
Although it saddens me that my soon-to-be home Pasadena lacks in crusty bars, I'm so thankful to have the Buccaneer in adjacent Sierra Madre.
One faithful Saturday afternoon in March, Chad and I trek out to the east side to see what this pirate-themed bar is all about. Side note, I'd never been to Sierra Madre before; it is totally cute and a pleasure to walk through after cocktails at the Buc. Also, there's ample street parking!

Make sure to order a screwdriver, so you don't get scurvy!

1881 CLUB - From the outside, this place truly looks like a filthy good time. It's behind a sketchy recycling plant behind the friendly neighborhood Vons, and you probably wouldn't know it's there because it's marked only by a tiny sign on the roof and a whiteboard out front announcing its LA Weekly award as 'Best Dive Bar in Pasadena'.
The space itself is pretty dumpy, with empty cardboard boxes stacked everywhere. They have a pretty cool digital bowling game, which consumes most of the time during our visit.

The bartender is nice enough, but something about the spandex exercise pants she's wearing throws me off. This bar probably won't be my future go-to.

The bartender is friendly and the prices are fair. Also, I am happy to report that this bar still carries a classic disc-style jukebox with a solid music selection. Yay!
A couple doors down, you'll find a fun little record/video store. I foresee drunken shopping sprees in my future.
There you go - the Pasadena dive bar scene all in one review.