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Library Alehouse

4 star rating
based on 284 reviews

Categories: American (New), Breweries  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Santa Monica
2911 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-4855
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Hours:

Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Good for Groups:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Price Range:
$$
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Good for:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Beer & Wine Only

284 reviews for Library Alehouse

Review Highlights   

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"The back patio is a great place to chill and SM people watch." (in 52 reviews)
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"The beer selection is fantastic and service is great." (in 196 reviews)
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"great place for burgers, beer and sweet potato fries." (in 17 reviews)
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One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?

Photo of Pamela C.

 

10

72

Pamela C.

Long Beach, CA

5 star rating
11/4/2009

Super fantastico!  This is the bar by which other pubs should be judged by.

Service: Everyone (host, bartenders, waitstaff, bussers) is really, really friendly.  The place is super welcoming. I've never had any obvious problems. Decent speed. Obliging to requests and substitutions. Can handle large groups.

Drinks: Great selection of brews!

Food: They give you chips and salsa instead of bread - perfect for beer in California!  Most everything I've had here is fantastic. The southwestern salad is awesome! Great veggie tacos! Only complaints food-wise are that the bread used for the salmon sandwich doesn't really hold up well against the moisture of the fish.  And like-wise for the batter they use for their fish and chips (doesn't hold up well). They also serve brown rice and assorted veggie sides which is awesome if you or a friend is vegan and are looking for a way to create a full platter.

Other pros: Patio. Patio. Patio. They try to use sustainably procured seafood where possible AND they are participants in the City of Santa Monica's Green Business program. They were also early adopters of the City's ban on styrofoam (i.e. they stopped using styrofoam before the City required them to!). Free matchboxes (BOXES) at the entrance!

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Photo of Yi Z.

Elite '09

51

304

Yi Z.

West Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
11/27/2009

The BEST patio in Santa Monica has to be at Library Alehouse. It's outdoors, but the retractable roof protects you from the forces of nature. After wandering up and down Main Street for half an hour, we settled on Library Alehouse.

I know it's called an "alehouse" so I should talk about beverages; but, food is my top priority so I'll focus on that. The Ahi Burger is consistently good. Some people get it well-done, eh hem, but please don't subject the poor fish to being cooked for that long. I ordered the Steak Sandwich. OMG, one of the best steak sandwiches ever and yes, I eat a lot of steak. I cut my sandwich into 2 halves and decided to eat just one half for dinner and take the rest home for another meal. But it was so yummy I couldn't resist eating the second half as well. I'm sure I ate too much (since I also ate all of the sweet potato fries) but oh, I was so satisfied.

I've eaten both inside and out on the patio and they are 2 very different experiences. If your focus is more on drinking, being by the bar may be a good idea. However, if you're there to eat a meal, being outside is far better than being stuck in the narrow claustrophobic inside area.

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Photo of Maxwell H.

 

4

34

Maxwell H.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
11/20/2009

I've been going to the Alehouse for many a year now.  Come to think of it, it was the very first restaurant I ate at in LA.  A friend of mine use to work here back in the day and she always said such nice things about the place.  I got off the plane at LAX and rented a car and was super hungry.  Not knowing any other place I ended up at the Alehouse.  
It has always stuck in my mind as so "California."  Lots of offbeat menu options and avocado on everything. A nice outside patio in the back with the beautiful and hip Santa Monica crowd around you.   It has been years and my opinion has never changed...because they are consistent, the food is great and everyone who works there is super friendly.  Ask for Danny or Carlo.
Love you Alehouse...never change.

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Photo of Kristy C.

Elite '09

216

166

Kristy C.

Studio City, CA

4 star rating
11/11/2009

If there was an attractive contest between Hollywood on a Friday night and Santa Monica on a Saturday night, guess who wins?

Sorry Holly, we have our good times at the Hotel Cafe, but good god Monica is Hot!

Now, I'm not a big fan of the set up in the alehouse, it's quite retarded, but if I'm gonna smash my boobs into someone it might as well have been the metro's here!  I like the vibe here too that says I can take off my thigh highs and put on my beanie.

