Cherch Lounge

I was so excited about this place, but was really disappointed.
I have been to Cherch twice. The first time was a few months after they opened for drinks on a Saturday night. The second time was for after-​work snacks and drinks on a Friday. This review is for the nightlife scene though, because ya can’t blame the place for being lame early Friday evening.
The place looks really cool from the outside like it would be a cool loungey place with good loud music and interesting cocktails. And even upon entering it looks like that. But for some reason, the vibe just isn’t right.
Possible reasons:
1) Not enough people in DTF area who would be interested in an upscale-​y loungy place. More draw for the Slide Bar, Heroes, Tuscany, etc.
2) Place is very big and open. Feels dead unless it’s packed. Décor looks nice at first glance but when you get up close, everything is dirty and dingy — even when the place was new.
3) Drinks list is uninspired. This should be an elderflower martini type place, not a Bud Light type place. Good desserts though :)
4) Music is just not what I would expect for this type of place (would expect modern electronic, got stale mid 2000s hip hop). Also, the few poor souls I saw who felt like dancing were quickly shunned and forbidden from dancing by the bouncers… what?!
Sorry Cherch… you’re another place I really wanted to love. I guess I have to head south to get what I thought you were going to be!

Cherch is nice lounge with a pretty cool outdoor area. Been here a couple times.
Once for an art event with fashion show, art pieces, and music by a local DJ.
Another time just to go chill in DTF (downtown Fullerton), the waitresses are friendly and service is usually fairly quick.
Drinks arent overly prices, nor are they cheap, music is good, i believe thursday around 10PM house music is playing.

good music, good crowd, good drinks. Holy water shots are the best.

Cherch Lounge is bi-​polar and haven’t discovered it yet.
BABY IN THE CORNER: I went to support a friend one Friday night who was Dj’ing, (so the music was great! ;)), BUT there was no where to dance! :(In fact, a few other girls were trying to dance and they were told to stop. WACK. If you want to dance or even groove to the music, you are «allowed» to if not in a big crowd or in a random spot (like by the entrance. If Cherch invested in a license to allow dancing, it would be a way better spot to go out.
GRANDPA’S SYRUP: My jack and coke was semi-​strong, so I decided to buy a shot and kick it up a notch. Sadly, it was the same price as my drink was! –_​– not a fan of that.
DOLLA, DOLLA BILLS YA’LL: No cover to get in which was cool, but the bouncers were creepy and so obviously selective, it was just rude. My guy friend couldn’t even get in that night because he was wearing jeans. LAME!
SAY WHAT?: Not to mention, they were having some random bathing suit/​clothing photo shoot thing with a few girls on the side with waaaayy to BRIGHT LIGHTING that killed the whole flow. I kinda didn’t understand the point, nor reason for this type of «hype» that no one seemed to really care about.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The whole night was just kinda off. I went back a second time on a Saturday a few weeks later, and nothing much seemed to change. In the end, Cherch Lounge just tries too hard. They act like an exclusive, high priced Club in some ways, but give that Lounge feel in other. It doesn’t work.

3.5 Stars–
Came here a couple Wednesdays ago to support my friend on comedy night. Cherch has a great vibe and atmosphere and I loved how super attentive and friendly our waitress was to our group that came to support our friend. Outside, Cherch doesn’t seem like much, but right when you walk in, it looks super modern, great music, dark ambiance. Good place to sit back and relax with friends. They also have a giant projector screen. Parking can be found in the back if you can’t find any along the street.

OOOOOH it’s ChErch!!! Okay, I get it now, not ChUrch.
Drinks were cheap. Beers $ 5.50 choices were decent and small.
The person below me paid $ 3 beers, did I get rip off? lol.
Appetizer food thingy was $ 10 per plate.
medium size portion for an appetizer, probably enough for 3 people.
We got fried calamari, salty.
cheese fries, salty.
BUT oh well. it was okay. we weren’t complaining.
Crowd was mix. probably around 25+ on Friday night.
Songs was almost top 40ish.
No dance floor (or was that walking alley thing their dance floor? IDK)
that big space with the projector should just turned into a dance floor in my opinion. No one really sits there anyway.
Oh, that red room all the way in the back is for reservation only.
Don’t make a fool of yourself and just sit there.
(take it from me, who got «moved» into normal seating! haha!)

