Tonight was my first time ever coming to Bar Weems. I was absolutely smitten by the atmosphere inside, for a Wednesday 30 minutes after opening it was already somewhat busy. As I sat at the end of the bar and listened to people talk around me/bartender/servers it was clear the place was packed with regulars. It truly was apparent that everyone who worked there knew the regulars and made sure to stop and say hello to them! I loved that so much personally. Ambiance inside was quite intimate and comfortable to me (also bathrooms were clean and well decorated) and I liked the music they had playing.
Let's get into the food and drinks now that I've laid out the inside and service. The bartender whose name I found out at the end was Jonathan, helped me pick out my first drink which was wonderful. Even though I'm not a gin girlie personally, he reassured me that the flavors worked well together and with his assurance I had the London Calling. He also informed me he had a hand in creating all the featured drinks on the menu, and I could tell he had a passion for his craft. The flavors were not overpowering which I usually expect with something that has lavender and gin in, and genuinely I would get it again to my personal surprise. While I sipped my bevvy, one of the kind women came up to me to ask if I had questions about the menu. I like asking for my servers opinions on food so when I told her I was between the miso or shoyu ramen, and she told me she loved both but there was something about the Shoyu ramen she personally loved more, I ordered the Shoyu ramen. I also asked about which karaage she'd recommend as I wanted to order all three and she picked the Evil flavor for me (I'm grateful she did). In no way was I disappointed tonight. Have I ever been to Japan and had ramen there? No! Am I picky sh*thead who likes good food? Yes! I saw complaints about the ramen portion size and they're idiots. This had the perfect amount of broth to noodles, the noodles had the perfect bite and chew to them, and the broth was refreshingly delicious. One thing I DO know about ramen are soft boiled eggs. I make them myself in a mayak marinade, and the egg I received in the shoyu ramen was perfectly cooked (I hate overcooked soft boiled eggs in ramen) and I could tell they were marinated for sure. The pork was flavorful and not chewy, melt in your mouth good. I asked to add cabbage to mine, which they did, but I did not think it was worth the $2.50 charge as cabbage is relatively cheap, although the cabbage was a delicious addition and they did have a nice char to them. I'll be just as happy next time without it. As I worked on my ramen and first drink, when Jonathan came back over I put my life's trust into him and let him know he could pick my next drink from the menu when I finished my first, and I received the You'd Prefer An Astronaut while I chowed down. I took my first sip and DANG it was good! I loved my first drink, but YPAA knocked me off my feet and had me dreaming of summertime in CHS. It was so refreshing and not overpoweringly tasting of melon, I'm home and still thinking about it if we're being honest. It paired nicely with the Evil Karaage, cutting through the lip tingling spice of Szechuan pepper quite well in my opinion! My stomach might hate me later but I ate all four pieces, even dipping it in the delicious ramen broth. Did I mention it was served with soft milk bread that I also devoured????? Ahhhhh. I'm so content right now. Last but not least I had one of Sharon's rotating $5 shot. It was a bourbon espresso infused lavender whatever you want to call it shot, and obviously I needed to try it. I loved it. I'm not sure how to explain this but all the drinks here don't have that obnoxious "I was poured straight from a plastic container bought at the store" taste to them. I tried many drink combos tonight that I've not liked before but enjoyed here. I know this was a long review but if you're still here please trust me when I say this place is a hidden gem. I'm excited to go back to try new drinks and different menu items the next time I take myself out on a solo date, and I hope you enjoy it too. read more