hidden gem in Toluca Lake. plenty of options of beers on draft and apparently the old fashioned is real good because I saw a million people order them. Great laid back ambience and great customer service. definitely will be back.
Forman's stands for Fuuuuuun! Great place for happy hour, meeting friends or a casual date. Indoor seating is cozy and bar staff is great. Outdoor seating is spacious and the ambiance can be fun when it's packed and they open up the outside bar. The food is actually great! I know, some bars don't have the best of choices but foreman's has great appetizers and if you're a burger person, please try the blue cheese burger .... Yum! I never like blue cheese unless it's on a burger! The hickory burger is fantastic as well. We had ours lettuce wrapped and they made the lettuce look like buns so we could eat it and not be extremely messy. I'll be baaaaa-aaaaaack!
This gastropub has a great deal of potential. The mixed drinks are spot on and the whiskey pours are respectable. If they continue to build out their whiskey selection, this will be one of the top whiskey tasting spots in the country. The problem is, the bartenders don't have great knowledge of bourbon, rye and scotch. They need to change that. They need a larger venue with more seating and proper tasting glasses for straight bottle pours of brown liquor. The food is very nice. In fact. I think their tavern burger deserves an honorable mention for best LA area burger. Come for the whiskey, stay for the food.
Their cocktails (Espresso martini and Lavender Sky 2.0) you must try!!! And I really love the backyard. So chill and bigger table! Service is also great!
I have been continually impressed with Forman's! It's a great gathering spot for coworkers, friends, or family. The happy hour is incredibly reliable and satisfying. It's the perfect way to start your evening with an old fashioned and some fish tacos. One of the reasons I know every drink at Forman's will be great is that they don't batch make any of them, like many similar bars in the area do. Each drink is freshly made to order. The space itself has something for everyone. The front porch is great for people watching, inside is loud and cozy, and the back patio has a wonderful atmosphere and room to spread out. I recently had a group meet at Forman's and it was so easy to make a reservation. Plus the staff was kind throughout the whole night when I had questions! If only Forman's was closer, I'd come all the time. Great drinks, delicious food, and free parking?! No complaints from me.
I've only been to Forman's Whiskey Tavern once for a dear friend's birthday party, and while it's not at all close to my local area, I can definitely imagine myself returning. I don't drink very often, and I'm on a strict diet, which is code for "I generally either need to scour a menu to find things I can eat or put in extra special modifications to get things to my liking." Fortunately for me (and the server/bartender), Forman's has a good number of items to please even the most discriminating diner! Food: The food at Forman's is not your average bar food. This is quality food, masterfully crafted from quality ingredients. I enjoyed at least two orders of the grilled fish tacos as well as some Brussels sprouts. Those of you who follow my reviews know that if a restaurant has either of these items, it's a sure bet I will order them. Forman's has both, so you know it was chow time for me. The fish was moist, flaky, and best of all, piled HIGH. I'm in a constant state of hunger, so big servings of food I can eat are a sure way to my heart. Anna, my constant companion and wife, knows this, and once she say the gusto with which I attacked my first order of tacos, she surreptitiously ordered another plate for me. They didn't last long either. Like the tacos, the Brussels sprouts were delicious and well-prepared, the right combination of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I mentioned that I rarely drink alcohol, so it was my great fortune that Forman's has a massive self-service water dispenser that is regularly refilled, but you can also order ice-water from the bar. I did both. More on that under "ambience." Service: The service was terrific. We ordered at the bar, but the food was brought out by servers, who also made themselves available to handle refills and the like. Everyone with whom I interacted was polite and professional, each person with an easy conversational style. I appreciate the excellent and swift service, and I also like unobtrusive service. Forman's staff excel in both regards. Ambience: Forman's has a terrific atmosphere. I'm not sure how to describe it, so I'm going to go with "Bavarian deep woods gastro pub chic:" lots of wood, steins, and other tchotchkes on every wall and ceiling. Very cool! There is plenty of seating, and for events, you can reserve tables. We had a reservation for 25 at a long table right in front of the bar. I could imagine Beowulf himself sitting at such a table in King Hrothgar's mead-hall. I noted earlier that I took advantage of all the water, which naturally necessitated a trip to two tot eh restroom. Like the resto of Forman's, the restroom was clean and well-maintained. I haven't been back to Forman's since my friend's birthday--this is her "local," as the Brits say--but I am already looking for an excuse to go back. All this talk of fish tacos has activated my appetite, so perhaps I'll make way way there again soon. Until then, give them a shot and let me know how you like it.
My work friend organized a no-host get together at this place on a Thursday at 5pm, and that's what brought me here. I read some of the other Yelp reviews ahead of time, and knew to expect a convivial atmosphere. My friends had reserved an area of the backyard garden/patio for our group of around 20-25 people, and they had allocated 3 tables for us. There is 2nd bar right in the backyard garden that has a much shorter drinks and food line. I appreciate that, as mentioned in other reviews, there was an option to order my food vegetarian. The staff even asked me about my fries, and if I wanted them vegetarian. Very, very good atmosphere. Staff came by often to pick up the empty dishes and glasses. They had a DJ spinning in the garden live. The place is busy, and lots of nice-looking people.
1. Happy hour is 3-6 pm. We got there after 5 and it was PACKED 2. If you want a cocktail that isn't sweet, get the sequoia. 3. The back patio area was great. Honestly wouldn't have known it was there if we hadn't made a reservation. My only gripe is the service was pretty slow. So, patience is a necessity. The cocktails are great. You just gotta wait for them.
While Forman's is great all-around - location, service, atmosphere - my five stars go to their jalapeño burger. It is phenomenal - perfectly picked peppers (jalapeño plus poblano), pepperjack cheese - perfect flavour. My boyfriend chose the french dip, which he enjoyed. It featured horseradish in some capacity, but it must not have been too strong because he didn't complain about the sandwich being "spicy" (he's very sensitive). We had seasonal/past menu cocktails - a strawberry-garnished concoction served in a mason jar and a minty whiskey quaff. Quality, fresh-tasting drinks. Just so you know what to expect - it gets pretty lively, it's brightly lit, and you have to order at the bar. I wouldn't describe the atmosphere as "intimate", but it's fun for a group of friends. We'll be back!
Forman's is a terrific Toluca Lake tavern that has a ton of whiskies. Their food is upscale bar food, and it's quite delicious and with large portions. I'm slowly but surely working my way through their menu of New Fashioned Old Fashioneds. I have to knock off a star for the fact that it's very difficult to get seating except on Sunday evenings. Forman's is popular, and they get very crowded. Waitstaff is friendly and helpful. It's a lot of fun!