Paradise Iced Tea

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Being a straight male, I generally don’t frequent too many bars along Broadway. But after a recent visit to Paradise Piano Bar—where I once hosted karaoke, fun fact!—I plan on visiting more often. With its sun-faded pink exterior and giant falcon statue greeting visitors at the door, the Paradise is a pretty welcoming beach-town destination—it even has the old standby Taco Tuesday. But instead of the beach bums and Sublime tunes one might expect at such a place, you’re greeted by jazz music and clean-cut gentlemen in impeccably dry-cleaned silk shirts.

We arrived and perused the drink menu, full of trendy variations on classic drinks. “We’re trying to have an LA drink menu without the LA prices,” our super-friendly server, Aaron, told us—and truly, even the most exotic drinks don’t go above $10. To pass the time as we decided what to sip, we ordered some of the tacos: Served American style with meat, cheese and lettuce, they were an awesome addition to a Tuesday afternoon.

Before we knew it, Aaron brought us an assortment of drinks from top-notch bartender, Mick, the best of which was the Paradise’s twist on the Long Island Iced Tea, the Paradise Iced Tea. It’s essentially the same drink as the ubiquitous classic, but subs top-shelf alcohols and mango-infused vodka, lending it a tropical flavor. (A pair of mojitos off the specials board were also good.) As an added bonus, the Paradise features a covered, closed-off smoking patio, so smokers don’t have to worry about rain, traffic or vagabonds. And you can bring your drink out there!

PARADISE PIANO BAR 1800 E BROADWAY | LONG BEACH 90802 | 562.590.8773 | PARADISEPIANOBAR.COM

Tags: Drink of the Week, Long Beach, paradise ice tea, paradise piano bar