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Rainbow Bar & Grill
Categories: Nightlife Bars Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
9015 W Sunset BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90069
Neighbourhood: West Hollywood
(310) 278-4232
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- DJ
- 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:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
319 reviews for Rainbow Bar & Grill
Review Highlights
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"And there was even a Ron Jeremy sighting." In 21 reviews -
"Good food and fun people watching." In 29 reviews -
"SLASH from Guns and Roses sat with group of friends." In 9 reviews
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319 reviews in English
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Review from Roxana C.
Los Angeles, CA
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
I used to come here, maybe after a show, for a birthday or just for a drink.
It was always a fun place to visit and meet new people (mostly rockers who are my favorite type of people).
I came back after a few years for a dinner and ordered the chicken soup. I was so surprised to find that it was homemade, delicious, full of veggies and lean chicken breast meat. What a surprise. Most of the times, I see pizzas on alot of the tables. Don't get me wrong. The pizza is pretty darn good too. My friend's favorite is linguini so that dish must be great too.
The atmosphere and history is what makes this place so engaging. The same people seem to work there for a long time too. Great people. Good music. The patio bar area is great too.
I highly recommend this place if you are a rocker. The vibe is great, but go after 10pm when the place is jumping on Sat. nights. -
Review from HaileyTIffany M.
Nashville, TN
5/16/2012
Um... this place just disturbs me. It's like your friend that still wears a bleach-blond mullet., talks S%*&^ non-stop while hoovering coke and listening to Whitesnake, eating pizza, wearing tiger-print Spandex pants, and watching porn.
I don't have any friends like that, though. But if I did, I'd bring them here, so they would feel comfortable and stuff.
The food is really good, the booths are really comfy. There are always creepy music and showbizzy "industry" people in here talking BS really loud, looking over their shoulders to see who is listening to them talk. On the way up the stairs, there are lots of pictures of all the rock stars who got drunk here in the 80's. Also, lots of extremely drunk tourists at the bar will tell you how lucky you are to be here at the Rainbow. So maybe you better get drunk.
Every time I've been dragged in here, I emerge into the fresh air and sun, blinking, glad to be away from the red-toned, Devil's hell-spawn that is this place.
Not for me. I guess it brings the ennui. Why are we here? Who are we? Are we trying to find a deeper sense of oneness by re-experiencing old experiences of more famous people through others? Is life worth living? Is this all there is? Will that waitress ever bring my order?
:/ -
Review from Stefan L.
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Where do I start? This place is... was an iconic place in the 80's. Now you can find tourists and some leftover metal heads and actual band members (who can remember the bands?).
Let me make this really easy for you. (and the reason I know is, a friend of mine is still going there, and has been since it was relevant) there are 3 things to order at "The Bo" (If you call it The Rainbow, you are immediately known as a tourist or someone not in the know):
1) Caesar Salad - a basic salad of Romaine and coutons -with a delicious, house-made dressing (so good they sell it in bottles at the joint)
2) Chicken Soup - take it from someone who makes a mean chicken soup, and actually orders it all over the country. It is homemade, fresh and delicious.
3) Pizza - Look, it is NO WHERE near as good as real pizza from the East Coast, (Or Chicago), BUT.... it is one of the better pies you will get in LA.
The service is bordering on shitty. Sort of friendly - sort of surly (older) women, for the most part. This is NOT a place you go for service. You go to "The Bow" to say you went there - or because you are an aging rock star or metal-head.
Oh and one more thing.... they pour the STIFFEST drinks in LA. Period! I ordered a Manhattan, and got a BUCKET of booze with a few ice cubes floating at the top.
Now you know how to do "The Bow" -
Review from Pam R.
