Is Monterey Park finally getting its own craft beer and cocktail bar? It would certainly be nice if I didn’t have to drive too far to have a decent alcoholic drink that I didn’t make myself or have Will make for me. We went to the soft opening of Spirit House Bar, located on the second level of Lincoln Plaza Hotel and it already had a Golden Road brew on tap and a handful of cocktails to choose from.
Not in the mood for something super-IPA, I ordered a Taps Cream Ale, which satisfied my craving of something a little light and as easy to drink as a pilsner. Hey, I had a huge diner — don’t judge me.
To help with the drink consumption, we were served some hard-to-turn-down, crispy lotus chips dusted with a savory mix of two types of seaweed. Crispy and savory? Best bar snack ever? Perhaps.
I also sampled a few bites from their experimental menu:fried chicken wing with a soy sauce and ginger glaze, and a small bite of chicken salad served on top of fried Chinese bread. If you’ve ever had that soft, sweet loaf of bread from any Chinese bakery, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Fry a slice of that up and you’ll think it was the most unhealthy but delicious thing ever. Top it with a nicely seasoned chicken salad with tangy julienned cucumber and it’ll be even better. By itself, the fried chicken wing was as good as a deep fried wing could get, but the drizzled sauce on top gave it an edge.
While I only tried Spirit House’s soft-opening food, I have high hopes for the food coming out of the kitchen and what else gets added on tap.
Spirit House Bar
123 S. Lincoln Ave
2nd Fl
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 872-0353