O'Briens Irish Pub

Great place to watch UCL final. Lots of TVs and they played the commentary too. My only complaint was that Arsenal should have been in the final in place of PSG but the bar could not assist with that. Also I wasn't granted special seating despite my Arsenal jersey ;)

Great food. Wonderful service. We love the setting. Thank you Willy!

Great bar! Went there for trivia on Wednesday and it was a lot of fun! I got the sausage sandwich which was pretty good. Husband got the Ruben and it was so much better. Definitely will come back

O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Santa Monica delivered exactly what I wanted from a neighborhood pub—good food, cold drinks, and a lively, unpretentious vibe that made it easy to settle in for a few hours. I stopped in with a couple friends for a casual dinner and drinks, and we ended up staying through most of the evening. I had the fish and chips, which were crispy and golden without being greasy, and paired it with a Guinness that was poured perfectly. The bartender was friendly and quick with suggestions, and the service stayed solid even as the place got busier later in the night. There’s something authentic and welcoming about the energy here—locals chatting at the bar, laughter bouncing off the walls, and that comfortable pub feel that makes you want to come back. Whether you’re going for a game, a casual bite, or a no-fuss night out, O’Brien’s totally delivers.

Scammers, I was in this place yesterday with friends, the beer was like water, the cola was clear 😱, and at the end they brought us the bill, I left a 15 dollar tip, and today I went to the bank and they took a 37 dollar tip from me. I won't come here again.

Great place to have pint. The bartenders are great, knowledgeable, and easy going. Rodney at the door is a G! Gotta stop by here and check it out!

Fantastic sports bar especially for NY sports fans. Great atmosphere! Staff was super friendly and welcoming. It was a busy night due to the World Series and the staff was on it! The owner and several bartenders/waiters were working their butts off with a smile. Price of all food/drinks is on par for being located in Santa Monica, $10/beer…$17 and up for a burger with fries…$20 and up for a hearty Irish meal. However, the prices of the appetizers are a couple dollars more than normal. At first I thought the portions of the appetizers must be huge to match their price, $16 for mozzarella sticks, $18 for potato skins. A little pricey, but for $16 there’s gotta be about 8 sticks and the thick juicy ones, right? Nope, 6 itty bitty grocery store frozen bag sticks. Pic attached. That’s $2.67/stick pre tax! Luckily the trivia host gave out $20s at the end, so that made up for the sad itty bitty sticks. For the potato skins, they were great, but maybe knock $4 off or make it 6 skins ($3/skin)? Knock $4 off those sad itty bitty mozzarella sticks, too, or give 8 per order and make ‘em those thick juicy sorta rectangular ones.

As your neighbour, I would like to ask you what time you close your outdoor patio seating? It is alreay 11:30pm, but it is really, unpleasantly raucous, we can hear your loud music and every conversation your customers make. As I understand your business, I can accept some noises, but absolutely not until 11pm! Please understand your location is also in the middle of the residential area where some families have little children. Thank you. Very noisy again late at night - it is over 11pm and the raucous party in the outside patio is still going on. Please close the open patio at 11pm as you previously noted and kindly pay respect to your neighbor. Thank you. [02/21/2025]

Irish pub and sports bar located in Santa Monica. This place has the staples of an Irish pub like the Irish and English breakfasts, fish and chips, shepherds pie, etc. and is great for watching games. I've actually watched a NFL and college football games here over the years. Depending on the college game, this is a pretty relaxed place to watch since it doesn't get super crowded. But if you're looking for an unmatched vibe, come here for a high profile soccer/football match. Came here for both a World Cup match and the recent Euro cup championship match. Each time, there was a line down the street and this place gets PACKED!!! unless you're a regular or come here really early, good luck finding a seat. Also, I should note that considering how packed and crazy it gets, the staff and bartenders do a fine job at taking orders and pouring drinks. I can see why my buddy who is really into soccer loves coming to this place for the big matches. Just a really fun place to be with all the energy. I've might've come here for drinking nights on the weekend but haven't been for a very, very long time so I can't really speak to that aspect of the bar.

