This review is going to be quite satisfying. Â I hate to be cynical, but I think it's well deserved.
I came here with my girlfriend after the Long Beach marathon, the sign outside "Join us for Brunch!" looked pretty inviting so we gave it a go. Â The food wasn't great, but that wasn't really the problem.
The check came, it was cheap, around 20 bucks. Â I only had a $100 bill, so I gave it to them expecting change...here comes the fun part! About 20 minutes later, someone who looked like a manager came to our table asking for another form of payment.
"You gave us a counterfeit $100 bill, we need another form of payment, and we already called the police."
As soon as he says that, 5-6 cops walk in and start questioning me, making me look like some kind of criminal. Â Who knows, I may have some how been handed a fake bill, and passed it on thinking it's real. Â I ask to see the money, they bring me the bill and it doesn't look like they've marked the bill with a pen. Â To top it off, the cops hand the bill to a customer in the restaurant that works at a bank... he said it looked real to him!
Staff takes the money into the back to "double check" one on more time, this time they mark it with a pen to check it's authenticity (something they should have done before they called the cops!)
They come back and say that the results aren't "definitive", they hand me back my money and comp my meal... here's the kicker... the manager comes back to say "we comp'd your meal, but we don't know how you plan on leaving gratuity"
They want a tip after they called the cops on me for not doing their job correctly? Â Keep in mind, I was surrounded by cops in front of the whole restaurant, made too look like I was some kind of thief.
This was pretty embarrassing, they didn't really check the authenticity of the bill and went off of some kind of hunch.. Had me questioned by the cops for 30 minutes in front of my girlfriend and the whole restaurant. Â Forget the food, how about good service and common sense? Seems they lack both.
Felt like I was in a bad dream... I was mortified, embarrassed, and wrongly accused for doing something illegal. Â Thanks for the crappy experience!
I wanted to love this place but frankly...the food is never hot. Â Ive been on 3 occassions and each time is disappointing. Â Last time i ordered the baked potatoe with everything on the side. Â I put butter on on it...the butter never melted. Â Who the hell eats cold BAKED potatoe? Â I give 2 stars only for the decor and bar. Â Come to this place for the drinks not the food. Oh - and I can't complain on the servers.... they were actually pretty cool. Â My mom asked me why I didn't have the potato sent back...my simple reply .... I didn't want to have spit mixed in too. Â
My # 1 rule to anyone COMPLAINING about food in a restaurant... Â WATCH the movie WAITING with Ryan Reynolds. Â NEVER will I send food back. Â I rather pay for it and go to Mickey D's later....
Just my opinion...try the place if you wish...
We had a voucher for Sunday brunch entrees and bottomless mimosas for two, which we used a few weeks ago. Experience was definitely hit-or-miss all the way around. We walked in expecting a wait, as we had called in advance and been told that there would be one, and that they weren't taking reservations. So we get there, and were pleasantly surprised to see a ton of tables open. We were then told that they were all reserved, and there'd be a wait unless we wanted to sit at the bar. As it turns out, there were a number of regular, normal tables up by the bar they were talking about - why couldn't they just sit us there rather than making it sound like we would have to sit at the bar? Or, why not just give tables to walkins instead of holding a crazy number of tables open for people who clearly weren't going to show up? We were pretty baffled at that - they don't seem the most on top of the initial seating administrivia.
That said, despite sitting at a table in the back by the bar, we were surprised to discover that service was actually quite good, other than a bit of a wait to get a menu the first time. Our food came in a reasonable timeframe, our waters and mimosas were refreshed fairly often, and our waiter didn't seem like he hated his job or anything. And the restaurant itself is, as has probably been mentioned a lot elsewhere, quite impressive inside. They were also, however, played entirely out of place crappy pop music when we walked in - we commented that it would seem much nicer if they played jazz or classical, or nothing. As befits the moderately-schizoid nature of the place, about halfway into our food, a live jazz/funk band started playing, which was indeed much nicer, except for the few minutes at the beginning where they were playing *over* the piped-in crappy pop music... but once that stopped, they were quite good.
