Dexter Filming Locations: Speltzer's Bar

DEXTER Filming Locations - hundreds of actual places where the TV show Dexter was filmed.


The location: Speltzer's Bar





Q. What is it supposed to be on the show?

    A. A bar.


Q. Where is it supposed to be on the show?

    A. Somewhere in Miami.


Q. When did we see it on the show?

    A. In Episode 3, of Season 7, "Buck the System".

    Dexter is stalking Ray Speltzer, whom he suspects of being a serial killer.  And he hopes to convince Debra (who recently discovered his dark secret) to see things his way, when it comes to eliminating Speltzer before he can strike again.

    So he allows Debra to follow him to the bar, and when she arrives, he has already ordered her a beer.

    He proceeds to make his case, pointing out Speltzer at a table nearby, hitting on a barmaid.

    Dexter tells Debra that Speltzer has shaved his head, something he has always done before one of these murders took place.

    But Debra is aghast that Dexter is actually seeking permission from her to kill someone, and she tells him so in no uncertain terms, before leaving the bar.

    Dexter, however, is determined to collect enough evidence against Speltzer to make Debra a believer.  So he heads back to the cemetery to break into Speltzer's private mausoleum.


Q. What is it actually in real life?

    A. A bar.


Q. Where can I find it in real life?

    A. This is the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, at 18389 Ventura Blvd, in Tarzana, CA.

    It's located inside a small shopping center called Tarzana Square, on the north side of Ventura Blvd, a block east of Reseda Blvd.

    This bar is about a mile east of Speltzer's gym.



    For the uninitiated, Tarzana is on the west side of the San Fernando Valley, near Encino.

(And yes, it's no coincidence that the name of the town sounds like the jungle hero "Tarzan of the Apes".  Tarzan's creator, writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, bought a tract of land there in 1919 and named it Tarzana Ranch. When it was later subdivided, it formed the basis of the modern community of Tarzana.)


The photo below was shot during filming by Rick.



    And here are some shots of their interior, from their webpage:




Here is an aerial photo of the location.  Here is a Bing StreetSide View.
  And here is a map link.


Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

    A.  In the early seasons, I usually had to hunt down the locations after viewing the episodes, using clues from the various scenes.  By the now, though, I've developed a small group of fans, spies & tipsters who kept an eye out for Dexter filming in their neighborhoods, and would let me know in advance when something was about to film there.

    Between those reports, my own personal reconnaissance around town, and a few new resources I discovered, by the time the first episode airs, I already know most (but not all) of the filming locations, and only need to watch the episodes and match up the scenes with the correct locations.

    This group of helpful fans includes Rick, Ellen, Elaine, Mia, Joel, Susan, Eric, Jeff, Kerry & others. My thanks to all of them.

    This one was easy.  Not only can you read the street number above the door, but the employees are wearing t-shirts that read "Sugar Mill Saloon"...

    But Rick tipped me in advance to this one.  Not only that, he videotaped the location while they were shooting there. Take a look at his video (and note that they draped the front windows, to stop extraneous light from coming in during filming):



    Rick also tipped me to two other scenes being shot nearby on the same day: Speltzer's gym and the post office scene.

    (Great goin' Rick!  Thanks!)

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