OyBar

"There are certain things that probably come to mind when you hear the term dive bar: dated wood paneling on the walls, chipped swivel stools, crusty locals, and cheap drinks. Oy Bar in Studio City has all those things as well as a food menu that’s worth braving rush hour on the 101. The house burger, topped with Toma cheese, hoisin ketchup, and a heap of cilantro, is a standout, but we also like ordering the pastrami quesadilla and cured salmon onigiri sprinkled with everything spice. And don’t think for a second that you’ll be the only one eating—everybody inside has food on the way." - brant cox, sylvio martins

"Oy Bar takes the ice-cold aspect of martinis seriously. Everything about the Freezer Martini is the optimal temperature, starting with the glass that’s cold that there’s a sheen of frost on the outside, which melts into microdroplets while sipping. Juniper and citrus lead the profile of the Ford’s Gin, which is combined with French vermouth. Order it with a lemon twist, or dirty with Castelvetrano olives." - Rebecca Roland

"A restaurant where Strauss uses food processors to make aioli and shred cheese for burgers and quesadillas." - Charley Lanyon

"Jeff Strauss of Highland Park sandwich shop Jeff’s Table revamped the Bar at Oyster House into a food and drink destination for locals and industry folks alike. Strauss’s playful menu blends Japanese flavors and Los Angeles staples with his Jewish heritage; staple dishes on the ever-changing menu include the matzo ball ramen, Reuben quesadillas, and pickle bento. For drinks, find classic cocktails with a twist, like the “gin and tawnic” made with gin, yuzu, and tonic water." - Rebecca Roland, Mona Holmes, Matthew Kang

"When Jeff Strauss opened Oy Bar in 2022, he took over the shuttered 50-year-old Oyster House and turned the longtime Studio City spot into what some consider a hip dive bar. But dive bars don’t have food or cocktails this inventive. But at Strauss’s nighttime spot (he also owns Highland Park’s popular sandwich spot Jeff’s Table), the room turns into a low-lit place where the rotating menu is not so much seasonal as suited to Strauss’s moods. He peruses farmers’ markets throughout the region and settles on dishes that answer the following questions: “What do I want to feed people right now?” “What do I want to eat myself?” “What do I want to celebrate?” Diners might find matzoh ball ramen or Oy Bar’s fish chowder, his version of bass en papillote includes Szechuan oil. The current menu has a crowd-pleasing steak frites with a shiro dashi (Japanese soup stock) pan sauce. The bar menu takes a similar experimental route with a Ford’s Gin and French vermouth concoction called the Freezer Martini. It’s as cold as it is refreshing. They’re slowly reopening the patio and calling it the “Vey,” as in “Oy Vey,” which translates to “dismay or grief” in Yiddish, to handle the seating overflow — Oy Bar is walk-ins only. The spot is better described as a Valley bar bistro that’s anything but dismal. Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Eater Staff