This place is a chill dive bar down an alley. Coming from Fair Oaks it is in the back of the first alley off of Holly on the right side. It is a little dingy and dark but nonetheless a cool place to have a drink and relax. There isn't much seating as far as tables so you're going to end up standing or sitting at the bar. There is an outside area which is nice for some fresh air, but still not much seating. My friends and I came in on a Sunday around 6 so it was pretty empty and there were no bands playing. I noticed they do have a stage area for bands. They have large TVs behind the bar with sports games playing. The bartenders were really chill and had a friendly vibe about them. The specials they have seem like a good deal. $3 shooters and $7 for a Coronita and a shot. The 4 stars is for the chill factor.
Review Source:How awesome is this place? Â This is the coolest bar ever in the Pasadena area. Â Unpretentious, a little bit of a dive bar, good selection of beer and live music. Â Let's go back a bit, who doesn't like a good dive bar anyway. Â If you want to visit Pasadena for drinks and dressing up to stand in line at IX tapa or something similar doesn't sound like a good time... which it isn't. Â Come here. Â Go here anyway, I mean the damn place is in a kind of secret alleyway. Â That by itself is a reason to check this place out.
Review Source:This place was terrible. Â It smelled like pee and looked like inside of a hoarder's basement. Â $5 cover for a band on Friday night. Â Didn't pay the cover, walked in, Â smelled the pee, saw the trash piled along the sides of the room, and walked out. Â Their main alley entrance was even closed up. Â Had to enter through Holly. Â It's too bad. Â The place was a great hang out years ago. Â Now it is ready to be closed down.
Review Source:A good dive bar. Nothing fancy, just a place to get a cold drink and relax with friends. This place has a lot of character, and that was exactly what we were looking for.
I have to ding them for the broken glass and music though.
My friend cut her toe open when we sat at a table outside. There was broken glass under our table. When she told the bartender she was given a bandaid and some bactine. The bartender then swept the glass under the bench behind us. Out of sight out of mind. I feel like she was at least owed a drink or a shot or something. I mean she was bleeding because of their own lack of cleanliness.
The music I feel bad dinging them for, but honestly it was baddddd. Just because you sing louder doesn't make it better. This wouldn't be an issue except when inside it was so loud that you couldn't even hear when you tried to scream over the screaming guy on stage. I'm all for good live music, but at the same time don't blow my ears out.
We always end a night out in Pasadena at Old Towne Pub. It's tradition. I love everything about this place. It is a tiny little dive bar in a hidden alley with live music every night. The bands are usually either amazing or hilariously awful. I've seen all kinds of bands here- metal, punk, indie, hip hop, country. There's usually some real crazy characters hanging out in and around the pub, so I'm always entertained even when the music sucks.
Review Source:I liked how it's hidden in an "alley". The staff are friendly as opposed to most l.a. bars where you are bothering them ordering a drink. The decor is fun and unusual which I loved of course. The stage is small but the bands that play there are good. A good crowd pours in around midnight and the place is filled. Good vibe and good d.j.'s. I'll be back!!
Review Source:Half hipsters, half metal heads on Metal Sundays.
Seriously though, I really do love this place. Â Don't know if I'll be back there for a while due to unfortunate circumstances (coughexbfsbandsplayhere) but I've always loved going here. Â Chill spot. Good beers. Â If you go here for the metal shows, they give away free hot dogs and maybe you'll even run into artist Tony Koehl :)
So... this place is small. This means that if there is a live band, it's LOUD. The caps are justified, trust me.
With that said, this is a pretty good bar to just chill out and have a beer. I'm not sure I'd go here if I wanted to have an in-depth conversation with anyone on account of, you know, LOUD, but it's definitely a great place to just relax and de-stress after a long day.
Oh you think you're all cute, huh? You think it's fun trying to find your way to this place? Try finding your way back out after downing all the pisto you could take for the night.
Came here with a homie the other night. We made a right, went straight down and then a left to get to this joint. Or was that 2 lefts after the 1st right.... I don't quite remember given the fact that my jack in the box cup was almost empty by the time we found the spot.
I'm pretty sure any diva-like lead singer in a band has to remind themselves "No stage too small... No performance too big" when they play here. There they were jamming out on the "stage" off to the corner. Here we were having some beers, chillin on some bar stools that looked like they were ready to give out.
Learn from my mistakes and don't come in some cute heels (no matter how much you think you've down played the outfit).
