This is kind of a trick category because there aren't really any other full-on Thai bars in L.A. Sure, the Houston brothers are of Thai descent, and they've been killing it in the hipster bar scene. And restaurants such as Darabar Secret Thai Cuisine on Hollywood Boulevard's Thai Town strip have full alcohol licenses — but they're essentially late-night eateries. Thai Angel is the opposite, a locals' bar on the edge of Koreatown with Thai beer (Singha, Chang), bar snacks (chicken skewers, Thai sausage, pork jerky) and plenty of dive-style flavor. There are plans for DJ and karaoke nights, but for now you'll have to make do with the Southeast Asian–style cocktails, available on a special menu, and cozy red banquettes that recall the bar-hopping of yesteryear. In a town filled with speakeasies that aren't speakeasies and theme bars that require gimmicky passwords and hidden entrances, it's refreshing to find a watering hole that's just that, with real Thai flavor to boot.

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