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Brennan's Pub
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
187 reviews for Brennan's Pub
Review Highlights
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"I've never been for Turtle racing on Thursday nights." In 65 reviews -
"Mix of Live music and DJ mixes, all good." In 15 reviews -
"I've always had a good time every time I've come here..." In 14 reviews
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187 reviews in English
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Review from Nick S.
Manhattan Beach, CA
4/9/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I started coming here religiously on Sundays the first week I moved to LA in December 2011 as necessary alternative to church - Brennans had a delightful following of Tebowners who felt the same and I snuggled right into the scene. As far as a Bronco bar in the greater LA area, Brennans can't be beat!
They cater to the die hards showing up early, occupying 2/3's of the bar and even arrange the stage area to accomodate with special seating, special TV's, Bronco paraphenilia and give us drunks control of the audio! Now that Tebow's gone, we can really start worshipping a true football God come Sunday and believe whole heartidly that Brennans will continue to allow our day of worship to precede in their all too welcoming bar!
So you might be asking why I only give them 4 stars...I've attempted to become a regular here and frequented Brennans outside of the football season hoping for some nostalgia but to no avail. I hear the turtle racing is amaze balls so if I make it on a Thursday (but contrary to popular belief I am an adult with a 'real job' so Thursday's a school night), the extra star up there could be checked. As it sits, everytime I go it's dead, the bear tastes the same as it does at the other bars so no kudo's there, and the food is just so so.
My recommendation, save your trips to Brennans for the ruckus we Denver fans bring on Sundays during football season! -
Review from Access D.
Long Beach, CA
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came to Brennan's for my friend's B-day celebration and to listen to the band play.
I arrived early to test the beer and pool tables to make sure they are satisfactory. Yup, the Guinness poured out of the keg nice and smooth. Not too cold, not too warm. A meal in a pint. The bartenders are pleasant. It's a slow night at the bar for now. Can't drink too much since I had been eating and drinking during the Super Bowl.
The band is warming up. Sounding good as they test the sound system. The pool table is beating me at the game I just started. I need to practice.
My friends start to arrive for the party. Time to hang out with them. Hmmm now the bar is full.
Good times! -
Review from matt m.
Los Angeles, CA
2/4/2012
Best Denver Bronco Bar in town! Cheap drinks and excellent service everyone that works their is priceless and genuine.
And its an Irish pub, so if your Irish you have no excuse not to run in for a cold pint. -
Review from Caroline W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/27/2012
I heart Turtle Racing! It's funny, it's stupid... and it's a helluva good time!
Whatever you do, do NOT point at the turtles. Trust me.
Ladies, remember to wear underwear.
They have a live band, not sure if it's everyday, but it's after Thursday's turtle racing. They even have a dance floor... so baby work it.
Good beers, cheap drinks, fun crowd.
This is everything a dive bar should be... and more. Oh, and at the end of the night, the bouncers will walk you across the street to your car if you ask nicely. -
Review from Chris C.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Eh. It always smells like something or other inside and the patio outside isn't very appealing. Turtle racing is more a gimmick to get ladies to bend over and charge drunk people money for pointing.
I only come when I'm dragged. -
Review from Claudine V.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
Oh Brennnan!
You never seem to dissappoint me. From the great Nachos and Fries , to the great service from the Bartender even on a slow night, you seem to draw me back and wanting to visit you more and more everytime I'm in LA. Thank you for the free music from the Jukebox ! Always have a memorable night leaving this place. -
Review from Kat B.
Santa Monica, CA
3/25/2012
Fun place, has one pool table $1 per game, usually occupied. Food is great and full service bar with reasonable drinks. Has a stage for music and they use it! I miss the Beatles Tribute Band...but the have others. The local bands usually pull the crowds. Oh yeah...and Turtle Racing on Thursday Nights...a must see at least once! Has a large parking lot to the north of the bar. Mellow atmosphere and the staff is great.
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Review from Christine C.
Santa Monica, CA
12/16/2011
I meaaaaannn, what IS this place?!
First, I'm greeted by this wooden troll thing that stands right in front of the bar, so I had to maneuver around it to get the bartender's attention. Apparently he was serving at least 10 people before he could get around to little ol' me cus it took forever just to order a beer. He was really not on top of things. I'm pretty sure their beers are overpriced, which is a no-go for me, especially if it's not a place known for its beer or doesn't have a vast selection.
