Andrew SimmonsThe Place: Township Saloon, 6612 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; 323-464-5700.
The Hours: Mon.-Sat. Noon-2 a.m.; Sun. 9 a.m.-2 a.m.
The Digs: The first thing you notice about Township Saloon is its parking lot. A quick, don't-miss-it right off Sunset, the lot is expansive and reserved for the sports bar's patrons. You don't have to arrive 30 minutes before game-time – or settle for the kind of multiple-block walk many Angelenos resent with the same fervor as 405 traffic.
Owned by Bowerly Street Enterprises, the company also responsible for The Bowery and Delancey Pizzeria & Bar, Township Saloon is all about game-time. Flat-screens ring the bar's interior, winking down from perches that, in some cases, can strain a sports fan's neck.
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Football may be over, gone until September with a rustle of hawk feathers, but Township should be a fine destination for watching the Winter Olympics, March Madness and the continuing death throes of the Lakers.
Its biggest selling point? The absence of crowds. At many sports bars, seats are impossible to come by. Beer orders go unheard amid the din of uproarious and curiously real Jacksonville fans. The battery of drink and food specials further sweetens the deal: including $4 25 oz. cans of Rolling Rock, outsized $5 hot dogs, and a pitcher of Bud and a dozen wings for a mere $20.
Cobb salad and a side of fried okra at Township Saloon; Credit: Meg G.
The Verdict: From its polished wood guts to its flamboyant facade, Township is a facsimile of an American institution – the Western saloon. Except it bellies up to Sunset, not a strip of gold town dirt. And the whiskey list contains not one generic option, but over 100 varieties, many of them mildly esoteric. And instead of shadowy poker, there are those winking televisions.
Here you're not transported back to a well-preserved relic of America's past but toward a utopian sports bar future, where a comfortable, centrally located joint with large televisions, ample parking, affordable fare and enough seats seemingly for all exists – and manages not to be overrun by assholes. As an added bonus, the food – billed as comfort Americana – is good, particularly the tri-tip sandwich ($14) and the Cobb salad ($11).
Overall Grade: B+
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