Father's Office, What's the big deal?
Went there for the first time ever based on the postings here, the $11 Blue Cheese and only burger on the menu was ehh, the beer selection was no better than going to the Yard House, & more expensive for their IPA's. It's a busy place but.....for the price I just don't get it.
Went with a friend, 2 IPA's (India Pale Ale, Stronger type beer served in goblets), 2 burgers, basket of sweet potato tasteless fries, and what I thought was actually very good were the tapas of olives w/ almonds in their special marinade...$55 bucks.
For that same amount I could have had more beer & food @ the Yard House...aka
"Beer Lovers' Paradise" Never been disappointed with any food item I've ordered @ the Yard House. IMHO F.O. just doesn't live up to the hype! You hounds mislead & disappointed me on this recommendation!
Ollie
Apr 28, 2008 04:34PM
I happen to like the burger and the beer selection. That's not a statement relative to what you can get at The Yard House -- I've never been there. However, I think I will stick up for Chowhound by saying that the board has clearly been very divided on Father's Office. For all the praise that is lavished, there are people willing to tear them down, too.
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Which branch did you go to -- the original on Montana or the new location at the Helms Bakery?
The word on CH about the new site has been very mixed, and I'm putting off my first visit until they get the wrinkles out.
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Went to the original location, S.M.
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"the beer selection was no better than going to the Yard House,"
Sorry.
I find Yard house to be a big sloppy mess. 80% of their beers are completely worthless in my book.
The beer list at Fathers office is smaller and much much better. to me, if you dont have great specialty microbrews (craftsman, stone, alesmith, etc) or belgian-style ales, then you really arent a beer lovers paradise.
A beer lovers paradise is Lucky Devil's, Najas, FO, Lucky Baldwins, etc.
Quality over quantity!
Also,
I am sorry, but yard house is like Cheesecake Factory combined with Elephant bar. It is not particularly chowish in my opinion. I am sure most fans of BJ's brewhouse and Yard House will not appreciate FO.
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Where are all these other places you mention?
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Ollie
Tompkins Square (Manchester at Lincoln near LMU and Bristol Farms)
Lucky Devils (In the heart of hollywood on hollywood blvd)
3rd stop (on west third st. near west hollywood, just west of la cienega)
Boneyard Bistro (Ventura strip in the valley)
Najas (total dive bar on the redondo beach pier) [burger not great]
Lucky Baldwins (Old town pasadena) [burger not great]
Lucky Baldwins and Najas do not have FO quality burgers.
Library ale house aint bad either, but their burger just doesn't do it for me. That one is on main st in SaMo
Also, Hungry Cat has GREAT cocktails, and 4-5 seasonal specialty beers, and a fantastic burger. That is located on sunset and vine.
Sorry to get on you about Yard House. I think Yard House serves its purpose, but I still believe people who really love yard house will not get the places I have mentioned above.
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Thanks, I enjoy beer, I enjoy Stone, Bear Republic, and I'm curious about this "Rogue Hazelnut" this hound below recommends. I'll check some of these places out. F.O. I guess you love it or hate it! but I'm willing to give it another chance. The Boneyard Bistro is Closer to me, I'm in the west valley. But I don't mind traveling for good food & drink. Thanks,
Ollie
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"Thanks, I enjoy beer, I enjoy Stone, Bear Republic, and I'm curious about this "Rogue Hazelnut""
Ollie, I hope you go to the places I mentioned and visit another thread I have on beer. There is fantastic places in LA to get beer. Dont sell yourself short at Yard House. Look around, and find the great beer LA has to offer.
go online right now and look at boneyard bistros beer list. If that list doesnt make you run out and eat there, I dont know what will.
PS: They have mostly bottles compared to FO's flawless tap system.
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but the beers Boneyard has! What a great selection! Some of that stuff is hard to get on draught.
Plus, it isn't a bar, it's a sit down BBQ/Bistro, so you can reserve, get your dang table, and order at liesure.
Finally, you can ask for your food to your tastes. Aaron has no problem making me a burrito with the fixins but no meat or portabello. I ask for the amazing baked beans, insread. He and his staff deliver it with a smile. It's not on the menu, but it's amazing.
Plus, you can put dang ketchup on your burger.