Bouncers and choosy and they charge randomly… Got here around 11 with 10 people and it wasn’t crowded and no lines, so we all got in okay… My girlfriend and other friends came in 30 minutes later, still no line, but they decided to charge everyone, then they told him they always go there and live down the street and they never charged… so the door guy changed his mind to $ 5 for guys – which there were 4 guys and 3 girls… Still $ 20 and they asked where to they pay? Inside? And he said you pay me??! WTH?
I guess that’s how they make their tips? But that would definitely turn people away, kinda unfair to pick and choose who you want to charge, especially when your a local… Another friend of mine go there around midnight and he paid $ 20 to get in!!! And he only ended up staying for 15minutes, he just wanted to show face to say hi to the bday boy… i guess the price goes up every 30mins or so after 11, depending on whose working? That’s a total rip! They also have table services set up and where no one was sitting but they wouldn’t let anyone else sit because they kept telling it it was reserved… We were there all night and not one party sat there, I guess Cherch is trying to be like the LA clubs? Dunno…

I stopped in here for a few, last Saturday afternoon with my downtown pal, Scotty the T-​shirt Guy. By the time I got to Cherch, I’ve gotta be honest… I had maybe 5 or 6 tabs in my jacket pocket, so I didn’t get the full spectrum…
Showed my ID to the bouncer at the front, and the place was just starting to get some business. Scotty and I walked up to the bar — fast service. Decent price for a Budweiser in a bottle (sorry, I’m a sucker for filthy classic Americana) and a Jack and Coke.
Grabbed a table near the front, in front of a giant projection screen playing videos alongside the music. 112 and Notorious BIG came on and I felt like I was at my high school prom. I get spooked easily after a long day of drinking and asked Scotty if we could leave.
I often get «The Fear» if I’m on an all-​day bender:
Noticed some local servers getting there relax on in the place, so I imagine the service is more often than not good, otherwise they wouldn’t put up with it… and I am a fan of the back patio with the swanky seating, fancy steelwork, and heating.
I have to drop 3 stars for now, only because I haven’t experienced this place during «the rush» when it counts. You’ll get great service anywhere when it’s quiet. For now, I think it’s a fun and swanky addition to the Downtown landscape, I had a good time while here… and it looks like they can stay open past their 1^st year alcohol license curfew, so congrats, Cherch. Will return, update.

man, this whole time i thought it was called church. no wonder church bar wasn’t coming up.
we went on a tuesday night, and it was empty. BUT, we had a blast. drinks were CHEAP. 3 dolla beers, and 5 dollar drinks. 7 drinks came out to like 30 bucks. i aint complaining!
its also HUGE. both indoor and outdoor seating, bartenders were nice, and all in all it was goooood times. i would definitely return on a weekend!

Saturday night around 11pm and the place was packed and in full swing. Even though there was no line one of the bouncers at the door was having an ego trip and telling everyone walking up that they weren’t letting any people in because they were at capacity. 5 minutes later I told another bouncer we were there for a party and they let us right in.
My girlfriend was celebrating her birthday party there and after telling her what happened to me at the door she proceeded to tell me that she was kicked out of her original section because another party arrived with more money and so management gave them her VIP section. That’s pretty lame.
It took awhile for my husband and I to get recognized at the bar before we could order drinks. The bartender came back twice to ask again what we had ordered and he still got it wrong.
We did have a waitress, but I didn’t see her all night. My friend did point her out, saying she was our waitress. But she would just walk by. Hmmmmm.
Although I was perfectly fine dancing in our section, I had heard that the «dance floor» had a bunch of tables on it that were nailed to the ground, so apparently they could not be cleared for people to dance. Who’s idea was that?
The only good thing about this place was that there was no cover. I don’t think I would ever have a party here myself.

BEWARE!!! Don’t JAYWALK!!! my ticket was $ 255
Damn the Fullerton P.D. … waaaaaaah =’(

I’ve been here before when it was packed but i didn’t expect it to be open at 7pm on a Tuesday night. It was game 3 of the finals as we decided to walk to Bourbon Street, we had the pleasantness of walking past Cherch.
Personally, I’m not a basketball fan… I’m a Hockey girl but the boy wanted to check this place out and when he saw the HUGE LCD screen playing the Laker game, it was love at first sight.
This place is a lot cooler when it isn’t jammed pack with a bunch of people who look like they dressed for Vegas but ended up in Good ‘ol Fullerton.
Cherch provided clean and non crowded restrooms, nice cold beer and a kick back lounge to watch the game… for just one night :)
It’s everything a lover can ask for ;)
Would I come back to Cherch? Preferably not when it’s jammed pack… definitely for a sporting event… and what’s great about this place? When my mother calls, I can tell her I’m at Cherch, drinking wine with my friend Jesus: D just kidding!

I came here at night so this review will be for night life only.
Out of all the bars at downtown Fullerton, Cherch is easily the best (though that’s not really saying much). The place looks very nice, almost like a miniature upscale Vegas bar. There are plenty of places to sit inside and out, and they also had $ 5 holy water shots when I was there so that was a plus as well.
The only reason this place doesn’t get 5 stars is because of the crowd. You’ll meet some cool people here but mostly you’ll just see the fake ghetto clubbing types who are full of themselves. That’s personally not my type of crowd but if you are into skanky-​looking-​stuck-​up girls and a shitload of baggy clothed guys, then this is the place for you.
Otherwise, come here and drink with your friends because you won’t find anything better in DTF.

