Forman’s Tavern

Great food. Fun atmosphere. You seat yourself and go up to the bar to order your food. Most times it’s very crowded. However, they have a very polite doorman to help you find a seat if you don’t see one!

New and bigger version of Laurel Tavern from studio city. Great selection of beers and good food. However Indoor is very loud, with loud music and almost impossible to talk or socialize unless you scream. For that the outdoor sittings are much better. I only wish they had more tables for outdoor sittings. It’s lovely to sit outdoor during summer with a pint and actually talk.

The interior of this bar is adorable, albeit the lighting is a little harsh. The food left much to be desired, however. The hamburgers, when ordered medium rare were EXTREMELY rare but yet still charred on the outside. The meat was flavorless but the hickory sauce was delicious so it almost evened out in terms of flavor, but the texture was so spongy and off that it was pretty awful. The fries were over cooked and tasted like the oil was old.
All told, even the darling interior and stiff drinks could not make up for the terrible burgers.

Great chill whiskey bar. Came in on a Friday night with some coworkers, found a spot near the window. You order your drink and food at the bar (no waitstaff). Loved the steakhouse burger and whiskey shot. The owner was really cool, checked on us to see if we were enjoying everything. Parking can be a hassle but that’s all of Toluca Lake, can’t really blame them. And it is a little pricey but nothing outrageous. Hope to make it back during happy hour.

When I pulled up to the valet he was nowhere to be found for almost 10 minuets then I walked around to look for him and he was in a car very close to me, he got out and parked my car but when we came back to pick up the car he handed us the keys and didn’t attempt to drive the car to us even though the car was at the end of the lot. The Resturant itself was extremely slow… Especially for how much they charge for everything. My boyfriend received his hamburger and fries and I told him to start eating without me. He finished his hamburger, fries and two beers (that he got from the bar because our server wasn’t around) all before my salad hit the table. The service was so awful that we went to the bar to grab water every once in a while because no one actually checked on us.
The food itself was delicious and the ambiance sets a nice mood.

The Forman is basically The Laurel Tavern, but in Toluca Lake. It’s the exact same layout and the exact same service. The crowd so far is better and less douche than The Laurel Tavern, but that can change at any moment. I hope not.
The place is bar service which is fine when it’s not crowded, but can be problematic when it is. There is a nice selection of beers on tap and they offer well drinks. The food menu is gastropub grub which is almost a little passé these days. The food won’t blow anyone away, but then again you’re probably not going to frequent this place for the food. The bartenders are knowledgeable, but again the service is lacking once the crowd gets heavier.
I would say this is a nice place to frequent during the week, but definitely a no go on the weekends.

I will always remember this place as The old Moneytree and Lucy’s 51. Good times during both eras. However, the old owner of Lucy’s really ruined the whole experience for me, so I’m glad they started anew with the appropriately renamed Formans Tavern.
With a completely gutted interior and completely beautiful design overhaul, this place screams «new American gastropub», which is all the rage these days… especially in LA. Perfect for a little date spot. Horrible for groups as its too crammed and difficult to get a large table. However, the terrace outside is cool.
Definitely go for their gourmet steak burger and cut fries. That’s a slam dunk if you wanna truly experience that gastropub atmosphere. They smoke their meat to perfection, and you can really taste it in every bite. The free range chicken plate is also surprisingly good, and their Ahi Ceviche is heaven in every bite. Beer selections are pretty decent. Anything from hipster fruit infused IPAs to straight up pilsners and Hefeweizens can satisfy anyone pallet.
Here’s where this place needs to drastically improve — this whole «order at the bar» thing is cute at first, but it’s annoying more than anything… even with 4 bartenders running around. As if the service wasn’t slow enough, you have to order your food at the bar too. Standing 15 mins for a simple beer, while trying to find an opening between patrons who are sitting at the bar talking loudly, isn’t exactly my idea of an experience. Epic fail. Bartenders are all nice though.
Prices are a little on the expensive side; $ 18 for a burger (no sides)? You serious? I also love how the menu is designed to up sell $ 4 cut fries too. Why not include it in those fancy burger plates? It’s only potatoes for gods sakes.
Good experience overall, but there’s a reason why I’ve only been here twice — and I live and support everything in Toluca Lake — I wanna LOVE this place, but the annoying wait at the bar & prices might be a 1 – 2 punch that slows this process for me.

