This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Gallery: Classic Restaurant Exteriors From the 1940's
Ever wondered what Chasen's looked like back in its heyday?
A video from Vintage Los Angeles pieces together 1940's footage of these and other classic Los Angeles haunts. You can see how La Rue—perhaps Los Angeles' first restaurant—was holding up nearly a decade after it opened its doors. Or you can see what Lawry's in Beverly Hills looked like—now that its cocktail menu is back in style all over again.
Here's the full video we pulled the pictures from the Vintage Los Angeles YouTube channel where we got most of the screenshots:
Related:
Beautiful Vintage Menus From Classic L.A. Restaurants
More Beautiful Vintage Menus From Classic L.A. Restaurants