The ladies and I had the hef and the amber on tap.  Delish but they need more varieties.  I enjoyed the seasonal pumpkin raviolies, which were rich yes, but not too big and not too many so it didn't spoil the tastiness.  They ran about $13.  Friends had the fish tacos that they gobbled down, for around $11 they were good too.  All in all good times at this place.

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Photo of jonathan s.

Elite '09

20

259

jonathan s.

Orange County, CA

3 star rating
11/27/2009

really wanted to like this place. its cool, but food was bad.

"alehouse favorite" ahi burger - most plain, tasteless ahi sandwich ive ever had. wasabi mayo was just plain cabbage. no wasabi to be found. needed a sauce......problem was there was not one to be found.

kobe burger - bacon, cheddar, sauteed onions. they asked how i wanted it.....medium rare. came out medium well. it was ok. not $15 ok though.

best part was chips and salsa and beer selection.

wayyyyyy over priced. this place should be a lot better than it is.

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Photo of Karim D.

 

22

12

Karim D.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
11/1/2009

I came here with a date and was very pleased with how everything turned out.

We were seated at the bar initially, but after a trip to the bathroom revealed to me the cozy, more intimate "outside" seating, I asked if we could move back there. It was a chilly night, but they had the outdoor lamp heaters going which made that kind of better-than-real, artificial warmth the colder seasons are so great for.

They started out with our drinks and set down some chips and salsa while we waited for our order. My date wasn't for spicy, so she asked for some guacamole as well and they obliged--definitely some of the best guac I've had, by the way.

I ordered the New York strip and potatoes, which were great. The steak was slightly charred on the outside, but medium on the inside, how I like it. The potatoes were well-prepared, not too crunchy and not too soft, and the asparagus on the side was perfect. My date had some kind of veggie sandwich thing that looked pretty tasty, and her mashed potatoes were delicious enough that she mandated my tasting them--they were good.

I was just slightly bummed they didn't have hard liquor, but the wine and beer selection was decent and my Cabernet ended up being a nice complement to the my steak.

Service was quick, the area was clean, cozy, and the food was great. And Coca Cola from Mexico. You can't ask for much more than that.

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Photo of Scott S.

Elite '09

18

245

Scott S.

Manhattan Beach, CA

2 star rating
10/31/2009

I'll start out by saying upfront that I may have not made a good choice with my food order. I got the papaya goat cheese quesedilla. It sounded interesting but wound up being a terrible mess of tastes and textures that don't work. The atmosphere is very, very dark. You'll need the candle on the table or your cell phone to be able to read the menu. I recommend eating in the patio in the back of the place which has a lot more atmosphere than the tight front.

In addition to the food itself, the prices were high. $13 for a burger is a little much for this place. I do like that you get chips and salsa when you sit down. They also sell Mexican Coke bottles which is great! The price of $3.50 is not so great.

I can see where this place may be great for someone else if they are into more of your non mainstream beers and looking for a place with a bit of a yuppie vibe, but coming here strictly for the food was a disappointment. 2 stars.

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Photo of Denis S.

Elite '09

194

839

Denis S.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
10/7/2009

Came here for lunch, but really for the burger.  Got their specialty Kobe beef burger, which I ordered medium but got medium rare.  Which turned out ok since it was still a delicious burger.  I got it with some cheese (I think pepper jack) and avocado.  As always, half the avocado ended up sliding out of the burger.  Overall, the burger was solid, but not amazing.  What was really good was the bun.  Huge, solid bun that doesn't fall apart after the very first bite.

I also tried their bronco burger, but that wasn't as good. We also got the curly fries (with seasoning) and the sweet potato fries.  The sweet potato fries I found pretty bland, but the curly fries were great!

Also, as I'm sure you've heard, they have bear.  But... that's a story for another day.

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Photo of vicki h.

 

38

68

vicki h.

Cerritos, CA

4 star rating
10/4/2009

This place gets PACKED! so if you want a table.... GET THERE EARLY!!!!

Can't find parking???? pay $6 at a flat rate parking lot on Ashland and Main

i loved their FRIED CHICKEN with garlic mashed potatoes and spinach!
they also have a great selection of beer :)

the bf and his friends had a wonderful time here.

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Photo of Brendan F.

Elite '09

38

99

Brendan F.

Arlington, VA

4 star rating
10/12/2009

"Just listen, I forgot to tell you the plan for this Saturday. You, me, bars, beers, buzzed. Wings. Shots. Drunk. Waitresses, hot. Football - Cornell/Hofstra. Slaughter. Then a quick nap at my place and we'll hit the tiz-own."

I mean, there's like 250 reviews already. Love this place. Go here if you can. LA rules.

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Photo of Luke W.

 

1

19

Luke W.

North Hills, CA

5 star rating
10/1/2009

This place IS L.A.  

Okay, its in Santa Monica but, this is the kind of place that after having been there just once...4 months ago (don't ask me why it took so long to review this place...trust me when I say it has nothing to do with the legitimacy of my claim) I still think about this place on a weekly basis and want to go back.  Alas, I live in the Valley and seem to spend every waking moment working or going to school....but I digress.  

This place is sandwiched in between a smattering of similar restaurants along Main St. and I did walk past it the first time....its small (from the front) but opens up inside a bit and especially outback.

From imported beers (they rotate in whatever is new/fresh) from Belgium and the U.K. (among others) this place will have something to suit your pallet.

They start you with some chips 'n salsa.  Let me say that again.  This Alehouse serves CHIPS 'N SALSA when you sit down!!!  That's like one of the holy grails of Mexican food and a huge reason I eat Mexican (I could eat chips 'n salsa until the day I die and never get enough) so to come to an Alehouse and and find the same thing!?  Whoa....
To begin I had shrimp quesadillas which were served with a lime/mango sauce and were without a doubt the most amazing quesadillas I have ever had.

Now to choose my Main....
Bison burgers.  Kobe beef burgers (serious!), chicken burgers, cobb salads, wraps, pasta.....well, needless to say, just as you stopped reading Kobe burgers....unfortunately before I got there, I stopped at Bison burger.  I have never had a bison burger and thought I would go with that.  My buddy got the Kobe burger...which was good since I wanted to try that too.

So we destroyed the chips 'n salsa, got more....for free.  Heck yes.
Ordered beer.  I got some Belgian beer with a really high ABV, and it was super dark and super delish.  Wish I had written the name down....alas, I guess I will have to go back and hope to find it again (and not, and then be "forced" to order something new.....bummer ;)
Also they had a nice selection of high-sodas....new to me.  but flavors like black cherry (which my friend who ordered it said was hard to find).  It was good too.  Came in a glass bottle, kind of like Jones' Sodas.

On to the Main.....

So each of the burgers come with sweet potato fries (hallelujah!) and....I think it was coleslaw or something.....the fries were unbelievable.  Serious.

THe burgers come with these fresh made wheat seasame rolls....whoa, seriously fresh.

Ever had Bison before?  I bet some of you lot have.  Its kind of gamey, and I am not a huge fan of "gamey"....that being said, this was not my first foray into bison territory, and for what it is, (a huge friggin bison) it tasted about as good as I think it ever could.
Regarding the Kobe burger...well I think by this point if you are still reading you know the verdict.  
This is where it is at.  The Kobe burger.  Holy balls.  I mean you could eat these things everyday and never grow tired of how amazing they are.  The meat, so sweet and soft (don't order it well-done....terrible terrible shame if you do), the huge slices of tomatoes, lettuce, cheese...oh the cheese!  They have Bleu cheese, that is amazing, and some of the thickest bacon ever...get those as well.  

Look, bottom line is, if you love beer from outside America, you love chips 'n salsa, amazing food, and Kobe burgers and happen to be in Santa Monica.  Do Not.  Miss.  This place.

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Photo of Mark C.

 

1

11

Mark C.

Houston, TX

4 star rating
10/11/2009

Great place, lots of beers, good talk.  Reasonable happy hour for both beers and bar munchies.

I like the place, have been there 50 or so times.  Lots of locals, and a few visitors.  Food very good.  

My profile picture was taken there.

Check this place out when in Santa Monica!!

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Photo of Matthew K.

Elite '09

159

135

Matthew K.

Venice, CA

4 star rating
8/21/2009

One word description - Hopping

Pro
Great burgers
Great Fries (regular or curly)
Option of getting Mashed potato instead of fries
Tri tip steak sandwich

Con
Crowded
Noisy (more due to popularity of this place)

This seems like the place everyone comes to have a drink and a burger.  Service was fast and the food was really good

Cost - Dinner for 2
$40

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Photo of Amy S.

 

12

39

Amy S.

Marina del Rey, CA

5 star rating
9/29/2009

With all the endless possibilities of places to do, there are very few places that I've gone to on a repeated basis...Library Alehouse is one of the few.  I love the upbeat bar, the quieter back patio, the fantastic beer list, and the great food that I'm never hungry to eat b/c I've scarfed down the endless amounts of chips and delicious salsa.

The food is a little Mexican inspired.  I've had the quesadilla apps, the fajitas, the fish dishes, the sammies...all very good.  Big portions and like I already said, I'm usually full as it is (makes a great left overs).  They have a nice beer list...not as extensive as Father's Office, but great on it's on anyway.

The downer is that they don't take reservations...but it's worth the wait.

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Photo of rob a.

 

1

30

rob a.

Orange County, CA

3 star rating
10/4/2009

I decided to check this place out on labor day after spending some time at the beach.

Food I tried
---------------
1. calamari
2. Cajun chicken pasta
3. Kobe burger
4. Sweet potato fries

Drinks i tried
-----------------
1. Apricot wheat
2. Water

What I thought
--------------------
Overall this place is ok. The pasta was good but nothing special. The Kobe patty was tasty and the same goes for the calamari.  The fries were my favorite.

Parking is a pain in the ASS!

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Photo of Josh W.

 

4

3

Josh W.

Calabasas, CA

2 star rating
10/4/2009

The fact that people rate this place so highly proves that Southern California is still years behind the Pacific Northwest when it comes to good beer selection in bars.

Now, that's not to say that the beer selection at the Library Alehouse is bad, quite the contrary, it's good. However, when I went, I was disappointed to find that I had already tried almost every beer on the menu. I then tried the two that I had never experienced. I wasn't impressed with them.

I do like that they offer "flights" for their beers. Actually, it's just a sampling of a few beers that you can choose, or they can suggest some for you. A great idea, but it could be a little more focused and better executed.

I did eat there too, but the memory of the food isn't really jumping out at me, so that wasn't worth shouting about either.

All in all, this place has a decent atmosphere, good beer selection for SoCal, and is worth the trip.

However, most people who are really into craft beer are gonna have to keep searching for a place in SoCal that actually "gets it.

MY search continues...

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Photo of Cookie V.

 

8

71

Cookie V.

Lawndale, CA

3 star rating
9/23/2009

I have to admit that the first couple times that I went here, I wasn't crazy about it.  I guess it depends on what you get, but the last time I went I got something really good!

People say that the fish and chips are really good, but for some reason, I wasn't impressed.  They give you the option of either getting salmon or cod, and I chose cod.  I found the fish to be a little bland.  Their fries are delicious though!  You can either get curly fries or regular fries, and both options are yummy.

The last time I went, I got the Blackened Cajun Chicken Sandwhich.  It was delicious and I definitely recommend it.  I can't eat spicy, so I asked for no Cajun spice, and it was still good.

The jerk chicken is one of the more popular dishes there.

There isn't a lot of seating in this place because it's so small, but there is seating in the back.  The service hasn't been good when I've gone though...they don't come by and check in as often as they should.

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Photo of Alexandra T.

Elite '09

65

89

Alexandra T.

Santa Monica, CA

3 star rating
Updated - 8/15/2009 2 photos

Ewwww, Library! What are you doing to your food! STOP IT!

Or better yet, maintain your integrity and stop serving food all together!

You have excellent beer- forget that porter I mentioned (which you can buy at specialty stores!) and get the large bottle of Allagash Curieux  (I think its around $20 bucks but it will knock your socks off (taste and sobriety!)--think vanilla and soft coconut aged in bourbon barrels....

I think the excellent brews have gone to the heads of whosever in charge (and the servers seem to know this as well) and the food just plain stinks now :(

To sum up:
food- ew! no! ah!
drink- yes! yay! Trappistes Rocheforte #10 (also at FO!!!), Piraat, Chimay Blue, and, most important:  Allagash Curieux (the big bottle)

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 4 star rating
    1/23/2009

    I'm a regular here for the beers but I tried the food so I thought I should review-

    I believe it was… Read more »

Photo of Debbie E.

Elite '09

17

246

Debbie E.

Hermosa Beach, CA

4 star rating
9/11/2009

Super crowded but we were able to get a table in the back and outside.

Great selection of beers. Lots of Belgium brews if you're into that.

Ahi Tuna Sandwich and Turkey Meatloaf Sandwich, both with curly fries. Yum (even though the meatloaf could've used some more seasonings).

Great service, food came super fast.

$40 for dinner for 2 and 2 beers.

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Photo of Loran H.

 

1

38

Loran H.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
9/23/2009

This place is pretty cool, and I like the neighborhood.  I would give 3.5 stars if I could, but I still prefer Father's Office over Library (I gave FO 4 stars) so I had to round down on this one.

Went here for happy hour last night with JJ.  Happy hour is not exactly as advertised on yelp, but still good.  Their regular beers on tap are $3.50 for pints, $2.50 for half pints.  Several of their Quesadillas are $4.

Drink:
Beer selection is pretty good, definitely a step above regular bars.  The beers we had last night:  Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, Green Flash IPA, North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, and Mad River Extra Pale.  Now, we were very familiar with all of these already except for Mad River.  Mad River XP is for those who want to think they're really cool drinking a "hoppy" craft brew, but it tastes like a light version of what an XP should be.  For being a bar that specializes in craft brew, I think they should search a little bit harder to find top quality (Stella Artois is NOT).  I saw they had Stone Juxtaposition in the bottle, which is pretty impressive.  Didn't try it because I had to drive (It's pretty high in abv), but I'll be back for it.  Also saw they had Stone Pale Ale on tap, but c'mon, everyone knows if you're serving stone you should have the IPA.

Eat:
JJ and I ordered a bunch of appetizers to try as much as possible. First of all, they bring some pretty good chips with a side of salsa.  The chips were delicious, but the salsa was very average, with too many stewed tomatoes, tasted much like a chunky pace salsa would from the grocery store.  However, I won't hold it against them because it's free.  Just lightly salt the chips and you'll be good eating those by themselves.  Started with sweet potato fries while we had our first drink.  They were just OK, nothing compared to FO sweet potato frites.  

Next we had a papaya salsa, goat cheese, poblano peppers, and cheddar and jack cheese quesadilla.  Never had something like that and my palate didn't know what to think at first, but I ended up giving it a thumbs up, probably the best thing we had that night besides the beer.

After that, coconut shrimp.  Pretty good, straightforward Coconut shrimp, perhaps a little over done.  The pineapple salsa was too sweet for JJ and I.

Finally we had some Crabcakes.  They were good, but a little too deep fried for me.

Based on beer selection....4 stars; Food....2.5 stars.

This place could get another star for upping their beer collection a bit (eliminating things like Stella) and revamping their menu and food and kicking it up (forgive me for the Emeril-ism I'm about to use) another notch.  Less deep fried, more gourmet and flavor.  You're almost there Library Alehouse!

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Photo of Philip I.

 

8

33

Philip I.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
10/29/2009

I like Library Alehouse.  The food is really yummy, diverse, solid portions and fresh.   And free crisps before to settle the hunger over a beer.  My favorite are the burgers (any) and goat cheese quesadilla with papaya.  Hmm!  They also have a great (heated) outside dining area in the back.

If there's one reason why I don't give them 5 stars, its the poor selection of beer.  Sure there might be an extensive list  ... but the quality is really poor.  If you're the manager and genuinely want to improve things, give me a holler.

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Photo of Thai L.

 

0

6

Thai L.

Santa Monica, CA

5 star rating
9/22/2009

Really love this place.  I have been eating here for the last 3 years and have never been disappointed.  If there is one food that LA does well...it's burgers and the Library Alehouse is no exception.

Library ALEHOUSE.  Yes they have great beer here!

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Photo of Jeri P.

 

0

13

Jeri P.

Redondo Beach, CA

4 star rating
10/30/2009

Great beer selection, television sets by the bar, and most importantly, FANTASTIC fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

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50

36

cyndy j.

Manhattan Beach, CA

5 star rating
9/6/2009

Southwestern Salad

Perhaps the best salad I have ever had.  And, I don't want to brag, but I am practically a professional salad eater.

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Photo of Ron H.

Elite '09

53

156

Ron H.

Costa Mesa, CA

4 star rating
7/12/2009

This place is pretty yummy. At first, I was afraid there'd be no comfortable seating. The bar area was loud, small, and packed. But there ended up being a nice, relatively quiet dining area in the back.

I've never had buffalo so I got the buffalo burger. I had heard that buffalo burgers were lean, and could end up being overly dry, but it actually ended up being fairly juicy for what it was. Yay, yummy.

They have a pretty good selection of beers, too.

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Photo of Joanne L.

 

4

16

Joanne L.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
11/18/2009

got the turkey meatloaf sandwich and it was goooooood.

the selection of beers is solid but could use some work.

i like this place because its like fathers office except more menu items and they actually let you modify your order...what a concept.

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Photo of Carly S.

 

4

7

Carly S.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
10/18/2009

I love, love, love, love, LOVE the Library Alehouse.  For years I lived a few blocks away from Main Street and would eat there often.  They have a fantastic beer selection, (and you can try a flight of beer!)  One of my Australian cousins was visiting me recently with a friend, and I took them here.  My cousin tried the beer flight, (she was told American beer is awful; we proved her wrong.)  The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to make suggestions.  

The food is fantastic.  I have tried nearly everything on their menu.  (I really like the trout.)  I would skip the meatloaf- it was dry when I ordered it- but other than that, everything has been delicious.

Ask to sit in the back patio.  It's worth the wait.

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Photo of kevin x.

 

0

23

kevin x.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
7/21/2009

No Guinness on tap... hmm... never a good sign... but the Stella was fresh and poured in the appropriate pint glass.  The Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse was poured into a standard pint glass... which is not the standard way to serve a hefe-weisse.

Otherwise, a fine place with good, attentive, friendly service and okay food.  I had a ground beef burger, and my wife had a garden burger.  Both were fine, but nothing amazing.  I expected more garliciness from the garlicy mashed potatoes, and the standard fries were, well, standard.  The back patio is the place to sit on a nice afternoon.

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Photo of Adam S.

 

10

68

Adam S.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
10/6/2009

"I like the beer at Father Office, but they wont let me customize my burger and their are no waiters." Fret no more, oh whiney FO patrons, for there is LIbrary Alehouse.
This is one of my go-to spots. The menu is huge and I have yet to find an item i didnt enjoy, including the burger, fish and chips, chinese chicken salad and last but most certainly not least, the ahi burger (I crave this). The beer selection is stellar, and the recently started carrying brews from Dogfish Head, an amazing micro brewery in Deleware, which is a personal favorite of mine from my days in Florida.
Yes, the wait can be a little long, but main street has some excellent people watching, so the time flies. The back patio is an excellent place for date night, or just a dinner with the boys, so ask that you be seated out there (it might make the wait a lil longer, but its worth.)
Get yourself a Palo Santo Marron beer and an Ahi Burger and you will be more than satisfied, Oh, and the price is right too, unlike the World Cafe across the street (i loathe this.)

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1

12

ryan D.

Marina del Rey, CA

4 star rating
8/21/2009

Probably one of the better beer selections in Venice. Definitely the best beer selection on main street...by far. Way better than the other room. That place SUCKS. Library Alehouse a good mix of beers and they usually have at least two different IPA's and that being my favorite beer style is a big plus.

The bar is fairly large with a nice sized patio in the back. Service is always good. The wait staff is very attentive.

The food here is always consistent. I'd say the food is maybe 4 out of 5 stars for what it is. They have the usual pub food as well as some standard mexican dishes like tacos and enchiladas. Although I wish they would serve onion rings of some type. I don't know why they don't have those on their menu. They are good with beer! WTF!

The busy times can be hard to get a seat at the bar and you might end up waiting for a table for 10 or 15 mins. But I usually grab a beer from the bar while I stand waiting and I am usually seated just after I finish drinking it. Perfect timing!

Its a mellow bar with great beer. What more do you need??..and they do have a happy hour from 4-6pm.

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18

457

Countess A.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
7/28/2009

My SM buddy dragged me here for a late night dinner (around 10 pm) and some drinks.  They really specialize in beer.. so if you're looking for cocktails, it isn't the place for it.  Leave your fancy shoes at home.. and jeans will suffice here.

The food is decent here.. nothing amazing.. but the fish tacos were better here than the ones I had at Wahoo's (where they specialize in fish tacos).  

Great place to chat with your friends as well.  :)

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Elite '09

2257

461

Brian S.

Scottsdale, AZ

4 star rating
5/18/2009 1 photo

It's been 14 years since the last time I went to The Library Ale House.  Where does the time go?  Seriously..... I think I was just a few years removed from my Eddie Van Halen mullet....well, more than that, but you get the gist....

Back in the mid-90's I had quite a few fun times at this place and it is good to know it is still there.  They still serving large, tasty portions paired with great selection of microbrews, Belgium beers as well as wine.

Friday, after a long walk around Santa Monica, and before a get together at Casa De Mer, my friend and I stopped by the Library for an adult beverage.  Now, I realize California is more expensive than Arizona, but $8.50 for a 16oz pint of Hoegaarden seemed a bit much for me, especially considering it's $5 on the high-end for 20oz here in Scottsdale.  So, we ended up having a glass of Sonoma Cabernet and a glass of Tamperillo.  If I remember correctly, both were $8 or so.....

At 3:30pm, the place was pretty crowded, sports highlights were on the TV and great reggae was on the music system.  Our waiter brought out some chips and some spicy salsa along with the glasses of wine.  For a second there, I was transported back to memories from the mid-90's, an old girlfriend and good times...when "pig's flew" and cigars were in fashion....  

Santa Monica..... Fuckin' A.....

LOL

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Elite '09

94

80

Liz L.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
5/19/2009

Library is the man you know you shouldn't be so attracted to... but you are anyways. Isn't it ironic how more often than not, your heart and your brain can't be one?

This is what I'm talking about...

Library will keep me waiting - but I love the thrill of the chase. How many buttons should I leave open on my Theory dress shirt so that that handsome man will let me have his coveted bar seat??

Library will satisfy me juuuust enough so that I don't go running for the door - above par beer selection, better than your standard bar food, and cuter than the average professional clientele.

Love sports? Library's 20" flat screens got that covered - again, just holding on to me by a string since I have a 46" at home.

Love beers? Library's got a good selection of Belgiums, IPAs, and Norwegians to keep you occupied for a while.

Hungry? The burgers and nachos are pretty good here.

Love men? The ratio is pretty good and they're not the scrubby dive bar types. These men dress well and are just chillaxin' after a hard day at work. Just like me.

Library combines my favorite loves - beer, men, sports - all in one place. That my friends, is why I keep on coming back for more.

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Elite '09

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182

Dawn S.

Woodland Hills, CA

4 star rating
5/17/2009

I had a tasty meal at Library Alehouse, so I'm giving them 4 Yelp stars! :)

We started off with a plate of nachos for the table - tasty and generous with the nacho toppings (and I don't mean just the cheese). I ended up ordering the fish & chips (sure, standard bar fare, but it's something they're supposed to be known for). Delish.

I've heard that they have some crazy number of beers on tap here, not even sure how many that means! Maybe Library Ale House = Library O'Beers? :D

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3

10

John C.

Evanston, IL

4 star rating
7/6/2009

After a few days of eating sushi and feeling entirely too healthy in LA, we were craving a good burger. We met with a friend in Santa Monica and spent about 20 minutes trying to find a place that was actually open for lunch (for some reason, this is difficult on a weekday in Santa Monica).

We ended up at the Library Alehouse and were not disappointed in the least. My choice was a bison burger topped with blue cheese, bacon and grilled onions. What arrived was a tasty, sloppy, perfectly-cooked mess and it truly hit the spot. (There was a serious lack of bacon in my diet up to this point in my LA trip, and I full intended to correct this oversight.) Their burgers are served on pretzel rolls which, to me, is the way to go. The only disappointment was the fries - with burgers this good, there should be an effort to serve up some exceptional home-made fries. These were  tasty enough (choice of thin, thick or sweet-potato), but clearly came from a restaurant-supply service.

Our seating on the back patio was delightful, and the service was pleasant and relaxed. This is definitely a place I would return to for filling pub grub and stick around for their sizable beer list.

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15

118

Nathan W.

Redondo Beach, CA

4 star rating
9/22/2009

Just ate lunch and had a great first time at Library! Two $6 tap brews, Sierra Nevada IPA & a Hef from Munich, plus the buffalo mozzarella sandwich all for about $20 before tip. Really great I thought considering the excellent quality, location, etc. I also tried my friend's blackened Cajun chicken sandwich, also very good. A wonderful lunch and really friendly staff and patrons. I couldn't get a seat on a weekend night, so lunch was definitely a more comfortable situation.

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Elite '09

1772

1368

Joan S.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
4/8/2009 3 photos

Happy hour yesterday = a room full of men!  Four stars!!
I'm not kidding.....I saw about 6 women, and all the rest were men.  Friendly ones, at that.
Ladies, I don't want to hear that there's no place to meet men in LA......
http://www.yelp.com/bi...

There was even at least one famous musician in the crowd....*cough*JT Ross*cough*.
I'm a name-dropper!  So shoot me!

Shoot me for this too:  I had one Stella draft, happy hour priced at only 3 bucks.
I shoulda hung around for some food, because it looked really good.
There are many kinds of beer from which to choose, most of which I've never tried.  http://www.yelp.com/bi...

Every seat was taken at 5:30 yesterday, Tuesday, so HH must be popular here.  There are already 218 reviews before mine, so......yeah......word must be out.

Main Street in SaMo is a lovely place to be, and I must make a point of being there more often.

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Elite '09

27

112

Vanessa y.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
5/11/2009

Awesome back patio with a fabulous beer selection and a delicious cheese burger! . . . add a beautiful day and great company and you have one of my favorite days in Santa Monica.

We sampled beers for the better part of the afternoon and I had so much fun, that I had to take notes and share it with everyone! here are my beer thoughts. . . . .
Allagash- a white Belgium beer. one of two on the menu, and this is the better of the two.
Frans Hefe- my note has a heart by it. Guess I loved it.
Apricot Wheat- so yummy!! nice & sweet, but too rich for more then one maybe.
Jamaica Red- had no taste
Downtown Brown- yum, yum, yum!! A little heavy with a hint of honey and peanuts! I like it.
Prangster- my all time favorite one of the day. I liked it so much that I had quite a few more. Full size I should mention.

Thankfully we also ordered cheeseburgers before this beer sampling which were mouth watering. Cooked perfectly per my ordering instructions of slightly pink. Big & juicy so I shared half with a late to join dining companion.

This place is so freaking fantastic, I wish it was my backyard.

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12

9

Melissa J.

Santa Monica, CA

5 star rating
9/30/2009

My favorite place on Main St....free chips and salsa while you drink delicious beer! It does get crowded, but this is to be expected from such a cool, fun place.

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17

59

Matt M.

La Mesa, CA

2 star rating
9/17/2009

Decent beer selection, poor service. :(

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