What it is: Before the L.A. craft-beer scene really started booming, there was the Glendale Tap. The bustling taproom and bottle shop drips with vintage design elements—note the bar top made from reclaimed bowling lanes—but its 52 taps and accompanying bottle and can list go far beyond the old school, offering brews from around the corner as well as around the world. Just don’t call it a mere bar. “It’s like an extension of my backyard,” says owner Glyn Samuel, where dogs, kids, beer nerds, and everyone else is welcome.
Why it’s great: When Samuel took over the space 10 years ago, he inherited a now-extinct liquor license that allowed him to sell beer to-go. That helped the Glendale Tap to weather the pandemic, but it also sets it apart from almost every other L.A. bar. Other distinctions include weekend happy hours from noon to 3 p.m., lots of limited beer releases and small batch collaborations, and a “Kids Special” offering of juice and Goldfish crackers to keep the young ones busy and content. There are plenty of goodies for the grown-ups, too. “If you’re into beer, we’re going to have something you want, haven’t had, have been dying to try, or haven’t heard of,” Samuel promises.
Hours: 5 p.m.–11 p.m., Tuesday; 4 p.m.–midnight, Wednesday; 2 p.m.–midnight, Thursday; 1 p.m–1 a.m., Friday; noon–1 a.m., Saturday; noon–11 p.m., Sunday
Address: 4227 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, California
Web: theglendaletap.com