Route 66 Comes to Redondo Beach: Barney’s Beanery Opens on the Redondo Pier

Known as a historic roadhouse on Route 66, Barney’s Beanery is bringing juke joint décor and comfort-food-cuisine to the South Bay with its new location in Redondo Beach.

Barney's Beanery is a new addition to the Redondo Pier.

Barney’s Beanery is an old restaurant making a new addition to the Redondo Pier.

The original Barney’s has been a West Hollywood fixture since 1920, hosting everyone from rock and roll starts to travellers from all points of the world.  Over the years, Barney’s has expanded its reach to Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank, Westwood and now Redondo Beach with each location a throwback to the original.

A few things have changed though.  Along with the concert posters and beat up license plates, big screen HD TVs have been added to create more of a sports bar concept setting.  At the Redondo shop, you also have the option of watching the ocean view if you’re not interested in watching the game.

 

But the main draw at Barney’s is the menu.  And it’s a long one!  At nearly 8 pages long, there’s plenty to choose from without being overwhelmed.

Thank goodness they serve breakfast all day! If you’re a Breakfast for Dinner type of person, you might find yourself not getting too far past the first page. Breakfast platters, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, and French toast are all par for the course no matter what time of day it is.

On my lunchtime visit*, I focused on classic bar food: chili, appetizers, and burgers.

Barney’s wouldn’t be a “beanery” if it wasn’t for the chili.  You can get a sample of the best-of-the-best by ordering the Famous Chili Sampler ($11.50).  Five bite-sized bowls of chili are served along with tortilla chips (or corn muffins), onions, cheese, and sour cream.  The classic was a pleaser but I loved the fireman’s chunky braised beef and black beans.

The Chili Sampler features five samples of chili and all the finxings to personalize each bowl.

The Chili Sampler features five samples of chili and all the finxings to personalize each bowl.

One full page of the menu is dedicated to sandwiches, hamburgers,  and hot dogs.  With many sandwiches to choose from, I kept it simple and went with the Barney’s Burger ($8.50): two beef patties, carmelized onions, pickle, cheese, tomato, and lettuce topped off with barney’s sauce.

The Barney's Burger. I knew this was gonna be a good burger as soon as I saw it.

The Barney’s Burger. I knew this was gonna be a good burger as soon as I saw it.

A winner for sure, the patties were cooked to  my liking (a tad past medium well) without even asking for it that way.  The cheese was everywhere but I like my burgers smothered like that.  The rest of the toppings were par for the course to round out the classic burger taste.  Oh, the bun was kind of sweet to…not King’s Hawaiian sweet but sweeter than the average bun.

The menu is rounded out with soups, salads, pizzas, and a “South of the Border” page full of Mexican inspired favorites like tacos, burritos, and fajitas.

I wonder if, with so much to offer, certain items on Barney’s menu might suffer.  But 90 years of history speak volumes for a brand that has been pleasing hungry people for a long, long time.  If you’d had some of the other items on the menu, please leave a comment and let us know what you liked!

Barney’s is open every day of the week, opening at 10 AM on week days and 9 AM on Saturday and Sunday.  Closing time is 1:30 AM Sunday through Thursday and 2 AM Friday and Saturday.  Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 PM!

* Some items mentioned in this article were provided on a complimentary basis for the purpose of this review. This story was accurate when it was published and reflects the uninfluenced opinions of the reviewers.

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About the Author

Michael loves grilling, rum, and has a weakness for key lime pie.

One Response to “Route 66 Comes to Redondo Beach: Barney’s Beanery Opens on the Redondo Pier”

  1. This place looks like they have some good eating’s!! I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in town!! I have not been to the website in a while. I will try to check in more often. Bottoms up!!! Yum!!

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