Great atmosphere to watch English football games. As a Brit this place felt like home and I got to watch England beat Switzerland here which made the visit even more sweet

This was one of the first bars I came to when I first moved to LA 7+ years ago and I immediately loved everything about it. Little did I know that in 2020 I would come back and meet my forever person at this same place. Willy, Aiden, Jeff, Devin, James are family. This is an amazing bar and I wish I could give it more stars than whatever yelp allows. P.S Jeff is my favorite

O'Brien's is a gem! We had a birthday party there last weekend on one of their patios and I can not say enough good things about the food, the service and the drinks. Willy was amazing and brought such warmth and Irish hospitality to the event. He and his entire staff truly set a bar for service. The atmosphere was very authentic and my guests had a great time. They have all been raving about it ever since. I can't believe that we had not discovered this gem of a pub before. Whether you are looking for a place for a pint, a place to watch a game, or a great event space O'Brien's is it!

Where else would you want to go for St. Patty's Day?! A great spot that serves traditional Irish beers, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that has an intimate vibe focused on people socializing just as if you were in an old Dublin pub. Even better, the service was top tier to the point where they had someone on the bag pipes throughout the entire evening! Yes, it took long to get in. Yes, it was crowded. Yes, the service could have been a bit better... but it's St. Patty's Day and O'Briens sure knew how to deliver with a creamy Guinness from the tap, as well as a delicious fish n' chips. What else could you ask for?! This is the spot to be and I already miss it!

If you are looking for an Irish pub...THIS is am Irish pub. I'm a veteran pub guy, this is one of the best. Super good service, hometown Irish peeps. Aw hell....just go. They're awesome.

This is a solid bar the owner is Irish the drinks are good as well as the fish and chips this has also got to be some of the best Calamari. It's a very solid pub interesting locals to meet and hang out with. I approve

Fun place with great drinks and nice people. Very local, casual bar with regulars. They show a lot of sports, too.

Still my go-to spot for watching Giants games during football season! The team here is still amazing and I always have good food, good drink, and good times. Xxoo

Shannon was super attentive! Excellent customer service! Jeff bartending, has been a constant at least since I've been coming in 2011. Willy of course is the awesome foundation. Fun game and excellent service. Love the food and a fun crowd.

I don't think you can find someplace more Irish in Los Angeles. The bartender is authentic and funny. Pints are expensive, but that's just how things are these days. Didn't eat any food.

great place. Amazing Shepards Pie! Great atmosphere. Very Friendly. Great service. Would go again.

Great pub! Came here randomly with a friend because we were early to a meeting in the area. Servers and bartenders were great! Talked it up with some regular patrons who were also awesome. Will definitely be back. Food and drinks were wonderful!

Amazing all around. Fresh bread, breakfast, coffee and desserts. Highly recommend. I take my family when visiting from out of town and they ensure they return before they leave.

We are a class of restaurant critics from Santa Monica College Emeritus. Each week, we eat lunch at a different restaurant on the Westside of LA. We fill out review forms and now we are going public with our joint reviews. 16 of us ate at O'Brien's last Monday and we were very pleased with the experience. Willie, the owner, oversaw the entire meal and he was extremely helpful and friendly throughout the entire process, starting with the call we made to make the reservation. He was on hand when we arrived and made sure that everything went smoothly and quickly. We want to emphasize how meaningful that was to us because it made the whole meal relaxing and enjoyable. Ordering was efficient and the food was served promptly. The ambience was great and very clean. The food quality was generally very good, but it varied depending on what people ordered. Very high ratings went to the sandwiches, fish & chips & shepherd's pie. The blackened chicken salad was not as good, but also not what you go to an Irish pub for anyway. Even though O'Brien's is a bar, no one drank since we were there at 11:30am, our regular class time. Parking was fairly convenient and there was a lovely outdoor patio. The fact that they were willing to give us separate checks was highly appreciated. Some restaurants are only willing to give one check for all of us and then it's a nightmare to figure out who owes what. Overall, we enjoyed the experience very much and most of us would go to O'Brien's again. Everyone gave the place a 9 or 10 rating out of 10. We were happy!

I went to a different "Irish" pub a couple blocks away to watch the Boston Celtics Finals game. I got there 80 minutes before game time, but the place was already packed, so I could not get a seat. I was stuck in a little cubby area where I could see about 75% of a TV screen. Because I went solo and I didn't want to lose my "prime" spot, I could not order food or get a third beer. Needless to say, at halftime, I left en route to O'Briens (which I found on Yelp). When I got to O'Briens, I got a seat at the bar counter and had perfectly-poured Guinness anytime I ran out. I was then able to order an Irish breakfast at 6:30 pm. It was an amazing dish and can't stop thinking about how good it was. I'm definitely going back for Game 3. The other "Irish" pub is cool because it's a Boston sports bar, but for big games, it kind of manifests into a tourist or transplant trap full of annoying Massholes like myself. I preferred the older, more heterogenous and mature crowd at O'Briens.

