Father's Office

11/30/09

great hamburger interesting place

by knakayama76 at Citysearch

great place to get a delicious burger, fries, and an assortment of beer!

• Pros: food, beer, fries
• Cons: service

10/26/09

Get Mentally Prepared for this Place

by Sheauen at Citysearch

Okay if you want a burger and fries and a beer from FO you'll need to know these things:

Bring your ID and be prepared to stand in the line like you're trying to get into the hottest night club in town.

Don't expect to be served. Order at the counter, ferry your own drinks to a seat yourself table and wait for someone to sling some food in your face.

Don't ask for ketchup or water. They won't bring you any ketchup to mar their self proclaimed superior burger. Get up and get your water from the bar.

If you mentally prepare for this then your FO experience will be ok.

So knowing this, I only go for lunch on the weekends. I know already before I get there, this is not a full service establishment even though they charge full service establishment prices. And finally i know i'm not going to "have it my way." I'm having it their way.

So why go to this place. Because they handle food with respect even though they don't handle their patrons with equal respect. (i take part of that back, the bartenders are knowlegeable and patient. Actually the bouncer was nice too and so are the busboys. It seems the common thread here is that the waitresses suck).

The food is quite frankly good. Good quality, good quantities, and good tasting. If you want a regular hamburger go to InNOut. If you go to Fathers Office, you're going to get a juicy burger, smothered with caramelized onions, arugula, and blue cheese on a french roll. If you don't want that specifically go for any of other great plates they have available.

quite frankly, with the proper mental planning, i love FO for their peche lambic and speckled hen on tap, they're fries (sweet potato and regular) and their bone marrow appetizer. 1 star for the service, 5 for the food. average out to 3 for the total package.

• Pros: A Great Assortment of Beer On Tap
• Cons: You need FO for Dummies before going here.

10/25/09

bad taste in my mouth..

by cherrymoreno at Citysearch

i went to fathers office for the burger, and then because im allergic to dairy i asked for no cheese, and as you know, you arent allowed to get no cheese. so i ordered the lamb kabob, and for 12$ got once tiny stick with 5 fatty lamb chunks, that i had to choke down. the third thing that was completely irritating is we were asked to not play cards, (my friend was showing me a magic trick)...so, basically i arrived in a great mood and left feeling horrible; you know that feeling where you got ripped off but your still hungry? yeah...there were so many rules that i felt like i was back in grade school. definately never going back.

• Pros: outdoor seating
• Cons: too many rules.

10/23/09

Great Place

by beachcruiser at Citysearch

You have to ask yourself: "What does FO have for me, and what can I give to FO?" This isn't a typical bar - it's the vision of a unique proprietor. He has a vision, and I respect that vision. I see soooooo many comments from people whining about "no ketchup" and "Even Burger King has ketchup" - hilarious and pathetic at the same time. I'm glad these people don't like it, as I would probably be bored stiff sitting next to these people. Thank you, FO, for doing what you do and keeping fast-food aficionados away.

• Pros: Great Food, Great Beer Selection
• Cons: They stopped serving pitchers & no more Christmas

08/30/09

Terrible Service!

by michelewoo at Citysearch

I would never go back to Father's Office. I have never experienced such rudeness in a waitress before. She didn't bother to tell us that it was Father's Office's policy not to make any alterations to the menu items. Instead, she argued that if can't have a certain ingredient, I should get something else, like steak or crab. I didn't want a steak or crab. I wanted a burger. That was the final nail in the coffin. One expects to wait on a Saturday night to be seated in a crowded restaurant, but then after waiting in a Disneyland-esque line approximately a hour to eat, one expects to be seated (not have to fend for a seat), to encounter helpful and polite waitstaff, and then eat what they want / order. Simply put, Father ought to pass out some pink slips around the office. Worst service I have ever had, and the food is nothing to write home about.