Riverside, CA
5/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this place! I have been here probably 5-6 times over the past few years and have never been disappointed. We had the best waitress . Even though it was fairly busy, she took the time to chat and was super friendly and helpful. She recommended the chicken soup as a side to our meal and I was so happy we took her advise. I'm a big soup fan and this was probably the best bowl of chicken soup I've ever had. I could have made a meal out of it. I usually try to stay away from the bread baskets but when I saw the raisin cinnamon bread with the soft butter I couldn't help myself. I did not disappoint. We shared the eggplant parmigiana and the chicken piccata. Both were delicious. Martinis were perfect. The atmosphere and people watching is always great. I'm always surprised at the quality and the amount of food you get for such a decent price too. If I lived closer I would definitely be a regular.
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Review from Paul C.
Updated - 4/16/2012
The Rainbow is one of those completely unique experiences you can only find in one place in the world - in this case, Hollywood, California.
It's like all the extras from every b-movie ever made having a non-stop party that's been going on for decades. Enough wild hair and clothes to last a lifetime. If someone wants to fly their freak flag - this is the place to do it. Completely hard-core - but very friendly and accommodating at the same time.
A great menu with very good food. Three or four bars scattered about whose patrons look like they stepped out of a scene of The Hangover. Someone like Lady Gaga could walk through the place in full costume and nobody might notice.
It's really like that. The nominal cover charge buys two drinks, so it's basically free. If you get a chance and want to do something wild, I highly recommend it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/9/2011
Totally out-of-control crazy bar/club/restaurant/non-s top party - 1/2 the freaks in Hollywood… Read more »
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Review from Evilyn T.
4/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
How I dreamed of hanging out at the Rainbow when I was in my youth. When Guns N Roses came out with their November Rain video and they had a clip in it of the whole band hanging out here and having a gay old time. I wanted to be a part of that SO BAD! I finally made it to the rainbow on the famous Sunset Strip where Hollywood's rock legends come to play. Where Lemmy from Motorhead has his own chair at the back bar....
It was pretty much what I expected, except for the prices. I mean, you get what you pay for, and none of us came even remotely close to finishing our plates. So even though it was more pricey than I had imaged (I was thinking dive bar = dive bar prices) for the amount you spend you get a helluva lot of food. I had the cheese pizza, since I heard from Rheanna F that is was super good. Personally, I found it to be a bit too salty, and even the small size was more like a large size where I come from. The servers were all super nice, I am sure they probably get a lot of touristy people like us through their doors all the time.
Overall it kind of felt like a novelty place where people go to if they are searching for rock stars, but not necessarily the place where the real rock stars hang out. I mean, I'm sure they did before they were famous, hence the novelty, but it felt like a run down version of the hard rock cafe - overrated and average. I'm glad I had the chance to check it out though. -
Review from Honoria P.
Los Angeles, CA
5/12/2012
The place is legendary for some reason. I went recently after seeing a show nearby. It was busy but were got some drinks and chatted with some cool people. We rounded a corner and encountered Ron Jeremy! It was terrifying! Otherwise the place was fun in a dumpy way. Its decor is very dated but the crowd was fun. I only go there if my car is parked nearby and I want a drink. I can't imagine going out of my way to stop in there.
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Review from Danilo P.
Santa Ana, CA
5/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is awesome! You can meet random famous people and even the ones that you would never expect to see, like Roy Jeremy last night. I mean, do I need to go further...
Fair price for drinks, always crowded, but you can find your place under the stars. -
Review from Jeremy S.
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love the Rainbow for so many reasons, most of which are related to how over the top the place is. I love the celebrity photos (particularly the old ones) and the fact that nearly every single inch of the walls is covered in something. The food was decent (two of us split a pizza and it hit the spot perfectly). The prices aren't too outlandish given the location.
My favorite thing about my latest visit was the bartender in the back. He's a quirky older gentleman with a fantastic attitude and a generous pour. The wait for our table was longer than promised but he kept us entertained.
My least favorite part (and only real complaint) was the parking. I'd probably park elsewhere else next time because of the cost and the wait. -
Review from H R.
San Diego, CA
4/9/2012
My husband Loves heavy metal and he really wanted to go to Rainbow Bar & Grill during our last visit to Hollywood. We went at 10:30pm on a Friday night. There was a $10 cover to get in (whether you are eating or not), but that includes two drink tickets good for any well drink.
