YEE: Lock & Key

Thanks so much to the Lock & Key and Unilocal for the Do-​over. It was pretty cool how this event landed on the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition! woot woot! And what a great place to celebrate it. Thanks to Katie B, Nitar, and the Unilocal staff.
Much smoother event — easy peasy check-​in. Great loot — got some new gloves :) Need a spare for my car right?
Plenty of street parking (again) woot!
2 tickets for drinks — about 5 to choose from (Prohibition punch was premade, everything else easily crafted). 1 ticket for food (2 sliders + fries). The food lady was walking around with food to be traded. I’m glad she found us, rather than us having to search for it.
I’d come back again. Are we doing another do-​over? :)

We had the great privilege of a do-​over for this YEE. This time things seemed to be much more organized. Easy check-​in, given tickets for food and drinks, swag on the tables, and more bartenders for fast service this time around.
Lock & Key bartenders were able to make me a virgin cocktail which was quite fruity and refreshing. This complimented the light bites that they served up to each and everyone of us. I had a great time hanging out with the girls (Jennifer N and Niki S) laughing it up and taking pics.
Thanks again to Katie B and Nitar L for another great event.

While I had a great time the first time this event was hosted, Lock & Key really stepped it up and brought out all the bells and whistles for the second take of this partay.
We were treated to full plates of food (a couple different types of sliders and a pile of garlic fries) and two fabulous drinks apiece. I loved the garlic fries — super buttery delicious. The sliders were on the dry side but had potential.
The bartenders at Lock & Key are just fabulous — they make some mean, stiff, knock-​you-​on-​yer-​ass style, and though they take a little longer to make, you can taste every hand-​crafted ingredient in them. They’re worth the price.
A big thanks to Katie B and the ever generous staff at the Lock & Key who just wanted to give us their best and make sure we had a blast! I’ll be back for some more of those tantalizing drinks.

Keeping my update brief and simple, The Lock & Key Redo is an absolute success! I didn’t have any major qualms about the first event but nevertheless any attempt for improvement must be commended! From check-​in to ordering specialty cocktails and the way the food was served — it was all top notch!
It was lovely seeing everyone all dressed up to the nines! Many Thanks to the Lock & Key and to Katie B. & her crew for this fantastic Lock & Key Redux!
See y’all next time!

Last time, I spent most of my time trying to get a drink/​trying to get food/​trying to not die of spontaneous combustion (see review below).
At the redo, I spent most of my time discussing a certain anonymous Unilocaler’s «indigestion.»
I guess, that’s better? :)
Either way, Lock & Key makes some SERIOUSLY STRONG cocktails. Go if you’re looking for a good time.
Happy Holidays, Unilocal crew! xx

The redo event was definitely an improvement! They had more bartenders staffed who had our drinks coming out in less than 5 — 10 min. Food was handed out by one person in forms of small sample plates. There was actually an improvement in both the taste and quality of the food since then! Cheers to you guys! It was a lot more chill and I really enjoyed the music being played too!
Thank you Lock & Key, Katie, & Unilocal!My +1 and I had a great time!

It is always great hanging out with my Unilocal buddies. I had a really really tough week because my father had an heart attack and open heart surgery. As he was recovering successfully, Tim invited me as his plus one, as I am ALWAYS grateful for.
It was my first event that I actually, kind of had a costume on. My devil ears and Devil’s fork was all over my friends head. At the end of the night I was only left with my heavy makeup and fake eyelashes on my costume… lol
I am always grateful and looking forward for an Unilocal event. But this particular event was not as organized as others. But Nitar did a good job making her rounds and introduced herself and mingled with fellow Unilocalers. She did a great job and the un organization was not in her control. We arrived and instead of getting 2 tickets per person, we ended up only with one drink ticket. It took us (Actually Tim) to stand at the bar for an hour before the bartender got to our drinks. The food was out within minutes so we didn’t even get to try anything.
But we still had a fun time because my Unilocal buddies knows how to make the best of any night! Lots of selfie pictures with my girls, Gloria and Niki. Tim got tipsy and was a very naughty boy that night! :-P But it’s all good!
Got to finally meet Joe P. Good times and great laughs!
Although event wasn’t at its best, but it was an opportunity to check out the place. Thank you Unilocal and Nitar for bringing us together! We got to check out Lock and Key, saw awesome costumes and bond with our Unilocal buddies!

