Brennan's
Irish pub · Venice
4089 Lincoln Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Highlights
Iconic sports bar with turtle races, craft beer, and pizza
Iconic sports bar with turtle races, craft beer, and pizza
"Brennan’s is an old-school sports bar in Marina Del Rey known for its turtle races. Open since 1972, this classic dive offers a menu of pub classics like wings pizza, and burgers, plus beer by the pint and pitcher. Bring a crew and sit inside or outside on the spacious patio if the weather is right." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff
"Animal rights activists will gather Thursday evening, March 21, at Brennan’s Pub in Marina Del Rey to protest the bar’s turtle racing. Turtle racing has a long history at Brennan’s which has been hosting the races for 49 years. The bar’s website refers to the races as “the world’s stupidest sport.” Onlookers are invited to bet on the races but the rules forbid pointing at the turtles, boo-ing the turtles, and touching the turtles. On race nights at Brennan’s the turtles are never out of their enclosure for more than 10 minutes at a time. The restaurant also retains a certified veterinary technician to oversee the care of the animals." - Rebecca Roland
"We wouldn’t blame you if you mistook Brennan’s for any run-of-the-mill Westside post-grad bar - like all those places, they’ve got vegan snacks, average pizza, and a surprisingly great selection of craft beer on tap. But on the first and third Thursday of every month, the patio at this Marina del Rey spot hosts turtle racing, which involves placing bets on which turtle is going to get to the outside of a circle fastest. It’s strange, loud, and insanely fun - especially when you’ve put a shot down on a side-bet about which turtle’s going to finish last. So next time you’ve had a terrible enough week that you need to get things started on a Thursday, this is exactly where you need to be." - brett keating
"Another MDR spot that was recently renovated, Brennan’s still does the whole Thursday night turtle racing thing, but they’ve upgraded both the interior and the outside porch, added a weird bonus area to play cornhole, and put TVs just about everywhere." - kat hong, james montgomery
"This massive Marina Del Rey sports bar received a big facelift a few years back, but despite a sleek new bar with an upgraded craft beer list, its most famous activity remains intact: the turtle races. Yes, this involves placing bets on which turtle is going to get to the outside of a circle fastest. It’s strange, loud, and very fun (especially when you’ve put down a side bet on which turtle’s going to finish last). Next time you’ve had a terrible week and need to see some reptiles meander across a racetrack while also catching the game, this is exactly where you need to be. " - brant cox, sylvio martins
