When my friend first suggested going to 8oz Burger Bar one night, talking about how amazing their burgers are, and what a great selection of beer they have, all I could think was “ew”; I don’t eat meat, and I can’t drink beer. Since I wasn’t hungry, I thought why not? I was pleasantly surprised though as I looked over their cocktail menu to see that all of their drinks were made with fresh squeezed juices and house-made herb mixes and whatnot. The drink I ordered involved some sort of mixture of cloves, almonds, vanilla and I can’t remember what else… and it was perhaps the most delicious cocktail I’ve had in months. I will be returning again for happy hour sometime soon, and I’ll probably try this veggie burger of there’s, which I have been assured is “amazing”.

Closer to home is Stout, a newly opened burger and beer place that I have heard great things from my friends who love those things. It’s horrible location at Cahuenga and Selma, amidst all of the worst things about Hollywood, makes it’s beautiful interior stand out like a sore thumb. I decided to try their housemade veggie burger, since I love that sort of thing, and it was pretty good. They make it with a lot of quinoa, so it has a taste that is quite distinctive from other veggie burgers. While I didn’t totally love it, their half priced food menu during happy hour means that I will probably stop by on my way to work at night. If only they would get a real liquor license…