The Federal Bar Long Beach

I didn’t get to check out the lounge because I came in on a Sunday (President’s weekend). For what it looked like with their décor and lounge booths, I was expecting $$$ but it was very reasonably priced. I’m a psychopath for Brussel Sprouts. (Backstory: I had brussel sprouts in CO at Harman’s Eat and Drink a year ago and it completely changed my life. I don’t know how to come back from that veggie trip.) So now all Brussel Sprout expectations are based off of that experience. I will say… Federal you’ve come very close and I highly recommend everyone order that dish. I also ordered a side of wings, I forget what they were called but they paired well with my BS. I look forward to coming back and visiting your speakeasy lounge because «Jerry sent me».

The place is beautiful. Amazing reasonable prices. My friend and I went on a Saturday I made reservations for 7 pm got seated right away. Heads up ask for a booth it’s more private. We orde 2 beers an appetizer dinner and a bottle of wine and all was only 120.00 amazing. They have a bolt at the bottom with a Launch bar and a club. I had an amazing time and I’m planing to come back soon.

Snapback Fridays at the basement! Came here for the first time a few weeks ago. My buddy had us on his deejay friend’s list, so we walked right in. Every single deejay killed their set. Nothing like some old school hip hop. The whole building is amazing. Bartenders were crazy quick.

The only reason this gets 2 stars is because the décor is fancy and inviting as well as a nice location in downtown long beach.
My friends and I were out celebrating a bachelorette party and decided to have our meal here. They gave us a 2.5hr block of time 7−930pm. We were sat on time but the waitress took forever to come back after greeting us to take drink orders, and then of course forever to get our drinks which by then we were dying to order our meals. But she refused to take our order and said she would come back to take the order. Finally she came back and took all the orders.
I decided to have a bacon avocado burger with the soup of the day. She specifically asked if i wanted the soup out first, to which i said a strong yes as i was starving by now as it was an hour in and we were barely getting our order in.
I watched as my friends received their soups and apps and when i simply asked if id be getting my soup as well, she told me that the rest of our order would be out next. And that obviously meant the entrees. So i repeated myself asking about my soup since the others’ soups were out. But she repeated herself with no concern to my question. Sure enough my soup never came. My burger was the very last item brought to the table of all the entrees been served probably 5 – 10 minutes before me. And then again i asked where my soup was. They went and got the soup and the waitress was about to give it to another person at my table as if she had no idea who it was for, and this is after the 3^rd time I asked her specifically for MY soup. No apology for it being late or her apparent short term memory loss.
Since i was starving i basically didnt care what the food tasted like and just ate it. I realized the the bacon though was destroying the inside of my mouth because it was so burnt on the outside. She never check on me once to see how it was so i had no opportunity to tell her.
I didnt want to make a fuss because it was my friends special night but i should have been comp’d the soup obviously, but never was that mentioned. She had no concern because since we were a table of 12, she was obviously getting her tip.
Basically i would only ever go back there to go to the club underground, but be sure to eat before you go as this service was unfortunate and and my mouth hurts because of charred bacon on a hamburger. How do you mess that up?

We’re starting with a one star and I’ll update as the night progresses. Right now, however, we’re off to a bad start.
Maybe my fault, idk.
The concert I am here to see was advertised to start at 8:30. I am in a long line around the building and it’s *checks watch* 8:31. OCD a little? Hang on.
The doors open at 8, according to the site. That’s why I arrived at 7:50. To get a seat, get a drink, and relax.
But 40 minutes later I am still standing here in a long queue with a full bladder and no patience. That 6:30 coffee is proving to be a very, very poor choice.
Back to reddit.
*edit* — my gum finally gave up the ghost and lost it’s flavor. Now I’m pissed. It’s on Federal.
*edit 2* 8:51 — the line moved a little. If i turn around, i can still seen implants from my shoes where i was standing for 50 minutes. Shut up, I’m on a diet.
*edit 3* — i’d like this to be about the bar and not a line outside, but that’s all I’m experiencing right now. I can see the finish line though. That’s not helping the whole bladder situation. My fault.
*edit 4* — In! Line was worth it. Nice place. Nice sound in the basement. They have Zaya. Keep playin playa, only 2 more to go.

