72-Year-Old Atwater Bar, Club Tee Gee, Returns Tonight With a Whole New Look

Iconic Eastside bar Club Tee Gee is back. The 72-year-old drinking den in Atwater Village has been down for the count for quite some time, as work was done inside following an ownership change last year.

Now Tee Gee seems ready to roll, per their shiny new Instagram page. The place has been seriously scrubbed over but still has plenty of mellow, local bar charm, from the buoyant booths to the vintage lighting. Of course not everyone will love the makeover from the folks behind Echo Park bar the Short Stop, but that’s to be expected any time anyone touches a classic. Drinkers were similarly mad when area bar the Gold Room turned from a low-key hangout to a moody new neon-lit cocktail bar last summer.

The new decor and ownership change was all spurred on by last year’s death of Betty Barlotta, the longtime owner/operator of Club Tee Gee. There was reportedly a rather contentious back-and-forth among family members looking to take control of the property, but ultimately the dust settled on a new sale and plans for a remodel.

The business had long been letting roughly half of its space languish, and now The Eastsider is saying the new owners are turning that side of the room into a separate event space and spillover room for big crowds on Friday and Saturday nights. They’ll be introducing some new drink and even programming to match. As for the opening, 1946-era staple Club Tee Gee opens its doors once again starting tonight at 4 p.m.

Club Tee Gee. 3210 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA.

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