The Offbeat

Depending on who you ask, this retro-fitted mod bar in Highland Park is either the best or worst thing to happen to the area. Taking over the former Dusty’s Sports Bar, the Offbeat has ditched the questionable hygiene but kept the emphasis on no-frills drinking. Aside from the mod motif, nothing about The Offbeat indicates that it’s anything more than a simple neighborhood bar. Behind the bar, there are bartenders, not mixologists. The nightly live music and DJs and occasional drag shows on the back patio make this Northeast L.A. joint more of a dance-y, upbeat spot than most other dives, but the cheap cocktails and casual ambience definitely place the Offbeat squarely in this drinking genre.