The Den

8226 W. Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323.656.0336
www.thedenofhollywood.com
www.twitter.com/denofhollywood
Parking: $4.50 for first 3 hrs. with Validation, $10 without Validation; Metered Street Parking
Daily, 3-7pm. $5 specialty drinks, $3-5 appetizers

Thank goodness for technologically advanced cell phones; otherwise we would have never found The Den; a new bar nestled at the tip of the Sunset Strip. The Den has been open since the beginning of September and offers a daily happy hour from 3-7pm, where drinks & appetizers are all half-off. The food & drinks are tasty, but the service leaves much to be desired.

JG visited The Den on a Sunday, which may or may not have

been lesbian night… not that there’s anything wrong with that. After all, always wondered where the lady lovers go since the boys own Santa Monica Blvd. For a nice afternoon, there weren’t many people taking advantage of the patio, just 4 or 5 small groups. There was no one inside except for the staff.

With multiple servers, 2 for patio, a couple bartenders and several bus boys, it seemed strange that it took 20 minutes to receive a Dos Equis and Sucker Punch, a mixed drink that didn’t require much mixing. Please note in the 20 minutes, we politely reminded the server about the order and we tried to reorder at the bar, but were reassured the drinks were coming. Later, we ordered fries that came with a side of a delicious chipotle sauce, and once again, we waited. The server circled the patio a few times with the order, but never bothered to stop and ask anyone if it was their order. And really… the patio isn’t that big. While the service to receive our drinks and nosh was slow, the pick-up service certainly was not. The bus boy (maybe higher up staff?) kept attempting to take our plates and glasses when they weren’t empty.

At the end of the night, our bill was incorrect, although throughout the visit, the server kept insisting she knew our names in order to run a tab. When we went indoors to clear it up, we could see that more people arrived. We met the only 2 guys that did not work there, who asked if we were lesbians and upon learning we were not preceded to name-drop Hollywood clubs and insist we accompany them to one. We didn’t.

Hopefully, The Den finds it’s footing in such a competitive location. This could be a great date spot with its great food, good drinks, comfy booths, & fire pits indoors and out.

Please let us know if you’ve had a better experience at The Den.

-JG

UPDATE: JB & I have gone to The Den a few times since this review. Like the review says, the drinks & food are GREAT. I've also learned that if you get the red-headed server, that you are in for ahh-mazing service. I've had her more than once and she's always great. If The Den were ever so kind to give me her schedule, then they would be sure to see more of me! She definitely bumps up the martinis.
Rating: 2.5 Martinis (Update: 3.5 Martinis)