I’m not sure why this place has lower reviews but it’s so good! Attentive servers and great food!
Ordered the Brussel sprouts and grilled cheese. So tasty!
Also, got a glass of Malbec that was a heavy pour, a plus! And tasted great.
My friend ordered a gold rush and another cocktail and I tried a sip of both and they were incredible!

It’s a chill spot in Toluca Lake which seems to no longer be a hidden gem in the Valley. It’s a cozy spot with a good beer selection. The bartenders have always been helpful and quick.
Food and drink orders are ordered at the bar, so even if you’re sitting outside xyou gotta go in to place your food and drink order. They’ll bring it out to you and have busboys clean tables constantly which is good. I don’t mind going in to place my food order since they’re usually pretty quick.
So far I’ve only had their burgers and they’re decent. Fries are 4 bucks extra. (The burger can be a dollar more and come with fries, much better deal wink wink). It’s not a bad burger. The bloody Mary is meh, but they’re not known for that. Beer is their thing I think.

Okay, my first time in, as I have a sublet in the neighborhood. Looking for Happy Hour, which they had, but not really happy hour prices. Décor, awesome. Dive bar times 100. Really cool and unpretentious. Two bar girls at 3pm, not a lot of patrons, as you can imagine.
Took way too long to get my simple wine order,
And two girls there! I used to run a bar, in SOHO NYC, and never would service be that slow. Ahhh, gotta stop comparing the greatest city to this. I also ordered an app of hummus with pita
Finished the pita, but still had hummus; asked for more bread and was told 2 bucks more.
Won’t be back. So stupid.

Boyfriend and I were looking for a nice little spot for date night and ended up here. The atmosphere from the start was casual and intimate but with this great liveliness that suited us perfectly. It’s a seat yourself kind of deal and you order everything through the bar. We found a small table on the booth side facing the bar and full view of the crowd. The crowd is admittedly older than our regular spots but the energy was great and everybody seemed to be having a great time.
They have a few things on the menu that lean towards the gourmet but we were feeling simple so we ordered the club sandwich and the grilled cheese with a side salad to go with two beers from their tap list (which was spot on in breadth). Food was brought by a server who was super friendly and checked in on us half way through our feel to ask us if we needed anything which was kind of her considering it’s not traditional table service. The sandwiches were simple fare but executed perfectly and the beers were excellent.
The space is beautiful, lit in that sexy way that makes it great for dates and the vibes are great. We’ll definitely be back in the future.

Worst place ever! Drinks were watered down, food was bland and the service was horrible. This place is a cheap wanna be of Laurel Tavern. Go here if your over fifty and want to overpay for everything. The bartenders have a collective IQ of about 100. Big disappointment.
I’ll never go here again and I’ll share with all my Toluca lake peeps.

One of the best spicy margaritas I’ve had yet! Great vibe and cool staff. 100% recommend this place for lunch, cocktails or an evening out.

This place is pretty cool.
It’s got sort of a woodsman hunting lodge hipster gastro pub vibe.
I just had a burger and IPA (beer was on a HH special, from 3 – 6), sitting at the window seat, as the sun sinks, and the gals are walking by. (Clearly a yoga class just ended)
Parking on Riverside can be dicey, but I think there may be a valet around back???
(I lucked out with a spot right in front)
And, the location has history too. Not only was 10 149 Riverside Dr the previous home of Lucy’s, before that it was the mob run Money Tree. (And, no, I’m not gonna tell you how I know that’s true)
I’ll be back for sure.

