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Categories: American (New), Wine Bars
Neighborhood: DowntownMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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I adore this place. Truly, I love it. I go here...alot.
Great beers, great wines, great food. My debit card is always pleased and impressed after a night at the Must.
As far as the ambiance goes it's one of the things I wish most places had. Maybe that's why I like the Must so much? It's dimly lit with candles on each table and, for the most part, great music. Any place that plays The Knife, Joy Division, but also can keep a group happy with something reminiscent of the Connie Frances area is perfect in my book.
Don't be afraid to have them recommend you a new beer or wine. For the prices you can afford to be a bit adventurous. If you're a party of two I recommend getting a Carafe. You'll each over a glass of wine each for the price of two.
It's all home cookin' here. Comfort food with a hint of class. The Grilled Cheese is...well, it makes my mouth water. Honestly, every time I eat here I split the food. The tater-tots are delish. I can't say they are any different than those frozen ones your mom used to make with hot dogs, however you get two tasty dipping sauces and the fact that you're sipping a nice glass of wine makes the tot-experience seem fancier than it is. Okay, not really.
I've had the following and definitely recommend it:
Tots
Pumpkin Salad
Chicken Sliders
Portobello Sliders
Grilled Chicken
Pork Chop
Grilled Cheese
Oh. and Sunday is Game Night. That's right...get your scrabble, connect four or monopoly on.
I'm so happy I live within walking distance to this place.
I love this place! I recently moved around the downtown area and The Must is my standard hang out spot when I don't have any plans on a Friday night. They have a great selection of wine and beer, as well as a long list of cheese platters. Their tater tots are really yummy, I recommend trying the food there.
Everytime I walk in, no matter how crowded it is, the waiter/waitress seems to find a table for me and my party. It's a great local crowd, and they always seem to be busy no matter what day of the week it is. The service is great, live DJ is alright but sets the mood, great artwork on the wall, and of course, food and wine is awesome! I'll give this place an A!
Make sure you check out the wallpaper in the bathrooms, they are quite memorable...
I must tell you about my experience. I already had dinner elsewhere in Downtown and then my stomach growled. We swung by The Must for a bite to eat. I was not happy when I saw $12 sandwiches.
I gotta sweet tooth, so I got the FlutterNutter (Smoked almond & roasted peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and bananas on grilled brioche with dark chocolate) for $10. It was tasty, but too sweet. I left full and sleepy.
I must say, that was one expensive peanut butter dessert! I hope you didn't charge $6 just for using 2 slices of bread. Did you import the peanut butter from another country? I thought it tasted more like cinnamon. It reminded me of cinnamon toast crunch.
I like The Must a lot. One of my favorite bar around the area. Nice and clean. Always crowded. Their happy hour is nice, with decent selection of wine and beer. The pork chop there is a must have. I even like the wallpaper they have in the restroom lol.
However, parking sucks. they don't have a lot, street parking only. And you know, its downtown.
I came here for a networking event and the happy hour menu is still open. Maybe because of the networking event, this place was packed
California Portobello Sliders are so yummiliciously cute. I taste the full portobello with a bit smoky flavor in one bite.
The grilled cheese sandwich hands down- big, perfectly-grilled, and cheesy. Salad is simply fresh. It's French food with substantial portion.
Of course wine is The Must. For whoever doesn't quite get red or doesn't like red that much, try La Linda Argentina Malbec.
There are many other interesting items on their menu that I want to try: Meaty Soy Hamburger,Chicken Pot Pie; ohhhh and dissert--Fluffernutter, smoked almond & roasted peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and bananas on grilled brioche with dark chocolate ganache, how about that?!
Service is cordial, deco is nice, food and wine is GREAT. The only thing is that it's hard to find street parking. The must was checked on my hang out spot :)
The Must (as in you Must check this place out and add to your Must try list and then Must review list) Spectacular on the menu by means of food and drink and then to top it off with witty descriptions such as (what sailors swam to shore for) (it's BANGIN) (sexiness in a glass) (Baby got Back) and (Motor Oil) Well designed establishment all around. We had 2 great bartenders that gave us awesome service and excellent suggestions. We sat at the bar for 2 whole hours that just seemed to fly by and that just didn't even feel like enough time.