Second, the turtle racing. I made it my mission to come out in the freezing cold on a Thursday night to see what this was all about. All I know is you better not point. $10 penalty for the first time and it goes up to $50 if you get caught pointing a third time! It was entertaining for the first round and maybe the second round, but after that, it's just done. People start getting up and leaving, and it's a "been there, done that" kind of vibe. Neat idea though!
Third, the cover band...it's cool that there's a live band but I really think they should just invest in a dj.
Sooo that was that. -
Review from Janice R.
Los Angeles, CA
10/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Turtle racing at Brennan's is no joke. Every 10pm on Thursdays, you can pay $5 to "rent a turtle", name it, and then gently place the turtle in the center of the competition ground for the big race! And the rules are strict - no pointing! If you point, penalty is $10 and then increases by another $10 per point. I'm not proud to say that I got overly excited during one of the races and was caught pointing! Grrrr... Oh, and ladies, expect to bend over at least three times when placing your turtle, the hosts are men...
They have live music playing on Thursday nights and on weekends. I'm happy to say that the music is pretty good here, and the dance floor gets pretty filled up as the night goes on. It's a good vibe :) Oh, and lots of beers on tap.
So my 4 stars rating is compromised of the following:
- Turtle racing uniqueness
- good music
- good beer
- and super convenient as my roommate and I literally live around the corner from it -
Review from mauricio o.
Los Angeles, CA
12/11/2011
Not a place i would care to come back to.. seems like it would fit better in a small town in the middle of nowhere.
the atmosphere suggests that you might pay less for the shitty selection of beer or alcohol.. but no.. consistent with LA pricing. just older and dirtier.. -
Review from Michael S.
Marina del Rey, CA
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Brennan's is not a bar in which to discuss Chaucer, your imminent divorce, Pakistan, the national debt, or a deep desire to have another child.
It's a pub. The kind that you drink beer at while hanging out just passing time and shooting the breeze. You'll hear questions like "Does your sister have a boyfriend?", "What color is your underwear?", or "If a turtle does not have his shell, do you call him naked or homeless?"
Ya, this is not the classiest of joints. My favorite moment was a guy wondering why it's acceptable for people to point to their wrist when asking time, but totally not cool to point to their crotch when asking where's the bathroom.
Besides the turtle races and few bands, there isn't much that really makes Brennan's Pub a "destination." Service is fairly typical, but jaded. The spark left our bartender's eye a few year's ago. Didn't really matter since we basically just wanted to drink. Thursday nights and music nights it can be busy. Other days, it's actually slow, so, you can drink in peace. Either way, Brennan's is an alright local pub. -
Review from Abbi F.
9/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Reasonably priced drinks, decent bar food. At times it's all you can do (unless you're a total regular) to get noticed by the bartenders. My friend ended up waiting over 10min to even order a beer (and no, it wasn't particularly busy at that point). This, however, is not really a problem if you're a woman, as me showing up remedied the problem immediately.
I highly recommend going on a Thursday night for the turtle races. Yes...turtles...RACING. I know, sounds really idiotic. And it is. But then you have to go there to experience it, and you will quickly learn that the actual racing of the turtles is FAR from the point of attending the turtle races. It's the silly women who have to drop the turtles (and I'm not pointing fingers...I like to be one of those silly women every now and again) that are the point of the turtle races. My friendly advice for others who might like to the one of the silly women follows. Don't bend your knees. Go really slow. Ham it up the first time...unless you want to have the foul flags tossed and be made to do the drop AT LEAST 3x!
After all, who doesn't love having enough beer on a Thursday night that you end up thinking that racing turtles is a genius idea??? -
Review from Mae J.
Los Angeles, CA
9/19/2011
The music was amazing, epic, unbelievable. And it wasn't too loud.
It was spacious so you can walk around comfortably.
I accidentally got in the waitress's way a few times and she didn't once sneer or roll her eyes at me, just got her job done around me.
The bartenders gave me a free beer because I waited while one of the keg's was replaced despite me not minding at all that I had to wait a few minutes.
The bartenders were courteous and did not speak to me like I was annoying them. In fact, they were sweet. "WOW" I know.
The bathroom was a little gross but I mean...it's a bar.
Basically everyone was professional yet nice, and you can talk to people without getting your ears abused by loud obnoxious music.
I mean, it's everything a little local bar should be. -
Review from Carl H.
Los Angeles, CA
12/8/2011
Yeah, the Turtle races are quite entertaining, however;
Beer is over priced. Bartenders are mainly more interested in counting tips than serving or making conversation. They play terrible music too LOUD (regardless of what shills post on here).
