The best beer bars in Los Angeles

Chef Sang Yoon, the “father” of Father’s Office, has been serving gourmet grub and craft brews long before gastropubs began popping up on every city block. Since then, his Culver City outpost has expanded to include 37 draft beers, of primarily domestic brews with a smattering from Belgium. There’s a full dinner menu but a must is the cult-favorite Office Burger—there are no substitutions, period—made of rare beef topped with caramelized onion, applewood bacon compote, gruyere, Maytag blue cheese and arugula. Pair with a full bar’s selection of wines, a fine list of classic cocktails and, of course, a not-to-miss selection of beer that keeps the diehard beer drinkers coming back.

Sunset Beer is part beer store and part bar, offering a huge selection of brewskies from West Coast microbrews to rare Belgian ales and small production specialty bottles. (There’s also wine, and a pretty good little selection at that—but we rarely see anyone drinking it here.) Refrigerated cases hold bottles to go, or get one opened at the bar (for a small corkage fee) and hang out with a plethora of Eastside beer nerds. There are always local brews on tap, and the cozy space hosts special events including a beer and cheese tastings and special bottle releases. Join the “mug club” and corkage fees are waived for a year, with $1 off beer, and each pour you buy going into your very own mug (well, more like a stein) that’s kept behind the bar.

This Echo Park gastropub is a favorite among locals, certainly for its vegan-friendly menu, but also for its impressive fleet of 76 taps (most are used for beer, with the rest dedicated to wine, cocktails, cider, kombucha and seltzer), all with pours from California brewers. Set in an old Vaudeville theater, vaulted ceilings make for an airy feel as Eastsiders spread out in booths and an array of tables and high-top communal bar tops. Kitchen Manager Tim Balen and Sous Chef Nick Lopez offer guests items to snack on with their popular Buffalo-style cauliflower with vegan “blue cheese” dressing and specialty pizzas like the Angry Vegan (save room for the pineapple upside-down butter cake). The best part? The friendly and very knowledgeable staff.

This vintage motor-themed bar is replete with a seasonal, rotating list of 52 beers on tap/cask, with nitro handles and to-go brews by the bottle and can, to boot. Go for local or international brews by the pint and half pint, and opt for creamier choices from the nitro tap. Join the weekend crowd at the bar—conversation steers toward vintage motor sports as Mystery Science Theater 3000 plays over the TVs—or wait your turn for the pool tables (no charge) as the jukebox plays a mix of owner Steve Skorupa’s favorites from the Deftones and Phantogram to John Coltrane and Cat Stevens.

With loads of natural light and an industrial-chic feel, Highland Park Brewery’s Chinatown warehouse offers a larger and more airy space than that of its old Hermosillo taproom in Highland Park. Picnic-bench-style seating provides a great place to perch while enjoying HPB Brewery’s newest beers—thanks to the extended barrel program of the newer location—and 30 taps. Chef Caroline Concha offers weekly food specials that are almost never repeated featuring snacky bites and full plates like their rotating tater tots and the HPB burger.

A phenomenal beer bar smack dab in the middle of Hollywood? It sounds like some kind of tourist scam, but we assure you it’s not. Blue Palms Brewhouse sits right next to the Fonda Theatre and down the street from the Pantages, making it an ideal spot to grab a drink before heading to a show. But it’s also a haven for beer fans, sporting a rotating tap list of 20-or-so specialty craft beers, like Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale, Eagle Rock Manifesto and Ballast Point Yellowtail. If you can’t settle on just one, flights are available for four 50-ounce pours. Stick around for the food, too, like the lobster mac and cheese or a plate of beer-battered fish and chips.

A phenomenal beer bar smack dab in the middle of Hollywood? It sounds like some kind of tourist scam, but we assure you it’s not. Blue Palms Brewhouse sits right next to the Fonda Theatre and down the street from the Pantages, making it an ideal spot to grab a drink before heading to a show. But it’s also a haven for beer fans, sporting a rotating tap list of 20-or-so specialty craft beers, like Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale, Eagle Rock Manifesto and Ballast Point Yellowtail. If you can’t settle on just one, flights are available for four 50-ounce pours. Stick around for the food, too, like the lobster mac and cheese or a plate of beer-battered fish and chips.

This laidback spot—one of the few late-night hangs and even fewer vegan-friendly options in Burbank—has gained a loyal following since its opening in 2010. Find a large selection of sausages (both vegan and meat varieties) and sides like disco fries with gravy and cheddar. But the star of the show here is the beer; the eco-friendly, bottle-free bar has 30-plus taps and serves only California brews—yep, they’re keeping it local with Bagby Beer Co., Pizza Port, Three Weavers and more. Drink and relax with friends by playing pool or darts inside, or sip your brew on the outside patio. Tony’s also hosts events like trivia nights and tap takeovers.

At first glance, the Daily Pint might look like your standard dive, but take a closer look and you’ll find hundreds of bottles of whiskey cluttering the shelves and, more importantly, an impressive lineup of 30-plus brews on tap and cask. Craft beer spans the gamut, with brews hailing from California all the way to Ireland, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Think you’ll become a regular? Join the Daily Pint’s Craft Beer Club (you can sign up online), which gets you early notice of specialty beer arrivals, discount specials and a subscription to their monthly newsletter.

This Belgian-inspired beer cafe on the bottom floor of the Arts District’s Toy Factory building boasts 17 ever-rotating Belgian-style beers on draft (and nearly 40 Belgian favorites in their bottle fridge). You’ll even find the only draft Duvel in Southern California, plus the Ommegang Three Philosophers quadrupel ale and a collection of rare Russian River Belgian-style sours. To complement Ryan Sweeney’s beer program, Little Bear serves bar bites like Belgian fries, the monster Mitraillette sandwich (a fresh baguette that’s fully loaded with Belgian fries, fried meat, Havarti cheese, onion, parsley, mayo and curry ketchup) and their stroopwafel s’more.