As for the most important part, the food: I ordered the "federal classic" with short rib, which I was absolutely blown away with the tastiness of. I would totally come back for that again and pay full price. My partner ordered the omelet, though, which was decidedly unimpressive. It was basically just a regular omelet, only smaller, on a bed of fries. The fries were also great fries, but you don't pay 13 dollars for a bunch of fries and a boring omelet. So basically just don't get the omelet.
Don't bother with the mimosas, either - I could tell the orange juice and champagne were both super cheap. Not entirely unexpected, given the unlimited nature of them, but still kinda sad given the classiness of the restaurant.
And yes, the atmosphere is super classy.
Fantastic customer service, beautifully decorated and the food was delicious.
I had the fried chicken with red velvet waffles, it was amazing! Also had some Mac and cheese with bacon very very good! Everyone in my group loved everything that they ordered, I sampled them all and loved everything as well. Prices for the food weren't too bad either. Specialty cocktails were a little pricey but that's to be expected.
I'll definitely be going back. There were so many things that I want to try on the menu.
Overall experience was nice. I had a speciality drink it was ok. So I stuck to my favorite drink Cosmo. It was really good. Other than the fact, of waiting 20 mins before a waitress came to our table. We had to remind the hostess that we existed! The manager apologized comp a few items. Â The food was good, but nothing overall so special.
Review Source:I think we came here during their first couple of days open so I wouldn't put much into the Stars I gave this place, and that will change in the future whenever I go back. I just put them right in the middle because that's about how things went during our visit
.
The place itself is huge, with super high ceilings and several half walls separating parts that might be only for authorized personnel. I couldn't help but feel that this place might be a dance club at night, but I'm not sure.
We moved to a table outside because the place was so big and empty that we felt like we rented the place out to ourselves and only saw employees walking around us. The outdoor seating was a bit chilly around noon but the foot traffic was interesting and entertaining. We ordered the Kale sandwich and the Buffalo Pizza. Both were OK. The pizza was better than the sandwich only it was so dry I had to knock back a couple refills of tea just to mulch it down.
Overall the menu did not look boring and our food was presented well. For all I know the pizza/flatbread is now served with a dipping sauce (just a suggestion) or has an aioli on top and the Kale sandwich might have more flavor to it considering that it has been a couple of weeks since we came here.
The service itself was great. I kept downing my ice tea and it kept getting refilled (small pitcher on our table) while the servers/waiters checked on us regularly.
"I'll be back."
TRUTH: I've been here four times and each time I end up walking away from here drunk as a skunk with money left over for lunch the next day.
LIE: I discovered the vault in this old bank on my way to the restroom and filled my pockets with cash before making a mad dash out the door.
TRUTH: They have my favoritest beer here, the St. Bernardus Abt 12 (Quadrupel Ale) served in a tulip class. It's so yummy and it will give you an immediate buzz.
LIE: I've taken advantage of their full beer/cocktail list during happy hour with dozens of craft brews at $2 off. (I've only tried two beers and don't know if they could get any better)
TRUTH: I've had the Ahi Tuna Crudo, Grilled Artichoke, Mac-n-cheese, Short Rib Poutine, Pork belly Skewers, and Meatballs (#balls) during happy hour and their Federal Classic (Polenta cakes with short rib, poached eggs, lime chipotle hollandaise, and garlic home fries) for brunch. They all are top notch and served for sharing. Seriously, don't look past this menu during happy hour (4-7pm)
LIE: They filmed the Great Gatsby here and I saw Leo in the FLESH!
TRUTH: The service here is top notch and I can't say that I've ever been neglected. I am Thomas O after all :D.
LIE: This place is so damn good that it is most certainly a figment of my imagination!!
Interesting to see the reviews for this place - seems like people either love it or hate it. Â Sadly, I have to fall into the haters group.
We really wanted to like this place; it's in an area we love, it's in a great old building, it sounded like a good concept... but our experience was TERRIBLE. The WORST service I've had in a really long time.
Here's the short version of the story: Â We walked in, took a seat in the bar. It took about 5 minutes for a waitress to come over and bring us drinks menus. She then disappeared for a while. When she finally came back we ordered a glass of wine and a cocktail. Â We then waited - I kid you not - 20 minutes for our drinks. Â This was a weeknight, around 5:30 pm, and the place was about half empty. Â The problem certainly wasn't that they were too busy to attend to us.
