J Restaurant & Lounge

*EDIT* I LIVED for this place, and I thought that nothing could replace the Century Club after it closed, but seems like I was dead wrong. After being out of the club scene for a while but not checking the listing here first, I felt a bit nostalgic and tried to come back here, but lo and behold, I guess all good things must come to an end while Hollywood BS is rampant. I’ll miss all the good memories, such as my first time having seared fish (which was hilarious since I ate raw sushi regularly but complained about… Undercooked food), first club where I was there with friends (when I usually go to clubs by myself), and being in like Flynn with everybody; the manager would let me in for free, I’d get my first round of drinks free, and only thing I didn’t get for free was parking.
Personally, I’m not the type that likes pushy bouncers (which is what drove me out of other clubs in the first place, but then again I still kinda miss it as an old hangout), therefore the ones here seem to be pretty cool. Also, this place has a very good turnout every Saturday night, compared to the lethargic amounts of people usually found in other venues. The only thing is that there isn’t a guest list since it’s rarely if ever promoted, but the good news is that the line moves quickly, the cover isn’t exorbitant, and the staff are professional and courteous (at least to me, but I’m a regular that tries to get in good with everybody LOL).
The only disadvantage? You get to learn the struggles of women on the 3^rd floor… Since the men’s room is almost as small as an airliner’s restroom, even the men’s room have a line that’s even sometimes longer than the ladies room, but there’s another one on the 1^st floor.

What?! J Lounge is closed forever? That’s a shame. I’ll never forget the first bar I got f@$%ed up at. I’m talking trashed.
You’ll be missed.

I found out that this restaurant planned to close, so we gathered large group of friends to go to one last Sunday champagne brunch. Then we found out the unfortunate news that J’s last day was last Saturday. :(I loved everything about this place, the friendly staff, the great service (and when it was not-​so-​great when they were busy, they always more than made it up to us), the amazing chocolare brioche French toast, seared tuna pizza, chicken and waffles, and laid-​back atmosphere. I loved bringing friends and visitors here, and the bloody mary was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was a gem and will be truly missed.
I hope something equally awesome takes over this great space and HUGE pretty patio, but J Lounge, I’ll miss you! Thanks for all of the epic Sunday brunches you gave me, as well as the memories (and lack of memories).

0 stars
My hubby reserved bottle service for NYE ($ 500 for 2 bottles of Goose and 1 bottle of champagne plus 8 admissions). They even told us to arrive ‘early’ in the confirmation email. What the heck for?! Party supposedly starts at 8pm. We arrived around 9:30 and didn’t even get our table ’til past 10pm. We were seated in the patio section and their excuse was they didn’t have enough chairs cuz people were still eating dinner. Then why in the world would you reserve a table that wasn’t gonna be available?! The DJ was still setting up when we arrived so we were basically just hanging around the firepit while watching others eat their meals. The only music happening was inside on the 2^nd floor. They only comped us a 2^nd bottle of champagne for the wait, which was retarded since everyone at the party will get free champagne for the midnight toast.
The line to the bathroom was RIDICULOUS. It was basically backed up in the stairwell. Can someone say fire hazard?! How does a venue this big have only 7 womens’ stalls?! TWO downstairs and five upstairs. It’s insane. And I heard a couple stalls were overflowing?! Disgusting.
We actually came here for Halloween and it wasn’t this bad. Therefore, we decided to come back again to celebrate NYE. Never again. They need better management. Oh, and here’s the kicker: they over-​charged our CC too, by like $ 100. We’ll be disputing that for sure.

New Years Eve
=============================
Let me start of by saying that the Men’s Restroom had a wait time of 20 minutes to take a leak. Glad my PC muscles were in healthy condition…
J Lounge was a disaster. The dance floors were cramped, place was a dump because of all the broken cups and spilled drinks, place smelled of Sasquatch body odor because of the poor ventilation, and lines for the bar was so long I ended up being sober the entire time (a silver lining in not spending cash at this dump).
Let me reiterate that I couldn’t believe how overbooked this event was. I got there at 10:15 and didn’t get into the club until 11:40, and that’s WITH pre-​bought general admission. The line for buying tickets was shorter than this! I’m just glad I got there in time for the countdown… if there actually was one.
At around 11:59am, the DJ’s just turned off all music, no MC on the mic or anything to initiate the countdown. We were all bewildered until we just initiated our own countdown, along with other tables alongside us.
Needless to say, this was a pretty crappy experience. Maybe J lounge is decent on a regular weekend, but for NYE, it sucked goat nutz.