I really like this place. It has a nice vibe with a good mix of people. They have a decent selection of beer and wine and the food is really good. I’ve tried several things and they’re all tasty. It’s a little bit expensive, but worth it.
I also like that it has that British Pub feel in that if you want to eat, you can eat and if you want to sit and drink, you can do that too. They don’t reserve tables just for those eating.
I’ll be back.

I came here for drinks with my husband and friend on a Saturday afternoon. It has a Scottish and hunting décor and great background music. Once I entered the door, I was greeted by the bartender. The staff are very friendly and nice. The menu is a one page w/​appetizers, burgers, salads, sandwiches. I ordered bacon spicy caramel popcorn which is very tasty and it has bacon bits.; biscuits come in a pair and it has a nice sage taste to it; grilled and smokey wings are kinda expensive but it taste really good w/​side of ranch. The drinks are the best like pineapple spicy margarita was the bomb. fyi. You just order the drinks and food from the bar. Plenty of tables, patio, and communal table in the bar. Only problem is finding parking on a Saturday afternoon.

What? What?! Do I want to steer? Did I flaunt a deer? Oh… do I want a beer?
Yes…it’s that loud in there.
But…the food is great, the ambiance is cool and the service is friendly. Just two of you? You’ll be fine. Just sit next to each other. Three or more? Yeah… no…there will be no conversing.
The burger was delicious, the muscles were awesome and the cocktails were awesome.
I’ll be back… just not in a group.

A little drink after brunch!
THE AMBIANCE:
Forman’s Tavern is a small bar with an adjacent dining area. When you walk in, the bar is on your right, a long wooden the table wth stools is in the middle, and table tops half-​bench, half-​chair, are on your left against the wall. There are three bathrooms in the read– one for women, one for men, and one for errbody. The restrooms are one-​stall and roomy.
THE BEER & BACON POPCORN:
I tried the Sabre Toothed Amber. I really liked it. My friend recommended the bacon popcorn to munch on. It was semi-​soft and toffee-​like in the sense that it slightly stuck to your teeth. It was really good. I couldn’t stop eating it.
THE TIPS:
Try the Not Your Dad’s Rootbeer. Tastes like Rootbeer with slight carbonation, 6%, and really good.

It’s a shame that Forman’s follows the same exact template that is «all the rage» in Los Angeles right now, because the food is actually exceptional for a bar/“gastropub.”
Supposedly inspired by a speakeasy, it actually looks like it was inspired by the bevy of places lining Ventura Boulevard and throughout the Westside. I understand that restaurant groups need to have things such as «concepts» and «business outlooks,» so they played it safe as it really shows here. I want to reaffirm, there’s absolutely nothing special about the décor from the faux taxidermy on the walls to the «cafeteria-​style tables» to the tired, plated out wood motif. If you have seen any bars that have opened since 2013, you have seen Forman’s.
Even more annoying is the fact that they are following the new trend of mandating that you order your food from the bar — which is more obnoxious that it sounds, especially when it’s crowded and you were behind for people ordering the cliché «mixologist» drinks to take five minutes apiece when you simply want to put in your order in and head back to your party.
I digress, however, and return to the fact that the only reason I even gets three stars is because the food is pretty outstanding for a bar. Their steak frites come with a divine sauce hat is truly mouth-​watering, and the hamburger is big, delicious and served with some pretty solid fries. The ceviche was mediocre, but the Spinach dip features large chunks of vegetables inside the cheesy, creamy goodness and their biscuits are simply outstanding. Kudos to the chef, but shame on the owners for opening a place that should grace Toluca Lake for a generation but instead will be gone within three years as the new trends emerge. Totally short-​sighted.

Had lunch here today and loved it! We were warmly greeted by the staff and delighted by the cabin type feel of the tavern. Very cool and unique vibe to the décor, it’s warm and feels like home, yet the color scheme is light and cool.
Had the fried chicken salad which I’d recommend. They have a great wine and beer selection along with a full bar.