The Copper Room; A New Bar With An Old Past

Our little town of Yucca Valley had quite the party on October 14th of this year celebrating the grand opening of The Copper Room, a new bar with an old past.

This cute little bar is situated on Aviation drive, right next to the Yucca Valley airport.

The Copper Room originally began in the 1950s and was a stomping ground for members of the rat pack, including famous songwriter and composer Jimmy Van Heusen.

Over the years it has had many names and been a popular hang out for locals and celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Gram Parsons

In this new revival of The Copper Room it is apparent that it will continue its legacy of being a laid back luxe hang out for the modern day “it” crowd of musicians, actors, film makers, photographers, artists, and influencers.

Opening night I put on my best threads. I bought a dress I had been drooling over since June handcrafted by the talented Southern Californian designer Jennafer Grace. Its 70s disco cut and copper/silver stripe sequins felt like the perfect dress for the night. I paired it with my clear studded Madden Girl wooden cha cha heels.

My husband Terry Six is one of the General Managers of The Copper Room and advised me to show up a few minutes early. Unfortunately I failed to heed that advice and showed up a fashionable 30 minutes late only to find the parking lot completely full and every seat in the bar already taken. I couldn’t believe it!

I was advised to walk in through the side door where I was greeted by my husband. The cute white building houses an amazing rounded out bar with tinted windows lining the walls that overlook the landing strip where you can watch planes coming and going. There are some of the original floral booths with rose wallpaper from when the restaurant was briefly known as “Wine and Roses,” a design choice that is questionable if you are unfamiliar with the venue’s history as it is pretty out of style in today’s more modern clean cut aesthetic we find in newer renovated establishments. They even kept the green carpeting in the first half of the building for a retro effect that vintage lovers will fawn over, and minimalists will most likely turn their noses at. I personally love a good retro carpet but we will see how long its charm lasts over the years, haha!

When you go deeper into the restaurant you see a beautiful stone laden fireplace with large comfortable barrel chairs. As you turn around the corner the carpet turns into a green and beige checkered tile floor with red leather booths. Photos of Frank Sinatra, Gram Parsons and Keith Richards are among some of the art displayed along the wood paneling on the walls. One of the key features of this part of the bar is the concrete DJ booth that was custom made specially for the bar. The French Brothers, who own the building and are co-owners of the bar, could be heard discussing their pride and joy throughout the night. A wonderful staple piece that will hopefully become the hub for many future dance parties!

One of my favorite features of this room in the bar is the disco ball wall that you find on your way to the bathrooms.

When I first walked in it was so busy I had no idea where to sit. Jeffrey Baker, one of the owners of the new establishment was gracious enough to have me seated in a vintage inspired corner of the restaurant where I was able to enjoy a glass of water before ordering a signature N/A mocktail that was actually created for me!

A bit of a story…

My husband has worked in the service industry since we started dating back in 2009, but this is the first time I have ever had a drink on a menu of any place he’s worked! It pays to be married to the Manager I suppose…..

My drink at The Copper Room is titled “The Shady Lady” and is a virgin Pina Colada that comes in a Pineapple glass with Pineapple and Cherry garnish. Not the cheap cherries either, the nice one’s!My husband also has his signature Mai Tai on the menu that was also a huge hit at the grand opening night.

A photo of The Shady Lady. I need some of this glassware now!

Once the bar itself cleared up a bit I was seated at the far right edge in the very last seat overlooking the San Gorgonio Mountains. I was told later that I was sitting in what was known as Gram Parsons favorite seat. Lucky me!

Amanda was my bartender for the night and between her, my husband, and Jeffrey Baker, you could say my service was impeccable. I am getting hungry as I am writing this!

Because I was alone, I found myself eaves dropping on many interesting conversations of the night. My favorite was listening to two people discuss their dogs. I am a dog trainer so it was everything in me to not want to interrupt and talk dog. I am proud of myself for refraining.

The food menu was the most exciting part of the night. Phil Bronco who is the head chef has curated a menu that is not only impressive, but actually pretty healthy, especially for bar food. I had the cucumbers that were marinated in some sort of chili sauce that was amazing! The salad contains a combination of cabbage, dried shallots, mandarins, peanuts, lettuce, avocado, and more that I am unable to remember. It was modified to accommodate my vegan diet, I believe they have an alternative dressing choice that does not have the fish sauce, it was my favorite of the night!

I watched the sun go down over the San Gorgonio Mountains as I sipped on my Shady Lady and was home and back in pajamas before 7 pm because I am classy like that.

Not once did the crowd slow down as locals continued to pour in through the copper patched clad door (created by local artist Robert Dougherty) ,often photographing themselves entering and checking themselves out in the tinted windows on the way in.

The sound of jazz, laughter, and drinks clinking was a sure sign that the night was successful. I have faith that this new bar in town is going to be around for a long time and I am looking forward to the new history we are paving in an area that is already so rich with great stories.

Another great new spot for those of us with diet restrictions and who are sober! Congratulations team at The Copper Room. You nailed it!

When you go to The Copper Room make sure you order The Shady Lady and tell me what you think!

For more info about The Copper Room you can visit: https://thecopperroom1957.com/

Many photos taken from The Copper Room website with a few peppered in by me.