Completely disappointed in what we thought was supposed to be an Irish pub (Like many of the great ones in LA), yet it felt like jock night at the frat house. -
Review from David M.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was in the area with a group and this place was within walking distance, so we went. It was hard for me to put a finger on the crowd here, when one of my buddies said "tourists." Yeah, that's pretty much it. The turtle racing isn't nearly as nail-biting as it sounds, but if you're newly 21 then maybe you'll have a good time here.
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Review from Matt W.
Culver City, CA
8/5/2011
So Brennan's is a pretty cool bar, with nothing too special...EXCEPT IT OFFERS TURTLE RACING!!!!!!!!! Oh and it's a pretty cool place to see a band perform too. Growing up in Culver City, Brennan's was one of the first neighborhood places I wanted to go when I turned 21.
If you want to go to see the Turtle Racing make sure you get to Brennan's early, because the line forms early. It's well worth the wait though because who doesn't like seeing a bunch of turtles racing to get out of a circle? To be honest though, it's really only cool the first few times--after that Thursday almost become just an excuse to go somewhere else--with less of a line.
The bar gets pretty busy, especially on nights with Turtle Racing, but it still doesn't take very long to get drinks. The service is pretty good considering all the people there on busy nights, it's the line to get in that takes forever. The drinks aren't very expensive, and they have a relatively good beer selection. After my first night going, I was surprised by my sort of low tab, especially considering the bar's popularity.
Definitely a place to try out--at least for the turtle racing, but overall a pretty fun bar to go to. -
Review from Grace L.
Los Angeles, CA
Turtle racing is an amusing way to spend the evening. I don't think I would come back myself unless I were showing some friends around LA - I certainly have never heard of this anywhere else before so it would be a good dose of local flavor.
Seems like only females rent turtles. And they always make the woman bend over (putting it down) twice - three times if she has a particularly juicy butt. One of the girls wore a see-through/very short dress, so that drew especially loud cheers from the crowd.
Oh, also: $6 for a pathetically small cup of beer. What.
Three stars for turtle racing as a creative business venture. -
Review from Sarah M.
8/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
The only bad thing about this bar is it's become trendy over the years.. and it's usually packed.. but go on a weekday and it's not so bad. Reasonably priced drinks, good bands, cool peeps.. and a nice vibe for sure.
Thursdays there are turtle races... which are pretty cool. Get there early, it gets packed on Thursday nights! They have a kitchen as well which is a plus. Decent bar food.
Bartenders are nice and attentive.. you're never left waiting for a drink. Restrooms are always clean and stocked which is a plus! -
Review from Eric M.
8/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I would only come here for their happy hour, which lasts until 7. Outside of that time frame, the drinks are pretty expensive. Their buffalo wings are among the best I've ever had. For half price, it's definitely a bargain.
UPDATE. I recently found out this is a Bronco bar. Being a fan, this bumps up the rating to 4 stars!! Cool people on Sundays. They have other games on as well. Other fans come to watch games as well. -
Review from Philip L.
La Mesa, CA
8/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
What can I say about Brennen's that hasn't already been said?.. Great atmosphere, great people, turtle races, and cheap drinks.
I can't speak much for their menu, as I have only eaten their Philly Cheese steak, but it was decent for a bar. But that isn't what this place is known for..
Turtle races are always a big hit, and a great place to bring your non-yuppie out-of-towners for a good time away from the normal LA stereotype.
Live music at this place is always a good time, once you get some drinks in you. "Interesting" selection of bands, to say the least, and the people you observe on the dance floor always leave you with a good story to tell. Be it drunk ladies tripping over everything, or some crazy sweaty guy dancing over the entire dance floor.
A food truck will conveniently be waiting outside to cater to your hunger for your drunken departure, which is never a bad thing.
I definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a good time, and enjoy a drink or two or ten with some friends. Not a classy place to take your pompous, highfalutin friends, but prefect for those who don't crave that Hollywood-esque version of Los Angeles. -
Review from Janet T.
5/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I'm not a huge dive bar type of person, I don't care much for the dirty tables, dirty bathrooms, everything smelling like beer type of pubs, but after my coworker had his going away party here recently, it was pretty fun and entertaining, I decided to give it another chance (dive bars that is). In any case, turtle races are held on Thursday evenings at 9pm with live music
Beers on tap are very inexpensive - $4 each and they serve both craft beers, domestic and some international beers.1/2 price bar food is served up until 7pm, which is an excellent deal and definitely worth it for the price. -
Review from Sasha N.
