bother coming. It's a piece of poo, hole in the wall and the sound sucks, the smoke ruins any and all attractiveness, not to mention the NEWS BOY CAP WEARING MOFO IS A DICK.
Review Source:I have to say this place was great. Â The music that they had while I was there was a lot of fun.
They had big ole beers and they were good. Â I can't tell you what it was, but it was local and yummy.
We were lucky to have an employee let us borrow her darts while we were there...so that was "wicked" awesome.
I hope to get back to here again!
I went on A Thursday night and was very disappointed. The waitress had a bad attitude and had us scream our drink orders at her because she wouldn't move around the table, and she completely forgot my fiends drink order. My jack and coke was served in a tiny plastic cup and tasted like it had no alcohol in it, and they were out of patron. I would definitely not go back.
Review Source:Saw a burlesque show here last week the girls rocked the stage and the bands were ok. Hanger 24 priced at like 6 bux what?! lol calm down! Girls restroom super clean, met some cool peeps. Good time over all. Total Oscar Mayer party that night if you know what I mean but hey it was a burlesque show so they are allowed.
Review Source:Thursday, Dub Step was bouncing. I can't believe I was in Riverside. The drinks are stiff and poured with a generous hand. Where have I been that I didn't realize this place was happening.
I met a few friends their and say down and listened to some great music. It's going to be my Thursday hangout when I'm in Riverside.
I came here with a group of friends and had a blast, the secuirty and bartenders were awesome considering we got here pretty late and they had just broken up a few fights they stilll were very nice and joked around with us, we were able to enjoy our cigar in there 'VIP' room and had a great time!
Review Source:Why would anybody go here for a cigar? Tiny cigar room that's not even properly maintained.
I had a Olivia Serie V. It was dried up and hard as a rock.
Besides that, I don't know if I would enjoy smoking a cigar here. Not that I've ever had, but it's too loud and not a nice place to just relax and have some man time. Instead, it looks like a bar without shows. Not that it's a bad thing. But if I'm going to smoke a cigar, I want somewhere to relax and not somewhere to watch a local band play.
i came to this place last weekend and it was fun. I came to see my friends band " Mexico 68" they are an afrobeat band and they were awesome. Â Drinks were good and over all the vibe was nice. The only reason I gave them a 4 four star was because I wish there would have been more people.
I would definitely go back. Kinda far for me though.
Went here on Thanksgiving eve, the place was packed and they had a great band. Drinks were pretty slow and there was definitely at least one bartender who had no idea what he was doing. Having said that, we got our drinks in a reasonable amount of time considering how many people were in there. Just a bit too crowded for me.
Review Source:Just went to see a concert there (Powerflex 5) and it was great. I really liked the setting of the lounge and the stage area. Good selection of beers and a cigar shop right when you get in, which is pretty cool. Overall a good place to relax and have a good time, and a great venue for live music!
Review Source:The only cigar lounge in Riverside.
What I'd get here: A cigar, and some cognac or scotch to go with it.
Who I'd take here: Buddies for smoking a cigar. Girls for dancing when there's a live band.
Music and Entertainment Quality: 5
On certain nights they have a live band here, making it a great stop for anyone who's into bar banding. They'll always have some sort of event going on here, from ska, to blues, to dubstep, to an amateur hip hop/rap night. I usually come here randomly and there's something going on.
Even when there's nothing going on and it's deserted, this place is still a cigar lounge. I know of very few of those, and this is the only place in the R'side that offers this service. The cigars themselves are a little overpriced, a tad dry, and if you have them cut it, some of the people there don't know how to cut a cigar.
They have a pool table, but it's on the expensive side.
+1 will usually have something going on. +1 cigar lounge. -1 ... but getting a cigar here has a few problems.
Drink Quality and Service: 2
This place has a pretty good selection of spirits to pair with your cigar. Moderately priced.
Location, Cleanliness and Ambiance: 3
If you get a cigar, you have access to the VIP areas, including the upper dec, which is a nice place to hang out and listen to live music. They will also serve you food in the VIP area.
+1 VIP area accessible if you get a cigar.
How I rate: I have 3 categories, and each category starts at 3 points. For each item where I am impressed, they get 1 point; disappointed, lose one point.
Overall rating: round(average(ratings)) = round(3.3) = 3
I am going back this Wed May11 to see Catalina Wine Mixer. I saw them a short while ago, and while I thought I was gonna see a jazz trio or something, they turned out to be a kick ass rock band that played all my fave hits from KROQ over the years...they even threw in a few rockers by Thin Lizzy and The Doors...
Review Source:Was crowded when we went to go see Voodoo Glow Skulls. Capacity is but a few hundred, however they have a fine selection of alcohol on draft and bottles.
Not the cleanest place, but has the mojo for alternative/punk style people. I would only go back if I lived in that area of my fav band was playing...
Went here for lunch with a couple of Army buddies. I ordered a bloody mary and pretty much got a V8. Lemons unstead of olives and baby onions. My two compadres pretty much got two virgin jack and cokes but never asked for it to be virgin...lol.
