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18 Ways To Celebrate the Fourth of July in LA

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2008_10_hasmaps.jpgThe Fourth of July is just around the corner, bringing with it a three-day weekend with friends, family, fireworks and plenty of good food. If you don't have any barbecue plans yet, hit up these following spots to celebrate Independence Day. Pick up a picnic basket, nosh on some barbecue or hit up a soft shell crab and shrimp boil. Here, 18 ways to eat and drink your way through the Fourth of July in Los Angeles.

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Angel City Brewery

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Angel City Brewery celebrates its first-ever ‘Merica Fest with lawn games such as cornhole, ping pong and ladder toss, apple pies from Pie Hole, firecracker pops from Si Paletas, food trucks, and of course beer, including the newly released Limited Tart Cherry Imperial Wheat and Lo-Lo Loquat Wheat.

Bar Covell

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Bar Covell celebrates its fourth anniversary today, and wine director Matthew Kaner is fresh off a trip to Austria. Multiple Viennese wines and traditional Austrian bites like reindeer sausage are part of the celebration tonight.

Bigfoot Lodge

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Thirsty Crow, Bigfoot Lodge and Bigfoot West ring in the holiday a night early with 3rd of July festivities. Both bars will offer $5 Sazeracs, the drink most widely recognized as the oldest known American cocktail, and live music from Davey Allen (at Bigfoot Lodge) and a DJ (at Thirsty Crow).

Border Grill

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Border Grill Downtown opens from noon to 6 p.m with a lunch menu and happy hour menus available all day. Parking will be $5 all day with validation from the restaurant. Head to Grand Park for the fireworks and pick up picnic baskets with two burritos, a salad and two non-alcoholic drinks for $20, a basket for four for $36 or a basket for six for $54.

Chef Evan Funke created a special “Italian-American” inspired menu at Bucato in honor of the Fourth of July with garlic knots, spaghetti and meatballs, jidori chicken “alla parmigiana” and tiramisu.

Cafe Del Rey

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Executive chef Chuck Abair has curated an all-American feast for $60 to $80 to pair with a front row seat to the festive holiday fireworks in the Marina. The menu includes dishes such as watermelon gazpacho with tomato, cucumber, cilantro and red bell pepper; chilled squid salad with watercress, corn relish and red wine vinaigrette; and barbecue short ribs with smashed potato, summer squash, barbecue sauce.

The Churchill

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The Churchill is bringing in their own twist to Fourth of July fare with a soft shell crab and shrimp boil with Maryland soft shells, tiger prawns, sweet corn, potatoes, English peas, chorizo and lemon for $15 per person.

Dog Haus Biergarten

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Dog Haus Biergarten throws its second annual hot dog eating competition on Saturday. The bar opens at 9 a.m. for the first quarterfinal World Cup match and then becomes a massive party for the competitive eating event.

Duff's Cakemix

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Buy one decorating kit and get the second Kit free in the DIY Studio on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6.

Firefly

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Firefly has a special three-course menu, along with tropical cocktails and boat drinks on the Fourth of July. The menu includes beer-battered prawns with garlic water; Honey Boo Boo burger with whipped honey butter, fiscalini cheddar and applewood smoked bacon; and the root beer float made with a sarsaparilla reduction, vanilla ice cream and root beer foam. The price is $35 per person (choice of one dish per course), excluding beverages.

Horse Thief

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Horse Thief BBQ hosts a special Fourth of July and first anniversary celebration, staying open until 10 p.m. with the full menu and newly opened beer and wine bar.

The Hudson

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Order up a bourbon-basted barbecue quarter chicken with a side of smoked ham hock baked beans, jalapeño cornbread, chipotle honey butter and a watermelon slice for $14 and The 1776 with vodka, fresh strawberry, lemon juice, basil and topped with prosecco Friday and all weekend.

Mud Hen Tavern

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Mud Hen Tavern has $5 bloody Mary’s and a menu selection of chum burgers, fried fish tacos and cheeseburgers for $10. From 5 to 11 p.m., Mud Hen Tavern will also be showing JAWS in the bar. If you stop by in a bathing suit, you’ll even get a free draft beer of choice.

Nelson's

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Head to happy hour at Nelson’s from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday for discounted bites, beer and wine, Terranea’s Unplugged Acoustic Series featuring Clayton Joseph Scott on the Sunset Bluff attached to Nelson’s, complete with their “5 Ocean Market” menu and local beers, Catalina Kitchen’s extensive Seafood Buffet from 5 to 10 p.m. and live music in the Lobby Bar from 7 to 9 p.m.

Red O Melrose has happy hour all day on the Fourth of July.

Scratch | bar

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Scratch|Bar has a special All Day Happy Hour offering diners 20 percent off their entire bill during the day's service from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Stamp Proper Foods

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Pick up gluten-free cream cheese berry tarts for $6.50 so you don’t show up empty-handed.

