Guido's, the red-sauce Italian restaurant in the circular building on Santa Monica Boulevard, is closing in the Sawtelle neighborhood, capping an end to a local icon founded 46 years ago.
An employee confirmed to L.A. TACO that the restaurant will be shuttering on May 31. According to the staffer, the restaurant's current owner does not own the lease to the property or land. Rumors abound that the building will be destroyed and the land is expected to be razed to make way for an apartment building where Guido's now stands.
Guido's is possibly more prized for its unique architecture, neon signage, towering gate, and general appearance than for what is offered on its menu these days.
Inside a squat semicircle of a red-bricked, red-roofed building hemmed in by stained glass windows, Guido's was popular for its classic warren of red booths, bar framed by hard-carved, lion-clawed wooden demigods, and shelves robust with geegaws. Here, one could live out their Goodfellas fantasies over martinis, grappa, and scampi that didn't always live up to its price point.