Tavern on Main SM

As a local of 33 years, I can say that this is by far the best bar on Main Street (and one of the best in Santa Monica/this part of the coast in general). What initially drew me in after the latest management took over was how conscientious & caring the bartenders were for a young female patron. I have had countless experiences on Main Street at other local bars where I have felt like my safety has been threatened and where the staff either simply do not care or actively encourage the disrespect of women. This is one of the few bars that I can confidently say makes an effort to be a safe space for women. I am a regular here, and tend to get quite tipsy pretty often. The bar tenders and managers have never made me feel like I was inferior or unwelcome, even when I have stayed well past my “prime”. On multiple occasions, they have even offered to order me a car to go home in. They aren’t the type to kick a potentially struggling woman to the curb, but rather to ask how they can help, which I believe is a huge deal when it comes to bars in general. There needs to be more like this. Many times, I have arrived at the Tavern after long, questionable nights elsewhere because I know that the guys (& ladies) who work there will look out for me. Bartenders Dan (manager), Sam, Jevi, Amber, Rodney, and Joe are all so fantastic. Other great things- they have tons of power outlets all throughout the bar, which is wonderful if you like to do work on your computer (I’ve spent hours there), and affordable food and drinks that are really delicious. I cannot recommend the Tavern enough.

Great spot for happy hour! $11 beer and burger is a super great deal as well as the chicken tenders are good or the 2 sliders if you want to try a different style burger. Another thing I like is if you guess the suit under the PBR beer cap you get it for free. That’s a fun gamble. I don’t go out weekends much but this is Def a good spot for a chill mid week atmosphere with some proper grub and a beer.

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 have known places that aren't exclusive to well *mixed* drinks. 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

Airy, comfy pub with great outdoor and very open indoor space. Tasty Breakfast Outstanding burritos breakfast bowl and eggs Benedict with spare ribs. Full bar. Friendly and attentive service from Tyler. Plenty of TVs for Sports. Ask for sound. Hopping vibe for March Madness. Major upgrade from prior management. Clean and up to date, including bathrooms. We will be back.

Loved the drink and food. Peach vodka and veggie tacos were so cool. Great ambience. Cool place to hang around. Would visit again.

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

Deeply disappointed by my experience here—particularly with one of the bartenders who made closing out my tab an exhausting and uncomfortable ordeal. After chasing him down just to pay, I finally found him outside, where he acted like doing his job was some kind of favor and implied I should be thankful for a « free drink ». As a Black woman, it was jarring to be treated with such dismissiveness and condescension. What’s worse is that this wasn’t a one-off—my girlfriends had warned me about him before. I wanted to believe otherwise, but witnessing it for myself made it undeniable. His behavior toward women, especially women of color, is emotionally tone-deaf at best and disrespectful at worst. It’s especially disheartening because he’s one of the only Black men in that space. You want to root for your own, but not when they perpetuate the very dynamics we’re constantly trying to rise above. This establishment is not a safe place for women.

Ericka at this Tavern spot is awesome! I randomly dropped in on Taco Tuesday while biking, just wanted a quick drink. But let me tell you, those chicken tacos were to die for—so juicy and flavorful. The vibes were chill, especially as the sun set. I ended up ordering more tacos, this time with steak, and they were amazing—juicy and paired perfectly with a delicious green sauce. So glad I stopped by! Ericka made the experience great. Can't wait to go back!

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!

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..

It's a sports bar and, judging on that basis, it's 5 stars. I didn't come here for fine dining. The barkeep was attentive and efficient, there's a decent beer selection, the onion rings were great and there are lots of TVs showing sports. Mission accomplished.

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!

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!

I got food poisoning here. I ordered the chicken wings and had to go to urgent care. I called the tavern to let them know what had happened and they never answered the phone. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this dump. I wish I could give zero stars.

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.

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!

Good place to watch sports that offers generous daily specials. I typically go for the Wing Wednesday deal. Staff is usually friendly.

