Bar*Food. Home of the $0 Hot Dog

The area around Bundy and Wilshire intersection has no shortage of good eats. You've got world-class sushi from Sasabune, excellent pastries from Amadine, and fine brunch and dinner entrees at Literati. With the addition of the recently opened Bar*Food, this area just gained another solid reason to make the short trek here. Situated directly next door to Amadine, Bar*Food took over the space once occupied by Zu Robata, a Japanese restaurant which I tried and found to be mediocre.

Stepping inside Bar*Food brings back fresh memories of Zu Robata's decore, as not much in terms of hardware has appeared to change since the takover and that's a good thing as I find the layout to be ideal for mixing sit-down diners with happy-hour scenesters under one roof. Formal two and four tops hug the perimeter and surround a Cheers-esque bar with its prominent tap setup. High-tops sit along the window overlooking a small Wilshire-facing patio. It looks as nice as it sounds.

A few pics of the interior

These containers appear to be the infused sakes from the former occupant, Zu Robata.

Bar*Food's reputation on Yelp is stellar--as of this writing it stands at 4 stars with 100 reviews--and so I was looking forward to giving this place a try during my usual Thursday happy hour outing. Speaking of happy hour, Bar*Food's is one of the best, with appetizers, beers, and wine marked down significantly. The burger, listed at $9 regularly and is actually a deal at that price, is $6 during happy hour and you'd be wise to order one. A selection of tap pours run $3.50 each, with the house red going for $5. Another big draw is the inclusion of free hot dogs. Yes. Free hot dogs, full-size. They're on the happy hour menu. Price: $0. You're not going to find a deal like that on the west side.

We arrive at 6:45, just in time before happy hour ends at 7pm, and ordered a few items to kick off the night.

Bar Blonde and House Red


The $0 hot dog

It's a hot dog, and it's free. And you know what? It actually tasted quite good with the simple mustard, ketchup, and onion preparation. I don't know if there's a limit on the number of $0 hot dogs you can order, but I highly suggest you save plenty of room for more of Bar*Food's savory offerings.


Frites

The texture and flavor reminded me of the ones at Jack in the Box. Not bad, but I wouldn't order these over the next item.


Potato Puffs

Deep-fried morsels of mashed potatoes -- yum! I couldn't stop eating these. Fluffy insides with fried, crispy outside made for a wonderful mouthfeel.

Edamame

I believe these were pan-fried in a black bean sauce. It was excellent but very messy to eat. I think I went through two napkins while devouring these. I'm not exactly a spotless eater and these made that known loud and clear.

Bar food. With the frites and hot dogs, this arrangement set us back $6. Things are off to a good start.

With small-bites of the way, it's time to step and order a few mains:


Spicy Tuna


Wickedly spicy tuna sits atop what appears to be a block of white rice that was quickly deep-fried. The rice was firm enough to make this hand-holdable and easy to consume--although nothing is safe with this foodie. Taste wise it was good and I loved how they seasoned and prepared the tuna. When's the last time you saw spicy tuna like this served in a bar?

Bar Burger


The meat was cooked nicely, very juicy, and had hints of soy sauce which made for a unique and delicious taste. I wasn't a fan of the bun and I would gladly pay another dollar for a freshly baked roll like the one at Father's Office or 8oz. In fact, with a higher quality bun this burger would come dangerously close in overall taste to my beloved Father's Office burger. Yes the FO burger is feeling more of the heat these days with so much competition sprouting up in LA.


Thai Bangers and Mash


My favorite dish of the night and a must-have if you are ever within a block of this place and are in need of sustenance. The bangers were delicious and perfectly cooked and served with a side of cilantro mashed potatoes. I shared this dish with my friends, but next time I visit I'm ordering one for myself.


Bread Pudding


This was incredibly moist and delicious, and served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Within the first few bites I felt the texture was more like cake than bread pudding, but the cake's faux firmness eventually caved in and the pudding began spilling out and over the plate. That spillage combined with the ice cream and chocolate sauce made for a fabulous party for the taste buds. It has inspired me to make one at home in the near future.


Service was friendly and no real complaints can be made. Food came out in reasonable time although we waited about 20 minutes before the bread pudding arrived. We were actually surprised this place wasn't more crowded when we left at around 10pm on a Thursday night. About 1/2 mile east along Wilshire sits a pair of always-seemingly packed bars which might be filtering some of the westward bar-goers from reaching Bar*Food. That's fine with me because I enjoyed the slightly subdued scene in which I didn't have to shout at the person sitting directly across from me.

In the end, Bar*Food succeeds at bringing slightly-upscale food in a bar setting and it's definitely a place I'll be returning to very soon. I suspect this place is more crowed during Friday and Saturday nights, and as our faltering economy makes its recovery, I can see Bar*Food becoming a packed house during the week.



Bar*Food
12217 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025


Lastly, I've added a survey on the top-right of this page for the next recipe review, and based on the results and I'll create whatever is most requested and post a full overview with lots of pictures.