I am not trying to do a whole dinner reservation then a second stop. Which bars here have food good enough that you just stay for dinner. Wings, a burger, something that is actually food, not a sad nacho plate. I would rather sit, eat, drink, and go home.
8 Likes
Hinano Cafe on Washington in Venice. The cheeseburger is why I stay, not the dive charm. Beer, burger, done. That is dinner on a stool.
3 Likes
Tom Bergin's on Fairfax. Irish pub food, a booth, and I do not leave for a second restaurant. That is the whole night right there.
3 Likes
The Village Idiot on Butler is the westside version of this. Real plates, a bar you can sit at, and I am not driving to Hollywood for a burger. I live in Santa Monica so this is the one I actually repeat. You eat, you drink, you are done.
3 Likes
The Morrison on Los Feliz Blvd. I go for a pint and I end up with a full plate because the kitchen is the reason to stay. Atwater is right there so I am not making a night out of parking. If the food was average I would drink and leave. I do not leave.
4 Likes
Jones Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. Pasta, a drink, and it feels like you sat down for dinner even though you walked in for a bar. I will take a table if the bar is slammed. I am not then dragging people to a second restaurant on the Strip.
3 Likes
Everson Royce Bar on 7th in the Arts District. Burger, a proper drink, and that is dinner. I have done the brewery-then-somewhere-else thing and it is a waste of a parking decision. If I am already downtown I stay put. The kitchen has to be the point or I go home. I would rather one good plate at the bar than two mediocre stops across town.
1 Like
Love that bar. It has so much old-world charm that it looks totally out of place. 
Their food is really decent. They have steak tips, good burgers, salads, plenty of snacks..
I feel this is the most authentic Irish pub I've ever been to in the US.
2 Likes
Just remembered another one I like. 1212 on Third Street Promenade works for this. You can start with drinks, then order food without changing locations. Wagyu meatballs, short rib tostadas, pasta, sushi… definitely enough of a menu that nobody is surviving on nachos. I also love the atmosphere.
It's pretty huge inside. One of the good things left on Third Street. Their cocktail prices are almost unmatched.
4 Likes
Ten bucks during happy hour is indeed good, especially in SM. Their fresh oysters are great. Glad they survived the Third Street downfall after COVID. What happened to that whole area is a shame.
3 Likes
This reminds me of Employees Only in WeHo. Nice little outdoor area, good drinks & a decent menu (with sides, pasta, mains). Getting hungry. 
2 Likes