I’m sorry, J Lounge. But you’ve changed. You used to be cool.
After 2 years, I came back to this establishment both as an after-​party attendee for the Kollaboration event and as of legal age (yo, I got a fake ID though!).
I got here pretty late around 12:30AM, so I expected the party to be poppin’ by then. Upon walking in, one word to describe the scene: dead. The dance floor was dead. The bar area was dead. Don’t bother hanging out on the first floor.
I’m not sure how diverse the crowd is on the weekends but it was like segregation that night. All of the Asians were in the patio/​smoking area mingling and nursing their drinks while everyone else of other ethnicities were going crazy on the dance floor on the 2^nd floor.
Drinks are your typical overpriced fare of Downtown LA, but the problem is, the venue is just so dead that you don’t even really want to party here. I bought a Tokyo Tea in my attempts to make my night a little better and it ended up costing $ 12, which is pricey but really no surprise since it is DTLA. I don’t know where these bartenders got their licenses but my Tokyo Tea ended up tasting like a bad Midori Sour.
For your typically overpriced cocktail, I would’ve expected the bartenders to serve the drink in your typically small glass, but no, instead it was served in the infamous red beer pong cup. Yes, you know which cup I’m talking about. I felt as classy as your bright-​eyed, freshman girl at her first frat party.
And to top everything off, I looked at my statement today, and I noticed that I was charged extra at the bar. The total was $ 18, and I see $ 21.60. When I was at the bar, I tipped the bartender for his shitty mixed drink and he still adds tip for himself?! I know it wasn’t charged a lot, but who the hell does that?! I wouldn’t have even been able to catch him when he did it because he must have changed it after I gave him back the receipt. J Lounge, please fire your bartender.
This was my first time coming here as a legal adult, and my last time.

You’d think that I’d be smart enough to read the fine print after a friend announced a $ 3 martini special at J Lounge today. Not so, as the $ 3 martini special is only available with the purchase of food, the server kindly explained AFTER I had sipped away half the drink. I didn’t want food! I was saving my appetite for the seven course Thai meal that awaited me shortly. But alas, without the purchase of food, the formerly $ 3 martini would magically become… get this! FIFTEEN FUCKING DOLLARS!!!
WTF
So I ordered some soup that I didn’t really want for $ 7. Soup of the day– eggplant cream. It was okay. Some spoonfuls of an ugly greenish liquid. The server, Patrick, on the other hand, definitely gave off some friendly vibes. Going as far as to hand feed me a spoonful of the soup in a creative effort to placate me after I sat there, sulking at the unwanted soup. If it wasn’t so awkward and a bit sexy, I would have felt like a nursing home resident. Alright I’ll eat the damn soup! But don’t think that all is forgotten.
He did also bring me an extra bit of the martini that my friend ordered. And most, if not all, of the transgression was forgiven. As far as the food goes, the lasagna was really cheesy. It was good but probably packed enough calories to power you for a marathon, despite its small portion. the apple strudel was average and the other servers seemed eager to clean up the table and hurry us along our meal, (after Patrick left his shift, that is).

I have to admit, this used to me my spot back in the day. The enviroment was awesome, the music was good and for a guy the girls were hot. Had a moment where I stopped coming here so just recently came back after a long time, I find it has changed.
At the door, looks like still the same cover ($ 15). The place is still the same how it looks, which is a good thing, but the ppl has dropped in numbers and the age group changed as well. Its now mostly like middle age people there or older! Music sounds about the same but the mood sure has changed too. I really think everyone that used to go here migrated to Belasco down the street ever since it opened up. Aside from the people, the venue is still good, drink prices are fair ($ 8 — $ 14 depending on drink), music is still good (hip hop and some top 40/​electro). The big plus still at this place is the people that work here and run it. They are really nice and polite. They don’t treat you like crap like some other places.
Maybe the place has changed, maybe I caught it at a bad night, but whatever it was, I think I would give it another try since I really used to like this place. We shall see and will keep an update in mind for the future.

I’ve been to J Lounge a few times in past years. It’s sometimes forgotten since it’s on the southern end of DTLA.
Not a bad place for drinks. Haven’t eaten here before but would like to one day. I’ve been here for a few birthday parties and whiskey tastings. Nice décor inside and very large patio with a bar outside. Restaurant is downstairs with a bar, balcony, and sofas upstairs. It’s has dim lighting. Cool bar with a few tvs. I’ve been skipping this place recently since they want to charge a cover when there’s no line and no one inside. Really bad for business. Doesn’t make sense to me when there’s no special event dj. Turns me away and I’m off somewhere else.

