ANIMAL LA

After taking Brooklyn by storm, the Animal team set their sights West in an effort to bring Los Angeles another queer bar. The massive space, formerly home to the music venue and bar Resident in the Arts District, is already filling up with gender expansive queer people who can’t get enough of its pulsing beats and reliable drinks.

The vibe: The sprawling, smoke-friendly patio shaded by a canopy of trees is the perfect place to escape the heat of the dance floor with your friends or somebody new. Inside, an additional bar sits in an industrial space, partially lit by a gloriously large banana disco ball. Thursdays through Sundays typically have DJs with no cover; otherwise, the inside bar is likely closed.

The food: Though Animal doesn’t have a kitchen, food trucks often set up on weekends in the patio area.

The drink: The agave-forward menu is known for its slate of margaritas, especially its slushie Watermelon Marg. Other refreshing sips include the frozen, rum-based espresso drink and their spritzes on tap. A fairly robust non-alcoholic menu largely costs $10 or less, including mocktails that aren’t just dressed-up sodas, like the botanical, martini-adjacent Temperate Lady.

Time Out tip: You can make any signature cocktail into a spritz for a $5 discount.