The Factory Gastrobar

Bar, Eatery

4020 Atlantic Ave
Long Beach, California, 90807-2908
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.23
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
11
pDev:
8.51%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 2 by blopester from California

Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by katonk from California

Jun 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by antonyliu from California

Mar 30, 2014
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Reviewed by OMsweetOM from California

4.88/5  rDev +15.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
The Factory is a fantastic spot for brew, wine and food. The regular fare from the menu (seasonal selections outstanding as they are do rotate) is terrific and the wine/beer line ups are well assembled and quite mouthwatering. For the sake of BA, the brews are usually a good representation of the many different styles while maintaining uniqueness or exclusivity that other places can only hope to share. At times, a focus on a style takes place (such as Night of 1000 IBUs) and there are also Brewery/Tap Takeover nights where not just a rep or marketing person attends but usually a brewer or two in addition to owner's among others that make the brewery tick. There is special recognition for local brews so expect to find a number of options from CA (esp. S CA). Brews are a flat rate $6 which means the glass volume will vary based on ABV and/or exclusive nature of the beer.

In addition to the solid menus and special nights/events, there are Liquid (Happy) Hours (beer at $5) and food specials for each day. The most appealing deal for BAs would likely be Thursday night with $4 beers.

Check it out and see what good stuff is on hand for your palate. The Facebook page may give you an idea of what to expect - it's often updated to inform the regulars.
Jun 25, 2013
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Reviewed by MaltyMcJones from California

5/5  rDev +18.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Back in '09 when this place opened, I was so stoked to have a gastropub Uptown. At the time, the very best place for a beer was Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach. Since then, Long Beach has seen a craft beer explosion. The Factory is still my local pub, and Beachwood BBQ has a 2nd location Downtown, etc... But this local pub in a close knit old school somewhat upscale suburban section of the city (5 miles north of Downtown, and past the 405) is doing quite a lot in a small space and is worth the short trek up Atlantic away from the tourists and Bud Light guzzling college kids. They went from 8 to 9 taps over the last few years. These rotating taps may not be 20 or 30, but they pick some great stuff for those 9 taps. Most of the beers are California beers. Here's what on tap this week... copied & pasted from the website just to give you an idea of what to expect:
EPIC BREWING 825 State Stout 8.3%%
Salt Lake City, UT
GRAND TETON Extra Special Brown 6%
Victor, ID
SIERRA NEVADA Narwhal Imperial Stout 10.24%
Chico, CA
PORT High Tide Fresh Hop IPA 6.8%
Santa’s Lil’ Helper 9.5%
Carlsbad, CA
NEW BELGIUM Snow Day Winter Ale 6.2%
Ft. Collins, CO
EEL RIVER Organic Porter 5.8%
Blue Lake, CA
CRAZY MOUNTAIN Amber Ale 5.4%
Chico, CA
FIRESTONE Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA 10.2%
Buleton, CA
Other names you will see are Eagle Rock, Ohana, Iron Fist, Hangar 24, El Segundo, Stone, Black Market, Bruery, Strand, Bootlegger's, Cismontane...

I usually have a burger when I go. There all grassfed and very delicious.
Dec 27, 2012
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Reviewed by oggg from California

4.4/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
We visited on aTuesday night after 8pm. They were having tapas night.

The pub is medium sized with a little patio out front with heaters and some nice looking sofa style chairs. Inside there's about 10-15 tables and about 8 spots at the bar. Open kitchen. One big tv at the bar, one medium one to the side. Chalkboard menu with everything to drink. 8 rotating taps, all craft. (port high tide fresh hop IPA, eagle rock stimulus, grand Teton esbrown, port santas lil helper, sudwerk lager, black diamond 12 brandybbl quad, ohana IPA, double bastard) some of the higher abv offerings come as 12oz, but all beers are $6. $9 sampler for 4beers. All our beers came in great condition. Pint glasses and goblets and sample glasses.

Staff was very helpful. My partner asked if there was a porter, and the waitress said no, but we have a stout that you should try. they were very helpful with food selections too. A plus actually.

Lots of kid stuff / toys on the way to the loo -- I suppose they are trying to be family friendly? Clientele when we were there was mostly younger 20something crowd, with a smattering of mature visitors, but no old people as far as I saw. Medium loud music. Actually a nice place to chat. Locals got noticed.

Food was okay. Lots of interesting items. I put $$ but if you go for tapas on a non tapas night it's probably $$$($). Tapas were actually pretty good but not excellent. The charcuterie was awesome, with great garnishes (pickled in house). Nice presentation.

Overall: great beer list, super friendly staff, nice ambience, upscale. charcuterie was excellent. Definitely a keeper
Nov 21, 2012
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
A long day of conferences I didn’t attend, and we’re now taking the ride up north some for dinner, and yes, drinks. Easily found as we wound down the drag and could’ve parked front row center, I suppose, but dealt along the empty stretch a block back not knowing as much. Doesn’t look like much of anything different along this strip, but they often don’t then…

Opted to not sit out front as the ball of fire still sits high in the sky, so through the angled entrance off a triangular front seating pen, and in. Something of an “L” shaped space, the length of the bat to the left and seating around the bend to the right. Pale yellow walls mostly, with large windows up front shaded and others all curtained up to the rear.

Up front and off to the left some, a straight concrete slab pot marked yellowy bar with a corrugated foldy bar base & a foot box, and a cut along the way splitting the seating 6 & 6 on dark leather high-topped chairs. Overhang above the bar with strung dangle holidayish white lighting. Barback wall is blackboardy painted with entrees chalked upon, and a flatscreen on center (Yankees are down 5-3 in the 6th). Wine selections printed to the left, 14 in all (you can do a flight), and tap selections printed to the right. A tower of 8 tap on the counter below; wines to the right, slight stemmings just above, and a larger glassware rack on the end. Cooler space below holding sodas and a few bottled/canned offerings, including a Gluten Free & cider.

