Tai T.
Yelp
Not gonna lie but this place is pretty frickin' dope, yo! I wish that there were more of these types of spots near Lincoln Heights where I'm from and we did but they were largely all gone by the time the COVID restrictions were largely lifted.
First off, there is a security guard at the entrance of the bar who will check your ID to make sure you are 21 and over so bring your ID. No temperature checks that night to my knowledge.
Second off, this space reminds of Mumford Brewery or of Angel City Brewery in Little Tokyo--a very large space inside the bar/brewery extension, a very large patio, with a taco stand in the outdoor patio area. There were maybe 16 bar stools at the front of bar, 4 cafeteria-styled wooden bench and tables, and then they had several smaller metal chairs and square tables outside in the outdoor patio area. Great for groups for sure.
There were also some random pinball machines and old school arcade cabinets just mysteriously there against a wall. Didn't really take that close of a look at what the games were but they were definitely there and were about 6-8 of them all lined up side by side next to each other.
At the front of bar, I ordered 2 Minotaurs, back to back, and to my knowledge, this was the strongest IPA that they had on tap that night. I can't remember the exact ABV but I want to say it was around 9.8% per tulip cup. It'll get a good buzz going on an empty stomach for sure.
They take credit cards, no purchase minimums to my knowledge, and the bar staff were pretty friendly all around.
Parking is plentiful. They have a moderately-sized parking lot at the main brewery building on the corner of Chico and El Poche St. It's the 'back building' that you want to go to but you can park at the main building's area parking lot. There weren't any parking spots left by the time I got there at 7:30PM on a Friday night so I parked on El Poche St. It's an industrial area so by that time, pretty much all the streets were mostly clear of cars from the other businesses in the area so parking isn't that hard to find at all, which is a super plus in my books.
Taco stand at the outdoor patio. It's cash only. They are a wholly separate business apart from the brewery. I believe that I saw an ATM machine nearby the entrance around the restrooms area but don't quote me on that. Otherwise, I'd highly recommend bringing cash with you before arriving.
Taco stand served Guadalajara-styled tacos. Neat tip: Ask for the 'consome' which is a kind of meat soup that is typically served with the tacos. Real Mexicans from that region of Mexico knows what's up. (I'm not Mexican, btw, but my co-worker who is had brought it up that Mexicans from the heart of Guadalajara traditionally eat their tacos with this meat soup and that's considered a 'proper meal' in that region of the country, rather than what we're used to here in the USA where it's just tacos, and that's the 'main dish').
Ambiance. Not hipster. Very much mostly a Mexican and/or Hispanic clientele with a few token blacks, whites, and Asians in the mix. It was a pretty chill crowd that night. No complaints. They had TV's tuned in to ESPN for the night, both inside the bar and at the outdoor patio area.
All in all, I had a pretty positive experience of this spot and I wouldn't hesitate to re-visit this spot with a group of friends. It's just that, this brewery is way out here in the South El Monte area. Just wished it was closer to work or home. I totally recommend checking out this spot at least once if you happen to be in the area.