There’s an assumed stereotype with bouncers, especially in high-volume nightlife: They’re tough, they’re intimidating, and their sole purpose is to pick you up by your haunches and throw you out on the street if you get too rowdy. While some of these things may be true, it would be rash and ignorant to assume that’s all these men have to offer with their service. LA Downtowner sat down with three of Downtown LA’s most seasoned and respected doormen to hear their stories, clear up any presumptions, and pick their brains and see what really goes down at the door.

If you’ve ever spent an early San Francisco afternoon with time to kill at The Buena Vista Cafe, you’ll know the true glory of their most coveted item, their famous Irish Coffee. Lined up in rows of twenty, even almost thirty heated, six-ounce glasses that are precisely built from the bottom up, the legend of The Buena Vista Irish Coffee was created with careful consideration of ingredients, close attention to detail, and masterful precision, all to flourish in a demanding, high-volume environment.

Ebbing and flowing right in the middle of it all is High Tide, which happens to be exactly what the neighborhood ordered. Serving as a beer and wine bar centered on craft beers and their rosé-focused wine list, the many facets of High Tide rely on its keepers, owners Brandon Bustillos and Flynn Helper. The space High Tide occupies dates back to the 1920s as well, operating originally as a print shop and decades later, falling into the hands of Brandon and Flynn who transformed it into an art gallery and underground event space known formerly as Space Camp.

For over a decade, the innovative fraternal twin duo comprised of Jonnie and Mark Houston, founders of famed Houston Hospitality, have brought a unique and slightly vaudevillian sense of entertainment to the nightlife of Hollywood and beyond, something that even La La Land itself was once missing entirely. Going out on the town in Hollywood ten years ago was like night and day compared to 2018’s standards.