Every Disney Nerd needs to go to the Tam O’Shanter for two reasons. One, it was one of Walt’s favorite restaurants and two, it’s just plain good. Walt was a man of simple tastes. He fancied what his daughter Diane called “a hash house-lunch wagon appetite. He liked fried potatoes, hamburgers, western sandwiches, hotcakes, canned peas, hash, stew, roast beef sandwiches.” “The Tam” as regulars call it doesn’t exactly serve those kinds of food, but they do serve food meals that would appeal to Walt’s taste. They offer simple quality dishes made just right.
Location: 2980 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90039 – 323.664.0228
Type: Table service
Specialty: Simple, delicious food made with high quality ingredients
Cost: $16 to $50
Craig’s Favorite: Lawry’s Prime Rib with creamed spinach
The menu includes simple but high quality dishes you’re likely familiar with like fish and chips, short ribs, roast chicken and the “Tam Burger” which they advertise as a “house blend of angus beef, cheddar cheese, Tam-O sauce, traditional garnishes, french fries.” But the winner has to be Lawry’s Prime Rib. Made the way its sister restaurant in Beverly Hills prepares it, this dish is brought to your table with a side of real mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and your choice of creamed spinach or creamed corn. It is beyond delicious! Served with two types of horseradish to accent the flavor of your order and resting in a bed of au jus this is just a perfectly prepared piece of meat for your stomach. No matter what you get, I’m sure you’ll love it.
But the other reason Disney Nerds should come here is to see some unique artwork that Walt and the studios made for the Tam. Walt loved the place so much, he designed a piece just for them featuring Lawrence Frank, one of the restaurant’s founders alongside some of Walt’s most famous creations. The other piece was designed by the studios to celebrate the Tam’s 75th anniversary and features many different versions of Mickey Mouse about to eat the prime rib dinner I just wrote about. Walt is also known for having a favorite table at the restaurant – Table 31 (something I found out after I visited unfortunately). So if you go, ask about the table and maybe you can sit where Walt sat!
Disney Nerds 