Best Irish Pub in Santa Monica! Great service, great atmosphere. Can't wait to come back.

I'm an Irish guy from Glendale and a US veteran to boot, been to a lot of restaurants and bars... this pub is wonderful. Love the food, atmosphere, and people that work there are great peps. The owner is a super friendly guy "Willy" and was always walking around talking to people, like a good business owner will do. No wonder this bar has been and is a staple for Santa Monica. Parking is okay, but it's Santa Monica! Lol Anyways, love this bar! Next time I'll take a picture of the Irish breakfast that I ordered on Saturday 03/16/24. It was GREAT!

This is a great find. People are very friendly, both patrons and establishment. We had sliders, shepherds pie, burger... no complaints from anyone. The Irish mule is good, the beer is cold, the service is very good. The manager and/or bartender checked on us multiple times. If your out near here, it is worth the stop.

I was warned that this location was known for discrimination against their clientele, but I didn't believe it or wanted to until I witnessed it firsthand. My group of friends and myself are treated like trash by some young manager that apparently turns out to be the bosses son. Not only was the food subpar, im still furious about the bigotry I witnessed. Don't support this bar. The owner obviously has infused his racism onto his son. Apparently you need to be white here for proper treatment

If you are looking for a Irish pub you're about 90% of the way there with O'Briens. You have to understand that when it comes to Irish pubs I'm a bit of the purist and I like the private nooks and semi-sequestered spaces; luckily O'Briens has at least one nice nook, which is one more than most Irish themed places have. They have the atmosphere down pat -- dark, but not too dark. A very good selection of beers, some a bit on the pricier side (they will warn you), but a few selections that are very off the beaten path. Staff is friendly and helpful. The regulars were friendly and did not make me feel like an intruder. The food is standard fare, nothing to write home about, but I find myself hooked on the Shepherd's pie. The place doesn't seem to be as crowded as Sonny McLeans (a few blocks away), and I find O'Briens to be friendlier. I generally avoid sport crowds at bars, but I have a few friends who say it's a great place to catch a game. It is certainly on my roster.

Came over the weekend to hang out with friends while watching the UFC fight. The pub was packed with TV screens on every wall which was perfect for what we came for and they weren't crazy busy to the point where we needed to show up before the fight to get a table. Over the course of the night they definitely filled out though. We sat inside but I also took a peak at their patio in the back which also had TVs and thought it looked nice! The staff here are great! So nice and checked in on us regularly which is usually rare for a bar. The waiter was even able to split our checks in weird ways for our table which was great. I would have given them 5 stars, but I felt the food was slightly lacking. The portions are pretty big, but the meals could have tasted better in my opinion. I got the chicken tenders with sweet potato fries. The texture of the chicken was off to me and almost tasted like it could have been meatless tenders. And I wished that the sweet potato fries were sweeter. My fiancé ordered the fish and chips which he said were good. We also ordered the chocolate cake which was dry and tasted like a store bought cake. Luckily it came with ice cream which definitely saved it. In the future I will try other food. Tip: Make sure to check in on Yelp for 10% off!

It's about as Irish as an Irish bar gets anywhere outside of Ireland. Good food, good beer complete with a grumpy Irish bar man.

A great neighborhood spot and if "Cheers" was Irish (Boston is pretty Irish) and here in LA, this would be the Irish LA Cheers Pub! It definitely felt like everyone there is a regular based on how friendly everyone is, especially the Bartender that works there with the long dark hair and soul patch (sorry man, I forgot your name but you were Awesome and a big reason I would go back to enjoy a pint or 10). He checked on us several times while we were there and made sure we weren't lacking anything, even jokes and welcome friendly feels! We ordered the fish and chips and Shepherds Pie and both were Good!!! He brought us some "brown sauce" and I pretty much top layered my shepherds pie with it! The flavor and freshness of it all was delish!!! Washed it down with a black and tan!

Pushy staff. Watched the 49ers vs Eagles game (packed house). Server came off a bit impatient and judge mental when I said I'd grab some drinks deeper into the game. Didn't like his body language so decided to leave early and watch the game elsewhere. Be considerate of all your customers - all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, etc. - because you never know who is ready to spend money and who isn't.

When I realized there was an O'Brien's in LA (same name as my favorite SF pub!) I had to visit. Very much a sports bar but real Irish, and real fun. Great fried food, especially the fish and chips.

