(Credit: Johnny Baek)
A former Raiders dive bar restored to its '30s glory—down to the swanky art deco décor and mood lighting—Verdugo is that rare hip bar that hasn't been overrun by hipsters…yet. Recently reopened in Eagle Rock–adjacent Glassell Park, Verdugo is close enough to Occidental College to embrace the college bar scene, but also a hop, skip and an ironic jump from the trendsters in Echo Park.
This spot has been a bar for decades, and was formerly known as the Copper Keg, a popular men's tavern with a built-in trough beneath the bar for…creating more room for beer. Sadly, the trough is now gone, as are the dart boards, pool tables and dollar bills stuck to the ceiling. In their place, Verdugo’s owners have added a rotating list of DJs, an impressive selection of beers on tap and the promise—or is it threat?—of an on-site hot dog stand.
Thankfully, the owners have kept the long, decades-old solid wood bar intact, though they have otherwise stripped the place to its beams. They've also turned a store room into a bitchin' DJ booth and created a sleek, functional outside patio for smoking and sobering up. Several flat-screens win gold stars for playing a mad selection of cult classics, from "Clash of the Titans" to "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen."
Verdugo is serious about its beer, and boasts a beer menu broken down by alcohol content, region of the world (they seem to have a soft spot for Belgium), and an admittedly "totally subjective" rating system. There are currently 12 beers on tap, though they'll be soon adding eight more, and the selection of bottled beer is so diverse and plentiful it could make a frat boy cry. (Check out "Deus," a beer that tastes and looks just like champagne and runs $36 a bottle.) Co-owner Ryan Sweeney, a former DJ and current owner of Match, regarding his passion for beer, admits, "I think I have a problem!"
In the coming months, Verdugo will expand its schedule into the full week—for the time being, Verdugo is only Thurs.-Sun.—and promises beer tastings as well as the occasional hot dog cart set up in the attached patio. And for those who care more about the beer than the bar, Verdugo's ancient liquor license makes it one of the few bars in L.A. where you can get beer to go.
By the time you leave, you'll be asking yourself: Is this the coolest bar in L.A. or what?
Followed closely by: Is Glassell Park even in L.A.?
Click here for Verdugo's address, phone number and website
Amir Kenan is a contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
