Library Alehouse

07/03/2008 Posted by alaskaerin

I go to the Alehouse all the time, and I have been for years. The food is yummy and fresh (farmers market veggies) and everyone that work there is super friendly. The wait is generally pretty long, but I try some beers (huge selection) and it goes by quickly. Nights when they show a Laker game can be way too crowded but overall my experiences have been fun, and my meals delicious. I suggest getting there early and putting your name on the list as they don't take reservations. Fun times, good beer.

Pros: great beer, good food, friendly staff

Cons: sometimes loud, long wait

06/24/2008 Posted by jenheidir

I really enjoy the crispy coconut shrimp with pineapple salsa I ordered, and my friend’s burger was delicious as well. Service was quick and attentive. The downside though is that ‘cause the front inside dining area as well as the patio outback are both rather tiny, waits for a table can get long. Also fyi, the restaurant only serves wine and beer (though their selections in those categories are substantial enough). Also be aware that while the outdoor patio is VERY romantic with all the candlelight, my friend and I found it very hard to hard to read the menu once night fell. We had to hold our tiny table candle over the menu to be able to read anything at all.

Pros: food, wine, beer, service

Cons: small venue

03/09/2008 Posted by JoGirl310

I used to love this place and had been a loyal customer since the 90's. Unfortunately, this afternoon I made the mistake of dropping in for a quick refresher during my afternoon skate. The atmosphere seemed casual and friendly. The hostess let me in without hesitation, and the bartender seemed happy to sell me a beer... but just as I was about to take my first sip, the "manager" approached and announced loudly, in front of everyone at the bar, that I would have to leave. He told the bartender to refund me my $6.00 and unceremoniously showed me the door. Apparently, there is a policy in place that prohibits skates, and as I didn't have spare shoes my sock feet were prohibited as well. I have no problem with that policy, but it seemed unnecessary for the manager to humiliate me after his staff had already violated the policy. It's a shame that such a formerly cozy establishment has become so unfriendly to locals.

Pros: Beer selection, quality of appetizers and entrees, attractive decor

Cons: Uneven service, often over-crowded, mean new manager

02/25/2008 Posted by limpboxy

I love this place! Everything I've tried on the menu has been great. There's something for everyone on the menu, including vegetarian options. Everyone is very friendly and the service is prompt. Make reservations because it fills up fast. There's usually a wait, even at off times.

Pros: food, beer selection, atmosphere

Cons: street parking can be a pain

10/28/2007 Posted by kfarrin

I first went to Library Alehouse after several co-workers recommended it - and I was glad they did. The food is great, and the selection goes beyond your average "bar food" (my favorite is the papaya and goat cheese quesadilla). There is also a large beer selection, and the servers are pretty good at suggesting a beer if you tell them what you like. I usually get the same waitress just about every time I go in, and she's very friendly and attentive. I think you can call ahead for seating, and I'd recommend it, as it gets crowded and there's usually a wait unless you go really early. My only complaint is that, although it's nice and provides a lot of extra seating, smoking is allowed on the back patio. Overall, it's a great place to go with friends or people visiting from out of town (my parents loved it!).

Pros: food and beer selection

Cons: gets crowded, parking difficult, smokers on patio

09/28/2007 Posted by bb120

By far my favorite place to go. My boyfriend and I go every weekend and have yet to have bad service or bad food. My favorites are the turkey sandwich, chicken tacos, and burgers. The chips and salsa they serve are also great to snack on when waiting for food! I recommend eating out back on the patio because it can be a bit cramped inside. Love this place and will take out of towners here!

Pros: Food and service are excellent

Cons: crowded

07/16/2007 Posted by mandazie

The library ale house is always mentioned as a great place, and honestly I'm befuddled. If you want to be packed in like cattle around arrogant balding men in their 40's and 50's and the occasional woman who love them (or pretend to), this place is for you. If you want to wait for a table in an area the size of a closet (not walk in) while people jostle you from all sides, go for it. You're so greatful when you're seated that an average experiance would almost make you feel as though you'd gotten something special- to bad it's not even that. The food, it's just food, there's nothing worthwhile about it, no redeeming qualities and the waitstaff leave me wishing I'd gone someplace else. I've given it several tries thinking I'd gone on a bad night, but I was wrong- this is what it's like, all the time.

06/22/2007 Posted by zhangkunming

Hate to be a flamer, but just went there for lunch today and should comment on the terrible service I received. Our order ticket somehow got lost, which happens every so often, but our waiter failed to notice our table for 45 minutes. I know, I should have spoken up, but thought I would just be a trooper and wait. Sometime after that I see him examine our table from afar and then ran to the computer system, I assume to find out what happened to our order. I figured our order had gotten lost and expected him to come by and explain the situation. Several trips back and forth past our table and not even a glance of acknowledging our table, I finally had to flag him down to ask what was happening. Seemingly exasperated with me inquiring, he said that the order got lost through no fault of his, but that we'll get a discount ($5 =P) and that he had just put the order back in. We waited another 10-15 minutes and finally the food arrived with no apologies and at the end of the meal I wrote him a note to tell him we would have really appreciated it if he had told us about our order delay instead of waiting for us to inquire with him. As we're walking out, the waiter ran up to me to tell me that it wasn't his fault that the order got lost and that I shouldn't be mad at him because he only knew that our order got lost right when I flagged him down. What a coincidence and I knew he was lying because I had seen him notice our table's lack of food. I was amazed at how aggressively he was taking the matter and just walked out. I've been here several times and I've always been fairly happy, but after this experience and how rude the waiter and greeter acted to me on my way out, I have to say I will never eat here again even though I'm sure my experience is more the exception than the rule, but if you haven't been served within half an hour, don't try to be a good customer and wait because you might find yourself in a similar position.

Pros: beer, food selection

Cons: kobe burger stinks and overpriced at $15, parking, variable service attention

05/23/2007 Posted by mmmsushimmm

i love the library. good selection, reasonable prices, awesome beer list. my faves are the buffalo mozzerella sandwich, the grilled veggie salad with baked goat cheese & the short ribs but really there are so many things i'd like to try. its a sweet neighborhood place where they remember your name. sometimes the wait is super long (at night its pretty much certain there will be a wait, no matter what day) and you may be there for a while but its totally worth it. i prefer sitting out on the patio and don't worry about being cold because the heaters are on full blast at night or in the chillier LA weather!

Pros: delicious food, atmosphere, organic greens are delish!

Cons: crowded, can be a long wait, no reservations

05/08/2007 Posted by weatherboy

The fact that people rate this place so highly proves that Southern California is still years behind the Pacific Northwest when it comes to good beer selection in bars. Now, that's not to say that the beer selection at the Library Alehouse is bad, quite the contrary, it's good. However, when I went, I was disappointed to find that I had already tried almost every beer on the menu. I then tried the two that I had never experienced. I wasn't impressed with them. I do like that they offer "flights" for their beers. Actually, it's just a sampling of a few beers that you can choose, or they can suggest some for you. A great idea, but it could be a little more focused and better executed. I did eat there too, but the memory of the food isn't really jumping out at me, so that wasn't worth shouting about either. All in all, this place has a decent atmosphere, good beer selection for SoCal, and is worth the trip. However, most people who are really into craft beer are gonna have to keep searching for a place in SoCal that actually "gets it. MY search continues...

Pros: Better than average Beer Selection

Cons: Parking, Seating, Lack of Focus

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