St. Nick's ~ 8450 W Third St ~ West Hollywood (Taco Map)
St. Nick's is exactly what it needs to be-- a watering hole on a street dominated by phony rich-dude joints and gourmand grazing troughs. While LA is not a town where you necessarily need to dress up to hit a hotspot, it's nice to know that West 3rd st. has at least one bar where how you're dressed has nothing to do with how long it takes to get a table. It's also good to know that if the Lakers, Clippers or Dodgers are playing, you have a place in West Hollywood where they'll always be on TV.
This is a bar that will make those of you from Buffalo, St. Louis, or any other place feel at home right away. Rough around the edges, comfortable, haphazard and usually easy to get that all important first drink. The front room is where you're likely to meet new friends, the back room where you can plot world domination and chow down on some bar burgers once you're old pals. You will spot supposed celebrities here from time to time but it's no reason to stay away. No one here is looking to make the scene-- this is a place to get drunk, relax, and enjoy what public houses have been providing for the past milion years.
Parking can be an issue, best bet (if you're not afraid) is probably to browse the nearby Borders (Blackburn and La Cienega) for a few minutes and thus take advantage of their large parking lot. Or even buy a book, it wouldn't hurt you to read more, especially since you're such a drunkard.