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Red Car Brewery & Restaurant
Categories: Food Breweries Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Burgers Restaurants Sandwiches Breweries, Pizza, Burgers, Sandwiches [Edit]
1266 Sartori AveTorrance, CA 90501
Neighborhood: Torrance
(310) 782-0222
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
125 reviews for Red Car Brewery & Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Pair that up with a nice cold IPA and mm mmm mmmm."
(in 39 reviews)
"The Black Butte Porter and Motorman Reserve are also good."
(in 17 reviews)
"Great Beer, Great Service."
(in 10 reviews)
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125 reviews in English
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Review from Kaz M.
Torrance, CA
1/24/2012
I love this place. old style brewery (no't style. real old!)
My favorite is Grilled Ahi Buerger ! & Pizza, pasta
SouthBay IPA is the best ! -
Review from Brian S.
Hawthorne, CA
1/13/2012
I've only come here for lunch twice, but haven't been let down yet. Service and food are great, and style and selection is as to be expected from a brewery.
The sliders (appetizer) are killer. Get them to share.
Meal portions are very generous - usually I'm boxing up enough for a 2nd meal later.
They give free bread w/ olive oil & vinegar when you're seated.
IPA selections are killer!
Overall, good casual vibe, not breaking the bank. Wouldn't mind checking out their night scene sometime. -
Review from Andrew R.
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for lunch with a friend on a cloudy Thursday afternoon. The place had a ton of people but getting a table was still easy because they have a lot of space. We opted to sit outside where it was quieter and a bit less crowded.
For my food, I got the blue cheeseburger and fries. The meat was cooked medium, which was great since most places go straight to charred. It had a lot of flavor and was nice and juicy. The blue cheese crumbles had a nice touch - they were heated/broiled so they melted a bit and got some color and extra flavor. The only downside to the burger were the tomatoes weren't crisp and the size of the patty was quite a bit smaller than the bun, and not too thick.
So far it's a 3 star place, but what brings it up to a full 4 is the beer! Their microbrew stuff is tasty stuff. I tried getting a red, but they were out of that and the wheat beer, so I opted for the stout instead. It was full-bodied, kind of sweet and very dark. So, in other words, a damn good choice. -
Review from liz w.
Torrance, CA
1/2/2012
I love this place. The food is food (though i've only ever gotten the cheese raviolis, chicken piccata and the red car salad.)
the red car salad is the best salad that ever was a salad ever. i love it, i get one every time i'm here, and i've gotten it to take out. love love love.
their house iced tea is refreshing.
but you have to know that if you have time constraints, come back when you don't. the service is good and friendly, but slow. not a good place for a tight lunh break unless you are taking it out.
otherwise, this is my first choice when it comes to any type of celebration. -
Review from Leonard K.
Buena Park, CA
12/14/2011
America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. I definitely met the bravest, most courageous woman in the world today. Before I get into details of this specific lady and how amazing he is, let me start by letting you know... She was our waitress for the day. For a company luncheon, we decided to leave our office and visit this particular venue. We left our office at 11:20am, which was across the street from the venue, arrived with a party of 9 at 11:30am, on time for our reservation. We were greeted and sat down at our table.
This brave woman, quite possibly the bravest woman I ever met, decided to take our order. She stated, after acquiring exactly what we wanted, that she would put it into the system immediately. 30 minutes after our order was placed, we had asked where our order was, and she stated it had been input immediately and was on the way out. We then inquired with the manager, stating that it was 12:10pm, and we only had ten minutes left on our lunch, and that we had to take our meals to go.
This lady, by far... Was absolutely bold. She knew, since we decided to show up with a party of nine, that no matter how she treated us, she would be guaranteed 20% gratuity. Had any of us been asked for a refill on our drinks while waiting? No. When the manager approached us, he had noted that the food was placed into the system 15 minutes prior, when she stated she had immediately put it in, and it was 30 minutes into taking our order. We had gone there right when the venue had opened, when it was empty... Yet for some reason, we never got our meals. I have to say, this has possibly been the most brilliant server I have ever met. She lied straight to our faces, stated our food would be out, and not until 12:40pm, did our food arrive.
