Lincoln Heights: Bar Fare Done Right at Barbara’s

Sep 17 2013

When I informed my social circle that my Thursday afternoon plans would involve alcohol, I was met with skepticism. “What’s the occasion?” they all asked, as though one needs an excuse to go midweek drinking. But if anyone had expected me to scrounge up a reason beyond, “… Thursday?”, I would’ve had one in hand. The plan was to try out Barbara’s at the Brewery, one of the drinking establishments nestled in the Brewery Arts Complex in Lincoln Heights-just a quick hop from Downtown LA.

Barbara’s is the kind of bar that you have to quest for. Once you wend your way into the heart of the art colony, good luck picking one unassuming warehouse out from another. Had I not been led to the doorstep of Barbara’s by someone in the know, I would’ve lost at least ten minutes to aimless wandering. Rest assured, though: your efforts will be rewarded.

As a member of the Very Introverted set, I liked the low-key, early Thursday afternoon atmosphere of Barbara’s just fine, not to say that those of a more extroverted slant should shy away. The interior is split into two spaces. One of them is a windowed cafe-like space, the other is the bar, which is lit only by a motley collection of neon sculptures and signs and lined with beer tap handles, most of which appear to have been out of commission for ages.