The PhD

First, let me begin by saying, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this place! I have been there a total of four times now over the course of two years. Two times were specifically just to get a drink at the bar with friends, and the other two times I was with a large (8?) group of girls for dinner. So, I have definitely given it a fair shake and trust me when I tell you, I KNOW bars! And I am not picky, usually. But there is never, ever, an excuse for poor service, and that is exactly what we got every single time we went in there. The bartenders can make a drink, but trying to get their attention is a joke. Even on a weeknight. Even if you are an attractive (and polite!) woman. I got the very distinct impression that in order to get good service, you need to be a regular. The bartenders troll around with their stupid hipster mustaches and barber shop haircuts trying really hard to be… well…“hip”, but what would be really «hip» is if I could get a drink without treating me like I was an inconvenience.
Don’t even get me started on the dinner service… yikes! My friends and I went there for a «mom’s night out» dinner this past December and also went the December prior. Trust me, it was NOT me that made the reservation a second time around. And like I said, I really wanted to love it! Or at least like it. It took, I kid you not, 20 minutes just to get a DRINK MENU. Yes, we had reservations for over 2 weeks. This was not a surprise attack on the PhD waitress. And I am assuming there is only one because she is the only I ever see and she is ALWAYS in the weeds. I’m sure it is not her fault. But seriously. I literally walked upstairs to Taz to get the drink menu myself because she was taking forever. She then seemed a little perturbed that I went and got the menu. So you can only imagine how long it took to get a drink after tracking down the menu. That’s right. I received my glass of zin at 7:45 pm. My butt was in the chair at 7:00 pm. And yes, I will add, I did try to just walk the 30 feet to the bar (we were sitting in PhD afterall!) to get my own drink and not «hassle» the poor waitress. You can probably guess how that turned out. I couldn’t seem to get the attention of either bartender. It all pretty much continued downhill from there. Took forever to get a second glass of wine. Took forever to place the food order. It felt like this was their first time ever serving food in the PhD and we were the guinea pigs for the experiment. It was honestly embarrassing.
The food was good, it comes from Taz, obviously. But that is only if you are willing to wait upwards of two hours and be succumbed to horrible service. If you want a cool speakeasy vibe, save yourself the trouble and head straight for Jack and Charlie’s. If you want a bar, head to Rookie’s. The PhD is a joke, sorry to say.

Wish they had a more expansive selection of IPAs on tap– otherwise incredible ambiance!

If you’re looking for horrible service and weight watchers portions totally come here.

So this bar was first a beer bar only. They have evolved into a classic bar with speakeasy feels. Great place to eat and drink, or just drink.
Handcrafted signature cocktails are the reason to go here.

After having an amazing dinner upstairs, we headed down to grab a nightcap. The cocktail list was interesting. My husband and I sat at the bar, he got a beer and I chatted with the bar tender about their liquor selection and their mixed drinks. If I’m paying over $ 5 for you to make me a drink, I expect you to know SOMETHING about your liquor… Unfortunately the bar tender I had didn’t really seem to know were the liquors where from or how they were infused. He did however make a few tasty suggestions.
The PhD feels like it wants to be high end, they definitely charge like it. But in order to pull it off, you have to have high expectations of your bar tenders. Know the product, know what you’re selling your customers, be able to answer any of their questions. Don’t just show up to work to look pretty… (although that is also a plus).
IF you’re looking for that perfect drink and don’t mind driving 3 hours… try Frank & Muso’s in Hollywood. THAT is what the PhD seems to strive for but the drinks are actually AMAZING at F&M’s.

Pretty cool place to unwind. The bartender was pretty friendly. And they have a really good cocktail selection :-)

Went last Saturday night for dinner. We enjoy the speakeasy atmosphere. We sat at a corner table in the back and had a fantastic time. We were impressed to see Dariush on the wine list. We enjoyed a decent charcuterie – on the plate was a some bacon jam that was life changing – so yummy! We did have to ask for bread but when it came out it was grilled and a great addition to the plate. We also had the pasta with Alfredo sauce. noodles were fresh and the sauce was light… very good meal!

