I don’t think anyone likes to sit in traffic.

I might be making an assumption on behalf of all mankind, but I don’t believe there’s a single person who finds joy in it. Should there be someone reading this who feels I’m wrong, you’re nuts, and I don’t mean like Planters. I mean like Courtney Love from 1999 to yesterday. I personally can’t stand traffic. If it could be classified as an allergy I would need Benadryl pumped directly into my veins every time I get on the road. Knowing that, when I leave work in Downtown Los Angeles I try to find anything to help pass time until traffic calms down. Thankfully my friend Kammy and I were able to do find a new restaurant to go to in order to avoid the stop and go on the freeway. That restaurant was Brack Shop Tavern.

Kammy and I decided to hang out at Brack Shop after work this past week and it was our first time at the new bar located on 7th Street. A nice location that captured the same lively energy of a bar without the douchebaggery of every bar you’ve regretted going to. That alone positioned Brack Shop Tavern as a place for me to visit when I wasn’t ready to go home. Looking over the menu, Kammy and I didn’t need long to figure out what to drink and eat. We quickly placed our order and as we waited for our food, our cocktails came from the bar.

Kammy ordered the Tall Pink and Sexy ($10). When it arrived to the table, it was just as its name implied. The skinny glass held Campari, strawberry, and soda. We were hoping it would lean to the sweeter side, however the taste didn’t match its appearance. Instead it was a bit more of a bitter drink and you could taste the alcohol pretty well. For the person who prefers a bitter flavored cocktail where the taste of alcohol is at the forefront, this is the drink for you. For us, it didn’t match our preference and that was fine. Instead, the Coquito ($10) was exactly what I could have asked to have! A small glass was filled with rum, coconut cream, and spice. We learned from the manager that this cocktail was a classic Puerto Rican eggnog that became popular in World War II. As it grew prevalent over time, it became a nice alternative to its virgin counterpart. I loved the robust spices that took over with this drink, the smooth and creaminess to it, and how simple it was in its appearance. There was no question that I would come back to the bar specifically for this drink!

To start with food we had the Loaded Fries ($8). A handful of fries were submerged with a three-cheese sauce, bacon, pickled jalapenos, and scallions. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the cheese sauce as I could taste the blue cheese pretty well. Hopefully it had blue cheese because if it didn’t, then there was something wrong with that sauce. The cheese aside, I liked the way the fries were cooked and how they were toppled with so many pieces of bacon and scallions. We didn’t notice it while ordering, but there would be a bacon theme with each plate to our table.

When it came down to our mains, Kammy ordered the BLAT ($11). A country loaf sandwich held together bacon, arugula, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, and a spread of garlic aioli. As I watched her devour it, part of me could tell she liked it. So much so that I had to try some; fork it over, lady! I restrained myself and didn’t take more than two bites. Even though we’re friends I didn’t want to ruin our relationship by eating all of her dinner. With just those bites I could see why she enjoyed it so much. For a sandwich, it had such a nice crunch to it from the crisp lettuce and the toasted loaf. I liked the way the juice from the tomatoes blended with the creamy avocado and the aioli. Of course the best part was the bacon! The salty meat was just the taste I was looking for and ultimately became the part that tempted me to take another bite.

I didn’t, but I sure wanted to.

It wasn’t easy but I was able to pull myself away from Kammy’s sandwich since I had a burger sitting in front of me. Not a hard task to do to be honest. To be as great of friend as she was, I offered her a few bites of my burger. To my surprise she declined and continued into her sandwich without regard to my dish.

That just meant there was more burger for me!

The Brack Burger ($13) had a nice slice of white cheddar that oozed over the beef, tomato, onion, bacon, iceberg lettuce, pickles, and a Brack sauce all on a brioche bun. Grabbing it with my hands, the bread was soft and molded into the groves of my fingers. As I sunk my teeth into it, I got a good amount of varying tastes. What stood out most was the thick beef. I loved that it felt like I was getting a solid amount of meat within the burger because I knew that I would be stuffed by the time I finished it. The patty was juicy and seasoned nicely. The Brack Burger, just like the BLAT, fell more to the saltier side but it wasn’t excessive—it was just right. I could have done without so much of the lettuce since some of it got in the way, but after I pulled some of the bigger pieces off I was able to enjoy the burger better. Not to leave out the other elements of the burger, the bacon, red onions, and white cheddar cheese were welcome companions to the burger as a whole.

Dinner at Brack Shop Tavern was great. I loved the relaxing atmosphere and the way it wasn’t full of loud bar-goers dying to be seen and heard. Trust me, everyone sees and hears you. Being free of the douchebag energy made it easy to have fun and enjoy the cocktails and food. I loved the creaminess of the Coquito, the fresh taste within the sandwich, and the juiciness of my burger. All together, it made Brack Shop Tavern the perfect place to visit when there’s traffic on the road and you don’t want to be stuck in the stagnant bumber-to-bumper. And for the days where there isn’t any traffic, allow their cocktails and food to draw you in.

Trust me, it’ll be better than driving.

Follow Them.
Address: 525 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Phone: (213) 232-8657
Hours: Sunday – 10:00am to 12:00am and Monday through Saturday – 4:00pm to 2:00am
Social: Website, Facebook, and Instagram.