Catalina Bar & Grill

Everything about this evening was mediocre aside from the wonderfully talented musicians and bottled beverages. We came to see the great Pharaoh Sanders, his first two songs had so much feed back that he played without a mic for a few minutes. Once they got their shit together whispers of feedback still came through. The venue didn’t provide the quality that would be expected based on the price of the tickets. If there are going to be legendary jazz musicians in the house, get proper sound people. To top it off we received a huge bill that they fucked up, four beers don’t equal ninety eight dollars.

A chance to see some classic R&B and jazz artists up close. I saw Freda Payne of Band of Gold fame here. She sang her signature multi million selling song Band of Gold and had the whole place jumping. One of my favorite songs of all time. She also sang her other multi million seller Bring the Boys Home that seems more relevant now than it did in 1970s. She also sang some other numbers from her 70s era. She did some Broadway and jazz numbers and did her rendition of Ella Fitzgerald. Great show. They gave me a table up right up front. Freda is 73 looks great and is still killing it. She can really sing — no Auto-​Tune here baby and can dance too. Her backup singers were her sister Scherrie Payne from the Supremes, another younger member of her family, and Jim Gilstrap who was on Adele’s new album. Only 1 minor suggestion Freda keep the show the way it is; just add 3 more songs Cherish What is Dear To You, Deeper and Deeper, and your disco song Love Magnet. The Catalina Bar and Grill on Sunset Blvd. requires you buy a ticket plus either dine there, or have 2 drinks. I chose the 2 drinks, so I can’t comment on the food. There is a covered parking lot behind the club and $ 6 for parking. You can go to the website and see if there’s anyone you’re interested in seeing. You can buy your tickets online @ Ticketweb. $ 30 for ticket + 2 drinks so it came out to about $ 60. Had a great time and had a chance to meet Freda backstage, take pictures, talk, and even had some of her cake. She’s great. 5 stars for Freda 4 stars for the Catalina Jazz Club. Check the Catalina’s calendar for upcoming acts to see perform and get up close for a jazzy night on the town.

So disappointed with the so called «Host», Manny. He was very rude, completely unprofessional and has a poor display of customer service. As a «Host», you should be friendly, welcoming and have a pleasant attitude, Manny has NONE of these traits! The food is just ok but is overpriced and the portions are disappointing for the cost. Our server Frank, was AMAZING! Very attentive and helpful, I wish Manny shared his idea of customer service.
It’s an awesome, cozy and intimate setting for a show, I would return, depending on the artist and I would opt for the 2 drink minimum rather than the meal, eat before you arrive.

We love this place. Great food good Serices and good people. Had no problem with parking the price was 6, dollars and the location is great the only thing that u have to watch out for is the corner when reaching your destiny because it’ is truly a hide away. Such class of its own. It feels like your important and appreciated.
Show time for us was at 7:30 pm dinner performance 8:30 pm.
My hubby and I enjoy Mis Rochelle Ferule. She is a wonderful artist and a beautiful jazz Musician who has soundly perform all over the world with her unique style and soulful taste she is truly a force to be recon with. a voice of sheer amazement she has influence other with her gifted sound and class. Tickets are $ 35

Came back to this venue to see Rachelle Ferrell, last time had a great time, this time was hortible due to the waitor tried to kill my sister. She ordered dessert. The dessert came out with almonds on it which isn’t on the menu, my sister explaind I am alllergic can I have another, the waitor becomes angry storming off stating it is in the menu. My sister takes the menu to the manager and explains her allergy and requests fir that waitor to not serve the table again. Unbeknownst to the manager the same waitor brings the SAME plate out with the almomds scraped off like we wouldn’t know. She refused he becomes pissed. Then after 5 minutes he brings out what is supposed to be a new one but it is too late we can not trust him. What he failed to realize is that almonds will CLOSE her throat. Then what her young son loses his mom all because a dumb ass waitor copped an attitude. I truly love this place but with idiots like this we can not return it is literally life or death with us!!!

