Canary — Restaurant in Santa Monica

Avoid This Organizer’s Events – Disrespectful and Unprofessional

I usually don’t write negative reviews, but after being treated with little to no respect on two separate occasions by Jose, I feel compelled to share my experience to warn others.

On a Tuesday Salsa Night at La Descarga, by 10:45pm the salsa music stopped in the larger room and reggaeton/club music started playing. Several people were asking one another about the music choice at it was very clear that most people there still wanted to listen and dance to salsa music. When i approached this man to ask about the DJ, he started to curse at me by saying “F the DJ and immediately started to talk bad about the DJ”. I was puzzled why he would even say those things so i walked off. When i was leaving for the night, i genuinely went up to him and asked him if every tuesday night is like that in terms of music choice, and he immediately responded by saying “you have a lot to say for someone who is coming to a free event”. He continued to vocalize to the security guard that was near us that i was only here to complain about the music. He continued to act offended and speak negatively to me and people around us so i decided to walk off and leave.

Thinking it was a one time incident, i stumbled upon this guy again at The Canary on a Monday night dance social. After i payed up front, i walk into the venue and he saw me and said “I remember you, you are the guy that complains!”. I immediately asked him if this was going to be a problem between us and he responded by saying “idk is it going to be a problem?”. With that type of response, it was clear that I was not welcomed, so i left the venue and went to a different dance social.

This kind of behavior creates an unwelcoming and uncomfortable environment, which is the opposite of what a dance social should be about. There are plenty of well-organized, respectful events in the dance community, and I’d highly recommend choosing those instead of supporting someone who doesn’t value their attendees.

I hope this review helps others avoid a...

Security will scam you at the front door, nothing on their website says a $20 fee to get in although the security guards will gladly sit there and say there is a “special event” happening or some BS and you have to pay them $20 to enter this is not only false but it’s a complete lie and scam from the security guards at the front I’m talking to you management you need to get rid of your security they are stealing from customers and your business I will no longer ever show up to this place and get charged $20 from your lame unregistered security I bet BSIS would love to look into them… on the first occasion it was a decent atmosphere didn’t mind paying the $20 to be honest, although the second time I went security said there was a private party and again I needed to pay $20 to enter once we entered literally nobody was in the bar it was 11 o’clock Saturday and nobody was there, I literally wasted $20 along with a $10 beer which was ridiculously priced also this place sucks it’s a scam and management I would love my $40 back that you guys scammed me out of that I didn’t even need to...

Beware: Hidden 20% Charge Without Disclosure

I attended an event here and was shocked to find a 20% “Tips” automatically added to my drink tab, without any prior notice or disclosure. There was no signage, no mention on the menu, and the staff never informed me. They also didn’t provide a bill to review or sign until i asked, which made the charge feel sneaky and intentional.

Not only were the drinks already overpriced, but tacking on a hidden fee after the fact is deceptive and likely illegal under California consumer protection laws. You cannot charge customers extra without clearly disclosing it in advance.

To make matters worse, the sound system was terrible! Muddy audio and poorly balanced levels completely killed the vibe. Between the shady billing practices and subpar setup, I won’t be returning, and I’d strongly caution others to think twice...