In the 20 minutes that we waited, three different servers (not the one who had taken our order) asked if we had been helped. We said yes, but that we weren't sure where our drinks were. Every one of those people then disappeared and never came back. Â WTF!? Â
We finally gave up and left. Â Never to return.
0 stars is not available but the service here was absolutely horrendous. We arrived here around 8:30 and got seated immediately. The hostess had a pretty stoic attitude. She did not greet us or welcome us to the restaurant. She kinda chucked menus at us and seemed very unhappy to be there. After about 10 minutes, a busser came by and dropped off two glasses of water and did not say two words to us. No server greeted us. We were seated in the back of the restaurant. At the twenty minute mark, we decided to leave. Yes this place is beautiful but to treat your customers with such poor service is a shame. Every time I've been here the service has been awful. I do not recommend this restaurant.
Review Source:WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!!!
I tried planning a birthday party here and this place has ZERO Customer Service and could not care less about the customer and gaining business in my opinion. They reneged on initial agreements we made that were also in writing, and almost ruined my entire event less than a week before the party. They kept changing arrangements and were a nightmare to work with. I miraculously found another restaurant to take us last minute and would suggest anyone looking for a venue to head over to LA TRAVIATA restaurant instead, which is only a few blocks away.
I will never go back to this restaurant on any occasion, even their food and drinks were nothing to rave about and I will let everyone in my very large social circle know how I feel.
I love dining al fresco, but here, I would recommend staying inside. Â The train out front is quite distracting--and a little ghetto...
But the food here is great. Had the kale dip with pork belly chips (gotta get anything with pork belly), fried Brussel sprouts salad, smoked trout with pesto and hard boiled egg, the IPA short rib entree, and Mac n cheese. I love Brussel sprouts, and this salad was delish. The smoked trout -- yummy!! Â I could have had another order. Â The IPA short rib was soo good and very tender. Huge portion.
Great beer selection.
I will back to try the rest!
I had been lusting over some foodie photos taken at the Federal Bar in Long Beach for months. Â Then one day, I saw a LivingSocial deal for brunch. Â Of course, online coupons can be hit or miss but all those blog photos can't be wrong. Â I bought the deal which included 2 entrees and bottomless mimosas. Â I don't know about you but I'm not going to pass up bottomless mimosas. Â No way. Â
So last Sunday, my friend Julie B. and I went to the Federal Bar for brunch to celebrate her birthday. Â She was super excited because she had no idea what we were doing for brunch. Â We walked in to give our name to the hostess and we're ushered into the large, spacious dining room. Â The Federal Bar is located inside an old bank so it has high ceilings and a gorgeous art deco interior. Â The staff is dressed up in 1920s clothing circa the Great Gatsby. Â This place would be awesome for a party! Â Our server came by and took our orders for the mimosas and my LivingSocial certificate. Â
I ordered the red velvet waffle sandwich but was informed that they had run out of waffles. Â TRAGEDY! Â Especially since they had just been open an hour when we walked in. Â The waitress suggested the breakfast burger which also had the sweet and savory combination I was looking for. Â Julie ordered the omelette with short rib. Â Our entrees came out shortly after and I have to say their food is so delicious! Â The burger was perfectly cooked to order. Â I asked for medium. Â The maple aioli was a nice touch and I loved the heirloom tomatoes. Â The French fries were covered in parmesan and parsley but so tasty. Â Julie really liked her omelette as well and ate the entire thing. Â My mimosa glass was constantly refilled to the point where I had to ask her to stop filling it because I had to drive. Â I'd definitely come back here for brunch. Â It's a shame that it's so far away from me though. Â I'll also come back to try out their dinner menu as well. Â They have a full bar with a few craft cocktails that sound interesting. Â I'll definitely be back.
My first review was for the Federal Bar's soft opening, so I suppose it is fair to update this review. I really actually like this bar, it has a very interesting decor to it. It's sort of open and has giant wood paneling and an interesting leather chair decor. One of my friends calls it "Art Deco". I'm really an expert in the era or the roaring twenties. However, I wish I could like throw a giant party at this bar and have it with like a gatsby theme or something.