The Federal is located in an old 1920s-​era bank building in downtown Long Beach, and it’s not a bad place to eat. I had one of their burgers (The Big Kahuna) and some red wine. We dined on a Thursday, when bottles are half off. Their beer list was decent as was their wine list.
Downstairs there is an old ‘speakeasy’ which is supposed to be fun, the night we went they had music (a Mexican mariachi band), so we didn’t get to check it out. However kudos for the use of the old bank so successfully.
My food was good, the burger was tender and had a lot of kick. For dressed up bar food, entertainment, and a big crowd the Federal is your spot.

I came here for brunch. The food was all right. I got the chorizo omelet. I tried the other stuff my family got, and it was just all right. I really like how they turned this historic place into a restaurant and bar though.

Well if you want an amazing Happy Hour, definitely stop by here and you will not be disappointed. Monday is Happy Hour all day, and the remainder of the week is 4PM to 7PM. They have $ 2 off all appetizers, and then certain dishes are BOGO (Woo Hoo), and the wine is $ 3 a glass (House wine of course, but it wasn’t too shabby), and then they had other drink specials as well but I don’t remember what they are off hand.
First off this use to be an old bank in which the interior architecture has pretty much remained in tact and has been refurbished; so aesthetically speaking this place is easy on the eyes. No really, it is very stunning and a magnificent piece of work to behold. So it is a super bonus, beyond the happy hour and delicious snacks.
We had ordered the mac n’ cheese with added short rib, Cesar salad, margarita pizza, and grilled cheese with tomato soup. Everything was delicious, the mac n’ cheese was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good but extremely rich. Not one thing was bad, we had all four dishes and possibly 10 glasses of wine between three people, and the bill came out to about $ 67… Seriously, what a bargain.
I will definitely be coming back, and plan on making our next work lunch here within the next couple of weeks so I can try something beyond the appetizer menu.

In short: Tasty offerings at expected prices, alcohol at good prices, and a fantastic setting.
Ambiance: The building is amazing. Unexpected for Long Beach, I felt like I was back in Philadelphia. There are 2 large, ornate bars. Went to the back bar to wait for the rest of our party to arrive and had a drink. Bartender was helpful and patient. Despite the size, there was never any issue hearing other people (7 total) at our table in the middle of the restaurant, and there is plenty of space between tables.
Food: I was really happy with the food. We had several appetizers, including the tuna poke, mussels, and the poutine. The poke was amazing, I could have happily eaten another serving for my meal. All of the appetizers are quite large, about the size of a medium-​sized main plate. One person in our group ordered the brussel sprouts with a fried egg on top for dinner. Shared a burger for the main course, which was pretty good. The sweet potato tots with maple glaze taste like breakfast — like hash browns smothered in syrup. I liked them, but they felt almost dessert-​like. My only complaint would be that the options for main courses could be more varied and interesting. There are several burgers, a hot dog, steak, a fish… the typical stuff. The appetizers were more interesting than the mains.
Drinks: Okay, this is just for the beer. Specifically, a beer. Maybe I’m biased because I live in a place where EtOH is highly regulated, but I thought the Goose Island Beer Co. Class of ’88 Belgian-​style ale from the tap was fantastic. At only $ 8 and 11% alcohol content, I only needed one and was very happy with it.
Service: No complaints here, but we also weren’t throwing back drinks and needing constant tending to. No one was rude. They didn’t hover, but we didn’t wait very long to place orders, receive food, or get the bill.
Cost: Standard range of prices for this type of establishment. Appetizers hoover just above and below the $ 10 mark. Mains vary from teens to $ 30ish if you’re going for the steak and such. Drink prices were also as expected.
Summary: Solid food, an impressive setting, reasonable service. I would not hesitate to go back, but after a few visits I would probably tire of the menu options.