We were immediately sat at a booth with a good view of the main eating area. We ordered an antipasto dish and it came out pretty quickly. It was a huge dish. I am glad we decided to get one appetizer and one pasta dish because we couldn't have begun to eat anything else. The antipasto dish had lots of meat and could fill you up if you didn't share it with someone else. We chose the cheese tortellini dish and the waitress said we could have marinara, Alfredo, or pink sauce (a combo of marinara & Alfredo). The pink sauce was not on the menu, but it's my favorite, so I chose that. It was very good. Would definitely order that again.
After we ate, we walked around and sat at the bar for a few hours. My hubby said it was like being transported back to the heavy metal scene of the mid-late '80s. He loved it there. If you want to people watch, this is the place to be. We had so many laughs. -
Review from Erika M.
4/6/2012
Ok, so honestly, I don't remember much from the Rainbow Room (I kinda sorta stumbled over from The Roxy).
I do remember the following:
*A cover charge of $5...but you can exchange your ticket for a drink. A good one at that.
*A dimly lit bar with lots of space (& plenty of makeout areas *wink wink*). If I remember correctly, it was on a top-bars-to-hook-up list of sorts.
*This place has history, and I'm now a part of that.
*Good times with awesome friends.
*A Ms. Pacman table arcade.
*The restaurant area was happenin'! The bulk of the crowd was here.
*& a Ron Jeremy sighting (from what I hear, he's kind of a regular).
I'm so gonna have to come back soon. -
Review from Sparrow M.
Los Angeles, CA
5/14/2012
Great place. Surprisingly chill atmosphere, great American food and large plates.
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Review from Robert A.
4/6/2012
It only takes one visit to the Rainbow to become a fan.
While there was a cover, it also came with a drink special (your entry ticket entitled you to one free drink). The drink wasn't watered down either and the bartender was good times.
This place is kinda dark, kinda mysterious, and kinda kick-ass. There's little nooks and crannies that are fun to explore and lots to look at on the walls and ceilings (of which you'll notice more as the drinks are poured).
There are a lot of people there (even on a Wednesday night) but they're doing their own thing, so it didn't feel awkward walking by the regulars.
PS: Ron Jeremy was there...whuuuut?! (I just don't know if that means I should give this review an extra star or take one away!) -
Review from Lin F.
Ontario, CA
3/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Casual divey feel, lots of wall photos to appeal to your eyes. Smoking allowed on patio area. Upstairs cool factor increased due to music, flashing colored lights, & dancing. Upon entry, cover $ but you receive "coupon" credits towards drinks, so essentially it's free to get in.
Patrons were too cool to be dressed up, jeans, vintage t-shirts, some goth inspired -- I stuck out like a sore thumb in my black skirt, strapless corset, tuxedo blazer, & stylized hair. I still enjoyed appearing like a "tourist," sitting @ patio tables (free if you can find a spot), & eclectic people watching.
Bathrooms upstairs, neck breaking stairs so if you are trotting in 4 inch heels like me, use both walls for balance. 2 stalls painted exorcist green & pepto bismol pink under the flaked off areas. Archaic sinks, toilets are probably not the "water saver" kind... I got the vibe that the "historical" value of everything within was preserved.
Will return dressed more casual & will try their pizza-- everyone at the tables seemed to have a pie. Alcohol choices-- full bar & basic beer variety. No froo froo drinks & artsy stemwear, just the basics. I looked silly ordering a Prosecco peach martini...from the look on the "regular" patrons & bar tender, I needed to bring this request down a couple of notches, so...fuzzy navel in a bucket then red bull & vodka, splash of cran. I had no "cool factor" here, but that's what I enjoyed, being out of my element. No one talked to us, so maybe that means bring your own possë. -
Review from Craig M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Who couldn't love the Rainbow? Awesome that it's not full of hollywood douche's looking to be seen. Just people wanting to drink and have a good time. It is interesting seeing the occasional wanna be hair band guys walk in hoping to get noticed though. ;) Great place, gotta check it out if your in LA.