Some very interesting paintings hung and a logo piece on the rear room wall along with a small flatscreen. Block floorings, exposed ductwork overhead, and drop martini glass lamps a-dangling. The whole corner to the left of the barback proper is open kitchen space, seems she does classes here sometimes. A giant glass jar of sangria sits on the bar, and games, toys, kids books & crayons in the front corner for the distraction, no doubt.

7 square & rec tables on the wall and between the bar, and another 7 or so more around the bend to the rear. The not so triangular but rather wrapping seating pen out front holding a handful of umbrella’d tables and cushioned wicker chairings, and they’ve got heat lamps and plantings, too.

9 beers on tap (8 on a tower on the barback and 1 over there behind the other bar piece). I like that the tap selections are all Cali offerings (Bootlegger’s Old World Hefeweizen, Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Port Wipeout IPA, Moylan’s Hop Craic XXXXIPA, Iron Fist Renegade Blonde & Martial Law Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Ballast Point Sea Monster Imperial Stout & Smoke Screen Helles Lager). I drank the Iron Fist Renegade Blonde and Stone Sublimely Self Righteous; both were clean & fresh. $6 pints, unless glass size 12 ounce indicated otherwise, and they do flights of either a ‘One way trip’ (4 beers) or ‘Round trip’ (8 beers).

And as it was that time, we played the tapas game; 20% off ‘til 6 on happy hour pricing; Spanish Marcona almonds (with olive oil & rosemary, heated), Basque lamb meatballs (garlic, caramelized onions, roasted red bell peppers, white wine broth, with a grilled garlic baguette), and Shishito peppers (with sea salt & Manchego cheese; a very nice touch). Lots of good menu selections; organic happy cow burger, braised pork shoulder, chicken schnitzel, Cajun paella, and everything about the Los Cerritos salad seems amazing, especially if you add chicken to it.

Owner and the guy behind the bar know & like their beer; the latter talking homebrewing with Ben. We’ve spoken about places that do simple foodings and have just a handful or more beers; they do 9 and it’s quite sufficient. Solid beerings & excellent food; good tunes, too. Pleasant & inviting, I really dig this place.
Sep 22, 2012
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Reviewed by imagese from California

4.83/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Been hitting this place usually weekly since early last Summer.

8 taps, and usually they consist of beers you aren't going to find at many places. NO run of the mill crap. Recently I've enjoyed Abyss, Persephone Imp Pils, Pursuit of Hoppiness, and Knuckle Sandwich on tap. Various Strand, Drake's, Bootlegger's and Deschutes are often there...

Great place to hang out at, to eat at, or stop in on one of the many nights for BYOB or some form of entertainment is going on.

The food is all organic, local, and sustainable. Their "Happy Cow" burger is one of the best burgers you'll ever eat! I believe they get bacon from pigs that fell from Heaven...

Price for the beer is reasonable, especially on Thursday if you rock a Factory shirt. The food prices can be a little higher than you're used to at most beer places, but the food is WELL worth it!

Check this place out for sure. They have a great bottle list too, so always something to enjoy. Just don't go on Monday (closed), or before 5:00pm on the others days...
Feb 12, 2011
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Reviewed by eazlyamuzed from California

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This is a great little spot. They focus their food on locally grown items. In fact, one of their salads has different ingredients all the time, depending on what was delivered that day.

The beer selection is good, and always changing. Being a Stone fan, its a treat to walk in and see a limited release beer, like their 10-10-10 Vertical Epic Ale, on tap.

They have an open mic Wednesday nights, which usually consists of local musicians jamming with each other, but has also included comedians and poets.
Nov 27, 2010
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Reviewed by walows from California

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I just want to start off by saying.... Oh great gods of craft beer! Thank you for answering my prayers! Now I don't have to drive 30min to find a great pint of craft beer! Since that is now out of the way.... The Factory, what a great place, their whole deal is locally grow, organic, sustainable eating and the menu shows. It isn't exactly my sort of food, but it reminded me of the menu at stone. Gourmet, healthy pub fare, but I can get into it. Tonight when I visited I got the tomato soup and a port wipe out ipa. It was $5 for the soup and $5.50 for the beer. The vibe is great, it wasn't busy when I was there, so the food and beer came up really quick. I was really excited about the rest of the beer menu, on tap was Stone IPA, Port Santa's lil helper and wipe out, Bruery white orchard, Bear Republic red rocket, Mission blond, Angle City dunkle and Anderson Valley pale ale. Not a whole lot on tap but it was quality. Overall a great place and I will be spending some more time there, especially after work, since I work right down the street at TJ's.
Dec 18, 2009
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Reviewed by drewmprs from California

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Wonderful little gastrobar off of Atlantic blvd in the Bixby Knolls region of Long Beach. There is absolutely no good beer on tap within 10 miles of here besides the Factory.

On tap was all california microbrews: Bruery, Angel City, Stone, Anderson Valley, Lost Coast, Bear Republic, and Ballast Point. IIRC 8-9 taps total.

About 8 seats at the bar and enough tables to seat about 50. There is a nice lounge area outside that occasionally has a band playing.

The food is sustainable, organic, and delicious. The owners are very passionate about their beer and food, with an emphasis on sustainable farming and california microbrews.

I will no longer eat and drink at the Virginia CC clubhouse after a round, I will now go to the Factory.
Dec 08, 2009
The Factory Gastrobar in Long Beach, CA
Place rating: 4.23 out of 5 with 11 ratings