(Dined 12/10/14 W @ 11:00am): There was enough elbow room in this quaint eatery, but be prepared to have a larger beer selection than food dishes!
Thanks to a Living Social deal ($20.00 of food and drinks for $10.00), a friend and I decided to catch up with each other at Thee Elbow Room, a restaurant we'd never tried before and close to where we grew up. It's always great to support the small local businesses in the area around my old 'hood which was the initial reason I bought this deal. So give me some room or I'm going to start throwing elbows!:
Thee Elbow Room Create-Your-Own-Flight ($8.00 x 2) - A wonderful concept, you selected any available beers on tap in four 4-oz. taster glasses. Not a heavy hops kind of drinker, I opted for much lighter less foresty options. In order of preference, here were my selections (no comments on my friend's selection): Golden State of Mind (citrusy and smooth), Ale Camino Amber (caramel taste with a hint of hops), Seafarer Kolsch (too light), Elbow Room House Brew (very light). http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=LZVH2yJ-fpCnmwMHkZfDlw
House Cured Corned Beef Sandiwch with Side Salad ($10.00) - Corned beef, house dill pickles, mayo, mustard, placed between two thick pieces of crisp rye bread served up panini-style. The corned beef wasn't as salty as expected and very moist, but I wished there was more of it. The plethora of crunchy dill pickle slices bursted with flavor and zest which I really enjoyed. The mayo and mustard were pedestrian and nothing special http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=Yk0EuuTaY4hw2h0F1TX5bQ. The side salad was as simple as can be with a small pile of leafy greens and some purple drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was refreshing but also wished it was a tad bigger http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=VnFiOl_7MTGDEyoe5iLX8w.
Balsamic Tuna Melt with Side Salad ($8.00) - I only had a bite of my friend's sandwich which included chunks of tuna, house dill pickles, and mozzarella cheese between two large pieces of sourdough bread served panini-style. I've always enjoyed a melt of any kind and this was no exception as the balsamic added a nice touch. Other than that, there wasn't any special about it.
Service - We were the first customers of the day and two friendly young women happily greeted us. We had the pick of where to sit so we chose a small table next to the bar but just inside the outdoor patio. She immediately offered us water (nice move!) while we were given plenty of time to peruse the limited menu. When we finally ordered, our patient server made recommendations and conversations with us. She first careful brought to us our flights, and about ten minutes later our sandwiches and side salads came out. She periodically checked on us and filled our water glasses a couple times. And although she placed the check on the table she was in no way trying to move us along. She did an amazing job!
Parking (Free 3-Hour Limit) - There were plenty of public parking lots along the main drage of Honolulu Ave. Otherwise, there was a ton of metered parking on all the surrounding streets.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience - Akin to a tiny homey wooden cottage that opened up with a front outdoor patio, it had both a rustic and beach feel. There were several barstools at the bar, a couple dark wooden tables and chairs inside, and several umbrella-covered tables and chairs out on the garden-like patio (sans grass) along Honolulu Ave. Empty walls except for a chalk-written beer menu behind the bar http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=hWu2gx4eL3wjWUOx6M3m1w, plenty of naural lighting came through the open patio and front door. In addition, bright electric lighting hung from the ceiling. There were no TVs but there was background music.
Attire - Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
Overall, Thee Elbow Room was a charming find on the further end of Honolulu Ave. away from Verdugo Blvd. Be warned that the menu was incredibly limited with a handful of salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts but with a decent assortment of craft beers. Not sure if they had a happy hour, but with the slew of brews and lack of food, it might be a good idea. The food was enjoyable but nothing I would clamor for. And for what you got, I felt prices across the board could've been slightly less. But I'm also a sucker for great service, small businesses and supporting my old stomping grounds. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total paid experience was around $33.00 before discount and tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice...AMEX! 4.0 STARS read more