Bar Review: Lounge 33 in Riverside, CA

Lounge 33 at the Riverside Plaza has to be one of the best kept secrets in the entire Inland Empire. I've had a few martinis in my time, and let me tell you that you won't find a better martini anywhere else in a 50 mile radius. Lounge 33 is on its way to cornering the market on the 25-40 year old pub crowd out in Riverside. They've got it all; the area's hottest DJ's spinning nightly, the most delicious french fries I've ever had and the most spectacularly impressive selection of martinis on the east side of LA.

These little puppies will knock your socks off. At a hefty cost of about $10.00 a drink, they're worth every penny for the 3 ounces of alcohol in every drink. That's the equivalent of 3 shots in every martini and they taste like candy. I am a regular at Lounge 33. I like to take advantage of their Happy Hour prices from 3-6 Monday through Friday and I love to bring my coworkers here to play. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, but also elegant and upscale. I rave about the Strawberry Redhead, but also caution my cohorts to drink slowly and not forget that even though their delicious martini tastes like candy, that it is a potent concoction and I am in no way equipped to carry them out.

If Lounge 33's stunning decor, scrumptious martinis and hot DJ's weren't enough to lure you in, you may be impressed enough by the history behind the place to come and take a peek. The bar is owned by brother and sister team George and Angela Tavaglione, whose parents owned Tava Bowling Lanes and are still actively involved in the community at the local government level. Tava Lanes boasted 32 lanes of bowling bliss, hence the name 'Lounge33'.

You can find Lounge 33 at the Riverside Plaza in the walkway right between Kilarney's and El Torito and at www.loungethirtythree.com.