Harvelle's

Came here last night and we had to upgrade from GA to VIP, because the GA seats had restricted views. We ended up sitting towards the back near the isle, we had to share a table with some nice ladies. The show was great and if you sit near the isle you will get a lot of interaction with the dancers. Drinks were just okay, they start at $15 for mixed drinks. I tried to order their specialty drink called poison Vesper, but they didn't have the ingredients to make it. Staff were great.I bought $35 worth of chips, enough for two drinks and a tip.Don't order the mules, they are all sugar. I stuck with Tito's and soda.

Recently went to a burlesque show (which was AMAZING) at Harvelle's, but unfortunately the venue was not so great. They recently switched over to this very odd poker chip business model, where you have to prepay for poker chips to then pay for your drinks (2 drink minimum)... not quite sure why there's an extra step, but it was really inconvenient... especially when the poker table lady tells you drinks are more than they actually are. On this occasion, I was the DD, so I asked how much non-alcoholic drinks were, but no one at the table knew. It took about 5 minutes for everyone to agree they were about $8-$10, and come to find out, it was less than $5 each. Left me with more poker chips than I needed. I ended up tipping the dancers with my chips, but come to find out, that's not allowed anymore.What's the point of the poker chips? Additionally, the system wasn't working the best/fast enough, so I saw people using cards to pay while at their table... I would've loved to do that.Also no more food for right now while the restaurant is gone... which was such a bummer. I miss the old Harvelle's. Get rid of the poker chips!

So, I recently went to support a friend in their Lady Gaga-themed show, but let me tell you--the vibe was off the second I walked in and was greeted by... a poker table. At the entrance. Yep, a whole poker table. I'm already thrown off, but it gets worse. The person sitting in the dealer's chair proceeds to tell us that we need to prepay for casino chips--because apparently, we're not just throwing dollars at the dancers like normal people. No, we're supposed to throw chips at them, I guess? I don't know.She then gives us this whole speech about how we pay for drinks with the chips, and at this point, I'm already a little buzzed from pre-gaming, so I'm just like, "Sure, whatever, I'll pay $40 for some weird casino chips." She swipes me in and then the screen asks how much I want to tip her. Excuse me? The tipping should be for the dancers and bartenders, not for the person who just gave me Monopoly money.Anyway, the show itself was actually fantastic, the dancers were a blast, but then, plot twist: I run out of chips and drinks. So, I call over a cocktail waitress--who, by the way, is dressed like a cowgirl. I'm sorry, but are we in a Lady Gaga show, or a Wild West saloon? The themes are already clashing harder than my stomach after that pregame. The waitress goes into the exact same spiel about chips and payment that I've now heard three times, and at this point, I'm like, "Is this a dance show or a finance seminar?"And to top it off, the waitress clearly didn't even understand the system! She was just as confused as I was, and that, my friends, is a recipe for disaster.The dancers were amazing, but honestly? I'm not sure I'll be back. This place was a mess and not in the fun, chaotic way. More like in the "who thought this was a good idea?" way.

What's the point of paying for VIP if you don't have anyone double checking wristbands???You're allowing drunk people walking up from the bar to the front of the stage dancing and obstructing our view. Can't even see Amy wine house perform

Who on earth is in charge of your business plan? I used to come here all the time and had such a great time--awesome drinks, fun entertainment. Lately, though, it feels like I'm getting sucked into some sort of pyramid scheme with this new poker chip system. It's unnecessarily complicated and, honestly, confusing for NO reason. I had to keep getting up from my seat to buy more chips and I know that sounds like a first world problem but I expect to just sit back and relax and enjoy my drink while watching the entertainment! It was such a hassle, and let me tell you, it's a surefire way to drive customers away.My suggestion? Leave the chip-buying and long lines to the casinos, and just let us enjoy our drinks and entertainment without all the extra confusion. It's really a shame, because I used to love coming here!

What an experience!!! When going down the stairs to enter I felt like I was entering an exclusive speakeasy. I was there for a show and the staff took such good care of us and we had great seats for the show. The venue's decor and overall vibe transport you to the 1940s/50s and all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Themed shows are great, dancers are great. Fun time! However, if I wanted poker chips I'd go to Vegas, why can't we pay with our card or cash instead of this third party support, what are we doing here?

Remove Poker Table and 2 drink minimum. That was annoying. There was people I saw walk out for that.

Total scam. Reserved a Vip booth. When my party arrived we found out that they have been shut down for 2 weeks and sare still taking money for shows.

I used to LOVE coming here! It was my favorite spot in Long Beach, but unfortunately they've implemented a "poker chip pay system," where you have to pre-pay for your drinks at this ridiculously awkward poker table at the door before you're even allowed to enter with a 2 drink minimum requirement. You can't open a tab at the bar, the waitresses won't take cash or cards, and it's a PAIN to have to walk to the door to buy chips every time you want a drink. What's the point of paying for a VIP table if you constantly have to walk back and forth from your table to the door? And WHO WANTS TO ASSESS HOW MANY DRINKS THEY WANT TO HAVE BEFORE ENTERING A BAR? I'll tell you - NO ONE. I just want to open a tab and enjoy my night. If you don't use all your chips for drinks, you can't cash them out at the end of the night, they encourage you to "save them for next time," -- right, I'm going to keep a bunch of random poker chips on me in case I happen to wander into Harvelle's...NOT. It's a HORRIBLE business model. It makes zero sense and fits no theme whatsoever. WHY?! Please bring back the normal cash/card/tab system. No one wants poker chips! Additionally, this venue used to have such a classy speakeasy vibe. I saw some of the best burlesque I've EVER SEEN there, but they got rid of all of their burlesque shows - again WHY?! Burlesque and cabaret are what put this bar on the map. They've replaced burlesque and cabaret with some wannabe Coyote Ugly group. The girls are fine, but c'mon Coyote Ugly is so overdone and frankly a tired theme in 2025. Plus, it does NOT suit the vibe of the space AT ALL. Harvelle's is made for burlesque. Coyote Ugly does not work, it's not a dive bar. Plus, with the stupid poker chip system, no one wants to throw cash which is such an imperative and fun interactive element of shows like this. BRING BACK BURLESQUE! They're really milking the Coyote Ugly theme with "dancer bartenders," but unfortunately, NONE of these girls KNOW HOW TO MAKE A DRINK. The bar staff here used to be fabulous, and now, the mixology expertise of this venue is non-existent. They couldn't make a Tequila sour which is pretty standard and my Moscow Mule tasted terrible. When I asked for a "Bees Knees," a drink I used to order there regularly, the bartender just stared at me blankly, and proceeded to make some weird tequila based drink. A Bees Knees is a gin-based cocktail and it's a drink that every bartender should know. I used to love you Harvelle's but you're really alienating your regulars with this new system and these dancer bartenders. Get rid of the chips, no more Coyote Ugly please, and bring back burlesque and cabaret! This ship is sinking fast and it's just oh so sad.