There are so many amazing places to eat in Los Angeles, something (many many things) for any craving. From taco trucks to fine dining. That said it’s difficult to write about one location, but we had an experience in Silver Lake I wanted to share in case it ever works out for you to be on that stretch of Glendale Boulevard. It is on our short list now, especially if we are wanting German cuisine.
Red Lion Tavern
Our dinner at the Red Lion Tavern came about by happenstance. We were looking for something online after taking in the wonder that is Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, the final resting place for Elizabeth Taylor, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. Less than 10 minutes away, it was perfect.
I’ll start with the parking to get it out of the way and offer a snapshot of the property. The area is pretty hilly and although street parking is possible, it isn’t exactly uncomplicated, so we pulled into the small lot. Not the easiest to navigate, but at least they had a few spots set aside, the others being for residential use.
The entrance had a traditional looking beer-stein-shaped sign displaying you guessed it, a red lion. Over the door was a big red awning drawing you into a whole different world. When we entered, the place was incredibly dark and dim compared to the bright and powerful California sun we just left to come inside. There were a few people drinking in what looked to be a bar area. We quickly moved past and upstairs to the rooftop patio.
The staff was so friendly- which, of course, would be expected at a biergarten-type establishment. We chose a spot and opened the menus. After my significant other ordered up a beer, we started navigating the possibilities and constructing our feast.
To start: the giant pretzel was well done on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. It came with your choice of mustards, but it also with a side of this cold cheese dip they called Bavarian Cheese Spread in the menu description. It was pink, all spiced up with paprika and we couldn’t get enough of it.
Next up for our feast: potato pancakes. Now, I grew up in a home that made those. They were 4-5 inch round crispy bites of heaven. And what I expected. What showed up at the table was WAY bigger. Each pancake was the size of a dish! They came with applesauce and sour cream, as they should. Needless to say, it was over the top with all the other food and some of it went with us into the rental car.
Since we were going a la carte and mixing it up, we ordered a bratwurst sausage, which was served with a side of German potato salad and, also, mashed potatoes. Over. The. Top. Again. There were a lot of sausages on the menu and next time we will try something new.
Since there is a biergarten, you can imagine the beer list is extensive. Many German specialties and you can get them as large as a full liter! Of course, I do not recommend the driver partake in the beer since even a small was huge. For the lighter alcohol appetite, you can get a glass of wine.
And FYI if you’re one that searches out Happy Hour: theirs is listed from Noon to 6pm Monday through Friday. Clearly, they take it seriously! In addition to drink specials, there is also a deal on food.
Truly, there is so much on the menu, we hope to get out there again on another trip west. For that day, it was plenty to tide us over as we drove back to our hotel. Bottom line: the food is excellent. The service was as well, and I highly recommend you pop in for a beer and a hearty meal. (Don’t come unless it’s a day you’re extremely hungry!)
 | 2366 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039, United States |
 | https://redliontavern.net/ |
 | +1 323-662-5337 |
Google Reviews
[wp-review-google-place-reviews place_id = “ChIJbcBHsC7HwoAR2CzNmyrxAl8”]
Yelp Reviews
[wp-review-yelp-business-reviews id=”red-lion-tavern-los-angeles” title=”Red Lion Tavern” review_num=”3″]
