Rebel Republic Social House - Redondo Beach

I am wary of the recent Riviera gentrification project that seems to be underway, but Rebel Republic is so undeniably cool! Outdoor patio, casual inside tavern-esque bar with a modest menu of bar bites that blow my mind. Impressive beer selection but they make a decent old fashioned as well.

The brainchild of H.T. Grill's Nael Taki and Hennesey's Paul, the menu appears deceptively simple yet brings out sensations most complex.

I've had pork, I've had cheek, and I've had tacos, but I've never had these Pork Cheek Tacos. The pork is impossibly tender and shreddy-soft, as it floats beneath avocado burnt by poblano. Radish-onion salsa anchors the pillows of pork as the queso fresco enriches the mix.

They may make the best meat in the Riviera if the Short Rib Double Dipped is any indication. Short rib is so easily bland and tough, yet the slivers that slip out of this crusty baguette are almost as soft as the pork cheek and almost dynamic enough to stand alone. Add an au jus with enough elements to be a brothy soup, and you have a sandwich that rivals Phillippe.

Rebel Republic. Wow. You have to a set of brass ones to come up with a name like that, and your food better make a punch-me-in-the-face kind of impression. Bold and innovative it is not, but the meat did make one heck of a lasting memory. Delicious favorites in a fun-in-the-sun-and-shade kind of bar is hardly a rebellious concept, but they do add a spunky spin on all the things that go with beer. And damn, it does go well.