The Fat Dog

801 N. Fairfax Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.951.0030www.thefatdogla.com
twitter.com/thefatdogla

Parking: 2 hr. metered street parking, free but limited neighborhood parkingDays: Monday-FridayTimes: 3-6pmDrink Deals: $3 Beers & Fat Dog Shot of the Day, $4 House Wine, & $5 Well Drinks

Food Deals: $3-$6 Appetizers

The Fat Dog is the newest addition of what I’m predicting may actually become a happening area thanks to the new condos just above the bar. Yes, the bar is just north of the popular Melrose Ave.; but really, the choices in the area are limited when it comes to good food & drink, and even more limited when it comes to happy hour. It’s about time there was a new bar in this West Hollywood/Mid-City section of LA!

I was tipped off to The Fat Dog’s opening by a friend, and quickly returned less than a week later after I learned they had a happy hour. For drinks, my friend & top Happy Hour Tour supporter Jim & I ordered up the house wine ($4). I stuck with the house red, a Chilean cabernet, and Jim chose the house white, a chardonnay. Sometimes when bars place “house wine” on happy hour, I feel like I’m drinking some mystery wine that is just ok, but luckily The Fat Dog’s house wine was fresh and wallet friendly so I would definitely stick with it on future visits.

At happy hour, one can enjoy some of the best food that I’ve had since Barbrix . Jim & I ordered 5 of 10 appetizers featured on the happy hour menu. My favorite was the potato skins stuffed with crab & bacon and topped with hollandaise and asparagus ($6). I love each of the ingredients separately and together, they just exceeded my expectations. I had half a mind to place an order to go, but I showed restraint. The food was that good and reasonably priced that we just kept going.

We also enjoyed the sweet potato fries ($3) and onion rings ($3), both served with ketchup and garlic aioli; crisp rock shrimp ($5) served with scallions, sambal aioli and lemon; and Swedish meatballs ($5) served with baby gold potatoes and lingonberry sauce. The Fat Dog is definitely a place that you go with a friend who’s into sharing food so that you can experience a few choices of what they have to offer.

My only wish is that happy hour shifted an hour or two later to say 5-8pm so that more people can enjoy it. In this crazy world of Hollywood, even my friends with the steadiest jobs can’t get out of work before 6pm.

Worth noting: Word on the street (and by street, I mean twitter) is that The Fat Dog is a dog friendly bar, and that was quickly confirmed when I arrived and saw servers bringing water dishes to dog owners. The friendly servers also told me that they will now start serving weekend brunch, too!

-JG
Rating: 4 Martinis