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I have to stand up for BJ's. They gets hit a lot on food and it's not the greatest chow in the world but I think it's pretty good for the price. However, they brew their own and that sets them apart from every place you mentioned. You may not be overly impressed with their regular line-up (which I think is pretty good) but they kick out some excellent specialty brews. I thought their IPA and Maibock were particularly good and I think their brewers do an outstanding job of offering beers for both the craft beer heads as well as the casual drinkers. As someone who homebrews (and has gotten tips and advice from BJ's brewers) and likes to support local brewers I'm grateful for BJ's.
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I have to say I was a bit taken back by the hype for FO - just reminds me of the hype that happens with every new restaurant that opened up from Mozza to Comme Ca to whatever.
Never been to Yard House - haven't find a beer I liked yet (maybe that'll change when I visit Belgium this summer). But I will have to agree with Tofuburrito that I found BJ to be quite adequate. Making generalization about chains and people going to BJ's not liking FO doesn't seem to be in the spirit of chowhound - good chow can be find everywhere from the lowest of places like taco trucks to a 3 star Michelin restaurant.
FWIW, I would love to try out FO's burgers - love blue cheese, gruyere and arugula, so in my mind it tastes good already. Love sweet potatoes fries (anyone tried the frozen ones you can get at Whole Foods? They are quite good). BUT, despite being able to bring my 9 year old to fancy restaurants around the world, I can't bring him to a FO for another 9 years.
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Actually, he has to wait another 12 years!
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FYI- I was there last weekend around 2:00 pm when it was not packed/ busy and I noticed a family with children on the benches in the "Let's be Frank" area across the way eating their take out from FO. Not sure if I would feel comfortable using that area to eat FO's foods but they all looked content eating their burgers and fries there...
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Well, it's been a while since I was last carded (the legal age then was 18). ;)
Guess if we can't find a babysitting option we'll have to eat out in the streets, but it will be kind of messy.
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Actually, the beer selection at FO trumps The Yard House for a lot of beer drinkers. The Yard House has 250 taps, but most of them are middling beers for serious drinkers. Father's Office regularly gets taps of rare beer from Russian River, Craftsman, Stone, Rogue, AleSmith, etc. For example, while YH might have Rogue's mega-popular Dead Guy Ale, FO will have Rogue's ultra limited Brewer Ale or Hop Heaven on tap. FO will have Russian River's Perdition or Damnation and YH will have nothing from them. Stuff like that.
It's worth it for the serious drinker. Plus the food at Yard House is like a Cheesecake Factory vibe. Eh...
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Anybody have an idea of how busy the SM location will be tonight?
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I think the burgers at the Counter are better.
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I have to disagree about the counter. The buns there suck. Very thin, and everything falls out of the burger, and into a big mess. I've had better bacon at Chili's.
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I agree. The meat in The Counter's burgers is totally flavorless and has an odd mushy texture.
Had lunch at Father's Office on Saturday. Burger with both kinds of fries were excellent as ever, as was the duck confit salad.
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FAIL
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I came. I ate. Father's Office delivered.
A+.
70 bucks for 3 people, 3 burgers 2 fries, 2 beers and 1 coke.
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are you kidding me.....comparing office to yard house?
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If somebody wants to go to some chain over FO, god bless. Luckily we are not all made with the same taste buds or it would take even longer to get a FO burger.
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I would choose a FO burger over anything at Yard House anyday. It's not that I'm caught up in the FO "hype" or anything (the wait can be annoying, and you really have to duke it out for seats sometimes); the burger is just THAT tasty. I suppose it doesn't agree with everyone's taste palate, but I just can't imagine how anyone can NOT enjoy the burger. Just went to the Culver City location over the weekend, and I think I like it better than the Montana location: more parking spots and a sleeker bar.
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I actually enjoyed the teriyaki burger at the yard house. But that's just a particular fetish I have towards burgers with teriyaki sauce and pineapples I suppose (also love the islands version and its the only food I can even eat at Jerry's Deli). Its always under-done though (and I order them medium rare usually). Yardhouse is more of convienience when I'm stuck near a theme-mall that has one in them though. F.O. is more of a destination.
However, I do not like their beers, they taste off to me...I suspect water'd down or maybe the taps aren't cleaned, F.O.'s just blows them away in this department. Maybe if I wanted a pint of Mickey's I suppose, but that never did it. They do carry Rogue Hazelnut which is what I usually get there.