Oh and people go here to drink and hang out, but definitely gotta try the food. The pizzas kick ass. -
Review from Teena L.
Pasadena, CA
4/7/2012
I've been going to the Rainbow Bar and Grill for quite a few years and it never fails to meet my expectations on entertainment and food. On any given night you can find people from the land that time forgot. Some still dressed in time period duds and sporting what's left of their long hair and talking about their days in "the next greatest hair band". You can also find real rock stars from every era if you're lucky on the night you go.
It is wise to make a reservation if you plan to arrive after 8 on the weekend or you will be in for a wait for a table. If you opt to sit outside on the patio you will be in for a never ending stream of people walking back and forth. It may sound annoying, but it's actually very amusing. The "Bow" does get crowded and it becomes hard to move so if you have a table, keep it. There is a cover charge if you go after 9pm, but you will receive it back in two "Rainbow" tickets good for $5 each in food or drink. I once knew someone who saved all of his and cashed them in for his birthday. He had over $200 that paid for his party's food and drink.
On to the food. The pizza is very good! I'm not a pizza person, but even I eat the pizza. It arrives piping hot with gooey cheese. The crust is thin and just chewy enough. If you are eating appetizers it is imperative that you try the Rainbow Fries and Cheese Sticks. I always ask for the "fries" to be a little soft in the middle. Note, these are not fries, but homemade potato chips made from jumbo potatoes. The "Cheese sticks" are not the measly little sticks that normally arrive when you order them. These are nice sized cubes of melted mozzarella that come with thick wonderfully seasoned marinara sauce. They are heavenly! You also get a pretty large portion of around 7-10 cubes. Believe me there's enough to share. Other recommendation is the burger. It's juicy and flavorful.
So if you're thinking about going to the Rainbow to sightsee and have a drink, consider eating there. You won't be disappointed. -
Review from Cookie B.
Seattle, WA
4/22/2012
At the next table we heard an "adult performer" being taunted by her friends that she had been "hedgehogged." The music kept getting louder, then being disconnected and changed mid-song as if the dishwashers were fighting over what to play or someone's mom had come home from her second job and told them to turn it down. Highly amusing even for the casually metalphilic.
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Review from Erica M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/19/2012
I have to admit, this was my first visit to any of the venerable old Sunset Strip bars, and wow, I'm sort of in love. For anyone who likes rock stars, wants to be a rock star, is a rock star, or has starry-eyed nostalgia for a rock era that predates herself (that would be me), this place is pretty amazing. It's kind of gritty, kind of dark, full of rock history, and more good-humored than you might expect. I saw a million interesting people I wanted to talk to.
Word to the wise: the drinks are BIG and STRONG. Be warned. -
Review from Sam P.
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The people watching doesn't get much better than this. Old rockers. Freaks in too much makeup. Fat stoners. Women with blue hair.
The pizza was solidly good. The stuffed mushrooms were okay. I drank my first Jack and Coke quickly, so the next one I ordered came in a larger glass!
It's a bit loud in there, you have to raise your voice to have a conversation and you can't even hear the background music very well. Maybe next time I'll try the patio.
Despite the name, it is not a gay bar. Don't sweat it if you get there late and have to pay a $10 cover, they take $10 off your meal or give you two well drinks. If you valet park here (only $5), it's gonna take a while to get your car out.Listed in: Drinks first, questions later
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Review from Jason G.
West Hollywood, CA
1/24/2012
I have never been here and I have been working across the street for 3 years now and today was the day that I decided to try it.
I am not sure if it is the "rock and roll," "I don't give a fuck" vibe that they are going for but they certainly exude that shitty attitude.
Begging to get some attention from the bitchy female bartender who obviously couldn't care if I was there or not, I finally got someone (not her) to give me a menu. As I sit and look at this random menu (and trust me, I am sure when I am drunk and want some fried greasy food, this is the first place that I will think of) I am wondering how hard it is going to be to place an order for just one beer?
