I went to the Arsenal on Saturday night just an hour before last call and was able to witness the mad dash for midnight booty. The place was packed with boys and girls but unfortunately for my guy friend, it seemed like all the girls were already occupied with the men who snagged them first. The one nice girl he invested 10 minutes of conversation in turned out to be “engaged.” He checked out the scene in the back bar. Girls sitting alone at the bar were quickly joined by friends or faster playboys. He surveyed the dance floor in the main room for most of the night. Apparently that’s the prime spot to meet women as they danced with their girlfriends and showed off their moves. But nary a single girl to be found. I suggested the outside smoking patio but he’s not into smokers. In any case, if he had just arrived earlier there might have been a chance for him.

I remember the Arsenal in its original incarnation of 1960s sports dive bar/steakhouse and I’ve been when it first opened as its present form of redone hipster lounge bar/steakhouse. But I hadn’t gone in awhile since happy hours (5-7pm Mon-Fri) seemed kinda dead. But on Saturday, the place was packed, the music was loud and the two bars were busy. I’ve never seen it like this. Again, lots of single guys and not enough single girls. I didn’t really get to experience the meat market since the two guys I was hanging out with cramped my style and from the looks of things I was glad. The one time I wandered away from my friends to check out what was going on in the other room on the dance floor, guys nearby immediately sized me up. I felt like a deer who unwittingly wandered into a den of wolves.

The crowd was probably in their 20s and 30s, and there was the occasional eye candy. The dj was all right as he played a mix of ’80s and some contemporary stuff. We danced to, I’m ashamed to say, Nu Shooz’s “I Can’t Wait” and then to Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” The small dance floor was in an odd place, right in front of the entrance so people kept walking back and forth as dancers tried to do their thing.

I’d definitely go back another Saturday night, a little earlier this time, just to check out what it’s like at the height of the night. Maybe there’s more eye candy.

There’s a well-stocked bar but surfing the Arsenal site I see that they have an extensive specialty cocktails list. I LOVE specialty cocktails! Intriguing choices?

APPLE MARGATINI: Sauza Tres Generations Plata Tequila, Apple Schnapps, Lime Juice, Cinnamon Sugar Rim
CRAZY DUTCHMAN Dutch Chocolate Vodka, Vanilla Schnapps, White Chocolate Powder Rim

People have complained of weak, overpriced drinks on CitySearch and AOL’s CityGuide but I didn’t experience that simply because I ordered a whiskey on the rocks. Maybe that’s the way to go.

12012 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Cross Street: Bundy
(310) 575-5511