You tend to hear two things about Father's Office, Sang Yoon's beer bar and gastropub (some say the original L.A. gastropub): The burger is good and the seating system is bad. Both of these things are true. The burger, with its caramelized onions, Gruyere and Maytag blue cheese, bacon, arugula and tomato compote, is a meaty boom of flavor. The seating system, in which you order at the bar and then hover and pounce when an empty seat becomes available, creates more stress than the idea of a postwork burger-and-beer usually conjures. Yet there's a lot more to Father's Office than just the burger and the scrum. There's a seriously fantastic beer selection, and some pretty great cocktails. You might come across a smoked eel served with a poached egg and frisee, more delicate and lovely than any smoked trout, or a plate of Hawaiian butterfish over sweet caramelized eggplant, for an astonishing $11. The burger is good, yes, but there are plenty of other reasons to fight for those seats. 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; (310) 393-BEER, fathersoffice.com. Mon.-Wed., 5-10 p.m.; Thurs., 5-11 p.m.; Fri., 4-11 p.m.; Sat., 3-11 p.m.; Sun., 3-10 p.m. Entrees $10-$19. Beer and wine. Also at 3229 Helms Ave., Culver City; (310) 736-2224. Mon.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., noon-mid.; Sun., noon-10 p.m. Full bar.

 

Besha Rodell's Introduction

Anne Fishbein's Photography

The Google Map

 

The 99 Essential Restaurants List:

A-Frame
Alma
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Attari Sandwich Shop
Bäco Mercat
Bar Amá
The Bazaar
Bestia
BierBeisl
Bludso's
Cacao Mexicatessen
Canelé
La Casita Mexicana
Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas
Chichen Itza
Chung King
Cole's
Coni'Seafood
Cube Cafe & Marketplace
Din Tai Fung
Eva
Father's Office
Fred 62
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Go's Mart
Il Grano
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Hatfield's
Ha Tien Quan
Hawkins House of Burgers
Hayat's Kitchen
El Huarache Azteca
Huckleberry
The Hungry Cat
ink.
Jar
Jitlada
JTYH Heavy Noodle II
Kang Ho Dong Baekjong
Kiriko
Kiyokawa
Kogi Truck
Krua Siri
L&E Oyster Bar
Langer's
Little Dom's
Lucques
Ludo Truck
Lukshon
Mariscos Jalisco
Matsuhisa
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Milo and Olive
Mo-Chica
Musso & Frank
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
Nickel Diner
Night + Market
Oinkster
Osteria Mozza
Pann's
Pa-Ord Noodle
El Parian
Park's BBQ
Philippe the Original
Picca
Pink's
Pizzeria Mozza
Playa
Pollo a la Brasa
Providence
R&R Soul Food
Ración
Red Medicine
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Rivera
Rocio's Moles de los Dioses
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Savoy Kitchen
Sea Harbour
Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood
Soban
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
The Spice Table
Superba Snack Bar
Tacos Leo
The Tasting Kitchen
Tavern
Tsujita LA
Vincenti Ristorante
Wurstküche
Zam Zam Market

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.