Worst bar in Santa Monica by a long shot, will Never return again. The bathrooms are filthy and the place stinks half the time you walk in

I used to be a regular when Rick owned it. Then he retired and it's gone down hill from there. The food just hasn't kept up to his standard and now, to make it worse, they never seem to be open anymore.

The food is amazing. Great service. I must give a shout out to Mark and Dan (owners) they care about their place and their customers. I'm a local and highly recommend!!! 10 stars

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!

Wow! Such an amazing find! Especially in Santa Monica! Great service, drinks and delicious food incredibly reasonably priced! It's small but such a gem!

Delicious sliders. Great service. Folks were attentive. I loved my time here and plan to be back soon. I can't believe I didn't come here earlier! Live music was a nice touch as well.

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.

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.

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.

Great place to watch the morning football games. Good selection of breakfast and lunch food. Went with the Carne Asada Fries and they didn't disappoint. Friendly service and atmosphere. I'll definitely go back for some afternoon games soon:

Best bar on main Street. Staff is cool and efficient.They make great drinks, and the food is great. The fried pickles are amazing? Never thought I'd say that about fried pickles If you're in Venice you should go here first, you'll end up coming back.​

Fantastic service owner, Mark, is incredible. Truly cares about his place and his patrons. Best spot in Santa Monica

Best staff. Best owner. Mark is awesome. He cares about his place. I'll be back. Great drinks and food

Closed down it seems like. I've checked on three different occasions, called multiple times different days and nothin.

Used to go here all the time when it was Ricks. After tonight I will never go again. Ordered 3 Tito's Sodas from the guy bartender and watched him pour about an oz of Vodka in each drink. I called him out on it and asked "Don't you put 2 oz in your drinks?" He said yes and I said well you did a 5 count on each one. He got embarrassed and said sorry. Obviously intentionally. Don't go here. Shady people here now.

Hours on website and yelp page are wrong. I'm just 42 characters away... 14 now... it's really annoying tho, no? Posting incorrect hours. Edit: Other places nearby were shut down early too, like 24-hour convenience stores closed with handwritten signs on the door. Turns out there'd been a bunch of robberies? Dunno if that's what was up with this place, but it's possibly adds up. (Altho same reasoning could also suggest: they're the robbers... ) For what it's worth, Jameson's is in SM now and they were open late.

Went in to eat for lunch last weekend and the food and service was terrible. The workers there looked like they definitely did not want to be there. Overall bad food, bad vibe, and it took forever to get our food and drinks. Will not be returning

5 star food, 2 star service Phenomenal food, lackluster service. Our party of 6 sat in a booth and our server was the bartender so, I can forgive and also maybe appreciate how little she came by to check on us. A couple of us ordered the bottomless mimosas but they definitely saw the bottom of their glass a NUMBER of times and was constantly asking for the refill. Sorry. It's called "bottomless" for a reason. The food was FIRE. Seriously some of the best food I've ever had not just in a tavern, but anywhere. The short rib Benedict was amazing and the bacon blue cheese burger was fantastic. The fries that came with were perfect. Every single fry was crispy from start to finish. We all gave each other looks as we saw food runners bringing food out while looking at their phone. Seriously? That's like the first rule of service, stay off your phones while you're front of house. What ever is happening back in the kitchen, I hope the owner appreciates because the food is what will bring the customers back. Definitely NOT the service. If we come back and have a different experience service-wise, I'll change my rating to 5 stars. Hope this place pulls their stuff together. Here's the food we had that was delicious: Short rib Benedict (x2) Blue cheese bacon burger (x2) Burrito bowl (x2) Chicken and waffles

I want to like this bar however it has one glaring weakness - it smells like poop. I know what your thinking "maybe it was just a one time thing" however I have gone back several times and each time I am welcomed by the unmistakable smell of POOP. It doesn't just smell bad... It literally smells like poop. The last time I went I had to go in the back and sit outside before I gave up in search of an alternative bar that smells more pleasant. If your into poop this is def. your spot, if not I advise you stay away.