I came here on a Thursday night. It was the day before my birthday & I decided to meet up some friends here because my friend was promoting here & was giving me a free bottle of champagne for my birthday :)
Got here a little too early lol at like 9:30 (hey I’m no longer in college!) I’ve passed by this place a few times & I thought it looked kind of ‘gothy’ because to me, it had a dark feel to it.
Anyways, we got in, got carded, sat at a booth, and socialized with the workers. Everyone is pretty nice here! There’s no dance floor. The place has a pretty nice interior, lots of tables and places to sit. Drinks were pretty cheap, $ 3 cranberry vodka until 11 & their holy water shots were also $ 3 but $ 3 all night! The holy water shot had sprite, vodka, & something blue. It’s pretty tasty & it’s even better cause it’s so cheap! :)
Crowd here on a Thursday night is very mixed. Mostly college kids cause duh, it’s college night. DJ plays pretty good songs, mostly old and new top 40 hip-​hop.
I had a good time celebrating my birthday eve & bringing in my bday at midnight. However, I think I’m too old for this, I just turned 24 not 21 –_–

Love the layout and dim lighting for a mellow kick back feel. There’s tons of couches both inside and outside in the spacious smoking patio.
I last went on Fri and they have a great dj. If you add them on facebook you’ll also get the latest updates and what not that’s going down.
Only down side: my credit card got swiped the day after when I wasn’t there. I’ll be back… but with cash only. And its got to be good when a place swipes my info and I still give it 4 stars!

I always thought this place was an actual CHURCH, but its humble exterior hides a hip and happenin’ bar/​lounge/​club in downtown fullerton!
My friends and I ventured into Downtown Fullerton on a Saturday night because we didn’t want to make the drive to LA. All the many lounges in downtown had long lines, but we were most curious about the lounge titled «Cherch» (who wouldn’t be?). We waited for about 30 minutes and entered — there’s no cover charge, just show your ID for proof of age and you’re golden.
On the huge wall directly to your right, they are streaming videos while blasting music. There’s a decent-​sized dancefloor, some tables, and a long bar. It was pretty easy to squeeze in and get our drinks despite the crowds. The drinks were all pretty cheap too, with most cocktails priced at about $ 6. The crowd is on the older side, but that seems to be the case for all the lounges in this area. if you’re not looking to pick up anyone and just wanna have fun with a group of friends then Cherch is the place to go.

I had been told by several people, numerous times, that I had to stop by and check out this Lounge whenever i’m in DT Fullerton, but for one reason or another, I never made it through the doors, until a few weeks ago.
I received a «text of distress» from my friend at almost 10:00pm on a Saturday night, asking me to go and save her from her current dilemma. She was at this bar to see a band with her boyfriend and his friends — that she didn’t know — and she felt like an humpa lumpa! Although I was still hungover from the night before (and that morning) I got dolled up and went for a «hair of the dog» … oh yeah, and to save her! (P.S she doesn’t look like an humpa lumpa, but she still claims she does!)
I walk in and was surprised at what I saw. I had always thought that this place was a Dive Bar and I was so wrong! It’s a swanky lounge with great décor! It was a little dark and the lighting was awesome (purple and blue — my favorite colors) The atmosphere was great and so was the wait service.
Towards the end of the night, we left the table and went to the bar. I usually prefer to sit at a bar and rate most places on the bartenders ability to pour a heavy drink! I was not disappointed! My long islands were strong and worthy of being consumed! If you’re ever there, say «Hi» to Brian! He’s the bartender with the curly hair and smooth, Johnny Cash voice.
They have a huge indoor HD projector and I was told that they show movies there sometimes, but I don’t remember on what night. I did find out that they have Football games on Sundays and they’re projection screen is 35ft tall and 16ft wide!
This place is a cool, warm, inviting and an amazingly relaxing Lounge. Can’t wait to go back, try their food, and watch a movie!

Once upon a time, this used to be a pawnshop.
Once upon a time, I would scoff at the idea of setting foot in a place like this. Over time, I’ve become watered down.
Now it’s a pretty dim and chill lounge/​bar. It doesn’t seem to attract a large number of clientele that Slidebar does. Which is a good thing, check that, a very good thing. If you, for whatever reason doubt my sincerity, read this:

My friends weren’t diggin’ the band that was performing. I was though. My friends are dense (sometimes).
I was enjoying my Kettle tonics watching the band. You could see the passion on the Quincy Jones looking singers face as he was belting out jams from Hendricks to Soundgarden to effen’ Michael McDonald. I would’ve sworn I even heard some SneakerPimps remake when I walked in. The singer had range. I was also fixated on the various images that had been displayed via a projector behind the band. Kettle tonics do that to me.
For it being a Saturday night in downtown Fullerton, it wasn’t that busy at all. There was a pretty big group of DTF’s ‘finest’ wearing their True Religion jeans and skull with wings tshirts. They were off to the back, so I only had to come across them when I had to visit my old friend, the urinal a visit, and catch up on old times. Since I had already broken the seal at Heroes, I was making a trip what seemed like every 5 minutes.
On one trip to the men’s room, one girl that most guys would drool over pointed me out. It was obvious she’d had one too many Cosmopolitan martinis. She says, «yeah, gimme a high five». I was in a predatory mood. I pretend to go give her one and fake her out. Her friends appreciated my joke. I walk off into the sunset. Or in this case, the men’s room with the biggest childish grin. The End.

3.5
Where am I? SoCo Village? What the heck does SoCo stand for since I’m in Fullerton? Apparently it means south of Commonwealth. Cherch is on the corner of Commonwealth and Harbor. Huh, I think I rather have had some SoCo on the rocks.
I stayed after the elite event to eat dinner here last Saturday. There were half-​formed plans to get sushi or tapas with various groups but in the end, I decided to stay since I didn’t actually get to eat the food at the event.
The bartender that had been helping me earlier in the evening recommended the 72-​hour braised short ribs. I decided to get that because I can’t resist short ribs.
Holy mother of cow! This thing was ENORMOUS!
And it came with a piping hot ramekin of luscious scalloped potatoes. Mmm, I loved those potatoes.
As for the short ribs, they were good and I really enjoyed tackling it all. But I wished it was served as hot as the potatoes. I don’t know if it had sat around for a while before they brought it to me but it was only lukewarm when I took my first bite and cold by the time I finished.
I also had the apple salad. The bartender was very enthusiastic about it. I didn’t read the description too closely or else I would have skipped it. I don’t like frisee and that’s the lettuce they use. The apples and endive in it were fine though. The blue cheese was even good (and I’m not a big blue cheese fan). For $ 8, I wasn’t wowed.
Still, I’ll come back for those short ribs because it was well worth their $ 28 price.

When my friend suggested we try out a new upscale restaurant in downtown Fullerton, I was not too excited. I thought I’d either be bored to death with «classic fare» or underwhelmed with bar and cantina-​style food as is typical in downtown Fullerton. I was definitely skeptical because downtown Fullerton is not exactly known for trendy and upscale dining.
We went on their grand opening on Valentine’s Day, and it was really packed like it was the hottest thing to hit the OC! To my pleasant surprise, I had an amazing experience at Cherch, and I do think of it as an experience rather than just a meal. The whole vibe of Cherch is modern, and you get the feeling that you’re in WeHo or Soho rather than Fullerton. From the minute you walk in, you can softly feel the beat of the music in a modern environment that is also warm and inviting. The dining area is beautiful and great to people watch. There is also a heated outdoor patio that is the best I’ve seen in the OC.
Now on to the food. Cherch had a limited menu for their grand opening, but the selections were great! I chose the Filet Mignon Loli-​pops to start, the 72-​Hour Braised Short Ribs for my entrée, and their strawberry dessert (I can’t remember the name). One of my friends had the Grilled Sea Bass, and my other two friends had the Lover’s Feast (cold tomato consommé, salad, filet mignon and lobster, and ghiradelli chocolate crème brûlée). Because everything looked so amazing, I did the unthinkable in an upscale restaurant… I ate off of everybody’s plate just to get a taste of everything. I was truly impressed, but I think my food was the best! Cherch also had amazing bread (3 kinds of bread) with a goat cheese spread and olive tampanade.
The filet mignon was delicious… cooked just right to medium rare and had just the right amount of cracked pepper. The lobster was tender, flavorful, and simply delicious. The grilled sea bass was very fresh and the flavor was enhanced with blue crab. The short ribs were simply the best thing on the menu. I was amazed at how tender and flavorful the short ribs were. The filet mignon loli-​pops were creative and left me wanting more. The chocolate crème brûlée and the strawberry dessert were perfect! I could not have asked for a better meal. The presentation for all of the food was inventive, trendy, and was perfect for the environment.
Although we didn’t drink, everyone around us were drinking, and the drinks looked great! Their bar is fully stocked with some of the best top shelf liquor you can find, and some hard to find liquors.
Nicholas and Joe (the proprietors of Cherch) went around and greeted everyone, and we really enjoyed meeting them. Cherch is upscale and modern without being pretentious. The food is trendy and creative, but it is also simply tasty and leaves you wanting more.
I’m too old to be stumbling out of a bar at 2 am but I’m too young to eat where they serve early bird specials, and I’m glad that Cherch is able to meet the needs of people that enjoy a good night out with friends (or their significant other) without having to deal with the crazy barely legal crowd or the senior citizens club. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…