Culver City, CA
4/28/2011
I adore this place. I come here all of the time - it's my very own "cheers." Brennan's is the host bar for our kickball league - so on any given tues/wed night - this is where I'll be! Drinking beer and flipping some cups outside in the back.
I've never been for Turtle racing on Thursday nights. Maybe one day I'll venture in on a Thursday.
This a great dive bar. It's not fancy nor does it try to be. Most people are there to get their drink on, maybe play a little pool or throw some darts while listening to one of the many live bands that play there.
One of my favorite places to go! -
Review from Maria B.
Updated - 3/2/2011
This is my favorite Thursday night hang out spot.
Pros:
- Free (no cover charge). That's extremely rare when there's entertainment.
- Live Band (Great band that plays cover songs) The Mandrakes play on Thursday.
- Live Bands (Tuesday - Sunday)
- Turtle Racing (Select a turtle, pay, name it something creative, find a hot girl to place it in the bin for the race, the hotter she is the more they'll have her bend over, get your drink on while you wait for the race to start, double fist your drinks so that you don't point at the turtles)
- Dancefloor.. with dancing going on.
- Bar food (so you don't drink on an empty stomach)
- Always busy
- Cool fun crowd
- Not prententious (Opposite of Hollywood)
- Pool Tables
- Jukebox to use before the live band
Cons:
- Parking is limited (Come early)
- Late crowd
- Tiny bathroom stalls
Overall.. I love it! All that it is missing so that it is a 5-star place for me are some hot friendly bartenders and Cheaper drinks,Listed in: Bars with Live Bands, Dirt Cheap Fun in the Dark!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2009
You have to check this out at least once on Thursday nights for turtle racing and a live band.… Read more »
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Review from Whitney G.
Marina del Rey, CA
2/26/2011 25 Check-ins Here
How I love an authentic and gently worn watering hole!
Brennan's Pub is my local go-to. Their Happy Hour drink and app deals can't get any better and the ambiance is a far cry from being pretentious.
To be perfectly honest, I could probably care less about the actual turtle racing and would rather spend the bulk of my evening at the pool tables.
(Mind you, There will never come a day that you will find me bending over a lucite contraption to softly and delicately place down some turtles)
Nonetheless, I always have a fun time when we go, and I really dig the live music regardless of the genre.
Oh, and the women's restroom is usually fairly clean. That's a real luxury in my book (woo-hoo!) -
Review from marcos b.
Los Angeles, CA
1/14/2012
so my friends and i went there for football playoff games (brennan's is a denver bronco bar). i'm not a football fanatic but i enjoy watching a good game. i was hungry and ordered the hamburger. i usually rate a restaurant on how well they make a burger because its a very simple thing to make, so if you screw it up, there isn't much hope for the rest of your food. lets just say i was less than satisfied with it. not only was the burger less than spectacular, but the bottom bun was so toasted that it was like a cracker. when i bit into it, the whole bottom just fell apart like a cheap cracker would. how the hell do you screw up a bun? its a freaking bun! what kind of chef screws up a bun?
if that were just it, i would have given more stars, but the broncos played the patriots that night. the place was filled with bronco fan as the place should be, but beware, if you are not a bronco fan, don't bother going in during a game. my friends cheered for the patriots and we got ice thrown at us. mind you, my friends are girls. one of them protested and it was as if we killed a new born and ate its parts right in front of them. people both men and women went nuts even though they were the ones that started it. we had a man in his mid 50's screaming at my friend that is about 5.1 and 98 lbs saying "get the fuck out of our bar you bitch!" i didn't care for the game so i left to another bar before blood was shed.
in the end, the broncos didn't just lose, they got they asses handed to them 45-10. that's an embarrassment to the NFL. so the owners and the bronco fans can have their shit hole bar, losers deserve each other. -
Review from Jeanie L.
6/24/2011
Went here on a Thursday night to experience the Turtle Races at 10pm! Amusing as it was watching crawling across the ring late at night, the crowd was quite lively consisting of primarily an older group of people. However, watching girls for the remainder of the night placing turtles into the center of the ring wasn't quite my cup of tea. In fact I had to shield my eyes several times because I didn't want to see what ANY girl was wearing underneath her hiked up dress! There were also men beside me videotaping women bending over. Also, if you're standing in the front, DON'T POINT AT THE TURTLES. They really do emphasize their rules and will make you pay.
On Thursdays, they also have a live band perform and yesterday the Mandrakes took the stage, playing some cover songs from Kings of Leon, Rolling Stones, and some other old rock bands. Afterwards, the scene slowly transitioned into a club as they bumped up several clubbing songs like Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and the like. I loved how they had a small dance floor where everyone could kind of let loose.
