Harlow's

Harlow's is a relatively nice dinner club/bar/music venue in Sacramento with a full service restaurant, full bar, large dance floor, & stage. Dinner is probably best described as California cuisine, meaning a melange of different cultures interpreted CA style. Unlike Davis bartenders, Harlow's knows how to mix a drink [yay!!]. They'll make those sweet undergrad drinks if you want, but even those aren't 90% corn syrup like at The Graduate. Tip the bartender well if you value a decent drink. Outside the club is limited seating along J Street, with patio warmers to keep the skirts and smokers warm. If you're an undergrad looking for a pick-up joint, Harlow's probably isn't your place — this club caters to a slightly older crowd.

Harlow's offers a mix of live music and DJ tunes overlapping somewhat with the "dinner hours," usually starting around 9pm except on Sunday nights when salsa dancing runs from 7pm to midnight. Check Harlow's website for a current calendar of events; some shows may be 18+. Musical genres offered cover a fairly wide range, from musicians such as Camper van Beethoven and Ricardo Lemvo to DJ dancing.

Upstairs is a small cigar bar called Momo's, with DJ-spun house. If you're just looking to hang with friends over cocktails, Momo's is nice, because it's got a small full-bar and soft clean and modern furniture... not quite a retro fern bar, but it definitely doesn't feel like your typical nasty-floor vinyl furnished lounge.

2005-07-12 12:38:26   Harlow's has the hands-down best crab cakes I've ever eaten! Their other food is good, but honestly I usually can't try many other items because the crab cakes are so darn good. They have a nice, diverse wine list. —WineJones

2005-08-07 23:37:53   Harlow's is good, but drinkmaking here is not so far superior to Davis' as to be noteworthy for that reason. The scene is different entirely, and that alone distinguishes it. Black Pearl, owned by the former owner of Harlow's, is a far better place for exotic drinks. —JaimeRaba