The appetizer was okay, we got the mozerella wedges. The club sandwich I had was awful. The bread slices were about an inch thick and stale. So was the bread on the burgers my buddies had. The mushroom toppers were the worst ever. There is some kind of nat festation because they kept flying around. The blond bartender was very slow in getting our orders to us.There were only about 4 other people in the place and it took forever to get anything. We asked for tobasco sauce and she brought us an empty bottle.
In the long run we complained to the manager, she was friendly and comped our meal....which was good since we had one bite and left. Overall I would never go here again and highly recomend that others do not either.
Went here to catch some live music and enjoy some good company Friday. Very convenient as it's near the old j-o-b. Â
The environment is nice and laid back, the staff is pretty cool and attentive.This was a Friday night and they had 3 bands playing and they all were good. Â A ska/rockabilly band, pop/synth group and a hard rock band. I didn't get all the names or at least remember them as i was enjoying the low priced libations at the bar. Old Fashioneds and Godfathers (which the bartender didn't know how to make) were $7 each. Â
The stage is directly across from the bar with about 2 rows of tables and a small dance area in between. The cigar/smoke shop area is upfront with a room for u smokers in the rear. And luckily, the smoke doesn't make its way into the main seating area.
The area is pretty big with an upstairs space overlooking the band area and at least room for 40-50 people at tables down below, not counting the bar hanger-ons. Â Bar area is a lil crowded and too snug, but overall this is a good place to catch some good music in a not too confining space.
this bar is pretty cool. i love that they have a vegetarian menu in there, and the food itself is pretty good all around. they also sell cigarettes, which is convenient when you run out in the middle of downtown when you are drunk and cant drive all the way to 14th to the gas station.
honestly, i do not go here unless it's a special night they are having where i know people my age are going to be there. some of my friends bands have played here, and occasionally they have a cool night where they are trying to attract the younger crowd.
im not gonna lie though, all the true downtown riverside bar hopper regulars know that you do not go to this bar on a saturday night if you are under the age of 40. if you are an older person though, then you will like it.
the ambience is cool, and the staff is friendly. no complaints other than the fact that i am too young to frequent here.
the "MTL" gets 3 stars for their decent food and cig selection, but i wont be a regular of this place for a good 15 years from now.
HOLY CANNOLI! This place is pretty awesome. I'm amazed I lived in the area 10 years and never heard about it, well maybe I had heard about it. But in Riverside I wasn't in the business of paying a cover to go anywhere, in my experience it just wasn't worth the money. But my husband's friend's band was playing and we decided we'd make a go of it.
This place is right next to Lake Alice Trading Co., small entrance and is labelled as MTL, NOT Mission Tobacco Lounge. Don't let the outside decor fool you - the collage of Lady Gaga, hot slutty chicks dancing, and lots of pretty young things in low tops and short skirts is NOT what you're gonna find inside. What you are gonna find is a surprisingly large room, with a good sized stage and two bars. Lots of tables since this place is a restaurant as well - we didn't try any of the food, but it looks like your standard sports bar fare, even though this place isn't a sports bar. What you'll find as far as people range from older couples, young hipsters, college kids, the typical 909/951 trash, and townies. Trust me, this isn't a diss, it's actually pretty cool that one spot could bring so many different groups together.
And what is bringing them together? Well first of all, cheap drinks. Heave thumb pours of Jack in Jack and Coke all for $6, domestic and import beers on tap sometimes in rather overwhelming large pint glasses and steins. And music.
The night we went we heard Ready for Vegas, Atomic Cab Co. and the Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. Ready for Vegas was alright - in my opinion the girl's voice overwhelmed everyone else and it was a bit of a confused sound. Atomic Cab Co. was unapologetic, hard, head banging rock  and was absolutely amazing. Am I biased in that my friend is the bassist for the band? Maybe, but damn they were good. and Dusty Rhodes was transcendent. Just amazing folksy band that often opens for Flogging Molly.
All these people were here for that. They have live music every day it seems like, so when you stop by make sure you pick up a calendar.
Cover was $5 which was acceptable and really a deal considering how much amazing music we heard. It's a great venue, small, and intimate and the drinks and food don't cost much which is amazing.
If your friend's band is playing here or your ex's friend's cousin's band is playing here, make the effort to stop on by. You won't regret the entertainment value. Oh and make sure you bring cash, you'll probably want to end up picking up a tee-shirt and a CD after you hear some of the bands.
Definitely gonna come back and try the food, hopefully that doesn't drop the rating from 5 to 4 stars.
In the midst of spring break week, Violy and I decided to take a mini road trip to riverside to watch 2mex perform at this joint. i hadn't been to R-side in a while. Unfortunately, it hasn't changed. we hit this little liquor store before heading to the show. the scenery kinda reminded me of Georgia if you know what i mean.
We made it to Mission tobacco Lounge, the dude at the door was pretty chill compared to the homies at The Terrace in Pasadena. We got in and saw this dude perform. "You can be my Kate Winslet, ill be your Jim Carey" Violy looks at me and says, " i think he meant Leonardo Di Caprio?" *shrug* I guess Kate Winslet starred in dumb and dumber.
