Little Bar, the appropriately-named new watering hole and eatery from Skip Paige, will open to the public on Thursday, September 5. The bar, located in the spot that was once home to Randy’s Cafe on Highway 111 near San Pablo in Palm Desert, will offer up craft cocktails, beer, wine, food, and oh so much memorabilia.
Paige, the former Chief Operating Officer of Goldenvoice, has been hard at work transforming the former breakfast spot into a bar for the last seven months. He took me on a tour of the place the day before the big opening. Here’s a preview of what you can expect:
Little Bar is indeed, very little
Yup, that’s the real sign from the place, which has a maximum occupancy of just 31 people – so, if you are planning on going opening day, perhaps think about getting there at 11 am, when they open.
Little Bar has soooooo much memorabilia
When you roll up to the place, the first thing you notice is that the outside of Little Bar is short on frills. It’s basically a small neon sign and, well, that’s about it.
But once you head inside, it’s an entirely different story
The bar is very nice, but the first thing that gets your attention are the walls in Little Bar.
Paige, who was instrumental in so many concerts, festivals, and events during his 30-year career, has dug into his seemingly endless supply of memorabilia to decorate the place. On the walls above the bar’s booths, a montage of tickets for events Paige produced or attended run across the wall.
Look closely and you will see some familiar events:
And some that might not be quite as familiar to you:
And these tickets are not only decorations, Paige has a story behind just about all of them. During my time at Little Bar, he shared numerous stories with me based on the tickets on display including that time Guns N’ Roses nearly broke up on stage to how amazing it was to attend a Metallica show in Costa Rica.
In addition to the ticket wall, there are also special displays of hotel room keys obtained around the world by Paige, some custom artwork showcasing Indio and a Palm Desert apartment complex I used to live by, and things even extend into the bathroom:
Guests using Little Bar’s facilities can take in a ton of show tickets from Paige’s collection, along with hand-selected album covers, which completely surround the bathroom.
Take it all in while you’re there, but not too long, other people have to go you know!
Little Bar’s Drinks
So, sure, there’s a lot to take in, but it’s a bar and you are thirsty. Well, you are in luck. Little Bar offers a selection of wines starting at $8 a glass. You can also have a night of it and get an entire bottle for you and your friends. There’s also beer (domestic 5$, import $6, craft $7), coffee, and soft drinks.
Now, since this is a bar, there are plenty spirits to choose from and a craft cocktail menu featuring eight drinks including a Hand-pressed Greyhound, the Little Bar Gin & Tonic (with house-made east India Tonic), and the “Skip & Go Naked” – a drink that includes Tito’s vodka, cerveza, pink lemonade, and Sprite, topped with a “popped cherry.” Cocktails will run you $14.
Little Bar’s Food
You can also get your grub on at Little Bar with a lunch and night menu that includes bar food favorites like tacos, nachos, tater tots, and burgers – all for $7 and under. I was treated to a taste of the cheeseburger and it’s pretty damn good.
On Saturday and Sunday, the menu expands to breakfast, as Randy (of Randy’s Cafe) is back to sling four menu options for $12 or less, including a three-egg scramble, the Limonadi Special (which includes Irish Toast or Irish Waffles), and Randy’s Special – two eggs poached on top of two English muffins with Hollandaise sauce made fresh to order.
Where is Little Bar in Palm Desert?
Fine, I get it, you are thirsty and hungry now and you want to head out. You will find Little Bar at 73560 Highway 111 in Palm Desert. You can also get more info on the place here.
When can I go to Little Bar?
Paige and the crew are opening their doors on Thursday, September 5 at 11 am. They will then be open from 11 am to late night Tuesday – Sunday.
