Rob W.
Yelp
When Robin is holding court behind the bar, waxing poetic about the best saisons in the world right now, or swapping stories about Alaskan sojourns, or blaming himself and his perceived limitations for not enjoying the rare craft beer that he doesn't particularly love, well, The Owl Farm just has a magic alchemy that makes for a perfect bar experience.
First and foremost, the beer list is beyond beyond reproach... like going to a club where the DJ plays every song you want to hear and a few you didn't realize how very much you were in the mood for. Simply a dizzying array of breweries and styles, I almost never fail to find something new and exciting to try. And when my imagination does fail, enter the knowledgeable staff to chat about beer and recommend something perfect. Unless they've just had an event or tap takeover, you will find virtually any style of beer you can imagine one draught pull away from your thirsty, quivering lips.
The bar manages to feel intimate but also adequately spacious. There are a couple of plum tables up front with windows open in nice weather looking out on 9th Ave. The bar is a fine place to make some new friends (provided everyone isn't staring at their Untappd check-ins on their phone). The back area is nice and dark - there are a few pinball machines tucked in the back, but not so much as to be a noise distraction. Nice music, but very background - it's a bar for drinking and socializing first, games and rowdiness second.
The other key, underrated bar quality that The Owl Farm has which kind of puts it over the top for me is that when they say 4am, they mean 4am. None of this "oooh, it's a little quiet tonight, let's lock up at 2:30am" business. No angry drunken tugging on prematurely locked bar doors on your part - you can saunter in there at 3:15am and enjoy yourself a last call (or two if you're enterprising) anytime.
And if by some odd chance the beers, atmosphere, conversation and pinball aren't enough, and you happen to find yourself bored, you can always study the cool decor and finally perfect your method of drawing owls. (Or Weird "Owl" Yankovic, depending upon where you are sitting.)