This place is amazing. Came in for lunch during the week, and the Manchester City / Arsenal game was just about to start. The owner was great, the Shepherds pie delicious and filling, the Guinness on point, the ambiance fun with the game starting, and I wish I could have stayed for hours. I felt like Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams - "Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa." O'Briens Irish Pub might not be heaven, but it's the next best thing if you're in Santa Monica.

You can come see the world cup live early in the morning!! Great service and lots of space and TVs

This comfortable tavern has good food and service. Lunch here is always the highlight of my week. The staff has huge personality, and the place feels like a neighborhood pub should. Indoor and outdoor seating with sports on for all major games. Weeknights have trivia games and other entertainment. It's a fun Santa Monica spot with characters that never disappoint!

Visited on St. Paddy's Day 2021 (: 3 of my friends and I arrived and there was a line outside understandably because of the day - we waited a little over 5 min and got a table inside! The servers were so friendly, it was awesome to talk with them and see how excited they were to be open. We ordered 4 green beers, 3 shots of Jameson, a pale ale, and the red ale which was the same consistency as a nitro cold brew - SO GOOD! 2 of our other friends joined us (total 6) and we had a great time, thank you O'Brien's!!!

Did we have a blast or what?!?!?!?!!? Last night we turned O'Briens "Irish" Pub to O'Birens "PERSIAN" Pub!!!! The 30 of us got to drank, ate, sang, and even danced to Persian songs and made lasting memories. I was just one of the guests and perhaps the quietest one at that which gave me a chance to observe and appreciate the hospitality that was extended to us. A big "Thank you" to the serving staff and the manager of the O'Briens. Well wishes, A Persian Girl at an Irish Pub

I really the cajun chicken sandwich. A lot of onion though. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Food comes out quickly.

Fun sports bar vibe, strong drinks and decent fish and chips. It's loud if there's a big game on but still enjoyable.

This is an awesome place to watch World Cup matches. They have a schedule where they open early for certain games. I wish I took a photo above the urinal but I'm sure you can do the detective work if you are reading this. Friendliest bartenders at any Irish pub I've ever visited. Even those in Dublin! Very good salads for a pub and saw the other food go out that looked amazing. Good pours for Jameson shots and good vibe. Enjoyed making new pub friends on my first visit. Can't wait to come back in a few weeks when I came back to LA.

when ever neither my partner or I can decide on where to eat I know that I can't go wrong picking an Irish pub, she loves her Irish whiskey and O'Briens has a nice selection of said whiskey, in fact the server went above and beyond offering to give a bit of a tasting for my partner if there was something she wanted to try. The place was packed for the USC UCLA game but service was quick and attentive I had a turkey, jack, and cucumber sandwich and it was great, my partner had the corned beef and cabbage which was a nice full plate. If you are on the Westside it is worth a visit.

Super nice bartender and the best Irish breakfast anywhere! We went there last week and luckily they have ESPN+. This meant that we were able to watch Borussia Dortmund v Leipzig. Thank you for playing this Bundesliga game for us. Cheers!

Great atmosphere and food - recommend. I went to watch my soccer team play and the tvs were great and plentiful. Polite and friendly staff and made to feel very welcome. Definitely coming back for black and blue burger.

I walked in on a random Friday afternoon waiting for my car to be serviced. What a great place! Very blast from the past with wooden booths, large patio, lots of TV's all showing Football (soccer) Just ear hustling the regulars talk football with the bar tender with a heavy accent was a joy. Had the fish and chips and a black and tan. Huge portions and the server brought the malt vinegar without me having to ask. it was very good too. Worth every cent. Recommend

Excellent Irish Breakfast. So happy I tried this dish! Thank you, O'Briens for serving the dish here.

NY vibez... super quaint not too big Lots of great TVs and there is a nice patio outback. I won't knock it one star but there is only a single room bathrooms so every time you have to wait but otherwise this is a nice bar of yesteryear and wasn't too expensive less so than Venice Beach that's for sure.

Food not bad, the bar tender (maybe owner) and waitress not friendly at all they didn't say hello, hi, or any other words to us. Jump to the order with a bad attitude, so don't go there if you're not pure "white", chairs outside not comfortable but clean.

After listening to my husband wax poetic like William Yeats himself, for the last four months about this place, I was not disappointed. The welcome was heartfelt, the food was delicious, the Guinness fabulous and the host was a gem. We will be back.

Great bar for watching the soccer. Claiming to be a Man United pub but thankfully friendly to all soccer mad visitors. Better than average wine choice for a regular pub. Parking is easy enough. Tuesday quiz is fun. Worth a visit if just to see the magnificent mural. Recommend!