Great place to hangout! The bartender knew how to interact with all guests and the owner was there and made sure his patrons were being taken care of. We will be back next time we are in the area!

I rarely get out from work to grab lunch but today I craved a yummy salad! Rolled over here and got the Caesars Salad with Grilled Chicken and it was oh so yummy!! Not small at all, grilled chicken and crispy croutons... perfect! Also highly highly recommend their Happy Hour! great food and drinks and this great Tavern just footsteps from my store!

Not definitely the same vibe as before when it was Ricks's despite it being a holiday weekend and Friday evening the place was DEAD !!. The joint was practically empty at 10:30 pm . Back in the day the place would had been at least filled with locals even during the holiday. Food was good but bartenders seemed disinterested and unattached to their customer base which appeared non-local ; a bad sign in itself. I SPEAK from experience btw cause I use to WORK here for almost 2 yrs when it was Ricks Tavern sooooo I see a big difference ! They been open just about 6 months so perhaps things hopefully improve in the new year ??

Decent spot since new ownership and moderate renovations.... Staff continues to change over, nice but don't really know the local vibe or are able to build relationships with frequent customers.... This place has def lost the local friendly everybody knows my name feel and now is like all the other dumb spots that think they are cool... with overpriced food and drinks.. kinda a cold, pretentious, fake feel spot.... Idk maybe it was just an awkward night

I love this place. This breakfast bowl with sausage was so good & they make the perfect espresso martini. Attentive and friendly staff as well. Great drinks, food, service & location.

Local for 18 years. The female bartenders last night were beyond rude. After questioning being charged $44 for a glass of wine she became angry at herself .. but instead of just saying oops she met me with aggressive attitude. Girl chill. People make mistakes. Who cares. Then when she gave me the right bill there was no pen. I laughed and said and now there's no pen. It was funny. The service was a joke. Stop gabbing behind the bar and help the 3 customers you had in there. She immediately got me kicked out for the pen comment. Gladly. Will never go there again. Trash.

Man I miss ricks, our waitress amber was a total doll but That was the extent of enjoyment here. The manager Laura was living in her own fucking world man. Told us to take our business elsewhere after spending 300 dollars, for having a dog on the outside patio. No posted signs about not having an animal inside. Don't go here.

Booo, Laura is extremely hostile and extremely inhospitable. Laura was very confrontational and very as clearly fluster by her inability to deal with a large crowd. We brought our dog, and enjoyed the patio for several hours, when suddenly, Laura appears and starts yelling about new rules. Ricks on Main was cool. Laura makes this place suck.

Rosio and Vanessa treated us like kings and queens. We are so grateful for their amazing customer service and people service skills. Highly recommend !

If you are looking for the biggest S@$T hole in Los Angeles (arguably California) welcome to Tavern On Main. Everything is sketchy and garbage. The food - garbage! The hospitality - garbage! The drinks - not what you ordered at all! And they will tell you to F&:k off when you ask them for what you paid for. Santa Monica has never been trashier. Was debating leaving this review because this place def wont be here in a few months, but they were so bad it deserved it.

Beware. Servers will add multiple extra drinks on tab and lie about upcharges and hope you don't notice. Read the other similar reviews - this place is shadyyy. By far crappiest bar in Venice/SM.

Good vibes, great for group outings. Also a great place to watch sports games. Will be back!

