After 11 years as Bacaro LA and a month-long hiatus for renovations, the popular downtown bar and USC hangout has now reopened under a new moniker, Bacari West Adams, accompanied by a brand new design and menu items. A new spin on a neighborhood staple since 2008, the reimagined Bacari West Adams offers a fully renovated interior, updates on the restaurant’s beloved menu, and a new name to reflect its long history in University Park, an integral part of the Historic West Adams neighborhood. To complement the sophisticated, upgraded look, liquor and a full cocktail program will launch in the coming months.
“We’re excited to introduce a full relaunch of our original neighborhood bar and restaurant,” says Robert Kronfli, Co-founder of Bacari Restaurants. “Having grown up in the Greater Los Angeles area, and with our roots at USC, the Historic West Adams neighborhood is near and dear to our hearts – it is where we grew up, and this neighborhood is where we launched our careers. We can’t wait to give back to a new generation of students, foodies and community members, while also giving our regulars an opportunity to revisit their old haunt – hopefully with plenty of fond memories!”
Bacaro LA originally started out as a local USC hangout in 2008, at a time when the neighborhood lacked in a variety of options for students to gather off-campus. With the passage of time, and as the co-owners, brothers Danny and Robert Kronfli and Executive Chef Lior Hillel, themselves got older and opened more restaurants around Los Angeles, it only made sense to revisit the original restaurant as well. Just as the once doe-eyed young students at USC have grown up, so too has Bacari West Adams, ready now to accommodate its expanding and increasingly diverse community.
Bacari West Adams embodies the Kronfli brothers’ vision for great food, drinks and hospitality, with a creative menu from Israeli-born Executive Chef Lior Hillel. Hillel draws on his diverse experiences, including growing up in a kibbutz near Tel Aviv, to create dishes that bring a new twist to nostalgic favorites. Featuring Mediterranean-inspired, Italian-style tapas called Cicchetti, Bacari West Adams’ menu includes exclusive new dishes, including bowl of mussels, sourced from Prince Edward Island with mirepoix, fresh tomato, anise, white wine, jalapeño and baguette; savory puff pastry, made with Mary’s chicken, Gioia mozzarella, French feta, kale & tomato salad, and citrus vinaigrette; rustic rolls, with shrimp, bacon, cream cheese and kale, and turmeric tahini; and vegan double chocolate cake, made with chocolate pudding and hazelnut brittle. New cocktails, also exclusive to Bacari West Adams, will include The Original Cup with Pimm’s, lemon, simple, cucumber, mint, strawberry, ginger beer and orange peel, and Sour Diesel, with gin, lemon, simple, CBD oil, lavender bitters, angostura butters and foam. As always, guests will be able to enjoy an extensive, rotating selection of small-production wines and beers from around the world.
The renovation of the 1,800-square-foot Bacari West Adams was handled by Matt Winter of M. Winter Design. While the overall layout of the restaurant remains the same, the space was gutted to open it up a bit. Evoking a classic, cozy Italian wine den, the new restaurant has more of a residential feel, with old-world romantic lighting and intimate seating options.
Bacari West Adams offers Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 5 pm until 7 pm, and a late-night Reverse Happy Hour Sunday through Wednesday from 9 pm until close and Thursday through Saturday from 10 pm until close. Happy hour pricing is available for USC students and grad students at all times, any day (must show student ID). In addition, Bacari West Adams offers a unique 90-minute open bar for $20 per person, featuring house red, white & sparkling wines, house-made red sangria and Bacari beer. Guests can also enjoy 90-minute bottomless mimosas, strawberry bellinis, sangria and sparkling sangria at weekend brunch for $20 per person. Finally, every last Sunday of the month is Beefsteak Sunday at Bacari West Adams from 5pm-10pm, with all-you-can-eat petite filet, fries, onion rings and open bar for $35 per person (cannot be combined with another offer).