I had a great time at this event and looked forward to it with great anticipation, having used my crafting skills to make a costume out of gift wrap paper and wanting to show it off.
Lock & Key did a great job crafting signature cocktails and spins on traditional ones like the Old Fashion. Yes, it took a while to get a drink but that was to be expected, since they were craft cocktails they were making with fresh ingredients. But, my hat goes off to the bartenders who despite the pressure, were able to make consistent drinks; and not one was batched up. Wow!

Yes, the lines were long, and yes there was no food, but I really did end up having a great time. I loved the idea of a DIY costume contest, and had a blast making my mermaid get up. Loved seeing all the other creative costumes out there.
Would’ve loved to see some easier-​made cocktails for the night to speed up the process, or readily offer beers and non-​alcoholic drinks in a separate line, or with cocktail waitresses walking around? Food — I didn’t get any, but that’s ok, we’re at a speakeasy, not a restaurant. But we go, and we learn. Excited to hear about the make-​up event, and see what this place has to offer.
Thank you for hosting us, and being so gracious Lock and Key. Everyone on staff was super nice, and apologetic for the wait. Thanks Katie B. for setting it up and being a rock star. We missed you!

I’m not gonna lie… I’m still fantasizing about the delicious chicken wings from Lock & Key. Yeah, the event was disorganized and started late, but I still left full and happy. I’m not sure why the check-​in process was different at this event (+1s had to write down their names and email addresses even if they were Elite) or why the food didn’t start slowly appearing until close to 7:45pm. All in know was that I had fun dressing up as Luna the Cat from Sailor Moon and taking pics with my Sailor Scouts and of course my fav zombie, Marthie D.
I heard from many Unilocalers that waiting for a drink was torture bc there were only 3 bartenders serving all of us. Some people said that it took 20 – 30 min for a drink. That blows! I had to wait 5 – 10 for my pineapple/​cranberry juice, but that wasn’t too bad since I had company.
One thing I did NOT like at all about this event was the fact that people were smoking in the outdoor part of the event. It was not fun breathing in secondhand smoke, but the venue didn’t say smoking was prohibited so I just tried to stay indoors.
Parking was easy since we arrived at 7:00, right when Vermont stops charging the meters.

It was a fun night seeing all Unilocalers dressed in ABC at Lock & Key! The event was fun, however, it was a bit unorganized.
Some folks received more or less drink tickets than others, light bites were more like no bites, and the bartender who made our drinks were a bit snooty.
I was hoping for a costume contest as it would be appropriate for the occasion but that didn’t happen. I thought the one who came as a birthday present wearing an enormous gift bag was pretty clever.
Nonetheless, thanks Unilocal for putting it together! Katie, we missed you!

Free drinks? Down! Definitely have some mixed opinions about this review so I’ll have to come back on a night where I spend my own coin. For the most part I’d like to thank Unilocal and all parties involved for holding the event.
Line was weak by the time we got there so that was good. Right when we came in it was off to then bar to get a drink. …or so we thought. The inside bar was slightly packed. We spent about 15 minutes in line then decided to head to the outside bar where the wait was short… or so we thought. Spent a good 25 minutes out there and only moved a few centimeters in line. So my friend headed back to the inside bar and grabbed a good spot where we only waited10 more minutes for some hooch.
I can understand why it took long: hand crafted cocktails on fire! No arguments when we got the drinks because they were phenom. The barrel aged cocktail was the best. They used a smoker to create smoke givinv the drink a nice smoky, roasted taste. It was def the best out of the black sand and the coalition. Apparently I was the first to order it all night– score! And we were given 2 extra drink tickets– double score holmes!
Good thing we’re given extra drink tickets because it made up for the lack of food. I was able to grab us a skimpy plate of fries. Fries were fire. Other than that I saw some morsels going around that looked ok, but nothing worth lining up for.
Free Unilocal swag was cool. Mug holders, candy, and glasses were some dope items to come up on. Kudos. Even though the wait was ridiculous I still had a good time. Can’t argue with free and beggars can’t be choosers.

I have to agree with other Unilocalers that I’ve seen much better organized events in the past and this one was a bit disappointing. We all missed Katie B so much and wished she was there!
To be fair my carpool party of three were running late, but I was amazed to find out that the event didn’t really start until 30 minutes after the actual start time of 7pm. Food was scarce and drink lines were crazy. I only had a slider and a Ginger Ale at the event and acquiring either items seemed like an eternity. Lines were long and I think many of us started getting impatient so we gave up on getting drinks after awhile.
I did however enjoy the company of all the costumed Unilocalers! People got really creative and made some awesome costumes! I have to give a shout out to my Sailor Scouts crew Tuxedo Mask aka Kevin N, my Sailor Mars twin aka Sidney T, Sailormoon aka Tara C, Sailor Mercury aka Esther K, and Luna cat aka May W. If there was a group contest you know we would have wiped it clean! ;) Also shout outs to the hot dogs Jessica Y and Justin Y, big Pimpin Maverick Jackson Y, and Karen C your self made sushi costume was a hit!
*Update I’m glad Katie sent out an email about a redo for Lock and Key. I think they deserve a second chance at showing us what they can offer. Can’t wait to come back and hopefully It will be a better experience for everyone.

The lower star review is for Lock & Key and not a reflection on the staff of Unilocal,it seemed that the establishment was inadequately prepared for the ABC Party Unilocal event.
There were only three bartenders and they were all working turtle slow. I am not exaggerating, it took an hour to wait for one drink from the one bartender outside. I went to the bartender outside, because I got fed up waiting at the bar for more than 20 mintues inside without being acknowledged. Event staff was trying to convince Unilocalers to go back to the bar inside saying the bartenders weren’t that busy, but at least outside had a systematic line and you knew eventually you were going to get served.
The Strawberry Mule was good, I had a sip of the Mezical and found it very smoky and not my cup of tea. Since I was driving, I knew I couldn’t get another drink since by the time I got it I wouldn’t have enough time to enjoy it without breaking the law so I gave my drink ticket away.
I know Lock & Key wanted to show of their fancy mixology skills, but one hour for one drink is ridiculous. What other venues for other Unilocal event have done is streamline the drink menu to a highlight just a handful of their signature drinks. This makes the bartender’s work easier and speeds up the ordering process.
Then the appetizers were another issue, I guess people didn’t read the email saying it was supposed to be small bites. I ended up having to get my +1 to wait in line for my drink, so I can jump in line for food and still ended up not trying anything. While lining up I saw Unilocalers eating their plates of food while waiting in line for seconds! I scored four greasy garlic fries as I was on my way out. The garlic flavor was strong but the oiliness of the fries was turn off, maybe because they were cold…
No parking for Lock & Key and the slowest bartenders, also didn’t see what makes this place a «speakeasy» a dark interior and some old fashioned wall scones?! Well the night wasn’t a bust because I got to say Happy Birthday to Janelle Q. and see all the fantastic custom costumes made, such as Jackson Y.‘s Top Gun outfit and Shanon Y’s Sailor Scouts. I also scored some candy and red Unilocal sunglasses!

