Great spot for happy hour with easy parking! I enjoyed watching world cup games on the outside patio with my toddler - plenty of space and outdoor games. The staff is nice and the food is good - great smash burger and yummy Mac and cheese. We were there during a busy time, but wish that the tables were bussed with more frequency read more

Well I would rate this place better if they had organized a bit better for the World Cup. Only able to order at the bar with 3 bartenders and over 200 people. Sitting outside but had to come inside and order inside for anything we wanted. Props to the bartenders for able to handle this kind of pressure. Plus side good food and great happy hour deals. A lot of TVs for sports and ufc fights. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

Really enjoy coming here for their trivia nights! We enjoy their happy hour (which ends at 7) but typically i order other items since it's a pretty limited offer. Their buffalo chicken wrap is so delicious and they make great fries. Great selection of beer too! Be aware they are redoing their parking lot so you have to find street parking which can bale hard depending when you go. I this is very much a sports bar vibe lots of TV screens playing all sorts of sports games. You order at the bar and then a server will deliver your food. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

Great sports bar! I was invited by a friend to meet here for his going away gathering and the vibe was just perfect : those who didn't wanna miss out on watching their sport matches were still able to join in the farewell celebration while enjoying the game . read more

9/5/25 - came here for football game! Chiefs vs. LA Chargers. Idk if you know but thirsty merchant is a chiefs bar! So, I got here early to get a table and glad I did - it was super packed after a while. There is a parking lot as well as parking on the street. The staff were super friendly! Honestly- even tho it was busy and crazy, they still had good and positive attitudes. Their Happy Hour is also amazing! I got the smash burger - it's only on the HH menu. And it was SO good! Perfectly made. We also got the spinach artichoke dip, Mac and cheese, fries, and cauliflower. Everything was AHHHMAZING. Will def be back! read more

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Horrible place to go. The security didn't want to let us in and said he would let us in if we slide him a $20. Our friend came from an hour away to get denied entry just for him to allow 2 other guys in, two minutes later. Yes, they slid him $60. We mentioned our friend came from far and said "your friend is dumb asf" for doing that. The bar seems great but the security staff ruins in. The time this happened at was July 1st at 5:45pm. DO NOT COME HERE read more

Not bad. I'm a Chiefs fan and this is our home bar for our fan club. They are pretty good host and I enjoyed watching the game here. I ordered the smash burger. The burger was pretty good , I really liked the peppery flavor on the meat also it tasted grass feed which I prefer.The food came out fast but the line for drinks was a little long. Overall I liked this place and I will be back with the fam. The out door patio is also a plus with plenty of seating. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

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100%on ponint for any and all local la sports enthusiasts, go check out the game great atmosphere.

Personally, being a fan of local-feel vibes and slightly grung atmosphere I felt very comfortable here. They have pretty good deals and a solid menu with a lot of options, even vegan subs! Bonus for having a pool table read more

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Awesome neighborhood bar! Games, good bar food, great beer options. It's kid friendly most hours. Service is always spot on. Bartenders are always patient with me when I wanna taste everything before making a decision. They also do flights! Love that patio outside for warmer months. The lights make it a great vibe! read more

Their kitchen closes over an hour before the bar closing. Not cute. It was a fun vibe though.

Not a bad place to go watch the games or fight and have some cool bar food. You have to order drinks at the bar and food and then take it back to your table. they have a pool table and little foosball table and big TVs inside and outside of the patio. The parking can be tricky when it's busy so you have to find street parking overall a cool place to be. I've been here multiple times and they've got some good burgers. read more