• Pros: Parking is pretty easy.
• Cons: The totally inflexible and haughty attitude of the waitstaff

08/02/09

Father is a Control Freak

by westsidefoto at Citysearch

There’s nothing special about the (apparently) famous “Father’s Office Burger”. I found it dry and almost flavorless. Don’t try to alter any of the ingredients -- it’s not allowed. The policy is posted in writing above the bar. Come on, even Burger King lets you “have it your way”. Not Father’s Office. For example, the burger comes with bleu cheese, which makes me gag. I was told that if I didn’t like bleu cheese, I should order something other than the burger.

I’m generally willing to try anything once, so I took my chances and ordered the F.O. burger “as is”, because I was eager to experience what others were calling “the best burger in L.A.” My review of the burger is analogous to my review of Father’s Office in general. Over hyped, over rated, and ultimately bland and unmemorable.

I was there for lunch, so I ordered an iced tea with my burger. They don’t have iced tea. I asked for ketchup for my fries. They don’t have ketchup. I’m thinking, “Come on, even Burger King has iced tea and ketchup.” Not Father’s Office.

Father’s Office is exactly like Burger King in certain ways. You have to order at the counter, where you’re given a small plastic placard with a number on it. You find a seat somewhere, and wait for the server/busboy to deliver the food. When the place is crowded -- as it often is -- I imagine your food probably gets toured around the entire space before you and your small plastic number are finally located by the server.

Father’s Office exudes the snooty attitude of a trendy gourmet restaurant, with customer service on par with Burger King. The difference is, you pay a lot more and you have to have it “their way”.

• Pros: Nice restroom area
• Cons: No customer service, "no changes" menu policy, overpriced

06/27/09

It is like Fathers Office only you can get a table.

by wlafoody at Citysearch

I love sitting on the Patio on a saturday afternoon and having a few beers with my burger. Some people will complain about the rules or service but if you know what to expect this place is great.

• Pros: Great beer selection, awesome patio, best burger in LA
• Cons: Gets crowded, new customers get huffy

05/29/09

AWESOME Burgers, AWESOME Beer, AWESOME Atmosphere

by choag at Citysearch

I can't believe the people that are all giving FO bad reviews. I knew about the no-substitutions policy before I ever went. Its not like they hide it. If you know that going in, you're going to love it. Ive had Apple Pan Burgers, In N Out Burgers (my whole life), and The Counter. All are good. I think FO is better.

I cant think of a better place for good food and drinks with my friends. The staff is very knowledgeable in the flavors of beer. Its not their call on the no-sub policy, so deal with it.

• Pros: Best burger Ive ever had. So many awesome beers.
• Cons: Always packed.

05/10/09

Perspective

by Evilchippy at Citysearch

After reading many of the reviews for Father's Office, I have come to two possible conclusions: 1) The reviewers secretly love this place and don't want it to get as over-patronized as the Santa Monica location, so they're bad-mouthing it. 2) The reviewers just don't get it.

My Description:

Six words that sum up FO for me are: Simplicity, Class, Awesomeness, Beer, Burger, Bar. This is the quintessential place to meet with a few friends (or tomboy girlfriends) after work, have a couple of great beers, eat a terrific burger, and talk about debauchery, business plans, and sports - nothing more, nothing less.

This bar truly excels at the experience it provides its clientele. And, I think it's most fairly judged when viewed as an excellent one-trick pony, rather than a normal, well rounded bar or restaurant. If its trick isn't what you're looking for, you're going to hate it.

• Pros: Great Beer and Wine, Knowlegeable Bartenders, Awesome Food
• Cons: One-Trick Pony

03/02/09

Burgers, Burgers, Burgers and Beer

by shawnking33 at Citysearch

I usually go to the OG one in Santa MOnica, but just checked this one out and their burger was even better. Their sweet potato fries are awesome. The best part is their beer selection. I always try a new beer with the help of the bartender. Waited for 45 minutes for a table. Only downside

• Pros: Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, BEER
• Cons: waiting in line and finding a table