Hey 19

I don't generally think of Torrance as a place for fine dining or hip, "public house"-style bars. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Chili's and the dive bars are top-notch, but I was not expecting to find a gem as dazzling as Hey 19. But why wouldn't it be awesome? It's named after a Steely Dan song, after all.

Upon pulling into the beautiful, vast parking lot, I could hear live music billowing out the bar/restaurant/venue's front door. We step inside, and there are two vacant bar stools, beckoning me and Chad. The place is relatively packed for 2:00pm on a Saturday, and the crowd is as diverse as I'd ever seen - literally every size, shape, age, color you could imagine....awesome!

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I glance around the space and notice that an early episode of Full House is being projected on a big screen on the wall (if you're curious, it was the episode where DJ becomes obsessed with a horse named Bullet or Rocket or something). I wasn't expecting fucking FULL HOUSE to be playing at a bar! I wasn't expecting a kick-ass live band complete with the loudest and most amazing lead singer AND Jimi Hendrix alive from the grave on bass. I sure as hell wasn't expecting senior citizens to be making out and grabbing ass (literally) on the dance floor! See below:

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The drinks are only $7-ish each, and we didn't even stop by during Happy Hour. I order the Chick Drink, naturally, and Chad has the #19 and the Suburban Decay. All are really good, which makes sense, because they were created by the same guy who created the Ortega 120 margarita, aka, the best margarita I've ever had, and that's no exaggeration. I really like the vintage decor; it's not overpowering or kitschy, just fun and nostalgic. They also accept OpenTable reservations if you're dining in, so, bonus points in my book.

So, I think I'm in love with this place, and I can't wait to come back next weekend to try the food. Yay!