My friends decided to come here last weekend and I had SOOOO much fun! The place is a little confusing because the bar/​dance floor is actually DOWNSTAIRS. We came on a Saturday night and the entrance fee was $ 5. Not bad, considering the music and crowd was POPPIN’! I had so much more fun here than some clubs in OC.
I would definitely recommend this place if your looking for a fun place to hang out and dance with a few friends on a random Saturday night!

Yeah, I’d go back for the ambiance, but sit at the bar.
The hostess was rude upon entrance, and then refused to help us get the check because she was no longer on the clock by hanging out where the hostess usually is. Our waitress hardly came by, and that’s pretty much what I remember about Federal Bar. I ordered some food and it was pretty good, but that’s overshadowed by my experience.
Again, I’d recommend sitting at the bar but it’s a pretty cool place.

I came here for my friend’s birthday dinner on Friday night. As soon as I walked in the place — my first thought was that it gives off a little court room vibe with random fake birds everywhere. I noticed the high ceilings, big pillars, big couches and obviously a huge open bar. I found FREE parking on the 3^rd street — first two hours free.
Our group consisted of at least 20 people, and we had two servers for our table. The server for our side of table — was really nice and helpful. She asked our table if any of us are vegetarians and if we would like to know the recommendations. From the dishes she recommended to us, we ended up getting: Dirty Chips [without bacon], Feta Chicken Salad [without chicken], Mac & Cheese, Truffle Fries and Maple Glazed Sweet Potato Tots.
–Dirty Chips: I like blue cheese and I thought that the combination would taste pretty good. Personally I was not a big fan of it, my boyfriend liked it though. I felt like the blue cheese cream sauce and the blue cheese crumble just gave too strong of the taste.
— Feta Chicken Salad: It was little too dry for my taste — not enough of the lemon vinaigrette in it. The naan bread was good when it was warm.
— Mac & Cheese: It was like any other vegan mac & cheese from other restaurants, nothing really stood out much.
— Truffle Fries: They were pretty good! I think this was my dinner — pretty much finished the entire thing by myself.
— Maple Glazed Sweet Potato Tots: I was afraid that it might be too sweet because its sweet potatoes and then the maple syrup but they were REALLY good. I didn’t dip much in the sauce and it gave out the perfect taste of sweetness.
I think food was little expensive in comparison to the drinks. I had three of their signature cocktails and my favorite was the one with the Strawberry. It was sweet, fruity and very subtle. The price for their shots is pretty reasonable as well. I feel like I would like to come back here for late night drinks or happy hour.
P. S. It was one of the server’s first week there. She dropped her drink right behind where I was sitting The drink spilled everywhere, the glass flew next to me and shattered into pieces. Only she was the one that actually apologized to me. The manager came by to check on what happened but she did not even look at our table or came to ask if we were okay or not? However, server asked me several times whether the glass got in my hair or if I was hurt. I said that I am okay but there is glasses everywhere under our table. Thank god this incident happened when there only 5 of us sitting on the table instead of our entire party.

We came for brunch. The options are few, but what we did have was wonderful! The fed classic with polenta, spinach short ribs and poached eggs was fantastic! The coffee was the bomb!
The hash was great, the green sauce was very good!

It looks like an old bank, it totally does.
Walking inside, the front dining area is formal, upscaled, and classy. High ceiling, crystal glass chandeliers, white table linen, tall wine glasses, everything you would expect for a 5 star fine dining place.
The very back is a blue sky back drop, in front of it, a small bar area. Famous for their whiskey mix drinks, the bar tender could help you out by recommending some good stuff that suits your taste. I don’t know my liquors, so I can’t comment on how well they did. Their food is right on the point. The running egg on the hangover fries is runny, the bacon crunch, the chicken wing is spicy and salty – perfect bar food.

