Father's Office

Father's OfficeFather's Office
Father's OfficeFather's Office
Bar, Eatery

1018 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, California, 90403-1604
United States

(310) 393-2337 | map
fathersoffice.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.19
Reviews:
65
Ratings:
87
pDev:
10.74%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by drewone:
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Rated by drewone from California

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

Feb 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.14 by slasich from Pennsylvania

May 16, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by TylerKing from California

Jul 21, 2018
 
Rated: 4.59 by evanwoertz from California

Jul 10, 2017
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Rated by Intlpostman from California

3.91/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Good Selection, but the staff are a bit pretentious.
May 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.31 by Beervana from Canada (BC)

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by mig100 from Texas

Apr 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.58 by SveNss0N from Massachusetts

Apr 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.19 by J_K from California

Apr 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by d_kizzle from California

Mar 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by LADaveBN from California

Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DCLAguy11 from California

Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by jwolfe1311 from California

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by wethorseblanket from California

Oct 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by ubiq3000 from California

Aug 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Rollzroyce21 from California

Jun 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Bramsigman from California

Jun 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by GRG1313 from California

May 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by countrybat from California

May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Bnoise11 from California

Apr 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by trubeernick from California

Feb 27, 2014
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Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Stopped in here for dinner last night, I have wanted to check this place out for years now glad I could finally stop in. Atmosphere is pretty laid back but busy at the same time. Tables are shared amongst groups so they are hard to come by. We got lucky and two people left the bar so we snagged the seats right away. Service was solid. They were always around to get me a beer but they weren't the most approachable people either. Quality was top notch. My food was high quality and my beers were all served in the proper glasses so no complaints there. Selection was killer. Abyss, §ucaba etc. on-tap were all pleasant surprises that I was able to partake in. I had heard nothing but amazing thing about the burgers so I knew what I was getting when we walked in and I was not let down, it was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. Prices were a touch high but I was expecting that going in. Overall an awesome place to stop in Santa Monica, I would return in a heartbeat.
Feb 12, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by g_jenkins from California

Dec 03, 2013
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Reviewed by PhillyStyle from Georgia

4.49/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Visited on a Tuesday or Wednesday night for one of the game of the World Series and arrived 7:30 – 8pm and the place was crazy packed. I managed to talk a guy out of his seat at the bar, which probably only accommodated 15-20 people. The place had a great vibe to it; it was pretty loud, but not so much that it lessened the experience. They had a ton of good beer options on tap, different breweries and different styles, with the day’s specials on a chalk board above the wall-o-taps. I ordered a Weizenbock and an ESB to go with my burger and frites. The burger was very good, as were the frites. The staff was very knowledgeable about the beers and their service was good all the way around. After finishing my meal and I was about ready to order, I spot a tap on the wall that I did not believe was on the menu and asked for the beer menu back. Sure enough, they had Pliny the Elder on tap and were not advertising it. I asked the bartender if that tap was just for show and she replied “Nope, there is beer behind that tap.” I had to order one, as I had only had one a few years back while visiting Denver. Overall, a great experience. I can’t believe that I had been to Santa Monica/L.A. a few times before and did not hit the place up. You can bet that the next time that I am, I will be at the Father’s Office. A must try for any BA.
Nov 23, 2013
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Reviewed by GentlemanQuan27 from California

4.61/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I LLLOOOVVVEEE (deep breath) this place! The whole atmosphere and how they have things set up is great. This place is great for one on one dates or any type of dates. If you have crazy friends, don't bring them to this place. This place won't tolerate that shit. But, this is a great place for great beers, wines, and everything. Limited menu, but for what's on the menu, its great
Oct 08, 2013
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Reviewed by ChanChan from California

3.89/5  rDev -7.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.25
I had always wanted to visit this place. I saw a tv show mention their office burger so I was really looking forward to it.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was fine, very loud as you would expect on a Saturday afternoon. The place had mostly a hipster crowd, but maybe these people were just the regular Santa Monica crowd!

Quality: The quality of the beer was good, this place had several different beers to choose from, mostly on draft. Unlike other awesome places, I could not find any special reserve bottles on their menu.

Service: Good!

Selection: Decent!

Food: I had their Office Burger, medium rare. I also had their frites and a side of their Patatas Bravas. I was not impressed with their food. The office Burger was good but it was not mind blowing. I would definitely give it another chance at impressing me tho.