After checking out the menu, I was looking forward to try this new venue on Main St. Unfortunately for Tavern On Main it's a swing and a miss. I know they just recently opened, but the first warning sign was an empty establishment on a summer Sunday late morning on Main St. Aside from us there was only one couple at the bar, no one seated in the rest of the place. It'd be easy to let that go in a fairly new place, but all things considered, it's Strike One. We started by ordering one of their signature drinks, the "Cajun Bloody Mary" and were later told they didn't have the Shrimp or the Andouille Sausage because they were "still frozen" (excuse me?) What I ended up with was an undrinkable $14 Bloody Mary with a lemon (?) and cheap vodka, nothing else. (Note: we were offered a pulled pork slider as a "make up" to the lack luster drinks, to justify the price I guess, not really what we wanted, but ok). Still, that's Strike Two. The brunch menu looked interesting, but by now I was already suspicious. I ordered the "Short Ribs Benedict", oh boy. The short ribs weren't a problem, but they we're topped with eggs "over easy" (as the menu indicated) which did raise an eyebrow since most traditional Eggs Benedict concoctions are served with poached eggs (my guess is they can't poach an egg). The eggs were horribly undercooked, with runny egg whites (yuck), and the short ribs were smothered in brown gravy, most definitely from a can. Apparently undercooked "eggs over easy" is the norm, as my girlfriend's "Breakfast Burrito Bowl" had the same runny egg whites issue. We assumed it would be served with scrambled eggs, our mistake for not asking. Neither of us could finish our meal, so with that, it was Strike Three. I'm sure they want to succeed, but when the manager walked by and asked how things were, I said "eh", he just walked away rather than probe my response ... Why even ask me if that's how you manage? They are a far cry from what the menu claims to offer and apparently don't really care. Avoid for now. Plenty of better options on Main St.

Great vibes, great food! I can tell that the new owner really cares about providing clients with best service and experience at tavern on main! Great deals and happy hour, and entertainment!

They gave me a "rocks" charge for ice in my drink $2 each drink, they were nice, but $2 for just ice? What the hell

C'est bon Brotha très savoureux show up permet de voir ce que vous voyez delocious is what my oeeos sayung yum yum hey whats goood chika

Great to have a good bar back on the block with some much needed upgrades. The back area could use a pool table tho (would be the only one on main :)

Met up with a group of friends to catch up over food and drink at this spot right on Main Street. I loved the open air vibe of the entire place -- and the outdoor dining options (both out front and in back), were ideal for our group. The service was exceptional -- and my favorite app was the pretzel and the Chopped Cobb Salad was one of the best I've ever head. Very fresh and delicious to go along with awesome cocktails and friends!

Most expensive one ounce pour of a premium liquor in the greater LA region. $40 for what was likely less than an ounce because the bartender - clearly inexperienced as she had never heard of several popular liquors - literally poured half way up the 1.5 ounce jigger then stopped and poured the jigger in the glass. These are the highly angled jiggers so that top half is where all the volume is. So I likely just paid $40 for .75 oz of liquor. I remember Rick's on Main and was hoping to make this a new regular spot now that I've moved back but alas - it has turned to a crap bar instead of a dive bar.

Rick, Howard, Mark.... who cares, really...?we're all just keen to the fact that it's (back to) just a regular cool neighborhood spot who doesn't seem to want to be anything other than a bar to watch THE YANKEES, or whatever, and not getting ripped off. Or having avo toast on the menu. Ooh and I. an get a drink at 8a! BUT I HAVE TO SAY... "bottomless mimosas" ... with a "one hour time limit"....the last time I heard of a bottomless time limit was at the Spearmint Rhino...Heyooooo! Please clarify/change/edit. Otherwise- I had a really nice time there today

Terrible service, went in yesterday to watch the fights with a friend. When we initially got there we ordered a couple plates of fruit and bacon and was planning on ordering food later. Instead of ordering food later, we were forced to leave the restaurant while the last fight started. The reason for us getting kicked out was because we weren't ordering enough food, like their was a minimum for a table at a tavern. I was very cordial with both the server and manager and in return I was hit with the most disrespectful responses like "leave this table because I said so" and the I "should be ashamed of myself" for not getting up so that other people could sit. Just wish this experience was better so that I would feel comfortable coming back here.