Your Homegirl,
Violy
Five stars goes to the staff at Old Towne Pub for helping me plan a party there this past Saturday night. Â Marco, Aaron, Nikki, Dave, Eddie, thank you all so much for working hard to make my event such a HUGE success. Â You impressed all of our out of town guests with your bars service, aesthetic, and relaxed vibe - which isnt easy to do with a big group of motorcycle riders from San Francisco. Â
 The Pub, hidden perfectly in the alley, is a great place to park your bike, have a cool drink, and experience live music just about any night of the week.  It's a favorite of the Pasadena Motorcycle Club.
This place is an absolute DIVE.
I went here because my boyfriend had a gig and I wanted to support him. Its hidden so I would refer to these reviews before you try and make your way out there.
The staff is friendly. The bouncers were intimidating but were extremely helpful. The bartender was patient and easy to talk to. The overall venue is really small but they do have an outdoor patio that has seating.
I would say give this place a chance if your willing to take an adventure. It doesn't seem like an amazing place but the people, prices, music and location make it an interesting place to be.
On a good note, the bouncers pointed out that there was a "king taco" within walking distance. We walked there and back within 10 mintues and they even let us bring our food in. We ate outside in the patio, had a drink and listened to live music. :)
The entrance is down an alley packed with cars, which immediately gives it an old-world feel. Â
We were there to see There be Lions a few days ago. Â We survived the usual ear-splitting volume of loud music thanks to free earplugs provided by the bar -- which automatically wins them MAJOR brownie points in my book.
I didn't order one, but I loved the idea of the $3 mini-cocktails (shot glass size, I think). Â Of course, not economically priced, but still fun.
Cool place to get a drink and see some bands. Â The owner seems to be cool. Â Door guy is cool too. Â Patio is cool to blaze or get cancer. Â If your in a band, your not gonna get rich, so just enjoy your time. Â
 The bartenders are hit or miss!  You might get somebody really nice and down to earth, good conversation.  On the other hand, you just might get a real stinky festering bad attitude miserable shit head, serving you your drink.  So, have fun!!
Upon departure towards the Old Towne Pub make sure to pack your maps, GPS, Goggles, back pack and some good, comfy walking shoes... Because finding this gem of a place is a mission and a half.
Even after being there a few times, I still cannot tell you how I got there. A true wonder let me tell you.
However, when you eventually do find that red brick square, it's definitely worth it.
Just like any wondrous cave entrance there is a big dude checking out everyone.. Only that at this place the "doordude" is proper nice, drawing on your hand. Creative.
The pub itself is a dive!
Small, awkward, odd, compact, wonderful, filled with (mostly) happy people drinking beers and what not.
Prices are more than reasonable and I've never had an issue with the selection... To top it off they serve Old Speckle Henn! Yummyness Goodness.
The somewhat narrow space, with the small stage, will lead you to a truly groovy beer garden. It's very refreshing stepping out, to the fresh air (for a smooth cigg), holding your pint in the wide space. Aahhh.
Oh do I miss the days of being able to sit down with all your Friends, with all your drinks, having a smoke...
Old Towne Pub is absolutely awesome and a great spot to go out drinking with your friends, enjoying good music, good drinks... Definitely recommended if you've yet to visit..
Cheers.
Cozy hidden dive bar of Old Town! I didn't even know this place existed, it's like you have to come with someone who's been or else you get lost trying to find it. Tucked away in an alley, you can easily think you've went the wrong way (especially if you already started getting your drink on). =p
It's charm is cheap drinks, it's like there's Happy Hour prices all the time! The down-to-earthiness is much appreciated in a place like Old Town which is filled with  Gastropubs and  shi shi foo foo places galore. Decor isn't much just some neon signs and bare bones bar furniture, do like how the beer selection is written on the mirrored wall behind the bar, beats the harder to read 'hipster/gastropub' chalkboards signs.
Apple was the only bartender that weeknight, but that's all the bartender Old Towne Pub needed cuz she kicked butt! Not really knowing what to order she suggested this beer that tasted like cherries, extremely delicious. It wasn't Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, since it was darker in color and had a slight tartness to it. I can't remember the name right now but if you ask Apple she'll tell you. =D
Another reason why this place is so great is live music from local bands. The night I stopped by there was this band called Monster playing from the Pomona/West Covina area, they weren't half bad for how young they look. Their friends/groupies really helped fill the Pub, earlier it was kinda on the you-can-almost-hear-crickets-chirping level. XD
Not much of a place to have a conversation since the music can get quite loud in such a small place, but perfect for getting your buzz on (or continuing it) and support the music. Rock on Old Towne Pub, ROCK ON!
