Burbank Karaoke Bar Dimples Lays Down the Mic After Three Decades in Business

It looks like real estate developers are once again the bad guys in Los Angeles’ fight to keep its beloved dive bars. Now that the Cat & Fiddle is officially down for the count (and the Powerhouse has been reborn into a chic cocktail bar) it seems that a beloved Burbank karaoke institution is being plowed under for some mixed use development.

Love it or hate it, Dimples on Olive Avenue — adjacent to the Warner Brothers studio — is an iconic Valley haunt. It’s been open just as long as Cat & Fiddle, and even gained a bit more notoriety after many (in)famous nights where celebs dropped in to belt out a tune, or just down one too many pints. Now, according to LAist, the last song may nearly be sung, as developers plan to scrape the site clean in anticipation of a block-long development project known as Talaria at Burbank, which is set to include a shiny new Whole Foods.

Dimples, which consistently referred to itself as America’s First Karaoke Bar (despite plenty of claims to the contrary) has been a popular, if a touch run-down, Burbank dive for generations of local drinkers. The watering hole was even featured on an episode of Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer not long ago, which helped to elevate its status while showcasing the place’s penchant for ornery owner antics and wall kitsch.

According to the Dimples Facebook page, nostalgic karaoke’rs can still belt out a few showtunes in the coming weeks, as the final padlock won't go on until mid-January. And until then, Dimples will be relieving itself of its massive boozy inventory, so expect plenty of two-for-one deals down the line. There’s no official word on relocation plans as of yet.