Pros:
Great venue for an intimate show. Small enough place to see the stage and enjoy the performances from any seat. I’ve seen Rachelle Ferrell 3 times here and also Poncho Sanchez. The performers and the intimate space are the only reasons why I would come here.
Cons:
I emailed them to make a dinner reservation for 7 people. We were told to come at 9:45pm for the 10:30pm show. I went in to talk to host but he just pointed to the door and told me to wait outside. We weren’t let in until almost 11pm. The host (Manny) is one of the most rudest guys I’ve ever encountered as a host. He tried to seat our party at different tables but we wanted to sit all together so he rudely said… If you want to sit all together, you will be on one check then! We said ok, and he rudely said… Well I need to move the tables and you’re in the way. What an asshole!!! Also, the food is just okay and way over priced.
Thank goodness for Frank (our waiter) he was very attentive.

Just saw an amazing show featuring Lauren White.
Had dinner and two gin and tonics. Received the bill and noticed that I was charged $ 14 each for my drinks. Then I noticed that it said Hendricks which is really expensive gin. Questioned my waiter stating that I ordered a gin and tonic not a Hendricks brand.
He responded saying that Hendricks is our house gin.
You have got to be kidding. Nobody has Hendricks as their house gin. What a rip off!
A lot of nerve to try to make more $$$$.
Not sure I will be back.

Go for the music not the food.
It took one full hour to get the food after we ordered it and it was very bad quality. Like it was all frozen and from a can. We had lamb chops, catfish, shrimp pasta and a few appetizers. The lamb chops were gamy covered with brown gravy, the shrimp was tough and nothing I saw on our table was appealing.
The Service was worst than the food. The all male waiting staff were way too few. Only one bartender so drinks we’re very very slow and we had to ask several times to get served past the first one.
The waiters were abrupt, had very bad manners verging on being rude.
Bad service, bad food and pricy. A total ripoff… Do not go until they change owners!!!

Took my beautiful wife out to hear some jazz lastnight. The music was great but the food and service not so. The main issue was the portions, we both ordered salmon w/​mash potatoes and what came out from the kitchen was children portions. My wife sent her dish back just to order a lame pasta dish.
To top it all off we were seating on top of each other. It seemed to say it all about how many people they could squeeze into this venue. This was our first and last time at this venue. For the amount of money we paid I was expecting a little more.
Two thumbs down!

HORRIBLE! Just horrible… and the show hasn’t even started yet. How do you run out of mini tacos? Have the server indicate as such at the time of order placement. Speaking which…
Wait…Is that food I smell behind me? And my order hasn’t even been taken yet? And I was seated at the same time? Is it because I’m traveling uno tonite? My server must be in the back smokin a fat one with Casper, because this m&$@+^% has been ghost since I ordered this drink. Better sip s-​l-​o-​w-​l-​y– who knows when I’ll get another.
I would so leave right now had the ticket not already been purchased. Never. Again.

Where else can you sit at the feet of some of the greatest jazz musicians… John Pizzarelli, Tierney Sutton, Roberta Gamberini, Kenny Burrell to name a few. Super intimate setting with good acoustics. Get here right when doors open for best seating. We’ve sat close enough to touch every time. Perfect for date night or dinner and show with like minded musical friends. Food is hit or miss but I won’t complain considering the reasonable admission price. Glass of wine, entrees, dessert and coffee will run $ 100+ but I think for a nice night out that’s fair. Performances are top notch. Worth the trip!

This is an excellent place to come and enjoy great jazz music. The ambience is dark and romantic, and the audience is lively. It’s not over crowded so there’s plenty of seating.
I’d say the only downside is their very pricey menu. There’s a two drink minimum and drinks run between $ 12-​$ 14. A basic rum & coke is $ 9.50. The food was mediocre. I’d suggest eating dinner before you get there and just ordering a drink (2).
But as far as the performance goes, Catalina Bar & Grill is definitely a place worth checking out.
⁰³²⁄₁₀₀

This is a small venue which makes for great seating. The sound system is top notch. Came here to see Steve Tyrell perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra and it was stellar. The drinks are weak and the food is below average and the prices are bananas for the quality of food. There is a 2 drink minimum or either a dinner can be purchased in place of. I will definitely return to see another artist.

