Dear Johns on Culver

[carln]

Anyone have any info on this place. It seems like its been there forever but i never see anyone going in or out.

[logan]

it corners the market on itself, and seems to be encased in resin. i love steely dan, like i love the bonaventure bar.

[logan]

this place is the steely dan of restaurants.

[Debbie W]

Now that's an interesting analogy. Do you mean it used to be good but isn't anymore?

[westsidegal]

just came from there tonight.
i'd recommend sticking to the courvoisier.
generous pour.
friendly bartender.
friendly patrons.

after you've had enough courvoisier, and enough good conversation, you reallly don't care that the steak has some gristle and that the salad is smallish with bottled dressing.

[cls]

The steaks are awful, the martinis are bad, the wine is from a box. I would still go there though because the place is pretty cool.

[KayZee]

Ahhh, Dear John's. Now this is Retro/Old School. It's a middle class piano bar/gin joint. Not groaty or lowlifey. It's for grown-ups and isnt where the construction guys stop for beer. Generally friendly, relaxed and polite. If you know the lounge scene at Billingly's then that's about what Dear John's is like. There's almost always a singer. They have about 5-6 booths and the same amount of tables (in the same room as the bar.) The menu is smallish and generally has a steak, some chops, maybe a pot roast or grilled chicken/fish--burgers too if I remember but leaning more towards multicourse dinners. Unfortunately I've only been for drinks in these last many years so I wont comment on the food but years ago we liked it. Not fantastic but pleasurably competent.

I wish I had more, but it's a start.

K*

[off2cdwzrd]

I have driven past Dear John's going to and from work every day for nearly 6 years and can count the number of people I've seen coming or going on one hand.

FYI - the currently lounge singer is Johnny Racine, who performed for years at the now defunct San Gennaro's in Culver City.

[KayZee]

Re; the lounge singer. That alone is enough to keep me out. He was one of the reasons we didn't go to San Gennaros.

[writergirl]

Hilarious! Now I want to go just to see how bad he is!

[westsidegal]

bad.
like a saturday night live skit.