George "Boston George" R.'s Profile

Well, I finally found a true "beer bar" in LA. Father's Office in Santa Monica is pretty good, but this place really brings home the beer. There is a constantly changing selection (I was told sometimes daily) of draught beers and a wide selection of bottled beer.

The other night, I found a great Stout on tap. We also tasted a lot of the beers (mainly because the place was deserted on a Monday night). If the scene were a painting, it would have been Edward Hopper's "Night Hawks."

We took in the entire screening of "300" that was playing on the TVs with closed captioning. So, we were in there for over 2 hours...

There is the main bar/lounge, a mid area room with low couches, and a back area with dozens of long tables. This place must really be rock'n on Thursday - Saturday to support this huge venue.

Yes, I will definitely be going back. Yes, I will bring a large group of friends. Beers, for the most part, are microbrews or speciality foreign imports. The beer I drank was only $5, but you can find quite a few for $5-$8. Way to go Verdugo.

Hmm... I haven't been in LA that long, but I do know a little something about Mexican food. As I ate my two tacos and tostada, I agreed with my friend that, "The tacos are by no means inedible, nor are they poorly prepared." They just lack spice.

Even with the hot sauce they gave--which wasn't hot at all--it couldn't mask the fact that there really wasn't much seasoning to the meat. Another point to add is that they ONLY do ground hamburger here; no other meat is served. You can get all bean/rice stuffs if you aren't into the meat.

The food wasn't greasy, it wasn't cold, and the ingredients were fresh. But it just didn't have any pizazz.

I went here for a birthday celebration and had an amazing time. In the past, I've only been to a few karaoke places and none of them had the dual flat screen action, large spacious rooms, and the kind of selection of music that this place had. Maybe I just don't get out to karoake that much.

The beers were priced right (with a 20 oz Hite beer for $7.50) and the food was... karaoke priced. Although, the best deal in there is the vegetable tempura for $10. That plate is enough food for three people. The other items seemed really good, but they were just too expensive for me.

As others have noted, it's not as shiny or fancy or whatever as some other newer (see: trendy) places, but it is clean, the service is great, the food was tasty, and the equipment is top notch. The only drawback for me was that there is no lock on the men's room... not sure about the ladies. And it wasn't easy to position your foot to jam the door to keep others from entering while sitting down. There is a lot of, "Oh sorry... I thought that... yeah... I'll wait outside."

They have a happy hour special: 4 people for $15 during the hours of 11am-4pm. Other rates apply for more people. I think there was 8 people for $35.

When I go here, I always feel comfortable because the people are a blend of ultra hipster (i.e. handlebar mustachio gentlemen), to more typical LA dress, topping it off with people like myself on the opposite spectrum wearing button down shirts and jackets. It's a big olde melting pot of gold.

The DJ spinning is normally packing some dope beats so as the night wears on, you'll probably find yourself dancing. The best part is that after a while the shells from the complementary peanuts create an ultra slick dance floor greatly improving your ability to do the moon walk.

Another favorite is the complementary tacos. Just ask for them. Who knew.

What's not so hot: the draft beer. Yeah, they've got selection, but it's pretty flat. I'm almost starting to think that it's a conspiracy in Echo Park and Silverlake to use less carbonation in all draft beer. I must stick to bottles when I go back here again.

Overall, the vibe is pretty good. I'd say this is a good place to go with a friend or five. Not the kind of place I would just show up at alone as it seems that most people are there to meet someone else the know.

This has become my default go to place for lunch if I'm with a film crew or late night with friends. I normally get the taquitto plate. My friends are always super pleased going here as the quality is pretty good and the portions are big.

I will say, since I went here three times in the period of two weeks recently, I started to notice that the Spanish rice tastes heavily of the chlorinated city water. Not an attractive spice to add.

Plus, I really dislike the dressing that they put on the limp iceberg lettuce salad. I almost want to say, "Don't bother wasting that food on me. Keep it."

I love the Horchata. It is so smooth and delicious. I've now learned to say, "Light on the ice," because if you don't, you get a cup full of ice with some Horchata added.

Still a fave place to go, but I may stray away from getting the full plates anymore because I dislike the salad and the Spanish rice.

You go here for a good time. Not the best food, not the best mixed drinks. It's to have a fun time. Happy Hour is EVERY DAY from like 4pm - 8pm (something ridiculous like that).