It took one whole hour of waiting to get our food, and guess what it had to be in, to go boxes. Can I say that she had an absolutely ingenious brilliant plan? I mean come on, to get tips from all your other visitors, and then getting 20% from our $120 bill as well... She couldn't have played it better. She even had the host issue us our check and attend to our refills. She really wasn't at our table at all! My god, if you were prettier, I would've put a ring on it, because... You have definitely been the bravest person I've ever met. Thank you for serving us oh blonde goddess of Torrance. You created an experience that will forever be cherished in my heart. -
Review from Christopher N.
Phoenix, AZ
9/12/2011
This is just a beer and appetizer review. I did not try their entree food.
A cool theme and a nice dining room, do not make up for so so micro brewed beer. Red Car would be your typical BJ's, except it actually brews its beer behind the bar. The equipment makes the restaurant feel like a real brew house. However when the beer descriptions comment on the beer's theme and not the taste, I knew something might be off.
So I ordered a flight of all their beer with their Red Car Devil Wings. The wings were good enough and singed my lips a bit. Red Car only offer 5 beers on tap because they only have 5 tanks to store their beer.
Electra Lite
Motorman Reserve
These first two beers were quite simply forgettable, and should only ordered if their Coors is out.
South Loop Porter - A decent porter.
Season Pale Ale - Very similar to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, so it was piney with a bit of hops.
South Bay IPA - Not the typical West Coast IPA, it had a good hops with little bitterness.
Come to Red Car if you live in Torrance and have not experienced a true brewery. -
Review from Joan M.
Gardena, CA
12/7/2011
one of my favorite places!!! It's not an Argentinian restaurant but they serve a Hanger steak with chimichurri on top. Very yummy!! and, their beer isn't too shabby either.
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Review from Selina G.
Torrance, CA
7/15/2011 9 Check-ins Here
Oh Red Car...how I love thee! I've been coming here for 7+ years now and it's my "go to" spot. This is my Friday night dinner & beer place and my yearly birthday get together spot. I think I've tried almost everything on the menu and it's all fantastic. I am shocked to read some of the other reviews stating it's "just bar food". First of all Red Car is not a "bar" it's a brewery. Second, there is a whole lot more to the menu besides fried food & burgers.
A few of my Favorite things about Red Car are:
- The BEER! IPA is amazing, Motorman is my favorite, Winsome Wheat is a great unfiltered wheat and really refreshing on a hot day. In the fall they have a great Pumpkin beer too.
- The weekly specials menu! Every week they come up with 4 or 5 brand new items to choose from aside from the regular menu. A few weeks back they had half of a roasted chicken with lemon, garlic mash & bok choy and it was AMAZBALLS!
- Other must try food items are the Turkey burger (one of the best I've ever had) South of the Border pizza, Red Car Salad or the Cobb Salad with Gorgonzola dressing, fish n chips beer battered of course, the fries!
- The staff is all friendly and fast. Kate is best! They remember your name, give great recommendations, and even pour your beer for you when you order a pitcher!
If your looking for a good meal, great beer, great service at a really decent price...check it out. I've introduced a ton of people to Red Car and haven't heard a bad comment yet. -
Review from Jean Y.
Who would thought there's a brewery in Torrance!
To me a brewery is usually in the mountains with spring water, or by the river, not in Torrance.
This place is clean and nice with tvs running around wall, kinda reminding a bit of sports bar.
We had the samplers. The waiter told us they ran out of the reds, next popular one is wheat beer..
Beer was ok, not that great.
Food was also ok.
Though the service was excellent.
That's about it to write about this place. -
Review from Jake W.
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've just been here for lunch and wasn't blown away by my burger. .
I do like that they give oil and vinegar with their bread, but the bread itself is pretty weak.
I know this place has been in business for years, so they must have a good beer selection or happy hour specials. -
Review from Art H.