The beer list at this bar is pretty good. They have a very good happy hour, and the service is generally pretty decent. I really like the food that they serve here, it is cooked mostly well. All in all, I would totally chose this place to hang out in the area if I wasn't going to Beachwood.
"Wow." That's what I said to myself upon entering this beautiful bar! From what I heard, this used to be a bank built in the 1920s. The establishment is huge filled with old school charm. The ceiling has the original hand painted art, shiny wooden panels, chandeliers, fancy furnishings, 2 bars!!!! Easily the most beautiful bar I've had visited in Long Beach.
There are multiple seating areas... in the front there are mostly tables to dine, one main bar in the front and another small one in the back, a large round seating area in the middle, a couple of booths in the back, and a stage area which doubles as a seating area as well. Plenty of areas to enjoy! We seated in the front and ordered from the specialty cocktails. I ordered a fiddler, which was a concoction of whiskey, ginger beer, and lemon. Â Our drinks were super strong, and tasty! The bartenders here really know how to make a great cocktail. In addition, we decided to share an Elvis pie for dessert; it is a small pie with graham cracker crust, peanut butter, whipped cream, chocolate, and caramelized bananas. The Elvis pie was very delicious!
The staff here was very friendly and also helpful in helping us order our drinks and dessert. Also they gave us a little history lesson about the building, which was very cool and interesting.They are also dressed 1920's style with a little modern flare, which was really cool as well.
I definitely enjoyed my time here... a great bar in a beautiful place. Looking at the menu, I definitely would love to try their brunch... looks delicious. The Federal Bar is now a favorite of mine in Downtown Long Beach and I would definitely recommend it to all my fellow Yelpers. Enjoy!
Just went there for happy hour with my girlfriends and had a fabulous time. Â We got there around 4 pm and enjoyed some nice craft beers and cocktails with good conversation with our bartender. Â We also tried their garlic french fries, which were pretty good, but I've had better.
The venue itself is BEAUTIFUL. Â It's this really cool old building with an art deco ambiance enhanced by the staff's clothes. Â All in all, it was a good experience and I'm sure we'll be back.
We had a Living Social voucher for brunch for two so we went last Sunday. We were seated immediately in a really nice booth. We were a good distance from the Jazz band so we could hear but hold a normal conversation. As many have said, the place is beautiful - an old bank building with gorgeous inlaid wood and chandeliers. It's the bottom floor of the Madison Building ( in which I used to work on the 9th floor and sorely miss).
The deal was for two entrees and bottomless mimosas. I found the mimosas to be pretty strong (but I'm a wimp that way) and was buzzed after the first one. The waitress was great and kept our glasses full the whole time. I ordered the Fed Classic which was poached eggs with hollandaise, short rib meat, and an ortega chili polenta cake. It was amazingly savory and delicious. It also came with seasoned home fries which were delicious as well though few got eaten due to the large portion of the main dish. Â Jeff had the French toast. It was made from large fluffy slices of perfectly grilled toast and garnished with berries. The syrup was the star - "beer syrup" - it had a great bite with an interesting spiciness to it.
Overall, a fantastic experience - food, service, atmosphere. I can't wait to go there for dinner.
Went for the living social deal- brunch of bottomless mimosas and 2 entrees we Loved it! The place is beautiful, the food is awesome and we were full from our entrees. The menu doesn't seem long but just as our server told us, they only chose things that people would love and we did!
We had Sam as our server as well, she was Awesome- on top of everything and very nice! Thanks for making breakfast enjoyable =)
She told us about the construction and how there will be a speakeasy and club, we are excited to try it out again!
My wife and I also took advantage of the LivingSocial deal for the brunch. Our reservation was for 10:30am, right when they opened, and it appeared that was a good move. We were seated immediately and were given impeccable service throughout our stay.
Our server was Sam. Here's a quick shout-out for you, Sam. We loved your style. Separate from your duties as a waitress, everything from your hairstyle to the suspenders was unique and so very stylish. We also appreciate that The Federal Bar permits its employees to express themselves as individuals. I think it adds a touch of individuality as well as a sense of personality to the dining experience.
