Decorations reveal a lot about a dive bar, in this case the dense array of signage, framed photos and completely miscellaneous accent pieces looking maybe not dusty but not fresh either. There is some intention here, the desire to create a dive bar-like atmosphere with the right pieces, but there is also enough organically strange content here to not feel staged. Beer sign neon can be found in spots, but maybe the most interesting stretch of decoration is the golf-themed collection above the bar that features more than one signed pin flag.
Wood paneling circles the space, stretching from the area behind the Los Angeles dive bar’s three booths to behind the bar, where a stoplight, some road signs and a few vintage appliances provide another dose of quirky dive bar décor. A pair of boxing gloves can be found here hung not as a pair but separately, one of them signed, no doubt indicating some kind of story to be revealed over a cash-only drink or two.
There are updated features here, including the corrugated metal surface along the bar and modern stools that line the area, but they don’t feel overwhelmingly polished or new, allowing a bit of divey charm to still shine through at Al’s Cocktails. Some of that charm can be seen in the form of photo montages that line the pale yellow hallway, presumably depicting scenes from the not-so-distant Al’s Cocktails past filled with locals and regulars enjoying one of the more affordable drinks to be found in the Los Angeles area.