Puzzle Bar

It was my first time trying this place about 3 weeks ago and I loved it. Cute themed drinks named after movies. Our server was great, very attentive and had a great personality. My friend and I ordered two small appetizers I ordered the Mac n cheese with hot Fritos which was very good except the chips tasted a little stale. She ordered a small street style corn appetizer which was great. The portions are a little small so I would recommend only coming for drinks and light appetizers. The vibe is very cute for a date night dimly lit and the music isn’t too loud. I would definitely come back.

Cute, hipster bar in La Mirada. I had the Lilo&Stitch and it was amazing! I am not much of a gin fan, but it was surprisingly delicious. The servers explain the different ingredients that make your drink.
I would come back, but the price is a bit more than the usual dive bar. Roughly from $ 13 — 19.

Service was horrible. We waited half an hr to get seated and no one came by to take our order when we were ready. Finally, the waiter walked around putting in last call so we finally got his attention and put in our first order. The waiter was not apologetic nor friendly. Worst service ever!

I have enjoyed the Puzzle Bar countless times. I’ve purchased a majority of their cocktails, and I’ve tasted many others. Accordingly, I can affirm the consistent quality of their product. I may not personally like every drink that I’ve tried, yet I can objectively appreciate each drink.
My favorite, thus far, is the Desperado. The habanero bitters within it titillate my taste buds! The Mushu is surely delicious. The Totoro is to die for. As for the Howl… wow! I could go on. The variety of drinks and the fusion of flavors are flippin fabulous! Oh! And you MUST try their new drink Paris Je T’aime!!!
The ambience is awesome, and the bartenders are super knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful.
At the moment I have one qualm: their mules lack ginger. In my opinion, what makes a mule is the ginger! If they were to add more of their house-​made ginger beer, and add less of their house-​made carbonated water, their mules would be, perhaps, my absolute favorite (and trust me, I’ve tried mules all over the place!!).
People who give negative reviews based on one visit are ridiculous. It’s a given that bars will occasionally be busy, resulting in longer wait times. Get over it! It happens! It’s a given that bars will occasionally make mistakes. Get over it! It happens! Unless you’ve visited a place more than once to conclude that their service is consistently horrible, then delete your meritless review!

Oh Puzzle Bar, you are curious.
Why do I come here, mostly because my gentleman friend brings me here as it’s a middle point for us to hang out.
My first point of contention, having to WAIT to be seated at the bar. And waiting for seating is fine when there IS a wait, or there isn’t space or an area needs to be cleaned. Having to wait and wait and WAIT for no apparent reason is pompous. If there are only two people already seated at the bar and about 9 seats open, why are we waiting, let alone waiting for more than 5 minutes? Bar equals OPEN SEATING, get over yourself.
My second point of contention, is how in love the bartenders are in love with themselves. I literally saw one looking at himself in the mirror while shaking a drink, and with over the top shaking flair. Settle down bucko.
Listen, I LOVE cocktails, I LOVE when there are magical special house made ingredients that go into your bars cocktail program and you’re really hoping to stand out because of it, that’s great, but you don’t have to take yourself SO seriously. You have 37 ingredients in every house made whatever, cool, you CAN share that information in such a way that I’m not then expected to fawn all over you for it.
Ok, Ok, I’m done bagging on those things.
The drinks are good, nothing has really stood out that I NEED to get more of in my life like some places. The drink menu is LARGE, and I mean LARGE. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were 30 cocktails listed. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
The experience itself is fine. The lighting is on the low side which is always nice, I cant recall music being played, I’m sure there is. The interior appears to be an old hotel bar renovated? I’m not sure. This place is what it is, it’s not BAD, it’s not as great as THEY think it is.

If you’re in the «fullerton» area and looking for a really well made old fashioned, this is the place to be. They hand cut the ice balls from ice they order themselves. It’s so hard to find a place that uses the traditional method these days. Puzzle definitely does not take any shortcuts in making and perfecting your drink. Each drink is hand made with perfection and you can really taste the difference. The vibe and crowd is very chill, its a good place for a date or to hang out with your friends. Service is great, the food is also pretty good for a bar.

Always on a hunt for a good HH spot. This place is decent. It’s spacious and have decent food and drink offerings. We had the tacos, carne asada fries and wings and some refreshing cocktails. The prices were ok, but I would have liked it to be a bit lower since it was HH after all.

Loved, loved, loved the amount of efford they put into each one of their drinks, this place is perfect for a relaxiing evening
Next time i will try some food

I went there with my girlfriend to go have a dinner and some drinks this place it’s nice and quiet which I like that the drinks are ok just be carful what you order because a lot of the drinks are spicy so ready the ingredients before you get one, for the food the menu on Unilocal is not the same totally different menu
They pretty much just have the Basic tacos, hamburgers and some other stuff that you can get anywhere else the only reason we went there it was
For the food because I saw the menu on Unilocal,but when you get there the menu not the same

My review is for the two food items I ordered during my visit. I didn’t grab any cocktails (which their known for) due to trying to save all alcohol consumption until the weekend lol.
Stopped by and ordered the My Sassy fries and the Flamin Hot Mac & Fritos. The fries were ok. I enjoyed the spam, kimchi and the egg yolk but the fries were a little dry. The cheddar cheese was also a bit thick towards the bottom of the fries. I loved the Flamin Hot Mac and Fritos. The tillamook cheese sauce used for the mac was flavorful and creamy. The bacon provided a bit of a smoked flavor while the fritos added some crunch and spice to the dish.
I have no doubt my current rating will go up as I’ll be back for the cocktails and more food. The cocktail menu is interesting and hearing the bartenders share with customers how they prepare their drinks in comparison to others definitely peaked my interest. I over heard one bartender explaining their process for mixing an Old Fashion and it sounded very unique.
Mix me up a good Old Fashion and I’m sold!
Dinner 5÷26÷2016

Pretty cool place, good food and exotic drinks!
Came with a large group and we all got different drinks! They are priced around the same $ 13 – 16 a drink. They are made from organic ingredients and have very unique tastes!
We also ordered pork belly fries, Carne asada fries, and calamari to snack on, which were all good! I highly recommend the pork belly fries.
Also ordered a pitcher of the «bikini blonde» ale and it was pretty smooth.
My only comment is for 13 – 16 $ a cocktail/​drink they give you such a tiny amount in like a martini/​champagne glass. I understand the ingredients are organic but can we get a little more please! :p

I have found my new favorite Old Fashioned, and it was meticulously crafted with the freshest of ingredients.
My new favorite cocktail bar is not in DTLA; it’s in La Mirada. It was warm, laid back, and inviting with booth and bar seating. Their in-​house liqueurs & bitters made a HUGE difference in the quality of their cocktails. They serve 8 kinds of old fashioned (Miyazaki old fashioned ftw), and their Don Draper (Moscow) Mule was just the right amount of sweet and spicy.
The owner and fellow bartenders were welcoming, friendly, and a hoot to chat with!
One note: I think they would really benefit from having a dedicated host on staff; there wasn’t a clear sense of who I should’ve talked to when I entered, and I noticed that seating the groups before me was slightly awkward. Be sure to book a reservation; it got busy on the Saturday night I went!

I have finally found my favorite bar… EVER! Everyone has different standards to what makes a great bar and this bar just exceeded all my standards. We found this place on Unilocal when looking for a bar near my house where we can drink some cocktails and watch the playoffs.
To sum up this place with a few words— Korean-​owned, hipster bar that makes bomb ass drinks and takes creativity and dedication to another level.
So how dedicated are these folks? They hand carve their ice for their old fashioned drinks. They slow freeze it for a few days to make the ice completely transparent and then carve it with a special knife to make it that perfect sphere shape. Pretty impressive, man. I can definitely appreciate good ice cubes after all the bars we have been too… It kinda sucks when they use shitty ice cubes in a beautifully crafted cocktail. Better ice cubes melt at a slower rate, which won’t dilute the alcohol too much.
They also make their own bitters in house! ALL THEIR BITTERS! I’ve never seen that shit anywhere. This place blows Lock & Key, Varnish, and Seven Grand (three of our previously favorite bars) off the radar! Their bitters heighten the complexities in each drink!
I love how the theme of the whole place is movies and tv shows. Their name «Puzzle Bar» is derived from one of my fave shows, How I Met Your Mother. If you’ve seen that shit, you would definitely realize the meaning of the name. All their drinks are cleverly named after shows and movies and I must admit, there’s something rad about ordering a «Mushu» or «Lilo&Stitch» as opposed to ordering «something fruity and girly please!»
Now onto the drinks… Every drink is so complex and different from one another. I didn’t have a drink that tasted similar to one I had before. I also didn’t get too drunk from each drink, which I don’t take as a bad thing. Most people want to get drunk; for me, I want to be able to appreciate the different cocktails and keep composure. Pictures are posted below of the different cocktails. My favorite would be the Mushu!
We ordered some food as well– some Brussels sprouts and a burger for my sister. Food is BOMB as well. Don’t expect shitty bar food. Definitely wanna come in here hungry next time so I can eat and drink.
This place is definitely not cheap! Our bill was over $ 200 but we had absolutely no regrets. We had a great time all night and everyone who works there is super personable. Kevin and Andrew helped us out with our drinks and they spent a good amount of time explaining our cocktails and the different liquors they have on their shelves. If you like Japanese whisky, like my boyfriend, this is a MUST VISIT for you. They have different whiskey flights for you whiskey lovers as well.
I definitely recommend going on the weekdays… Think about it. Weekends are gonna be poppin (it’s the damn weekend!) and these drinks are prepared with care and expertise. It’s not like they spray some whiskey and coke and thassssss it! This shit takes time so I would say come on a slower day so you have a better experience.
Can’t waittttt to go back!!!

Came here for a first date (probably not the best idea I know) but I’m alive to tell the tale!
Puzzle Bar looks kinda sketchy from the outside, but it was actually really nice and actually quite romantic on the inside! They have an impressive cocktail selection and really talented bartenders, that come table-​side, to present to you your drink and explain to you the craftsmanship behind what you order.
I ordered my very first old fashion here and I was thoroughly impressed by the presentation and taste of my drink. The ball of ice they use here is hand-​carved! And they burn the citrus peel in front of you! It was like dinner and a show all in one!
I’d totally come back here with my girlfriends, or boyfriend or whoever, simply because this place is super cool.

If you’re into old fashions or very well made organic cocktails. This is definitely the bar to go to. Many of their ingredients (like bitters) are made in house with organic ingredients. I really enjoy drinking whiskey and the old fashions here are awesome! They know how to make good ones and don’t add sugar, cherries, or anything that will distort the flavor of the whiskey. They also light the orange and lemon peels on fire to give it a slight smokey flavor, it really brings everything together. They also have great cocktails if your not into harder liquors which are also made in house with organic ingredients.
The same philosophies that they put into their drinks also carries into their food. The dishes they have are a little pricey, but they taste amazing so it’s all good. I really recommend the «My Sassy Fries» or the «Pork Belly Fries.»
The bar itself is very classy looking with dimmed lighting making it a great place to take someone on a date.
The all of the servers here are well versed in what drinks/​dishes are made of and are there to answer any questions you might have.
I haven’t been to a lot of bars, but I feel very confident to say this one sets the bar!

Who knew there’s a dope craft cocktail bar in La Mirada? In fact, when my bf told me we were going for cocktails in La Mirada I was not down with it. However, being the good sport that I am I hopped in the car and got ready for some dive bar. In fact, when you drive by Puzzle Bar it looks like some old family restaurant that went under. Like a Marie Callendars or something. Yea, I’m just gonna say that it looked pretty sketch. Happy that looks can be deceiving because when we walked in it was so cool. It kinda looks like a super cool living room. The lights were low and there was a pretty intimate vibe.
So, I’m thinking, «Hmmm ok well let’s see what we have here». We sat at the bar and were immediately given menus. Ok, so far so good. Oh, did I mention Happy Hour went until 8:00?! Because it does!
The cocktail menu is stellar and the bartenders will give you every piece of history behind the craftsmanship of the drink, No, these guys aren’t serving up vodka cranberries or a sex on the beach. They’re serving up the finest craft cocktails using the best liquors, cordials, and house made bitters. Oh, did I mention they make their bitters in house? Because they do! AND, they hand shape their ice using this big ass knife deal so you’re not getting ratchet ice in your cocktail. I didn’t even know fancy ice was a thing. What a time to be alive!
We ordered food and the brussel sprouts were amazing. We also ordered calamari and that was not. It tasted like it was maybe fried too long or pre-​fried and left under a lamp. Won’t order that again but definitely will be back soon.
Not ending this review with a lame joke about puzzles. I’m just gonna go back for a drink.