There was even a small pool table indoors where people could play. The beers themselves weren't too expensive, $4.50 for a Pabst Blue Ribbon and most of their beers weren't too expensive.
The bathrooms were kind of gross..but manageable. Outside sits a Korean taco truck where you can get orders of Bulgogi tacos if you're craving a light night dinner after hitting up Brennan's.
As for parking, don't park on Denny's because they actually have some workers who stand outside and will call the tow company..they called one on my friend, but luckily he had moved his car in time. Instead, if you go to the back of Denny's, there is plenty of street parking.
Only 10 mins from UCLA!! -
Review from milos d.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2012
this could be fun... but it isn't. the no pointing rule is a scam and ruins the race. and the race sounds much better in theory than it actually is in reality. i certainly enjoyed watching the girls bend over, but the douchy bar staff brought down my enjoyment of that. so i was left with expensive beer. i've heard the live music can be pretty awesome, so i might try this place again, but i'm not going back any time soon.
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Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
11/21/2010
Irish pub
Live music
Thursday Turtle races!
Unslick,
Unsophisticated,
Unpretentious
hang out in the middle of La La land,
where the opposite of all this is everywhere.Listed in: Wanugee! Bars and Lounges, Wanugee! LA Westside
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Review from Kali M.
The moral of my review is this, if you are...
- female
- a guy who matured past 15
- someone with alcohol standards higher than a UCLA frat party
- an animal-lover
or
- a turtle
You will HATE Brennan's.
If you are...
- trashy
- a guy who never matured past 15
or
- an animal-hater
You'll LOVE Brennan's!
It's a dive bar in every sense of the word. Crappy cover band playing in the front, sticky floors, and a smoke-filled patio (even though it's open-air, somehow it still reeks). You can get a beer for $6, and it'll come in a 2/3-full 6oz. cup. It will also have the distinctly lovely taste of a tap tube that hasn't been cleaned in years.
If you're there for the turtle racing, be prepared to be offended. The guys handling the turtles stack them and tuck them under their pits to transport them from the tiny, dirty cooler that they'd been closed up in for who knows how long. If they happen to be holding a turtle in their hands while addressing the crowd, said turtle will be gestured with, waved around.
If that doesn't bug you, oh wait - yes, there's more offensive behavior to be found!
Men were permitted to "rent" turtles, but if they want them to race they have to find a woman to place them in the starting ring. Why? Because when placing them in the ring, women must bend over with legs straight and boobs out. Move too quickly, bend your legs, or slouch your boobs out of view? Disqualified! Not comfortable displaying your goods for the crowds of whooping trashy frat boys? Disqualified!
As if that weren't bad enough, one of the guys working the "race" walks around taking pictures up the girls' asses while they lean over. Neat.
As a woman, I was appalled... even though I'm hardly touchy on the subject and have been "one of the guys" my entire life. The single, straight, 20-something guys in my group? So uncomfortable they left of their own accord after the first race. We were expecting "Oh cute, little turtles racing!!" and got "ew, what? why are they - UGH let's get out of here."
Please don't stoop so low as to visit Brennan's for any reason, especially the turtle racing.Listed in: Just stay away, it's for your…
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Review from Eric B.
Santa Monica, CA
10/26/2011
The turtle racing idea seemed really cool... it was actually depressing and pretty awful. There's no 'racetrack' - they're just unleashed in a circle. Pretty dumb.
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Review from Celia C.
3/6/2011
Last night, I revisited this old local hang out of mine. It was a bit of a divey crowd for a Saturday night with a mix of old people and young beachsters and the 80s cover band rocked. Pretty much it's what you'd expect out of a pub.
Thursday nights are the best with their turtle races. I competed once and actually won! Prizes are gimmicky. My golden prize was a Mary Kate & Ashley VHS tape....HA.
Also St. Patty's Day is another good time to come. Their doors open at 7am if you're looking to party lad. -
Review from B S.
Santa Monica, CA
9/24/2010
I agree with the review from xtin e. on 8/1/2010.
This place is for trash. It's a dive bar, has bad cover bands, the turtle races are degrading towards women, full of frat boys from non-distinguished institutions, and runs rampant with classless girls who carry plastic, fake designer purses accompanying their Wet Seal ill-fitting clothes.
Upon announcing the rules of Turtle Racing, the organizer shouted, "Don't point at the turtles, if you do, we'll fine you! If you don't pay the fine, I'll kick you in the balls! If you don't have balls, I'll flick you really hard in the clit!"