My beer gets delivered by the "cocktail waitress" who is more interested in licking her fingers than asking me if I would like to order so now I am stuck with the highly motivated (major sarcasm) and obviously irritated bartender.
I asked her if there were any lunch specials....a good question right? She looks at me like I stole the tampon she used to put on her makeup with and said...and I quote.. "Our whole menu is special."
Don't get me started on the customer who was scratching off his lottery tickets with one of the soup spoons from the restaurant!
You will only catch me here when I am drunk off of my ass, other than that, you can keep this "goldmine" all to yourselves. -
Review from The R.
Los Angeles, CA
4/19/2012
An oldy but a goody. Lots of laughs here like a Roq'n cheers hang out. Best bartender goes to Christie. She makes a mean Chocolate cake (shot).
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Review from Kevin T.
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
A while back I came here before a show somewhere on Sunset and decided to get a burger with a friend.
They have cheeseburger and then, double cheeseburger one being a buck more. I thought, considering the kind of place, that the 7 bucks would get me a pretty pathetic burger and I'd have to go for a double just to get enough to eat.
This thing was HUGE.
Not only huge--it was amazing. Big, messy, juicy, medium rare cheesy. It felt like too much of everything, too much of a good thing and therefore just the right amount of everything.
Recently I went back thinking, I probably made it all up, but I should double check...
This time I went single patty, but it was as good as I remember. And the fries! Great.
Cheeseburger with fries and two Sams, 15d. Not bad at all Rainbow, not bad. -
Review from Jennifer C.
Seattle, WA
3/25/2012
Landed here after fleeing Saddle Ranch and the doorman (Steady?) immediately improved my mood....as did Danzig's "Mother" being played in the back bar where I drank a cheap ass well drink and ate minestrone at midnight. I'm afraid I would be somewhat of a regular if I lived in L.A.....
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Review from Kimberly F.
Los Angeles, CA
12/29/2011
I am a semi-regular here, and this place is an institution. SO much history here (most of it dirty & sorted) & a place that I just feel comfortable at.
The food is AMAZING. Best pizza in town. The house Italian dressing is so good I could drink it straight from the bottle. LOVE their salads. Drinks definitely pack a punch (from the right bartenders).
I agree with some of these reviews with the service. It can be very hit or miss. It seems they are not good at handling large parties. The fact that they go through waitresses like used tissues doesn't really help either. Aside from that, I love the place.
And one last thing...IT IS NOT CALLED THE RAINBOW ROOM!!!! Never has been. It is the RAINBOW BAR & GRILL!!! -
Review from Nicole F.
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was being the worst tourist ever and forced my cousin to bring me here.
It was pretty dead, because it was earlier in the week, but good!
Our waitress was a little bipolar. Sometimes she'd call us sweetie, and sometimes she'd kinda yell at us. It was kinda weird, but sure.
Before I discuss the meals, I must discuss the bread. Apparently this is a Christmas thing, but when they brought out the regular warm white bread, they also brought out a wonderful warm cinnamon bread! SO GOOD. And a nice surprise!
I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan on angel hair noodles which was fucking fantastic, but also such a massive amount that I couldn't even get halfway through before packing it up. There was so god damn much cheese on that Eggplant that I almost cried when she placed it in front of me, and I mean that in the best way possible. But I'm not just giving 4 stars for the cheese, the sauce and the eggplant and everything else about the dish was great as well!
It survived well in the fridge and reheated perfectly!Listed in: El Lay
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Review from Sloe R.
11/15/2011
My favorite place to congregate with other relics of the eighties. This place seriously rocks. Can't attest to the quality of the food, drinks, or service but then, I'm shallow enough to admit I only come here for the atmosphere. Valet guys, however, are always sweet.
Considering I have the concentration of your favorite future dead celebrity on a cornucopia of uppers, the nostalgic article and pics that inundate the walls never cease to arouse and whip my erratic attention span into bondage.
Hanging with rock stars and Ron Jeremy is just the icing on the cake. Random tidbit - there are two ladies' bathrooms side by side. Perhaps one is the powder room... -
Review from Magnum R.
Los Angeles, CA
3/8/2012
Where do I start? I must have flushed about 2 houses, 5 relationships, 3 cars down the drain at this place over a 5 year span. And with no regrets. Mario, Tony, Mike, the cooks, the door guys and even the valet guys are some of the nicest people on the planet. The staff really do go the extra mile for you. The food is always consistent, the prices are always fair. even the valet parking is very affordable. Try the steak sandwich plate if you are a meat eater, they always make it your way and don't be scared to ask for some thing special on the side. I always have them deep fried me a few raw jalapenos on the side to nibble on between bites. I add a lil salt and lime juice to the chilles and wow! also ask to be seated where you like and they will help to please you every time.
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Review from Danny M.
Glendale, CA
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
My home sweet away from home!
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Review from LeRoy R.
North Hollywood, CA
12/7/2011
Lol I read some of the reviews from haters. Listen up people this is not a restaurant for fine dining.
Its a place to get completely trashed and have sex with rocker chicks duh! You get free drink tickets when you pay @ the door. If you wanna bypass the fee just go around back and the kitchen door is always open :)
I remember the days when Joey Buttafuco was the door man. Thats about all I can remember lol -
Review from Melissa K.
Redlands, CA
1/18/2012
My friend and I were searching for a place to eat before seeing a show at the Roxy. We parked close to the Roxy and walked up and down Sunset looking for a restaurant. Yowsa, I've never seen so many B and C restaurants! Finally we decided that we would just go to the Rainbow Grille and check it out. I wasn't aware that this was a celebrity hotspot, but soon found out...
The bouncer tried to charge us a cover because it was Saturday night, but we really just wanted a quick dinner, so he was nice enough to just let us go in. We were seated pretty quickly and I was loving the decor. Rock and Roll all day, all night. My friend and I both had the grilled chicken sandwich and fries which was all very delicious. What was REALLY delicious, though, was sitting two tables away from us--the hobbit himself, Mr. Elijah Wood. Yes, we were dorks and asked for a photo. He was ridiculously nice. The second time I was there, we had drinks with Jack's Mannequin (minus Andrew).
I guess all of the hype is true. -
Review from Zoie H.
10/12/2011
Came here last night to see my friends band play. It's been a long while since I was last here and all I could think about the night before was the mozzarella sticks (balls). SO DELICIOUS.
So $5 cover to get in, but this also includes a food/drink ticket that you can apply to your purchases. We skipped the restaurant and headed upstairs. The upstairs bar is up two flights of stairs and is smaller and more intimate. Jessica who was the bartender for the night is totally awesome : she has her regulars, one of whom had a birthday, and whom she made a special birthday sign for - but she is also very easy to talk to, very funny, and kind, and she makes you feel welcome even if it is your first time there. Also, BOY CAN SHE MAKE A DRINK! The tickets you got at the door are good for one drink, and then after that drinks are $8 (I had the mixed drinks, beer might be cheaper - I know PBR is $5, I bought the birthday girl a shot it was only $6). The drinks are very well made and VERY strong. I had three and a shot, I probably only should have had two.
I kept telling Jessica to surprise me with the drinks, one Jessica's Love Juice was delicious - it was made with pineapple, peach, some other fruity flavoring, and tons of Vodka. I was a very big fan of this drink. My boyfriend was mostly sticking to Whiskey and butterscotch drinks and his second drink was so strong that he actually had to ask her to put some soda in it to water it down. I've seriously never ever ever seen this boy ask to water down a drink, I was sitting there totally gobsmacked telling Jessica how proud she should be of that fact. We also had a "Pink Panty Drop' shot to celebrate the birthday of the really nice lady sitting next to us, it was DELICIOUS! I have no idea what was in it, but oh lord . . . it was good!