What a fun place to have drinks and afternoon snacks. We wanted to have Sunday brunch, got there too late, decided to just stay and eat some bar food cause I really liked how vintage looking this place is, it’s like an old fashioned bank!
The Bloody Mary I had was fantastic! Definitely one of the best I have ever had, had to get a second one of course! Menu was pretty decent too, I see many seafood items, some Vegan and Vegetarian too. It’s been a while since I had a vegan dog, and I love vegan chili soup, sounds like a very good combo to me and they were DELICIOUS! Hubby had federal dog, it was a fully loaded hot dog, looked very appetizing, I loved the guacamole and salsa on my vegan dog too, added strong flavors. The housemade fries were so yummy. Our afternoon snack food was absolutely delicious.
Hubby had a local brew, it was tasty, and he had his usual Vesper martini, my spicy Grey Goose vodka martini was so tasty too! We were surprised at how good our bartender was, great pours, LOVED it!
I really liked how relaxing and chill this bar was, bartenders were fun, crowds were friendly, perfect spot for lazy Sundays!

My first time here, (to eat that is). The place is absolutely magnificent inside. I used to come here occasionally when it was the old «Vault», usually for business lunches but also for drinks. To be honest, it was nice then but I think the new owners have definitely stepped it up a notch or two.
Stunningly beautiful interior architecture, great service, (with a smile), delicious food and a fantastic drink selection. One can’t ask for much more than that.
My daughter and I started off with the Bacon Wrapped Brussell Sprouts which were crazy good and topped off that off with a pair of Smog City Pilsners.
Our entrée’s consisted of the Tuna Sandwich (which was HUGE) and garlic fries for my daughter while I tackled, (at least attempted to tackle), the smokehouse burger and side salad. To put it bluntly, we could have shared either of our meals and been totally satisfied with the portion size. Both sandwiches were so large we had to dissect them before even attempting to bite into ‘em!!! Add a beer flight and I was as happy as a pig in slop!!!
Will definitely go back and this time take the wife for the overall experience!!!

Well when do i go to eat to long beach? Hardly ever and i have always been soo curious about this restaurant, seeing alot of my Unilocaler friends check in here and why this place has ³¹⁄₂ stars? At least a 4 star, thats what im giving them cuz we didnt have dessert and our waitress said that was her favorite thing on the menu, good thing theres always a next time :) .
As soon as my bestie and i walked in we greeted inmediately, there was no so many people there but we went around 5pm so im sure they get super busy for dinner .
Decisions decisions, i usually have a bad time about making my mind so i just let my friend picked so we could shared.
Macaroni and cheese, bacon shrimp, chicken wings, mexican corn everything was absolutely perfect and im so happy she liked it cuz ive been driving her crazy to try this place out.
Drinks: we had tropical delight and berry cobbler and oh baby it was good we are going back again.
Great place to hang out with friends .:)

My review here only revolves around two dishes and service which was more than enough to get my five star rating.
Stopped in for lunch and can say it was the best decision I made today as far as food goes. Our server Yvette was great! Not once did I have to ask for a refill nor sit twirling my fingers hoping to grab her attention for assistance. I ordered the Smokehouse burger and the Mac n cheese. Amazing!!!
I had 3 meats added to the mac for $ 1 each. Pulled pork, IPA short rib and chorizo. The flavor of the cheese alone sold this dish but the meats made it an OMFG dish lol. High five to the chef and owner because there’s a hefty generous portion of meats added for the small cost that will leave you stuffed. Not to mention the meats are just down right flavorful and tender. ($ 1 each on Tuesdays. Otherwise $ 2 for the meats)
Next up was the Smokehouse burger that’s a BBQ fans dream. A beef patty topped with smoked cheddar, smoked turkey, BBQ pulled pork and peppered bacon… what more can you ask for in a burger? The mixture made for a awesome taste and a very juicy burger. Meats galore!!!
The place itself was nice in the inside and has a great bar that’s caught my full attention as far as coming back on a weekend to check out the nightlife there. Don’t pass this one up, had a great lunch here and anticipate more great things from this place in the future.
Lunch 4÷14÷2015

My first dining experience wasn’t so great, it might have been due to a busy Friday. But I’ve still visited Federal overtime because of the speakeasy and club underground. I also love the architecture since it used to be a bank. The Federal and it’s 3 venues are a go to place of mine!
However, I went this past Sunday for brunch and have to say that it was rather lovely! Our waitress let us know that she was training and she did a rather great job! Way better service in comparison to my first time. I asked her about vegan options and she pointed at the wrap. She also asked if my sister and I were interested in the 2 for $ 35 brunch special. Two entrees and two bottomless mimosas for $ 35, I said good deal!
I got the wrap with vegan weenies and avocado and my sister got some sort of hash brown item that reminded me of poutine fries. Both were delicious and had some green sauce that was the cherry on top! For the wrap, everything was flavorful and savory with the vegan sausages. I’m sure meat eaters wouldn’t have noticed a difference! The mimosas were great as well, I wasn’t expecting much from OJ and champagne. I didn’t think I’d get buzzed from it, but I did!
Overall I am very satisfied and can please me if I just want to eat, go to a bar, or to the club!

This place is a new favorite of mine.
*I could have sworn I already had a review for this place posted, but have an updated one.
The ambiance here is absolutely gorgeous.
It takes you back in time with the décor, moody lighting, and oldies playing through the system.
The service here can be wonderful, or spotty, depending on who you get.
Sam by far has been the best server I’ve had here.
Not a single glass has hit empty without her noticing.
She is really attentive, personable, and friendly.
On the flip-​side, you may sit for 15 – 20 minutes with an empty glass, then have to ask for something more to drink.
You may not even get asked how your food is.
The drinks here are made well.
Good luck deciding on one!
The possibilities are nearly endless here, and if you can dream it, it probably exists here.
I had a tropical drink that mixed my new yellow tropical red bull with vodka and pineapple, and I was set.
When it comes to food.
My heart belongs to the build-​your-​own macaroni and cheese days (which are Mondays).
The little platters can fill you up for about $ 13 average (depending on how crazy you get with add-​ons).
The base of their mac and cheese as it is with the manchego, smoked Gouda, and mozzarella is heavenly.
My mom says their mac and cheese is the best she’s ever had, and she’s one of those «I can make this better» types.
On non Mondays, my mom is a fan of the bleu cheese sliders.
I personally love the OMH (oh my habanero) burger for it’s kick.
It’s a LARGE burger with a tasty habanero sauce that’ll make your lips tingle just a little.
If you go for dessert, the s’mores bread pudding is a must have.
It’s really rich, so sharing between two is totally doable.
I also had the crème brulée and went to heaven (I don’t know if it’s a regular menu item).
I’m determined to try almost everything on the menu here over time, this place is that good.