If you're looking for a low-key, no-frills sports bar experience in Sherman Oaks, The Thirsty Merchant might seem like a convenient spot to grab a drink and catch the game. I decided to check it out during March Madness, knowing that local sports bars could get a little crazy around this time. While the venue certainly had potential, my experience was, unfortunately, a mixed bag. Upon entering, I was greeted by the sight of a single bartender working tirelessly behind the bar, taking nonstop orders from the crowd. It's worth noting that at The Thirsty Merchant, you have to order everything -- food and drinks -- directly from the bartender. And during a busy time like March Madness, this setup quickly showed its limitations. The good news? Happy Hour prices were actually pretty decent. Select pints of beer were going for $5, and if you were feeling extra thirsty, you could super-size your drink to a 32oz for just a $3 add-on. I went with a 32oz Pacifico (they were out of Stella), and it was ice-cold, which was exactly what I needed. The drinks were definitely a highlight. Now, let's talk food. The happy hour menu is small, and based on what I'd read in other reviews, I wasn't holding out much hope. I opted for the mini Happy Hour cheese pizza -- an 8-inch round pie with decent chewy crust, hot cheese, and a sprinkle of seasoning. Surprisingly, it wasn't half-bad! It arrived in about 15 minutes, hot and ready to go, and for a bar pizza, it was perfectly serviceable. Nothing to write home about, but it did the job. But here's where things started to unravel a bit. Despite the decent drinks and food, the service was painfully slow. After finishing my beer, I waited a solid 20 minutes before the bartender finally checked in with me -- and that was only after she had worked her way down the bar, serving patrons in a very unhurried, almost robotic manner. With only one bartender on the floor and no wait staff in sight, it felt like the whole operation was struggling to keep up with the crowd. As for the sports bar atmosphere, it didn't quite hit the mark. There are a couple of games you can play (like pool), but the lack of TVs in a sports bar was surprising and definitely underwhelming. For a place that's supposed to be all about the game day experience, the minimal TV presence left a lot to be desired. On top of that, the chairs were uncomfortable -- squeaky, unstable, and downright awkward to sit in. My bar stool had a noticeable lean to it, which made me feel a bit off-balance while enjoying my drink. Add to that the staff, who seemed a little unfriendly and distant, and the whole vibe fell short of what you'd hope for in a go-to hangout spot. In summary, The Thirsty Merchant isn't a terrible place, but it also isn't one I'd rush back to. The drinks were solid, the pizza was surprisingly decent, but the lack of service, uncomfortable seating, and minimal TV options left me feeling less than satisfied. If you're in the area and looking for a no-frills spot to grab a drink, it could do the trick -- but don't expect it to be a top contender in the local sports bar scene. read more

We went for the happy hour and were not disappointed. Prices were good and servings were generous. The bartender was very helpful in assisting us with our selections. The outdoor patio area is the best! Relaxed atmosphere with lots of sunny seating and outdoor games occupy to your time. read more

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Great food, excellent place to go if you want to watch a sporting event! They also have a great selection of beer and friendly service, with a large patio for outdoor seating. read more

My group prepaid $30 each person and reserved our spots and they wouldn't let me in because they overbooked walk ins. We had a group already inside and I had to come a little later because of work. They should have been clear about coming early and that our spots aren't guaranteed even if we paid. The manager specifically told security to not let anyone in even if they prepaid and made a reservation in advance. I understand if there is a fire code but this business should have accommodated to have enough space for people who prepaid with reservations. All we were told is that half the party needed to be there early. After waiting a while, and explaining all of this to upper management, they made an exception for me but others in line who had prepaid could not enter. Food was backed up as well and knowing this bar would be packed, I don't understand why they don't create a special limited Super Bowl menu with easy food and drinks to accommodate a lot of people. After an hour they were accepting orders again with warning that it'd be a long wait. All the food was okay, typical bar food. Menu was clear about what counted for happy hour which is everyday from 2-7pm The spicy watermelon margarita wasn't spicy nor did it seem like they actually used watermelon puree. The frozen monkey banana peanut butter slushie was great. Tv screens everywhere and they had a raffle. I'm sure this place is great during a normal day and they even have trivia and karaoke nights. I'll plan to come back since the happy hour and vibe of the entire bar was cool with both outdoor and indoor seating. The servers who did help me were nice as well read more

Small place with a giant vibe! The food is definitely a plus besides all the screens with every sport event on. Drinks are definitely not watered down and plenty on Draft to brag. The parking is the challenging aspect of when you get there if you park on premises or somewhere on a busy street. They have multiple happy hours, are open late and the bartenders do not ignore you!! Thanks for Devon (Thurs & Sundays) and Noah. They made dinner with old friends feel extra special!! I recommend the burger and garlic fries. read more

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The food was just okay. You have to go up order at the bar , get your own drink after it's poured but they do bring your food to your table. Cool inside days, pool table lots of tv to watch sports. Nice outside area. read more

Horrible service! AVOID THIS PLACE! It's a Tuesday night. Slowest night of the week at most places - I order a bunch of drinks and a bite to eat. I ask the bartender (who you order food from) if the Smash Burger (listed only as a happy hour special) is still available. He says yes and then tells me it's an even better deal on Tuesdays because for $10 it comes with fries! So I say: great I'll take it! Instead, another burger comes out. When I tell the server it is wrong, the bartender comes over and starts yelling, berating me, arguing and slinging insults saying Smash Burger is only a happy hour item. Calling me names and telling me I'm "stupid" and a "dumb ass". My buddy at the bar standing next to me, who heard everything, agreed the bartender was out of his mind. My friend at the table I was at (who works in the service industry) was appalled at how rude this dude was for no reason. So I won't ever be going back to that bar because of the way they treat their customers. And when I asked bartender for his name, he told me to screw off. So attached is the name I found on the receipt and a photo of him. All he had to do, since you messed up the order, was ask if I wanted something else. Plenty of other bars in the area that actually want a customers business. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