The place is pretty big. They have a stage adjacent to the bar, a smoke shop at the front and a smoke room towards the rear of the place. although you can see people smoking in the room next door, they do a good job of keeping the smoke in the smoke room. there were id say about 20-30 people here which was pretty cool considering it was a Tuesday.
I wouldn't go back unless there was someone else there whom i liked to see perform. If youre from riverside, you should hit this place considering there ain't much more to do out in them parts!
I went to see my friend's band play at the Mission Tobacco Lounge on a Friday night. I thought this bar was going to be a tiny little dive by what other reviewers wrote before me and with it's location being right next door to Lake Alice Saloon which doesn't seem to have the best reputation, but it's not. The main bar/dining area seats around 75 people which is not tiny compared to some of the closets that pass for bars in Orange and LA counties. It has vaulted ceilings with tin patterned ceiling tiles which gives the place a certain speakeasy-type flair and even has plants strewed here and there.
The layout is this: they have a smoke shop in the front lobby where you can buy cigars and cigarettes with the actual smoking lounge area in a separate room at the very back of the bar. You don't even smell the smoke in the bar at all. In general, the entire place is kept up quite nice.The women's restroom next to the bar has two stalls and were clean and orderly. There is also a loft area with sofas and chairs, but this wasn't open for use when I was there. The music is all courtesy of whatever band is playing or a DJ. There is no internet juke box here.
The bar itself is too small and seems almost like an afterthought. There are three smallish TV's mounted around the bar area. The bartender and waitress were attentive and showed some hustle, which was nice. They also serve the atypical pub grub, nothing too fancy. I found a few spelling errors on the menu, but hey, this is a college town and maybe English majors don't work here. Drink prices seemed to be a tad high. I paid $9 for a Cape Codder made with Belvedere Vodka.
The bandstand is easily big enough for 4-5 musicians and the sound was good as a patron, but the band complained there wasn't much sound coming from their monitors. Oh well, it sounded fine from where I was sitting. They even have a 12 x 24 ft. dance floor in front of the stage which was definitely utilized by the baby boomers with their hoochie mommas who came out to dance, the all-girls table who were there to celebrate a birthday, lesbians that couldn't help themselves but get up and dance when they knew the song and assorted other folks.
Parking was a breeze thanks to the City of Riverside who encourages everyone to come visit their downtown area by making all public parking free after 5PM on weekdays.The parking structure I used was located on Market St. between University and Mission, a few tiny blocks away from the bar.
All in all, it was a good night and I can recommend the Mission Tobacco Lounge without reservation.
This is my first time here.  I went out with some gal pals to see a Bartender Flare Contest.  If it wasn't for the contest, I don't think I would come.  I think this place still needs improvement.  I felt like I was at a college campus pizza parlor.  Maybe it's the crowd...bunch of punk girls with mullet hairdos wearing jeans multiple sizes too small.  I mean this is great strategy for the bar, because if I were a guy I'd drink til the muffin tops fade out of view.  Luckily, the drinks are around $5.  At least dim down the lights more, so that  even with the excessive makeup the girls will look less manly.
Review Source:They made a lot of new space here, but it still feels very small, and there never seems to be anyone inside. Â The staff are helpful enough with picking out cigars, but that seems to be it. Â Good luck having them help with anything else. Â The clientele is generally pretty iffy too. Â Seeing those trashy 40 somethings make out shamelessly at the bar was the cue for my party to head out and hit another bar.
Review Source:Since the new owner took over, he has made many improvements. Â
They have gotten a full liquor license, and you cannot smoke inside, unless you pay the $300 some odd membership fee for the privilege of using the smoking rooms. So, you get to stand on the sidewalk and smoke, jockeying for a few chairs they place out there. Every so often you will be accosted by some pan handler looking for a hand out.
The music is hit and miss. Wednesday night they have a quasi jazz and funk band that is good and the Thursday night blues jam is always good, but the weekend bands are a crap shoot.
While it looks nice and this neighborhood bar, they seem intent on driving their customer base that has been loyal to them for years, away. The owners want to attract a more upscale crowd, but downtown Riverside is not  Westwood. It is not even Irvine.
A new policy that the owners have instituted is they will no longer give you a water back for your drink. If you want water, you have to buy a bottle of water. I object to this on several principles and I could understand if someone just came in and ordered water. But when you are paying $9 for a drink, and a small drink at that... they should be willing to give you a glass of iced water if you feel that you would like one, instead of trying to pry another $2 for a bottle of bottled water out of you.
Also, the plastic bottles are a landfill issue of concern, to the point where many cities have banned the sale of bottled water in restaurants and bars. You can google that... "Back to the tap" programs have been instituted in. San Francisco, Â New York, Â Paris, Louisville, KY, Chicago taxes the water to discourage consumption.
There are 4 bars in a two block stretch of University Ave. They do not charge for a water back. And yes, I went into each of them and asked. The bar right next door, has a large enclosed patio area with tables and chairs for smoking that discourages the street people from bothering you.
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