Sam was a fantastic waitress. She was personable, hospitable, prompt, and efficient. All that was delivered with a smile - can't ask for more than that from a server. Thank you very much for your attentive service.
The mimosas were strong and kept flowing. Neither my wife's or my flutes saw the bottom of the glass because Sam was on top of it. We both ordered the Applewood smoked sausage omelet because it sounded good. The omelet delivered. It was small (as expected, I guess) but was enough to fill up my needs for brunch. With the side of house fries that it comes with, the meal was sufficiently sized.
We will be returning to try out other times of the day and to try other items on the menu. Hope to see you again soon, Sam!
A group of us tried this place yesterday for happy hour. Â It's worth going there just to see the interior - it's beautiful beyond words. Â
Then there's the service. Â Our group was large and members were arriving and leaving at different times, so most were cashing out our tabs as we went along.
Our server seemed very nice. Â So my friend and I were shocked when, after giving her a $20 bill to pay our $12 tab, we didn't get any change. Â When we asked her about it a half hour later, she said "Oh, I thought that was the tip" and handed it back to us. Â An $8 tip on a $12 tab? Â Can we have a couple more drinks before we decide that 67% is warranted? Â
So then my friend, who's pissed about the change thing, goes to the bar to order her next drink. Â The bartender's price for the same drink was $1 less than what the waitress charged. Â WTH!?!?!?
If we ever decide to go back, we're heading straight to the seats at the bar.
The collected belief between my colleagues and I was, the interior deserves 6 stars and our first server deserved 5 stars. "Allen" deserved a swift kick in the ass!
Its a long review, but I want to start off with, the six of us who visited the Federal all work in the downtown Long Beach Convention & Hospitality industry. We would NEVER advise our visiting clients to go to the Federal after our experience....
Myself and a group of co-workers headed over on a Friday after work to test out this place since it had changed from the Madison to the Federal. The interior, as always, is impressive. Now, I can't really rate the food because all we ordered was the Charcuterie board with a ton of drinks, but I will rate the service. Our first server (at the front bar) was very sweet and attentive. One person in our group wanted to move to the rear bar where it was a bit more intimate. We asked our server if she could still wait on us in the back because we liked her so much, she said she could not. We then asked her if we should close out so she would get her ip, she said not necessary...she had class.
When we moved to the rear bar, we were transferred over to "Allen" (or so the reciept listed). Immediately he looked at the transfer our first server brought over and griped (directly in front of us) over the 4 separate bills. He asked the girl "why are there 4 separate bills" in a snotty attitude, and she told him "because that's what they requested".
Side Bar- splitting checks is not a difficult task as it was once perceived to be. I was a server for 9 years through high school and college, and even then it wasn't difficult with the tech savvy computers they have in restaurants these days! Not to mention there was six of us, so it could've been worse!
Anyway Allen decided to tell us that he was going to combine all bills and we were to give him our CC and he'd split it. If that's what we wanted to do, that's what we would've asked for Allen!!! But no one was in the mood to go up against his assertiveness so we went along with it. He continued to be a major douche all through the rest of the evening. When we'd ask a question, he'd act like we were bothering or annoying him. When we ordered, he was extremely short like we were wasting his time. The kicker was that he wasn't even busy!
Maybe he wanted customers that were actually ordering dinner? Maybe he just didn't like us? Guess what Allen... Who gives a F!! You work in customer service and its full of stuff we don't like! You need to take your paper boy hat and shove it!
Met a friend here for just a drink and some light bites so we were able to sit at the bar. They were pretty busy for a Tuesday night; looks like it's off to a good start. They did a great job of restoring the old interior--it's gorgeous. We each got a beer (Deschutes River Ale for me, Old Speckled Hen for friend) and ordered the following:
Fried Pork Belly Skewers (good, could've been a bit more tender)
Mini Stuffed Bleu Cheese Burgers (ohhhh, delish!)
Our bartender was really nice and on the ball, and we had a nice time noshing and chatting at the bar. Next time I need to take advantage of their happy hour!
A note about the parking: the metered lot right next door is exhorbitantly expensive; I think it's like $5/hour. As I was pulling in the valet guy told me it'd be cheaper to valet with him than park in the lot if I was going to be there for more than a couple of hours, and he was right. Of course, you can just park a few streets away and save even more $$, which is what I'll do next time.