I’m surprised I have not reviewed this place!
Sucks that my friends do not promote for this club anymore.
Admission Fee: apparently varies depending on if it is crowded. If it is crowded it’s $ 15 and if it’s slow it’s only $ 10. Girls free before 10:30pm!
Love the fact that the drinks are hella cheap. I can get a round for me and my girls under $ 40 and that was about 5 or 6 drinks!
Love the music … I can only take so much of all that house music… it’s finally great to hear some great hip hop and old school tunes!
Outdoor apparently is hotter than the inside! People are smoking so much that there is a cloud of smoke hovering over us!!!
I’m not going to lie. I think I come here because I can always guarantee that the dirty dog cart will be there waiting for me!

Brunch is all I have to say. The outdoor lounge area is huge. They have plenty of umbrellas so you can eat in the shade.
Our server was extremely friendly and helpful. They offer bottomless mimosas for brunch. That is just great. They actually come around quite often to top you off to.
The food is great. One of the best brunches I have ever experienced. I ordered the chorizo omlette. The omlette was stuffed with a good amount of grilled chorizo. The potatos that come with the omlette are equally tasty.
We will definetely be returning often for brunch.

I actually like J Lounge because of the outdoor patio area. There are fire pits and it’s pretty good to be outdoors when the inside dance floor is overcrowded and hot.
SERVICE:
Bartenders are pretty nice. I haven’t eaten here yet.
DANCE FLOOR:
Indoors — crowded and hot
OUTDOOR AREA:
Fire pit, and during summer nights — very nice
During winter they’ll have heat lamps and the fire pit going
Lots of places to sit — including the restaurant part
BATHROOM:
If it’s busy, ladies… expect to wait as usual.
DRINKS:
I usually get girly drinks. they’re good. I don’t usually buy them so I’m not sure about the deals.
CROWD:
Typically Asian professionals
AMBIANCE:
I like the outside part. The indoor area is dark so I am not sure what the décor is.
PARKING:
Street meter or a parking lot nearby
Notes:
* Get on the guestlist online — free before 10
* Sign up for their email list — you can get specials they have for their restaurant and lounge

J Lounge! We should call you J. Lo for being so fab! I can easily go through J. Lo’s old tracks and get my check marks on.
«If you have my love.» –Check!
«Do it Well.» –Double check!
«Love Don’t Cost a Thing» Love doesn’t but my tab sure did! –Check!
«I Got You.» –Check! Check! Check!
I was lied to, overcharged, beaten (metaphorically speaking), and even scowled at from the evil Corkbar bartender (see Corkbar review) just minutes before I came to your venue and then YOU SAVED ME! All along you had this mystical talent (aka Melanie the bartender) who could rescue us with her tasty concoctions and keep us in debauchery.
I also really, really like your venue. It’s huge! So many rooms that I’m getting vertigo just thinking about it… or maybe that’s the alcohol that hasn’t worn off yet. lol. Point is, I really like you. ;)

I came here with my cousin for a USC young alumni event that was held outside in their courtyard area. The space was nicely decorated, and there were a number of cabanas (some had TVs) where people lounged and mingled.
The drinks were well made, they didn’t skimp out on the alcohol or tried to obliterate my liver. The food that we had were appetizers that servers brought around. The ones I remember were:
–Tuna sashimi placed in an endive — Looked pretty, tasted bitter… oh so bitter. I felt the tuna should have been the star of the bite but the endive beat it out.
— Buffalo chicken skewers — Some were better than others. I’m not a huge fan of buffalo sauce anyway.
— Chinese chicken salad in a mini takeout box — The sauce was watered down and didn’t taste like the typical sesame seed/​gingery dressing. Their dressing tasted like sugared ginger… straight up diabetes. The chicken wasn’t seasoned… seriously?
— Sliders — Delicious! The meat was a little rare but the carmelized onions and well seasoned bun/​meat made up for it.
— Cheese bread — Think oversized cheese bagel bites.
— Cheese fritter — I think it was brie fried in batter with a sweet sauce. I could have done without that sweet sauce.
The servers and bartenders were friendly and attentive.
The atmosphere was low key for a mixer… I think the awkwardness of throwing a bunch of random people into a space without any sort of plan/​direction dominated the night. Alcohol didn’t help (not J lounge’s fault)

One of the best kept secrets around town. J Lounge is usually known for their bar and nightclub scene and occasionally their dinner, but their brunch is the secret that I’m tempted to keep to myself.
For brunch, they serve an assortment of American classic brunch type menu items such as pancakes, croissant sandwiches, and omelettes. However, what these are reasons why this place rocks for brunch:
— $ 7 bottomless mimosas. Yes, for an additional $ 7 to your entrée you can have bottomless mimosas! Where else can you drink so much for so little?
— The beautiful outdoor setting. The lounge is converted into an outdoor patio/​restaurant. You can share a small table with a few buddies; or if you have a larger party, you can opt for your own private cabana as well :)
— Food is excellent and very well prepared. The secret dish? Try the Eggs Benedict Supreme with an extra sausage on the side. The ‘Supreme’ version comes with some nicely grilled portobello mushrooms sandwiched inside your dish. If you are feeling eggs benedict, go Supreme!

