I have only lived in LA for a few months and am still finding my way around. A good friend is flying in and I'm trying to find a unique/fun place to take her for dinner. Was thinking Venice/SM area. Don't like to spend a whole lot of money and we like fun atmospheres. Some of my favorite restaurants are C&O and Cafe Tu Tu Tango. Trying to expand my horizons. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Try Gyu Kaku on Pico between Midvale and Kelton, north side of the street (just West of Westwood Blvd.)

Some fun, inexpensive spots on the Westside include:

El Cholo-good mexican, lively, large bar area. Gets busy on weekends and game-nights. On Wilshire and 11th.

Versaille-Cuban food. Cheap, good and always busy. Go for the famous 1/2 chicken with garlic sauce. On Venice, just East of National in the Palms area. Great!

Great sushi at Sushi King on I believe 13th and Wilshire. Trust me, get the cooked sea bass appetizer--delicious.

I think Monsoons on the Third Street Promenade (near Wilshire) is a great place to take out of town guests. Food is good and the atmosphere is really cool. Not a place where I go on my own but every time I take an out of town guest there, they love it. They have live music upstairs in the evenings. Call and check their schedule.

I hear that Gyu Kaku is great but expensive. Surfergirl-how much did you pay for dinner? I have been meaning to tryi the place. Across the street there is a string of good restaurants-La Serenata, that cute New Orleans place...and Chili Thai is not bad for a quick lunch special!

All of these ideas sound great! Thanks you guys.

Alisa,
It's not that expensive, and you get a discount if a student at UCLA. We go in a party of 3 -- it runs between $80-90 for the three of us, but we eat a lot and have a couple of drinks each, plus dessert.

The other place you're thinking of -- and we were just there tonight -- is Bourbon Street, which was absolutely packed this evening -- very lively crowd of 20-30 somethings. That ran $70 for the 3 of us, including a 1/2 dozen oysters on the half shell.

El Cholo at 11th & Wilshire (used to be Tampico Tilly's) is a good suggestion -- again, very lively, good bar crowd, but typical (rather than unique) Mexican.

Not necessarily a really lively crowd, but certainly unique in the Mexican Food genre is Tia Juana's on Olympic, a quick stroll from Bed Bath & Beyond, between Barrington & Bundy. A complete hole in the wall sort of place, that looks quite awful on the outside, but the inside is more upscale and you get to watch the ladies making fresh tortillas over an indoor fire pit.

Thanks Surfergirl! I will have to get to Tia Juana's!