On February 11, 1935, a lawyer drove to a tudor building located at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles, unlocked the door, and tacked a liquor license to the wall. The place, Tom Bergin's Old Horseshoe Tavern & Thoroughbred Club. The license, now the second oldest in Los Angeles County. It's little wonder that despite a law degree from Boston University, Bergin found the call of opening a pub irresistible. His long-established Boston family owned the Commercial Brewery as well as the very famous Old Horseshoe Tavern in Haymarket Square, established 1806. So after serving in WWI as one of the country's first naval aviators (pilot #232) and hanging up his attorney's shingle in Los Angeles in 1921, Bergin decided to open a pub just like his father's, and Tom Bergin's Old Horseshoe was born. Drawing on his family roots (from County Kerry), Bergin sought to create an authentic pub, defined by warmth, great food, and exceptional hospitality. So great was his success that in the early years, friend and fellow sportsman Bing Crosby asked Bergin to take control of the fine dining at the newly opened Del Mar race track. But the endeavor left Bergin stretched too thin, and he ultimately relented in favor of focusing on his tavern. Despite a move down the block in 1949 to the larger space we still occupy, Bergin's exists as it ever has. Crosby and Pat O'Brien would make the Old Horseshoe their regular haunt, and soon after, the rest of Hollywood followed. Names such as John Wayne, Kiefer Sutherland, and Julia Roberts can be found nestled among the thousands of shamrocks affixed to the ceiling commemorating friends and loyal regulars. Cary Grant had his own booth (his shamrock sits framed above it to this day), President Ronald Reagan received his Bergin's Shamrock in a ceremony in the Oval Office on St. Patrick's Day, 1983, and regular patrons the Charles brothers utilized the famous Horseshoe Bar as inspiration for their TV show Cheers. Far from just an industry hangout, Bergin's has been a nexus for the Los Angeles community. Sports fans gather to watch their teams play under the myriad vintage pennants which adorn the rafters. Or to visit the original 1951 Los Angeles Rams World Championship banner, which was gifted to Tom Bergin by Dan Reeves as thanks for hosting the Ram's championship dinner. Theater and art lovers drift down from the Miracle Mile, and couples and diners gather in our fire lit dining room to enjoy music on a peaceful evening. Now nearing our 80th year as LA's perdurable local, we seek to continue that great tradition set forth by Tom Bergin that February 11, where a welcome spirit is compulsory, and success is measured by the chatter between strangers and old friends.
