Ye Coach & Horses Evicted, But Not Riding Off Yet

Ye Coach & Horses

Ye Coach & Horses' red-hues, dark crevices, cheap (for the area) drinks and Old World charm have made it a long-standing hideout for barflies, struggling musicians (Guitar Center is nearby) and celebrities for decades. Regulars over the years have included Alfred Hitchock, Richard Burton, James Gandolfini, Drew Barrymore and maybe its biggest fan, Quentin Tarantino.

The bar, which opened back in 1937, is also one of the few genuine dives in the area, beloved for its laid back vibe since even before its hair-metal heyday in the '80s.

So it's no surprise that regulars old and new have been up in arms the past two weeks, with the news that the beloved pub was given an eviction notice by building owners - and next door neighbors - Samuel French Books. According to C&H manager Peter Renaud, the bar was given 30 day notice on July 1st, but he and the current bar staff are "looking into our options" about how to fight it.

Another C&H employee, who asked not to be identified, said there is a rumor the owners of Jones and Bar Lubitsch wanted the space. Whoever ends up taking the Sunset Strip-adjacent venue, it's not likely to be the same as it has been for the past 50 years under the Grant family. Current owner Jane Grant, 85, inherited the bar from her husband Bob (though she only had a month to month lease in recent years). She hasn't been around much in recent years either, but her staff have helped the place retain its rock n' roll swagger and fiercely loyal following. So loyal and fierce that a Facebook campaign demanding that "Samuel French, Inc. does not evict this historic Hollywood institution" has been created. The bar's own Facebook profile has garnered dozens and dozens of fans hoping to help save it as well, with suggestions ranging from getting the place historic landmark preservation status to appealing to Tarantino (who saved The New Beverly movie theatre from a similar fate by buying it back in February).

Ye Coach & Horses is included in our book Los Angeles' Best Dive Bars - Drinking & Diving in the City of Angeles, and if it closes it won't be the first (or last) of this dying breed of drinking joints to do so, but it will be one of the oldest.

Friends of Ye Coach & Horses on Facebook ask those who care to write letters to the L.A. office of Samuel French and ask that they stop the eviction of Ye Coach & Horses, which is set for the end of July. They can be reached at: 7623 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles; (323) 876-0570.