"The Idle Hour is a whiskey-barrel shaped bar in North Hollywood that recalls the glory days of novelty roadside architecture. (Atlas Obscura)

"Universal Studios film technician Michael D. Connolly originally commissioned the Idle Hour Cafe in 1941 as a taproom in the form of a giant whiskey barrel, which was then built by engineer George F. Fordyk. It operated through the 1960s, then became the La Cana Flamenco dinner theater. With the changing owners and declining quality of the space the building seemed destined to fall into roadside ruin like so many other erstwhile edifices. However in 2010, it was designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #977."

"Now, the cedar whiskey barrel design is as good as new. Original stained glass on the ceilings and doors are still in place, with reclaimed ceiling planks on the floors and photos of other programmatic buildings on the walls. There’s a fire pit on the patio(Atlas Obscura), along with a reproduction of another novelty gem in the form of a pipe-smoking canine that pays homage to the Bulldog Cafe, itself in operation from 1928 until the mid-1960s.

Today, it serves as Idle Hour’s private event space. Still, it’s the whiskey barrels that will make you hit the brakes."  (Atlas Obscura)

"A great place for dinner or drinks, beautifully restored with a great patio featuring a 2-story dog smoking a pipe that houses a private dining room. Easy parking and no crowd on a Sunday night. (Roadside America)

"More than just a curiosity, this is now a beautifully restored cocktail and craft beer spot. Very nicely done."

"As we pulled up to the pub, we immediately noticed the unique exterior which features a giant barrel. Water was readily available throughout the evening via a self-serve dispenser and the service was both friendly and fast. However, the real takeaways would have to be the imaginative atmosphere and the truly intriguing menu options."

"This a certainly a unique structure. It is a huge wooden barrel that opens up into a rear patio surrounded by foliage. At the rear of the patio is the “smoking dog”, a replica of the Bulldog Café that was once sold tamales and ice cream in the 1920’s."

"The place looks like a locals bar from the outside but has a wonderful smoked ribs smell as soon as you walk in! Food is good drinks are strong (albeit a bit pricey) but has great low level lighting. We had a blast!"

"We decided to go there because of beautiful and unusual building."

"We had a good hamburger at this eclectic place, whose building is shaped like a wooden cask, staves and all. In the back is a small building-sized puppy dog liberated from the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA. The food is good, and the waitress was decked out in the spirit of Halloween. This is a laid back place that's lots of fun."