Maui Sugar Mill Saloon — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Ah... The Maui Sugar Mill, in Tarzana, Ca. UPDATE APRIL 8, 2025.

Last night, I again went to the Maui Sugar Mill, and it was how Tony Tiger always used to say, "It's GR-gr-great...". There's NOTHING BETTER for the soul than MUSIC! Especially LIVE music.

IF you haven't visited and experienced the LIVE Blues (and other) Show pit on by Our Own Cadillac Zack @ the Maui Sugar Mill in Tarzana, CA on MONDAY NIGHTS 8:00pm- 1:30am, you ARE missing out!

I've been going to this venue on Monday nights for live music, mostly blues, for 17 years. All ages attend, and the atmosphere is chill very rare to see any issues there.

It never gets old! The fun never stops. I always have a great time, and the people (some I've seen or known for years) in attendance are fun and lively.

The first show, usually a local band, starts at 8pm.

The main event begins around 9pm and goes on until about 11pm.

Artists and bands, some famous (from all over the globe), perform here. Joe Bonamassa was just there performing. However, I believe tickets were sold for that event due to his popularity in the music world.

From about 11pm until close (around 1:30-1:45am), there is an open jam (featuring musicians and singers from all backgrounds) run by bassist Michael B. Bolden. Michael has played with many famous artists and is famous in his own rite!

During the open jam, you'll see all sorts of musicians get pared together and play and sing some amazing music.

It's certainly a treat, I often stay for this entertaining and interesting part of the evening!

The whole nights events are brought to you and run by a local promoter and blues guitarist Cadillac Zack. He's amazing and wonderful! Don't forget to get on his mailing list to be informed of upcoming events.

It's free to get in! However, there is a two drink minimum. The bartenders render service with a smile, and they never pressure you. A voluntary contribution is asked for and collected by Cadillac Zack to pay the perfoemers sometime during the show.

No worries, though! You will get much more (amazing artists, entertainment, and people) out of it than what you put into the donation pot. Heck, you may become a regular like many of us!

Note: It gets pretty full, but you can reserve a table or seat for a fee (Contact Cadillac Zack, he's on Facebook) for more info.

Oh! One more thing! If you get hungry, the restaurant next door serves food until 10 pm. You can order right from where you are, and they'll deliver it...

Deep in the electric heart of Tarzana, California—tucked between gas stations and ghost stories—lurks a legendary watering hole where the spirits of rock, funk, and full-blown chaos still stomp the floorboards. It’s called Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, and if you walk through those creaky doors on the right night, you’re not entering a bar—you’re entering a living myth.

It was one of those nights.

Buck Stallion—part velvet hammer, part cosmic hype man—stood center stage, hosting like the reincarnation of a game show host who got lost at a rave and decided to never come back. The crowd howled before he even touched the mic. He wasn’t just introducing the show—he was conjuring it.

First up was Nerdy, hoodie up, eyes locked, fingers flying across his fretboard like he was inputting cheat codes into the universe. No vocals. Just riffs. Pure, distilled boss-level energy that sounded like a Sega Genesis console got struck by lightning.

Then came SpeedyFromda9, moving like his sneakers were powered by caffeine and prophecy. His flow was razor sharp, slicing through the beat with a voice that sounded like it had seen too much and decided to weaponize the truth. The whole room leaned forward like the floor tilted toward him.

And just when things were about to cool off—Doctor Striker took the stage. Think gothic punk warrior meets cybernetic cult leader. He and his band delivered a set that felt like getting electrocuted in the middle of a haunted sermon. Guitars screamed, drums exploded, and somewhere in the chaos, the audience found religion. Or at least a reason to sweat through their favorite black t-shirts.

The bartenders—Ariel and Sam—kept the drinks flowing like they were summoned by incantation. The sound? Flawless, thanks to the wizard behind the knobs, Nubs, who made every snare hit feel like thunder in your chest.

The walls were thick with stories. Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Slash—they’d all played here. Not as VIPs. As pilgrims. Worshippers. Just like the rest of us.

By the end of the night, nobody wanted to leave. They lingered like kids who didn’t want recess to end. Because at Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, the music isn’t just sound—it’s a living, breathing jungle. And when it roars, you feel it.

Five stars. Ten shots. Infinite vibes. This wasn’t just a show—it was Buck Stallion’s Mellow Saturday Night Fever… and the jungle...

The best damn dive bar and music venue in the San Fernando Valley. Not even a question about that!

Genre of music varies from blues to honky tonk, to punk, back to all acoustic and comedy nights. The bar is small, legitimately dive, and staffed with smart, fast, excellent bartenders.

It's in a damn strip mall which makes no sense at all for how good this music scene is, but does provide plenty of parking and easy access from both Reseda and Ventura.

The Sugar Mill is a small bar, with a small stage and an excellent sound system usually handled by a small genius. Really, he makes bands sound their best and will make sure the vocal feed comes through.

They serve no food, but you can order in, and there's food next door, a couple doors down and at the end of the strip mall.

Liquor and beer prices are fair, selection on taps varies, wine tends to be one white, one red. Bar staff are total pros.

The website is rarely updated, in terms of the event calendar. There is a Facebook page you can find, called Maui Sugar Mill Friends (or something like that), and it's got good information about what's coming up.

Most shows are no-cover, but a two drink minimum. Some more established shows have a cover but almost always a reasonable one, and it's still a two drink minimum.

They accept credit...