I hit up Beach Nation last year to check out the new digs and I really dug the beach concept. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for over a decade and I still get lazy about driving to the beach – there’s always an excuse. It’s sad, I know, but as they say, “It is what it is.” Beach Nation is planted at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Sweetzer Ave and the lot partially takes up the old Irv’s Burger spot although the city has managed to keep part of that as a West Hollywood Historic “area.” The open-air concept literally mimics the beach with sand, palm trees and palapas but sans the ocean, of course.
Originally, I thought idea of a beach-themed café was clever but I knew it would also be a challenge, especially because at first, they didn’t serve alcohol. Luckily, after months and months of persistence, Beach Nation was able to serve beer and wine to guests and boy, did it make a difference. It wasn’t totally noticeable at first, but soon after, I would pass by the place on a regular basis and notice the once empty seats were filling up fast, especially on the weekends.
I made it over to check out the beer and wine selections, and they were decent but I was bummed that there was no happy hour. No biggie, I just wanted another reason to give this cool joint another chance and make it a new hang out on my “patio mood” days. I should mention, too, that the last time I walked by they had a DJ spinning so the beach-goers were really jamming in the sand!
Well, a couple of weeks ago, some West Hollywood neighbor friends of mine invited us to check out their new “office” and enjoy some happy hour at Beach Nation. Yes! I called ahead to confirm and they mentioned that yes, they offer happy hour Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. My guy and I strolled up before our friends did and snagged a table. I noticed that this time, a hostess greeted us and there was a new rope surrounding certain areas to encourage patrons to enter on the Santa Monica Blvd. entrance. Also, instead of ordering at the counter like we had in the past, we had a server this time.
For happy hour drink options, you can order Corona, Corona Light, and Stella Artois for $3 and craft beer options include Blue Moon and Stone IPA for $5. A glass of red or white wine, Bloody Mary, margarita or mojito can be purchased for $5. Keep in mind that the cocktail options are Soju based so the alcohol content will be lower. The red blend we tried was enjoyable but next time I’ll give the cocktails a whirl.
Food options are super limited, as in they only offer one: sliders. The sliders are $2 a piece and they are good yet simple; they come slathered with a special sauce and some pickles and are served on a white bread bun.
Look, the minute I had that ice-cold Corona in my hand and I rested my back against the seat cushion, I felt relaxed and somewhat transported to the beach, so parts of it all seemed to be working on me…? The sun was staying out longer lately and the weather was sublime, which is exactly when the allure of this sandy excursion really sets in. I’m glad Beach Nation has survived, I’m glad that starting serving booze and I’m even more stoked that they started serving happy hour. Now if they could just expand their food options on the happy hour menu, this lady would be ecstatic.
XXOO,
Maren
(323) 654-0020
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