The Phoenix.

A2 Rating Scale (out of 5):

Ambiance: fork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-white
Food & Drink: fork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-white
Service: fork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-white
Likeliness to Return: fork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-whitefork-knife-blk-white

 

THE BASICS:

WHAT:  The new (not improved) Phoenix.

WHO:  Some of the guys from the old one, minus our fav Big Brother houseguest Mike Boogie; most likely because the handful of times we saw him at the old one he was ripping tequila shots like the baller he is.

WHERE:  West 3rd St. near La Cienega.

WHEN:  5PM- 2AM, 7 days a week.  Happy hour from 5PM to 7PM M-F.  But where are the bottomless mimosa’s at?

THE DISH: 

NEW vs. OLD: Besides having numerous friends’ birthdays there over its short life, we’re pretty sure it was one of the first bars where we started ordering Fireball shots on the reg.  Thanks for the memories (or lack thereof) and FU for starting the Fireball addiction that has costed us $$$ since then (have you ever thought about how much money you’ve spent on booze in your life?  It’s a downward spiral, don’t try it at home).  Now on to the new spot which is not just a new chapter, but a whole new book.  They still have Jenga but we only saw minis, so unless you go right when it opens and it’s light out and empty, it’s pretty much useless.  The décor is nice no doubt, but it has more of a scene-y Hollywood vibe unlike the last. Oh and they are trying to be more of a restaurant now so there’s a whole menu whereas the last version had 2 items you could order drunk when you NEEEEEDED food. It’s just different and we’ll leave it at that.

 WHEN TO GO:  Just for drinks and partytime.  You’ll see why below…
WHAT TO DRINK:  Since they are a Whiskey Bar with surprisingly the most extensive list in the city (212 different types of whiskey, bourbon, scotch and cognacs), you should order a whiskey drink.  The Smokey & the Bandit ($12) was delish, but pretty much a straight shot, so leave it to the professionals.

WHAT TO ORDER:  The simple side salad ($5) if you must but we are STRONGLY recommending to skip the dinner portion here.  My basic bitch friend (and by basic I mean she eats like a 5 year old) liked the Fusilli pasta with marinara and fried egg ($15).  I must mention though that she only liked it because it tasted like the $1.99 Trader Joes Marinara AND the egg was completely cooked through (which she would have asked to be removed had I not wanted a picture with it on there first- Thanks, Keli!).  To the point where the Chef comped us the dish and used it as a teaching method of how NOT to cook an egg to his kitchen staff. If you’re in the mood for some yolk porn, expect a PG rating.

 WHAT TO SKIP:  Despite the Skirt Steak with Chimichurri ($15) looking so fine on the insta, it was too salty and chewy.  We would bathe in Chimichurri if possible but here we were scraping it off to the side. Chef even texted his butcher based on our complaints (clearly he cares!). Props to the portion though and understanding that people should eat more than a bite while consuming large amounts of alcohol (more restaurants should get on this bandwagon).  We’ve never met a French fry we didn’t like but we barely touched the big basket of plain Jane potatoes (French fries- $5). Fail.

WHO TO BRING:  With a DJ late night (supposedly — he “didn’t show up” the Saturday night we were in- like get it together!) and the crowdedness, bring someone who’s down to get drunk and party.  If you’re looking for a mellow night, be out by 10PM.

SERVICE WAS KINDA ON IT:  Besides the little brunette bartender that didn’t even look up to take our order, the rest of the staff was really nice and accommodating.  To that bitchy bartender — a smile can go along way.  Not sure what the doorman sitch will be like when those lines start forming (because we predict lines).

WHAT TO WEAR:  You can get away with heels or flats, as long as you look good.  And why wouldn’t you look good?  Definitely not as casual as the last one though.

EDDR LIFE LESSON:  Is newer always better? Not so much…

A2 FINAL THOUGHT:  For a night out where we’re trying to get a buzz going we’re not, not into it; we’ll just make sure to eat first at one of the other fine establishments on that stretch.  We’re not adding it to the top of our go-to bar list when we’re making the rounds, but with it’s prime location and assortment of whiskeys, we’re sure they haven’t seen the last of us.

 

Fireball 4ever, 

Alex

The Phoenix ↔ 8480 W. 3rd, LA, CA 90048 ↔ 323-655-5030