Tavern on Main is our favorite bar in Santa Monica. The drinks, food and atmosphere are fantastic! The staff, under the leadership of Dan, always greet you with a smile and make you feel genuinely welcome. (If you're a Detroit Lions fan, it's the place to be on game day.) In Santa Monica, there are lots of places to pick from but you won't be disappointed when you pick Tavern on Mai, read more

Great food, great drinks, and great vibes! This is a perfect spot to catch the game. Food is great and drinks are too, and the owner really cares about his customers and wants them to enjoy. Really making it a community spot. read more

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Casual bar with good happy hour deals. I came here to celebrate a friend passing the bar exam (bar for the bar!) and ordered some onion rings and wings. I know it's not healthy but I love some wings at a bar; I had mine with buffalo sauce and ranch. My friend was really craving a hot dog and ordered that as well. Our server was bubbly and sweet. You pay at the bar after and the bartenders were laidback. There's a pool table in the back and plenty of seating. It's a Lions bar and they have deals specifically on game days as well. Credit cards accepted and metered parking available. read more

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My coworker & I got off work early on a Friday & wanted to go to Happy Hour but everywhere in Santa Monica didn't start until 3p except for here at Tavern on Main so we decided to try it out & had the best time!! We got here right before the World Cup game so we both ordered the burger or sliders with beer combo & a margarita & onion rings! I had the sliders and they were so good & the girl helping us out at the bar had great customer service! Will definitely be back again! read more

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Lots of changes going on so I had to update my old review. Now they have a great Happy Hour with HOT DOGS! Yes, hot dogs make me happy. The service makes me happy as well. I like to go in the weekday afternoons when it's quiet to get my fix. The back patio was redone nicely as well. I haven't tried the regular menu yet but will at some point and will do another update. read more

I talked to the meanest bartender I've ever talked to. I ordered two beers from one bartender. Then another battened came over and asked what I wanted. I told him I already ordered 2 beers but he was just repeating "just tell me what you want" so I said "2 modelo please." Eventually he came over with 4 beers and I said "I'm al sorry I think there was a miscommunication I only wanted 2 beers" and he went off on me, he was cursing at me and calling me stupid. It was so lame cause I really didn't mean for there to be a problem. I asked him why he was being so mean about it and he called me a drunk slut. I definitely don't recommend this bartender, the bar itself is a 6.5/10 pretty cool but kinda cramped. read more

If your looking for a good vibe to see a game this is the spot. Great service. Fast drinks. Also the food... get the wings. You won't regret it. Owner is also so cool! read more

Stopped going here for a while a few years ago but tried it again under new management and it's FANTASTIC! Best pickle chips I've ever had: super crispy and the chipotle ranch is the icing on the cake. Come for the pickle chips but stay for the fun drinks, sports on TV and a fantastic neighborhood crowd! read more

Tavern On Main - Pickle chips - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Long time local; went here when it was Rick's occasionally and enjoyed some good times. While pleased that a new bar opened in this space, Tavern on Main comparatively seems...sterile. Nothing special about it; its appearance, the drinks (pretty weak IMO), overall atmosphere...everything is just kind of ok. My last visit some time ago wasn't great -- not super busy with the bartender working it solo. Didn't get this name...young black dude. I ordered a Modelo and he turned around and poured from the tap an ale that was right next to the Modelo. I assumed since he was handling all the other customers, he was pouring this for someone else. But then he turned and put the ale in front of me; I politely reminded him I asked for a Modelo. He immediately snapped at me "well, you watched me pour it!". Oh, so it's MY fault you poured the wrong beer. What a jerk. And he didn't make any effort to correct this...come on. Haven't been back since. I will someday, but there isn't much to compel me to do so anytime soon. read more

Lovely bar on Main that is a bit close quarters but it adds to the ambiance! Reminds me much of the pubs in London where most people are standing and conversing after work, chopping it up with coworkers and pals alike. Did not have an opportunity to try the food but they have some incredible offers for happy hour! I haven't seen deals like this since Pic-n-Save went out of business (RIP)! I wish I had taken a picture of the deals but you're going to have to go in and see for yourself, or wait for my next review. Bartenders knew how to pour Guiness and knew how to make a stiff cocktail. Once I try the food and realize that's it's as amazing as everything else here, I'm sure Tavern on Main will earn their 5th star from me. read more