My FAVORITE thing about The Must is that you can order a slice of Birthday Cake... it is straight up celebratory ice-cream birthday cake that comes with your very own candle. I was very impressed with this option and was very satisfied to finally get my slice of birthday cake.
went here on a friday night, tried to call for reservations, but they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. got in, wait was about 20 minutes.
the ambiance is pretty nice, dim lights, candles, kinda small place.
since there were no tables, we chilled by the bar ordering drinks while waiting for our table.
the port float is actually more like a shot, the picture is kinda deceiving.
the portugal red wine was good.
we also got the portobello sliders, tater tots, and mac and cheese. the sliders were really good. the tater tots and mac and cheese were pretty standard, not bad, not great.
back to the candles... saw the table next to us had a fire because the napkins caught on fire from the candle.
great deals for happy hour, and theres a 5 dollar parking lot on main, if u cant find street parking.
Semi-new wine bar in the downtown area that has an excellent choice of wine by the glass. Happy Hour $5 glass is great. Ive seen the small plates of food served and they look and smell good, and the patrons seem to love it. Also, a tap beer selection thats decent...
Street parking after 6pm or if you get there at 4pm to start the HH, park in a lot down the street for $5 all night.
Gets pretty loud in this space so calling it a "wine bar" could be deceiving. Its more a beer and wine only bar that acts like a small nightclub. Been treated very well every time I show up, so I keep going back for more. Cheers!
3.5
There's a new chef at the Must and unfortunately, the mac and cheese isn't as good. It tasted like Kraft to me but somewhat grainy. Jeff S thought it was too oily and not cheesy enough.
Otherwise we had a good time. The tater tots are pretty good (though O Bar's version with truffle oil is better). I tried the Sloppy Joe last night and liked it enough to get it again (but not over the chicken pot pie). I also tasted Jeff's General Tso's Fu which was surprisingly very good. It just didn't have enough rice.
The place was packed last night which made me very happy everyone was at this Downtown gem.
A great place for happy hour for sure!
I came back last Saturday night for dinner. Although I really wanted to get the chicken pot pie… Read more »
So if you are going to The Must, Happy Hour there is THE MUST!
When we first got there, it was packed and impossible to grab a seat. We had about 8 people joining us that night, but since my boyfriend and I were the only ones there on time (gosh this always happens) we quickly grabbed a seat for two that opened right when we walked in and sat down.
We ordered so much since we went there HUNGRY. Grilled cheese Sandwich, mac n cheese, did we order tater tots? And ofcourse beer and wine!
After we ordered our food and wine, the booth next to us was paying their bill. We grabbed the waitress and she told us that she would save that seat for us, so we didn't have to wait there nervously eying the people that were about to leave.
By the time everyone arrive, we were comfortably seated at the booth and the food came out. If you think about it, all the food is lunch kid's lunch food~ but it was REALLY good.
Service was definitely great for a busy happy hour, food and price was very satisfying. I would come back here for Happy Hour again!
The food and wine here are very good especially for the price. The happy hour menu is superb!!! My favorite place for happy hour, especially since they have it 7 days a week! The happy hour wines are very decent and at $3-4 a glass I am in love. I had a very good glass of Rose the last time I was here too. The sangria is very good too but I can't take more than one glass of anything with sugar in it or I get an instant intense headache... and these were so tasty I had 3... needless to say I had my head in my hands for the rest of the night.
$3 for a generous plate of olives, that's cheaper than my local deli!! And I am always gaga for olives.
All in all I am a fan and will use every excuse to go here for hh or dinner
:-D Dying to try that coca-cola porkchop dish!!
I'd love to give this place a good rating, but I didn't even get to try this place because of the horrible service!
I come in with two girlfriends, we're stoked about the Yelp reviews and ready to eat. We walk in, and no one greets us which is fine because I can call for attention. A few waiters rush past me so fast they don't hear my hollers. Finally, I flag a waiter down and I ask how long the wait is. When he responds 15 minutes I offer my name for him to take down. He tells me he doesn't need it and walks away. 20 minutes pass and no table! That's when we give up and head over to Pete's to enjoy their blue cheese fries.
You must not come here because it is just the perfect level of bumping. I can get a table or find a seat at the bar but my stupid comments dont aggressively echo making me feel self conscious. You must avoid happy hour, it is for locals and I want dibs on all of their boardgames. I do not want to wait my turn for Jenga or Sorry or Connect Four.
If you have to come here, then you must ask the bartenders about whats on tap. They can break down each beer to its flavor, ingredients, alcohol content, colo. Their suggestions are informed and accessible. You must get the truffle fries. I love my ketchup but the flavor on these suckers is just freaking exquisite.
You must boogle at the fact that the saturday night DJ is "Cool Like Dat" And if you must keep the party going you can just cross the street to the easy sleazy breezy Down and Out or the beautiful Crocker Club or run with the cool kids at the 107 down the block.
Downtown is the best place in LA. SO STAY THE FUCK OUT!!!!!!!!
Cute little place with memorable restroom wallpaper (must check out), a loud, eclectic crowd and one of the slowest, unapologetic service ever!
