When I first heard there was a new craft beer bar opening in Glendale I was ecstatic. Our favorite Russian Diplomat, Alex lives in the area so we’re always searching for local drinking establishments that mean we aren’t always trekking it to downtown on any given night. Thankfully with the openings of Golden Road Brewing and Neat in the past year, our basic beer and whiskey needs have been met. But nights of extensive craft beer drinking and just generally hanging out were relegated to out of the area bars or expensive trips to BevMo followed by a night in. That is until now.
Nestled on an inconspicuous corner on San Fernando Road and Magnolia Avenue lies The Glendale Tap. Unpretentious and inviting with plenty of street parking, I can see why Yelp categorizes the joint as a “dive bar” but once you set foot inside you’ll see that it’s so freaking much more than that. The first thing you can’t help but notice is the insane amount of taps behind the understated bar. 52 if you don’t feel like counting. So yeah, on any given day, you can stroll on in here and have your pick of 52 different craft beers ranging from Shiner Bock to Delirium Tremens, from local brews by Cismontane, Eagle Rock and Golden Road, to seasonal selections by Hangar 24 and Anchor Steam. Dogfish Head? Lagunitas? Ballast point? Yeah, they’ve got them all here.
Just 28 of the 52 taps at The Glendale Tap
Upon entering, my beer date for the night – my sister in law and I, were greeted by a friendly barkeep named Mario who upon hearing me let out the slightest of shivers immediately offered up that a small heater could be placed by our feet if we were cold. Now that’s what I call service! Heater in place, a basket of unshelled peanuts (drop that shit all over the floor like you’re at Dodger Stadium, they encourage it) was handed over, along with what I’ll say really is the clipboard of fun. That’s right, screw that Danny Tanner clipboard of fun shit, this is really where it’s at. Upon the clipboard is of course the massive beer list, sorted alphabetically by brewery. It’s basically pages and pages of awesome choices that kept making me say to my companion “have you ever tried this one?! Oh man, you have to, it’s amazing! Oh wait, shit, try this one instead.” And things went on like that for probably a good 10 minutes. Seriously, the selection here is that solid. Luckily they cheerfully offer up tasters though so if you’re uncertain about that new seasonal brew or just feeling tentative but adventurous, they’re more than helpful in making sure you find your ideal brew to settle into for the next 10-20 minutes.
Danny Tanner is an idiot, this is the REAL Clipboard of Fun (page 1)
At this point in the evening, while enjoying my Lagunitas Brown Shugga (hey it’s an old standby but I hadn’t had it this year yet and you gotta soak up that seasonal stuff while you can, right?) we were joined by another lovely barkeep named Audrey who was just amazing. This girl seriously knows her beer you guys. I’m pretty sure the nerdy beer talk was boring the crap out of my SIL and baffling the guys seated within earshot, it was that crazy.
So you know I loved the beer selection, and the staff, so let’s discuss the surface stuff and be done with it, shall we? The decor is brimming with awesome vintage beer signs, old 60s drag racing films on the flatscreens, 2 free pool tables and a dart board if you want to get your game on, and plenty of seating both at the bar and around the perimeter of the space.
Pool tables and plenty of seating
So I guess the last thing I should mention is the music. I’m pretty sure I haven’t enjoyed the tunes in a bar this much without pumping far too much of my own money into a jukebox in years. From Johnny Cash to Weezer, Fiona Apple to Willie Nelson, 3 hours later I had enjoyed every single cut that came on. Anyone who actually pays attention to these things knows how incredibly rare this is so that just made my experience at The Glendale Tap completely perfect.
I’ve found my new favorite hangout in Glendale and will certainly be frequenting this place whenever I can find an excuse to do so. Check them out on Facebook and maybe I’ll see you there, gotta get some more of my holiday ales before they’re all gone. That’s a good excuse, right?
The Glendale Tap
www.facebook.com/glendaletap
4227 San Fernando Rd. Glendale, CA
Monday-Friday 5:00PM – 2:00AM
Saturday-Sunday 12:00PM – 2:00AM