I wasn’t as impressed as most people. I ordered a simple margarita on the rocks. Not very good. Food was pretty good though. I had to switch drinks cause my margarita sucked but at least the bartender turned me on to a good whiskey.

I’ve gone to this place countless times and it really is fantastic. The environment is the perfect balance between casual and fancy. There food and drinks are top quality, I had the best hamburger and Tom Collins. Its pricy but worth every penny, I could eat that burger everyday for the rest of my life! GO Yall!!!

This is definitely a cool hole in the wall type spot that I’m glad we stumbled upon. They’ve got great selections for liquor and beer, and from what I’ve heard the cocktails are great. I went with Sculpin from Ballast Point bc I was rather impressed that they had it, accompanied by the old school tap handle. All in all I was impressed

This place had a nice atmosphere but pretty bad service. Went for a beer on a Wednesday night and sat at the bar. Took a while to be acknowledged by the bartender. Then, when we tried to pay the bill it took another 10 minutes for the bartender to acknowledge us. It was pretty strange considering it was a Wednesday night and not very busy.
I would give this place another try, but it did not make a good first impression.

I thought it was «ok» considering all the hype everyone was making of it. I found it gloomy and almost like the construction wasn’t finished. I ordered an old fashion… Mediocre I must say… Didn’t even have the cherry juice in it. And for the price I was expecting something delicious. If you’re looking for a well drink. Try the Vintage press or jack and Charlie’s… They’re about the Same price anyways.

Awesome bartender. Awesome atmosphere. great drinks. Just a little pricey. But a wonderful experience.

It took a little searching to find this bar but is well worth the journey. This place had awesome décor and really liked all the authentic industrial items throughout. Bar tender were super friendly. Music was trendy with a good variety. I think there is back entrance with parking. There is a restaurant upstairs and although I did not eat here the food looked very good.

If there was a negative star that’s what I would rate this place… six of us decided to go downtown for something new, have dinner and drinks. When we first walked in no one greeted us we had no idea where to go if we wanted to have dinner, so we found our way to the bar and asked the bartender. Once we seated our selfs we sat there for several minutes wondering where the waitress was or menu or how we place an order. After what seemed like forever we we’re «greeted» by a very rude and unpleasant waitress who preceded to take our drink order. …Once again wait to get drinks and finally our whole group decided we would rather go somewhere else where there was actually service. I made my way to the bar and found the waitress and asked her to cash our tab out for the drinks we had ordered and she said nothing and slammed the check on the counter. By far one of the worst experiences!

Nice selection of beers, but the prices are super inflated. Just like Tazzaria and their other business endeavors, this place is more about atmosphere than quality of goods. VERY trendy, but not a great place to hang out and feel comfortable.

Hooray for the PhD! It’s downstairs from Tazzaria and you can order their fab food to go with your beer, which is the main event. Lots of great brews rotating on tap. Friendly and knowledgeable bartenders in an intimate, casual but not sloppy setting. Turner Classic Movies on the TV (if you don’t mind reading the captions!). I love this place!

Love this place! Very welcoming, a nice selection of beer and wine… you can always get a dragons blood and have both! :) Neil was awesome and helpful. I honestly can’t wait to go back. Think my roommates and I have found «our bar»!

My new favorite place! Great beer… great setting! Love the fact they are different!

One of my priorities when moving to a new town includes finding the best local watering holes. PhD will be in my regular rotation. Solid craft beer selection here: Firestone Walker, 21^st Amendment, Lagunitas and New Belgium were just a few of the taps. Neil, the bartender makes great suggestions based on your taste.
The kitchen was closed when I went (around 9pm), so I can’t speak for the food. However, it’s shared with Tazzaria upstairs and the offerings sound delicious.
The ambience is intimate and mellow, making it a legit place to drop by after work. Digging the dim lighting and aluminum stools reminiscent of chem lab. Definitely a fan of this little underground bar!