Value: The prices here are standard. The only thing I don't like is their minuscule $1 tasters!! An ounce of beer is never enough to judge weather you like a beer or not!!
May 07, 2013
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Reviewed by Bang34 from California

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 5
This is THE FIRST gastropub in America according to many sources. Chef Sang Yoon was a regular at this Santa Monica hang out and after two years of haggling bought it in 2000, installed a kitchen, expanded the tap list and the rest is history.

This place is most famous for it's burger. It has been called the best burger in LA, even named the best burger in the country by Esquire Magazine. The burger is very good, as is the rest of the food, which most people do not even try because they just get the burger. Beyond the food, this place stands out for its beer selection.

They have 36 craft brews on tap. No cow-towing to Bud-Miller-Coors. They never even have Blue moon on tap. It is all focused on local, Belgian or craft offerings. This is the only place in LA that almost always has a beer from Russian River Brewing, usually Pliny the Elder and/or Perdition, thanks to the owner's personal friendship with Vinny. The taps continue through different styles from breweries like Stone, Hanger 24, Allagash, Beechwood, Taps, Surf Brewing, Strand Brewing, Anchor, North Coast et. al.

In bottles you have even more options representing imports including Trippel Karmielt, Caracol, Orval, Duvel, Hitachino, Russian River sours (Suppication, Consecration, Temptation), Westmall and more.

They also have a good wine list featuring small artisan vintners.

The place is small, like a place in a strip mall before strip malls were invented. The seating is open. Grab a spot when and where you can. The decor is spartan; yellow wood paneling a bar along the side and 11 tables that you can fit 4-6 people around. Pop-rock on the sound system and one TV with whatever game is on, but no sound for the TV, they are not a sports bar.

Grab a bar seat and let the bartender tell you about the beer. If you know what you want they will pour it for you. If you do not know, they will ask you what you like and give you something in the same vein.

Service is only at the bar. You have to get all drinks, even water, from there. For food they will take your order and give you a number where the runners will take it to you. Some hate this system, but I think it is actually very efficient. This is a bar after all, and does not try to be a full service restaurant.

Great place for great beer and great food. The service may be spartan, but you are not here for that.
May 07, 2013
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Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
"Let's drink more man!" Already filled up with booze at Venice Ale House, Maria brings up the idea of heading over to Father's Office for a change in scenery. Yes, I was getting a little bored of the beach by now, so maybe a different bar wouldn't be such a bad idea. But I was curious how much more drinking would be involved. Well, if I could try a little food, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. After all, they got the Office Burger®.

Not many options to park on the street, so we had to park a block away to find one. We walk in, hand the bouncer our ID's to prove our age, and we start to look for a place to sit. One problem, there was no place to sit. Or wasn't there? It's a small, somewhat "hip" place, with several small tables and modest sized bar (though not for the crowd that was here on Thursday night). We received help from an employee for our seating needs, where he "split" a big table of two people and gave us the use of one-half. I appreciate that.

40 different taps and 20 bottles to choose. Its selection is an upgrade of Venice Ale House, not just in quantity, but offering up beers from Russian River, Surf Brewing, Big Sky, Ladyface, Castelein, Straind, Craftsman, Full Sail, Caracole, and Green Flash. But don't forget the bottles either (Hitachino, Anchorage, DeuS, Unibroue). Glassware is given some respects, and the beer is too.

The Office Burger® came out already cut in half. Not being able to substitute (what if you can't eat bacon?), I took it with everything on it. Best burger in America? I wouldn't say in today's America, having already had tasted the outstanding Slater's and Sides Harware burgers in the previous week, but there's no doubt this version is very good. Regarding the "no ketchup" rule, I was dissapointed at first, but when I saw the fries come with a good garlic aioli sauce, I gladly took the trade. Maria orders some sauteed mushroom to share with me and Guilherme, and those were noteworthy as well (espeically since I don't eat mushrooms). There isn't much else on the food menu, so don't come expecting a full-fledged gastronomic experience.