Torrance, CA
7/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I live really close to this place so I try to come in every now and then to support the local business. I've been coming here for more than a few years now and I do like the place. Honestly, their beers are in the average to above average range but I can respect the fact that they brew in house and have a "local" beer - South Bay IPA, which is really good. That is coming from a avid beer guy. Their beers get slammed a bit on http://beeradvocate.com, but those guys just follow each other. Unless its a limited edition stout that you can only get for 3 months of the year, you are a "B" beer at best.
My favorite beers here are the red car ale, south bay ipa, the english bitter (my fav), and the electra lite. Yes, the electra lite. It's like a fresh and local version of a budweiser. Great on a hot day or as a lounge beer. I don't understand why locals would rather go to some sports bar and drink bud lights instead of a locally brewed beer in the same style for the same price that is a higher quality.
Food wise, I pretty much always get the same thing: Hangar Steak or the Fish and Chips. Both are great. I have seen but haven't tried their pizzas but they look good.
They do have live music sometimes which is cool, and usually its not that hard to get a table. It's a cool chill spot. -
Review from Vickie H.
Long Beach, CA
9/2/2011
Wow! Bartender and Management must not have taken their happy pills when my friend and I arrived on Thursday nite for Happy Hour! Make sure you are sitting in the correct dining and Happy Hour Section. Cannot have happy hour prices if you sit iin the open dining area (even though) I only saw 6 patrons eating. After advising bartender we will be having a party of 6-7 arriving arriving his first words were " Happy Hour ends at 6pm"! What a greeting! First time there and last time there!
What ever happened to pleasing the customers, especially if it is your first time! What ever happened to "Welcome to the Brewery" let me share with you our Happy Hour Menu instead of letting the customer guess and pick the wrong eats and drinks that are not on the happy hour menu"!
Will definitely not recommend this place to anyone! I will be looking for a Happy Hour with truly Happy Hour service!!!!! -
Review from richard p.
Torrance, CA
10/17/2011
I live within walking distance of the Red Car, and a good thing, too...a few of their excellent unfiltered IPAs, and you definitely do NOT want to be operating heavy equipment!
Solid diner-type menu, friendly staff, rarely a raucous crowd at the bar (if you want to watch a game), live music on weekends (including a monthly appearance by The Mockers, an excellent Beatles cover band)...
This place is a local gem! Long may it thrive! -
Review from Kevin F.
Torrance, CA
5/21/2011
I'm a regular here. The place is close to my house so I walk to and from the place which is a great benefit because the beer tends to be rather potent. The beer is the reason you go out of your way for the place. The IPA is among the best examples of a West Coast IPA you'll find. The Porter is a liquid tootsie roll and very satisfying. I don't often drink from the rest of the beer menu since I get what I want with the other two brews.
The regular menu has a broad variety of food from brick oven pizzas which are quick and simple, well made salads, burgers including my all time favorite there the turkey burger, and entrees like the Jamaican Jerk Chicken which causes my wife to ask me why I am ordering it when its only half right for me, not being Jamaican...
I look forward to the weekly specials these days. They come up with some really tasty meals for a limited time on them, notably a great gourmet grilled cheese sammie and a wasabi tuna dish that blew my mind.
I can be found here almost any hour it is opened. However, the last Friday night of each month, the wonderful all-Japanese dude Beatles tribute band The Mockers plays, and the place gets packed. The Mockers are really enjoyable, so it's a highlight of the month. -
Review from Heddecel S.
Long Beach, CA
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Live near by so we thought me and my bf should check it out,
Great service, ambiance was cool, they have a bar and band,
Food was good, great beer selection, would go here again... -
Review from Sienna M.
Torrance, CA
11/11/2011
The food is terrible. Had a very bland veggie burger. It came with coleslaw and fries. The fries were ok, but the coleslaw wasn't, it tasted old and soggy. My fiance had the fish and chips and said the fish was oily. Food and drinks are way overpriced. One star for the service.
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Review from Len W.
4/2/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This review is just for appetizers and beer.
I've been to the Red Car a number of times for lunch, and even a couple business receptions at night. It had always been good, and the 6 varieties of micro brews were always good.
Its in a good location, just off Torrance Blvd. The building has a spanish architecture with dark red tile floors, and many TV screens tuned to sports. The tables are situated to allow decent seating without being overcrowded.
