The Arsenal

I think I found my new place for after work. I have been here a couple of times once with the coworkers and once by myself and had a great time both times. The staff is great and attentive and even helped me with trying some new things because you know how sometimes you can stuck in a drinking rut.

I feel like I need to update this. I’d originally been irritated that they were listed both on here and their website that they were open on Mondays, and they weren’t when my group arrived there. I got a nice note from the owner. NOW they’re open on Mondays!
The service is great, the food is delicious, it’s one of the best happy hours in town!

Had a great night to celebrate our friends engagement. Our waitress Kate made it a wonderful experience. Management was really helpful with out party and was really accommodating.

Service — great — I guzzle water, they were always on top of my glass.
Drink– strong af.
Server– just delightful!
Burger– amazing.
Atmosphere — also great, there’s a main bar area and a couple side rooms for dining. The music was pretty loud, granted I was there at 9 on a Thursday. That’s when the weekend starts, amirite!
Anyways, this place was really good and I’m very pleased to have found it.

Cool vibes. Look for street parking or just opt to park a bit further towards the residential neighborhood. The walk isn’t too bad, but if you’re a lone lady, bring a friend if you feel uncomfortable (but I thought it was fine!)
Came here for happy hour with a group of coworkers. Nachos, cheese fries and chicken wings are yummy bar food. Drinks are cheap and the staff is super friendly. We ended up getting a set of free shots towards the end of the night and it made for all around good time.

I came here on a Thursday night and had a great time. Basically they have three separate rooms with a bar in each one. Super friendly staff.
The happy hour is great! Try the pizza and chips & guacamole
They have valet and if you are lucky you can find street parking one or two blocks away.
It’s a good hanging out place after work.

I came here one night for a friends birthday and thought it was an OK place. The staff was really friendly and pleasant to chat with and the The drinks and the food were OK. Nothing bad by any means, but nothing that would draw me back either.

NFL FOOTBALL SUNDAY!!!
I saw the sign when I drove by my favorite local bar last week and had to check it out.
They just started showing the games so when I walked in at 10am for my teams early game it wasn’t crazy. Gavin the bartender was awesome and I settled down at the bar which had my teams game on.
They have a Sunday Brunch Menu, Happy Hour Menu was in effect, and it was just a chill place to meet new people and watch a few games. I had French Toast and coffee for first half and Wings and A Blue Moon for the second half!!! The perfect Sunday morning mix!
If you want watch any game in a fun setting go here. Im coming back with my friends.

The Arsenal has great bartenders, that’s certainly my favorite thing about this place. Their drinks are very good and they always come up with new ones!
The ambiance is fun and the crowd is a diverse group of 20 – 30 somethings just having a good time.

Arsenal is my Westside «go to» for fabulous Happy Hour libations and appetizers!
Super chic, dark lit, valet parking.
Just can’t beat the quality and the pricing of the Happy Hour delectables (wings, sliders, mac n’cheese, poutine fries, etc).

In simple words… Come for a local crowd, excellent customer service, a great space for groups, and a fabulous happy hour.
My group (of about 30) came in for happy hour, and we loved it. My group was a bit larger than I had initially stated, but we were happily accommodated without any issues. We received great service, and we were able to get separate tabs as well (always an important bonus to me). We had our choice of three different rooms (each «room» has a different vibe). We opted for the main room, which was just a chill bar space with great seating options.
My favorite part about this place, though, is that there’s a Saturday happy hour! It runs from 6−8pm (from what I recall).
My happy hour recommendations:
-$ 4 well cocktails or house wines
-$ 2 beef slider (surprisingly good and meat-​centered). I will definitely have to try their burgers after enjoying my sliders so much.
My happy hour non-​recommendations:
–Wasn’t big on the chicken tacos. I think they were $ 3 for 2 tacos.
A lot of people talk about this place being «out of the way», but it’s actually in a great location… if you like to avoid the typical west side crowds. It’s near a lot of cool spots (that usually tend to draw a local crowd as well), including (but not limited to) Liquid Kitty, Barkowski, SF Saloon, and Freddy’s Small Bar. So definitely bar-​hopping friendly.
Street parking was doable, but they had a pretty affordable valet as well.
I can’t emphasize enough that both times I was here (once as a party of two and once as a party of 30) the bartenders were just really great to me. Customer service is super important to me when I go out, and I think the Arsenal staff deserves serious props for their personable and efficient service.