Food was great, drinks were great, atmosphere was great. It was a little confusing to find. With the businesses around it I completely over looked it. I honestly didn’t notice or wasn’t able to recognize the sign outside either. (But that was probably just my friend and i’s luck.) The plaza it’s in is a tad unexpected from what it looks like on in the inside. It’s quite soothing and dark and I completely loved it. Really had that nice lounge feel!
As far as food and drinks, all was great. I’m not a cocktail drinker but my friend had the Lilo & Stitch. It was nice enough. Their drinks are a little pricey but it seems all for good reason, that everything is local and made from the ground up, in house. That’s awesome. The food was okay. They have Mac and Fritos, as opposed to the notable Mac and Cheetohs. (I’m still not sold on this concept anywhere.) And the Last Samurai burger was really good, especially because they cooked it almost rare for me unlike most places.
What really stood out, and tripped me out, about this place is their concept for customer service. They use iWatches that connect to a pad of buttons on the table. Basically the servers don’t come to your table without you requesting them to, whether it be for extra napkins, to order, or more water. In theory it’s great and I see where they’re coming from (most people don’t like being bothered when they’re eating and enjoying company) but here’s the thing, when I go out to eat or drink, I really enjoy the customer service. I like having someone being there for me and being able to read me as a customer. I realize that their servers are still very knowledgable but it felt impersonal. I don’t know just wasn’t for me. It left me feeling weird about tipping. If you want to do the iWatch thing, I suggest including a tip percentage in the bill.

The food here is great and cocktails are delicious. They take a lot of pride in the quality of their ingredients and how they craft their drinks which makes the experience here a little elevated than your average happy hour. I recommend this place highly if you’re in the area or if you’re near the area waiting for traffic to die down.
I never watched the TV show «How I Met Your Mother» but I’m told that this bar is themed to this show. Aside from a few cocktails named after characters I don’t know what other little references are around the bar, so if you’re a fan, you should come and take a look around for fun. I’ve had a few of the crafted cocktails and with each I was given a little speech about the freshness of the ingredients and how there drinks were crafted differently from a basic happy hour drink. The old fashioned drinks (and there’s a lot of them) come with a little flare that includes a bartender at your table with a lighter. I won’t ruin it for you so order one!
The food is great. There’s a meat market next door so I assume they get all their fresh meat from there. I’ve had a couple of burgers which were both great and a few sides. Get: their burgers, mac and cheese, tuna poke, puzzoki, any old fashioned/​cocktail, 85 beer Skip: carne asada fries, stout beer float

Came back today after an underwhelming experience at the Back Room in Fullerton. Tried the Gone Girl drink because it had egg white in it and compared it to the Back Room’s Cocktail no.4 and figured it out. The Gone Girl had a piece of fresh rosemary atop the egg white which blended well with the Blackberry Liqueur and also took away from the smell of the egg white. In the Back Room’s Cocktail No.4, the egg white was used as a decorative feature of the drink but there was no decoy to deter the smell of raw egg. Also, every time I check in here I get a free glass of 805 beer and happy hour ends at 8 p.m. I love Puzzle Bar!

If you like Whiskey, old fashioned, and cocktails along those lines, The Puzzle Bar takes pride in making their drinks here. The bartenders (yes, more than 1) will come to your table, explain about the homemade bitters and hand chiseled ice (which looks like a big golf ball) and on top of that, 20% off during happy hour from 5−8pm.
Drinks aren’t cheap here, but they do it well. The check in oddly enough changes with everyone but most of us got the free 805 10oz pour. When you have a party that’s all Unilocalers, they just brought us a whole pitcher. Nice!
What could’ve been better was they only had 1 person taking orders here for the whole restaurant. People in our party actually ordered from some of the bartenders thinking they put the order in but for some reason, it didn’t come out. That little miscommunication and waiting for food I think should’ve been communicated to our server.
They didn’t have pork belly during the time we were here. I’ve actually been looking forward to coming here but looks like they changed their menu to more Americanized menu and the happy hour prices has changed since then.
Like most Korean places, it looks dark and nondescript from the outside. Kind of reminded me of some Shinji temple when I walked in with the abundance of dark wood and traditional setting.