I already knew about the controversies of Father's Office, so I threw caution into the wind. While it is a little expensive, the food was very good (and didn't need any subsituting) and the beers offered make this a good place to drink in Santa Monica.
Jul 09, 2012
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Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I visited the original Father's Office with my wife tonight. First off, this is a MUCH smaller location than the other one in Culver City. Basically, we were lucky to find a spot in the bar area to sit. The atmosphere is much the same as the other location with lots of wood and a modern design element to it. They also had the lights really low which was a bit odd to me. Service = you order all food and drinks at the bar, where they give you the drinks up front and a number for the food which will be brought to you. They have a very good selection of bottled and draft beers with a wide range of styles available. Quality is very good just like the other location. Prices here are pretty expensive just like the other location for both food and drinks. They also don't offer any tasters or half pint options. Overall, this is the original Father's Office and pretty much exactly the same as the other location in terms of food and drinks but I prefer the one in Culver City more.
Feb 20, 2012
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Reviewed by TurdFurgison from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I arrived in LA early enough to make it here to watch the superbowl. The place was surprisingly empty, I guess I expected a crowd. It was a Patriots/Giants year, so probably too remote to be of interest locally. Also factor in the home parties...

Awesome taps, slightly upscale pub fare, and a little smaller than I expected. I stuck with Pliny the Elder through the entire game, and topped it off with Cuvee de Tomme. Plenty of other good options too, as many others have documented.

Prices seemed reasonable to me, and the food wasn't too expensive either. They won't make a burger without cheese, which I found offensive, but they were very friendly anyway. Highly recommended.
Feb 08, 2012
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Reviewed by FtownThrowDown from Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +10.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
God Bless business trips to LA!
Coordinated an early flight to spend a evening at Fathers Office. Absolutely beautiful part of town in Santa Monica, shops and restaurants throughout. Convenient store on the corner where I found Damnation and Blind Pig.
Fathers Office SM is a great place. Good tap list, home of one of the best burgers that I've ever tasted. The evening I was there I had Stone 15th, Sculpin, and a bunch of other locals on tap. Bartenders were top notch. Very friendly and knowledgeable. This is a must stop for anybody in the LA area. All the patrons were there for the same reason, love of good beer and a good time.
The place does tend to get pretty crowded the later the night goes. I was there at open and got a seat at the bar which I never left. Between the beers and the burger, I love this place and wish I was there more often. A must visit place.
Oct 17, 2011
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Reviewed by VegasBill from Nevada

3.7/5  rDev -11.7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5
I arrived early evening hoping to beat the crowd and I did just barely as there were only two seats left at the bar. The atmosphere is comfortable and the beer selection is solid.I had hoped for Pliny but no luck, they did have Blind Pig so of course that was my choice. As they began to fill up I realized this was not my crowd,self obsessed plastic people. I ordered my second Blind Pig and had drank one sip from it when a couple approached me and said, can we have this seat, I just looked at my glass and looked at them, they just walked away, no comment. Even if I knew they had Pliny on tap I would not return to this pub.
Sep 25, 2011
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Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Stopped by for dinner and a couple of pints. Atmosphere was pretty cool and, like many beer bars, got really busy pretty early in the evening and you could barely move.

Tap list was very good, but could have been better. There seemed to be about 20-25 offerings on tap of various styles and breweries. There was nothing that really stood out for me but I still found a few really solid beers to drink while I was there.

Had the famous Office Burger and it lived up to the hype! The sweet potato fries are a must order too!

Service was friendly and knowledgeable. I would go back if I was ever in the area again.
Jul 13, 2011
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Reviewed by naproxen from District of Columbia

3.83/5  rDev -8.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I stopped here for dinner and drinks on 4/18 with friends while on vacation. I hadn't heard of this place prior to visiting so I was pretty excited to be introduced to something new.

Even on a Monday night this place was well attended. There was but one booth open however, with seating for 5, so luck was on our side.

I wanted to love this place as the selection of beers and quality of food is just outstanding. New Belgium's La Terrior and RR Pliny on tap! I had a skewered lamb dish that made everyone go mmm, the office burger was fantastic as well and huge. BUT, you order everything yourself from the bar and no substitutions OR subtractions from any order. That last part just does not make sense, no subtractions? I personally love bleu cheese, however my friend with the burger did not and had to scrape it off himself. Kind of a waste, don't you think?

I'd be more apt to stop in here for some beers if in town, but there are plenty of other bars with less pretentious rules on food to wet my appetite.
Apr 28, 2011
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Reviewed by tjensen3618 from California

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Went to this place for lunch on a weekend, the small bar and tables all were packed, we stood around for about 2 minutes debating whether we should leave or not, and just then a table opened up! I noticed the flow of patrons leaving vs. coming in was perfect, it was completely full the whole time but it seemed every time somebody showed up a party was leaving.