Great spot!
Large space. Multiple bars… all with great service. Great drinks and music sets off a fun vibe here. Have DJs on weekend nights which sets the stage for great impromptu dance parties.
All fun here.

Truth Told!
I’ve been coming here for 8 years now.
8 years ago the food, drink sand ambiance were a must. Within the last few years the previous owner dropped the ball all around. Kudos to these new owners on there efforts on bring the place back to life. The weekend nightlife has much improved with good music. The drinks are great and well priced.
The menu is good but the Chef Secrets are a must. My favorites are the Buffalo Chicken Pizza and the Mac & Cheese Balls.
They heading in the right direction and I hope they keep it up!!!

Once upon a time my friend stated that people in LA are just so much better looking. My response was «I think the truth is the bars are generally really dark and the drinks are strong.» I mean we do have more then our fair share of good looking people but this bar fits my description of LA bars perfectly. Strong drinks, good ambiance, you get the picture. I love this bar, the people who run it, and the people who go here. Overall, I always have a good time here. They also now do trivia nights, and magic nights, and all sorts of other fun theme nights that keep me coming back.
cheap valet ($ 3) is available if you don’t find street parking, which there generally is some.

The Arsenal changes in ambiance, quality of food/​drinks, etc. every couple of years, so if you read an older review, it may not be relevant to your current experience.
For instance, in the past, this place was notorious for having rude/​disgruntled cocktail servers; also, the music was often a bit too loud to be enjoyable. But current management (who you’ll frequently find actually working behind the bar) has a very personal interest in the Arsenal’s success. I mentioned, for instance, that they should carry absinthe (at least for their sazeracs) and weeks later they had two decent brands. Their food has improved significantly, as has the service. I love their new cocktail menu, which includes a drink called the 1956 which includes whiskey, mezcal, muddled grapes, and lime. And, for all the changes they’ve made to their menu, the petite filet mignon still finds a place on it.
If you’ve been put off by past experiences at the Arsenal, I’d definitely recommend giving it another try.

GREAT service – was taken care of quickly all evening long! The drinks were good, the food was pretty bomb, and I loved the décor and atmosphere. It’s got a fancy vibe, but without the snobbiness you can find elsewhere. Will definitely return!

Don’t be fooled by the appearance of the outside! It looks like a biker hang out but the interior is nice. Not upscale but very modern. Drinks are reasonably priced, food is good, and crowd is mid 20s to early 30s. The only con (which equals to minus one star) was because the DJ sucked the night I went. no transition at all and random mix from Destiny’s Child to 80s music. Don’t get me wrong I love my 90s and all genres but the flow didn’t make any sense. Overall, I had a great, fun time dancing the night away :)

I hit this place up with a friend after work on a Friday. Good move .
The Mac & Cheese fries where great. There not on the menu, but sone Unilocalers hip me to them.
I also tried some real cool IPAs, but can’t remember the names.
At first I was ready to complain about the service cuz it took a long time for the server to come to us. It was weird cause we were 6 feet infront of her.
But once she finally noticed we were there (lol), she took care of us and even hooked us up with two drinks. This is a cool lil afterwork lounge I would hit up again when in Santa Monica. #Mac&Cheesefries

My group ubered and had dinner at upper west. we were looking for a place nearby to get some more drinks. Arsenal was the closest bar so we walked like eight minutes to get here! Another success of the night when you have to avoid parking altogether.
The place appeared a little empty when we got in around 10 ish but I think it’s because the bar has three sections and people were just around scattered everywhere. It was also a mature crowd (mid-30’s ish).
I got the martini with the pineapple juice in it. It was pretty decent and creamy and frothy.
I really liked the waiter. He was prompt in greeting us, getting our order, was personable but didn’t talk and bug us tooooo much. He was very efficient in getting the job done.
I wish I came here a little hungry because the people next to me were eating mac and cheese fries and I definitely wish I had the stomach space/​metabolism to eat that.

Street parking is nearly impossible but there is valet if you give up your circling (never!!!)
I’ve been here twice for happy hour, the food is greasy and the beer is cheap. Where do you get $ 3 Stella? This place. I recommend the $ 4 cheese fries to go with your drink.
I like the couch area inside especially for a bigger party that keeps growing. I wouldn’t want to sit there as a couple though… a bigger party will inevitably creep and take over.