9 Crazy Fun Restaurants and Bars in Los Angeles

I’m constantly searching for fun and unique restaurants whenever I visit a big city. I just love it when I can find a themed restaurant with delicious food! Here are the 9 best crazy, fun restaurants and bars I’ve found in Los Angeles so far.

Beetle House LA

_{7080 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA}

Beetle House is probably the most unique restaurant I’ve been to! Every day is Halloween at this incredibly fun restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s located a short walk from Grauman’s Chinese Theater on the Walk of Fame. It’s kind of like getting to wander around inside Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Tim Burton fans will be in heaven!

The entertainment during dinner varies, but the night we were there, it featured Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter singing and dancing.

There was also a little person in a Chuckie costume wandering around. Check this video out to see how he got my heart rate going! 😀

The food was pretty good and is themed with fun names and presentations: Killer Coq au Vin, The Edward Scissorhands Burger, and The Evil Shrimp & Grits.

You need a credit card-secured reservation for dinner, but you can just walk in for bar service. This is a really cool and fun dining experience to check out if you’re in the mood for something totally different!

Idle Hour

_{4824 Vineland Ave, Los Angeles, CA}

This barrel-shaped restaurant and bar has been around since 1941. It was part of a phase when people were whizzing by in cars (instead of walking), so establishments started creating eye-catching, memorable buildings to catch their attention. Who’s attention wouldn’t be caught by a giant whiskey barrel you could hang out inside?

There is a covered patio in the back with a reproduction of another eye-catching restaurant, the Bulldog Cafe. Now, it houses a single large table.

This is a really fun place to visit! It has a neighborhood hangout vibe, as well as the cool retro atmosphere. They serve pub food, along with two full bars. The Idle Hour also has a Sunday brunch featuring :

THE ELVIS $14
Crispy Bacon Strips on Toasted Sourdough with Bananas,
Reese’s Peanut Butter Sauce & Powdered Sugar

Canters Deli

_{419 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA}

Canter’s Deli has been around since 1931 and featured in shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, and Mad Men. It’s also been frequented by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, The Doors, Barak Obama, Ryan Gosling, and Mick Jagger! Canter’s has articles and photos about its rich history posted, so be sure to take a look.

Canter’s is a large space with an amazing bakery, deli, restaurant, and cocktail lounge called “Kibitz Room,” which has a full bar and a small stage. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and are actually open 24/7 for takeout!

Be sure to check out this ultra-cool, historic spot while you’re in L.A.!

The Edmon

_{5168 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA}

The Edmon is a charming Art Deco bar and restaurant next door to the Hollywood Historic Hotel. They serve many small plates like garlic French fries and chorizo sliders, as well as some burgers and main course items like short ribs and steak. The interior design was the thing I most loved about the Edmon! That gorgeous bar and the cool lighting features!

They also have a large outdoor patio area in the back with twinkle lights and heat lamps. If you’re in a Great Gatsby mood, be sure to check this place out! Also, take a look at their website because they have live music on some nights.

Gracias Madre

_{8905 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA}

Gracias Madre feels like a Mexican villa, with large olive trees shading the patio, white-washed brick walls, and hardwood floors inside the dining room. They have a stand where you can write down a prayer and light a candle. It’s just like going to church but with margaritas!

This popular restaurant features local, organic, plant-based food. I am not a vegetarian, much less vegan, and honestly, I’m not sure I would have selected this place if I realized it was a vegan restaurant. But I am so happy that I went!

The food was excellent! I got a Burrito En Salsa, and I was shocked that I didn’t even think about the fact that it didn’t have cheese until I was almost done.

Go here for the delicious food, beautiful atmosphere, and to say a prayer! Its also supposed to be a “celebrity hotspot” from what my old pal the internet tells me.

Grand Central Market

_{317 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA}

Grand Central Market has been around since 1917 in downtown L.A. It is still going strong, with 40 vendors selling food, drinks, and jewelry. You can pretty much find anything you are craving, from ramen to sushi to pasta to tacos to live sea urchin to pie, and more! It’s a huge space with lots of table seating scattered throughout. Grand Central is the perfect place to go for great food when you aren’t sure what you feel like eating.

Every weekend, they have a Market Bazaar on their lower level where artisan and other independent merchants sell their wares. Be sure to check their Events calendar to see when live music or other events are going on!

Also, check out the historic Angels Flight Railway right across the street from the Grand Central Market.

Granville Restaurant

_{11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA}

Granville Restaurant is a chain with other locations in the LA area. The newest one is in the hip and upcoming arts district of North Hollywood. It is one of the top-rated restaurants in the area (per Yelp), so I checked it out. Their diverse menu features homemade organic food.

The interior decor was so cool! Murals covered the brick walls, the bar was open to the upstairs dining room, and the food was excellent!

Groundwork Coffee

_{11275 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood, CA}

Groundwork Coffee is an all-organic brand that focuses on working directly with small farms to ensure fair treatment and the highest quality. It has locations in Portland, Oregon, and the Los Angeles area.

The NoHo location is fun because it is located in the 1890 original Southern Pacific Train Depot, right next to the North Hollywood Metro and Bus stations. The historic building was outfitted with reclaimed wood and repurposed light fixtures to remain authentic to the original period. The former ticket booth window is now a “to-go” pick-up window, and the old train waiting room is the dining area. There’s also a nice outdoor seating area with some larger picnic-type tables.

Oh, and the coffee is delicious too! They take their coffee very seriously here. I was interested to read on their blog post, this article about how to brew coffee. I’ve been noticing how terrible the coffee I make at home tastes, so maybe it’s time to get rid of my Mr. Coffee and start measuring the temperature of my water and using a pour-over carafe! 😀

Scum and Villainy Cantina

_{6377 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA}

This is a one-of-a-kind bar, calling itself “Your friendly neighborhood Geek Bar, serving the best drinks in the star system.” The interior has elements of Star Wars and Star Trek, along with nods to Lord of the Rings and other things I am not enough of a geek to recognize. 😀 There are tabletop arcade games in one section and cave-like booths (like in the Star Wars bar) in another.

The menu is very fun, with premium cocktails that glow, smoke, and crackle! (Pop Rocks are a feature!)

By the way, Scum and Villainy Cantina is just one block away from the famous Hollywood & Vine intersection. There are lots of homeless folks in this area, so don’t be surprised by that.

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In Conclusion

I hope you enjoy checking out some all of these wild places! Please let me know if you have any other spots to recommend!