It was the girls night out and we decided to check out another wine bar midway. The Must literally sounded like a must try and someone had actually read raving reviews of its comfort food, so The Must it was!
Everyone else went for happy hour specials, I ordered a glass of the Sonett Baden Germany 2005, juicy with a very fragrant, I swear I could have sniffed on that thing all night long!
We shared a basket of the School House Tater Tots, absolutely addictive, had had these since probably high school. I had the portobello sliders, just delicious. Also tasted what friends ordered, mac & cheese was phenomenal, steak was unexpectedly yummy, the truffle fries? not so much, it was more of the fries less the truffle. Pork chop was just alright, not tender nor juicy. Butternut squash soup on the other hand was a big comfort :)
For dessert, we shared a port-infused bread pudding. Y U M! One of the best bread pudding ever!!! but we waited probably more than 30 minute for it to come and our server wasn't even apologetic about the delay, we had to haunt her down the entire night. I admit the Bar was getting full, but no way it was busy to the degree that you don't take care of your patron!!!
If you don't mind the wait, it's interesting to check out.
2 1/4 stars. Mari and I met up for happy hour, I was a bit hesitant, but I know she loves this place and decided, wth, she has taken one for the team with me.
As I expected, the place was a bit empty, but patrons were trickling in steadily. By the time we left, the place was pretty full.
Service: it is still horrid. Our server only made guest appearances, and at times I felt I was about to grab her by the arm and make her listen to our order.
Music: still all over the place. I don't understand how you can go from Joe Jackson (steppin' out) to hip hop/borderline gangster rap.
40's in a bag: really? :|
*hatred*
Wow, really? This place went from awesome to flotsam in the space of a few months. The…
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I took a wine making (viticulture and enology) class and I know "must" refers to the juice from freshly pressed grapes. . .but I also know that it contains the mushy mess of skins, seeds, stems, etc. from the fruit. The name also conjures up the word "musty" in my head, which is synonymous with mildew, damp and decay. MmmMmnnn. . .beautiful thoughts before dinner!
I found the place through. . .where else but Yelp! I consulted BH and we both decided we MUST go there for dinner and drinks - and we did this past Thursday. You gotta park on the street or park in a lot when you go here. We came here around 7:30 PM and we found parking on Main St. around the corner. There was no wait - we were seated immediately at a twosome table. It's small and EXTREMELY DARK inside. I had to use my candle to read the print. And let me tell you, the menu is overloaded with script - reading it almost gave me a headache.
The bathroom is extremely gross. There are three stalls, and when I excused myself to use the restroom, to my disgust, I saw one stall was out of order and another was OVERFLOWING and didn't flush. Nasty? Indeed!
But despite these few drawbacks, I was quite impressed with the food. I got the portobello sliders and BH got the grilled cheese with cheddar and humboldt fog goat cheese with a side order of garlic fries (comes with a salad, but for two dollars extra you can sub fries). The grilled cheese was HUMONGOUS. The bread was so buttery and grilled to golden brown perfection. Each bite was flaky and crunchy while the cheddar oozed out from the sides of the bread with each bite. The goat cheese was tangy and so creamy, it literally melted in your mouth. The fries were crisp and had a nice garlic flavor to them. The garlic wasn't overwhelming but just right. My portobello sliders were cute and also quite tasty. The brioche bun was eggy, soft and a little greasy; the mushroom was juicy and meaty tasting. The sundried tomato aioli dressing for the sliders was zesty and tart while the caramelized onions were slightly sweet and complimented the smoky mozzarella nicely.
I ordered a glass of the Barbera and BH got a glass of the Casatlou/Syrah. I LOVED my Barbera - each sip was smooth, slightly spicy and warm. BH's blend was okay. . .it was a little bitter imo. The description for the wine was "baked snickerdoodle" . . . and I KNOW the wine wouldn't taste like a cinnamony sugar cookie. But now that you got the idea in our heads - what else are we going to expect??
I definitely will come back here again. This place seems like a nice hangout for after work professionals. Service was a little slow and inconsistent. Our waitress immediately asked us when we sat down whether or not we wanted to order, and we said we weren't ready. It took her forever and a day to come back to take our orders. The drinks and food came out quickly, however. Unfortunately, when we wanted to leave, our waitress conveniently disappeared near the end of the meal.
So, 4 stars for the food, 1 star for the bathroom, 3 stars for the service.
Ironically I'd texted my friend saying that i MUST see him that night, so I thought it apropo that we go to The Must.
I found it on Yelp and trusted that if nothing else it would be cute, and cute is was. Big Cozy booths, dark and moody, ecclectic crowd, and they even had 40 oz bottle of Mickey's and Old English on the shelves. Where or how could you go wrong there?