The only reason why anyone would come here is for the love of the show, and depending on who’s playing, the tickets can run from $ 20 to whatever. But that doesn’t include food or drinks– $ 15 – 30 for average, microwaved frozen food, or $ 14 for their drink, which is probably made with a shot of your generic cheap vodka and sugar. At least the food made me full and there’s a 2 drink minimum if you don’t eat so might as well pick an entrée as opposed to paying $ 28 for two shitty drinks. I got the Nacho for $ 14 and he got the Ravioli for $ 24. I’ve ate better nachos at ⁷⁄₁₁ for $ 3 and bought better frozen raviolis at Whole Foods for $ 7. If it wasn’t for the great artists that come here, the place wouldn’t survive.
Nevertheless, great venue for a show. Place is small, cozy, and quaint so anyone playing/​singing here would sound amazing. Super jazzy and fun. Came here for Steve Tyrell. He was doing the Frank Sintras 100^th anniversary tribute so despite the awful food, the show was simply amazing. 1 star for the food. 5 stars for the show.

One of the top spots for watching a live jazz show in the Los Angeles area is the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood. They usually offer two shows — 7:30 PM and 10:30 PM. To watch a show, one must pay for the show and either buy dinner or two drinks. Although this place is pretty laid back, serious jazz enthusiasts come here to jam.
My gripe about this place is that the quality of food and drinks are not that great, but the only reason anyone comes here for is the music… So if you like jazz, you should check this place out!

My star rating is for the venue and appetizers. Not the performer, he gets a 10!
Catalina Jazz Club is a nice venue to get up-​close and personal with your favorite jazz musicians.
I came here to see Mr. Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band. He is so soulful and makes you just wanna get up and shake your caderas.
The place itself is nice size with small cocktail tables throughout. They had to push 2 tables together to seat our party of 5 but we were right up front. I couldn’t have been happier feeling Ponchos sweat land on me hahaha. I would definitely recommend making reservations. The only issue with the set-​up is the dance floor/​area is way off to the side away from the stage. Sort of makes you feel like an outcast if not many people get up to dance.
A few appetizers were ordered but the tiny portions of food served for the price was a little over the top.
Por ejemplo, the hummus to pita bread ratio was no bueno, a glob of hummus was just left behind, meh.
Also, if you don’t order a dinner entrée you are required to purchase a 2 drink minimum.
Entry for the show is completely separate whether you choose to eat dinner there or not. Needless to say the final bill was any EYE opener. 8O

