Been coming to John Sparr Tavern for a few years and this place never disappoints! Excellent cocktails and delicious dinners make this a great place for an evening out. There is a small open air back patio in addition to the bar and inside tables. The staff is wonderful and most evenings the owner is there to say hi and welcome you to one of the best local spots. read more

My girlfriend and I had been coming to this restaurant for a while, enjoyed the atmos and the food for the most part was ok. We go in one night and the bar tender-Clyde (he's kind of an elitist anyway) moves all the way to the far corner of the bar, like we were radioactive. We asked to order some food so the bar tender took the order with attitude. During this entire encounter the owner was sitting at the end of the bar eating soup. He just lifted his head turned to look at us and continued to eat. Weird, because it felt like I was in a mafia movie. We felt so uncomfortable that I changed my order to to-go and waited in the car. I've never felt so disrespected. won't be going to the Sparr anymore. As for why we were treated this way I haven't a clue. We were always polite and left a nice tip. read more

First time in. Tried a couple unique beers and enjoyed them. Sampled some absinthe, got a Sazerac and loved it. Ordered the French onion soup, and SuperTripleA+++. This is now my favorite french onion! Awesome atmosphere, very clean, great place! I will TOTALLY be back!!! read more

The Hemingway Daiquiri is amazing . Try the crab cakes very flaky and fresh. The Sazerac is the best we've had . It's a cozy nice bar with the best French Onion soup I've ever had. Adam (bartender) is super friendly and hospitable. You really take a load off when you step foot into this place. The ambiance is 20's-30's very retro very inviting . Highly recommend it ! read more

Great new spot, I just stumbled upon this place. It's quite relaxing and calm, but I'm also here on a Sunday. And they haunt even had the grand opening yet. But this place has a great early 1900's vibe. The place is clean, the staff is really nice and knowledgeable. They know their veers, wines, etc. Great place to grab a bite to eat, or a drink. Perfect ambient. You can hear each other over the calm classic music. I can't wait to check it out on a buddy weekend. Until then this place seems great for me on a Sunday after a late Saturday night. read more

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My gosh - I HAVE NO WORDS! The service, the food, the cocktails, the desert - exceeds all expectations. My boyfriend and I went here tonight for our first night out with outdoor dining opening up back in LA. Many restaurants were still closed and we were looking for something close to home. I'd always wanted to try John Sparr Tavern, saw they had an outdoor patio and it turned out they were accepting reservations for outdoor dining. We walked through the inside (which is very nice) to the back patio with strung lights. Cutting to the chase - we ordered the crab bisque to start - fantastic. They offered fresh warm rolls with butter. We had a couple tiki cocktails that were fantastic. My boyfriend ordered the peppercorn crusted New York Steak. It was UNREAL. Cooked to absolute medium rare perfection alongside a COGNAC sauce creamy as all heck mashed potatoes and veggies of choice. We ordered a second set of cocktails - one being shown - the Sparr cocktail much like an old fashioned. Any place that includes the black cherry gets my vote. Lastly we got the bread pudding. Thank me later. We will back. read more

John Sparr Tavern - The Sparr Cocktail (in the back - Hemingway Daquiri & the peppercorn New York Steak ) - American Near Me - Glendale, California

Went here with my husband and my parents. Random search on Yelp led us here and I'm so thankful it did. Love that it's kind of off the beaten path. Our waitress was nice and friendly. Walking in I guess I was expecting fancier, but it's not. Almost seems bar-ish- the place is laid back nothing stuffy at all. No need to dress up at all. THE FOOD is incredible! The shrimp cocktail was so so good! Huge massive fresh shrimp. Husband had French onion soup and both mom and dad had cream of mushroom soup to start. All was delicious. My dad and I both had the salmon, my mom had the crab stuffed sole, and husband had the cheeseburger. All of us were beyond happy with our meal! Everything was cooked perfect! Highly recommend this place! Can't wait to go back! read more

My first time eating here. Deviled eggs and crab cakes for starters were excellent. Tavern burger was cooked as requested and was tasty. Creme Brûlée was awesome also. One of the proprietors introduced himself (Dave) and recommended the Bread pudding which will be back to try. read more

John Sparr Tavern - Menu, May 20th - American Near Me - Glendale, California

Service is top notch. Food was terrific. I had park prime rib and it was cooked to perfection, tender.

First time here and I suspected the owner was present. Actually both owners Dave and Rick were there working and that's impressive. Having been in the business for many years myself I have the gift, and curse of the ideal restaurant experience. To get to the point this place is a jewel in the Sparr Heights district of northern Glendale which should be experienced by anyone looking for a casual high end cozy and comfortable dining experience. I highly recommend reading the history of John Sparr which will make you appreciate it all the more. Great food, drink, service and ambiance. Love it read more

Love the new renovation, the cold local dark beer, ambiance and the booths. I ordered my tavern burger as medium yet it came well done, with the bacon add-on missing, till I pointed this out to my server. He seemed fairly new to the job, but did his best to correct the situation. Getting the side of bacon as quickly as possible. I wish they wouldn't assume all customers want ketchup with their fries. I'm staying away from the highly processed corn syrup, and asked for the kitchen to whip up an aioli. Which they complied using their crab cake's aioli and it was quite tasty. The coleslaw would be first rate if it wasn't served in room temperature. Nevertheless, I'll be back for sure, the new business has some bugs to finesse especially the kitchen. Management needs to monitor the quality control and communication system. Next time I'll just stick to the drinks. read more