Acoustics for the upstairs bar are pretty good, although the stage is in aw weird position to see from the corner of the bar where we were sitting so we were moreso listening to our friends band rather than seeing them. We could have always gotten up and moved - but of course that would have made us further away from the alcohol and therefore sad.
I told the boy about the great mozzarella stick/balls here and asked if food was available upstairs (as it is away from the restaurant, you can get food upstairs but you have to go down to the cashier on the bottom level, order it from them, and then get it in a to-go bag. That's fine with me. I go down, place my order, wait for a few minutes and then am greeted with some great cheesy balls and some marinara sauce. I believe with tax it was $10.82 or something. There were plenty of balls to share, and they were so cheesy and delicious with just minimum breading. NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM!
All in all I had a GREAT night. I woke up feeling like death, at 3PM the next day, with drool running down my face, empty water bottles and Mountain Dew cans next to my bed, and even after a long shower where I washed my hair, stood around in the water, and scrubbed the first layer of skin off my body I feel like absolute crap. In total I spent about $28 (pre-tips) on drinks for two and $11 on food and had a fantastic time. For a Tuesday night the place was kickin' but not to the point where it was annoying and you couldn't move. I had plenty of awesome drunk conversations, made some new acquaintances, and woke up with a big smelly smile. I can not wait to go back!Listed in: Essays, Beer, Wine, and everything…, Musical Adventures.
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Review from Rheanna F.
2/21/2012
I think if i lived in LA i'd become a crotchety old regular here. The staff were nice both times we were here, the decorations were awesome (we visited around The Most Wonderful Time of the Year... Halloween!) and holy shitballs was the food ever good!!
Our friends told us in advance that the pizza there was amazing, but we had no clue they really meant it. I mean, how often do you have a friend who tells you about a place having a really standard dish on their menu that is really incredible and blows the competition out of the water, and when you try it out it's good, but basically just on par with other restaurants who also have that same item in their menu? Then you realize that your friend is a drunk who has probably only eaten that dish while drunk, and then you decide to have a few drinks yourself to test this theory out and next thing you know you're karaoke-ing Elton John at a bar 5 miles outside town and that dish your friend told you about is long forgotten? Well my friends, not so here. Their pizza is AWESOME. If it was playing battleship against another pizza, it wouldn't just sink the other pizza's battleships, it would fucking flip the table over and beat that other pizza up... We came here twice, and you will be unsurprised to know that we had pizza both times.
This definitely seems like a good (or in my boyfriend's place, BAD) place for people spotting. Unless they were popular in the 80's, I couldn't recognize anyone from a rock band to save my life, but my boyfriend is a musician and knows a lot of people in the music industry so he practically tried to crawl under the table a few times to avoid some people he'd had bad experiences touring with or AR guys he's gotten headaches from. The second time we went he ran into some friends from some band who seemed pretty cool, but honestly, i can never remember one person with long hair and ripped jeans from the next, yikes!!
A lot of why we came was that Lemmy from Motorhead is supposed to frequent the bar, and lucky for me he wasn't there. I say lucky for me because my boyfriend probably would have tried eloping with him, although if he was going to leave me for someone, i'd rather it was Lemmy than anyone else I suppose! -
Review from Kristin S.
Seaford, NY
2/26/2012
Hub & I went to the Rainbow as tourists, just for a drink and some dessert so we could say we'd been there. The ambiance was very rock 'n' roll - red banquettes, low lighting, tons of rock & metal memorabilia on the walls. "Minimalist" is the antithesis of the design aesthetic.
We went before the night got going - maybe 8 PM - so it wasn't crowded. Our waitress was awesome - really sweet and attentive. I had a piece of tiramisu (average) as well as a rum & diet that was surprisingly strong. Hub had fries; it seemed they attempted to make up for the average quality with outrageous quantity.
But no one goes to the Rainbow for cuisine, right? People go for drinks, rock 'n' roll ambiance, maybe some people-watching. On those counts, it delivers. -
Review from Jourdan M.
Norco, CA
8/16/2011
So let me just start with this...
