The Pint House

DoubleJ

California

3.85/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$$

Out with the old, in with the new. Though I was critical of The Pint House's (Fullerton) pricing in the past, I knew that a beer bar opening relatively close to home would get me. What used to house The Auld Irisher has been transformed into The Pint House's second location, and they've done a good job manipulating the old surroundings and giving it their own touch. The main room is composed of neatly decorated dispalyed tables with white tablecloth which makes you think you're in a high-end restaurant. The bar is retained and has more than a dozen seats. One of the rooms aside is a private banquet room, and the other nearby room sit a handful of leather chairs near a small stage. It can feel cozy and elegant at the same time. There's an outdoor patio as well, though it wasn't in use on a Thursday night.

Pint House v2.0 offers more taps and more bottles of beer than the original Fullerton chapter. There are 28 taps flowing (more than ¾ from California breweries), including names like The Bruery, Bootlegger's, Hangar 24, Stone, Ballast Point (inc. Sculpin), Lagunitas, and Lost Coast. The rest include the likes of Goose Island's Pere Jacques, Chimay White, O'Hara's Stout, and St. Bernardus Christmas Ale. In the bottle are 35 options, roughly more than ½ of the craft type, with options from Hitachino Nest, Flying Dog, Abita, Uinta, Hacker Pschorr, Mission, and Fullers. Chilled shaker pints with the bistro's logo engraved onto the glass are standard glassware, with smaller 12-14 oz chalices for certain pours. What made this visit less madening was that there was a beer menu with listed prices for the drafts (why so few bottles listed in the menu?). And having a very attentive bartender who was willing to answer my "what price is this bottle" questions helped a lot.

A good range of food is offered, from standard sandwiches and appetizers, to steak and pork chops. I opted for the sausage platter. Served sizzling hot in a skillet with onions and peppers, this one did well to satisfy my appetite.

Happy Hour is offered between 3-6pm, Monday thru Friday, and again 9pm-close Sunday thru Thrusday. During these times, one can get $1 off any draft and 25% off all appetizers. Thank goodness for small discounts, as prices in general are quite high. The food does costs a bit more, but not bankbreaking high. Draft prices are all over the place, from $6 Firestone DBA and $7 Stone IPA pints, to $11 smaller pours of Chimay. Bottle prices, however, look very excessive; $10 for Blanche de Bruxelles, $16 Hitachino Nest White (for a 330 ml bottle!), and $9 Raging Bitch. Looks like I'll be avoiding the bottles in the future.

The Pint House (Orange) provided a slightly better experience than the Fullerton location. But like Fullerton, it can get expensive. Because the beer selection is quite good and does offer a decent Happy Hour, it should get another visit in the future. If you're looking to save money but are willing to sacrifice some beer options, Lazy Dog Cafe is just a stone's throw away.

12-28-2012 19:55:29 | More by DoubleJ