I give this place three stars (2.5 if that we're an option) because the hostess had an incredibly snatchy attitude. Good service goes a looong way for me. We get there for brunch, party of 9, and the restaurant is HUGE and EMPTY. Â The hostess (didn't get her name) immediately says to us "you don't have a reservation??" and we replied "no", hesitantly, looking around at the empty restaurant wondering why she asked so rudely. She then replied "we don't have anything...unless you want to sit on the patio" with her disgusted face - we instantly said yes to the patio; the weather was wonderful.
I had the hash and it was very good. They have bottomless mimosas for $15 per person, however, it was the lousiest mimosa I've ever had. The champagne was flat and it was mixed with what must have been the cheapest oj on the planet. I opted for a Sauvignon Blanc that I've never heard of, and that tasted like they opened the bottle two days ago and left the cork out. Like I said, food was good, plus our server was great. Hubby had Bloody Mary and that was pretty tasty.
The bar is pretty chill.
Friendly hostess, friendly bartenders and friendly people... Â I could dig it.
I ordered off the happy hour menu. Â Got some ahi tuna, wings and mac and cheese.
The mac and cheese was really good.
Drinks were on par, nothing special. Â They were a lil' generous with their alcohol, at least thats how I felt (not complaining).
This place felt like a speakeasy which I liked. High ceilings, old school decor, and I like the fact that it's very spacious.
would come back.
Went to the Federal Bar for a drink last night, it's really nice inside & there are beautiful people working here.
I only had a drink at the bar so I can't really comment on anything other than the decor and the employees.
There is a parking lot next door for $5 an hour (Which is kinda high, IMO) they do offer Valet, but Idk how much that is.  It would be nice if they could Validate for the first hour so  you can actually enjoy your drink without looking at the clock every couple of minutes.
other than that, I do look forward to returning for a bite.
Went here for their happy hour (4pm-7pm everyday) while visiting a friend in Long Beach. He's a walk's distance away so we couldn't resist!
Here's what we got for a table of 3:
Ahi Tuna Crudo
Grill Artichoke
Mac-N-Cheese
Short Rib Poutine
Fox Barrel Blackcherry Pear Cid
Golden Road Hefeweizen
St Bernardus Abt 12 (Quadrupel)
Allagash Curieux
First off, the portions are bigger than you would think. Also their pricing is really fair and the quality is just above the pricing. For what we ordered for 3 people, the bill came out to be about 50, which was a nice surprise considering the food and beers we got.
Definitely a fun place to go for happy hour also it's just cool to be in the old bank and see their fantastic decor. Service was prompt and attentive. Our waitress Christina really took care of us and made sure we got everything in a timely manner.
Overall, my favorites were the mac-n-cheese and the poutine. I found myself scooping more portions of each plate right after I had eaten what was on my plate. I couldn't stop... it was delicious. Thoroughly impressed with everything here from food to service to price to decor.
Must come back for their dinner and brunch menu. I hear really good stuff about their brunch menu too!
Such potential but lacking in class in their service.
The first time I visited back in July, this place blew me away. It was a Friday night, the service was fantastic and the wine was good. My company ordered the lamb chops and still raves about it today. A great night.
I visited again this past weekend and the experience declined significantly. The place wasn't very full and it took about 40 minutes to order. The server tried to make up for her negligence with polite banter but it was done without care.
There seemed to be a disconnect between the bussers, servers, and hosts and it was pretty transparent that it was disorganized.
I am rooting for this place. It's a beautiful building, great menu, cute concept with the flapper outfits, decent beats and sounds... such potential. A little more patron care and organization can bring regulars in the community - me included!
I still love the Federal Bar but I'm not sure I'd go back for brunch. The jazz combo was so loud I felt like I was yelling just to talk to other people at the table....and we were on the other side of the room away from the band. I really think the band could play unplugged and the sound level would be just right considering the acoustics in the room.
My only complaint about this great spot.
All I've had here is one of their fancy cocktails. It was too strong to drink. If it has snazzy flavors in it, I'd prefer it not be poured with a heavy hand: I can't taste anything snazzy! It's all booze.
