Now Open: State Social House on the Sunset Strip

Have you found yourself bemoaning the recent loss of Red Rock & Grill on the Sunset Strip? Probably not. Isla Cantina, maybe? No? Well they're both gone, having been shuttered by owner Robert Silverberg to make room for his new concept: State Social House. Just don't call it a comeback — or a gastropub.

Instead, State Social House likes to think of itself as a “three-tiered restaurant/entertainment/cigar lounge concept.” It's the sort of place that offers vaulted ceilings, exposed wooden beams and plenty of antique-y signs and light fixtures. There are lots of leather-strapped bar stools, stuffy chairs and the same small run of patio overlooking the TMZ buses on Sunset Boulevard that Red Rock used to have. Cocktails? You bet. Burgers? Of course. Cigars? Sure.

The reworked menu comes courtesy of chef Vernon Cardenas, of International Dining Group and Pink Taco fame. Entrees at State Social House will run near $20, with onion-heavy pub burgers checking in just south of that and appetizers hovering near $10 a pop. There's mac and cheese, of course, plus giant salted pretzels, a flatbreads section and a liberal amount of Brussels sprouts tossed into the menu. There also will be four bars — one upstairs, two in the main dining area, and one downstairs in the old Isla Cantina space — each with more than a dozen beers on tap, including Angel City and a few other local favorites. But in the interest of fairness, out-of-towners still will be able to knock back a draught of something from the Coors family.

In more positive news, Silverberg did see fit to open the place up a bit from its former Red Rock days. The upstairs bar now overlooks the central staircase, instead of being pushed behind a few flimsy walls, and will offer nights of live music, comedy and whatever else strikes State Social House's fancy. All the way downstairs, Isla Cantina's old rounded windows will be put to good use as ventilation for all the cigars being smoked. Stogies ranging from Toros to Supremos to Maduros will be available for purchase from the bar, with regular packs of smokes going for $10 a pop.

See also: Sunset Strip Farmers Market: A Seasonal Night Market

The doors at State Social House open at 11:30 a.m. and don't close until last call. With the Sunset Strip's legendary music venues within earshot and the late-night farmers market across the street, those extended hours will certainly help State Social House, which is likely to begin collecting the same hard-partying clientele that Red Rock enjoyed.

State Social House; Credit: Farley Elliott

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