The Blue Boar Pub

For a pub in Hollywood - 4 stars easy.

Located just down the street from Hollywood/Vine (aka douche-bar central or fancy clubs) the Blue Boar Pub was a refreshing experience for Tyler and I who were on one of our lately few and far between awesome date days where neither of us had to work.

The Blue Boar markets itself as a British pub, but they have a large selection of beer and spirits from other countries too. I guess I walked in expecting to see Boddingtons, I also guess I should know better by now.  It's a small place, and I'm really glad it wasn't crowded when we went. I don't do well in crowds.

The bartender (damn...totally forgot his name) was awesome in the sense that you could talk to him, and it wasn't just meaningless jibber-jabber it was an actual conversatin. The busser kept our table clean and was also on top of his game, making sure to ask us if we were doing okay/needed anything and going above and beyond.

Tyler and I both had the fish and chips, which were good - but nothing compared to Macs in Santa Barbara, or better yet any fish and chips you'd actually have in Britain. That is yet another thing I need to stop ordering, especially in Hollywood.

Anyways, it was a fun night, we (especially I, being quite a lightweight) got quite a nice buzz on and enjoyed ourselves.

Minus one star for shots being so damn expensive!! ($10).

Surprisingly, Blue Boar became my Go To spot for watching the Finals (NHL and NBA). It's not a sports bar at all but they have the games on (and the game audio, unlike Stout or other places) and it's usually not too busy in the early evening so you can go in, relax with friends, and drink a pint.
The bartenders are all friendly and it's one of the few places in Hollywood that gives off a neighborhood bar type vibe. The clientele also seems to be pretty laid back, which makes it a nice respite from the madness of Hollywood.
The food is also solid, surprising for an English pub (I kid, I kid), and there are enough options for both a quick meal or just something to nosh on.
While not a destination bar (nor is it trying to be), Blue Boar seems like the kind of place that will be a mainstay on the ever-changing Cahuenga Corridor.

Fun little place! Cider on tap, nice bartenders and the crowd was easy going and better than most bars on Cahuenga. Didn't have a pretentious feel at all, which is a breath of fresh air compared to what's around there (seriously, it was like a poor man's Vegas AND Los Feliz/Silverlake at one point outside. I didn't know two binary opposites could exist in one place. This was an escape from that). Would definitely go back with friends.