Red Lion Tavern

Located in the hip Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, Red Lion Tavern is one of our favorite late night haunts where you can transport yourself to a different place and time. The theme here is that of a German beer garden, much like you'd see scattered throughout the old part of Munich. Although outside you are clearly in Los Angeles, inside you really can feel like you are somewhere far away. At least we do.

One of the cool things about the place is that it has virtually 4 different "atmospheres" from which to choose. One of the coolest is clearly the open air beer garden that is on the top level. It is out back and only partly trellised so you do feel like you are outside in a Munich beer garden. At night seating can be difficult out here, especially for larger groups, so come early. Of note, the beer garden closes earlier than the rest of the place so check out their hours below!

At the bottom level, where you enter, there is an indoor beer hall type room with big ceramic steins on the walls and a dark, woody interior. A guy plays music on a piano along one side at night. Finally, in between these two bar/dining areas is an almost hidden little bar off to the side at the top of the stairs. This little bar is tight and quaint and fun for a more intimate vibe. But even more hidden is the little restaurant room just behind that little bar, tucked away where you can't see it until you walk into it. This is a fun, more private area that is often underpopulated so is a good spot to stake out a big table for a group.

So what do you get at Red Lion? Is it just beer? Well no, its not. Beer there certainly is, lots of it. And as you might hope, it is all German. This isn't a fake themed restaurant and bar, this stays true to its roots. There is a very nice list of traditional German beers available on tap which can be served in a tall glass or a big glass "boot" for extra. The beers are all good, from lighter Pilsners to dopplebocks to schwarzbier, they've got a great selection.

In addition to the beer, there is a full menu of food as well and again the theme is German. If you are picky or want a selection of different cuisines, this isn't the place for your. But if you want some grubby German beer food, like an assortment of various German sausages and mashed potatoes, then this place will hit the spot. It is great beer drinking food and very satisfying in that regard.

A couple notes. First of all, although we described Silver Lake as "hip" don't be scared away. This place isn't a "hipster" hangout per se. You can find a huge range of people hanging out here on any given night. Another important note, the tavern does "card" you and you must be drinking age to enter, so this is not a family or kid friendly place.

Red Lion Tavern
2366 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Hours:
Daily 11am - 2am
Beer Garden open Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm and Fri-Sat 11am-1am

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