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Wet your whistle at the Beanery
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You can even play the license plate game at Barney's
This famous Barney’s Beanery is a true Los Angeles institution, with its first West Hollywood bar opening all the way back in 1920. There are 3 other, much newer Barney’s, including one in the heart of Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade, where I recently attended.
The bar’s theme harks back to its history as a pit stop for thirsty motorists on Route 66. The design is fun but contrived, following the old TGIFriday’s formula of throwing anything and everything kitschy against the walls. One endearing touch that stood out were the barstools, each made from a unique recycled car seats. The wall of vintage license plates was also a nice nod to the bar’s theme and history.
Barney’s Beanery’s claim to fame is a rather impressive beer menu, (though there are plenty of other bars with even better selections). The drink menu contains all your typical bar beers, along with an assortment of microbrews from around the world. The cocktail menu is lengthy, if a little pricey, with all options running over 8 dollars. Prices on beer are in the fair 5-6 dollar range during normal hours, but during happy hour, domestic drafts are $2.75 and imports are $3. A handful of appetizers are also half priced and generously portioned during this time. Don’t be afraid to eat, either. If you’re hungry, feel free to grab yourself dinner, because the food is definitely palatable. The Beanery offers an overwhelmingly extensive restaurant menu with everything from burgers, to pizza, pasta and breakfast is served all day. And any good bar crawler knows that there’s nothing quite like a hot plate of bacon and eggs after a few rounds.
Barney’s Beanery is a fun hang out that boasts a notable beer menu and better-than-average happy hour specials. The service was quick and attentive too, and all the waiters were friendly, talkative, and eager to help. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, like any place on the 3rd Street Promenade, and the interior layout and décor is cute, but uninspired . But as far as a night out in Santa Monica goes, you could fare a lot worse. For those who’ve yet to visit, the Beanery isn’t necessarily the greatest bar in LA, but it’s definitely worth checking out.
BARNEY’S BEANERY
(Santa Monica Location)
1351 3rd St. Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 656-5777
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