By Connor Kropschot
Staff Writer
Hermosa Beach’s new gastropub, Laurel Tavern, is the perfect location for young adults to enjoy listening to classic-rock in a hip, industrial ambience. The restaurant disappoints with a relatively limited menu but redeems itself with an array of savory ingredients.
Laurel Tavern opened its Hermosa Beach location in late December. The tavern attracts visitors to its affordable, refined atmosphere, providing an enjoyable experience for any type of crowd.
Laurel Tavern’s original location opened in 2008 in Studio City. Differing from the original spot, the Hermosa Beach location has a much smaller floor plan and a selective menu.
The interior design of the gastropub is impeccable, inviting customers into an ambience that is comfortable and social. Laurel Tavern features walls with exposed brick and industrial decorations. The rustic accents add to the appeal of the restaurant, creating an eclectic atmosphere.
While the pleasurable ambiance of the restaurant is extremely welcoming, space is limited, and the tavern easily overcrowds, forcing some patrons to stand occasionally. Multiple tables are large enough to seat parties, adding to the noise and detracting from the pleasure of the cuisine.
Standing out from typical bar menus, Laurel Tavern offers customers food created from high-quality, uncommon ingredients, including marcona almonds, French feta and quinoa. The meals enhance the restaurant experience, contributing to its trendy atmosphere.
The relatively small menu features different categories of high-end food, such as shared dishes, salads, sandwiches and burgers. Although there is a limited number of presented options, each dish has a unique delicious flavor, which is enough to satisfy most customers.
Photos: Check out the link here to see the Laurel Tavern in Hermosa Beach.
The fish tacos feature a perfect combination of flavors, topped with fresh ingredients such as papaya slaw, coconut curry, diced mango and pickled red onion. The tacos are served on soft blue corn tortillas, adding a Mexican touch to the otherwise American menu.
Read Serious Eats’ review of the gastropub here.
Their unique creation, the “Laurel Burger,” features avocado, honey mustard, pickled red onion and shredded lettuce. Although the meat is cooked perfectly, it quickly causes the bun to become soggy, making the second half of the burger nearly impossible to pick up. In addition to overly moist buns, the “Laurel Burger” and the “Jalapeno Burger” both lacked the seasoning needed to offer a full-bodied flavor.
One inconvenient aspect of the restaurant is that the only workers are bartenders. Consequently, the only way for customers to refill their drinks or order food is to walk to the bar and wait until the bartender is not busy, causing unnecessary lines.
Visit Laurel Tavern’s website here.
Hermosa Beach’s Laurel Tavern is an excellent choice for customers looking for high-quality bar food in a lively and bustling atmosphere. Despite the lack of seasoning in some dishes and inconvenient service, Laurel Tavern is the perfect place to grab a bite and enjoy.
Entrees range in price from $12 to $17 and shared dishes cost between $6 and $16. Laurel Tavern, located at 1220 Hermosa Ave. Hermosa Beach, is open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight.
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