Just a super fun place and the ONLY place you want to watch the hottest games- rounds of shots coming after the touchdowns and music queued up to match Surprisingly deeper space than it appears from the sidewalk- also a small outdoor space in front read more

Tavern On Main - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I come here more often than I should and always enjoy it. Food is solid, drinks are strong and they have a decent beer selection. The crowd size ebbs and flows, but there is usually a spot or two at the bar unless there's a big game on. Friendly bartenders. Pool table in the back. No frills kinda spot. read more

OMG. The burger and beer for $11 is a steal, it for sure works for me as dinner!! The tacos are a good deal as well.. I came on a Tuesday, so it was a small crowd but perfect spot to get a burger and beer and watch a game. I sense a lot of locals come in here, so you don't know who just might run into being it's Santa Monica. The place is chill and the staff are super friendly.. added plus it's on Main Street just 2 blocks from the beach. Added, added plus this place is on the border of Santa Monica and Venice, so there's a ton of options to check out after when wanting 2 do a crawl!! They also got a small room in the back with a pool table.. read more

Tavern On Main - Happy Hour menu - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

A great bar with a calm, professional staff I saw a negative review about this bar and felt it was important to share what actually happened that night, as I was standing only a few feet away. Two gentlemen were speaking with the bartender. Out of nowhere, one of them reached over the bar and grabbed the bartender. The bartender did not provoke this -- in fact, he handled the situation with impressive professionalism. The other man immediately pulled his friend away and urged him to leave. Through the entire incident, the bartender stayed calm, respectful, and composed, especially considering a customer had crossed a clear boundary and put hands on him. The staff's ability to de-escalate the situation showed me how seriously they take safety and hospitality. This bar continues to be one of my favorites -- not just for the atmosphere and drinks, but for the way the staff handles difficult situations with maturity and class. read more

Honestly amazing and friendly staff. It was easy and great games playing on the tv!!! Such nice staff will certainly be back!

My favorite place on Main Street really good food, cold beer, and fantastic staff!! Especially love the burgers and the big cobb salad! But everything is good here! And it's located in the very dynamic Ocean Park area of Santa Monica! read more

5/19/2026 I walked in at 6:20. Empty seat wasn't busy at all...bartender saw me walk in. Didn't say a word. Continued his conversation with patrons.. I sat down expecting him to ask if I was going to order. Nothing it is now about to be 7pm when happy hour ends and I've still not been served or attended. A couple walked in and sat down next to me. They got their beers asap still disregarded me. This is beyond insane. (older dude with big peppered mustache with a laker jersey. Walking out heading to the library .. keep in mind he's taken care of 4 other patrons read more

Easily the best bar on Main Street! Great food, good vibes, amazing staff! Great place to come to play pool or watch a game! Highly recommended! read more

Tavern Burgers is one of most delicious burgers in town.The bartenders & staff are very friendly & Helpul especially Alissa who's the courteous & sweet and often DJs an events there .The soul & Funk Saturday's ate our favorite #tavernonmainsm #santamonica #santamonicaeats #lanightlife #goodtimes #losangelesbrunch #losangelesdrinks #lafoodie #losangelesbar #mainstreetsm #ad read more

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Beware of Tavern of Main in Santa Monica! My date and I went there tonight which is 11/26/25. We were treated from the get go horribly. I'm gay and my date was a little buzzed but nothing alarming or uncomfortable. I asked the first black bartender ( I'm black too) if he had a particular bourbon. He said no and gave me a strange look. I then asked him what was his best bourbon had. He just waved me over to the other bartender so I went to the end of the bar and asked the other bartender the same thing. He wouldn't give an answer but gave a list of choices in a very rude manner so my date asked for one of the choices he gave. In a very rude manner the bartender then said you don't know your bourbons. My date tried to laugh it off but then the bartender become belligerent and started to argue with us. I could tell that neither bartender wanted to serve us and particularly wanted to get into an altercation as justification. My date is an attorney and I didn't want any drama so I convinced him to leave immediately. I will never go back to this place but I want all of my felgirlfriends and my LGBTQ community to be aware of this place. read more

