Sonny McLean's

There are a whole bunch of run-of-the-mill sports bars in Santa Monica, where you’ll find Brentwood bros drinking Bud and watching college football. Sonny McLean’s is not one of those places. Or it’s at least a lot more than just one of those places. Sonny’s is a bit like walking through a portal three time zones east of here - there are characteristically surly bartenders, some great IPAs on tap, and extremely heavy pours. It’s a Boston bar, but unless you’re there during a huge game, no one is going to harass you for wearing a Dodgers or Kings hat (maybe leave the Kobe jersey at home, though).