Thank you Nitar for throwing a great event! Unfortunately I have to dock a star because there were several hiccups… but it was still a fun event and I’m glad I got to go :)
This was my first time at Lock & Key in Koreatown; I actually never even knew this place existed before. I used to drive by this intersection (3^rd/​Vermont) ALL the time before and I never noticed it! Well, I guess that’s what Unilocal events are good for, introducing you to new places! I was too cheap to pay for valet and I couldn’t find street parking, so I parked across the street at Vons. Everyone there looked at me weird for being in costume on the night BEFORE Halloween: P
I came as Sidney’s +1, but Sidney was still stuck in traffic when I arrived. I saw the lady behind the counter (Stephanie?) checking everyone in and giving them 2 drink tickets each, but she said I couldn’t enter without my Unilocaler :(Thankfully within a few minutes someone else came by (maybe Nitar? I never actually met her…) and told her it was OK to let me in. So she had me sign in and then she gave me ONE drink ticket. Was I being discriminated against because Sidney wasn’t there?! Although someone else mentioned that they kept on running out of drink tickets… maybe my timing was just off. I also missed out on guessing which knob was the correct one since the door was propped open: P
The inside of Lock & Key is pretty nice though. They had a couple couches, several booths, and a few tall tables set up. And there was a live DJ too! I know everyone complained about the food; thankfully the food came out right after I got there! I was able to sample their three offerings, but I understand why most people missed out. Because it was so dark inside, it was really hard to tell when there was food out or not. They also never made any announcements about it and they never brought out a lot at once. And I think they only refilled it a few times? The food was from Stall 239, which provides the food for Lock & Key. I got to try:
LOLLIPOP CHICKEN WINGS: Crispy lollipop style wings. Mild or Sichuan Spicy.
– Normally these come 5 to a dish, served with rice, but obviously that was not the case here. I think we only got Mild as well. I tried one; it was small but flavourful and good.
«BG FRIES» (BUTTER GARLIC)
– These were cold by the time I got to them, but still really good. You can really taste the butter and garlic and of course those two combined (with fries!) are DELICIOUS.
SLIDERS
– I’m not sure what kind of sliders they were; for sure it was cold though. Still pretty good, although kind of a messy eat. Also got just one.
Like everyone else, I was also stuck waiting for a super long time to get my drink. There were two bartenders in the inside bar and one on the outside patio (which is nice). I get why Lock & Key would only have three bartenders (and one barback); not only did they close their venue down to paying customers and throw an event for nonpaying customers, but they are giving said nonpaying customers free food and drink… and on top of that, they still have to pay their staff! But then they shouldn’t have limited our drink choices to their ELEVEN «classic cocktails» which each involve SEVERAL ingredients. I get that they want to highlight their cocktails, which they are known for, but they should have just picked their top three then. I did appreciate that their barback was able to serve nonalcoholic drinks or beer, but I wanted to try one of their cocktails. Which meant I was stuck in line for 45 minutes before I even got to order –_​– I got their Strawberry Mule: vodka, strawberries, mint, lime juice, ginger beer. It was pretty good, although I wished the taste of strawberries was stronger, but it was not worth a 45-​min wait. May offered me her drink ticket later on but I refused because I did not want to spend another 45 minutes in line –_​–
But I still had a great time taking pictures and seeing everyone! I was dressed as Sailor Mercury and my group consisted of Sailor Moon (Tara), two Sailor Mars (Shanon and Sidney), Luna (May), and Tuxedo Mask (Kevin). Good times! Also have to give shoutouts to Marthie, Tiffany, Jackson, Kevin, the two JYangs, birthday girl Janelle, and my new Unilocaler friend Mandi T! She hooked me up with Unilocal sunglasses since I missed out on those, although I did make sure to grab the Unilocal koozie and candy bag out on the patio table. Definitely missed Katie B though :(

Happy Halloween!
Last night’s event at Lock & Key was fun although there were a few hiccups. First, the venue is amazing. Trying to find the entry way to Lock & Key set the tone for the evening.
The drink list that they served was spellbinding. Lots of choices to select from which was good for the guest but bad for the wait time. The cocktail food selection was interesting. I loved the chicken and wish I could have sampled the mysterious elusive burger that was roaming around the place. I will have to give the Lock & Key staff (manager and bar staff) credit for pumping out the drinks in volume last night.
I was good to see Neil and new friends Joe and Paul, sailor scouts and the animé boys (sorry, I forgot your names…).
Good job Unilocal.Katie B. (the hostess with the mostest) you were missed but Nitar & Kimberly were able to assist us with the evening.

