The Malibu Times
The Lab brewhouse taps into craft beer craze
For those needing to absorb that alcohol, The Lab aims to redefine bar food. Chef Megji strives for top-notch ingredients in not just their burger, made with sirloin and kobe beef, but even basics like the barbecue duck quesadillas.
The Acorn Epicurean
Brewmaster Roger Bott of the Lab Brewing Company in Agoura Hills has been competing in brewing competitions for several years. His concoctions have received recognition at these events, including four first-place awards at the annual Amgen Brew-B-Que and two first-place medals in the Ventura County Corporate Brew Competition.
A Hamburger Today
30 Great Cheeseburgers We've Eaten This Year
In honor of National Cheeseburger Day, we're rounding up 30 great cheeseburgers we've eaten so far this year. (We could pick more than 30, but we had to draw the line somewhere.) If you weren't hungry before, you will be soon.
Valley Scene Magazine
LAB Brewing Company (Culinary Connection)
Outside a young well-dressed crowd enjoyed the warm summer night on the patio. Once you enter and pass the other beautiful people at the bar you come to a dining room with dimmed nightclub lighting and a crowd of mostly-local families and friends.
Eater LA
A Handy Guide to LA's Best Gastropubs (LAB Brewing Co)
This gastropub brightens the culinary scene in Agoura Hills, with a stellar house-brewed beer list and great burgers, pizzas, and hot plates, including lamb curry, pork chop, and duck quesadilla.
serious eats
Los Angeles: A Burger and Beer Experiment Goes (Mostly) Right at The Lab Brewing Co.
For those of you on the fence about visiting The Lab, let me push you over. In this case my nudge comes in the form of a call to beer. Brewmaster Bott is, quite simply, everything you'd ever want from a beer maker. He's got a scientist's understanding of process with a true enthusiasts love of creation.
The ACORN
Local Craft Brewery Mixes Innovative Beer with Tasty Food
New this summer is LAB's "Ludicrous Lunch Spectacular," in which the customer can choose any $10 item -- the spicy Pasilla chili and portabello mushroom tacos dish is a favorite -- and add fries, soup, salad, ice tea or house brew for only $1 each. Sit outside and enjoy the Santa Monica Mountains scenery while you eat.
Oh, by the way it's not all about the beer and food. There's live entertainment Thursday through Saturday. The fun has just begun.
Agoura Hills Patch
Beer and Beyond at This Gourmet Brewery
It wasn't long after finishing off that salad that the real doozy was brought out... the Famous LAB Burger! Now let me explain; this is not just any burger. The menu describes it as: House Ground Wagyu Kobe & Sirloin Beef, Caramelized Onions, Bacon, Blue & Gruyere Cheese and Arugula. I will explain it as: heaven in your mouth! You may find yourself wishing your mouth was twice as big, but it currently holds the first place burger award in my book. And in Seth's, too, for that matter.
Westlake Magazine
Homegrown Brewers & The Quest For The Perfect Place To Drink Beer
[The Lab] "has created a special destination for local residents who want a fun, casual place to hang out and enjoy great food, beverage and entertainment, all in one place."
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Chef Lars Restaurant Reviews
The LAB Brewing Co. - Agoura Hills, CA
I was especially impressed by the Lamb Burger, which is a wonderful and juicy creation and the Fish & Chips, which in my opinion are the best in a 20+ mile radius.
Life In LA
The LAB Brewing Company: Perfecting the Art of Beer
There is much at The LAB to be experienced, from the house-brewed beers and farm-to-table cuisine to the hand-painted murals, tequila wall and live music. It is a place that you can visit again and again and always find something new to admire and enjoy.
intrepid LA
For those microbrew true believers among us, this place alone is well worth the pilgrimage from LA. For the merely brew-curious, it's the ideal spot to cap off a day in the canyons or the beach, situated right off the 101's Malibu access point, a perfect spot to sit and sip as spring gives way to summer.
The ACORN
The LAB Brewing Company in Agoura Hills is a place of experimentation, observation and discovery. It is also a lively bar and restaurant with more than 30 handpicked microbrews on tap, eclectic fresh American cuisine and live music on the weekends.
Sinosoul
Burger Quickies: LAB Brewing Co
Yes, this is better balanced than Father's Office. It might not have the pedigreed meat, but it can be tailored. Lest we forget, there's locally brewed beer that is infused with love from Roger Bott.
Bites 'n Brews
The beer selection here is incredible! Thirty-two taps, heavy on the IPAs (yay!), and rounded out with nothing but craft beer... I was given a sneak preview of the After Midnight Moo Milk Stout straight from the fermentor and fell head over heels!
VC Reporter
Beer, burgers and duck quesadillas -- What's not to like?
Of our starters, the bone marrow was the star. Earthy and decadent, we couldn't help but feel a bit naughty as we spread the unctuous marrow onto pieces of crostini...
All in all, The Lab is definitely onto something. A great beer selection, cool atmosphere and intriguing menu could very well be the ideal recipe for success.
The Burger Review
The Lab Brewing Company -- Agoura Hills, CA
The beers were delicious and meticulously crafted. The same could be said for the burgers and other dishes at The Lab Brewing Company. I plan on returning to sample other items from the complicated and creative menu.
Burger Review : The Lab Brewing Company's burgers and hand-crafted beers make the trek from LA totally worth it. One of the finest burgers in Los Angeles can be found in Agoura Hills.
Best Burger Los Angeles
I am very happy to say that they passed the challenge. This truly was one of the 10 best burgers in L.A. (Ranked #6).
The Roaming Pint
The Good People of Agoura Hills
With only a clear pane of glass separating the brew area from the restaurant it truly takes on a spectacular vibe. We especially dug the brewers notes scribbled on the outside of the glass, letting others know what's what.
THE BEER GEEK
LAB has a very impressive guest tap selection but we were there to drink the house beers. Our flight had four of the five house brews, Bad Influence IPA, being the missing beer. New breweries often struggle with learning their kits, but not so at LAB Brewing, where even in its infancy the beers are well-crafted.
Eater LA
The Lab Brewing Co in Agoura Hills claims that its LAB Burger (a Wagyu Kobe and sirloin beef patty with caramelized onions, gruyere, blue cheese, bacon, and arugula on a toasted brioche bun) is on the top 10 burgers in Los Angeles.
LAist
Agoura Hills' The Lab Brewing Co. