The sign outside says, “Ice Cold Beer - Fried Chicken” and that’s pretty much what you get. We stopped in for some calories and alcohol prior to a show at the Bootleg, which is a short walk down Beverly.
Manufactured dive that doesn’t push the theme too far. Red pleather booths line one wall. Pool table in opposite corner. L-shaped bar. The requisite animal heads and vintage beer signs on the walls.
The neighborhood… let’s just say it ain’t a garden spot. Diagonally across Rampart from the original Tommy’s. Certain folks may turn up their noses. I will say that the neighborhood has changed quite a lot since I moved to Silver Lake - on the other side of Sunset - over fifteen years ago.
The good:
Menu could not be simpler. One main - fried chicken, hot or regular - and the usual sides like beans, slaw and potato salad. I had the hot chicken with slaw. One $10 order gets you a large breast and a wing or drumstick or thigh. Chicken was hard fried and only slightly spicy. Added heat via hot sauce on the table. Crispy “shell” exterior and very juicy inside, even the breast. Slaw was tasty if not mind blowing. A nice tangy counterpoint to the chicken, along with a pickle spear.
Beer - they don’t have hard booze - was ice cold. We kept in the spirit of the down-home, divey vibe with High Life in bottles. They’ve got the usual assortment of craft beers on tap plus bottles and cans.
Service - you order at the counter and get a number to bring back to your table or you can eat at the bar. Standard issue white hipster dudes working the bar were extremely friendly and seemed honestly interested in our experience at what is a relatively new joint.
The bad:
No hard booze as mentioned above.
Friends had the potato salad and pushed it away after a couple of bites. Said the potatoes were underdone and the dressing was overly sweet. We heard other tables making similar comments about the potato salad.
The “hot” chicken was not especially hot. I told one of the guys at the bar and he mentioned they’d had complaints from customers about the heat and decided to dial it back, hence the hot sauce on the tables.
We’ll return. A good spot for pre and post gaming for shows at the Bootleg.
Crawford’s Bar
2616 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057