This week, I took a long time friend from out of town here for beers and appetizers. At 5:30pm on a Thursday, their medium sized parking lot was packed - only 2 spots left. The bar was full, and the only table in the bar area was in the super sunny area, so we went to the dining area.
This area was 70% full, and service was stretched a bit thin, so it was a little slow.
We ordered the hot wings, the spinach artichoke dip with tortilla chips and microbrews from the tap.
The hot wings sauce was hot, but did not have much other flavor. The chicken was overcooked, dry and also flavorless - 2 stars.
The dip was not very flavorful. My buddy said he had tasted better dip from frozen. The tortilla chips were warm and salty, but some of them were stale - 1 star
The beers were good, as usual - 3.5 stars.
The service was slow, and they were not very pleasant - 2 stars.
I think (hope) it was an off night. It was not consistent with the previous visits I've have at "the Car."
With plenty of great choices in the area, I don't think I will come back, at least until the next business (sponsored) reception. -
Review from Sharon B.
5/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's just bar food.
Nothing on the menu that's any better than BJs, but it's across the street from Honda and close to Toyota, two of my clients. Guys like going to brewerys, and they tell me they love the salads, so it works.
Quoting Albert W: " I'd much rather not but it's across the street from Honda. There are much better places in Torrance." -
Review from John G.
Tustin, CA
10/24/2011
This is a brewpub. The owner does the brewing and the beer is spot on. I can go wherever I want, but when I'm in the South bay this is the spot. The IPA is an English style and a session IPA. The food is good and the specials are just that - special. Not fancy - but good. If I lived in Torrance this would be my local!
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Review from Mike C.
Los Angeles, CA
3/30/2011
I wish they served beers from breweries besides their own.
The South Bay IPA tastes more like a pale ale than an IPA. If you're a hophead, you may find yourself disappointed with this brew.
I was expecting more complexity since it does have 'IPA' in its name. A successful IPA should kick up a storm of hops that annihilate your palate and turn subsequent drinks into bland, adulterated juice, but this one does no such thing. In its defense, it is a little mild at 65 IBUs, so maybe I'd set my expectations too high.
I followed up with a Motorman Reserve, then an Electra Lite - both seemed to fit their respective niches better than the IPA, but I would not recommend either to my friends.
Some of the reviews praise the food here, so I'll definitely give this place another chance for the food - the beer can have another chance too. -
Review from Edgar D.
Gardena, CA
2/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
RED CAR just became one of my favorite spots to hang out and enjoy some good south bay IPA(I highly recommend) and RED CAR also has a nice bar area to watch some sports. Three reasons why I recommend RED CAR.
1. South Bay IPA- it's worth coming back for the IPA while listening to some live music. To top it off, RED CAR brews their own beer! Some friends and I got the pitcher and its not expensive and well worth it.
2. Food-it's not bad at all. I love blue cheese so i ordered a burger with blue cheese and it was worth every penny. Beer and a Burger, it cant get any better.
3. Service- the waiters are very friendly and made sure that the pitcher was always filled up. Plus it didn't take long to get my food. Simply, good service.
I will definitely return to RED CAR in the future...you know what, I think I might go this week. -
Review from Lindsay S.
Torrance, CA
5/3/2011
LOVE Red Car!
Ambiance: The place is cute, old style brewery, brick walls, the ceiling even leaks on rainy days. Gotta love this historical-ness of this building.
Drinks: They brew their own beer, always a plus. Not an IPA fan, but all my friends love that one. I stick with their version of a 'Blonde' tasy, and goes good with their food.
Food: A+! Fresh bread while you wait severed in a pail.
Pizzas are great, Pastas too, especially the Mac & Cheese they hav on special every now & then. Had a tri-tip sandwich that I wasn't overly impressed with, but the burgers are good.
Good fries too. I reccomend any of their pasta dishes for first timers, you can't go wrong with any of them!
Occasionally there is a n acoustic guy playing in the bar too on weekendsListed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Robert N.