Another new place tried and visited. One less to find and check out.
We decided to try out Federal Bar during Long Beach Restaurant Week. While there were a few we wanted to try, we had visited them before and figured we should try something different. We went with the Federal Bar because they had a deal that did not seem too shabby. One App, two entrees, and one dessert for fifty bucks.
You would think not living TOO far from LB you would not need an extreme amount of time, but it took us 45 – 50 minutes to get there from Anaheim. Go figure. We arrived five minutes before the reservation, and we were good to go. That is after getting a little confused with the famous one way streets and finding a place that we could actually park at. Luckily it was very close to the restaurant. After making our way over, with finding weirdos in tow with that short little walk, we arrived safely.
Luckily they were not busy, but had a few tables and the bar going. We were seated at a two seater next to many more, in front of the bar. That was fine despite the loud group gathering slowly in bigger numbers, who then turned to standing around the bar behind me, and even pulling the seat out and sitting literally right behind me. Luckily I chose the correct seat for once as I have more patience than my husband. That crowd later continued to grow at a table a few rows on the other side of us, and huddled around. (Good luck walking in at this point). That was after one lady decided to stop on the side of us with her butt in our faces as she kept pointing because she did not believe the table which lied ahead was theirs. Once they hit their party of eighteen, they decided to finally plant it and sit down. Enough of that.
So with the food we had a choice of two options. I honestly forgot the other one because we had our items planned, but it was not something my husband would touch. We went with the fried chicken sliders. They were okay. We received two. Flavor seemed to be lacking in my opinion. Maybe I have been spoiled by The Burnt Truck. Oh and for drinks we decided on iced teas. (We are very heavy drinkers — not).
For our entrées I went with the meatloaf that came with mashed potatoes and veggies, and my husband went with the skillet pot pie. The meals came out fairly quickly which was nice. The meatloaf was not bad. I personally prefer the bbq or ketchup method over the brown gravy which they had, but it was not bad. It seemed a smidge dry but maybe that was me. The mashed potatoes were probably my favorite, mixed in with the gravy sauce around the bowl and from the meatloaf. Veggies were carrots and green beans which are some of my favorites.
My husband seemed to enjoy his skillet pot pie. At least I did not hear any complaints. Pieces in the middle seemed to be scorching compared to others which he was not prepared for, probably due to the skillet. It also came with cranberry corn bread. He is not a fan of corn bread but thought the cranberry would help it. I helped him attempt to eat it. More of it fell apart in my hands unfortunately and all over the table. I can usually deal with corn bread but this was too sweet for me. He could not eat it either. I have quite the photo for his facial expression but I don’t believe I will post it.
Next came out the dessert. We chose crème brulee. This was my favorite part. We pretty much devoured it. I’m not sure where the berries went that it mentioned as they were MIA, but it was still tasty. I could eat a few of these with no problem.
Our waitress was great also. She constantly checked on us and our teas were filled when they got low. It was nice to have good service. Also when the bill came out teas were not included. Either it was added into the total which I doubt, or she forgot to add them. It’s always nice to save a few bucks.
We made our way back and got a bit lost on the one way streets again which is about normal. On the plus side I learned the next day through an article that we ended up driving through the poorest and deadliest part of LB. Score!

Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas!
Bottomless mimosas! (Enough said)

Was looking forward to my first visit here yesterday, but unfortunately, so NOT impressed. For starters, the service WAS HORRIBLE. I was here with a big party, so half the table had a different server. I found out both servers names, but won’t mention them here. Maybe ours was new, or having a bad day, or just not a very friendly person, but a waitress SHOULD be attentive and at least friendly, EVEN if you don’t know what you’re doing.
I came a little late, maybe that’s the reason for the immediate attitude (IDK) she said I had to be paired up with someone in order to get the 2 for $ 25 special (or $ 35 or something like that) She told me that everyone was already «paired up», so I asked my friend sitting next to me if she was, and she said «No». We questioned our waitress and she said my friend could not be paired up with me because she had already placed her order. WHAT??? Well, regardless… she checked with the manager and «allowed» us to, for whatever that was worth. Not quite understanding how the bottomless mimosas worked because she was telling us it was $ 15 for bottomless or I could just order one for $ 4 (or something like that… not very clear, kinda babbling at this point)
I ordered pancakes, 2 eggs & one turkey sausage and I guess I said ok to the bottomless mimosas. Well, I asked for another syrup, (huge pancakes only came with ~2T. syrup and no butter whatsoever) but she never came back with it. Finally, I asked the busboy, and he got me one. Half way through our meal, she brought a caraf of mimosas for 4 of us at the same table to share. … and she never returned. That’s not what I’d call bottomless. So, all 4 of us actually PAID FOR bottomless, but only got one glass each, barely… so, I’d say we were EACH charged $ 11 too much! We literally never saw the waitress again, until we paid.
I took a bite of my friend’s short Rib Poutine. It was delicious, BTW, so kudos to the chef… but there are so many places with friendly servers… that, I won’t be back. Sorry, not sorry.