Some nights, it's a mellow pool hall. Some nights, it's a free-spirited karaoke haunt. And some nights, it's bursting at the seams with gay guys looking to score some cheap, strong drinks and, ahem, a ride home.

Mother Lode recently decided to take greater advantage of its location on Boystown's busiest corner—that'd be the intersection of Santa Monica and Robertson boulevards—by knocking two big holes through its front walls on either side of the entrance. Suddenly, men hang over the rails of its makeshift people-watching patios. (As opposed to the smoking patio out back, where totally hammered guys have been known to get a little more saucy.) Inside the bar, the scene varies wildly depending on the night of the week, but the drinks are always strong and cheap, the bartenders always friendly and generous with freebies.—Lonny Pugh