They also blow them away in the Burger department, the F.O. burger is just so good. That onion-gruyere compote is just so awesome as is the beef.
I have never had their sweet potato fries be "tasteless". They always had that cinamon sugar crust on them and the dipping sauce, which is good.
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OK, I'll admit that I am no supr FO fan (as people on here know) but please, the Yard House a "beer lover's paradise"? No way. It is kinda gross, and just not a beer geek's firend. Have you tried Naja's Place? THAT is a beer lvoer's paradise. Also consider Stuffed Sandwich, Lucky Baldwin's, 3rd Stop, Mc G's and more.
Lots of taps do not a paradise makes. how well they're kept and what they pour is more important.
I'd rather go to Lucky B's, with fewer taps and better beer, than yardhouse.
naja's is currently tops, with a HUGE seleciton of beer. Food is "eh", but we're talking BEER, right?
For beer and food, try Lucky D's, Boneyard Bistro (Aaron knows his beer), Pure Luck (near scoops, yeah!)
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Its a trendy place that has decent food and a great selection of beers. Its a combination that can't really go wrong.
Its hard to find the same quality surprisingly here in LA.
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UsDiscuss.com - General LA Message Boards
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man I just went there yesterday and I'm craving a burger so bad
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what's the big deal? is right!....even though they have a good selection of microbrews, they are over priced, and their incredible burger just isn't, and as mentioned in a separate post, service sucks...it sucks a lot...a lot a lot
my idea of enjoying a good ice cold brewski and a delicious burger does not take place in anyones office, especially not father's office
fyi, most if not all and then some of the brews served at f.o. can be purchased at whole foods and even some vons markets, a six pack averages between 10 and 12 bucks, and no lousy snobby service
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Beers at a bar cost 8 bucks and I can buy the same thing at vons for 1.25, what's your point?
I think their burger is awesome. You are entitled to your opinion :) Hell I might go back tomorrow.
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hell, knock yourself out....hell, why wait for tomorrow what you can do today
and not all beers are eight bucks
my opinion of that place is as a whole, i've paid way more than just eight bucks for a beer, and will gladly pay more, over and over again, but not at a place where service sucks, and where a burger is just alright
so read my first comment, my point is NO LOUSY SERVICE, NO SNOBBY SERVICE, any more questions?
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I've never had bad or snobby service at FO, in either location.
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I thought service was fine when I went. The doorman was actually beyond nice, I was quite impressed with him, as was the food server.
I'd go tomorrow because it's a pretty considerable drive for me, so I'd only go if I had business on the westside.
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Here here! Good for those who like this place, but I'm glad that there is a diversity of opinions so that others can go with a balanced view of people's experiences...... Life's too short for iffy attitudes, so customers beware!
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I agree with your first point. I HATE lousy, snobby service.
but I was flummoxed by the Yardhouse comment. My husband calls it the "Beer Novice's Nirvana".
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I'll chime and agree with those who've always had good service. Everytime I've been to the FO in SM, managed to get a seat at the bar w/in 30 minutes, bartender was incredibly helpful at suggesting beers to try, food arrived promptly and OH SO GOOD. I love that burger. Would love to branch out to other things on the menu, but in the past by the time I'd decided to stand in that line, it was because I had a serious craving for that burger going on! Maybe with the new one open, I'll go more often and branch out.
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"what's the big deal? is right!....even though they have a good selection of microbrews, they are over priced"
Fgrade, I couldn’t disagree with you more.
I went to a new and supposedly cool place in santa monica called South which is located on wilshire. It was like $6 for a freakin corona. I can get 21 pack for like $15 at a mexican market near my place, or at costco for 18$. Not only is Father’s Office a better and cooler atmosphere that you are paying for, you are also paying for the meticulous tap system they have there. Not all tap systems are created equal. FO beer is so darn fresh, its amazing. You arent buying bottles, but beer on tap! Do you have any idea why Chimay is always in a bottle and rarely on tap? Its because it is so darn hard to find on tap and EXPENSIVE. It is usually not economical to carry it, but FO typically does. FO also has Craftman. Is is so difficult to get craftsman because they simply refuse to deliver to many places far away from pasadena (Najas doesn’t even get it!). FO on the west side gets it. Also, Chimay IN A BOTTLE (large bottle) costs 7-8 bucks from TRADER JOES! If you get it from bevmo it is 8-9 dollars, and 10 at bristol farms. If TAP Chimay costs 9-10$, that’s because its expensive, not because of a huge markup.
