When Ortega 120 restaurateur, Demi Stevens, decided to take over the space on Calle Mayor in Torrance that once held Zina’s, she knew she wanted something completely different than her popular Mexican place nearby, paving the way for Hey 19 Public House.
“I wanted it to be a relaxed place where locals can come to eat, drink and dance a little,” Stevens explains, while happily pouring a glass of her #19 concoction, a smooth-as-silk, house-infused orange bourbon mixed with fresh lemon, lime and orange that slides down the throat like butter—dangerous, for certain. “We also make our own ‘LemonAde’ and ‘GingerAle,’” she adds.
Infusions aside, such attention to detail is everywhere in this casually cozy, retro place, its Hey 19 moniker cueing the Steely Dan song of the same name. Along with featuring projections of old television shows on the walls (All in the Family playing the night we’re there) are posters of Farrah Fawcett and Star Wars memorabilia. There’s also Banksy prints, mismatched chairs, wacky light fixtures and even a photo of a loincloth-clad Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. mode adorning the drink menu. The convivial setting really makes you feel like a teenager again—a cool kid hanging out your cool friend’s basement.
Take the food menu—offered up in none other than a Pee-Chee portfolio (raise your hand if old enough to remember those!)—which features dishes made from locally sourced, non-GMO and hormone-free organic products. Try the Eric in a Blanket, house-made sausage in a puff pastry, or the Tabled Tartar, made with perfectly prepared Ahi tuna, avocado and ponzu for starters; then move on to Chrissy’s Night Out, mouth-watering, slow-cooked short ribs, or the tasty Froo Froo Pasta, made with local shrimp, Mayer lemon, kale and goat cheese.
Hey 19 also serves pub fare too, including burgers, fried chicken and waffles, and T-bone steak, and there’s always a friendly crowd at the bar, where live bands play a couple of nights a week. Needless to say, dancing is encouraged—and in a sense expected. Plus, this rollicking public house serves a limited menu until 1:30 a.m., a rarity in the South Bay; and they’re open for lunch, too. Now that word about Hey 19 is spreading, we predict that, soon, locals may not be the only SoCal folks in the House.
Hey 19 Public House
4525 Calle Mayor | Torrance, CA 90505
310-378-8119
Photography by Paul Jonason
