Weekend Fun in Los Angeles: A Visit to Tail o' the Pup

Late last month we enjoyed a day "out and about" in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Our day began with a long walk exploring Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City and ended with a book signing at Larry Edmunds Bookshop in Hollywood.

In between we enjoyed grabbing a meal at Tail o' the Pup, a hot dog stand which has been in Los Angeles since 1946.

The stand was originally located at 311 N. La Cienega, then spent years in storage. It reopened at 8512 Santa Monica Boulevard on July 20, just 10 days before our visit.

Over the years Tail o' the Pup has been seen in various films and TV series, including the 1971 "Murder By the Book" episode of COLUMBO, a 1974 episode of ADAM-12, and the 1974 ROCKFORD FILES pilot "Backlash of the Hunter."

Films featuring Tail o' the Pup at its original location include BODY DOUBLE (1984) and L.A. STORY (1991). I'll be reviewing the latter film here at a future date.

The restaurant has another movie-related connection: It was originally owned by dancers Veloz and Yolanda, who appeared in films including THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942), BRAZIL (1944), and THE THRILL OF BRAZIL (1946).

Orders are placed at the front counter...

...then picked up around the corner.

There's ample seating, including an upstairs patio.

My husband tried the extra-long hot dog...

...while I had the corndog and some very good chili.

I'd say the food wasn't quite as good as the Dog Haus chain, but it came close, and the colorful, historic ambiance was delightful. It's wonderful that this restaurant has been revived and is once more part of the L.A. scene. (Perhaps the new location will show up in a future movie or TV series!)

I recommend anyone who's in the area check it out and enjoy some fun L.A. restaurant history.

Stories on the Tail o' the Pup's history and reopening may be found at the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and Eater Los Angeles. There's also an informative short video from 2014 with Alison Martino on YouTube.

For more on classic L.A. area eateries, please visit my May post on Pann's and Bob's Big Boy, and be sure to scroll to the end for even more links!

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