The Happy Ending

7038 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.469.7038www.thehappyendingbar.com
www.twitter.com/TheHappyEnding

Parking: Free lot ‘til 5pm; Street Parking - during happy hour there really is no reason to valet

Daily, 4-7pm, $5 well drinks, $1 off all pints, $12 Bud & Bud Light pitchers, $15 margarita pitchers, & 12 appetizers priced $5-7. No happy hour on holidays. Boo.

The Happy Ending is a bar that I often have to take breaks from. If ever there after 10pm, it takes about 20 minutes or so before I have to remember that I am not on spring break. Fishbowls of liquor, drink spinning wheels, & freaking on the dance floor can be fun, but sometimes I gotta slow my roll. On the other hand, it can be a cool place during the day, so it only made sense that I revisited to cover the happy hour.

During happy hour, the crowds are much more mellow. Everyone’s there to drink, talk, & maybe even watch a game on one of the many TVs. You’re allowed to seat yourself and the crowd is pretty evenly seated through the tables and bar stools. If you sit at a table, a server will bring you a basket of free popcorn. If you sit at the bar, you gotta serve yourself.

Having already tried their weak well drinks before, I stayed away from my staple well drink – cranberry & vodka. I suggested splitting a pitcher of margaritas since I never met a weak margarita. I’ve had too strong or interesting taste, but never weak. Clearly, I was wrong. After 2 pitchers between 2 people, my friend & I realized we were pretty sober and just full of liquid. I don’t go out with the objective to get wasted, but everyone loves a happy buzz. After the 2 pitchers, I’m sure that I could have said the alphabet backwards, all while hopping on one leg and tapping the tip of my nose.

As always, the food didn’t disappoint. Most dishes are a few notches above what you may get at other sports bars. For three people, we split the spinach & artichoke dip, drunken bbq chicken quesadillas, buffalo chicken spring rolls, a favorite of our friendly server, Lake. We liked the drunken bbq chicken quesadillas and buffalo chicken spring rolls so much that we ordered a second order because one friend felt one order wasn’t big enough.

You see, I have such a love/hate relationship with The Happy Ending. I love it for it’s close proximity to The Happy Hour Tour headquarters, the delicious food, the surplus of men, and the 90s hip hop played on the weekends. I hate it for the weak drinks, the people who likely inspired shows such as Jersey Shore & Bad Girls Club, and a comment made by one DJ that he is “not allowed to play too much black music” when a white friend requested an old school jam. (Wow!!)

I wish the bartenders could put as much effort into the drinks as the cooks do the food. It seems this a happy hour to go to only if you are hungry or a beer drinker.
-JG
Rating: 2.75 Martinis