Torrance, CA
5/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
For the Locals in Torrance area, this is a good place for a quick power lunch with a customer or chips & beer at happy hour with good friends. Its one of those places that you feel comfortable and can relax. The food is good and you wont miss on anything on the menu. I usually go for something that they have on special that they bring you under separate menu.
The best part is the micro brew... yes local beer in Torrance?!!??! Yes. its good... -
Review from Don B.
Torrance, CA
4/19/2011
Been coming here since the first month they opened. There is nothing I don't like about this place. The beers are great, my favorite is the Motorman - which I think is a Nut Brown Ale, but I also love the Red and the Porter.
The food is pretty good, my go to is usually a sausage and bell pepper pizza. The pizza is on a wafer thin crust with a nice tomato sauce. The sausage is a pretty basic Italian Sweet, but overall, the pizza is quite good. The burgers have declined in quality over the last couple of years and I suspect that they are just using a Costco frozen patty. One of the surprises for me has been the Chicken Picatta over garlic mashed potatoes. I nice thin cutlet, delicately breaded in a nice sauce.
Early in the evening, the place is also definitely kid-friendly. -
Review from Jay B.
Updated - 2/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love coming here for lunch on occasion. Great beers, and I really like the Seared Ahi Tuna Burger. It's pretty big and filling and satisfying every time. If you haven't had one yet, theirs is one you should seek out. Pretty huge tuna steak. Pair that up with a nice cold IPA and mm mmm mmmm....always a better deal to go the pitcher route - if you have time, and if you're not working, he he he.
Service staff is pretty good. You get what you want and they're nice, but nothing to write home about. Again, not bad at all, so they're fine in my book.
Place gets pretty packed for lunch and dinner, so if you can avoid the peaks, you should be good to go. Parking is all over the place in addition to the private lot, so that's never really much of a problem either.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/26/2009
Went here for lunch w/ the coworkers. Decent bar food. Fish and Chips are okay...but the Ahi tuna… Read more »
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Review from Albert W.
5/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I'd much rather not but it's across the street from Honda. There are much better places in Torrance.
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Review from Amy M.
Hawthorne, CA
8/22/2011
If you like good food, eat here! I've eaten here twice and both times it was mouthwatering! The food is excellent & very fresh. We've tried a pasta dish, burger and sandwich and everything was really wonderful.
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Review from Jax M.
North Hollywood, CA
10/9/2010
First of all I love breweries and even more when they serve great food to pair with great beers. I went to this spot with my parents and we all found something great to try on the menu. My dad especially enjoyed his blazing noodles. The food was pretty darn good. I tried the beer sampler, they were out of 3 of the beers, but I enjoyed most of the other options none the less.
Unfortunately the service was so slow. Our server forgot to put the appetizer in, hey it happens, and the manager apologized and gave it to us on the house. Both the server and the manager were exceptionally nice.
I will give Red Car Brewery the benefit of the doubt that they were possibly understaffed at the time. I would definitely give this place a shot again, especially if I wasn't in a rush to go anywhere. I am very curious to try the beers they were out of when I visited. -
Review from Mark G.
4/8/2011
Pretty much the best restaurant in Torrance. Ever.
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Review from Tara K.
3/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Above average brewery food. Have come for lunch time a few times. This time I got the Riviera Salad (very good) and friend a pizza which he liked. Have never had the brews, but husband says they are good. Service is very fast at lunch time. Biggest plus is they have their own parking lot, which is very convenient for Old Torrance.
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Review from Boozie B.
Torrance, CA
2/21/2011
To call this place a brewery is insulting to alcoholics globally. My crew and I mobbed this joint to pre-game for a night full of sitting around, getting drunk and shit talking. What pissed me off the most about this place was not the complete lack of service but the lack of beers. What kind of brewery runs out of fuckin beers!? Seriously, it's in the god damn name. With the choice of a porter or IPA at some 6 bucks a beer I said "Fuck it, I love IPAs" The second issue arose when no one would take my fuckin order. All I wanted was a god damn beer and some spinach artichoke dip to get my night flowing and this dump couldn't even provide that. I got one beer and split. Later on.... Mission successful, I got drunk and talked some shit somewhere else.