I like it. Everytime I've gone, there was some quirky crazy band playing. Once a guy slapped pickups on a balloon and was PLAYING it. It sounded so crazy ! And the other time a guy in goggles was just rockin out in his suit, super funny and great!
The bartenders were awesome, Apple made me a fruity drink, but my bf said the dude that works there says beer and wine only. However, when I went, I asked for something weak and fruity (since I hate beer) and I got a great raspberry beer that I could actually handle.
I'm a fan! And it's an adventure to find ;) Take kendall alley toward the Zoey Van Jones brow studio, and keep walking into the alley on the left. It's right there, a little door under the stairs.
I was sitting in my hotel room and did a quick yelp monocle search to see which bars were around. Â Old Town popped up and boy what a find.
Set off the street in a back alley off Holly, this small bar is worth the search. We were there on Friday night and the place was jamming with live bands and good people. Beer selection is great with plenty of micro brews to be had. I instantly like any bar that has The Reverend on tap.
But I think the real greatness of this bar is the vibe you get from the staff. The door man collecting the $5 Â cover charge greeted us warmly. The bartenders, even though they were busy, took the time to say hi and made an effort to get our drink order. This vibe transcends throughout the bar making it a very cool place to listen to some great local musicians.
Also, thanks to the patron that brought cookies. The chocolate oatmeal cookie was a perfect compliment to my freshly poured glass of The Reverend.
We 'v been this pub a couple times, but I never really remember the name of this place. Guess I was always too drunk to realize where I was already :( Â j/k
Last time we were there because we stayed at the Marriot down the street, we didn't have to pay cover charge because of our hotel stay. There was a live rock band performing, some girls were dancing to the band, it was interesting to watch. :)
This bar looks old, but I like it, they have some nice ale, I love ale, the bartenders are always so friendly. they have DJ and dance floor at the patio on weekends. the best about this place is everybody is so friendly, and drunk... :P we can always have a very good time, just drink, chill and have a good time, not to worry what to wear, people watching all those craps like in Hollywood.
Very good place for some low key times, relaxing times with friends or a date.:)
This secret hide away of a joint holds a special place in my heart as it's one of the first places I've actually went out to go drink on the worse of the worse nights to go drinking on... St. Patty's day.
Old Towne Pub was my salvation. For you see, everywhere else in Old Towne was filled with the most annoying of annoying. You know, the once-a-year drinkers who come out acting like they are both Irish and actually alcoholics on this stupid day in March.
Why was I out? Well, company had me dragged out and so I complied. But thankfully they knew enough to avoid the O'mally's and O'bryans of the drinking establishment world and to come here..
First off, as others have well pointed out in their reviews.. this is hidden away. It's more or less a secret hide away. You're going to take at least a good couple of wrong turns upon your first search for it.
This is not a bad thing. In fact, it's part of the charm that it has this sort of speak easy hide away joint quality to it. You really want the folks that find this place to be worthy of finding it.
You have a nice little bar with a side area for bands to do their thang. Drink prices are pretty cheap and they have a pretty wide variety that will take care of the cheap PBR drinkers, but will also appeal to the beer snobs in all of us.
A hidden treasure that doesn't get the crowds the other Pasadena drinking establishments get.
Came here last weekend to watch a friend's band play. I made the mistake of not referring to trusty Yelp; if I had, I wouldn't have circled the block 4 times looking for the place. You can't really find it off Fair Oaks, and will be frustrated that the numbers jump from the 40s to the 70s. A friend had to come outside and get me, and you'll avoid my mistake by entering through an alley off Holly near Fair Oaks instead.
Not the friendliest bartenders, but drinks are CHEAP..... I paid $12 for a strong rum and coke and a glass of chardonnay. A good list of $2 shots too, the round we ordered of Watermelon Crush shots was surprisingly strong (most cheap shot specials are mostly Kool-Aid).
VERY divey atmosphere, and very, very crowded. I really enjoyed the quality of the ska punk bands who played, which seemed way above the normal garage bands you see at these types of joints. The crowd was a little crazy and we almost got knocked over or had people dropped on us a few times, without anyone seeming to be regulating (but maybe that's why some like this place so much).