Sunny Spot

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Sunny Spot's outdoor lot transforms into a beachside cocktail picnic with spiked lemonades from the mobile Stoli truck in flavors like blueberry-hibiscus, ginger-peach, and pineapple habanero paired with a variety of 'brown bag' sack lunches including sliders (inspired by the cookshop's Monday slider night), plantains and pineapple lollipops.

Angel City Brewery

Angel City Brewery celebrates its first-ever ‘Merica Fest with lawn games such as cornhole, ping pong and ladder toss, apple pies from Pie Hole, firecracker pops from Si Paletas, food trucks, and of course beer, including the newly released Limited Tart Cherry Imperial Wheat and Lo-Lo Loquat Wheat.

Bar Covell

Bar Covell celebrates its fourth anniversary today, and wine director Matthew Kaner is fresh off a trip to Austria. Multiple Viennese wines and traditional Austrian bites like reindeer sausage are part of the celebration tonight.

Bigfoot Lodge

Thirsty Crow, Bigfoot Lodge and Bigfoot West ring in the holiday a night early with 3rd of July festivities. Both bars will offer $5 Sazeracs, the drink most widely recognized as the oldest known American cocktail, and live music from Davey Allen (at Bigfoot Lodge) and a DJ (at Thirsty Crow).

Border Grill

Border Grill Downtown opens from noon to 6 p.m with a lunch menu and happy hour menus available all day. Parking will be $5 all day with validation from the restaurant. Head to Grand Park for the fireworks and pick up picnic baskets with two burritos, a salad and two non-alcoholic drinks for $20, a basket for four for $36 or a basket for six for $54.

Bucato

Chef Evan Funke created a special “Italian-American” inspired menu at Bucato in honor of the Fourth of July with garlic knots, spaghetti and meatballs, jidori chicken “alla parmigiana” and tiramisu.

Cafe Del Rey

Executive chef Chuck Abair has curated an all-American feast for $60 to $80 to pair with a front row seat to the festive holiday fireworks in the Marina. The menu includes dishes such as watermelon gazpacho with tomato, cucumber, cilantro and red bell pepper; chilled squid salad with watercress, corn relish and red wine vinaigrette; and barbecue short ribs with smashed potato, summer squash, barbecue sauce.

The Churchill

The Churchill is bringing in their own twist to Fourth of July fare with a soft shell crab and shrimp boil with Maryland soft shells, tiger prawns, sweet corn, potatoes, English peas, chorizo and lemon for $15 per person.

Dog Haus Biergarten

Dog Haus Biergarten throws its second annual hot dog eating competition on Saturday. The bar opens at 9 a.m. for the first quarterfinal World Cup match and then becomes a massive party for the competitive eating event.

Duff's Cakemix

Buy one decorating kit and get the second Kit free in the DIY Studio on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6.

Firefly

Firefly has a special three-course menu, along with tropical cocktails and boat drinks on the Fourth of July. The menu includes beer-battered prawns with garlic water; Honey Boo Boo burger with whipped honey butter, fiscalini cheddar and applewood smoked bacon; and the root beer float made with a sarsaparilla reduction, vanilla ice cream and root beer foam. The price is $35 per person (choice of one dish per course), excluding beverages.

Horse Thief

Horse Thief BBQ hosts a special Fourth of July and first anniversary celebration, staying open until 10 p.m. with the full menu and newly opened beer and wine bar.

The Hudson

Order up a bourbon-basted barbecue quarter chicken with a side of smoked ham hock baked beans, jalapeño cornbread, chipotle honey butter and a watermelon slice for $14 and The 1776 with vodka, fresh strawberry, lemon juice, basil and topped with prosecco Friday and all weekend.

Mud Hen Tavern

Mud Hen Tavern has $5 bloody Mary’s and a menu selection of chum burgers, fried fish tacos and cheeseburgers for $10. From 5 to 11 p.m., Mud Hen Tavern will also be showing JAWS in the bar. If you stop by in a bathing suit, you’ll even get a free draft beer of choice.

Nelson's

Head to happy hour at Nelson’s from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday for discounted bites, beer and wine, Terranea’s Unplugged Acoustic Series featuring Clayton Joseph Scott on the Sunset Bluff attached to Nelson’s, complete with their “5 Ocean Market” menu and local beers, Catalina Kitchen’s extensive Seafood Buffet from 5 to 10 p.m. and live music in the Lobby Bar from 7 to 9 p.m.

Red O

Red O Melrose has happy hour all day on the Fourth of July.

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Scratch | bar

Scratch|Bar has a special All Day Happy Hour offering diners 20 percent off their entire bill during the day's service from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Stamp Proper Foods

Pick up gluten-free cream cheese berry tarts for $6.50 so you don’t show up empty-handed.

Sunny Spot

Sunny Spot's outdoor lot transforms into a beachside cocktail picnic with spiked lemonades from the mobile Stoli truck in flavors like blueberry-hibiscus, ginger-peach, and pineapple habanero paired with a variety of 'brown bag' sack lunches including sliders (inspired by the cookshop's Monday slider night), plantains and pineapple lollipops.

Related Maps