Bradford

I'm a little shakey on what's allowed and what isn't in the US.

We once took my daughter, then 10, to see Ahmad Jamahl at the Iridium (she fell asleep in the middle of it.) I think we had dinner there though.

The same trip we went into a bar at the Roger Smith Hotel, and they would let her sit at a table, but not at the counter.

I have a bevy of eighteen year-olds who want to do eighteen-year-old things in the US. In New Zealand, they can go into a bar from eighteen and drink. Whether that's a sensible law or not, my kids are stunned that they have to curtail this stuff when we're on holiday.

Will the only concerts they see be in stadiums, or can they get into some clubs and not others?

We'll be in LA, SF, Vegas, NYC.

What can they do, and what can't they do? What can they do if we accompany them?

Regards

Bradford

suze

You need to be over 21 to be in a room where liquor is being served.

Suzie

The drinking age is 21 in the US. Unless you are a well-known celebraty (intentionally misspelled) who wears no underwear expect that you will not be served alcohol in a bar in the US.

If food is served then under 21 can sit at tables in a bar area of a restaurant. They generally are not allowed to sit at teh bar though.

Bradford

Thanks Suze

I think our laws go the other way, but that's positively medieval.

So any club, like the Iridium, that offers dinner and a show is ok?

Or my kids have less than a month to produce a hit record, go out with someone in detox, or do something inappropriate on YouTube?

Ah, I love America!

suze

You'll normally see a sign saying 'no one under 21 past this point' or some such as you are entering the part of the restaurant where the bar is located.

Suzie

I don't think I can specifically say one restaurant or another will allow under 18 at any given time. You might want to inquire with the manager prior to assuming you can trust everyone's experience will be the exactly same as yours.

Bradford

Yes, I think that's the way we went with the Iridium. Not sure they were impressed with a kid snoring in her soup though.

Suzie

LOL!! My DH fell asleep with head on the table during a comedy routine once, so I hear ya!!!

FainaAgain

In the US, they check your ID before you enter a bar. Once they asked for mine, and I have adult children! I love that bar from now on

nytraveler

If it's a trendy high profile place they won;t get in (since they want only big spenders and don;t want to risk their lic unless you appear in People). If it's a restaurant/bar they can get in - but cannot sit at the bar.

If it's primarily a cocktail lounge they won;t get in either.

(Typically even restaurants that have happy hour check ID at the door and stamp your hand that you're at least 21.)

(And the reason for this is primarily to prevent drunk driving deaths - which went way down when the drinking age was raised from 18 to 21.)

Parrothead

Fear not Bradford, I have kids this age and they filled me in on what to expect. Tell your kids to do some internet research and print off the results.

For SF go to sfclubs dot com, they have a special section for the under 21 crowd.

In Vegas go to Vegas dot com/Vegas Guide tab/18-20 Crowd for some suggestions.

For NYC do a google search using the terms:
under 21 in nyc or nyc 18 and over

I wrote out the . (dot)for the websites because Fodor's inserted a hyperlink that doesn't work and I didn't want you to get discouraged trying. Just do the standard www in front and then dotcom at the end of each website I suggest.

No specific help on LA, but a web search with typical terms as above should provide some positive results.

smartcookie

You would only be able to take them to a restaurant that serves alcohol. If it's a kind that turns into a bar or lounge after 9-10pm, you'll be asked to leave if you're there with kids at that time.

cocontom

It goes by state- in Indiana, where I grew up, bars are 21+ only, but restaurants that serve alcohol are ok.

In Michigan, it's set by the establishment, but most places let 18 year olds in. You still have to be 21 to drink, but they'll let the girls in (apparently not always the boys though according to DH).

LoveItaly

In California, up at least until a couple of years ago, minors were allowed into a Lounge if the Lounge served some type of food. Minors were not allowed to sit at the bar but were allowed at a table in the Lounge. Of course they are not served any type of liquor. I haven't heard anything about this law changing here in California.

In LasVegas, again the last I heard, minors (under age 21) are not allowed in the casino/gambling areas.

gail

As you can see, there is not a simple answer. While I know you are not going to Boston, the way it works here is that most clubs with music are 21 and up, but many have some under 21 nights, still with music.

The reason this is so complicated is the nature of liquor laws in US and liability. Many establishments get fined or shut down - not to mention huge lawsuit settlements if someone under age 21 is drinking and gets into some sort of trouble. (crime, car accident, death). The drinking age is 21 everywhere in US - and most places make no exception for parents ordering alcohol and their kids while parents are present. All forms of alcohol follow same laws - beer, wine, liquor.

Different places put the actual responsibility of establishing legal age at different points. By "carding" at the door, the bar tender, wait staff and other personnel do not need to be involved in establishing age. And there is no risk that a 21 year old will buy alcohol for their 20 year old friend. Some places "card" everyone - so you may even be asked for proof of age. I am in my 50s and get a little thrill when at sporting events that I get asked for ID when buying a beer.

girlonthego

In SF, they have a show called Beach Blanket Babylon. They only allow under 21 on Sunday afternoons. We took our teens there to see the show on Sunday afternoon. No liquor is served during that performance.

I have always understood it to be like everyone else says, if you are dining, the kids can sit there and if it is just a bar, they cannot. If is a bar establishment, they won't allow them in the door.
Have fun!

ianbrettcooper

The idea that there's a law that doesn't allow kids in bars or to sit at the bar is nonsense. This is a myth. Sadly it's a myth that many bartenders and maitre d's believe.

By law, kids are not allowed to drink alcohol. End of story. Specifics (legal age etc.) vary by state.

What the establishment itself permits is a different story.

nytraveler

Liquor licenses are expensive and difficult to obtain. Charges of serving to a minor can easily result in loss of license and put a place out of business.

So unless a place is near a campus and dependent on student traffic (illegal but they make sure the kids have ID - knowing it is fake) they do not want to risk this.

Many places will not allow under 21s in - since it's too much trouble to demand proof every time they come to the bar - and they want to avoid a 21 year old from buying a bunch of drinks to give to underages. (At a couple of popular young happy hour places - with colleagues from work - I have had to prove my age to enter - even though I'm more than 50.

ianbrettcooper

Like I said, what an individual establishment permits has nothing to do with what's allowed by law. Establishments can make all sorts of rules up - their place, their rules.

But what the OP was trying to get at, I think, is what the law says, and some of the answers here are quite confused on that point. Yes, individual restaurants may have their own rules that don't allow kids at the bar, but there is no law in the US that makes it illegal for kids to come into a pub or to sit at the bar. Yesterday I went with my family to a restaurant in my home town of Silver Spring, MD and was told by the Maitre d' that state law doesn't allow my kid to sit at the bar. After I got home, I looked up the state law and found that the Maitre d' didn't know what she was talking about - there is no such law.

vjpblovesitaly

How awesome that this 5.5 year old thread was brought up.