Hank’s in Pacific Palisades Gets a Spiffy Makeover as an American Bistro

The Pacific Palisades can be a fascinating neighborhood case study. After all, this is some of Southern California’s priciest real estate, filled mostly with mansions, famous residents, views over the Pacific, and the famous Getty Villa. Many of these eateries stick around for years with the biggest cluster stationed in or around Sunset Boulevard and Swarthmore Avenue, with plenty more located inside mixed-use property Palisades Village. In early 2024, a veteran team led by restaurant owner Tancredi DeLuca spearheaded a conversion of Hank’s. His team made some subtle yet significant tweaks to the space and menu, reopening the restaurant on Wednesday, April 3.

Bruce and Eric Bromberg, the duo behind the successful chain Blue Ribbon and Palisades Village restaurant Blue Ribbon Sushi, first opened Hank’s in 2018 as a casual, family-friendly place with TVs, breakfast items, shakes, salads, drinks for the adults — and what many considered one of LA’s best burgers. It closed in February. Palisades Village is owned by billionaire and former LA mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, who also owns the Americana at Brand. That development houses DeLuca’s Trattoria Amici and DeLuca’s Italian Deli.

DeLuca, who also operates Angelini Ristorante & Bar in the Palisades, spent the early part of 2024 converting Hank’s into a bistro setting. “Hank’s is named after Rick Caruso’s father,” says DeLuca. “The interior of the restaurant looks exactly like it was before, but what we did is we opened the French doors to transition the inside and outside into one larger space so our guests are more comfortable when it’s sunny.”

The menu used to be very burger-centric, but this iteration goes for wider appeal with grilled cheese and tomato soup, herb-roasted Jidori chicken, steak frites, a vegetarian burger, French onion soup, and spinach artichoke dip. Brunch will be available in the coming weeks.

DeLuca also stepped up its cocktail game by adding multiple spritzes, a raspberry espresso martini, and a drink that riffs with Japanese gin and grapes. Hank’s will mostly refrain from Italian wines, instead choosing wines from New Zealand, France, and California. Four beers are on tap, including Allagash White, but they’ll rotate regularly.

Hank’s joins a handful of rare newcomers to the Palisades. In November 2023, Jackson Kalb debuted Jemma Pizzeria, while the husband-wife team behind Cinque Terre West opened Deliziozo Cinque in February.

Hank’s is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday until 9 p.m.