My friend and I decided to share everything so we had the tater tots as an appetizer, with some kinda dipping sauces. They were tater tots, what can I say. Just as good as they were in the cafeteria when we were kids. We had had the mussels, and the salmon and grits.
The mussels were damn near amazing, the salmon was good, although a small portion, however the taste was great. It was a perfect place for great conversation and healthy glasses of wine and our cute helpful waiter with his half shaved head.
I don't know that I would make a special trip to DTLA to return but if I was in the area I would give it a another whirl.
I went to The Must with a group of friends tonight. Besides the unusual wait and the girl spilling sparkling wine on me we had a wonderful time. The mixed drinks are out of control. I am a Nigori Sake snob, and was not disappointed in the least.
At first I thought the crowd was super snob, but au condraire, my friend. We met some of the coolest peeps ever! Lawyers who defended the poor and proudly called me b1tch after I talked about girl sx and anal s3x all night? And want to hang with me? I am in luv. I plan on spending many of my soon-to-be free nights hanging out with this uber cool crowd.
Please try one of the cheese trays, or the grilled cheese sandwich! Awesome!
"I Must! I Must! I Must increase my bust!"
This place is as ironic as Soleil Moon Frye playing Punky Brewster in a PSA episode on self-image, feeling insecure about her small prepubescent chest size, only to find out years later she actually needed a breast reduction in real life.
Who would have thought you could have been offered a glass of $100 bottled wine with a side of tater tots and ranch?
With a diverse and witty menu, this growing DTLA attraction has drinks that include the likes of "Braque Obama" mixed drink, tall cans of "Old Milwaukee (cooler than PBR)", and eats like "The Dirty South Porkchop" and "The Must Meaty Soy Hamburger Helper". The choice descriptions alone provide ticklish entertainment to cheer you up after a Dilbert-esque day at the office.
Although there were something really interesting things I wanted to try (and probably will in the future), the GF and I were in the mood for sangria and cheese.
We ordered:
Roaring 40's Blue with bread:
A definite deal at $6 bucks considering the hunk of cheese was huge and that you'd play at least that amount if you bought it at Trader Joe's. It's as if they gave us the whole moldy cow udder... Mmmm...Mildly pungent and complex blue cheese...an acquired taste, and not everyone's favorite, but I loved it. The bread was soft and fresh, and we ended up ordering another half-loaf.
Smokey Bacon Jam:
Smoked bacon chopped into bits and mixed into honey. Yup- it tastes exactly like that. This sweet and salty side offered a contrast to the cheese. I even put cheese on bread, then topped it with the jam. Man oh man...
Lemon Zesty Olives:
A lot of assorted olives with lemon and salt. The GF usually hates olives, but these made her a "Born-Again Olive Snacker." They were good and I would have finished them but I already met my recommended weekly intake of sodium.
Elbow Mac & Cheese w/Bacon:
Tasted fine, but a bit soupy which may not be your cup of tea.
White Sangria:
Not as good as the Black Sangria. Just go for the Black.
Black Sangria:
A definite creeper and drink to be enjoyed multiple times judged by the GF's buzzed state and "berry-laden-in-every-other-tooth" smile.
Braque Obama:
Refreshing just like our President's first day of office.
Some $7 cabernet:
Slightly forgettable after sipping on some sangrias. Whether that's my fault for spoiling my tastebuds, who knows.
Seasonal Pumpkin Bread Pudding:
All I have to say is that I wish my GF looked at me like that.
Overall, the venue size was perfect. Big enough for a small group to have a lovely conversation without having to knock someone out while lifting your fork, but homey enough that you don't get lost looking for the bathroom. The booths by the windows are perfect for scoping the whole scene. Soak it up and see what you can spy....some kitchy wall-paper in the bathroom...a wandering pirate... anything goes...
Have fun and poke fun- that's the point of this place.
Tips:
The Happy Hour is great, but get there by at least 5:30. It is swarmed with people by 6:15. Our server got overwhelmed at this time, but it was also his first day, so we gave him a pass for being a little frantic and forgetting a drink we ordered and forgetting to check up on us. We could tell his heart was in the right place, but yeah, he was definitely overwhelmed. Don't even try coming here during Artwalk unless you're here at 3pm. It just won't work.
This is a perfect bar for the neighborhood, and walking distance from the Red Line Pershing Square stop. You'll probably have to pay for parking at a lot or find an open meter (which can be challenging in DTLA depending on the time.)
Black Sangria and Bacon Mac & Cheese were both recommended and were both really good.
