Carlos León was in a depressive state: a personal relationship was stagnant and his career seemed aimless.
What he longed for was an escape, an escape inspired by the fantasy worlds he devoured as a child and continued to consume into adulthood. Think of those inspired by “The Lord of the Rings” and Dungeons & Dragons, fantastical spaces filled with magic, wild creatures and, above all, tales of adventure.
Lacking real dragons to slay, Leon began attacking metaphorical demons by disappearing into these imaginary universes. He found solace, at last, in transforming the bedroom of his apartment into a medieval bar for his roommates and friends. With limited financial resources, he began scouring online marketplaces to surround his murphy bed with a cheap wooden table, a cheap chandelier, battery-operated candles, and modest wall sconces.
And so the first iteration of what would become Squirrelor's Tavern was born.
“I was craving a warm, welcoming atmosphere, camaraderie, and food and drink,” Leon says. His childhood nickname? Squirrelor, which he also uses as his play name.
Squirrelor's Tavern is full of hidden puzzles and a not-so-secret history, which guests can discover in items scattered around the bar.
(Landon Donoho / The Squirrel Lord's Tavern)
“And I looked everywhere for it,” he adds. “The closest thing I found was an Irish pub. But I realized that what I was really looking for was a tavern like the ones you see in fantasy stories: a Prancing Pony or any ordinary Dungeons & Dragons tavern.”
Today, Squirrelor's Tavern is a more refined spot, though it still retains a DIY charm. Entering this pop-up fantasy pub, tucked away in an upstairs room of a downtown Los Angeles sports bar, you're greeted by a faux cobblestone floor, flickering electronic candles, faintly Gaelic old-fashioned music, and walls and shelves filled with oddball objects, including skulls, plastic animal skeletons, and plenty of squirrel-related art.
And puzzles are everywhere. Wooden boxes and miniature chests are enclosed in shelves, where one can instantly spot scrolls hidden in bottles or books that seem to be concealing veiled messages. And don't be surprised if that picture is hiding something behind its frame.
The first time I set foot in Squirrelor’s Tavern, it felt instantly familiar, so much so that I felt like I’d visited it before. In a way, I had. Raised on fantasy games and Dungeons & Dragons novels, I, too, had longed to venture into a fantastical pub—the kind of place where strangers become instant friends over a pint and tall tales, and where swords and shields dot the walls. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll discover an adventure to embark on—or maybe your evening will simply be filled with drunken song.
Carlos León, in the center, behind the bar, as Squirrelor, the owner of a fantasy-themed pub in the city center.
(Landon Donoho / The Squirrel Lord's Tavern)
That’s the vibe of the tavern, which appeals to our renewed interest in fantasy. Squirrelor’s Tavern, which has been open since March and extended through at least the end of October, has arrived during the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, and as television series like “House of the Dragon” and “The Legend of Vox Machina” continue to bring sword-and-sorcery stories to new audiences. Plus, “Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern” has become a theatrical hit in New York and will begin a touring production in 2025.
Squirrelor's Tavern has more humble ambitions. It's a hangout for puzzle-solving and light escape-room-inspired narrative with some immersive theatrical elements, but it understands that drinking, food, and games, as well as heroic and mysterious myths, are timeless.
“Remove all the technological stimuli that you drown in when you go to a bar,” says Leon.
The space, by contrast, is very much an invitation to play. A night at the bar costs $150 per person and contains about three hours of narration. As you sit, you learn, via the menu, that Squirrelor’s Tavern sits in the middle of a kingdom that has fallen into chaos, with peaceful elves losing power amid multiple warring factions. You’re invited to come closer, if you want, and if you do, you’ll discover that all around the tavern are hidden clues for those looking to join the rebellion.
After all, no Dungeons & Dragons-inspired bar would be complete without a quest. The pub is full of stories. A coat hanging on a hook on the wall turns out to be one left there in haste, with notes between distant lovers still in the pockets. I went to Squirrelor’s Tavern alone, and was sometimes invited to join others in light social games (a bartender might hand out syrupy drinks if participants can figure out a stranger’s likes and dislikes), but I mostly focused on the bar’s underlying story as a sympathetic space for those fighting for the good of the realm.
Puzzles can be found on the menus and scrolls at Squirrelor's Tavern, a fantasy-themed pub in downtown Los Angeles.
(Tara Pixley / The Squirrel Lord's Tavern)
Here, a guestbook can be anything but, and puzzles can be on knickknacks, while shields can prove to be more than just decoration. Uncovering the secret narrative of Squirrelor's Tavern should take you about half the evening, depending, of course, on how much you drink and socialize. You can also choose to simply interact with the cast, or solve a variety of puzzles divorced from the main story. There's also a three-course meal of simple pub food – think pretzels, wings, and plates of sausage.
In addition to Leon, now the general manager of downtown’s First Draft Taproom & Kitchen, where Squirrelor’s Tavern is tucked into an upstairs nook, the fantasy pub was the brainchild of Taylor Frost and Alicia Minette, who bring experience in event production and TV and theater manufacturing. The team, who range in age from 35 to 40, bonded over their love of immersive entertainment and began developing the idea for a full-blown Squirrelor’s Tavern during the Hollywood strikes of 2023, when work began to dry up.
Throughout the Squirrel Tavern are puzzles and chests, each waiting to be solved or opened.
(Landon Donoho / The Squirrel Lord's Tavern)
Frost led the design of most of the puzzles, having also contributed to the narrative development of numerous live-action role-playing games.
“The escape rooms I like the most aren’t the ones with the hardest puzzles,” Frost says. “They’re the ones that are the most immersive and have a story. With the tavern, we wanted to give it a choose-your-own-adventure feel.”
Currently, there are two main storylines running simultaneously at Squirrelor's Tavern: the second is geared toward regulars who want to continue developing the story. If all goes according to plan, the team hopes to create a third and one day be successful enough to have the tavern function as a gathering place when it's not hosting its main ticketed event. For now, Frost says the bar is covering its expenses, so a one-day-at-a-time approach is necessary.
But Leon believes the concept appeals far beyond those familiar with a 20-sided die. “Everyone I talk to who has seen the tavern or who I show the tavern to has said, ‘I want to go there. ’ It’s a human longing for an immersive escape that focuses on interaction. Yes, there are puzzles and stories, but personally my favorite part is just sitting and living in the space. You forget you’re on the second floor of this little sports bar in downtown Los Angeles.”
The spell is only broken when the night ends, not with an out-of-control orc or goblin, but with something far more mundane: a bill.
