The Legendary LA Bar Where Ringo Starr Drank With Rock’s Wildest Crowd

The British-born Beatles have been no strangers to Los Angeles. As their success grew, they grew to become infatuated with American fare (even though they still loved their tea). To fulfill their cravings for burgers and past, the Beatles would usually go to vintage LA diner Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, the place the band has its personal commemorative sales space. And only a temporary drive from this relaxation is a far grittier institution the place Ringo Starr was usually noticed with rock n’ roll’s most interesting firm.

According to “An A-Z of Hellraisers: A Comprehensive Compendium of Outrageous Insobriety” by Robert Sellers, Starr frequented the Rainbow Bar & Grill. In reality, he was a part of Alice Cooper’s de facto celeb ingesting membership referred to as the Hollywood Vampires. “In order to join, you had to outdrink the other members, who included Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, John Belushi, and Keith Moon… Whenever John Lennon was in LA, he’d usually drop by,” Sellers writes.

The Rainbow Bar & Grill was on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood (and nonetheless is in the present day), so it is no shock so many rockers have been close by or flocked there when visiting from out of city. If you go in the present day, you may discover a plaque immortalizing Cooper’s membership, full with Starr’s identify. However, the drummer’s ingesting days are lengthy over, as he is been sober since 1988.

Rainbow Bar & Grill was one in all Ringo Starr’s (and the Beatles’) favorite bars to visit. The fabled hangout has attracted all kinds of creatives since opening in 1972. The menu is thought for Italian fare (suppose pizza and hen piccata), however you may discover fundamentals like steaks and burgers, too. Most importantly, the house doubles as a shrine to rock and heavy steel with partitions stuffed with memorabilia.

Starr was usually in star-studded firm. Some of essentially the most well-known regulars at Rainbow embrace Led Zeppelin, The Who, Guns and Roses, and Mötley Crüe. It was additionally the final place Lemmy Kilmister, the vocalist and bassist of Motörhead, was seen earlier than his dying in 2015, therefore the life-size statue of him on the out of doors bar, lovingly referred to as Lemmy’s Lounge. John Belushi additionally reportedly had his final meal at Rainbow: a bowl of lentil soup.

It’s not as wild because it was within the ’70s and ’80s, however you may nonetheless get a beneficiant dose of reside music and dive bar allure in the present day. It’s steps away from equally well-known venues like Whiskey-a-Go-Go and The Roxy Theatre, in case you are feeling like sightseeing. You may also test the venue’s Instagram for occasions like karaoke and reside exhibits. For the total expertise, order a signature cocktail, like The Lemmy (a Jack and Coke) or the 1972 (bourbon, sugar, bitters, and water).