We attended an Acoustic Alchemy concert Saturday evening — as such it was our first time visiting this venue using Gold Star to essentially save $ 13 per person. I started reading the recent reviews on Unilocal to figure it out then called ahead to query the club on details, IE when to arrive, where to park. There were a lot of entries slamming the club which left me a bit apprehensive — however if you read the negative reviews you can get a sense of their drift — that they didn’t like paying extra or above the simple cost of entry? Their usual criticism centered on the extra fee structure + underwelming fare served for the money?
Well — let me chime in with a fair and balanced perspective. Up front parking is off Sunset through the side street off North McCadden Place. Only $ 6 and well lit, clean and supervised. So this was more then reasonable $ and convenient.
Next — this is a Jazz Oriented supper club & bar. It’s fairly clear there is a 2 drink minimum or dinner requirement. In addition there is a table top card alerting you to the «entertainment» fee added BUT not what amount it is. The environment is intimate. Compared to other venues the cost can be comparable or higher where you might not get a meal or beverages for $ 25… and your distance to the stage might be further back in a larger audience! Which is why you would want to to come here.
In my case this evening worked out to $ 49 total per person for dinner fare + entry fee + tax + gratuity + entertainment facility fee + Goldstar fee plus their $ 0.45 US Royalty Fee. For a JAZZ Club it’s OK.
So consider — the club is nice & cozy. You have the dignity of elbow room and mostly clear sight-​lines provided you’re not attending on a busy night and stuck further back with a fat post blocking some of the view towards the stage. The floor is «L» shaped with the stage at the bottom of the vertical portion of the «L». It’s fairly wide with two rows of small tables for 2 — behind which are many tables for 4 + a couple larger tables for 6 and a few doubles. Further back are tall cocktail tables for 2 and booths around and against the perimeter /​walls. In general the place has an acceptable table distribution and layout.
Service — We found the service levels to be excellent. It was clearly better then we were led to expect by the critics. In fact — the staff were «A» superior in just about every way! Our water glasses were refilled at least 5x! The waiter checked to ask if everything was OK a couple of times and they asked if we needed any further dishes/​appetizers or dessert? Sigh — it was better then unexpected!
When we got our tab there were several «fees» added… it was such that I see how it might confuse and mislead some into fits of anger? What is this fee and that fee? Why are they hitting me for mandatory gratuities with only a table of FOUR and not a large group? Sigh… all told our table of 4 got a $ 1.80 US Royalty Fee (? what was that?)… «minimum charges» for $ 13 because we had 2 of our party have only appetizers rather then a main entrée? We also had an expected service charge of $ 15 which looks like $ 3.75 per person. All that plus an 18.5% gratuity of $ 15 meant our bill for 4 came to $ 120. Our gold star tix for 4 totaled $ 72. So $ 192 + $ 6 for parking = $ 198… or $ 49.50 per person! We were delighted with this value!
Sigh — for the money paid — I see no point in complaining as this is FAIR to us — if not inexpensive for such intimacy + a meal. Where other places give nothing other then a seat for the performance you could sit among many hundreds or thousands AND pay more $! We admit to not having attended many small Jazz venues — but we’ll begin seeking them out more often.
Truthfully — the portions served were good or «OK» to us. I was satisfied with my Catfish. On my left the pasta portion was about enough but not generous. On my right the Chicken Quesadia was nice and big enough to share. However I make better fare at home. Anyways, the three dishes could have passed for normal if the prices were about $ 7 – 9 less… but the price was subsidizing the show (OK).
So for a word on the performance… it was quite good. Wide shallow depth = short distances good for intimacy. Sound quality and acoustics were good… it could have been better perhaps. Lighting was simple this evening — I’m sure they could have equipped it if so desired with more. Otherwise the setting was superb!
Overall rating is not quite 5 stars. However it clearly cannot possibly be 1 – 2 or 3 stars… so humbly I submit a fair rating of 4+ stars for this event.

I got the fish & chips. It was not worth the $ 22+ price. It was dry inside, meaning over cooked & small in portion for how much it cost. The Jazz music was good, great entertainment while we ate. I would recommend just ordering the 2 drink minimum instead because the food isn’t worth the high cost. I expected a lot more from the quality of the food after I saw the portion size.
I had 2 friends that ordered a «Midnight kiss» drink which was champagne, vodka, & something else. They said it was Very strong. I usually drink vodka on the rocks, so I tried it and was disappointed because they were right. There was way too much vodka in there. The bartender took a drink that could’ve had potential & ruined it because they can’t get their portions down.
Overall: I only recommend the music. This deserves a 2.5 stars but I’ll give 3.
**** EDIT ****
I gave this place the benefit of the doubt but after talking to them at the end, being robbed, lied to, and overcharged, this place doesn’t even deserve ¹⁄₅ stars.
When we first got there, we stood at the front for at least 10 min waiting for anyone to talk/​seat us, especially since no one else was waiting to be seated at we had reservations. I asked the sound guy if someone can help us and he said someone will be there. All the servers saw us standing there for awhile and just kept on making multiple trips between the kitchen and their tables.
At the end of the night, the server told us they can only take 2 credit cards max. Usually restaurants have a 2 check max, but will accept multiple credit cards. I’ve never heard of a 2 credit card max, but I am starting to think I shouldn’t be surprised when you have such a cheap place trying to save every nickel and dime. We see a $ 3.15 royalty fee on the check which is not stated anywhere what that is. All fees should be stated somewhere or you should be notified ahead of time, at least to be an honest business. Then because it is near the top of our check, they made us pay tax and gratuity on the $ 3.15. They claimed every business has to pay that if they have live music. We already bought tickets for the music and bought drinks & dinner there. They because we had a party of 7, they included gratuity, but didn’t say how much gratuity was. According to our calculations, they charged us 19.14%. What!?! The gratuity was $ 40 even. That was VERY questionable. So we paid and then right before we walked out the door, we asked the guy at the front how much gratuity was and he said «it’s about 15−18% max, nothing higher than that for sure». So I asked him which one was it then, and he said no more than 18%. So 1^st of all, he still didn’t answer my question. 2^nd: we were charged 19.14%. Then we explain to him they need to have it written on the check or somewhere on the menu where & how much all these charges, fees, gratuity is in order to have an honest business. The server comes over and says, «oh is it $ 3 over, ok fine here’s $ 3». If he is willing to fork over $ 3 so fast, that’s a red flag that he knows he over charged us. After talking to both of them longer, we then find out he practically just made up a number and rounded up to the nearest $ to charge us for gratuity. He offered to print out a new receipt with the charges stated and when he came back, something looked off compared to what he was saying. We then noticed all he did was take the total amount, subtract the 2 credit card charges, and then showed how much was left to pay with cash. He also took out the gratuity and used his phone to show how much 18% was from our check. Meaning he didn’t do anything different to our check, he just moved the charges around so our check appeared to look different. He didn’t even do what he claimed he would. So we just left, very frustrated.
This place has horrible food, bad bartender, overly priced food that is definitely not worth the terrible quality. If you come here, double check your tab before you pay, especially if gratuity is included. They literally just charge you whatever they like. There is no way our gratuity charge comes out to an even $ 40. Worst place to eat & drink. Horrible management that lies, cheats, & robs you.