They had a great selection of beers, well thought out and crossed a bunch of different styles, I ordered a Sculpin and a My Bloody Valentine.

For my first visit here I felt obligated to try the Office Burger, it was absolutely delicious, juicy, and a must try. I find myself craving one as I type this review right now.

It's a little pricey here, but the quality of the food is top notch.
I will definitely be back here.
Mar 17, 2011
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Reviewed by keithmurray from Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Went here last Friday,

really good selection of both domestic and import taps. Drake's, Sierra Nevada, Allagash, St Bernardus, Alesmith were amongst the choices on tap. The botles - Duvel, Maredsous, Orval, Anchor, they just have a vast array of beers to choose from. The burgers here are pretty good, they put some kind of marmalade/onion spread on their burgers that make them delicious. The service here is pretty good, plenty of bartenders to handle the crowds. My only dislike about the place is I had to wait about an hour just to get someplace to sit, and that was only after hovering around these two guys waiting for them to leave. Father's office could use a much bigger space to accomodate the seating. Prices creep up on $10 each for a beer, not cheap, but not totally unreasonable. I woul dgo back on a night that maybe wasn't so crowded. Worth checking out for beer afficianados.
Feb 20, 2011
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Reviewed by Beerandraiderfan from Nevada

4.44/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Another example of a reasonably priced bar with an excellent selection in LA. Narrow bar, lots of wood, but yet not too crowded even with a good sized crowd.

Bartenders get your selection in a timely manner. Often, bartenders really get too caught up with themselves and the scene, not here. No pomp and circumstance. Drake's Alpha Session right out the gate, I drink Drake's all the time, funny that I run into this in SoCal as opposed to when I'm at the Bistro. Anyways, RR Perdition in the bottle, in fact, the main reason this got a perfect 5 on the selection is that everything they claimed to have, they actually had. Pliny on tap, no problem.

Had a real good time, great conversation, two beautiful tiny Russians on each side of me, things could be much worse. . .
Jan 18, 2011
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Reviewed by SunDevilBeer from Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
Convinced a co-worker from MA who was traveling with me to head here for a few beers.

Very slick, narrow, chic bar that is refelctive of the area - the main restaurant/boutique/bar strip of Santa Monica. Lots of self-absorbed types here, but I didn't mind....at least the hipsters here are pleasant and not like the d-bag wanna-be's around Boston. A really comfortable place to hang out for a while. Curiously, the bouncers take themselves pretty seriously here.

Great selection of many obscure/high end beers. Didn't really notice the pricing as I was on company biz and didn't care.... :0). Beer tasted terrific and was served in the appropriate glass at a great temperature.

Service was great throughout, except for the one time the 2nd barkeep forgot my beer order.

Food looked good but I had already eaten.

Watched the end of the Lakers/Clippers game on the flat-screen, was rooting openly for the Clips (hey, I'm a Celtics fan) and enjoyed some good back and forth with the many Laker fans there. (Side note....Lakers won on a buzzer beater and the Lake fans were cool).

I will return here again. Definitely a high-end beer destination that is worth a visit.
Dec 11, 2010
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Reviewed by dougnboston from Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Very knowledgeable bar staff ... they know their beers quite well. Lots of micro's and stuff that's not so well known at least to this east coaster. I had an easy time finding the place. There are 40 (fresh) taps and a menu that's creative along with the basics (read Burger).

I was here on a Tuesday night and it was crowded. NBA playoffs helped, but not many were gone at the buzzer and more came in. I'd say the crowd was on the younger, maybe college side.

Terrific place, good energy and beer smart staff. Go, you'll like it.
May 19, 2010
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Reviewed by Idlehour from California

3.25/5  rDev -22.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Great food and nice location (Culver City), but sullied by a noticeably SHORT POUR (no more than 13 oz. for a 16 oz. glass). When politely pointed out to the bartender (Trenten), all I got was some BS about how the beer needed "room." A little newby information plus some arrogance does not a good bartender make (nor a good experience).

Other than that, atmosphere was good (better when not crowded), and the food is overall good with a couple of items (like the burger) being very good. If Father's Office would lose their beer pretension they could be a winner. If you're only drinking, there are better places (ie, The York, Lucky Baldwin's, etc.)
Apr 08, 2010
Father's Office in Santa Monica, CA
Place rating: 4.19 out of 5 with 87 ratings