Cool but Comfortable at Montanas

To enter Montanas Bar and Grill, you’ll probably have to park in front of the colossal Nissan dealership and fend off a slavering salesman. Dash across Cahuenga Boulevard, enter a glass and brick office building, take a quick right turn and then . . . ahhh. Inside, glasses tinkle, chairs scrape the cement floor and you can hear the Guinness and Bass flowing. . . . Well, you get the picture.

Stationed near the entrance, the chipper owner, Fabrice Bals, says you just missed actor Jon Voight. Really? A quick cyclorama of the layout turns up no midnight cowboy. But there are a pair of big ficus trees, a long bar, two televisions, a small stage in front of a wall of windows with a stunning view of the car dealership, a couple of enormous pillars and a mysterious stairway jagging heavenward.

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THE SCENE: It is 9:30 p.m. and people are arriving at Montanas, which opened in October, 1993, in the former L’Express. Fabrice wanted to create “something American.” The atmosphere is sophisticated Grunge--carefully distressed, pumpkin-colored walls, some red brick. Dark wood tables and straight-backed wood chairs are scattered about, and lipstick-y waitresses dart hither and yon. (More yon than hither, unfortunately.)

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THE CROWD: Sparse but hip, the crowd is 25 and older. Most say they don’t come for the music--tonight, it’s the Mustard Seeds, a gritty Los Angeles-based troupe. People come because it’s comfy, not crowded, and there are two free pool tables at the top of the stairs. Here is where you want to be. Besides the billiards, a purple couch, a couple of electronic dart boards, some well-spaced tables and a small bar (not open) finish the lounge. This is where the mingling takes place. It’s casual. Generally long-haired dudes in flannel and boots--both cowboy and hiking--shoot pool and mix with women, who are dressed somewhere between the Gap and Iguana’s Vintage Clothing. Smoking is permitted, but not prevalent. There are good views of the stage and tables below. Velvet drapes cover the upstairs back wall.

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THE MUSIC: The Mustard Seeds open at 10:15 p.m. with a Rolling Stones cover, play three Joe Walsh tunes, ZZ Top and something that might have been Pearl Jam, among other covers. They throw in some catchy originals, too. Highlights: the Mustard Seeds do Nirvana doing Fleetwood Mac. Another highlight: Guitarist Larry Wilkins sits in for a couple of bluesy jams. Wilkins, who at 45 is much older than the Mustard Seeds proper, brings a soulful rhythm with him that elevates the band.

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THE GOOD: The chicken wings are famous, and there’s no cover charge. It isn’t too crowded on this Friday night, and the people come in shifts. Things seem to pick up at midnight.

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THE BAD: If you don’t like self-service, think twice about sitting at a table. Waitresses are few and far between. Even after you’ve snagged one, you’re likely to wait a while for drinks. The service is friendly, but not ambitious.

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THE WORD: Check it out. The crowd is nice, a little gabby and not too self-conscious: Said a thirtysomething single guy working up a sweat in a black blazer: “I haven’t been here since it was L’Express. It’s pretty cool. I just like talking to people who are down to earth. I sell Mazdas. Good cars. I don’t have one, but they’re good cars.”

* Montanas Bar and Grill, 3575 Cahuenga Blvd. W . , Los Angeles. Food is served 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, bar open until 2 a.m. Shows start near 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. No cover. Information: (213) 850-6220.