The Most Awesome Secret Bars, Restaurants And Attractions

For over 10 years, Bodega has been a sneakerhead haven, filled with high-end and hard-to-find brands and styles. It started in 2006, when the founders of Bodega decided that if they built it, patrons would come—no matter how hard they tried to hide it. They were right—today, customers travel from all over the country just to shop in their boutique disguised as a convenience store.

The catch? You have to find it. Bodega doesn't have a marked entrance, a sign, or even a phone. "We wanted to make a physical manifestation of the hunt for great product," the owners told Complex. "A safe room at the end of the tunnel where the best stuff you could find in the world was all in one place." If you want to find that tunnel, look for a tiny convenience store along Clearway Street in Boston—it will be unmarked, the windows filled with rows of cleaning products and other gas-station fare. Make your way past the shelves of shoe polish and Slim Jims to the back of the store, and hit the Snapple machine sitting in a corner. Instead of spitting out juice, the machine will reward you by sliding open to reveal the true "Best Stuff on Earth"—the hidden Bodega store.

Once inside, you'll be treated to gleaming wooden-paneled walls, filled with trendy and exclusive footwear, hats, and men's apparel—sourced from the hottest brands from around the world. If you don't have time to embark on this style scavenger hunt in person, Bodega does have an online store—but honestly, where's the fun in that?

What could be better than a bar in a bank? How about a second, secret bar within the bar in a bank?

The Federal is a gastropub located in a restored bank—the 1924 Security Pacific National Bank Building, at 102 Pine Ave. in Long Beach. But take a stroll back to an unmarked staircase just past the bathrooms, and you enter the secret and lavishly decorated world of the Parlor Lounge. Downstairs, The Federal has a stage and seating inside the old bank vault, and a second side door to the Parlor Lounge can be found within the vault itself. Entrance to the Parlor Lounge via either entrance is guarded with a password—which you can get from a friendly server or bartender upstairs at The Federal.

Fans of meat in tube form are likely familiar with Crif Dogs, a famous NYC hot-dog eatery located along St. Mark's Place in the East Village. But the purveyors of NY's #1 wiener also have a secret hidden within their establishment. Take a walk to the back of Crif Dogs and step through the folding wooden-and-glass doors into an old-fashioned telephone booth. Pick up the phone, and a bartender will answer the phone from within Please Don't Tell—another speakeasy secreted within the Big Apple.

Please Don't Tell is so popular (and so tiny) that it frequently requires reservations, so don't be discouraged if you can't get in your first visit. After you get your Wonka Golden Ticket into PDT, you can enter into the hidden sanctum through a secret door in the back of the telephone booth. Believe us, it's definitely worth the wait. Please Don't Tell was even featured by Anthony Bourdain during his NYC episode of The Layover—and for good reason.

Once inside, you'll be treated to a cozy atmosphere and a high-class, unique cocktail menu, which includes awesome twists like a "Bacon-Infused Old Fashioned." If you get hungry, Please Don't Tell can also take care of your munchies—with a pub-grub menu cooked up by the experts next door at Crif Dogs, including some PDT exclusives like special, deep-fried dogs. A secret entrance, deep-fried hot dogs, and BACON-INFUSED BOURBON—could it get any better?

Tucked away in Culver City, California, along Washington Blvd., the Blind Barber does its best to camouflage the awesomeness within. The unremarkable glass storefront reveals a working salon—where you can get a shave and a haircut seven days a week, hopefully performed by somebody who didn't sample the bar before picking up scissors.

Behind a plain white door covered in hanging coats and sweaters, the Blind Barber back room hides down a long corridor. Dim lighting and leather booths recall an earlier era, and the cocktail menu, dance floor, and bite-sized grilled cheese sandwiches are great for a night of speakeasy fun. Oh, and for you East Coasters, never fear—Blind Barber also has locations in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.

If you ever take a trip on the Lexington Avenue/Pelham Local subway route—known as the "6" train—don't get off at the last top. Instead, hunker down in your seat, and prepare yourself for a sight few others have seen.

Today, the 6 train terminates at the Brooklyn Bridge station in Lower Manhattan. But decades ago, there another station served as the endpoint. The old City Hall station—retired at the end of 1945—now serves as a looping turnaround point for the 6 train, as it returns on its way back uptown. Even though the station has long been out of service, in the 1990s an effort was made to restore it, and use it as a museum display for the New York Transit Museum. While the beautifully done restoration was completed, the tour program was drastically altered because of security concerns.

Today, only members of the Transit Museum who purchase tickets for one of the occasional tours long in advance can get an up-close look at this forgotten gem. But if you want to get a short glimpse of the station, stay on the 6 after it makes its final stop at the Brooklyn Bridge station. As the train makes its loop through the City Hall station to turn around, you'll be treated to views of gorgeous tile work, stunning chandeliers, and ornate skylights filled with cut amethyst glass.

For the best possible view, make your clandestine trip during the day, as light spills down into the station from the world above.

If you're ever driving through New Hope, PA, don't get your hopes up for a seat at the "secret" Fred's Breakfast. This exclusive morning eatery is members-only: you have to purchase a membership, which includes a key to unlock the electronic door. Inside, Fred's only seats 31 people, but it's usually full during open hours, which are from 6 AM to 11 AM seven days a week.

Fred's is so worth it if you can make it in though. It's so great, in fact, there's even a song about the restaurant and their great food. Want to become a member? You can certainly try, but be prepared for a long waiting list—plus, you'll either need a current member to vouch for you, or you can write a memorable application letter (the best of which plaster the walls of the restaurant.) If you're lucky, you can get a member to provide you with a "day pass," which will allow you to enjoy the griddle-induced bliss that is Fred's on a single occasion.

It may be the hardest reservation to get in all of L.A., but if you can score an invitation to the secretive, and amazing, Totoraku, you're in for a special treat. Disguised as a shuttered Teriyaki joint on Pico Boulevard in west Los Angeles, Totoraku serves up one of the best yakiniku-style dinners anywhere on the west coast—starting at a mere $180 per person.

So how do you get a seat for Chef Kaz Oyama's beef-and-lamb extravaganza? Well, if you try to walk in or call the number out front, you'll be politely told to take a hike. No, like many of the more exclusive things in life, you gotta know the right people. Specifically, you have to know someone who has previously dined at Totoraku and gotten Chef Kaz's private number, which is his signal that person is welcome to return. That person then has to get the Oyama's blessing in order to invite you.

If you manage to get an invite to Totoraku, you're in for one of the most memorable dining experiences of your life. Bring some amazing wine or other tasty bevs with you (Totoraku is BYOB—no corkage fee), try everything, and have fun. If you do this, you may be lucky enough to receive an invite back from Chef Kaz himself.