Where to drink in Los Angeles for $5 or less
Please note that this article was published on November 7, 2025. By the time you read this, prices may have increased and establishments may have closed down. I’ve been drinking for a long time, and it’s easily my favorite pastime. Unfortunately, drinking with friends, neighbors, and strangers has fallen out of style since the 2020 pandemic, and it seems to get worse by the day. The number one excuse I hear for not wanting to go out anymore is cost. “Minimum wage in Los Angeles is $17.87 an hour, and that barely covers one drink and a tip,” people tell me. Not surprisingly, the ones who say this usually think going out for a drink means going to Tower Bar...