Always skeptical at events that gives out tickets for drinks, but somehow I managed to get my buzz on. Near end of the night, everyone was just giving away their drink tickets. As a matter of fact, Im not really sure how I ended up with 2 extra tickets in my pocket. Definitely not a dry event!
So there was super long line to get mixed drinks. Luckily I figured out that getting beer was a lot quicker. They had a really good IPA, so I had about 3 beers. But I did hear a ton of complaints about the wait for drinks. The only food I had was some french fries, which was all right. Seriously couldn’t tell you how good the food was because they ran out. It’s all good, beer is food right?
Thanks Katie B and Nitar for setting up this event. Shout out to Birthday girl Janelle Q, my Hot dogs the JYang crew, Sailor scouts, Commander Sam C, mi hombre Kevin T, assassins creed or robin hood Neil G, attacking people with her wings Rebecca H, the homegirl Yvette T, the girl with a bleached Toto Dorothy X, my fav mario bro Marcus L, the very scary running dead Marthie D, and the super appropriately dressed/​named ratchet bananas.

I had a great time!
Fresh drinks and made with precision are my favorite types of alcomahol ! I love mixologist they use so much energy in making just one drink –so i have to give it up for that!
Ive been to lock and key before and always had a good time– i usually worry about parking but this time we were able to find parking fairly fast and not far from the location!
Thank you Nitar and Katie B. for this event– I didnt get to play hang the clothes on the drawn on girl… i did see the winner and his box of goodies!
I lovee their drenched garlic fries !!

I have been to Lock & Key several times, so when I saw there was going to be an event here I had to sign up. Katie B. was kind enough to let me in, and she made sure Nitar tried to introduce me to some peeps. However, as you can see from my pics, I didn’t need any help — LOL!!!
I rated this place 5 Stars in the past despite the pretentiousness of the bartenders, because I just freakin like the place: 5 Stars again. Unilocal events are always cool, so it was nice to meet Yvette T., Niki S., Jennifer N., Gloria R. and Tim C. (the latter 4 invited me to KBBQ — or as they corrected me later, I invited myself — hahaha). I finally met Sonya T. whom I let cut in «line» cos she’s so «fine» — hehehe!
Although the venue was dope, and the peeps were cool, the service was horrible and there was no food. It took me 45 min to get a drink, and I had one chicken wing!!! I have to maintain my girlish figure after all: 2 Stars.
I would come back for an event, but management needs to staff properly, and plan the food better. Otherwise, I can’t wait to meet up with some new friends…

Big ups to my homegirl Nitar for stepping in on behalf of Katie B… She did a fantastic job with the Unilocal Nucleus event last week as well! Great location, amazing costumes but just 1 very important detail was missing which is no reflection of her.
Drink lines: Sucks balls. Could I get a fast pass at least? Seriously!!! I don’t even drink but the fact that my homegirl Yvette T. and her man Bri Bri had to wait an hr to get a drink is absolutely inexcuseable. I felt like they were very short staffed and a lot of the bartenders were working at a snail’s pace.
Food: Light bites? That is probably the biggest understatement of the evening. More like NO BITES. I’m not expecting a gourmet meal but the lack of finger food irritated a lot of people, including yours truly…
However, with that being said my favorite part of tonight’s event would have to be the In-​n-​out I got immediately after I left Lock and Key… True Story.
Big ups to Nitar for planning the event!
Shoutouts to all the Mavericks, Sailor Moons, and most of all my favorite Hot Dog Jessica Y!
Sincerely yours,
Justin «I wore the Hotdog Costume» Y.