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Overview

This West Los Angeles outlet of the Kelbo's Restaurant chain was in operation from at least 1952 until 1977.

Building History

Two US Navy veterans, Thomas Kelley and Jacklin Henry Bouck (1909-1971), combined their last names and recipes gathered during years of military service to open Kelbo's Restaurant on Pico Boulevard in 1945. Their specialty was sweet Hawaiian spare ribs, and all entrees were topped with slices of pineapple. Their imaginative range of tropical drinks (many served flaming) also brought customers into their multiple locations.

A writer on the blog Old Los Angeles Restaurants.com, recalled her conversation with Jack Bouck about the start of the restaurant: "My husband & I had just been to the “Fabulous Forum” to see a Laker game, but they were sold out. We went to Kelbo’s to cheer up, and met Mr. Bouk, who was at the bar working on a new drink: Coffee Grog. He asked our opinion. I loved it! Mr. Bouk told us how the restaurant started. He’d developed the rib recipe while he was in the service stationed in Hawaii. Friends said it was so good, he should open a restaurant. Back in the States after World War II, he and Mr. Kelley bought the property at Pico & Gateway, which was cheap because the area was just a wasteland. People somehow came to the opening (they ran out of ribs because they didn’t expect such a crowd). The decorations were amazing. In later years, the Pico restaurant burned down, but they rebuilt and managed to add new kitchy [sic] decorations, including a home-made panel (I think it was a door) with everything embedded in it, including a half-eaten piece of toast with jelly!" (See Gloria's response entry on Old Los Angeles Restaurants.com, "Kelbo's," published 09/28/2013, accessed 09/18/2018.)

Building Notes

This restaurant, like many others in Southern CA, featured car service.

One of the founders of the chain, Jack Bouck, suffered a heart attack at the Pico restaurant on 01/18/1971 and died soon thereafter.

Demolition

This Kelbo's location burned in a fire. It was rebuilt with cinderblock walls thereafter.

PCAD id: 22396