That being said, the service was great and the atmosphere is nice. I'll check it out one more time, but probably or food. If they don't wow me with the food, I'll have no reason to return.
Definitely a beautiful place. A very welcomed addition to the up and coming, getting it's groove back Pine Ave restaurant scene.
The ambiance is great and I see where they are going with the theme. The bar/restaurant sits in an old bank and from the appearance of the menu and the hostess, there is a bit of a vintage/20's-40's style atmosphere. It is very welcomed and classy but from an atmosphere point of view it gets lost with the music over the speakers. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of some of the music they play but if they are going for a theme with style and appearance they have to stay true to it with the music otherwise it confuses the environment. Classic 20's style Jazz or even new Jazz-Electric lounge music would do this place more justice then Gotye or the Black Keys playing or the speakers and killing the vibe.
In regards to the food, they have one of the classiest happy hour menus in town with some amazing selections. The Ahi Crustini is one of the best tasting appetizers in Long Beach hands down! They have a decent beer selection and Long Beach has definitely stepped up it's beer game over the past couple of years. They also have a selection of prohibition era cocktails. I would like to see an expanded cocktail menu over the next few months.
Their dining selection is moderate with not many items to choose from and they seem to highlight their burgers. We ordered to different types of burgers and unfortunately we were both definitely underwhelmed when they came to us. They looked amazing but the brioche bun that they were served on was just WAY too bready. We actually had to take the top buns off and eat them as open faced sandwiches. The beef was not too impressive, it was lacking a little seasoning and definitely lacking a nice sear that you can get at other spots around town.
The place is beautiful and I understand they are still working the kinds out since they've only been open since around May. We will definitely be going back to try other menu items and enjoy their great happy hour and ambiance and hope that with a little tweaking and maybe a new bakery provider will get those burgers up to par.
All and all though, a great place to bring anyone you want to impress, even if that person is yourself. Federal Bar, you are almost at 5 stars.
I felt compelled to update my previous review.
Dined here just last week and damned if this place just does not get better and better!!! The hostess (w/ the mostess, lol) carded my friend and I and didn't notice my birthday (she was busy, I give her that)....
Comically and within casual conversation I 'jokingly' mocked her failure to do so & GO FIGURE, she shut me completely the hell up when she returned to our table w/ not only our order(s) but 2 COMPLIMENTARY shots of what I'm humbly referring to as being.....GASOLINE! - frankly, I ain't been right since, lol and all simply for neglecting to acknowledge my b-day the 1st go round'.
Yea - this type of customer service is unparalleled and has assured staff that I am nothing short of a 'regular' when it comes to The Federal Bar-
Make reservations. Â The joint is popular. Â The food is really, really good!! AND the price is very reasonable for how good it all was. Â I got a living social deal here that was unbelievable however, I think my dish was only $13.
I had their version of the eggs benedict. Served on polenta with a nice kick to it with spinach and your poached eggs. The kicker was they did their hollandiase sauce done with chipolte in it. Â Perfection! Â The home fries were so good. Â Garlic and parm and sooooo awesome.
The boy had their french toast. Â i really loved their beer maple syrup too. Â REALLY interesting and tasty!
Their omelet looked amazing too--that will be mine next time I get there. Â And yes, it really was worth the drive down to LB (I know there is one in NOHO, but they didn't have the deal going).
The service was so good too. Â I don't know the server's name but she was this darling blond girl with long hair who was stationed toward the back this Sunday and she was so attentive, polished and sweet. Â I really enjoyed her, especially since she kept my mimosa glass full. :)
The problem with happy hour lasting 4 hours at so many places now is that it somehow transforms from "let's grab drinks and snacks for HH!" to "LET'S GO TO ALL THE HAPPY HOURS!" Not that that is really a problem, it just means that if happy hours end at 7, you can guarantee I'll be home getting into bed around 8 from a booze and calorie driven coma.
We popped in to the federal bar yesterday as our second HH stop after stuffing our faces at Congregation Ale House and were only planning to have drinks for round two. I got a beer because they had a respectable beer selection and beers were part of their HH deal and the dude opted for one of their specialty cocktails (not on HH, but he wanted something less filling than beer). We ordered our drinks and asked our waitress if she suggested any desserts because we were done with real food for the night. She recommended the Elvis pie and described it with enough detail to make it impossible to say no (peanut butter cream! chocolate shell! caramelized bananas!), so we went ahead and ordered it.