Chicken Sliders were really nice too. Ordered a plate of olives that was so big it would be hard to finish.
Happy Hour = awesome prices and a good selection of their featured items.
List of a la carte cheeses was really deep, just wish they did some sort of mixed plate option.
If you're an LA bar trying to win my heart too bad, The Must already has it. But, really if you know me at all what else can you expect from a place that serves carafes of cava, mac and cheese, cheese plates and tater tots? Um, the correct answer is nothing.
Beyond the food mentioned above (all of which we indulged in) Nick and I also tried the chicken potpie, which was fantastic.
And as if that wasn't enough The Must also has board games. I know that board games can be divisive in bars, but I happen to land squarely on the side that thinks there is nothing more fun than drinking a carafe of cava while beating the pants off of someone in Connect 4 or the game of Life.
All of that alone was enough to make me fall head over heals for The Must, but then they threw in a sweet happy hour and play the "ma-na-ma-nah" song from Sesame Street while I was there and that was all she wrote. In fact, I'm petitioning Sir Nicholas to see if we can move closer to The Must so I can go more frequently.
Decent food. The grilled cheese is over the top and worth trying although I wish they would switch the salad out for soup - it's just too much to eat. The Roaring 40's blue cheese is very tasty - I'll have again - but I wish they had a cheese sampler so I would be tempted to try some other cheeses. The wine selection is ok, but just ok. Nothing I'd get really excited about but the prices are reasonable.
Went back sooner than anticipated, but excited since it was a Sunday and they have game night, of the board variety, not the NFL kind. Noticed that it is incredibly dark in The Must, which is not so conducive to playing "smart" games like scrabble. The vibe on Sunday was definitely more chill than when I was there earlier in the week. The background music wasn't as hip or smooth as I remember. Meh.
Tried the Black Sangria and tragically, wasn't thrilled with it. I'm not so much a fan of pulp and this bad boy had every berry seed imaginable in every sip. It was not a pleasant experience (but if you like berries, you would thoroughly enjoy), so maybe next time I will stick to the Down Brown or Brown Down beer ($5 during happy hour).
Ordered three appetizers from the happy hour apps menu, Tater Tots, Soft Pretzel and Mac N Cheese. None of them were outstanding and I didn't particularly care for the mac n cheese (though I am not a huge fan to begin with), but neither did Hazel Q. We did notice a gentleman with the grilled cheese and that looked absolutely divine!
Overall, it was more about the conversation and card games that made this a pleasant Sunday evening.
Point Break on the small, VHS-equipped television for my visual stimulation.
A Tribe Called Quest…
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3.5 stars.
On our way to a comedy show, the boy and I decided to have dinner at The Must. While their selection of wine is *AMAZING* I'm sad to say that their food is...eh? Mediocre at best. My boyfriend ordered the steak and fries while I ordered the Portobello Mushroom sliders. Once again the food was OK. not the best but not the worse.
BUT, that shouldn't discourage you in coming to the MUST. The wine selection is extensive, thorough and reasonably priced. They also have a great selection in cheese to accompany your wine.
If you're looking for a place to relax, catch up w/friends or impress a date, this place is great. Not to mention they're choice in music is superb. Spinning anything from Indie hits to the incredible Nas.
I'm sold!
I went here at the suggestion of another yelper to taste 1 specific drink, and oh my god, i really love this place. It's just a little place that seems to reside somewhere between the usual douche bag and hipster crowds that are so common to downtown, in what seems to be it's own happy little niche that I will call: "NORMAL" people. The bartenders were so helpful and totally friendly, and same with the hostess/waitresses. One bartender even came to the aid of my friend and I when a drunk man was bugging us a little. I instantly felt comfortable and welcome here.
I didn't try the food but I will next time. We came on a Friday night around 11 and sat at the bar. The coconut sake and toasted coconut beer were absolutely delicious. Per the bartender, they serve coconut sake bombs, which I am actually really excited to try. My friend got a Purple Otter Pop and it totally tasted like a grape soda. We also did wine agave shots, because that's my friend's thing, and I don't think I'll ever touch tequila again, these were so much better.
The menu is really funny, I totally got a kick out of it. Calling Lambic framboise "Chick Beer" as it's description, for example. Or referring to one red wine as "Sexy in a bottle".
Seems any sort of attire would be cool here. Fit right in dressed up a little in heels, but would feel fine in jeans and flats. They close at midnight, but they won't kick you out if you've still got a drink and encourage you to stay and take your time.
I can't wait to go back and try some other menu items.
Had the East vs. West Sloppy Joe - the sauce was a little sweet but it was a very satisfying burger. Luckily, I came 5 minutes before happy hour ended on a Saturday night, and so I got a Black Sangria for $4 instead of $7. Both were pretty dang yummy.
