Eater Inside: Rush Street

Here we have full-on views of the massive Rush Street restaurant and bar in Culver City. We're not sure what makes it so Chicago-esque, but the mezzanine has its own bar, live music on some nights and...a stripper pole. Why a stripper pole in the heart of burgeoning downtown CC? One unconfirmed story we heard is the owners---Chicago native Biran McKeaney, producer Ken Kaufman, and Bergamot Station co-founder Tom Patchett---wanted a pool table but it wouldn't fit. Next best thing: Stripper pole, natch. The rooftop lounge is a nice touch at least. The menu runs the gamut of bar food wanting to be fancy like Fraiche or Ford's across the street to just regular bar food; the latter seems to hit the mark better than the former. Lots of beers on tap, signature cocktails, etc. It's only been open for a few weeks and early reviews range from "get it together" to glowing. We tracked the plywood diligently.