Nights of the Iguana

The sign above the front window reads, “Peoples’ Democratic Republic of Iguanaland.” No, it’s not the headquarters of leftist iguana owners, but it is a different kind of coffeehouse. At Iguana Cafe, the coffee is free, the crowd ranges from adolescents to senior citizens, the house cat, Gidget, mingles with patrons, and the music is new and unusual. The narrow, one-room cafe also doubles as a bookstore, selling new and used books, from poetry to science fiction and history.

The Scene: The first thing that strikes you about Iguana Cafe is the books. They cover every wall--except for the night-sky mural area behind the stage, and owner Tom Ianniello says they help emphasize what Iguana Cafe is all about: “The focus of the place is the art that is represented here, on stage, in the books and the art on the walls.”

Ianniello serves muffins, cookies, tea, cider and soda at the front counter while patrons help themselves to coffee. The tiny cafe seats about 35. Patrons sit at a motley collection of tables and chairs, talking and sipping coffee out of paper cups as they wait for the next band to play.

The Crowd: Variety is the word. There were a couple of teens, plenty of twenty- and thirtysomethings and several people older than 45. Since the place is so small, tables are shared by strangers, who are soon talking about the latest novel or the next band to play on stage. The atmosphere is friendly and unrestrained. People wear jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, flannels, button-down shirts, even sport jackets.

The Music: Bands usually start at 8 or 9 p.m. and play the rest of the evening. The music is low volume, live and, the owner says, original. It includes folk, country, mellow rock and new age. On a recent Saturday night, Stan & the Phantoms played a rock set featuring an accordion, sitar and Irish drum, as well as the standard trio of guitar, bass and drums. Flea Circus played new age music featuring the Chapman Stick, an electric stringed instrument they used in place of guitar and bass.

Music is the main attraction at Iguana Cafe and the only reason Linda Catoe drove all the way from Westchester: “In a setting like this, more likely than not, people will be listening to the music and not drinking and socializing.”

The Good: The coffee is free and there is plenty of it. The music is refreshing, a relief from the same old song rotation on local radio. And the atmosphere is friendly and casual. No one is too hip to talk to a stranger and everyone listens as the bands play.

The Bad: There is a cover charge most nights--usually $3 to $5--but for the quality of music and quantity of coffee, it does not seem unreasonable. Although several patrons called the cafe cozy, a better word is small: more than 35 people and it is standing room only.

The Word: “It’s a cool place to wind down at the end of the night,” said Ray Thompson of Hollywood. But more than that, Iguana Cafe is a good place to hear unusual music, enjoy a few cups of coffee and get to know your neighbor.

Iguana Cafe, 10943 Camarillo St., North Hollywood. Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight Tuesday to Thursday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, noon to 2 a.m. Saturday and noon to midnight Sunday. Cover varies. Information (818) 763-7735.