And from the Storybook school of architecture comes the charming Tam o’ Shanter Inn at 2980 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles. There’s lots to love about this place, but my favorite detail are those crooked—I don’t even know what to call them. Poles? Posts? Rods? Antennae?—on the top of the turrets. They look like something out of Dr. Seuss. The menu of the Tam o’ Shanter is traditional British food. It opened on June 26 1922, and going by that parked car on the right, I’d say this photo was taken not too long after the opening.
Here is a color shot circa mid-1950s:
By the 1960s, they had a new sign:
I don’t know when the shot of this billboard was taken, but I love the “Home of Ham and Hamburger” slogan:
This circa 1924 aerial shot shows how empty the land was when the Tam o’ Shanter opened. The main road running along the bottom of this photo is Los Feliz Blvd, and we can see the roof of the inn below it.
Leonard W. said: “When it first opened it was named Montgomery’s Country Inn. The address was 4050 Tropico Blvd. I am not sure when they changed the street to Los Feliz Blvd. and did the renumbering. Here is advert from the Los Angeles Evening Citizen News from July 1, 1922:
The above ad shows that this place was opened by the people behind Lawry’s restaurant and the Van de Kamp bakeries.
The Tam o’ Shanter Inn is still going strong. This is how it looked in 2024:
Amazing, still here after a hundred years, drove by in the 50’s and it stood alone with undeveloped land all around and very few cars in the parking lot and today a thriving part of the community. Well done!
Wow, Paul, even in the 1950s it was still all by its lonesome? I wouldn’t have thought that.
That’s the 1920s photo
That shot from the ’50’s.
Man… look at those cars!!!
Hello again, Martin……
Can’t help but let you know I grew up with the Van de Kamp and Frank family as close friends of my mom and dad. Wonderful people….and very often at our home in Beverly Hills, where I grew up. In fact, Mrs. Van de Kamp and Mrs. Frank (sisters-in-law) were in my mom’s bridge club of 8 ladies. Have some interesting stories about visiting Mr. Franks restaurants when I was in high school. I do believe you already have early info on the two gentlemens’ beginnings in the food business.
Best,
Joan Lewis
Love the place. Go there for the celebration of Robert Burns birthday in January. It’s said to have been Walt Disney’s favorite restaurant.
In the mid 50s, the big Franciscan pottery and dinnerware place was nearly across the street. I believe that concern moved there from Catalina sometime in the 30s. By the early 50s, there were a few other restaurants and shops along Los Feliz, including the Los Feliz Small Animal Hospital, where we took our dogs and cats.
My girlfriend and I loved the Tam when I lived in L.A. I remember during
the Christmas season they had carolers dressed in English, Dickens-period clothing roaming through the restaurant. The vintage pics are just amazing
What a very attractive restaurant. Sounds like it has a lot of memories for many people. Thanks for sharing!
I’m surprised in the comments the Theodore Payne Nursery wasn’t mentioned that is shown in picture 5. The foundation that continues his work is still going strong and open to the public. There is some great information on Mr. Payne available on Wikipedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Payne