The atmosphere is alright...the food is sub-par...but the service? Totally awful.
Me and my boyfriend decided to spend our anniversary dinner here. We're both into music (and food) and have passed this place countless times. We chose this place because of it's obvious reputation.
The restaurant gives off an almost obnoxious vibe of "rock and roll" and "Hollywood style" though. For a tourist and a rock star it seems like a perfect setting for food.
The food was fine. Just fine though. I don't really know why they serve so many famous people, but Hollywood is notorious for bad "famous" food.
Anyways...
Our waitress was really slow...despite an almost empty restaurant and three other waitresses on the floor. She wasn't happy to serve us and we slowly weren't happy to be her customers.
Our bill was 26 dollars. Fine. Our tip was a dollar, which I normally wouldn't do...except this waitress wasn't great and we were doing LA on a budget.
Firstly, our waitress takes the dollar as soon as we put it on the table, practically grabs it out of our hands. She walks away and quickly turns around to say..." DO YOU WANNA JUST KEEP THIS DOLLAR?" I was really confused. "NO." I said. She then makes this REALLY RUDE speech of how she is ENTITLED to a nice tip. She practically throws the dollar back in my face while she gives me extreme attitude and waits for an explanation. I tell her that I JUST don't have enough money and she stormed off from our table.
It really put a damper on my night and made me and my boyfriend uncomfortable and embarrassed in front of the whole restaurant. I was so shocked and taken aback.
I wish I took that dollar back...only in LA... -
Review from Jeni M.
11/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Of course the Rainbow Room was on our list of things to see and do in Hollywood. And maybe, just maybe we were hoping against hope we'd be able to see, meet, and become BFFs with Lemmy.
Well, that didn't happen, but that didn't spoil our time. I don't get what all these reviews are going on about with the impossibly rude staff, everyone from door guy, to bartender, to waitress was awesome on us both on our evening hang out trip and our afternoon lunch with friends trip.
Perhaps it's because we don't look like wanna be Hollywood a-list weirdos or super fanny-packed tourists? Who knows!
The drinks were strong and when I was indecisive I was brought a delicious "Big Stick" I don't know what the hell it was but it was delicious. The food is actually pretty good, my greek salad was awesome and my lunch time club sandwich was yummy too.
The night time gettin' drunkery session didn't end in our Lemmy-BFF-Scenario, but we did end up getting to meet and hang out with Ron Jeremy, so that was pretty fucking strange. And awesome. And really strange.
Even though we weren't regulars, we felt that way - and if in some alternate universe I lived in West Hollywood, this would probably be one of my favorite old haunts. -
Review from Joe S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/6/2012
Always the best food, service is extremely quick. Atmosphere is awesome Hollywood Rock & Roll !! A+++ !!!
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Review from Hrag I.
Tujunga, CA
3/1/2012
It's places like this which would weigh heavy on me, if i ever i would consider leaving Los Angeles. It's just THAT cool. The waitresses are friendly and awesome. The food is amazing no matter what you get and i have got everything on the menu. My favorites are the Pizza, New York Steak, Cheese Fries, and Fried Shrimp and also Calimari .
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Review from Julie D.
Scotts Valley, CA
2/1/2012
I was a DJ at the Rainbow back in the 80's. What a blast! So crazy, so wild, so fun. Glad I crossed paths with the place back then.
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Review from Layla P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/14/2012
This place is legendary for a reason! That is all.
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Review from K T.
Scottsdale, AZ
9/9/2011
Ive been going to the Rainbow for more than 22 years & (I wont actually admit just how many years!).
Its always been THE most comfortable spot in the world for me to just 'hang out'. I dont go for the food or the drinks, I go for the extended dysfunctional rock-n-roll family that I run into whenever I am there.
The staff isnt the warmest, but the patrons are. You can always find someone to talk to or meet your future best friend (which I actually did!) at the Rainbow.
Lots of History, not bad Italian food and always a crowd that accepts you no matter what your wearing.