This is a super fun spot and it has the BEST WINGS in SANTA MONICA! I came here with friends to watch the playoffs - friendly vibes, great service, but the food blew me away. I haven't had wings this good since Bonnie's Grill in Park Slope. I've been popping back for Happy Hour more than I would like to admit, slowly working my way through the rest of the menu and it never disappoints. The Happy Hour menu is unreal - $11 for a beer and burger?! Plus, they've got amazing chicken tenders and sliders for my kid, so I can properly decompress after a romp at the My Gym. read more

Prices here are a bit high in my opinion. Miller high life's for 9 bucks? That's a bit much for a domestic in my opinion. Especially when bars with cheaper prices are just up the street. Place seems cool. But not cost efficient in this economy read more

I'm not sure if he's the manager or just a bartender, but there's a white guy (only to distinguish from a previous review about a hostile Black bartender) who seems to be in charge of the TVs who is so aggro! Once, I asked to change a TV to a specific game and it was taking a long time, so I said, "Excuse me..." and he bit my head off for bugging him, saying he'll get to it when he gets to it and actually got in my face, even though I was just sitting there with a friend, who said, "I think that guy wants to fight you." We started to get up to go, and he comped us an appetizer so we stayed. I returned a couple of months later and asked if they were going to show a specific game. He barked out angrily, without looking up, "We're gonna show what we're gonna show." I don't what the deal is with this place and their aggro bartenders, but I've never returned. read more

On Thanksgiving Eve, had dinner at the Galley for their annual 1934 night, went to the Edgemar for a drink and then walked down Main St. to continue the night with my wife and four other friends. (We live about six blocks away). So, we go into the Tavern and find a few seats at the bar. I tell my wife what to order for me and I go to the restroom. I come back about 4-5 minutes later and my friends tell me that not only have they not ordered, but that the bartender has never even greeted or recognized them. That's my biggest pet peeve: when I walk into your establishment at least have the basic decency to say "hi." Now, they were a little busy, but NEVER too busy to say: "Guys, I'll be right with you when I'm through with this order." Or whatever. Just acknowledge us. So, I waited another minute and when no one said anything to us, I poked my head in at the Library Alehouse next door and brought my group over there. So, Tavern, the lack of your customer service gave your competitor our business for the next two hours. Service was great, drinks were plentiful and the six of us enjoyed ourselves catching up and ready to kick-off the holiday season. Tavern management, I hope you read this, and are able to learn from this and train your employees on how important customer service is, especially now that you're going to have even more competition coming your way with new places opening in the old Enterprise Fish Co. and World Cafe/Areal spots. read more

Came out on a Thursday. They had some live performances so it was pretty cool! It gives a small Irish bar vibe, but clean. We ordered food here and I didn't have high expectations but it all actually was delicious! I ordered Lemon Pepper Wings that were super crispy, Chicken and Waffle sliders and fries with braised beef. The service was really good so no complaints there. read more

Tavern On Main - Lemon Pepper Wings - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Omg the best bartenders and the vibe everyone so cool employees and clients one of my favorite spots on Main st.. my go-to to chill.great food btw. read more

Dear lord, The bartender with the bad poor man's fury haircut has no business working behind a bar. Not sure if he had too many shots or blew some lines at work but I've never seen such a disrespectful employee in my life react completely AGRO over never bringing my friends hot dog... he literally acted like he was going to fight him when we had ordered 50 min prior and kindly went to inquire about where it was- got super aggressive right off the bat. I worked as a bartender for 14 years and this was so disgusting.... Like chill out bro it's a freaking hot dog.... read more

Very nice open space with multiple TVs. I scheduled a date here as it was somewhere I wanted to try and watch Team USA bring home the gold on 8.10.24 or Kobe Day as it's now known, and it was a nice environment particularly because it's covered and LA has been sweltering hot as of late. The staff was incredibly nice but I'll amend this review with an update on food & drinks as I was unable to try those because I was late. Here's a fun fact: it's not the only Tavern on Main! There's one in El Segundo! read more

Great, small bar with good cocktail options. My friend and I got Passion Punch and Cameron's Saint. Both mixed well and drinks came out quickly. Arrived close to 8p and live music was starting which amplified the experience. The place was at about 50% capacity so service was not bad at all. It is a smaller place so parties larger than 4 might find it difficult if coming at a busy time. They had a small patio area out front. Didn't try food but it looked good. Great place to stop at if bar hopping on Main St! read more

