The History of Barney's Beanery
Barney's Beanery opened its doors in 1920. What began as a destination for westbound travelers on the now infamous rte 66 (weary travelers could trade in their license plate for a free pint of beer) evolved into an epicenter for arts and culture by the mid sixties. Among those who made Barney's their home were Janis Joplin, who had here last drink at Barney's before her untimely death, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, who was eventually thrown out one night for urinating on the bar, and in more recent years, Quentin Tarantino, who wrote much of Pulp Fiction at his favorite booth by the bar. Stepping into Barney's one can immediately sense that they have just entered one of those rare and unique places that can only be created by time itself. Read Full History »

“The 2nd Best Chili in Los Angeles”
This declaration about Barney’s Beanery’s Famous Chili is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a mid-sixties Los Angeles Chili Cook-Off. This was an open Chili Contest in LA in about 1964 or ’65. Any local restaurant was welcome to enter, and over a hundred did. When the dust settled, Barney’s Beanery came in 2nd place, and The Magic Castle came in 1st. The funny thing is, The Magic Castle is an exclusive club, even more so back then, and only magicians are allowed in. It was also said by many that the only way they could have won was by magic. Barney’s Beanery affectionately took 2nd place under these circumstances and sold shirts that stated “Home of the 2nd Best Chili in Los Angeles”, a title that has stuck ever since.

“Having had some success with my previous film Midnight Express I was suddenly inundated with Hollywood scripts. (What my mentor Fred Zinnemann called “the first bounce when you’re hot”. When you get less hot in Hollywood you receive scripts on their fourth and fifth bounce —the scripts arrive covered in other directors’ fingerprints.) Alan Marshall and I found ourselves in Los Angeles at a pool room bar called Barney’s Beanery where, killing time before a meeting, we read two of the scripts on offer: Hot Lunch by Christopher Gore and Armyan Bernstein’s excellent One from the Heart.” – (excerpt from an article in the London Telegraph by acclaimed movie Director Sir Alan Parker. The script “Hot Lunch”, which he notes above, went on to be the movie “Fame”, for which Parker won two Oscars)

"Whenever someone comes to town and hasn't been to L.A. before, I like to take them to the Beanery. It's such a great experience. It's one of the few places that have been around for so long. 

"There's one booth there too that I love. It's a little one, and there's a post there that kind of cuts you off. It helps you concentrate a little bit too." - Quentin Tarentino, speaking of his favorite booth at Barney’s Beanery. It was in this booth that Mr. Tarentino spent many hours writing the script for the movie “Pulp Fiction”.

Ed Kienholz’s “The Beanery”
In 1965, Ed Kienholz created one of his most famous works, “The Beanery”, based on Barney’s Beanery. This installation is an almost life-size re-creation of the famous bar. As you look inside, you smell the odor of beer, and hear the sound of barroom chatter and clinking glasses from an audiotape. This piece exhibited both his panache for social commentary, and his fondness for his favorite watering hole.