DISGUSTING! TRASHY! GROSS!
Even more disturbing was that one of the workers would use his outdated, flip cell phone to take "up the skirt" shots of the women who wore skirts and bent over to place turtles in the ring.
I promptly left after only one race- which took an hour. I only stayed that long to be polite to my date. I wish I had left sooner. -
Review from Yasmin B.
Los Angeles, CA
12/3/2011
Oh my God I never in my life imagined id watch a turtle race but I had so much fun. Pretty big crowd. Everyone was really friendly. Good beer. Laid back hang out place. Music was pretty good too! Definitely coming back for another round of Thursday night turtle racing.
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Review from Sam G.
Poway, CA
1/7/2011
Wow, some of the review are harsh! This place is an Irish dive bar - it is what it is. Drink and have fun!!!!
This is not a place for high maintenance girls - you know who you are! -
Review from Sarah F.
Altadena, CA
11/15/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Cougar town extraordinaire. Nice bartenders, not too packed, pool table, lots of old people.
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Review from Ken V.
Los Angeles, CA
1/9/2011
I go to see bands that I like preform - the food is deep fried snack food fair and the drinks are your normal cocktail types. It's divey as you can get in this hood.
I have had some good times -
Review from Greg G.
Paramount, CA
11/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love coming here Thursday nights for the turtle races. Drinks are reasonably priced and the music is fun. The people there are pretty cool too.
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Review from xtin e.
Los Angeles, CA
8/1/2010
A friend of mine had heard about turtle racing and convinced a group of us to go. I was hesitant, because it seemed like it would be sort of depressing from a those-poor-turtles point of view. Little did I know that it would be depressing for entirely different reasons.
We got there a little after 8, since the website advertised that the turtle racing started between 9 and 10. Pre-turtle racing, Brennan's was fine. They had some good beers on tap, and the prices were reasonable enough. The bar was also not very crowded when we got there, although there was a lot of space but not a lot of seating.
Although advertised as starting between 9 and 10, the turtle racing didn't really get started until 10:30. And everything took SO LONG.
And, the rules. Girls have to put the turtles into the ring (or at least, no guys did), and they're not allowed to bend their knees. If they do bend their knees, they have to try it again. This made the process take forever. For every 10 second turtle race we saw, we had to watch 7 minutes of girls bending over. And after the first turn or two, people started to get what was going on, and ... well, the girls who were really excited about doing this were all NOT the kind of girls you would want to see doing this (if at all).
So. It just ended up being somewhere between boring and offensive/gross.
When you add the pointing rules to this (you get charged $10 the first time you point at a turtle, $20 the second time, and $50 the third!), I have no idea why ANYONE goes to this.
Even more shocking, when we left halfway into the second round (and headed out to the far superior Roger's Exciting Tattle Tale Room), there was a significant LINE of people waiting to get in!
The turtle racing could have been fun, but all the weird let's-watch-unattractive-drunk-girls-shake-their-a sses stuff sort of ruined it. -
Review from P F.
Los Angeles, CA
5/3/2011
I go there all the time for happy hour. Surprisingly the only bartender I like is Tom. I have had good experiences when he's there. Bad experiences when he is not. I go because it's both close to work and on my way home. It's kinda like a chill dive bar that just recently got upgraded with flat screens. I enjoy a nice chilled rum n' coke whenever I come in. Also love the 1/2 priced appetizers and 2 for 1 burger Wednesdays. :-)
I always, always get the Buffalo popcorn shrimp and now I am feeling the Southwest Egg Rolls :) -
Review from Alfred P.
Los Angeles, CA
5/19/2008
There are a few things I've never understood: why bars charge six bucks for draught, why women slap me when I proposition them with a fiver, and what in the hell is the appeal of turtle racing.
I mean, all turtles do for me is remind me of pooping.
When there are no filthy, half-shelled beasts scuttling around, the patio is perfect after a long day at the beach. I could ask you what beats having a smoke and an icy drink soothing your sunburned skin under a dimming sky, but we all know the answer is sex. How I wish I could verify that.
Would I return? If prompted. Or tempted with free drinks. Or lured with the promise of intercourse (free intercourse that is, hold the slap--maybe). Otherwise, no thanks. I'd rather stay home with a bottle of vodka and watch old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cartoons in the nude like I do every Saturday night.
At least this way I'll save myself from the wrath of the cover band's music.Listed in: Bardom 2008
