38 Degrees Ale House & Grill

seldomsthirsty

California

3.6/5  rDev -18.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$

alright so i went and i was not disappointed. this place used to be some weak lil brewery that i can not recall its name though i visited going on 5 years ago. well they have gussied it up and let me be the first to say its worth a stop! i was expecting to waltz in and out but then i found myself sitting at the bar ordering small 4 oz tasters @ 2-3 $'s( boo to people who serve beer and don't offer pay for small tasters or half pints) i drink the same volume and pay more do the math small beer drinkers are the $$makers! the bar tender was nice to look at but she lacked the inner geek i find drawn to drink more of. she was super nice and i hope she perfects her yummy sounding bloody mary's! then clay introduced himself as the beer buyer host etc. we shook hands to confirm our respective BA status and i was won over by his genuiness. i saw some older viscosity and some sours in the fridge and promised to return hungary and with friends. i believe i had hop jack, some pizza port, a dogfish and siamese dubble. lets get out to support this thing and keep an eye on clay as he rotates in some geekier beers for his fellow BA's.

08-14-2009 22:20:38 | More by seldomsthirsty

Retsinis

California

3.73/5  rDev -15.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$$

Great location for a craft beer bar, right on the corner of Main & 1st (1 block from Garfield) so it's pretty prominent. There are some what high end restaurants and clubs in the area too, so it's a bit of an upscale business area.

I like the brick of the building, the high ceilings, and art work. Didn't try the food, so when and if I go back, I'll have to try that.

Alhambra is not really that close to me, so not sure when I'll get another chance to check this place out again. However, while I was impressed with their selection, (at the time was able to get a Barrel Aged Coton on draft) it was $15 though. Granted, a bottle to the RS is $30, and doesn't get sold outside the Bruery, so the fact they even had a keg was a pretty big deal, but still, a high price per 8-10 oz.

However, me and my group were a bit shocked and displeased with one aspect of our visit. We were a party of 8 people, so they seated us at a table. The place was pretty empty at the time though, so they could have sat us anywhere, but when the check came, they had added 18% gratuity on our check, (becasue we were 8 people) even though we didn’t order ANY food, just ONE beer per person (and the bill was $100, so the beers are not the cheapest, though again, the selection was pretty killer) Just seemed a pretty crumby policy to all of us. Next time, I'll just sit at the bar. I am by no means cheap either, and I would have tipped well anyway, as I worked as a Lead Server in a restaurant for over 5 years while in college, so I know what it is to turn tables, but that is not something we would ever do when I was a server if 8 people ordered just drinks, in the bar.

Anyhow, glad this place has good profile though, every town needs a exclusive craft beer bar.

05-11-2011 17:51:56 | More by Retsinis

charlzm

California

3.93/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Visited on 2009/07/01.

Waited a long time to dust off my notes and review the place; not sure why.

I visited on Wednesday, July 1st for lunch with a friend. We each got a taster with a very solid selection of craft beers and some food.

A meaty six piece mini drumstick appetizer plate started things off. The crispy chicken was cooked in what I take to be a honey chipotle sauce. Good stuff.

I had the turkey burger which was an interesting mix of the meat (cooked accurately per my request), roasted peppers, cheddar cheese and artisan bread. The whole thing pops due to the addition of some sort of aoli-like spicy spread.

I also had shoestring garlic fries which were very salty but still quite tasty.

My friend had a Cobb salad which he declared to be "better than average".

The server was attentive and friendly but knew little about beer. He did try to get the info I requested about the beers I was having, however.

This was only their third day being open for lunch and so was not crowded.

This is essentially the same space as the late (but not lamented) California Brewing Company, thought they have upscaled the decor and enclosed the outdoor patio. Sound system was a little loud and there were lots of flatscreens to ignore.

A worthy addition to the greater LA beer scene, though not essential enough to merit a trip very far out of your way.

Beers I had and reviewed: Green Flash West Coast I.P.A., Anchor Old Foghorn, Siamese Twin, Stone Smoked Porter.

12-05-2009 01:37:11 | More by charlzm

DarthKostrizer

California

4.14/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

visted this place during Barrel Aged week and the selection did not disappoint. They had some great beers on tap like Older Viscosity, Chocolate oak aged yeti, Ad Lib, and BB black marlin just to name a few.

When I first walked in the place was alive. I sat in the bar area and it was pretty crowded obviously everyone there trying the different version of BA treats.

The waitress in the bar was very helpful and always around when you need a refill or a bite to eat or just to chit chat for a bit. Then we moved from the bar area to the dining area when we meet a few more friends and the waiter was very attentitive and in good spirits.

This place has a great beer selection. Lots of treats on tap and if you feel like over paying they have a great bottle list. If they have something you have been looking for and never found then maybe you could justify the huge price hike on bottles.