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Long time merchant gal here. Absolutely love this place. Bartenders are the best around, the place is huge and it's got a great outdoor space. The nachos are sooooo good but the chips SUUUUUCCCKKK. They are paper thin wisps. they break and get soggy so fast that you're 2 chips in and find yourself eating nacho salad. A fork is a must from the get go, it's kind of a bummer. Merchant dudes - invest in a good chip. please. read more

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Good atmosphere, good food, fair prices, slow service. Met another family here to sit on the patio so kids can run around. It's a nice patio with a lot of room, seating, and TVs. All the food we ordered was actually really good. My biggest issue was that it was a Friday night during happy hour and there was only one bar tender serving drinks and taking orders. It took awhile but once the order was in, food came quick. Recommend the bang bang shrimp, chicken tenders, and buffalo califlower. Cheese curds are awesome too! Be aware the ranch has jalapeño but it isn't spicy. Was for the kids though. read more

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A laid back bar with a nice patio and games like corn hole, darts, jenga, etc. They also got TVs for live sports. Beer was good, decently priced. The only issue in my opinion is the parking, however you can park on the blocks if you don't mind walking for a few minutes. read more

Nice bar for small or large groups with indoor and outdoor seating and TVs in both areas. Your order by walking up to the bar, the happy hour deals are great and slightly different on certain days. Nice casual neighborhood spot with good food and staff. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - Happy hour menu - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

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This bar has been consistently great. Gotta love a place I can bring my dog with me to get a drink! My boy Larry and I both love Thirsty Merchant. I've had most of their drinks and I think my favorite is the Bat Country, reminds me of cherry limeade! The Diablo sliders are my go to but the ghost wings are also good. Highly suggest! Staff has always been welcoming and on it, bar is clean and has fun games to play, would highly suggest. read more

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Came in again for the 12pm championship game eagles vs Washington figured I could get a game in before the chief fan club came in for their game at 330... I was very very wrong I walked in at 11 to find half the restaurant reserved for the fan club which not that many of them were even there... it caused the fans of the playing teams to sit at the remaining 5 tables or the bar top which obviously filled up fast and the rest outside in the freezing cold rain... their game wasn't even for 4 hours! Took away an experience for all the other fans so disappointing this place used to be a fun hub for all fans and now it seems you can only come have a good time during football if you're a chief fan! I just hope they won't be back next season so this area can get this great sports bar back for football! Cut to the 12pm game ended and one of them got in the microphone and told everyone that if they weren't gonna watch the next game to close out their tabs and leave so they could get more people in...an employee did not say this a fan from the fan club did! What a way to make other customers feel unwelcome! Insane! read more

The Thirsty Merchant - The fact they let a staff member wear a headdress is wild to me! - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

This is an bar during football season is run by Kansas City Chiefs AKA "Thiefs" fans. As a Philadelphia Eagles fan I had to pull up & gloat about how my birds have had the "Cheats" number lately including getting revenge on them in super bowl 59 but overall it's a small spot to watch sports especially football, baseball and basketball so advise to check this spot out if you're in the valley or coming from elsewhere! read more

Came here for an event last month. We were mostly on the patio which is nice for groups of people. They have cornhole out there and what looks like a little stage. There are also TVs all over which is not really my thing but it's fine if you're into watching sports. I played darts with my husband, which was really fun. They also have a pool table. The drinks were really good. I had like a mezcal margarita that was delicious. Had a couple of those. The bartenders were a little snarky, but it was fine. I ordered the fish tacos which came with black beans and I just wanted to know if the beans had any meat in them because sometimes places cook them with pork and I get very sick when I eat pork. Like it wasn't a big ask but one of the bartenders was practically rolling his eyes and mumbling under his breath about it. The tacos were yummy though. The fish was blackened and had a nice spicy sauce on them. Overall it was a good experience. But I don't know that i'd go out of my way to return. read more

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Trash food. Overpriced drinks. Close an hour early. Wannabe tough guy staff that are looking for a fight the first chance they get. They say we aren't welcome back. Buddy, a better punishment would be making me come back. read more