Do this:

Order the 2 for 1 special and get: margarita, mojito, then a beer. That's six drinks and for like $21. OK? Now order the plate of 20 hot wings with another person. After tip and taxes, $30 will get you 6 drinks and 10 wings. Start howling "Living on a Prayer" with everyone else.

With nearly 700 reviews at the time of writing my review, I don't feel compelled to say much, so I'll stick to the essence of why this is an excellent breakfast/brunch/lunch place.

1. REAL maple syrup. Not for extra money. Not served in little 4 oz. cups. Just a glass jug on the table. If you're not from the northern part of the US or Canada, you may not fully appreciate the flavor of 100% pure maple syrup vs. maple flavored corn syrup salve. I went to another place and the manager told me, "We no longer carry it for expense reasons." Guess the Griddle didn't get the memo.

2. The portions are large, so technically, you "could" share a plate. But then again, not.

3. Fresh squeezed orange juice.

4. Fast service despite the extreme crowds.

5. Outside street side tables with good people watching.

6. Excellent quality ingredients. Option for whole wheat pancakes.

Hot tip: Go before 9:20AM always.

Well... it appears I'm the first person to review this tailor for suit and sweater repair (can you tell I'm from New England?).

When I first arrived in LA, I noticed that in transnational moving, my sweaters had been terrorized by moths (one of the few things I hate in this world). They repaired the holes in all my sweaters and I can't even tell where the spots were.

However, the crowning achievement was the DRASTIC alteration done on a pair of suit pants. They masterfully made size 35 pants go to 32, removing fabric and tightening up the entire seat and inseam. When I put them back on, they looked beyond amazing.

I'm not sure where this animosity comes from other people about jeans lying on the floor, dusty floors, not being noticed... I always walk in the back door and say hello to everyone, then get my stuff fixed, talk, and leave. All jeans are neatly displayed in the front of the store. Sounds like a few Yelpers had a case of the Mondays when they went here...

Hello. My name is George and I eat meat. I have eaten a lot of burgers and for a restaurant that basically puts the name "burger" in its title, they better be ready to bring it.

If you're going here on a date or you're trying to be romantic or even trying to talk with the person at your table, it may not be possible depending on the time of night. I shared a small table with someone special on my birthday and the distance between us was comical and my arms are not short by any means. I actually looked at her and yelled, "Well, this is going in my review." She laughed because she knew EXACTLY what I was thinking.

I will say that the draft beer selection was excellent and both beers we had were flavorful and fully carbonated (an issue I've discovered with far too many LA bars).

I got the 8 oz. burger, which, for all intents and purposes, was "very good," but to command the price of $10 WITHOUT FRIES or SALAD, I felt the value to be a little bit off kilter. To make up for the lack of fries, we ordered the potato skins which were excellent. They didn't have Tapatio, but a special mesquite house blend hot sauce that was great.

All in all, the burger was "very good," but it is truly only worth $7.50 by itself. The ambiance is better set for a casual encounter with friends as opposed to any kind of intimate eating experience. What is clear is that the pricing is set for the Mid-City crowd that is willing to spend money on food that is so-so (same goes for the restaurant the "Village Idiot" just up the street). I WILL return here for beer though. That is for sure.

Oh yeah... the service was slow.

I went for an "ice cream adventure" the other day with a friend after reading about the goats milk ice cream that the owner produces in Los Angeles Magazine. It is easy to find right off the 110 and there is plenty of street parking. I see a lot of people commenting on there being food here... umm, I went for the ice cream and overall the restaurant looked completely shut down.

The goats milk ice cream was really excellent. It was smooth, highly flavorful, and rich tasting. At $3 a scoop, it's not cheap. After getting two scoops for myself and two for my friend, we were contemplating whether it would have been a better idea to buy a pint for ourselves (or if were were three people, it would have been like three scoops a person). After eating a lot of high-end gelato in Philadelphia, I'm not sure that I can say the price is totally justified. I think perhaps two large scoops for $4.50 would be more appropriate. Although, the overhead of being a small business with a niche product must command a higher price in order to survive (however, her stuff is apparently sold in Whole Foods. I think she could go easier on her local customers that actually come out to visit.)

I had a scoop of chocolate and one of lavender. Yes, lavender. It tastes exactly as it smells. If you're used to eating foods with rose water or other Eastern European/Middle Eastern flavors, you'll really like this.

The shop is only open three days a week, Friday - Sunday. They are meant as a wholesaler and only open for appointments if you're buying during the week.

Overall, I thought the flavor was great. It's just going to be a stretch for me to drive down there to get it at the price they charge.