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Review from Ken H.
Redondo Beach, CA
7/25/2011
I live in Redondo Beach and enjoy this place a lot. The brews were great and the Hanger Steak very tasty,
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Review from Emily S.
GREAATT entertainment! There is an Asian Beatles band that plays here on Sat. The were actually pretty good.
Before the meal, they brought out bread with olive oil and other stuff. I was ok... I ordered the sausage pizza and it was DELICIOUS! .. It was a build your own pizza deal.. where you pay for the pizza.. and each additional topping was 95 cents. The pizza wasn't greasy and oily like other pizza's I've had before. Check out the picture! They didn't skimp on the sausage either. :) -
Review from Ming-Jou C.
Torrance, CA
5/6/2009
2.5 stars
There are people at work who love coming to this place. And I can say that the 3 times I've been here have been with people from work. One of the times I was here, the whole place smelled like hops. Well, to me, it smelled like feet, but I was told it was because it was a brewery and it's supposed to smell like that. But during lunch? Gross.
Each time, the food has been forgettable, but the service is always great. They are very nice and the food comes out pretty quickly. The last time I went for a business lunch, I ordered the french dip, which came with fries and coleslaw. It was a bit on the salty side, but the meat was decent, and I think it was around $11. They have tropical iced tea, but I wasn't offered any refills.
For you alcoholics who like to drink during the workday, but don't want to appear intoxicated, they have a Bitburger, a german, non-alcoholic beer. I know, what's the point, right?
I'll probably come here again, but only with work peeps. You won't ever find me here on my own time. Unfortunate though, because all the wait staff there are really friendly. -
Review from Ags P.
West Los Angeles, CA
6/12/2008
Red Car rocks! Okay, so I'm going to give it four stars because I need to go one more time to try the beer, so I can possibly upgrade it to 5 stars. I know, I'm lame for going to a brewery and not having the beer. WTF, Ags? LoL! I wasn't in the beer mood. Just in the mood for food, so that's what I had!
I met up with some cousins to have dinner and chop it up about happenings in our lives. One of my cousins, who works nearby, and comes to Red Car often, suggested the Motorman burger. "Lots of cheese," she said, and bacon. Bacon...cheese...on a burger...and I read the description, which had spicy ketchup. I'm in! When my order came, lots of cheese, indeed. The burger was kind of huge, so I only had half of it. Oh, but the steak-fries that come with it...delectible! I think I would go back for the fries, alone! Large and crispy! It was great! And I had a Diet Coke to wash it all down. (In my world, a Diet Coke balances everything out, and makes me feel less guilty for eating a giant burger.)
For dessert, I was dying to try their Apple Crisp. They ran out of apples. Really? They ran out of apples? Ended up having the Creme Brulee, and the Chocolate Supreme. Creme Brulee: not good at all. Chocolate Supreme: less than par.
They also have TV's around the whole area (not just the bar). We were partly watching the Dodger game on TV. Then, after the 2nd inning, some jerk decides to change all the TV's to a throw-back Laker game. What the heck!? I'm all about basketball and all, but when there's a current baseball game going on, and you change it to a throwback basketball game? C'mon!
So in the end, Red Car is still an awesome place. Just not a dessert place. -
Review from ashley g.
Irvine, CA
5/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
delish! their focaccia bread is soooo good!!
a pizza and salad is big enough to split with me and the bf and leave us both full! they have a ton a stuff on the menu and you will definitely want to come back to try more! i love their bbq chicken salad, sooo good!!! -
Review from Greg T.
Garden Grove, CA
10/29/2008
What a treat! Last night, I wanted to take my sister out to dinner before the Lakers' game (opening night). It is sort of a tradition of mine to take her, or anyone who is accompanying me, to a local establishment that has a story to tell, and has been somewhat of an icon in the Los Angeles area.
Anyway, I did a little research for some (or any) local brew pubs that were in the direction of our travel. To my surprise, I was able to find a brewery that sounded very interesting. I had never heard of this place, and was even more surprised to find out that it occupied a building that had some historical significance (read the "About Us" page on the site). My mom has told me stories about taking the Red Car into town when she was a kid....anyway, that's for a different place and time.
