A New Burbank Craft Beer Bar Promises Big Brews and an Industrial Vibe

There’s a new craft beer bar heading for Burbank soon, as The Empire Tavern will take over for the defunct Jimmy’s Place along San Fernando Road. The building promises a new look and feel for what had been a bit of a dive, with an opening expected by next month.

Empire Tavern is to be helmed by Dave Ochoa, a longtime face in the craft beer scene around greater Los Angeles. Ochoa was actually for a time the president of the Yeastside Brewers, one of the most prominent Los Angeles homebrew clubs, situated in East Los Angeles. He’ll be backed up by a couple of craft beer bottle shop veterans to help make the whole thing run smoothly.

So what’s the plan for The Empire Tavern? Beer, mostly. The bar will carry a raw, industrial vibe that stays pretty low key — perfect for the quiet San Fernando Valley stretch. Expect two dozen taps running at any given time, with an emphasis on local stuff. There will also be room for some increasingly popular cider options, as well as wine.

Empire Tavern is currently in construction mode, and is expected to open its doors towards the latter end of October. That timeline is subject to change of course, but a grand reveal this fall is almost certain. In the meantime, catch plenty of progress shots over on Instagram.

The Empire Tavern
1623 N. San Fernando Rd.
Los Angeles, CA

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