Our drinks came out and we hung out talking, drinking and admiring the novelty of drinking inside an old bank. Then, our dessert appeared and all talking stopped because 1. it was beautiful and 2. you can't shove treats in your face and talk. It was delicious. Like, must have been made from magical baby unicorns delicious.
Service was great and we'll definitely be going back to check out regular food. I'll have to remember to keep tummy space available for dessert!
Ever eaten in a bank? No? Well, come to the Federal Bar and then you can cross that off your bucket list. I recently came here with a group of friends. This was my first time eating in downtown Long Beach in a while.
FOOD - 4 Stars: We ordered a plethora of food. Here are some highlights:
Meatballs Appetizer: This was pretty good. A juicy and flavorful meatball drenched in some marinara sauce. Let's not forget all the cheesy goodness in it too! A great way to start the meal.
Sweet Potato Tater Tots: This was really good. I'm a fan of tater tots and for the fact they offered a sweet potato version make me want to give them additional kudos. The touch of syrup was the slight hint of sweetness the dish needed. Yum!
Chicken & Red Velvet Waffles: This was my first time eating this type of chicken and waffles. The chicken was perfectly cooked. The waffles were red velvet and there was a spicy syrup that accompanied the dish. So, you can imagine the combination of the fried chicken, sweet waffles, and spicy syrup... absolutely delicious. My taste buds were really jumping for joy with every bite.
Salmon: The grilled salmon was ordered rare as requested and was eaten up before you knew it. It had some black rice with it was so good too.
Apple Pie: I ordered the apple pie because I just had to! It was a soft crust and thick filling with pieces of chunky apples. Soooo delicious. I ordered it a la mode, but got strawberry ice cream. It's not conventional to order strawberry ice cream, but damn I was craving some! The ice cream was so good. I couldn't stop eating everything.
SERVICE - 5 Stars: Our waitress was very friendly and accommodating to our group. She was so good to us! Very personable and was just a sweet heart. She checked on us constantly, was quick to refill our drinks, and kept us up-to-date with our orders. Excellent service from the moment we got there to the time we stepped outside.
ATMOSPHERE - 5 Stars: This place used to be a bank and the decor for the entire place was very 1920s. It was pretty awesome. Everyone is pretty much dressed from this era as well in keeping with the theme. I loved the environment and ambience. It was very lively and fun. It was loud enough where you could hear everyone enjoying yourself and you can still carry on a conversation at your table without having to yell.
RECOMMENDATION: This place is awesome for a dinner with friends or even just hanging out at the bar. Friendly staff, great food and drinks, and service with a smile... you know you want to try it out. So, check it out the next time you're in Long Beach!
I knew about The Federal Bar before it got to Long Beach. Â I was impressed with it's NOHO establishment and very excited that it was coming to Long Beach. Â Unfortunately, there seems to be some growing pains as with most new establishments. Â I really like this location and the venue is in a historic building. Â It's a cool atmosphere; a very open space inside.
Pros: Two bars; the one in the back is the one I usually go to the most as the bartender back there (black guy: think his name is Jonathan) is pretty cool. Â I had not been there in a few weeks and he remembered me and my drink right off the bat. Â Kudos. Â Spencer is also good too.
Happy Hour 4pm-7pm is pretty good. Â $3 wells. Â Well Vodka isn't bad at all. Â Discounts on Appetizers only.
Mac & Cheese: delicious!
Cons and Suggestions: Â You have an amazing mural in the back of the establishment...LIGHT IT UP! Â It will tie the whole place together.
With the exception of the servers I already mentioned, some of the servers seem very "new" and not educated enough to be bartenders. Â Additionally, when the food comes to be delivered at the bar, don't deliver it to the bartender to serve (wastes time and potential for food to get cold or contaminated); bring it directly to the guest. Â Label your bar positions.
Only has televisions at front bar...would be nice to watch some games at the back bar as well.
The Federal Bar has the potential...I am not sure though if you have the right people managing the place to make it what it could be.
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