The Verdugo
Ξ December 12th, 2007 | → | ∇ 90065, Drinks, Night Life |
Sitting quietly under an unassuming “cocktails” sign on the corner of Verdugo and Avenue 34 is Glassell Park’s newest attraction. The Verdugo is a surprisingly hip joint that seems as if it plucked straight from Hollywood—and this time I think I mean that as a good thing. “Unassuming” may have actually been something of an understatement. At 10:30 on a Saturday night, the surrounding streets were dark and abandoned. Nearby warehouses and empty lots surrounded by chain-link fence do nothing to give away what is lurking behind the small door under the afore mentioned sign. Stepping through reveals a stunning space filled with a smoothly lit curved bar, plasma screens (showing the hipster classic “2001: A Space Odyssey”), black booths and a definitively cool lounge in the back. Dreadlocks seemed to be the style of the evening for patrons, who all sat drinking beer and enjoying the fairly loud beats being mixed by the live DJ (who was sitting in a booth overlooking the bar). This is definitely a bar with a vibe.
Behind the counter is your standard full bar, but also an excellent selection of high-quality beers. The Verdugo takes its place among the very few bars that are willing to dedicate a tap to Delirium Tremens, one of the finest, richest beers Belgium has ever produced—and is incidentally a beer that is named after the symptoms of severe withdrawal from alcohol abuse. Naturally this is the first beer we drank. The service was fast and kind, but unfortunately the girls behind the counter knew nothing of the beers they were serving and quickly suggested taking a look at the menu for more information. A conversation with the Verdugo’s friendly proprietor revealed that these were not his normal bartenders, but rather a couple girls filling in and this was in fact their first night. Clearly the solution in a situation such as this is to simply order as many beers as possible and decide for oneself—a strategy that allowed me to discover that none of us at YORK BLVD. are fans of Fuller’s London Pride.
Another bit of confusion surrounding the Verdugo is their schedule, and unfortunately we were not able to get to the bottom of this in our visit. Even a loyal reader here posted “I thought Verdugo’s was still closed?” Like an on-again-off-again girlfriend, nobody seems to know that exactly is going on over there. The bar reportedly opened a few months ago, but Citysearch currently lists them as “Temporarily Closed.” One very upset reviewer on Yelp posted an angry comment about going there on a Saturday night and finding no signs of life. And for a place as hip as it was, it sure seemed as though the word wasn’t out about being open. Instead of people packing in around midnight, the place quieted down.
So get the word out. The Verdugo is open. It’s a definite change of pace from the other local bars, and something that may appeal to those that think the York is too laid back or Johnny’s is too much of a dive.
Info:
The Verdugo
3408 Verdugo Road
(323) 257-3408
on December 15th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Fuller’s London Pride is actually quite fine as an extremely light ale. It’s very good as a session ale, good for long “sessions” drinking a low-alcohol beer. And Delirium Tremons is definitely a fine Belgian Ale, but there are so many others out there.
What else does the Verdugo offer to make this worth a stop? Anything unusual and interesting? Is this another “Budweiser” of the import world or is this a pub - like Lucky Baldwin’s in Pasadena or Father’s Office in Santa Monica - that is going to vary its tap selection and expose its constituents to new brews?
on December 16th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Other beers on their menu worth noting; Aventius on draught, Old Rasputin on draught, Moyland’s hopsicle in 22oz bottle, Deproef Zoetzuur in 750ml, hitachino white ale in large bottle, Speedway stout in 750ml. not the biggest selection I have ever seen in a bar, but one of the best. Someone really put thought into the line up, seems like they have fair representation of most styles.
on December 18th, 2007 at 11:41 am
I don’t think all the thought into beer selection and re-decorating is gonna help this place…….odd location for most……no real parking and not much character…..the original bartop is quite nice though………the lighting is a bit much also……..no pool table or juke box….gimme tabletop shuffleboard at least….they certainly have the space for it……..nothing really interesting to look at w/the exception of the one bartender w/her breasts literally ready to fall out on the bartop….which are quite nice…..it just does not have a theme……
I wish they would change things up a bit or make it more interesting……..because it’s always nice to have another bar to hit near home.
on December 18th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Nice write-up on The Verdugo……I don’t need the pool table and certainly not a juke box. I want a nice atmosphere which is aptly described……but do they have Widmer’s Hefeweizen on tap? I love that clear refreshing taste and will visit L.A. and The Verdugo in April to find out if they serve to a less sophisticated beer palate.
on January 7th, 2008 at 2:44 am
What kind of beer snob has never had fullers?
LAME