Do people these days even know what nightlife is anymore?
That was the only question I could ask myself after paying two distinct visits to Andy’s, rapper and record producer Anderson .Paak’s new jazz and R&B club in West Hollywood. The celebrity-owned restaurant, bar and performance space opened in late September, taking over the ground floor of the former Doheny Room. Replacing the short-lived Sa’Moto, the project is a collaboration between .Paak and Houston Hospitality, the group most recently behind Vegas-style bar, restaurant and nightclub concept Level 8 in Downtown L.A. A self-described “restaurant lounge,” Andy’s promises a “one-of-a-kind” experience that combines the “nostalgic vibes of the 1970s” with “modern energy.” The venue’s website also says to expect live music and food.
If you’re thinking about checking it out, you won’t be alone. On the recent Friday night I visited, the line for Andy’s at 11pm nearly snaked past Dan Tana’s, the famous red-sauce joint next door. I saw several other well-dressed groups of people flocking to the area on foot, most likely on their way to Andy’s; aside from the Troubadour there are no other bars and nightclubs in the immediate area. The hype around celebrity-owned businesses is real.
I went into Andy’s both nights without much in the way of expectations beyond there being live music in the house and the promise by the venue’s publicist, after my first so-so visit, that the venue livened up significantly once the house band came on after 10pm. What I experienced inside was indeed “one-of-a-kind,” but didn’t necessarily live up to that lengthy line. Here’s five things to expect about a night out at Andy’s:
1. Before 10pm, Andy’s operates primarily as a sit-down restaurant and bar.
The confusion is palpable for anyone who happens to be in the venue right before 10 o’clock, when employees start removing tables from in front of the stage. On my first visit, I arrived around 9pm and ordered from the food menu, which stops being served at 9:30pm. The house band wasn’t on stage yet, but there was a DJ spinning vinyl. In this half hour period, guests on earlier dinner reservations are sometimes shooed out of their seats to open up the area in front of the stage and free up tables for bottle service. So while Andy’s does offer live music and food, it doesn’t seem to offer both at the same time.
2. The small menu of signature bites isn’t compelling enough on its own to merit a standalone dinner visit.
On my first visit, I tried two cocktails and a pastrami bao, the latter a creation of Seoul Sausage’s Chris Oh, who consulted on the opening menu. The drinks were sugary and unbalanced, while I considered the sad-looking bao offensive to both traditional Fujianese and Taiwanese gua bao as well as Langer’s #19, for which the menu item is named. On my second visit, I only ordered drinks, but I also watched the party of two next to me send every single dish they’d ordered before dinner service ended back to the kitchen.
3. Don’t expect a fully stocked bar or amazing cocktails either.
Rather than spring for another sugary house drink, I first attempted to order a Last Word, only to be told the bar could not make the classic cocktail. I then tried to order a Vesper, which the bar also could not make. That also failed, so I settled on a dirty vodka martini, which was acceptable.
4. After 10pm, the ambience is best described as an unhappy medium between a lounge and a nightclub.
Across both visits, there was indeed a house band playing a mix of R&B, reggae and swing at such a deafening level it was hard to carry on a conversation with the person next to me. Unless you’re buying bottle service, most of the venue becomes standing room only after 10pm, but none of the songs played were conducive to full-blown dancing. Most people in front of the stage just bobbed their heads along to the music. If that’s your vibe (it certainly isn't mine), maybe you’ll enjoy Andy’s more than I did.
5. There’s a whimsical photo booth on the back patio.
While the patio out back remained closed until at least 11pm, when I left the venue, there was one bright spot about Andy’s: a digital photo booth housed inside the shell of a fully decked out old-school Volkswagen Beetle. Hardly anyone inside seemed to be aware of it, since staff members kept shooing people away from the patio, so I'm mentioning it here.
If you're looking for a true supper club experience, I'd recommend heading to Hollywood for the Catalina Jazz Club, where guests have actual tables to sit at (but are also expected to buy dinner or drinks). There’s also the Baked Potato in Studio City or, for a more upscale experience, Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill Jazz in Beverly Crest. For those who want a glitzy night out in West Hollywood that might actually be worth waiting in a lengthy line, you can always head to Sunset at EDITION (open on Fridays and Saturdays) or Hyde Sunset, a restaurant that turns into a club after 11pm.