Highland Park’s Former Masonic Temple Turns to Live Music and Food

Highland Park’s next live entertainment venue is almost ready to kick things off, as the Lodge Room angles for an early November arrival. Details have been trickling out about the second-floor property overlooking Figueroa ever since last summer, when it was announced that owner Hugh Horne had gone in front of the Highland Park Neighborhood Council to discuss some planned changes to his building.

Now The Eastsider has collected a few juicy tidbits into one updated post of their own, detailing a November opening for Lodge Room along with a few acts slated to play at the property come December. Most interestingly, the former Masonic lodge will have an attached restaurant and bar called Checker Hall. Expect a tall, moody sort of place with dark-trim booths and hanging bulb lights, plus an open bar area and wood flooring to match the period-specific details of the 1922-era building.

Currently Checker Halls is hiring up now for a variety of positions, from executive chef to general manager, though public details on what food will be served remains scarce. LA Magazine published a description from the owners behind the restaurant that calls for “fun, tasty neighborhood eats.”

Expect an opening in November, with live shows to ramp up at Lodge Room by early December. In the meantime there is certainly no shortage of places to eat and drink around Figueroa otherwise, from Good Girl Dinette at the back of that block to Highland Park Bowl, Cafe Birdie, RBTA, and cocktail bar ETA on down.

Lodge Room / Checker Hall
104 N. Ave. 56
Los Angeles, CA

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