Beer Bar for a Not-So-Manic Monday Night

November 9, 3:05 PMLA Beer Bars ExaminerDave Denicke

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Mondays may seem half-empty, but there's still plenty of beer to drink!
Dave Denicke

Monday has a unique hold in American bar life. The weekend that just passed is of course in the books, but the weekend yet to come is far away on the distant horizon. Work itself has not become a grind, but the fact that four more days just like it are looming often necessitates a trip to a nearby watering hole. In the first of a seven-part series, we will examine the right place to spend a Monday evening.

First and foremost, you need a spot that is relaxed. A low-key environment is a must—the weekend has come and gone, and you don’t want to wear yourself out with four more days of work still to come (assuming of course you are gainfully employed). If a bar is too crowded, or the wrong crowd, you can easily sour and head back for the comfort of your couch and the sage wisdom of Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother.
Assuming, however, that you are ready for some social interaction, I would suggest a spot with something interactive, where you can grab a few friends and get distracted for a few hours. To that end, allow me to suggest an Irish bar in Santa Monica, called Finn McCool’s. Located on Main Street, McCool’s has a decent selection of beers, including 17 on tap. The range is mostly imports, especially-- you guessed it-- from the British Commonwealth. From 4-7pm on Mondays, they have a happy hour selection that runs about 3 bucks for most of the bottles and a few of the basics on tap. And if three bucks for a Sam Adams is not enough of a reason to check out McCool’s, we give it the thumbs up on Monday nights because of their trivia night.
First off, the trivia is fun, and free to play. Secondly, it’s a little bit addictive. The trivia starts at 8pm, giving you an hour to slow your roll following the happy hour rush.
Your master of ceremonies, Brian, puts together trivia that ranges from sports to literature to arcane 1950s movie knowledge. Its best to go with a team, because even the most well-rounded of Jeopardy! Aficionados will need help with these questions. There are prizes to the top 3 finishers, as well as other bonus competitions unrelated to trivia.
It is very tempting to recommend a sports bar for Monday nights, on account of the NFL. But McCool’s does have televisions at the bar, and of course the game will be on before trivia starts.
If, however, you are in more pressing need for a true sports bar, allow me to re-recommend the Parlor on Wilshire Boulevard. Over 40 screens, with great coverage so that no matter where you are sitting, you can still check the screen.
In summary, though, I will stick with McCool’s for a Monday night simply because with one night down and four more to go, you have to pace yourself. And its not often you can earn a free round of drinks by remembering the first ten elements on the periodic table.

As mentioned, this is the first of seven recommendations for bars in and around LA. I will try to balance geography as best I can—if you have any recommendations or comments, feedback is of course always welcome. Until next time, bottoms up!