Looking for the perfect burger to pair with your happy hour beer? Plan Check Kitchen + Bar in West L.A. cooks up not only a wide variety of sandwiches and burgers, but also happy hour specials on beer and cocktails almost every day of the week, making for an opportunity to indulge in a classic American pairing.
Executive Chef Ernesto Uchimura expanded on the genesis of the bustling restaurant.
“I opened Plan Check about three years ago here on Sawtelle in Little Osaka,” Uchimura said. “I saw that the street was missing a gastropub and that it was sorely needed.”
Operations manager Marisa Simkin explained the story of how the eatery was named.
“The restaurant was actually named after the Building and Safety Department, which is right next door,” Simkin said. “Our owner kept on seeing people walk by with stacks of plans, so he called it ‘Plan Check.’ We actually still get a few calls from people still trying to get their plans approved.”
Soon after its opening in early 2012, Plan Check began happy hour specials on weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm. Although there are plenty of food specials, beer and cocktails are technically the only items on the happy hour menu.
“We have a lot of great food and drink specials,” Uchimura said, explaining both of his favorite options in each category. “One of my favorite items is the buck-fifty wing. It’s basically a double chicken wing that’s served for $1.50, and it’s massive and huge and delicious. We get chicken wings delivered fresh every single day, so they’re a fresh commodity.”
Uchimura went on to describe some of his happy hour drinks of choice.
“A couple of my favorite items on the happy hour menu are any draft beers that are $2 off, which are usually my go-to,” Uchimura said. “But I also really like the Slow and Low old-fashioned, which is a mix of Slow and Low rock and rye whiskey, angostura bitters, and an orange zest peel.”
Simkin attested to the popularity of some of Plan Check’s happy hour drinks.
“Our most popular drink is probably the Slow and Low old-fashioned – and priced at $6, you really can’t beat that, Simkin said. “My personal favorite is definitely the $6 Mango Tropical Daisy (with jalapeno infused tequila), which is a little bit spicy.”
Alongside the $2 off draft beers/well spirits and $6 cocktails, house wines are $4.
Simkin went on to recommend some burgers to try with the beers and cocktails.
“A crowd favorite is definitely our Plan Check burger (with Americanized dashi cheese, ketchup leather, schmaltz onions, mixed pickles, and a crunch bun),” Simkin said. “It’s actually kind of like a homage to the McDonald’s cheeseburger, but it’s the best burger ever.”
Simkin mentioned that a couple of Plan Check burgers have also won some awards, including the Southern Fry sandwich: comprised of fried jidori chicken, spicy green pimento cheese, duck breast ham, and pickles, it was voted the best chicken sandwich in the nation.
With such classic menu options offered at high-quality taste, the restaurant sees a consistent crowd of regular guests.
“We really build a base of regulars and local people who come here all the time for happy hour,” Uchimura said. “It’s great to see regulars who come in two, three, four times a week.”
Simkin elaborated on the kind of guests the restaurant serves.
“We have 9-to-5 employees, lawyers, nurses… and we also have a bunch of kids who come in after school, as well as families from the residential neighborhoods,” Simkin said. “Sawtelle has a funny crowd – we have a bit of everything.”
Plan Check Kitchen + Bar is located at 1800 Sawtelle Blvd. in West Los Angeles.
For more information, call 310.444.1411 or visit plancheck.com.
