Profile of the owner of Barney’s Beanery

The Palisadian-Post weekly newspaper of Pacific Palisades, Calif., published a terrific article about David Houston, the owner of Barney’s Beanery, a Route 66 institution in West Hollywood.

The article also contains tidbits about Barney’s history, including with original owner John “Barney” Anthony, who started the restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard in 1927.

The area was sparsely populated, and the Beanery was not much more than a shack surrounded by a poinsettia field. “A little wooden shanty, with a whole row of cheap floor lamps illuminating the counter, and a dinky little bar down at one end,” was Rob Wagner’s 1942 description.

The establishment became a Hollywood hangout, starting with regulars like Clara Bow, John Barrymore and Jean Harlow and continuing well into the ’70s, when it was frequented by rock groups like The Doors and Led Zeppelin. Morrison loved to tease Janis Joplin until one night the teasing ended when Joplin belted him. Joplin had her last meal in Barney’s at her favorite booth (number 34) before overdosing and dying later that night in a hotel. Her initial is carved in the table. It was common knowledge that Anthony treated all of his customers the same. According to Herald-Examiner columnist Mike Jackson, speaking about Anthony, “You do not get that great big smile when you are up. And you don’t get the brushoff when you are down.”

After Anthony died in 1968, Edwin Held acquired the restaurant and tried to keep it as close to the original as possible. The movie stars still came. When Drew Carey protested the 1999 ban on smoking in restaurants and bars, he chose Barney’s as the place to invite the press to watch him light up. Reportedly, Quentin Tarantino holed up in one of the booths to write “Pulp Fiction.”

In a sprawling city where buildings are torn down on a regular basis — with occasional help from earthquakes — Barney’s is as close to a non-religious landmark as exists.

It sounds like the original Barney’s dealt with soft profits and health-code issues. But Houston turned it around, and it has become a popular place for families. There now are two Barney’s, with a third on the way — all on 66.

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