What a disappointing adventure. We've been going to Thirsty Merchant for years as we live less than a mile away. We arrived to what the National Championship and were excited to watch one of their big screens... ordered during happy hour where the bartender recommended one of the beers we loved on happy hour list. When we signed our tab in the crazy loud environment our bill was more than twice it said it would be on the happy hour posting. So sad... after going there for the past 6+ years we won't be going back. Bummer!!! read more

College bar vibes but I'm 35 and this ain't a college part of town. Y'all really had one bartender working a weekend happy hour? Only got 1 drink in the whole two hours I was there. Can't review the food because it didn't seem like they were getting that out any faster than it took them to pour a beer. read more

I love this place. The bartender Nora is cool af. I feel like she hand crafted every drink with a splash of love. This is defiantly a place where I get every drink listed on the happy hour because that's how good the deals are and the drinks are. I went from a sangria--to a marg-- to a beer-- to an expresso martini. A crazy line up, I know. But they were all so good. And that's not even it! I love a bar that also cares about the food they're serving. The burger was drool worthy. It wasn't a regular degular burger. Something about it just tastes so good and juicy. I wanted twenty of them. Then the fried pickes??? Their take on fried pickles is next level. I feel like when I took a bite I felt every crisp break into my mouth mixed with pickle juice and yummy grease that holds it together. I could really just got there for those pickles to be honest. My group had a kid with us and while one might say it's the worst to bring a kid to a bar-- I was so grateful. She got a FREE kids meal that came with what she said was really good tenders and fries. And let me tell you about these fires because boy do I gotta have a kid to get these fries for free again or--because I just might. Or I'll just bring that kid again. These shoe string fires remind me of a softer cooked Piknik snack. (Filipino snack) I wish I could eat those fires every day. The saltiness just sits so well in your mouth and you never stop reaching for them. I heard after that they had truffle shoe string fries and now I can't wait to have those. 10/10 I'm glad I live so close to this place. There's fuze ball and pool for a good time too! read more

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Some tables were reserved on super bowl sunday and we were told we could sit only at a table without a reservation card, which we did but were told the table was reserved after we had already been there for an hour despite the table not having a reservation card, manager was very rude and offered no solution and didn't apologize even though this was their staffs mistake for not maintaining the reservation card at the table. read more

Love this place! To be frank, parking sucks BUT I enjoy coming here every time. Their food is SO GOOD and they have a good happy hour! They could use more bartenders, especially during HH, but they're great. There are pool tables inside and the patio area is nice, good for kids too. They've made a lifetime customer out of me. Have always gone back and will def be back. Look forward to it every time too! read more

The food is pretty decent but when you order it for delivery they never give enough sauce. For example when you get wings they are unsauced and they give you one tiny ramiken of buffalo sauce and ranch. That's a deal breaker read more

First of all, Amanda and Devin are insane. In the best way. They make the best drinks known to man and they're also delicious to look at. What more could anyone want ? I love this establishment. read more

The tossed chicken fingers are the best I've ever had ! We visit this bar often during football season. Happy hour is amazing!

Great local bar to sit outside and watch the Dodger game. The happy hour is a great deal and they are very generous with their drinks. The food was surprisingly good as well. read more

I like this place. I've been 3 times. Most recently I ordered a beer and fried pickles. My bartender helped me select the pickles and she did a great job of helping me decide between the deviled eggs and pickles--the best I've ever had. The pickles actually paired well with my $5 beer. It has a great bar with a variety of entertainment, and the food is good. I love the TV screens for UFC nights! It's sort of communal sitting outside. Customer service is normal. The bar and kitchen staff are straightforward. All food is ordered at the bar. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

Okay I use to run bars and clubs for many years. Coming to this awesome sports bar. I have to say the food is good, people are great but three two people that stood out for me are Amanda and Alex the bartenders. They were so great, always smiling, friendly, and one person was very rude ans the way Alex handled it I was surprised... I recommend this place for sure and say hi to Amanda and Alex. They are a perfect addition to this bar read more

The Thirsty Merchant - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California

This place has gone dowwwwnnn hillllll. Prices have gone up, portions and selection have gone down, service is awful and the bathroom was a disaster. Been overcharged after the fact more than once and this was the serving of chicken on my slider, which used to be my favorite thing to order cause they were such good sizes. Now it's literally a nugget. Such a bummer. read more

The Thirsty Merchant - Chicken Diablo Sliders. Used to be great and have a full piece of chicken. No longer. - New American Near Me - Valley Village, California