Club Review--RUSTY'S SURF RANCH

Tomm Carroll

The refurbished Santa Monica Pier, with its "Fun Zone" of rides and amusements, would seem the perfect location for a club/bar/restaurant. Which is not to say that such an establishment is bound to succeed, however. Take, for example, the fairly rapid openings and closings of The Ash Grove and Arcadia over the past few years. The lone survivor of the pier pressure, is Rusty's Surf Ranch, which is still going strong.

The Buzz: The prime nightspot at the foot of the pier (near the historic carousel), Rusty's is a popular spot for drinking, dining and dancing to live bands -- especially during the warm weather months and particularly on Thursday evenings, when the city presents free concerts on the pier (see below).

The Roots: For many years, this space was the Crown and Anchor, a dark, dank and low-key British Pub. The C&A underwent a major overhaul and re-opened in summer 1994 as the bright, airy and live music-friendly Rusty's -- just the right kind of joint for the subsequent renovation of the pier.

The Look: Surf and Western. The beach meets the corral here with a decor of legendary longboards on the wooden walls and a barn door motif on the stage backdrop. A spacious club with room for chairs and tables as well as dancing, Rusty's also features another area behind the stage with pool tables and video games, and not one but two outdoor patios -- a small one in front of the entrance and a larger, covered one out the back door).
Aside from TVs in the corners, there's a big screen hovering over the bar area that shows sporting events as well as karoake lyrics.

The Clientele: A casual cast of regulars, local pier rats, fans of the bands and -- especially this time of year -- tourists. The staff is always friendly and helpful, even on pier concert nights when the crowds are massive and the pace is harried.

Where There's Smoke: Two choices (the front or back patio) makes Rusty's one of the more tobacco accommodating places on the Westside.

On Tap: The Crown and Anchor had better beer overall, but Rusty's offers more variety. Guinness, Bass, Newcastle, Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams top the draught list, and there's even more decent brews in bottles. And or course, the pre-requisite full bar, which gets a workout.

The Eats: A cut above your basic pub grub, the kitchen features soups, salads, sandwiches, seafood dinners and a wide array of appetizers, from deep-fried calamari to veggie quesadillas. It's good, hearty food with which to coat your stomach before doing some serious drinking.

The Entertainment: Live bands five nights a week, with double and sometimes triple bills on Friday and Saturday nights. Regular name performers include Siberian surfabillies The Red Elvises and R&B master Billy Vera and the Beaters. .

A variety of other local bands are featured throughout the week, including the recommended rockin' rhythm and blues bird Teresa James and her band The Rhythm Tramps every Wednesday evening. Karoake, hosted by The Big Kahuna, brings out the wannabe crowd on Sunday and Monday nights.

Summer Thursdays: With the free Twilight Dance Series concerts taking place a sea shell's throw from Rusty's back door through August 30, Thursday nights at the club are jammed before, during and afterwards. The downside: All drinks, even the draught beer (!), are only served in plastic cups because of the crowds, and the prices rise that night too.

The upside: Rusty's big screen TV is linked to the video cameras documenting the Thursday night pier concerts for later cablecast, so you can watch and hear the bands without leaving the bar!