The bathrooms were small and a little dirty with non-locking, saloon-type stall doors, which were NOT good for tall people like me.
Overall, it was worth the $5 cover and I'd come back.
Blasphemous!
This place is hard as hell to find! Â The address says it's on Fair Oaks but it's not. It's in an alley parallel to Fair Oaks. Â
This seems like an outdoor pub. Â There was a roof and four walls. Â . . but it was cold and dark. Â And, lots of cigarette smoke inside.
Not really my kind of crowd... but it may have been the night.
Finding the Old Towne Pub is like going on a wild goose chase. Â The address is listed on Fair Oaks, but you need to circumvent the surrounding alleys to find the entrance. Â The easiest way to find that pot of gold is to enter from the alley on Holly St (just east of Fair Oaks).
If you are coming here, take it for what it's worth. Â It's not about the ambiance. Â It's not swanky, classy or nice. Â It is dirty, smokey, and maybe even a little funky. Â It's a true dive bar that's devoted itself to booking live music. Â The night I went was a hipster/punk rock crowd and I could see this place booking similar acts on most nights.
The bar may be small, though the sound system and acoustics actually sound pretty legit once the levels are dialed in.
A major plus is the breadth of beer selection that you might not expect to find, considering it's such a dive-ey place. Â They serve up Magic Hat, Victory, and a few others that you won't find most elsewhere.
Old Town Pub continues to be one of Old Town Pasadena's hot spots!
I heard that the management had changed in Old Town Pub since early last year and it has improved a lot since then. Theres usually a band, a dj, or a performance going on here from Thursdays to Sunday. It never gets old, which is why I love this place.
The drinks are good and well priced, I mean you're in Pasadena, so every bar is a little pricey, but they do have PBR! Old Town Pub has plenty of regulars from what I see, probably because of the awesome bartenders or the ambience, maybe both.
OTP would be a great place to hold parties or events, it provides a good amount of space and the location is prime. Ive recommened it to friends in the past and they loved their experience here.
So if you're around the area or even if you're just looking to hit up a bar in Old town, check out Old Town Pub.
I hate 95% of live, local music. Â Garage bands should remain in garages, not emerge to assault people who actually go to a pub to (gasp) drink.
That being said, every time I come here I'm amazed by the quality of the bands. Â A special shout out to The Atom Age. Â You guys rocked.
This is the kind of place I could get used to: Â walking distance to the Gold Line, friendly, personable service, fairly good selection of draughts (hey, if you want 2000 different beers, 90% of them undrinkable, go to one of those aging frat boy chains....you know who you are), and a diverse, easy-going crowd. Â
Minus one point for the state of the bathroom. Â I mean, I get the whole authentic punk rock vibe you're going for, but I promise Henry Rollins won't kick your ass if you clean it every now and again.
What's with the gratuitous "e" at the end of Town. Â Why not go for broke and call it Ye Olde Towne Pub? Â I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and think it's some sort of ironic gesture. Â Besides, since when do I turn down an extra E?
I stumbled upon the Old Towne Pub (aka Loch Ness Pub) while looking online for bars with live music in the SGV area a few weeks ago. I hit the jackpot with this one. Especially since there is absolutely no way I would have stumbled on it in real life, it is certainly tucked away.
It is my favorite dive bar of the moment, combining my two great loves: live music and cheap booze. There is live music every night and the cover is always reasonable. One of the few places in LA that consistently books rockabilly/punkabilly bands. As soon as my buddies and I saw that they had the fabled Loch Ness shots for 2.00 each we had to try them. The taste can be best described as a poisonous appletini, don't forget to chase with a bunch of reasonably-priced draft beer and they will go down much easier.
The only drawback would be the amps are turned up to 11 during the sets, so don't expect conversation to be easy, but you didn't come to Old Towne to talk did you?
This was actually one of the places that originally sold me on the idea of hanging out in Pasadena. They have a very good range of beers here. A lot of options for the picky beer drinker. It's not as busy as the Yardhouse and it's smaller and more quaint than Lucky Baldwins.
I love this place! It's small and comfortable just like me, ha! Great vibe and good old fashioned folks are usually in attendance. A good place to go if your on a pub crawl with your mates.
The really cool part is that it used to be an old barn for horses that belonged to the Pasadena fire department. Later it was like a hip hang out in the 70s and the owner apparently had like massive piles of porno mags in the attic. Ha! Creepy.
I've got to go back soon it's been a year or two since I've hung out here.
