The Surly Goat

I've been to the Surly Goat a few times, and it never disappoints. It's pretty small and nondescript, but the outside seating is unique with a good few of the passerby on Santa Monica Boulevard, and the beer selection is amaaaaaayzing! My boyfriend has their beer passport - once you get all of the different beers stamped, you get free entry to beer tastings and events. The music is sometimes too loud, but they always have fun, random stuff playing on the television screens, and playing shuffleboard in the back is always a good time. Good, chill place to hang out and catch up with friends, especially if you live in West Hollywood and can walk there.

It's all about the beer selection here! Always delicious, always abundant, always a vast variety. The excellent beer attracts an excellent crowd, and I always have a great time here. Shuffleboard is a great attraction for me, as is the outside patio, which is a notorious host for philosophical debates and new movie ideas. Unfortunately, the soul of this local hot spot disappears on a Friday or Saturday night. The fun hip music is replaced by a top 40 DJ, it's sweaty and crowded, and the average customer acts slightly douchier. The bartenders have attitude. Some guys like that. Personally, I prefer the bartenders have a bit more knowledge about the drinks they are serving, but these girls are good enough to make selections, and usually willing to offer a free taste. If you're looking for a place to get a quality or one-of-a-kind beer on a weekday night, this has GOT to be your number one choice.

No sign is definitely a sign; a sign that a bar is worth checking out. With just a logo of a surly looking goat outside you already know this bar is under the radar yet on the map. As you step in through their speakeasy-esqu door with the peephole grates you're about to enter a dark, inconspicuous establishment. Inside it's dimly lit with candles on each table and high wall seating with long perimeter tables. The interior can be described as romantic and the outside seating has big metal bars that look onto the street giving it that 'cool to be in jail' vibe. What's a bar without bars anyway? The Surly Goat is known for their impressive array of dozens of imported and domestic beers on tap and extremely knowledgable bartenders who are always happy to let you sip before you commit. The only thing to note would be the lacking of an on-site kitchen so there's no food being served. However they absolutely welcome BYOF which you can bring in or have delivered. Other than that you will have to ask for a few pretzels and olives (or just dip in when no one is looking as per bar etiquette.) Oh and if you want a game of shuffle board or foosball the Goat delivers! The Surly Goat is a fantastic hideout bar for the beer-lover, bar lover and goat lover. When it comes to a great night out, or just a drink, the Surly is surely the bar to go(at) to!

As many previous reviewers mentioned, The Surly Goat is certainly more subtle than than the name suggests-- even after visiting the bar on several occasions, I still saunter past it from time to time. But the interior offers a stark sea change: the music inside is so loud that the last time I went it was difficult for me to understand what my friend sitting next to me was saying. TVs are nestled in every corner, and should be avoided by the easily distractible. I was trying to pay attention to my date, but Jeff Goldblum was being broadcasted everywhere! However, The Surly Goat is a nice respite from the Lady Gagafied West Hollywood clubs several blocks west. A few sips of one of their aficionado-approved beers-- last time I was digging on their end-of-summer Saisons-- and you'll forgive The Goat for his taste in painfully loud pop music. In fact, I suggest grabbing a beer and running to the outside patio, where you can gulp in comparative peace.

I went on Saturday and it was incredibly crowded, waited in line for like a half hour. We tried to post up by the slightly risen VIP section when we got inside and a guard with a flashlight flashed it at us to "get out of the aisle." Luckily my friend knew the bartenders so he squeezed in to order us some free beers, and they were delish! To escape the crowd we went to a little upstairs area with a shuffleboard table where we were dancin to some classic 90s beats for a bit which was funny but semi-awkward because its not really a dancing place... sat on the little patio, also crowded with kind of weird hipster chicks/dudes but at least we could breathe!

First time I went here I walked right by it like four times trying to find the damn place. Great beer selection once you finally find it. Karaoke on Wednesdays, shuffleboard in the back. Nice little local. Couple of the female bartenders are grumpy nobs, so do what I do and order a couple rounds in advance. $15 min on credit, anyway, so you might as well. Parking is ass-tastic, but you can valet it for like $8 right next door. Tend to only go midweek because it’s crowded and loud as hell come Fridays. Pretty chill, otherwise, with a weird mix of hipsters and frat boys who haven’t come out of the closet yet.

This place is great. Every time I’m in the mood to go grab a beer, this is one of the first places that pops into mind. It’s location is easy to pass up as you drive down Santa Monica Blvd. It doesn’t pop out like some of the other bars and restaurants that are decked in neon lights and flashing signs. But, that’s not the Surly Goat’s style. It’s a quieter, more low key place to chill and hang out with friends… while a goat head watches over you from above the bar… It’s cute. Quirky. The people, dress, and attitude are all relaxed. I have taken several friends from out of town there to grab a drink and catch up. They all love the slightly secretive vibe. I mean, on occasion I forget which door to go in because it doesn’t have a bouncer outside or a line of girls in heels and short skirts waiting to get inside like some of the other spots along Santa Monica. I view this as a positive. And, for beer drinkers, your selection is wide, affordable, and delicious. All bonus points in my book.

The Surly Goat blends your neighborhood dive bar with that trendy lounge of young professionals. Beer enthusiasts will be right at home with over twenty choices of Stout, IPA, Weiss, and Lager on tap to choose from over sounds of classic movies looping in the background. While the week offers lounging locals and laid back twenty-something's, the weekend makes more noise from crowds looking for heavy socializing or playing a competitive round of Foosball in the upstairs corner. Casual bar goer or pub crawling maniac, the Surly Goat has something for everyone.

I love the Surly Goat...good concept, good beer selection, variety of seating areas (indoor and outdoor), video and table games, and a pretty chill crowd. I’ve been there numerous times but the last one was a pretty bad experience. Some girl was ridiculously drunk and started demanding that I buy her a drink. I politely said no, she kept demanding I buy her one, and I kept denying her request. Then she got angry and tried to fight me…she legitimately got in my face and started shoving and swinging...it was absurd. Bad experience to which I don’t blame the bar, but it’s left a bad taste in my mouth and sadly, I have not gone back since.

From the outside, The Surly Goat looks like every other faded facade for the many fly by night bar/clubs du jour, forgotten by time along Santa Monica but inside you'll find a fantastic beer bar for even the most discerning beer aficionados. The Goat has been able to build something special in West Hollywood. While they boast arguably one of the most impressive beer selections in town and an awesome knowledgable staff that will let you try said suds, they also have created a great sense of community. Their beer passport program allows you to get a stamp for your "beer journey" and once you've been "around the world," you'll be rewarded with a special gift from The Goat. Live music, comedy, and DJs on weekend nights mix up the entertainment vibe and if you're feeling sporty, foosball, shuffleboard and Street Fighter 2 will keep you entertained til the wee hours. Great bar, great people, great times!