Overall I cant wait to go back to this place and try some more goodies and maybe this time grab a bite to eat

06-30-2011 02:43:52 | More by DarthKostrizer

snpub540

California

4.22/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

I remember when this place was the horrible CA Brewing Co. it looks a whole lot nicer inside with the tanks missing and getting rid of the outdoor patio.

Went in with a friend my daughter and a friend of mine with his kids. Was surprised that they had a children's menu and even brought some little puzzle game for the kids to keep entertained. That was a big plus.

Selection was great. I was alittle bummed that they didn't have the Sculpin from Ballast Point that I really wanted to try, but they had some great choices. Ended up choosing the Mongo DIPA from Port, and a small taster of a Dupont Brew. They had 2 flights which were both Belgium themed. Bottle list was also very well rounded.

Food was pretty good. Definately thought my sliders were a little over cooked but I don't really like anything well-done. Definately a place I will have to check out again when I have some more free time.

01-21-2010 01:11:36 | More by snpub540

UCLABrewN84

California

4.28/5  rDev -2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I visited 38 Degrees this past weekend. The space is pretty modern with a normal restaurant area and a bar area. I sat at the bar and ordered some sweet potato fries that were good. I was pretty drunk by the time I made it here so I only got 1 taster but I appreciate the fact that they sell tasters individually as well as in pre-picked flights. The quality of the beers was great and things were served in the appropriate glassware. The service at the bar was good even though they were busy at the time. Prices were reasonable for my tab. I will definitely make it back here sometime when I am a bit more sober so I can enjoy things more.

08-14-2012 02:05:47 | More by UCLABrewN84

DearthVader

California

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$$

38 degrees is an exceptional restaurant/bar.

The food is good, but pricey.

They have a great bear list and feature a ton of California brews that I seem to have a hard time finding.

Clay is one of the nicest guys I've ever talked to and a definite BA. He gave both my brother and I his business card and wrote his personal number on it and stated that if we were in the hunt for a brew, just give him a call and odds are that he either has it or will have it in the next couple weeks.

I will admit, I think the majority of the beers are over priced. Clay was asking $7 for a 10 ounce pour of Sculpin. Tony's asks $5 for a 16 ounce pour. They are both in 2 different areas. 38 Degrees' rent is probably 3-4 x's what Tony's is, but nonetheless, I wish the brew and food were both cheaper.

I will definitely frequent this establishment. It has become my stop whenever I need a beer after class.

04-06-2011 07:21:05 | More by DearthVader

womencantsail

California

4.36/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

I finally was able to make it out to Alhambra for the Ballast Point night yesterday evening.

The bar/restaurant has a pretty nice vibe going on. Dimly lit, like you would expect with plenty of seating both at booths and raised tables, and of course the bar.

The service was very friendly and quick, which is always a nice thing to have. The beers came quick and the staff was knowledgeable about what they are selling.

The tap list is fairly eclectic, but on this particular evening a large portion was covered by Ballast Point beers (seeing as that was the theme of the night). Some nice selections from other local breweries like Craftsman and Eagle Rock, as well as a great mix of west coast craft beers and imports.

The bottle list is quite large as well and they offer bottles to go, which is a nice thing that I wish more bars would do. And they have more than your standard fare (FW13, Sang Rouge, Consecration, Exponential Hoppiness, to name a few).

I didn't get a chance to try any of the food, but it looked and smelled wonderful.

The prices were perhaps a touch high for some of the beers, but overall not too bad.

04-15-2010 18:14:07 | More by womencantsail

mrcraft

California

4.36/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | $$

My review is for beer only. I may have ordered food before, but I don't remember, so I won't review food.

I visit 38 degrees a few times a month. I usually sit at the bar and order 3 to 4 tasters on tap and either talk with folks at the bar or watch whatever is on TV.

They have a pretty good rotating tap of various types - Belgian, west coast/regional/national, etc. They also carry some of the newer craft breweries in the LA area, so it's nice to be able to sample those. They generally have something from Russian River on tap, either Pliny or Blind Pig.

The prices for the tasters are okay. They range from about $2 to $5 per.

I live in Monterey Park, so this is the best bar located near me. I like it, and I'll continue to visit 38 degrees.

02-24-2013 01:43:51 | More by mrcraft

BGrider85

California

4.38/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Did a bottle trade and met here. Went inside only to check it out and ended up being really impressed with the tap selection so I ended having lunch. The tap selection was very impressive and the bartender was very helpful. It's refreshing when a bartender knows his/her stuff about craft beer. I ended up with a flight of 4 beers. The bartender then recommended a sandwich that ended up being one of the better sandwiches I've ever had. I recommend anyone to try the Ménage O' Pork if you can take spicy food. It was delicious. Overall I'm definitely going here again and I recommend everyone else give it a shot if they're in the area.

01-02-2012 19:26:51 | More by BGrider85