World Cup Pub Crawl: Pawn Shop refurbishes longtime Melrose business into a sports bar

Guests: Tony Messina, executive chef and partner of Pawn Shop, a New England-inspired sports bar in Hollywood, and Diego Torres-Palma, partner and CEO of Pawn Shop

You won’t find resale items at the Pawn Shop in Hollywood. Instead you’ll find TVs, menu items like pickle-brined fried chicken and caviar and a James Beard chef.

The new sports bar, which opened at the end of June, got its name from the long-running pawn shop which used to be at the location.

Chef Tony Messina, along with fellow Pawn Shop partner Diego Torres-Palma, sat down with Austin Cross, who hosts AirTalk every Friday, to explain what makes their new establishment stand out.

Two men sit on a couch, smiling. The man on the left of the frame is wearing jeans, white sneakers, white chef's coat, and a white hate, with black text spelling "Pawn shop." The man on the right is wearing white sneakers, black pants, black suit, and a black shirt with white text that spells "Pawn Shop."

Chef Tony Messina (left) and business partner Diego Torres-Palma.

Keep up with LAist.

If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

About the food

Tony Messina began his culinary journey in Boston, starting as a caterer and cook at age 14. Since then, he’s received multiple James Beard award nominations, and the organization recognized him in 2019 as the best chef in the Northeast. He made his way to Los Angeles in 2021.

With the beer flowing and multiple flat-screen TVs, you could assume it to be a standard sports bar. However, Messina elevated the menu, blending his fine-dining experience with his New England roots.

“You can come to a fun night with the family or a date night even,” Messina said. “Be all-encompassing with the restaurant aspect, as opposed to just being pub grub.”

The best Pawn Shop experience

Messina says to have to ultimate experience in the space, you should sit at their bar or booths that have a good view of of the games on TV. If you want a more premium experience, you could reserve a private suite to watch games with friends and family.

As for food, he says to prioritize their small plates and shareables (like their New England-Polynesian Pu Pu Platter) and get a main dish if you’re still hungry.

Restaurant details

An empty restaurant, with a row of tables, chairs, plates, and cups in the bottom right of the frame. The bottom left has a bar, with a row of chairs. Above all of this are multiple television screens.

Interior of Pawn Shop

The building was originally home to Brothers Collateral Pawn Shop, which closed in 2019 after 40 years.One of its partners, Diego Torres-Palma, also helped develop Benny Boy Brewing through his real estate-investment firm, Ventana Ventures.Investors include Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman and Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban.

Menu items we tried

Photo of a plate with food, laying on a table. The dish is a slice of beard, with tomato, fish and a green garnish.

Pawn shop’s Pan con Tomate

Pan con Tomate (smoked tomato, boquerones, urfa, toasted bread)Fried chicken (pickle-brined)Italian sandwich (capicola, mortadella, prosciutto, salami, schiacciata bread)

How to visit

Address: 5901 Melrose Ave., Los AngelesHours: Monday–Wednesday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday–Friday 11 a.m. to midnight; Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.Cost: Pan con Tomate costs $18; an 8-piece bucket of Fried Chicken costs $68, while a 16-piece bucket costs $110; an Italian sub costs $22.

What should we try next?

Have a question or comment about a segment? Want to pitch us a story?

Fill out the form below, and please include an email address so we’re able to follow up if necessary! We’re not able to respond to every inquiry, but all submissions are read and reviewed by our production team.