THE SMOKEHOUSE - CLASSIC RESTAURANT IN BURBANK

2010 The Year of Valley History
The Smokehouse Restaurant Burbank, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - 2010 (click on image to enlarge)
When our great friends Lonnie and Jim, who now live in Portland, Oregon, came to the Valley in time for our big time rainstorms, we decided that they needed an infusion of old time Valley garlic bread at the Smokehouse. Since they were driving back to Portland that night, we treated them to the Smokehouse's massive champaign brunch - enough food to get them home --- and, for most of next week.
The Smokehouse Restaurant Lobby - Burbank, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - 2010 (click on image to enlarge) Appropriately, the lobby of the great old Smokehouse Restaurant is decorated with posters from classic Warner Brothers films. The movie Casablanca's scenes of Paris were done across the street at the WB. The airport scenes in Casablanca were filmed at the Van Nuys Airport.
The Smokehouse Restaurant Lobby - Burbank, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - 2010 (click on image to enlarge)
The Smokehouse was originally located north of its location of 4420 West Lakeside Drive - off of Olive Avenue - at Pass Avenue and Riverside Drive. The doors were opened in 1926, and the move to today's present location done in 1947.
The Smokehouse Restaurant Bar - Burbank, California - Photo by Gerald Fecht for the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley - 2010 (click on image to enlarge)
No visit to the Smokehouse is complete without three or four loaves of Chef John L. Sullivan's original recipe garlic bread concocted sometime around 1959.
Take a few minutes after dinner to walk a bit in the neighborhood of the grand old Smokehouse. Just south on Olive Avenue is an amazing view of the concrete Los Angeles River. Watch tourists arrive for the Ellen Show and the Super Heroes sign at the WB. Burbank is a great town to explore - it's an essential part of the San Fernando Valley.