I’m always on the hunt for a good Happy Hour on the Westside and had been meaning to try The Backhouse for years.  With a name like The Backhouse, you might be expecting steaks and other grilled meats, something along the lines of an Outback Steakhouse. While The Backhouse does have grilled meats, they are small pieces on skewers yakitori-style. Since it’s a Japanese restaurant, they also have sushi and small plates, in addition to their robata menu.

The Backhouse has a Happy Hour every day from 4 to 6:30pm. With alternative music playing and the lights dimmed, the restaurant was buzzing during Happy Hour.  The atmosphere was cool enough for families, people on dates, and friends hanging out together to all feel comfortable.  We happily ordered a couple of Stone IPA pints for $5 each.

The first dish that arrived was the albacore that came topped with a mountain of crispy fried onions and drizzled in a ponzu olive oil dressing. I am a sucker for crispy fried onions and loved this dish.

The spicy tuna roll was your usual spicy tuna roll – decently priced for its size at $5. We also got salmon sushi where the salmon was cut in slivers that were more narrow in width than expected, but only cost $3.50.

My other favorite was the fried tofu, a great choice for both carnivores and vegetarians. If you’re not a meat eater, The Backhouse offers several vegetarian dishes, including grilled vegetables on skewers.

If oysters are your thing, The Backhouse has $1 oysters during Happy Hour. Oysters aren’t ours so we didn’t order them.

I’m glad to say that we found another place for our Happy Hour list. I’d happily go to The Backhouse for Happy Hour any day of the week.  Sign me up for a pint and some plates and I’ll be smiling.

Location – 10915 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 90064. Additional locations in Burbank and Koreatown.
Website – http://backhouserestaurant.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Pesco-Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes