Far Bar

Visited with my wife on a recent trip to San Diego and Los Angeles.

Tried the following:
Enegren Oktoberfest (draft)
Fremont Field to Ferment - Centennial (draft)
Sierra Nevada & Weihenstephaner Oktoberfest 2018 (draft)
Beachwood Brewing Hoppler Effect (draft)

Beers ranged from very good to outstanding, and the tap selection was one of the best we came across on our trip. Also had a delicious order of Wasabi Fries with wasabi aioli, nori, sesame seeds & green onions. Service was solid as everything arrived at the table in reasonable time, and we never had an empty glass. Loved the casual and conversational atmosphere. Overall, we had a superlative experience here and would definitely come back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an unique place. First off, I walked through a small passageway between two building to the back where they have a bar area along with some tables and chairs.

The bar area was nice, monitors with sports on, comfortable seating, etc.

My primary reason to visit Far Bar was to try Coedo Beniaka which is an elusive Japanese beer style called Happoshu. From my understanding, it is very rare to find this in the States. As such, it does come with a steep price tag. $9 for a small bottle.

I don't remember exactly what they had on tap that day, but I recall it was all decent to good craft beers.

Next time, I would like to try their food.

I finally got a chance to visit far bar today after being on my to-do list for some time now. The location itself is somewhat weird because the address listed on BA will take you to the back bar of the space. When I walked in there was nobody there and I wasn't sure if I was in the right place or not. I was directed to a back space (the front?) where there is a somewhat small space inside and some seating outside. I sat at the bar and the bartenders gave me good service the entire time I was there. The selection of beers is pretty great tap wise and is supplemented by a solid bottle list including a ton of beers from Japan that I have never heard of before. Tickers be aware - there is a happoshu tick here (Coedo Beniaka) if you can stomach the $9 price tag. The quality of the beer was good and served in appropriate glassware. Prices were slightly high with only certain beers being offered in flights. However, I did get some free tasters so that was nice. I would recommend this place but just beware that the parking and location might be a bit confusing if you have never been here before.

Checked this place out Saturday night for the KRBC night and meet and greet with Kyle Smith. And a good excuse to visit Little Tokyo which I haven't been to in over 25 years.

The Far Bar doesn't look like much from the outside. And when you walk in the front it looks like a restaurant with table and chairs. We were greeted by an individual who asked if we were there for dinner or to watch the USC football game. We told him that we were there for the KRBC event. And he led us towards the back and through a narrow hallway kinda zigzag till we came to the bar area (small) and a door leading to the outside with alot more tables and chair. We opted for the outside area as the bar was already full. Maybe around 20 people inside the bar. The event started at 4pm and all the fine beers from KRBC along with Citra and Pumpkin Ale was on tap. The tap list (menu) was the standard local Southern California breweries. Stone, Ballast Point, Bootleggers, the Bruery, etc. And some out of state beers was on the menu also. The food menu looked good and the prices not so bad. We did not eat. So I cannot comment on the food. But the atmosphere and the service was excellent. And of course the Kern River beer excellent as always.

This is the place to hit after a visit to the Geffen Contemporary, so long as they get their food issues worked out. Make note of the address, you will easily walk by or wonder why the doorman at a beer bar is wearing a tie. The "interior" is a brilliant use of space- an old brick alley, complete with fire escape, that is converted into a lounge. The feel is very urban and fun in a New York way. The high walls will block any wind so I can imagine you can hand outside year round, though I was here in the summer.
I wasn't lucky enough to stop in during the IPA fest, but many of the beers were still on tap. I would have liked to have ordered a flight but they insisted I get full glasses, even after a request went to the manager. I hope they work this out for the everyday customers; during the IPA fest you could order flights.
Anyone reading this cares most about the beers, and their tap list delivers. Ballast Point Tongue Buckler (appropriately named), Cismontane Dos Cone, Knuckle Sandwich, among other local gems. The food, however, was a major disappointment. Mushy crab cakes, flashy tourist sushi rolls, and a veggie burger that's made out of beef (this was a server error, one of many).
Definitely make an effort to hit this place if you're in the area (Little Tokyo). I hope they improve their food. My receipt said "Chop Suey Cafe". Far Bar is a better name.

Stopped in here after seeing a exhibition at MOCA (about 6pm on a Sunday) - very convenient to the Geffen Contemporary - sat outside, a really interesting long skinny area sandwiched in between a group of buildings. The outside area has direct access from the street but is only as wide as a door - could easily miss it (in fact I have walked by a million times and never realized it was there).

Today's experience won me over on 2 fronts - first the setting - totally unique (at least for LA) - we were all happy to be sitting outside. Point 2 was that it just happened to be IPA fest going on - Happy to find habanero sculpin, 120 min, and Cismontane Dos Cones. Also had some alpine... Will have to try back here another night to see what the selection is like - from talking to one of the waiters they have had a focus on Japanese craft beer and recently opened it up to a larger craft beer focus.

They have 29 taps plus some bottles. Beside the outside there is a bar in back and a more traditional indoor eating area. I thought the pricing was very fair. Also earned points for being a kid friendly place (even thought I was told that they don't allow kids in later in the evening - but I think that is totally appropriate). Not sure how beer versed all the wait staff are because I talked to a guy that walked out of the bar and he seemed very knowledgeable. Will def go back.

Located in Little Tokyo, walking distance from Angel City Brewery and Wurstkuche.

Nice inside bar, and a comfortable outdoor patio with lots of room. I came when they had an IPA fest of sorts, and the selection blew me away. Alpine Exponential Hoppiness, Ballast Point Sculpin (and Habanero Sculpin!)Dogfish Head 120 Minute, amongst other standouts. The bottle list had a small but awesome collection of hard to find Japanese craft beers.

I didn't get any food, but the menu looked like it had some good selections.

I'd have to come here again to get a better idea of the day to day quality of this place, but I had a great experience.