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The Westside's Long-Troubled Grey Dog Tavern Begins to Take Shape

In the works since 2012.

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

Despite a years-long battle over a conditional use permit and some alleyway parking, the Westside is primed to finally get a new restaurant called Grey Dog Tavern. Toddrickallen points out the ABC license for the space on Santa Monica Boulevard (near Bundy), which went up in late April in the window of a former Blockbuster.

The problem, it seems, stems from some surrounding neighbors, who have since 2012 been challenging owner J. Anthony Kouba’s plans to flip the space from a retail location to a restaurant. In various meetings, plans for early morning hours, live entertainment, and an outdoor patio were all axed, according to a string of paperwork filed with the city. So what do we know? A 2,800 square foot restaurant is in the works, with beer and wine only, and no room for a happy hour or late night dancing (the restaurant must close at midnight).

Frankly, there’s not much out there beyond that, though it seems with the ABC license up things must be moving along. Toddrickallen’s photos don’t show a ton of work inside, and the paperwork from the city indicates that some ingress/egress issues relating to the small on-site parking lot might have needed some work, but hopefully things begin to take shape soon.

Grey Dog Tavern
12112 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA