The Factory

I really wanted to enjoy this place my first visit, but some things you just can’t ignore. As soon as my husband and I walked in, a table opened up, and the very young staff member offered to clean the table for us. I couldn’t help but notice the rag she was using was filthy. I mean BLACK filthy. But fine, that didnt stop us.
We noticed the «silverware cup» at the table wasn’t replaced when we were sat. Unfortunately the table before us stuck their used silverware in there covered with cheese and food. So we put it to the side and a staff member apologized and took it away.
Our food came, and we asked the staff who brought it for some silverware… Aaaand he forgot to bring it. That’s fine, it happens.
We ordered the Mac and cheese sandwich and the pork belly Mac. We sat for a few minutes staring at this awesomeness with no silverware. We waved our arms trying to get someone to notice us and bring us silverware.
I took 2 bites of the Mac and cheese and up came a very, verrry long lighter colored hair from deep inside. Yuck! (My hair is shorter and black). But again, I understand that happens sometimes. I couldn’t help but notice the cooks have long ponytails that are not secure at the ends. [ I work for a place that doesn’t allow even servers to wear ponytails!!!] The server was apologetic and offered to remake it. It came out pretty quick this time, but again, my silverware was taken away! I had to flag someone down for a fork again!
The food was OK, I think we were both a little turned off at this point. I thought the porkbelly mac was a little bland. Could have used salt and pepper, but thats not available at the table. No manager came to talk to us. I rarely complain in a restaurant, but our experience was not a good one. The hairy Mac was taken off our bill, which was nice, but I wish it didn’t get to that point. The menu is creative, I would give it 4 stars for that but for cleanliness, I’d give it a 1.

The patatas bravas are definitely the best menu item I’ve had here (spicy fried potatoes with multiple dipping sauces).
They also had an astoundingly good tomato soup (made fresh) that was disappointingly taken off the menu.
It’s a pretty trendy place so it gets absolutely packed on weekend nights. It’s a great place to go with friends because they have a wall filled with board games and you can bring a game back to your group.
Indoor/​outdoor seating, awesome beer selection, and fresh innovative dishes. Definitely a local fave. Just know it is a bit on the pricey side, like most trendy gastropubs.

The first time I came here I ordered the Happy Cow burger and it was love at first sight! But I recently came here and the server told that they don’t make my favorite burger anymore. I was upset. The wine is still good and the servers were really nice. It’s a comfortable place to go for a talk with friends or parents.

I went here during the most recent First Friday night in Bixby Knolls.
The place is very charming and cozy. It fills up fast on a popular night like First Friday. Lots of families with little kids on one side of the restaurant and maybe 6 two-​tops for couples on the other side (plus a small bar). It’s not a huge place but I liked the compartmentalized feel during this night. Parking in the back was easy.
The pretzel appetizers were absolutely delicious and so were the potato bravas and burgers. I would come back for any of these hands down.
Prices seem reasonable and while the service is really spotty (with or without a crowd), our server was very nice.
I can’t give this place anything better than a-​ok for now because:
1) the sangria tasted like a really cheap mix (very bitter with no interesting flavors)
2) the pumpkin biscuit, which sounded absolutely amazing, was disgusting. My friend and I actually think it went bad because it was very sour and none of the ingredients indicated tangy, tart, or sour notes. We asked the server if it was suppose to taste like that, but he didn’t really give us any explanation. I’d love to know why it tasted sour because all we can infer for now is that something in that dish went bad. yuck.

Herro!
Food was ok. Definitely edible but nothing that makes me want to come back.
The pork belly Mac and cheese was actually pretty bland. Pork belly could’ve been seared or charred so the fat isn’t so gelatinous. If I come back I definitely won’t be ordering that again.
There was an older gentleman that kept hovering over us. Made me think he doesn’t think too highly of the server I had.
The whole experience was pretty awkward.

Second time here and much like the first time, not super impressed. The atmosphere and décor could use an uplift. Nonetheless we were greeted by nice servers. They seemed to only have 1 brewery on tap so the selection was limited. Last time I came, I had a burger & remember it being so heavy it sat in my stomach all night. This time I wanted something lighter but nothing jumped out from the menu. The steak salad sounded good but it was a whopping $ 27! The server suggested trying the shishito peppers from the appetizer section-​Lightly salted with a zesty flare, shiny from all the oil and enough to share with 4+ppl. I also tried the pesto grilled cheese sandwich, also a generous size. It was odd they put manchego cheese in it though because that type of cheese doesn’t really melt. The best dish I tried was the dessert-​Nutella cheesecake! If you ever have room & are craving something chocolatey rich, must try it!

I feel like you either hate this place or love it. I loved it, I tried the lam burger and it was delicious. I also had a bite from the sword fish burger, also very tasty.

I really like the Factory! This place feels very welcoming and warm. The owners are friendly and always talk to the customers. The Factory has the best burgers in all of Long Beach. Last night I had a hamburger and the wife had a lamb burger. Excellent! The beef is organic and grass fed. The food is seasoned well and the bun has lighter flavor, but similar to a pretzel.
In fact I was waiting for my wife and ordered the pretzel bites for an appetizer. They were served warm out of the oven with salt on top and a side of mustard.
The food is an excellent compliment to the craft beers that are always on tap here. Last night, the Left Coast Brewery took over the taps. I highly recommend the Lager, and the Almond Cream. The wife had the Barrel Aged Ale Epiteios Imperial Stout which was quite strong and was a joy to sip. We both enjoyed this.
I will be back to the Factory and look forward to the next tap takeover!

Norman Brodeur
Norman J. Brodeur
What a great time time took the Mrs. for a little night out alone. What a great time. Great service. Great food

We went there for dinner yesterday because we have seen this restaurant here for some time and we had yet to try it out. What a major disappointment!
First, we noticed ants crawling on the wall. The waiter (young kid) did not know the menu very well. They constantly change the menu so we were given one from the previous weekend so when I ordered from it, of course they didn’t have it anymore. I ordered something else (they’re signature burger) and I was extremely sad once it was served.
I requested a medium well burger and got a patty that no only did not fit the bun because it was so small, but it was it was cold and raw in the center. However, it was accompanied by the BEST thing on their menu… the kettle chips that are NOT made «from scratch» (per the waiter).
The wings were so extremely small that for the price, they should double the amount of pieces per order. The street tacos had no flavor and everything in general needed to be seasoned better.
I can’t believe Guy Fieri was actually here. I’m totally disappointed and not returning.

A little this — a little that!
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Bixbys. This place is a great local resident but I have to admit that their service is truly lacking here as many others have mentioned. My table was the only one seated besides the couple at the bar top. The staff still could not keep up with the essential check-​ins, refills, and handing over the bill. Aside from the spotty service, the libation & brew listings were plentiful. I’m a bit of a craft beer lover and I’d like to think that living in Colorado for about 3 years has jumped my craft knowledge and palate up a few dozen notches. I might be wrong though ;) BUT they do serve a brand or two of Colorado’s larger craft brewing companies which was nice to see.
Anyway, the food we decided on was rather delicious. The portion sizes were a little less than average but I feel the quality of the ingredients make up for that. Love the whole farm to kitchen gig and can appreciate its fresh factors. The space is also very roomy and The Factory Gastropub patrons have a number of options when it comes to seating. An added bonus would be the books and toys near the restrooms that pint-​sized patrons can play with as their parents or sitters attempt to enjoy their meal. The only reason I give this place 3-​stars is because the service is just not there and has really tainted my experience here. I really wanted to love it but I just can’t seem to do that when I’m left looking for people to flag down every time I need something. You’d think they’d want to get rid of people for a good table turn around. It was even exhausting for me to try and grab our tab. On top of that. the price tag isn’t exactly McDonalds, yet those hardworking souls give me more attention at the drive-​thru! Anyway, I liked it and will consider coming back for a bar sesh but not to dine in.

My husband and I decided to check this place out– we love a good beer bar and they are dog friendly on the patio which is always a plus!
First off, you walk in to a small patio that has a few tables. None of these were open so we went inside. We were then told to pick a seat.
We sat and looked around-​definitely seems like a family friendly local. It took a while for someone to come over to us– there were only two servers on a Thursday night and a lot of people eating.
Once the server did come over I realized we didn’t get a wine menu. He stated that there is only one in the restaurant and then went to find it. I should have realized after seeing the furniture falling apart on the patio and then the singular, dirty, wine menu that this wasn’t going to be good. My husband ordered a beer and I finally ordered a glass of rosè.
It took a while to order our food after that– the servers were definitely running around like crazy people because there were not enough of them.
We order — my husband a burger and me an Italian sausage. I wasn’t super impressed with the menu in general– it’s very limited. They don’t even have a chicken sandwich or wrap!
Then the wait begins… My glass of rose is just about gone when a man comes up to the sidebar to complain to the waitress about the service. He and his wife have two kids and half of the food came out and they were still waiting on the other half. The server actually gave him attitude and rolled her eyes directly at the customer. My husband and I both work in the industry and were appalled.
Shortly after witnessing this, and at the bottom of my glass, our food comes. I ordered an Italian sausage and it was served by itself in a … Bowl? My husbands plate looks much better at this moment.
Then– he takes the bun off his burger and peels some extra stuff he didn’t know would be on the burger off and then says to me– babe, my burger is COLD. I thought maybe he was being dramatic, so I felt the burger– and man it was cold in the inside. My husband would have had food poisoning six ways to Sunday if he ate that thing.
We finally flagged down the waiter and told him the situation. We were sitting right by the kitchen and what I saw next made me want to get up immediately and call the health department. The cook laughed, picked up the already partially cooked burger, ripped the cheese off it and threw it in the garbage and then started putting the meat that has already been partially cooked into a patty— then put it back on the grill. I don’t know if I failed to mention that he did this with bare, ungloved hands.
I immediately told our husband we needed to leave. I hadn’t eaten any of my sausage in a bowl yet, but knowing that dude probably cooked it there was NO WAY.
We told the server we would just like to pay for our drinks and leave. He told us not to worry about it and after an hour and a half of waiting for food and witnessing sheer dis concern for patrons experience, health, and safety we left and went to another restaurant.
Will never go back and I would recommend you avoid it also.

I have to agree with a lot of these reviews. The food is mostly good, the service is mostly not. There were 2 people working front of house last night, and with about 6 tables during the time we were there, they seemed completely overwhelmed. Very sweet and apologetic but they were constantly forgetting to bring things to the table (we got our delicious patatas bravas app but had to stare at it longingly while we waited 4 or 5 minutes for silverware. And that was after waiting 5 minutes for menus!) They basically didn’t seem like people with any serving experience. They were trying, but needed some help/​guidance.
Food wise, the girlfriend and I both got tacos. She liked her cactus avocado. I got 2 fish (pretty tasty, I liked the spicy sauce on them) and 1 pulled pork (eh) for 8 bucks. Some of the other menu items were pricey, but the 3 taco deal and the apps were priced modestly.
Probably won’t go back unless I hear about some uptick in service– best of luck to the team!

Walking into this restaurant, I instantly coined it as hipster like! Daily beer menu on the chalk board and sort of some what mismatched furniture, but that made the establishment hipster like! In my opinion, I thought was very cool!
I was a bit confused when walking in, because there was no hostess to seat us, until I noticed that the server was washing a cloth. I grabbed his attention and asked if we were to seat ourselves, or if we were to be seated at a specific spot. He seemed hesitant, and said that he just needs to clean the table and will be right there with me. I ended up seating myself at a different area and he came by with menus.
My friends finally came in, and we took a while because as girls, we like to catch up before ordering. The waiter came by and recommended us several options for beer, sakis, and food. He even let us taste the beers before we ordered them! That was a nice and kind gesture.
We finally took a look at the menu, and decided to order three different entrees since each entrée was 25% off that day. The service was excellent! They came by every so often to check up on us, and to see if the food was okay. The price, even with a 25% off the entrée, I personally thought was still a bit pricey for me. Overall, the ambience and service was excellent.

The jolly lamb burger, hands down. The meat was cooked to perfection. Great flavor. Blue cheese was the perfect addition too. Shoestring onions and a buttery bun made this burger a HIT!
MIA, French fries!!! The burger should always have fries on the side not just a slice of dill pickle.
Samples of beer make it easy to pair with your dish. The IPA (The Big Barrel) is my favorite. It’s not as bitter as a lot of IPA’s I have tasted. Good body and hardly any after taste for an IPA.

Recently started offering brunch on the weekend with bottomless mimosas. They start at 10 and end at 3pm.
Went in around 11 with two friends, one who had visited the week before (close after the grand opening).
Our waitress was accommodating, set us up outside and made sure the sun didn’t kill us by moving the shade (there is plenty indoor seating but we wanted to be outside)
The outside feel is whatever, game stop is right next door so I didn’t care too much for it.
Our waitress was super informative of menu and even let us have the fruit juices for the mimosas on the side so we could mix and match if we wanted. They offered mango, pineapple (dole juice, didn’t care for it), mango and guava.
At about 2 pmwe got our waiter changed who was super inattentive and didn’t come back to fill us up on champagne (we weren’t getting turnt up but we did that an über there and wanted to enjoy the day with a couple of drinks).
At 3 he stopped us although he never came to check on us. We complained and his manager chose not to extend our mimosa time even though no one came to check in on us.
At the time no one was there (since they recently started doing brunch). I couldn’t understand why the waiter didn’t check in on us and why they wouldn’t extend our mimosas for their bad service. We told them we thought it was unfair and they just shrugged.
In terms of food, it was amazing! The vibe is cool and boot longest mimosas was recently priced.

If you have yet to visit a gastropub/​gastrobar, you’re in for a treat.
This one is a bit centered towards spice, so heads up!
Their take on wings is good, they’re actually comfortable and I could see someone knocking a platter back with a pint or two.
The patatas bravas have my heart however.
Fried potatoes with spices and heat, it’s heaven on a plate that makes your tummy gurgle in contentment.
The shishito peppers dish was announced as being really spicy, but I kept eating them amused because they were ridiculously tart and charming.
My friend happened to keep getting whammies however, so tread lightly, some of the peppers are actually spicy I guess…
I need to return to have more spicy food!

I had been hearing a lot about this place from an acquaintance and how they feature great craft beers so naturally I was excited to go check it out. When we got there we ordered an IPA and a glass of wine. Sure, the beer was fine but the glass they served it in was a joke. The glass of wine dwarfed the baby glass of beer they handed to me. As for the food, we decided on the burgers. They were tasty but they were served with a side of «Nothing». This isn’t Mac Donald’s. This is a restaurant, right? A plate with a lonely burger on it. The roasted beet appetizer we ordered was also a joke! The beets tasted fine but the portion was embarrassing. As a restaurant owner I could never serve a portion like that. Come on people! Really? Too bad I didn’t take a picture to show you. Three burgers, a baby portion of beets, a petite beer and a glass of wine. 80 bucks. BOOM!

Came here for brunch a while ago and it was great, so expectations for dinner were set high.
Good customer service, staff was very friendly and attentive.
We started out with the patatas bravas it was supposed to be roasted potatoes with spicy sofrito sauce, cilantro and parsley. Sounds great right? However, this is not what was executed, potatoes were under cooked and not roasted.
The entrée I wanted: pig n grits: pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Pulled pork with grits. The pork was good and the grits were not seasoned.
The menu described this dish completely different then what came out (see pix of menu). The carrots were not candied, the cherry tomatoes were roasted but no char present on them at all (and they were supposed to be blackened). There was a green topping that was defiantly not alderwood salt. This dish was disappointing for this establishment as most of their food is amazing.
I’m hoping maybe someone was new? And next time they’ll deliver their dishes as described.

Met up with co-​workers here for happy hour after work to wind down. Food was a little expensive but the selection is quite interesting!
Things I tried:
Fig lolipops (8) — There is a contrast of sweet and salty. I enjoyed it but don’t think its worth the price. The appetizer was tiny and left me pretty unsatisfied.
Happy Cow Burger (15) — This was a winner (still quite expensive for what you get though). The burger had a good kick to it. I got mine medium-​rare and it was nice and juicy.
Beers (4) — There is a good selection, the waitresses and bartender will help you decide whats best for you and your tastes. We got a good explanation of what was available, feel free to ask them.
The Factory Gastrobar excels at service. We were being checked on at good intervals from both our server and the bartender (we were situated on the patio). We always felt welcomed and they made sure we were always comfortable and had everything we wanted without being too intrusive. Our drinks came right away whenever we wanted them, and the food was reasonable. I will be coming back for sure to try out the other items on the menu and have more drinks!

Looking for a dinner to follow an LGB airport pickup, I was excited to try this place. Having been in Spain in ’13, I am always eager to try American tapas, and I already have a serious appreciation for craft beer.
Comfortable space with outdoor seating available. With many in the $ 8 range, the tapas initially seem pricey. However, they are thoughtfully conceived and of high quality. Your key takeaway about the tapas is that they are BIG, at least double the European portion (then again, what isn’t?) Three normal people could make a meal of four items. Bravas were good. More roasted than fried, with big garlic chunks. Cassoulet was very good. The clear winner was the roasted shishito peppers with shredded manchego. Bursting with smokey flavor and not too spicy. Want to go back to try the veggie tacos, asparagus sammy and the grilled cheese with tomato soup. $ 5 kid’s meals were priced right.
On the beer side, Barcelona’s Estrella was available in bottles, but we went with a few of the SoCal craft brews they feature at about $ 6.50 per pint. Service was eager to make a good impression. After my first choice beer and tapa were sold out, they comped my second beer… nice.

Such a rad place! I went last night to their open mic night (every Wednesday) and fell in love with vibe. There were so many talented musicians their last night. I’m assuming many of them are friends with the cook, who occasionally comes out to play a song or two on the keyboard.
I didn’t expect much when we pulled into the parking lot. It’s tough for a business like The Factory to have a cool ambiance in the setting their in, but they did a fabulous job. I love the out door patio seating.
I dig how they use the place for different uses (example: cooking classes for kids). I think more businesses should look at this model.
The only thing that would make this place better is if they were in a old restored building with brick walls.
Can’t wait to visit again.