Just think about all those extremely hard to find beers (AND ON TAP) that trader joes doesn’t carry. Maybe you think that russian river on tap in a nice environment isnt any better than drinking a corona in a dive bar, but many people value that highly and will pay a fair price for it. People who arent beer lovers don’t really get it. Beer can be like wine. Just because 2-buck chuck is cheap, doesn’t mean a fine crafted wine should cost the same. I am sorry but the markup on wine in a nice winebar is much higher than FO’s beer taps, but somehow that is more tolerable. Sure, a BOTTLE of corona is marked up from 1 buck to 6$, but a tap of grand cru alesmith is market up from 6$ to $10. Not all that bad.
Sorry for the rant, but this is a pet peeve of mine.
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I'll be sure to try a few of these beers tomorrow. Got anymore from FO you want to recommend?
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Ollie, you're not alone. I've never been to FO, but I actually like the Yard House's happy hour food. It's gosh darn good food esp @ those prices.
YH is one of the few chains I find decent and ONLY go there during happy hour. And for the person who mentioned Islands...mmm I love them Island seasoned fries w/ranch!
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Can't agree with Yard House food is equal or better than FO's but I definitely can agree with the Yard House having some advantages in its beer list. Not every beer needs to be a Belgian or craft brew. I definitely go to FO to satiate my craving for belgian and hard to get brews but there's also a place for YH where you can get like 200 beers AND watch the lakers game without moving your butt.
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"I definitely can agree with the Yard House having some advantages in its beer list"
I cant think of a single advantage really. Having 120 different types of lager really doesnt add to the selection for me personally, but I know a lot of beer drinkers who LOVE lagers and are very particular about them. For me, I take the stance of stone brewing company in san diego, yellow fizz is yellow fizz.
At any rate, I know my brother and some of my friends from back home would LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to see a yard house in their cities over an FO.
The only advantage Yard House has is
1) You can get a table
2) You can watch sports
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I've watched many a Laker Playoff game at the SM location with a great beer and burger... I actually like the mood better durring those times when everyone is watching the little TV cheering together! :)
--Dommy!
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"I've watched many a Laker Playoff game at the SM location with a great beer and burger..."
Man, I am so blind. I go there for the beer first, burger second, and sports a distant third. I had no idea. hehehe.
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Do they turn up the sound for those games? I was there during an NFL play off game once, and it wasn't much of a sports experience.
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Not much... But I'm used to seeing Soccer Games in sports bars... where you can't hear anything the annoucer says, but instead follow the mood of the crowd...
--Dommy!
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exactly. that's pretty much what i was implying. i would never watch a sports game at FO though. can't really see the plethora of hipsters getting me in the mood. also can't drink 12 FO beers prolly either.
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"For that same amount I could have had more beer & food"
more never equals better.
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Never say never; did you mean quality over quantity?
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I agree completely. And one thing that truly bothered me about Father's Office "amazing" $11 hamburger is their "No Ketchup" policy. Give me a break. I realize that when a 5-star restaurant chef serves you, you should never "salt" the dish, (add condiments) before tasting it, because it's considered rude, or assumes it's not already perfect. However, a hamburger without Ketchup (or at least that option)? That's no hamburger!. If I'm dragged along there again, I will smuggle in my own.
For a good hamburger in LA, you're better off at Barney's Burgers on San Vicente in Brentwood (also all over the SF Bay Area). For great hamburgers and spirits, when you find yourself in San Diego, make the trip to Rocky's in Pacific Beach. It's a a small sports bar with AMAZING hamburgers and a great beach environment (on Ingram St.).It's even worth a special trip!
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InNOut hamburgers don't have ketchup either ;)
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What's in all those little red plastic packets that come with my burger and fries then?
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ketchup for your fries ;)
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But they have ketchup as an option if you want it, that's what I meant. Of course they shouldn't put it on for you, but it should be an option. At Father's Office if you ask for it, they look at you with disdain and reply: "We don't have ketchup," as though you were rude to even ask.
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