Tam O'Shanter Inn Los Angeles historic Scottish restaurant since 1922

Savor the Legacy and Flavors of Tam O’Shanter Inn in Los Angeles

Hollywood is full of icons. From the Hollywood Sign to the Walk of Fame, glitz and glamour are everywhere to be found. SoCal also has its fair share of iconic restaurants too, from Spago to Mel’s Drive In in Hollywood. While we didn’t get a reservation at Spago, we did manage a delightful dinner at another Hollywood historic restaurant, The Tam O’Shanter Inn Los Angeles.

The Tam O’Shanter is an iconic restaurant in Los Angeles, owned and operated by the same family in the same location since 1922.

Tam O’Shanter Inn Los Angeles

A fixture on the Hollywood scene since 1922, Tam O’Shanter was on our target list for places to dine for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, we’d heard about how good the food was, especially the prime rib. But we also loved the history of the establishment.

Our first reference for the Tam O’Shanter was on the podcast The Office Ladies, which is a rewatch podcast of the TV show The Office. Listening to the podcast was a family favorite on road trips, and they mentioned in one episode how scenes from the hit show were filmed there. Specifically, Dwight’s bachelor party dinner was filmed in one of the side rooms of the restaurant, though there is no mention of the filming there. That’s because Tam O’Shanter is decorated in a Scottish pub motif and has been a great spot for filming in many productions, including Glee, Mad Men, and Larry Crowne.

Tam O'Shanter has appeared in a number of Hollywood productions over the years. Fans of The Office will recognize one of the banquet rooms from Dwight's bachelor party. On the left is a screenshot of the scene and on the right is that dining areea.
Tam O’Shanter has appeared in a number of Hollywood productions over the years. Fans of The Office will recognize one of the banquet rooms from Dwight’s bachelor party. On the left is a screenshot of the scene and on the right is that dining areea.

Tam O’Shanter has been a part of the Los Angeles food scene for some time, and is the oldest restaurant in Los Angeles owned and operated by the same family in the same location. In the early days of this historic LA restaurant, which opened in June 1922 on a dirt road that is now Los Feliz Boulevard, you could find many of Hollywood’s elite dining at this historic LA eatery.

It would be nothing to stop by and run into Hollywood greats like Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, and many others. We stopped by to sit at table 31, which was the preferred table in the corner for Walt Disney and his staff. The original Disney Studio was nearby to Tam, and it served as a makeshift meeting place.

Tam O'Shanter has the charm of a Scottish pub. Oscar-nominated art director Harry Oliver designed the charming building. Oliver received his nominations for the silent films 7th Heaven and Street Angel.
Tam O’Shanter has the charm of a Scottish pub. Oscar-nominated art director Harry Oliver designed the charming building. Oliver received his nominations for the silent films 7th Heaven and Street Angel.

The Walt Disney Table

Table 31 was a Walt Disney favorite. This special spot is also known as the Walt Disney table, and can be requested when you make a reservation. It’s hard to photograph (we tried), but you’ll see some marks on the table that look like graffiti but are actually carvings from Walt and his animators while hanging out at Tam O’Shanter. Regarding the reservations, the staff at Tam O’Shanter does a very good job of trying to accommodate the request to sit at the Disney table. We recommend calling well in advance for your reservation and then showing up a little early.

This is the plaque on table 31, the famed Walt Disney table at Tam O'Shanter. Walt Disney and his animators would frequent the Tam O'Shanter and work on creating their timeless characters and films.
This is the plaque on table 31, the famed Walt Disney table at Tam O’Shanter. Walt Disney and his animators would frequent the Tam O’Shanter and work on creating their timeless characters and films.

The history and the ambiance of Tam O’Shanter are great, but what about the food? It was one of our best meals during a recent visit to Southern California.

Tam O’Shanter Inn Food Options

They are known for having some of the best prime rib in LA, which did not disappoint. Offered in a variety of cuts, the Tam O’Shanter prime rib includes mashed potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and creamed spinach or creamed corn. For a little kick with your meal, be sure to indulge in the freshly prepared horseradish which accompanies it.

For steaks, check out their New York strip. It’s a generous cut, 14 ounces, that you’ll savor with each bite. It is served with mashed potatoes and gravy, along with a garlic confit which was wonderful. Mixing in the garlic with the mashed potatoes was an excellent complement to the side dish.

We started off our meal with their French onion soup. It was excellent, but given the size of the main entree servings, it proved to be too much food for us.

Tam O'Shanter's prime rib is what they are best known for, and it does not disappoint. Served with mashed potatoes, gravy, yorkshire pudding, and creamed spinach or creamed corn.
Tam O’Shanter’s prime rib is what they are best known for, and it does not disappoint. Served with mashed potatoes, gravy, yorkshire pudding, and creamed spinach or creamed corn.

It is worth noting that Tam O’Shanter has two menus. Our steak and prime rib were from the main menu, but they also have a pub menu. In our case, we asked for special permission to order off of both, which they don’t normally do. But we were there on an evening that wasn’t too busy, and they made an exception. That allowed us to add a cheeseburger to our dinner so everyone was happy.

Come hungry at Tam O'Shanter because their big cuts of steak will fill you up. That includes the New York strip steak, 14 oz. and served with mashed potatoes and garlic confit.
Come hungry at Tam O’Shanter because their big cuts of steak will fill you up. That includes the New York strip steak, 14 oz. and served with mashed potatoes and garlic confit.

Beyond our meal selections, they offer a variety of options on the main menu from traditional shepherd’s pie, BBQ shrimp and grits, to roasted Jidori chicken and beyond. They even have a toad in the hole, which is braised beef, carrots, onions, mushrooms, kale, Guinness gravy, served with mixed greens. They also have a great-looking dessert menu and specialty drinks for you to enjoy.

If you want to enjoy the perfect weather of Southern California, you can enjoy the outdoor patio dining area at Tam O’Shanter. They have a very comfortable outdoor area, filled with a variety of seating areas for you to enjoy a drink or a full meal.

The lovely decor extends to the outside areas at Tam O'Shanter too. The Scottish pub feel extends to the outdoor dining area, a perfect way to enjoy the weather of Southern California.
The lovely decor extends to the outside areas at Tam O’Shanter too. The Scottish pub feel extends to the outdoor dining area, a perfect way to enjoy the weather of Southern California.

Tam O’Shanter is a stop worth making as you’re making dining plans in and around Los Angeles. The history of the location and specifically the Disney table just adds to the reasons to plan a visit. They are open for lunch Monday – Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, and dinner from 5 pm to 9 pm weekdays and from 4 pm to 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Reservations are available, which we always appreciate. You can make them via OpenTable and through the website. If you are interested in trying to snag the Disney table, we’d recommend you call the restaurant to make your reservation and make that request.

Also, a nice convenience is the on-site parking, which isn’t necessarily something you expect in larger cities. For our visit, it was valet parking at a very minimal amount and totally worth not having to hassle to find a place to park.

We love good food, and we love Disney which makes this a great place for us to check out. Be sure to check out our other Disney destinations, and see some of our other adventures.

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