Birthday on a Budget

Many eateries in and around Westwood have put their personal spin on the time-honored tradition of celebrating birthdays at restaurants. Catering to the UCLA students who make up the bulk of the neighborhood population, these local venues offer a multitude of fun birthday experiences ranging from embarrassing birthday songs to cake-flavored shots to traditional birthday cakes. Here are just a few of the places UCLA students can visit to celebrate their special day.

Barney’s Beanery
1037 Broxton Ave.
(310) 443-7777

While Barney’s does not do the typical birthday shebang with candles and singing, they do offer delectable sweets such as homemade ice cream sandwiches, hot apple pies baked fresh daily and chocolate baby Bundt cakes. Barney’s Beanery, unlike any other restaurant in Westwood, also offers a special “birthday cake shot” made with Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur), Absolut Citron vodka and a lemon wedge.

Jerry’s Famous Deli
10925 Weyburn Ave.
(310) 208-3354

Birthday guests looking for a classic deli experience can celebrate at Jerry’s, which offers a large assortment of decadent birthday cakes available fresh every day. Guests can choose from red velvet cake, seven-layer cake, German chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, cherry crumb cake, carrot cake and many more. Upon indicating your dessert of choice, the deli’s staff will bring it to the table accompanied by a single candle and the “Happy Birthday” song.

Acapulco
1109 Glendon Ave.
(310) 208-3884

Acapulco provides an elaborate birthday experience for those who do not mind being in the spotlight. Anywhere from three-fourths to the entirety of the staff comes out to greet the birthday guests after their meal as they deliver freshly baked flan, a creamy Mexican custard topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream. The staff then sings an original birthday tune, which mixes the standard American “Happy Birthday” jingle with the traditional Mexican birthday song. In some cases, a waiter will even feed the birthday girl or boy the first bite of the mouth-watering dessert. For an additional cost, guests can also substitute flan with another one of Acapulco’s famous Mexican-themed desserts, such as deep-fried ice cream in chipotle-chocolate sauce.

Mio Babbo’s Italian Ristorante
1076 Gayley Ave.
(310) 208-5117

Mio Babbo’s stays true to Italian culture, only offering authentic Italian desserts such as gelato and tiramisu. If birthday guests ask their waiter in advance, they might be able to receive one of these delectable desserts for free. A few staff members bring the dessert out with a candle, but they leave the singing up to the diners.

Ami Japanese Restaurant
1051 Broxton Ave.
(310) 209-1994

This trendy Japanese restaurant serves birthday guests their own complimentary cream cheese ice cream after meals. Waiters bring this treat out with a single lit candle on top and can sing a rendition of the “Happy Birthday” song upon special request.

Shamshiri Grill
1712 Westwood Blvd.
(310) 474-1410

If guests are looking for something other than birthday cake, this traditional Persian restaurant located just a few blocks south of Wilshire Boulevard offers birthday guests a platter of traditional Persian pastries, such as baklava, made with filo dough and nuts, and zulbia, a deep-fried batter twisted into a pretzel-like shape and soaked in rich syrup. The platter is not free; however, it does come with candles and decorations. Waiters will also sing “Happy Birthday.”

California Pizza Kitchen
1001 Broxton Ave.
(310) 209-9197

On birthdays, CPK gives guests a homemade gift: its famous hot fudge or caramel sundae. However, if the birthday boy or girl prefers something warm rather than cold, he or she can choose from CPK’s other tasty treats such as apple crisp, red velvet cake, chocolate souffle cake or even its newest dessert item, the butter cake. Although they do not sing, the dessert is on the house and is delivered to the birthday table with a lit candle.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
939 Broxton Ave.
(310) 209-7475

Just a quick walk from campus, BJ’s offers birthday guests a free personal-sized pizookie, the restaurant’s most well-known dessert. Served straight out of the oven in its very own mini deep-dish pan, the pizookie only comes in the standard chocolate chunk flavor for birthdays and is accompanied with two scoops of rich vanilla bean ice cream. BJ’s spares its birthday guests from embarrassment and chooses not to sing “Happy Birthday” but rather simply distributes the freshly baked good with a candle on top, leaving the singing up to the customers.