The music is, yes, a little loud, and the service is, yes, a little slow, but the overall feel of The Must was chill and unpretentious. It was nice to eat there with a group of friends. Dunno if I'll be back anytime soon, but the food, company, and experience were all great in my book!
The Must?
More like "The Good Place to go when you are already a few drinks in and are heading home and you want to have some mother effing tater tots in your belly before you go to sleep."
Date brought me here for happy hour. We never made it out to dinner. Nice, chill atmosphere and friendly staff. Wine list was decent. The drinks were intriguing but I stuck to wine. Will definitely have to try the coconut nigori sake with coconut lager sake bomb--and I am no sake bomb drinker.
Appetizers didn't really interest me though the dipping mustard to the pretzels was tasty.
Mussels and fries were divine. Lots of garlic without being overpowering and the truffle oil gave it a nice little aftertaste.
Don't bother coming here on Art Walk night. It's impossible to get a table. I randomly came here on a Wednesday and it was still packed. The food was amazing. I had a bunch of stuff and it's highly affordable. I love pot pies so I decided to try it. It's not your traditional pot pie and they had a different take on it. It was basically a biscuit served with white sauce on top of it and topped with goat some goat cheese spread. Don't judge because let me tell you, it was delicious. I have to come back again and try the food here.
I feel like the MUST and I got off on the wrong foot, but there's still hope.
They were very friendly and helpful taking my reservation and then adjusting when almost half our large group dropped out within hours of our seating time.
The Happy Hour specials are awesome and all the food is totally delicious. But we had kind of uneven service and my "medium" burger came out still raw in the center, so I had to send it back. They were really accommodating and actually cooked a whole new burger (which didn't taste like it had been spit on).
The other weird thing was that they had no coffee - there's french press coffee listed on the menu and they had already run out when we arrived before 7 pm. They also didn't have any olive oil for either bread dipping or salad dressing substitution. Kind of strange.
But the food, wine and happy hour prices are good enough that I wouldn't write this place off.
I'm a bit torn about how to rate this place. My expectations may have been high, given some of the other ratings on Yelp, as well as the descriptive and super-fun menu they posted on their website. I was looking forward to some good, flavorful sangria and some tasty appetizers to end my night. Instead, I got watered-down sangria and some mediocre appetizers.
I went with some friends on a weekday, after 9pm, so the crowd had thinned and it was easy to get a seat. As a wine bar/restaurant, I think the decor inside fits what it's trying to go for as a cool, downtown scene. A DJ was spinning up front (although, s/he was seated at one of the dining tables, rather than being set up properly, so it had an element of tackiness rather than urban chic).
My friends and I ordered:
- a pitcher of white sangria (white wine + peach)
- cheese plate with Humboldt Fog (goat cheese), Spanish Manchego, black pepper honey and salami
- wild mushroom and goat cheese toast
- tater tots with cheese fondue dip and house ranch dip
- pretzel with spicy mustard sauce
- barack obama, not yo' mama's wine spritzer and purple otter pop cocktails
I'm going to do the compliment sandwich (compliment + diss + compliment) and see how far it takes me through the list of things we ordered...
Their cheese plate offerings are respectable. I personally love Humboldt Fog, so I was excited to see it on the menu. I was also impressed with the Spanish Manchego they offered -- it's been hard for me to find one that doesn't taste completely bland (my bad luck, I think). But, a cheese plate is a cheese plate, and should not be the basis of a good or bad review.
The white sangria was pitiful. I've frequently made homemade sangria, have had homemade sangria, and honestly, it's not that difficult to make a good pitcher of sangria. You need the right ingredients, a little time and you can have a great little party of a drink in hand. Their white sangria tasted watered-down (and we sipped immediately after being served our pitcher, so there is no way the ice could have melted that quickly). I'm pretty sure they used some sort of peach concentrate/syrup, rather than the real thing, because the drink had a orange-y hue to it. The drink contained no actual fruit. Isn't the whole point of sangria to drink it to get the fruit prize at the end?
The tater tots, on the other hand, were done well. Perfectly crispy, toasted, warm, delicious... the cheese fondue was okay. The house ranch dip was a bit sweet for my tastes, but they did not screw up the tater tots.
The mushroom and goat cheese toast was okay. It isn't memorable, in a positive or negative way.
The pretzel? Pitiful. It was hot, but it was hard (eating the pretzel caused a firestorm of 'that's what she said' jokes at the table). Mind you, it wasn't crispy-on-the-outside-but-moist-and-chewy-on-the-i nside. No... it was just hard and plain. Honestly, it seemed like the kind you would get at Costco and it wasn't baked properly. We barely could split the thing to all have a taste of it. Pretty terrible.
Finally, the rest of our cocktails. We got a variety this time and selected, as I mentioned above, the Barack Obama (white wine + soda water + lime juice?), the Purple Otter Pop, and the Not Yo Mama's Wine Spritzer.
The Barack Obama apparently is just a cute marketing gimmick with an existing Spanish drink. It has nothing to do with our current President (disappointing... alas). The drink was a bit bland, but I still drank it.
The Purple Otter Pop tastes like a purple otter pop and brought back fond memories of childhood. It got my thumbs-up.
The wine spritzer? Don't get it. It tastes like prunes. If you like prunes, go ahead and order it, but if you like your taste buds to be happy and merry, don't get it.
Would I go back? Probably... if only to give it another shot. I didn't try any of the entrees or the desserts, so I feel like there is more to be explored. I also need to try the black sangria, which supposedly is far better than what I got...
I had a wonderful time at The Must last night for a friend's birthday dinner. At first I was all...What? A wine bar? That won't do, I want to PARTY tonight! But turns out they had us more than covered on that front, from the coconut sake bomb to the Mustgarita, which uses some kind of strong agave wine that sure as heck tastes like tequila to me.
We decided to go family style and ordered some starters and some mains and we enjoyed all of them:
- Chicken pot pie: didn't come out piping hot, but it was amazing, and comes with a big ass biscuit just sitting in there!
- Steak and fries...I was sad because we ordered it medium, but it came out nicely pink the way I like it. The fries were also great.
- Chicken sliders: This was the one I didn't love. The chicken was kind of tough and I'm not sure what a good touch the pickle was.
- Tater tots. No explanation needed. Tater tots.
- Wild mushroom and goat cheese toast. Thought it would be a little dainty for our ravenous appetites but it was really satisfying!
We had an awesome waiter, whose name I didn't get but we affectionately referred to as Two Face because he had a half haircut and beard thing going on. He was super professional and friendly and the best part of the night was when he brought out our friend's birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to her in full-on Pavarotti mode. Amazing!!!!
What a way to start off 2010!
Not too bad only waited maybe 10 minutes for a table on a Saturday night. While we waited we looked over the various yelp reviews, thinking oh this is just going to be good. Its one of those things where the concept of the food sounds so yum but the execution didn't work.
We tried to order steak and fries but the waitress put a fast stop to that as she had to check if there were any left. Negative. Then the other girls tried to order the Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Salad. Another "We are out of that.. but we do have a Cesar Salad"
I settled for the California Portobello Sliders and Mac n Cheese w/Bacon.
We waited and waited, randomly my Portobello Sliders came out. I tried to wait for everyone elses food but there was none in sight. My friend asked where was our food and the waitress told us that the kitchen was crazy. When some of our food finally came, it was served by who seemed to be a manager and he apologized saying one of the fryers broke and they only had one. He assured us that the rest of our food would be coming soon. What made me mad was that our waitress didn't have the nerve to tell us that nor ask us if we needed any refills.
So after all this time, this is what I ended up with...
California Portobello Sliders - eh alright, too much bun for the portobello and the toppings..
Mac n Cheese w/Bacon - Missing the mm mm goodness! It was watery and the breadcrumbs on the top wernt even browned. They must have forgot to add the bacon, because none was to be found. Shockingly, I didn't finish it cause it was a waste. (People that know me, know that I will eat even tho its mediocre)
Tater Tots - frozen tater tots with some parsley sprinkled on it. If its a toss up between Tater Tots and their fries, I'd take the fries.
At the end, we ended up not even spending our time trying to order dessert and we just asked for the check. They did tho comp part of our meal as it was a bit of a disaster.
So for me "The Must" is not a Must. Next!
A downtown Must! Pun intended! Definitely one of the best spots downtown. The place is fairly small, but has a cool decor and vibe, very much like spots in NYC. Street parking or lots, like usual. A good crowd, late 20s-early 30s. Turns into a bar scene later on.
Black Sangria - A-mazing. This is one of the best Sangria's I've ever had.
Grilled Cheese - Definitely one of their best items. This is a damn good grilled cheese.
Tater Tots- Seriously, who doesn't like tater tots? Cheese dip is a nice added touch.
Chicken Pot Pie - Not a big fan of this in general, but very good as far as CPPs go.
Grilled Chicken - A disappointment. Overly salted and boring.
still awesome.
they have a few new items on the menu:
-sloppy joe: premium ground chuck with a special mixture of a japanese and american BBQ sauce. MUST try.
