Referred to in certain circles - circles that don't seem to operate under the standard practice of using given names - as That Bar With The Chihuahuas, the Latin American Club is the de facto national gallery for small dogs. Oversize canvases featuring pint-size canines with Napoleon complexes and ears like slices of pizza line one infamous wall. Drink enough tequila and they may even bark for you. (Just sayin'.)
Dimly lit by colored lights, the rest of the bar has a distinct flavor of Carnival - or at least provides a solid homage to Mission St. party decor. Pinatas of every shape and color dangle from the ceiling, streamers waving cinematically over the heads of drunk people. "Every shape and color" isn't the most evocative description ever written, but - as noted - they were dangling from the ceiling. And climbing up on a bar stool for further investigation when you're drinking very pungent margaritas isn't the best way to get out of the bar with all limbs intact.
Latin American Club, 3286 22nd St.