I’ve been coming to J’s Lounge for several years now. Whether it’s for dinner, a birthday party, brunch, or just to kill brain cells and partake in some nightly shenanigans, it’s always a good time.
I was here last Sunday for brunch and we sat in the huge open area outside. Very nice! I had the shrimp omelette and I had them put all the mushrooms from the wild fungi omellete into it which turned out to be a nice creation! It was very delicious and flavorful. My fiancé had the penne pasta with spicy sausage but it was kinda bland so she sent it back and got the same omellete I ordered. They were very nice about the change. Definitely 5 star for customer service. Our food came out quick and our waitress was very nice and friendly. For drinks, we did the bottomless mimosas for $ 7 because we didn’t have anything important to do last Sunday ($ 15 if you don’t buy an entrée). It was impressive how they kept my glass filled all day. The mimosas kept coming until I tapped out.
As for parking, there are plenty of street parking on a Sunday but on a Friday or Saturday night, you might have to pay $ 5 at the lot across the street.
Will definitely be back for brunch.

I didn’t come here for all these events people are talking about, just came here for happy hour on a friday evening. My friends and I literally got here 5 mins before 7pm, but the waitress was still nice enough to put in our orders to get the happy hour prices!
They have a pretty darn good selection of food items and drinks. Everything is decently priced. I ordered the burger (which isn’t just enormous, but also comes with a bucket load of fries) and the mango cocktail (i forget the name now), and everything only came out to be around $ 15 including tax/​tip. Not bad at all.
Come to the happy hour for cheap prices on drinks/​food, but I don’t suggest coming here after happy hour. The prices of drinks/​food are on the pricey side.

Came back after 2 years for the same event because I love the organization that throws the event every year.
J Lounge is just HORRIBLE. Every time I go there, there is ALWAYS someone claiming dispute because they are known to mix up credit cards AND ADD THEIR OWN TIP! Why bother having the Tip line under the subtotal line when they are going to add their own tip anyway?!?
Last night, I ended up with 2 receipts. I only went to the bar ONCE. I wrote them an email with my proofs so if they don’t take care of it, I will have to call my bank and dispute my charges.
I am VERY VERY angry about this. I am NEVER coming back here again. I don’t care who’s birthday it is. I can’t deal with their shady business.

I didn’t really get to explore this lounge too well due to a friend not being let in because of his shoes. My experience is really ⁵⁰⁄₅₀.
The entire first floor is the restaurant and a bar which was closed off, I believe. Theres a staircase that leads up stairs to the lounge area and dance floor. I didn’t count how many rooms there were but I believe there was around 4. Right at the end of the staircase is the bar and then across there is a room I didn’t go into, so I’m not sure what kind of room it was. Then there was an enormous dance room with a DJ and couches all along the walls with tables. Towards the back of the dance room there is another room with more couches and tables but this time there was a flat screen. I saw a patio area with a good view of DTLA but didn’t get to check it out.
The aesthetic of this place is really nice. All the floors upstairs are wood, the couches were leather, decorations were simple and the lighting wasn’t too bad.
The only problem I had was the dress code. The friend I was with wasn’t let in because his shoes looked like Timberlands but they were clean and barely used looking. Some of the people I saw that got in were wearing V-​neck shirts that were so simple looking and chucks…
Maybe, and that is a strong maybe that I will try this place out again.

This will be short and sweet.
I usually go to J’s for the lounging. Now that I have tried the dining… big fan. I’ve never had crab cakes that were FULL of crab meat, until I had it at J’s. Delicious! I ordered the Pan Roasted Prawns; jumbo sized shrimp complimented with spaghetti squash. What a great combination of items that filled your taste buds with favor. Braised beef short ribs for the meat lovers: perfectly cooked. Ended the meal with tarimisu-​rum cake. Never had rum cake… superb!
Excellent service.
Great for large parties.
Signature Martinis.
Awesome décor and patio area.