I took a mental health sabbatical recently to California, attempting to do it when Kenny Burrell would be playing at the Catalina. It was a big deal for me to see him perform, and I was really excited. Seriously… the way other people got excited if they were about to meet the Beatles, was the level of excitement I had to meet Kenny.
I got to the bar about 30 minutes early. Parking is easy, once you actually locate the entrance to the parking garage. It took me a while, but I am chalking it up to me just driving in an area totally unfamiliar to me. I made my way to the entrance, and waited. At 7PM, the doors opened, and those of us who were waiting were shows inside to give our names to the woman managing the door.
I was shown to my seat, and made conversation with the waiter about my trip, and my excitement to see one of my musical idols. I loved the interior of the bar… it was exactly what I felt a jazz bar should look like, dimly lit, small tables, and a great elevated stage.
The wait staff was very attentive, and polite. And I noticed that they were that way with EVERYONE. I always got my drinks in a timely fashion, and I didn’t really have any complaints about the food, either. I mean, yes, it’s not five-​star cuisine, but I suppose people have to make money. Nonetheless, my meal was tasty, as was my wine.
The show blew me away. I went through a whole range of emotions while I watched the band play. The sound quality was awesome, too. And it was nice that here, people obviously know to shut up when the band is playing. It was truly a magical night. Best of all, I finally got to scratch an item off my bucket list when the waiter introduced me to Kenny Burrell. It was a night I will never forget, and I can’t wait to fly back out there and have the time of my life again.

So this place has been around for decades and is a classic venue for Jazz artists here in Los Angeles. That being said, this is their new location, years ago they were in Cahuenga in a cramped space somewhere near where the bars and clubs are now. I’m pretty sad to find out that the old location is now closed. It felt far more intimate even in a cramped space.
The new location is much larger, modern, acoustics are challenging because of the open ceiling and storefront style space. I’ve never gone here to eat although my girlfriend and I did share the pecan pie a la mode which was good. We also had a couple of coffee cocktails which were also fine.
You come here for the Jazz. Good Jazz with artists who have been passionate about the music for years. We came to see The Kenny Burrell Quintet. Mr. Burrell was my Jazz professor for intro to Jazz studies back when I was taking an elective in the music department for undergrad at UCLA. They were wonderful! Justo Almario killed it on the woodwinds. The music was beautiful.
I recommend Catalina Bar & Grill for anyone interested in getting LA’s flavor of Jazz.