A remarkable place. The ambience, the service, the bar has wonderful drinks, but the piece to resistance is the food! Everything is fantastic! Can't wait until my next visit! read more

Awesome food, awesome service, nice clean establishment. As soon as we sat down they brought a small bowl of berries for my toddler to munch on while we were waiting to order -- so thoughtful. Ordered a variety of items and all were delicious. Waiter was attentive, restrooms were sparkling clean. Excellent experience, will definitely be back. read more

First visit and we are glad we read the wonderful reviews. Everyone is correct the French Onion Soup is"Perfect ". Don't miss out on this delight. I and my son each had Sand Dabs stuffed to overflowing with crab and accompanied by an unusual and tasty lemon sauce. My daughter-in-law has the skirt steak, a little on the expensive side, she said it was amazing and she was very happy with her choice. My husband had the special a Blackened Salmon Salad. As much as he enjoyed it he did take part of it home it was that large a portion. Flourless lemon cake topped off this comforting meal. The atmosphere was relaxing and the remodel has made this Tavern a delight to go to and just relax and visit in the peaceful surroundings. The owner was friendly and easy to chat with, outstanding attentive service from everyone The wine list is small but very adequate. ThE Tavern is known for its creative cocktails. read more

Our new favorite spot! Went here on a Friday with our daughter (14 months) and it was the best dining experience we've had with her! Besides the food being delicious- the staff were all top notch! They brought over some perfectly cut up fruit for our daughter to enjoy and everyone was just beyond friendly! We can't wait to go back!! Atmosphere is really trendy and the drinks were also delicious! Highly recommend!! read more

An excellent family run restaurant. Reservations recommended. I like the food and friendly knowledgeable folks.

Beautiful tavern with a terrible ambiance. I wanted to like this place so much. They put so much work into it and it's gorgeous and has great cocktails. But the two times I've been have been very uncomfortable. The lights are WAY too bright. It's weird. My boyfriend and I mentioned it to the bar tender and he said the owner insists on turning them all the way up. Also there was hardly any music so it almost felt awkward holding a conversation unless you talked really softly. Everyone was talking softly. Please.... turn the lights 3 notches down and the music 3 notches up and this place could be so much better. read more

Food was off the charts especially for delivery during this pandemic. Everything was consistent and perfectly cooked. Highly recommended and definitely will be coming back in the near future. read more

First the decor is awesome! The owner and staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Their food choices are comfort foods that call you back to the 50's and 60's. The atmosphere is a mix of couples and friends hanging out. read more

Feels like you're in Europe. Small, quiet and very delicious. French onion soup was fantastic. Roast duck! Good cocktails and craft beer. This is how it's done. read more

Talk about a perfect temprerure (chilled,) for Pilsner on tab!! Wonderful crab cakes! This is a small & cozy setting, but there is nothing small about the food, cocktails, beer, & service. read more

John Sparr Tavern - American Near Me - Glendale, California

Great Place!! I've been in here more than 5 times and every time I come in it's lovely. Food is delicious & drinks are great . Customer service is wonderful. And, If you get to catch Joe (Bartender) you will really love his drinks. He is awesome!! Everyone is super attentive to you and just a great vibe overall. read more

Classy little spot south end of Montrose. Sinatra, and old very responsible looking silver hairs. Tasty pint though!!! Expatriate in a frosty glass. Good dude behind the bar. Cheers read more

I love it here. Such a gorgeous restaurant. The bartenders make awesome drinks. The food is amazing. I love their burgers! I love their French Onion Soup! Everything I have ever had has been excellent. The service is awesome. This is a perfect place for a date night or for a nice dinner with your family or just grabbing a bite. Awesome vibe. Can't wait to go back. read more

Glad to be back and had good skirt steak the way and how I like this evening!!! We shall return soon again

FABULOUS place Food was amazing Atmosphere was SO inviting!!! Really wish you would open a location near Sunland. read more

Great cocktail selection and god food. We are happy to find good spot !! Owner is very friendly :")

Bummer. The manager (Or owner...some bald dude with a dirty apron) scowls at you from the end of the bar as he eavesdrops on your conversation (easy to do with no music other than the steady droning of a refrigerator in the background). Overpriced and not very generous with both drinks and food. The bartender seemed cool, almost as if he sensed that something was weird too. Not his fault, he was just trying to do his job. Bottom line, unless you're in with the angry bald dude, you're not welcome. Lots of other great places nearby though! read more

Everything was amazing: food, service (go Francisco), atmosphere, all phenomenal. Can't wait to go back!

Omg! What a fabulous restaurant! The food is out of this world. I had the crab stuffed sand dabs and they were delicious, my husband had the filet, it was so tender you could cut it with a bread knife. The bread pudding was amazingly delicious! Our server was great too! This lovely restaurant deserves more than 5 stars! read more

Really cute! "Tavern" conjures up a different image than how I'd describe it here : spotless, bartenders wearing button-down shirts and ties, huge menu, great drinks. read more

Very surprised how good the food was. The corned beef sandwich was real corned beef, knife cut, tender juicy, better than langers. (Although langers 19 and matzo ball soup are the best ever!) The burger also was good. Very chill relaxed atmosphere. Music was mix of soul, oldies and jazz. Nice relaxing. Really nice patio. Support local businesses! read more

Friends brought us and i wouldn't make the drive to come back. The halibut sounded great on the menu but it had a tomato sauce on it which the menu didn't indicate. I told the manager about it and no accommodations were offered. My steak was fatty and i could only eat about a third of it. Our friends enjoyed all their meals which is why i gave it 3 stars. read more