http://www.coremg.net/newspapers.php?paper=burbankweekly&storyid=2289
Barney’s Beanery to Open Pasadena Version of Venerable Roadhouse
Barney’s Beanery, famous for its colorful collection of battered license
plates that hang from the ceiling of the venerable roadhouse in West Hollywood,
is asking Southern Californians to pitch in their old tins for displaying in its
newest venue on Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena.
Set to open in February 2006, co-owner David Houston is in the process of
constructing another replica of the roadhouse/famed celebrity hangout. The
newest venue is the third beanery to open following the success of Barney’s on
the Santa Monica Promenade, which began serving food and libations in September
2004.
Barney’s Beanery Pasadena will be a near replica of the original Beanery’s rowdy
atmosphere – complete with road signs and movie mementos on the walls, lounge
booths and a ceiling of battered old license plates. The food, as always, will
be pure American comfort, with breakfast served at all hours, world famous
burgers, pizza, burritos and their claim to fame, “The Second Best Chili in Los
Angeles.”
“The history of Barney’s Beanery dates back to the 1920s when the original
restaurant, located just off what was then Route 66, would pour a free beer for
any tired new arrival to California who surrendered his or her out of state
plates,” said Houston.
“Our ceiling is currently bare and we are in need of hundreds of sets of these
colorful pieces of memorabilia to give it that real Barney’s touch.”
Patrons who bring in out-of-state license plates or California license plates 20
years old or older during the month of November will receive a free bowl of
Barney’s chili at the West Hollywood and Santa Monica locations.
The original Barney’s Beanery boasts a history to impress even the best of
name-droppers. Remembered as the gathering place for early glamour days stars
like Greta Garbo and Clark Gable, and later counterculture musicians like
Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix,
the West Hollywood venue is still going strong with regulars like Drew Carey,
Adam Sandler and Quentin Tarantino, and a whole slew of notables that reads like
the current guest list for The Tonight Show.
www.idafan.com
Just like the Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica, the Pasadena site will be the
third one that is located on Route 66. “This is really an odd coincidence, but
we’re thrilled to keep the Route 66 tradition going,” said Houston.
When the doors do open, Barney’s Beanery will offer the same mega menu of 700
items that defies the latest diet trends and refuses to change. To quench
thirsts, Barney’s Beanery boasts a choice of close to 200 imported and domestic
beers with 40 available on tap.
Because time does march on, however, the new venue will have pumped up the amp
age on user-friendly technology with a host of television screens strategically
placed throughout the eating area, bar and upstairs pool area, so that no one
will miss “the catch”, a slam dunk, or that amazing slide home. Just as in the
previous two sites, a colorful drop-lamped interior provides subdued lighting
and is geared toward a very casual meal with friends and/or watching almost any
kind of sport or event that satellites can beam in.
www.idafan.com
Barney's Beanery gets its name from the original depression era roadhouse in
West Hollywood when the restaurant used to serve its mainstay -beans - to
customers on Route 66. The newest Barney’s Beanery site is located at 99 E.
Colorado Blvd. in Old Town Pasadena. Barney’s Beanery, Santa Monica, is located
at 1351 3rd St., just off of Santa Monica Blvd. on the Third Street Promenade.
The original restaurant is located at 8447 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.
January 6, 2006
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