-fish sticks: didn't have them but the way casey described it, it sounded pretty damn good
-burger: will definitely try this one next time
AM and i ordered tater tots, the cheesesteak sandwich and the sloppy joe. totally stuffed afterwards. also can't miss out on the black sangria :) yum. another great experience here!
this is a great little wine bar in the heart of downtown. they've got a great happy hour until 7pm… Read more »
Wow, the food sounds great...but didn't have any. Quick stop on our merry NYE bar-hoppin round. The decor is chill & swanky. Kitschy pattern restroom wallpaper was most memorable.
My girls dig it. Me, not so much--simply b/c of foul air congestion/bad ventilation got to my lungs & teary eyes. Something MUST've happened in their kitchen involving fish; that, or excessive orders on this item poured in. That particular night, for a sec, a look around of predominant Asian diners might explain the situation. I'm Asian. I'm fond of fish dishes. So no racist remark intended. Kinda like beans & Mexi...eh, I won't go there...even though my Latin pals can vouch.
Live DJ music is fantastic...too bad no room for dancing except a tiny awkward elbow room near the doors.
Went to The Must on a Sunday for Happy Hour and I loved it! The vibe is nice and relaxing, I easily found street parking, and the food and drinks were well priced for a place like this.
I definitely recommend trying one of their sangrias (HH $4). I tried the black and white sangrias and both were fruity and didn't skim on the alcohol. Also tried a bowl of tomato and red pepper soup, the tater tots, and the portabello mushroom sliders which were the bee's knees.
I'll definitely continue to hit up The Must for Happy Hour. Oh and Sundays are game nights. So see how well you can do at drunken Scrabble!
I'm totes down with The Must.
Earlier this year Tara C. was telling me about this place and she said like 4 phrases that made me realize this place was right in Ladyhawke's wheelhouse
-Mac-n-Cheese
-Artisan Meat and Cheese plates
-Wine Bar
-Happy hour
I finally got to take Ladyhawke here after the UniqueLA expo last sunday and boy was I right. She loved the place. A carafe of bubbly for 12 bucks. Rad. Delicious small plates. More Rad. Freaking Connect-4 and tons of other boardgames. Double Rad!!!
This is the kind of place that we would go to all of the time if we could walk there. I love it and I know we'll go back.
i needed to grab a bite before going to the edison, so that drunk wouldn't happen instantly. I guess that counts as "dinner"
everything that i tasted was absolutely delicious.
- the general tsofu thing was super yummy
- grilled cheese with humboldt fog + manchego. I ordered a side of port soaked figs with this, and it was fantastic. also a huge sandwich, you could easily split this with a friend!
this place loses 2 stars though for having really really slow service. it was nice service, but so slow that I felt kind of invisible despite sitting right in the middle of the small restaurant.
another star for being way too dark to read the menu.
i think that if i came back for happy hour, I'd give them 4 stars... so I'll have to come back for that.
I am tempted to command that The Must lose its status as a "wine bar" and rather be called a "loud bar that serves wine"
I had high hopes... good company, happy hour, a crisp (though windy) wintry night. They were quickly dashed.
First: service sucked. I am sure our server is a nice person.. really.. but when we sit there for 10 minutes with empty plates and glasses with nary a soul to be found - except talking around the bar to the other servers - that is a bad sign.
Sangria and wine were ok, the black sangria was an interesting and very fruity concoction that was repeated in our (very delayed) 2nd and 3rd rounds. I had a glass of the happy hour shiraz grenache that was nice. Water that we ordered.. never appeared.
The happy hour menu was what we ordered from, not a giant selection on our table, but we did try the pretzels, which were good texture and flavor with just the right amount of salt and course mustard. The mac and cheese was ok. but was so liquidy, we joked it should be included on the soup menu.
Now to the ambiance... the decor was nice and could have lent itself to be a really cozy, comfortable place. Instead, you get REALLY LOUD MUSIC BLARING THROUGH THE PLACE. Not too appealing, is it? No. It was not even a good mix. It was some incongruent mix that went from rap to Yaz to pop to classic rock. Had it been good, I might have forgiven it, but it was not, so it was an even more irritating interruption to the conversation with my companion. Turn that crap down. Seriously.
I find it a pretty sad sign when a fairly decent priced happy hour is empty. Seriously. Lots-o-empty tables.
Work on the music, people. Work on being a place that is more conducive to enjoying the wine, dinner companions and a decompression period after work.
Oh.. and what is up with the wallpaper in the bathroom??? brown with women holding wine bottles riding hot dogs.. seriously? *sigh*
"Racked" a weekly pool…
Neighborhood: Downtown
Come Unwind - One Olive at a…
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Bars
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