Tavern On Main - View when walking in. Not a large seating area up front, but place for larger parties in the back. - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Make sure you absolutely ask what's covered on happy hour menu, especially when ordering holding the *happy hour,* menu, I got swindled hard asf. They will say margs are never on happy hour menus, but I ordered before and I I have known places that aren't exclusive to well *mixed* drinks (which was there excuse.) Charged premium prices for margaritas, that were underwhelming that I thought it was because it was a part of the special. Your best friend from college can make better margaritas for what they are charging, never coming back nor recommending, especially as a local realtor. Stick to Jamesons for way better deals and quality read more

Tavern On Main - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I want so badly to give this place a good review. I just cannot. The bartender does not know what an empty glass means. Only 1 bartender and 1 cocktail waitress for NFL Championship weekend. Bartender has walked past me several times and not asked once if I needed anything. I shouldn't have to flag down the bartender to get a beer or food. With so much spill-over from Jameson's, how can they not know that it's going to be busy AF today. The cocktail waitress Lexie is doing her best. Not her fault. This is around the 10th time I've been here, and the service is horrible. Come on Mark and Lance, get it together. read more

The black bartender totally dissed me the hole night. He rolled his eyes, refused to take my order and ignored me when I ordered a drink. I don't know if he has problems with Mexicans but I've never treated like a nobody that hurt read more

I would have given 4 stars but the busser poured the previous table's leftover water (multiple cups) into the empty carafe meant for our table. Then he used my shopping bag to put the used napkins in, and put my newly purchased hat under his arm and tried to walk away. My husband stopped him but we were both super disappointed in the whole experience. The saving Grace, Cocktails are decent and served quickly. Food is also decent. Short rib Poutine was our favorite. Hope they lose the bad apple soon! read more

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Second time at Tavern, we knew to save our appetite. Food is great! Came for football two weeks ago, boyfriend had steak and eggs, I ordered pancakes .... Both delish! This weekend, though we loved what we had last, we wanted to try something new. Opted for the (runner up choices last time) French toast & brunch burger. Brunch burger was amazing, and as you can tell ... couldn't wait for a picture before being devoured. French toast is an homage to a churro .... A+ on hitting that goal. Definitely sweet and crunchy where it needs to be. Think of it more as a churro breakfast option than a French toast option. Definitely sweet and tasty! We'll definitely be coming back to try more menu items. Ambience is great, lots of TVs local fans and great options for food and drink. Owner is really cool and is there hanging with fans and patrons for football Sunday! read more

Tavern On Main - Churro French toast & brunch burger - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great food clean and great place to watch sports on weekends and Thursday nites .great service wonderful bar chairs

Sadly, under the new management they got rid of the wing weds special. But this place is still highly recommend and has other generous daily specials. Nachos are fire. Best place to catch sports in SM. Dan is awesome! read more

I had a very intimidating experience at this place tonight. I sat down close to the door and ordered food. When the food came and I started eating, 2 other customers observed that if I moved they could sit together. So I obliged them. But when I moved to the other seat, another guy said it was his. I did not know where to sit. When I asked the bartenders for help they just laughed. I said I am not comfortable can I just leave if I square up for $20. They said no, you owe $28. I said I haven't had a single bite of that food I have been bullied away from where I was sitting. They didn't care, I owed them more money. Don't go to this place unless you are blowing the barman. read more

What a fun new spot on Main Street. Owner said they just opened 2 days ago. Perfect place to watch sports, grab brunch or just come for a drink. They have great beer on tap and the bartender just made me an amazing skinny margarita. Will definitely be back again. read more

Tavern On Main - a glass of lemonade on a bar - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

False advertising. Uncomfortable atmosphere. Went to see UFC . They advertised as a UFC bar. Got a $15 drink and waited form7pm for fight to start, by 7:15 they had 3 random footbal.gam and a minor league baseball game going but NO UFC. I missed prelims and first fight. Another $15 drink and they finally put the fight on a couple of the TVs but with inaudible audio and competing baseball and football games on the other TVs . The TVs were poorly calibrated and too high. My neck and eyes hurt as foes my pocket from the overpriced drinks and I missed the fight I came to see. Disappointing indeed. read more

Tavern On Main - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Dan and Bailey were absolutely wonderful to while an afternoon away while three-martini-database-administrating. Drinks? Outstanding - the Manhattan Sour is a new favorite. Food? Oustanding - Pulled Pork sando went down great. Will be returning! read more

Tavern On Main - The bar itself - Sports Bars Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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