Photo credit: Lawry’s Restaurants, Inc.
Atwater Village feels a world away from the Scottish Highlands. Yet, it’s a different story between Boyce and Revere Avenue. On the south side of Los Feliz Boulevard, you’ll find a generously-sized sanctuary saturated with Scottish flavor. If you’ve ever driven by, you’ve no doubt noticed it. An inn seemingly plucked from an epic poem or fairytale properly delivered in a thick Scottish brogue. It’s a hallmark of Hollywood history, renowned for its authentic food, exotic whiskies, and welcoming atmosphere. It’s also one of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles. For the uninitiated, we present the Tam O’Shanter in all its rustic glory.
A Family Business Transcending Generations (and Centuries)
On Monday, June 26, 1922, brothers-in-law Walter Van de Kamp and Lawrence Frank opened the doors of their daring new venture: Montgomery’s Country Inn. Its position alongside a dirt road that would become Los Feliz Boulevard only furthered its rusticism. Just three years later, the restaurant adopted the Tam O’Shanter name we recognize today.
Remarkably, the establishment remains under the ownership and operation of the same family over a century later. Perhaps that becomes less remarkable when you realize this is the same family who opened Lawry’s The Prime Rib in La Cienega in 1938. And, yes, Lawrence Frank’s great-grandson Ryan O’Melveny Wilson serves as the current CEO for Lawry’s Restaurants, Inc.
Origins of the Tam O’Shanter Name
Obviously, Montgomery’s Country Inn was a little too folksy for what the family wanted. But where did the Tam O’Shanter moniker come from? A 1971 poem written by Scottish poet Robert Burns actually served as its inspiration. An excerpt from his “Tam O ‘Shanter” goes:
This truth fand honest Tam o’ Shanter,
As he frae Ayr ae night did canter:
(Auld Ayr, wham ne’er a town surpasses,
For honest men and bonnie lasses.)
So, yeah, better get out the Google Translator.
However, at some point in Burns’s epic poem, a gang of marauding witches attack a fleeing farmer, using their mastery of the elements to send lightning bolts cascading around him as he rushes from the pub to his home. While the farmer survived unscathed, his misfortune was memorialized in neon sometime in the 1930s as the trademark lightning bolt was added to the Tam O’Shanter’s sign. In 1968, the restaurant changed its name to The Great Scot but sensibly reverted in 1982. The eyebrow-raising name has earned a special spot in LA’s lexicon, with regulars often referring to it simply as “The Tam.”
The Unique Look of the Tam O’Shanter
With its olde worlde look cutting a stark contrast against the strip malls of Atwater Village, the Tam O’Shanter is instantly recognizable. Employing an architectural style fittingly dubbed Storybook, architect Harry Oliver brought the family’s vision of a classic Scottish pub to life with a carpentry team he knew from his work on Hollywood productions.
Oliver, an Oscar-nominated art director noted for his work on several early films, would become closely linked to the style. He even designed the Spadena witch house, covered in-depth in one of our earliest LA Home Spotlight features. Oliver and his crew beautified the Tam O’Shanter through unconventional methods, highlighting their creative innovation. It’s said that the wood that made up its structure was initially tossed into fire, foregoing the need for paint to capture its rustic charm.
But the Tam O’Shanter’s beauty is hardly skin deep. Guests are left in wonder as they step into its cozy, welcoming sanctuary, surrounded by medieval weaponry, coats of arms and family crests, vintage dinnerware, and majestic paintings. The fireplace regularly blazes, casting shadows across intricately patterned carpets and upholsteries reminiscent of an authentic Scottish pub. It’s an atmosphere resplendent with a rich comfort and revelry, and one that served to inspire a giant among creative thinkers.
A Haven for Hollywood’s Early Elite
In its early years, the Tam O’Shanter offered a spot for some of Hollywood’s earliest luminaries to rub shoulders with their peers in a casual environment. On any given night, you might find Rudolph Valentino enjoying a rare scotch alongside Lillian Gish. Douglas Fairbanks frequented the Tam,as well as Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, and countless others. But perhaps no legend is as synonymous with the Tam O’Shanter as Walt Disney. And looking around the restaurant, this should come as no surprise.
In those early years, Disney’s studio neighbored Atwater with its location on Hyperion. Due to its proximity, hearty fare, and cozy aesthetic, the Tam O’Shanter hosted Disney and his staff on a near-daily basis. Their favoritism of the establishment was so consistent that insiders jokingly referred to the Tam as the “Disney Studio Commissary.”
Disney’s Favorites
The Disney crew loved one table more than any other, mostly due to its position by the fireplace. Today, Table 31 is further distinguished by a commemorative plaque that simply reads “This was a favorite spot of Walt Disney and his Imagineers.” You’d do well to book an advanced reservation if you want to dine at the Tam O’Shanter. But you better make it well in advance if you want to eat at the much-coveted Table 31.
Disney’s preferences continue to color the Tam O’Shanter even beyond Table 31. One of the restaurant’s most popular drinks, the fittingly-named Table 31 cocktail, was a favorite of the Disney team. It combines High West Double Rye, elderflower liqueur, apple bitters, and a dash of lemon juice.
But as much as Disney is linked to Table 31, he personally favored another spot. The innovator adored the Tam O’Shanter’s patio, which remained off limits to guests for years until its reopening in 2018. Punctuated by a pergola looming before a rock fireplace, the patio features a floral perimeter with the Tam’s trademark red phone booth in the distance.
A Taste of Scotland
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The Tam O’Shanter wouldn’t have anywhere near its level of success were it not for its bold menu that prioritizes classic Scottish dishes prepared with authenticity. It’s perhaps most recognized for its prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, but classic dishes like Toad-in-the-Hole, Scotch Rarebit, and Fish & Chips have turned many first-timers into regulars. Vegetarians are a little more hard-pressed with choices, but a cauliflower tikka masala currently accommodates, not to mention sides like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and creamed spinach.
Yet the Tam O’Shanter may be even more revered for its extensive liquor selection including some exceedingly rare scotches and whiskeys, many of which can be sampled in flights. This aspect of the Tam has been embedded in the structure itself since 1950 with its legendary Great Wall O’ Scotch. As you might expect, it’s a wall comprised of bottles of rare and exotic scotches the founders collected in their myriad travels. Over the years, the Tam O’Shanter has risen as a purveyor of rare whisky, amassing a staggering 650 whiskies in its burgeoning collection. And they know how to use them. Specialty cocktails including the Rattlin’ Bog, Dublin Donkey, and Salted Caramel Old Fashioned showcase the creativity radiating from behind the bar.
Needless to say, there’s lots to love about the Tam O’Shanter. But it’s so much better experienced than read about in a blog. We recommend you book your reservation now and prepare for an evening where you’re bound to feel at home… even if you’ve only visited Scotland in your dreams.
