Surf the Net, Drink Coffee, Tell a Joke

It’s nearing midnight and a guy named Dave is impatiently waiting to be served at the counter of the Grounds Zero cafe on Sunset Boulevard. “I have to do my taxes,” he explains “It’s a four-Turbo-Coke night.”

For the caffeine-deprived, the “Turbo Coke”--a surprisingly tasty combination of Coca-Cola and espresso--is a holy water of sorts.

Formerly Babba Cool’s, Grounds Zero is almost as quirky as the Turbo Coke itself. Tucked next to a tattoo parlor and one of the most infamous head shops in Los Angeles, first-time visitors are apt to wonder if they’ve accidentally stepped into someone’s basement rec room instead of a cutting-edge cafe.

Overstuffed couches, exposed brick walls and a pool table crowd the interior, and at any given time a hodgepodge of patrons, from aspiring screenwriters to the soon-to-be tattooed, can be spotted sipping lattes and the hard-to-find Jolt cola.

“We’re trying to stay away from trendy. Starbucks is trendy. You can’t meet strange people there on a Saturday afternoon,” says Grounds Zero owner John Singler, who bought the cafe three months ago and made several additions, including a constantly changing gallery of local artwork and a computer system on which patrons can surf the Internet.

Customers waiting their turn for a tattoo frequently pop in for a cappuccino before going under the needle next door. There is, after all, a discount here for people waiting for tattoos.

Daytime visitors can usually expect a more subdued crowd, mostly businesspeople who come to sit at one of Zero’s cozy wood tables and eat a quick lunch. “The crowd kind of depends on the time of day,” says counter staffer Emma Polansky. But it isn’t hard to spot a regular. “The regulars play pool,” she says.

During the week, the space offers a variety of community events for aspiring performers--open mike Monday nights (reserved for comics), open poetry Tuesdays and monthly Saturday matinees in which different bands play on Grounds Zero’s tiny stage.

When the stage isn’t filled, patrons can be found hunched over scripts, playing pool or watching movies in the back of the cafe as alternative jazz hums pleasantly in the background.

“It’s like being at home without the bother of roommates or nosy mothers,” says a 22-year-old, who gives her name as Minda, as she stretches out on a couch and watches television.

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Where: Grounds Zero, 7554 Sunset Blvd., (213) 874-2261.

When: 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.

Cost: Drinks, $1.25-$3.25; food, $2-$4.50.