Overall, my first impression was very good. Nice location. It had a "Main Steet" feel. Outside the building were some nice neon lighting that gave it a very retro appearance. We got there about 6pm. Eventhough the place wasn't too busy, the service was just ok....nothing to rave about. The most important item on my list was trying out the local brew. I'm fairly new to the craft beers, and have tried many at Beachwood BBQ (Seal Beach, Ca) so, I decided to try the South Bay IPA. For a rookie, I was very impressed. I'm not a connoiseur but, I really enjoyed the balance of flavors...smooth from start to finish. My sister was hesitant but, decided to give the Motorman Reserve a try. She doesn't like strong tasting beers and would have preferred a pilsner but, she too was surprised of what it offered. Needless to say, she enjoyed it.
Although, it may not be up to par on some of the places you've visited but, it should definitely be on your list of places to visit the next time your in town. I'm definitely going back to try the Red Car Ale. The South Bay IPA, as mentioned in other reviews, is 9% ABV so, I could only have one since, we were headed to the game.
The food was decent. I had the french dip (playing it safe), and we shared an appetizer platter, which was decent as well. The chicken satay could have some with peanut sauce but, the chicken was moist and tender. -
Review from Leslie W.
6/11/2008
Awesome service. I was super impressed by our server, Lee. He's got a great accent and was attentive to our needs, not pushy, helpful and checked in on us regularly. I had barely put down my glass of tea and he'd bring a fresh one. Oranges instead of lemon slices on tea. I like!
The bar side had huge vats of beer. One of them was foaming over with this slow moving thick curtain of wooly-looking foam. It was looking at me. I was scared. Smelled nice and yeasty in the restaurant, but not nasty. It was kinda comforting.
The bacon cheeseburger had great taste. The spinach artichoke dip was ok. Fish n chips were good. I liked the fish, but the fries were seasoned but kinda mushy, not what I expected. I had read about the garlic fries, but didn't order them. I should have. We saw another table get the chicken satay. It looked amazing. The lady who ordered it licked the plate clean. (I watched her. She really did! Ok, not really, but I could tell that she wanted to do that.)
They had wi-fi available. I was kinda surprised. A woman sat in the corner on her laptop. She ate a small plate of something and drank 4 beers. It was funny to watch her get closer and closer to her monitor, the drunker she got.
They had several games going on at the same time. I was sitting there thinking that I needed to ask them if they were playing a CD. The classic rock was pumping, but not too loud. I even watched the bartender mouthing the words to "Doctor My Eyes" by Jackson Browne. I appreciate that. I love to see someone love what they do and let loose like that.
Update 6/17: Got the hangar steak. Friggin' awesome. 2nd best steak I've had in my life. The homemade chimichurri sauce had a kick and perfectly accented the perfectly salted and grilled meat. The fries were much crispier this time. Might be one of my new faves. -
Review from Luy T.
Los Angeles, CA
11/17/2008
This place is great! I've eaten here a couple of times, both during lunch and dinner.
During lunch it's mostly a local business crowd and at dinner they have live bands (on the weekends).
This restaurant offers free wifi, they brew some great beer and the prices are decent.
The garlic mashed potatoes are AWESOME.
I tried the steak the last time with the ChimiChurri sauce and besides being a bit spicy it was excellent (and cooked to a perfect medium rare like I asked).
It's a great family owned and operated restaurant and brewery, you should check it out! -
Review from cheryl r.
Long Beach, CA
1/12/2008
Yep, it gets packed at lunch time.
the Red Car salad is simple and tasty: Spring greens topped with blue cheese crumbles and candied pecans and mixed in a light vinegarette.
Ask if they're serving the clam chowder. The "chowda" is filled with big chunks of clams and bacon swimming in a creamy broth.
In addition to the great beer, they also carry Hank's gourmet "root beer" which is hard to find. The root beer is very flavorful and robust.
I recommend that if you go, go early.
