Our Story
Imagine stepping into a quaint speakeasy during prohibition south of the border.
LA Bufadora is a timeless escapism experience transporting you into different times and far off, distant escapes where exclusive libation rituals are served in every crafted cocktail and relaxing exotica rhythms meet nostalgic beats and guilty pleasures in the airwaves. An exciting portal where native entertainers captivate you with the best live local music, cabaret dancers, DJs and friendly uplifting vibes. A nostalgic Baja getaway in the heart of East LA’s Boyle Heights.
The meaning of ESCAPISM is habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginnate an escape from reality or routine. LA Bufadora provides the perfect getaway without the airline tickets or time machines.
Local Lore, The legend of Margarita and Don Julio
As you walk through the front door make sure to look up and say hello to the remembrance of who were once Margarita & Don Julio.
Legend has it that from the moment Don Julio met Margarita at LA Bufadora he fell madly in love with her and wanted nothing else in life, but to marry her, but she would not marry him until he wrote her a special song and serenaded her.
So, Don Julio picked up an old guitar with rusty strings and started strumming the perfect notes and practiced the perfect words that expressed how much he loved his beloved Margarita.
He practiced many days and nights until his rusty strings popped and he lost his voice.
Sadly, Don Julio could serenade no more and died of a broken heart. Margarita grew old waiting for her beloved serenade and died alone.
It is said that the spirits of Margarita and Don Julio linger inside our speakeasy and every time someone orders a Margarita from the bar, you can see the ghosts of Don Julio silently serenading Margarita with his sad eyes.
Our journey began a year go,
LA Bufadora was originally opened in 1989 on the corner of 1st Street and Indiana where the historic RED CAR train once ran. Today the Metro rail now transports Angelinos and stops several feet from our front door. For decades the cozy bar served Boyle Heights as a local beer stop and pool hall until 2023 when the original owner closed its doors. La Bufadora fostered many friendships and memories throughout the years and the idea of loosing another local favorite broke our hearts. Fast forward to our modest restoration of this 100 year old building. Priotitizing local culture appropriation we aim to preserve and showcase decades of iconic cultures and history for future generations through our art, music, film and culture events. We hope you will join us.