I used to like this place. A welcome respite from the refuse of masses on Colorado clamoring for their Starbux, romantic comedies, and caramel apple martinis. Wait, that last one sounds good. But on Saturday night it was "bands that sound like nickelback and disturbed" night. Yechh! And it seems like this was not a fluke. More of their evenings are running this theme I am told.
Good-bye pub....everytime the wind whispers "crappy music" I will think of you.
This is a spot for locals or those who want to get away from the boujie crowd on Colorado Blvd. It's a quant little spot in an alley off Holly Street.
Thursday night is my favorite night due to the music. Good hip hop, again not that boujie stuff. Good beer, good crowd..an array of people, which makes it interesting. Cool bartenders and overall good vibe. The back area is great to get some fresh air and great visuals of architect what is "old town."
The cons: the girls bathroom is hella small.
Oh man I used to DJ here waaaaaaaaaay back in the day. hahahaha
This place was one of my first weekly gigs. We used to play Underground HipHop here and the people really liked it. lol.
The beers were great and cheap. and the locals were all cool, down-to-earth people.
I miss spinning here...!!!!!
Went there Wednesday night around 9:00 AM. Cool, if aloof, bartender. No hard liquor. Weird, but interesting setting (its like someone took all sorts of random stuff and through them around a room for decor). Interesting beer selection, including a beer called...damnit, now I forgot, but I hadn't seen it anywhere else. Bartender says there is music (either a band or dj) almost every night starting about 9:30 PM.
I wonder thought - is it possible they are trying to make themselves look more divey than they are? I mean, a ply-board mesh as a wall for the men's bathroom? Come on, something's up...
First, let me say that I am way biased. Â I am very good friends with the owner and the bartenders here but let me give one more reason why the Old Towne Pub is great. Â It hasn't been mentioned yet.
If you are in a band, the pub is extremely pro-band. Â They give the bands 100% of what is made at the door. Â The cover is almost always five dollars as a tribute to the dear departed downtown LA dive bar, Al's Bar. Â When Murphy's Law played here, it was 5 bucks. Â When 400 Blows played here, it was 5 bucks. Â Compare that to 13 dollar covers at Spaceland. Â
Also, if you are a touring band, the pub will ask all the other bands that played to put a little bit more money your way.
I have been in a band for almost 3 years and this is one of the few gems left in the bar band business.
Who says that you can't find the love of your life at a pub?
My fiance and I met here four years ago (to the date). Â On that night, my friend was celebrating his ump-ti-upm birthday and he lured us to this hidden gem in Pasadena with a live band and great beers on tap. Â I'm a Boddingtons girl myself, and at that time, it was so hard to find the honey ale anywhere that I'd soiled my undies when I found out that they started stocking them at the local Ralph's. Â Anyhow, the Old Towne Pub had it and I was sold.
I bumped into my soulmate, as I was ordering the brew and he was picking up a pint of Guiness. Â We shot some darts, listened to the band, made out in the patio, and the rest was pub history.
Thank you Old Towne Pub. Â We'll be sure to send a wedding invite your way.
My friend Alexis and I started going to this pub so often, the bartenders became some of our best friends. Dennis (the world's best bartender) is no longer there, but the new guy is just as awesome. All the people who work there are bad ass. The owner looks like a viking/frat boy and plays a mean game of beer pong.
It's a "hidden" pub. It wasn't meant to be. The Container Store built a store around them, so the only way to get to the pub is by alleys. Legend has it, it was a fire house (hence the massive wooden gates in the "courtyard" - for the fire horses).
Anywho, I more than highly recommend this place. They have BBQs (vegetarian-friendly options) on the weekends and beer pong tournaments. Halloween is a GREAT holiday to go here for.
Check out the website for directions. The calender is no where near up to date. Pretty much you can only use the website for directions and drunken pictures from 2005.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oldtownepub.com&s=2d96f3f23da6f121c23cfe31f597a8fe44f6f89f95649aa51f5ca2317b5fc94b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.oldtownepub.c…</a>
Great dive in the middle of posh Old Town Pasadena. It's hard to find, you have to take the alley going south off of Holly between Raymond and Fair Oaks.
Once you get there you will find a salty mix of friendly locals that appear to live there. They have live music quite often though the bands are hit and miss and bar usually gets over run by friends of the band.
Good outside patio with tables and seats for the smokers. Only downside is having to listen the noise (read music) from Mc Murphy's next door.
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