A good friend of mine has had a spectacular past life with some of the most famous people in the world. You'd never know it unless you got to know her. Part of that past included living in Ireland. She wanted to get together for a full Irish breakfast. So yesterday (Saturday) I suggested we meet at O'Briens at 11am. We were the first ones through the door right at opening time in the morning. Got seated at the back patio in the sun since it was a cool day. I never even knew this patio existed, and we were invited to pick any table at all. Our waiter was great. In addition to breakfast, we got fish and chips. Of course, I ordered a Guinness. Take a look at my photos... Everything hit the spot! I'm an LA native, and have been all over the city through the years. A tip for everyone is that O'Briens is the ONLY place in L.A. where you can get a full Irish breakfast. It's authentic, with even the meats imported from Ireland. If you've never had it, you'll want to try. Irish (and European) meats are different than the U.S. Another treat about O'Briens is the owner. He came around to greet us, and it was really fun to have a long conversation with him. Given the pandemic, LA's stupid detailed over-reaching Covid restrictions, and unreasonably bitchy customers every so often, I don't even know how a business owner like him can stay remotely positive. I'd be an angry guy... But the owner is totally and genuinely the opposite. Years ago, I had come into O'Briens a few times for beer and food. At the time it was because of a girl. I was a skinny, timid, nervous, awkward but tall, nerdy 24-year old. Made no sense but at the time I was the luckiest bastard because this hot, tall, half Irish girl from my college days was nuts about me, even though guys were falling all over her. She liked O'Briens, she's the one who originally brought me here, and we hung out at the bar. At that time O'Briens was always packed with people at night. I've never been star struck by celebrities, but there was one who I remembered meeting at O'Briens from those days. I brought it up to the owner... And he knew instantly who I was talking about, and confirmed my memory on where this celebrity used to sit, at the indoor table and booths. Memories aside, fast forward to today, O'Briens has made it through the years, and still continues on through the worst pandemic nightmare for small businesses. I'm embarrassed I've been away so long. But the good news is I got to meet the owner this time around. He didn't hold it against me when I admitted I hadn't visited in a long time. He was so gracious and nice. I'll be coming back. I think you and everyone should too. There are only a few classic Irish pubs in Los Angeles. O'Briens is one of them.

Such friendly staff and they clearly are really excited about every customer that comes in. If you're looking for that perfect Irish bar feel this is a great spot. Come by and enjoy a sporting event and get your grub on!

Great local Irish pub, little on the pricey side but prob due to the area. Whiskey n ginger =$10, Shepherd's pie =$18, Firestone 805 beer = $9. The Shepherd's pie was really delicious. Fish and chips was yummy too. I feel like the food is good here. Friendly service. TVs to watch games, they'll turn the speakers to the game if u ask which is cool. Would come back.

The food experience was realllly good!! We like to try different cuisines and this was an awesome Irish breakfast place and sports bar. We had the Irish breakfast, Croissants sandwich with coffee:) But the only negative we found was when the billing was done, the prices did not match the menu prices. On letting the server know that the prices were incorrect, he mentioned that the prices were increased for St. Patricks and they forgot to get it back to normal prices (we went to this place after St paddys). Even after that he just reduced the bill by $6 which was for just one of the items we ordered. The rest he kept it as is (it was supposed to be $12 less), but we let it go. Had to post that part since that was not good on service and so we give 4 stars for the experience.

Walked into O'Briens today to have a beer on saint paddy's day. We are standing in the entry and the waiter with a pony tail walks up to us and says "would you like a table or are you guys just trying to stand in my way". We joke about it and go sit down. My friend then asks for food for the table and he responds "are you going to tell me what you want or should I just guess". My other friend happens to know the owner and speaks to him (which was likely poorly advised). The owner then comes to our table furious and begins screaming at everyone at the table and kicks us out of his bar meanwhile they have my credit card. I do not blame the owner for his actions, other than his reaction was very much over the top. On the other hand genuinely have never experienced a waiter act so rude for absolutely no reason. I'm one to admit when I'm wrong and do not write negative yelp reviews. After my experience at O'Brien's I will never be going back and recommend anyone thinking about attending to not do so.

O'Briens has been a favorite of mine for decades!! Had lunch again there today, and it was great. The food is terrific. Prices are reasonable. And it's a wonderful atmosphere, Feels like a neighborhood pub, which, of course it is. The staff is friendly and efficient and it just has a wonderful feel!!!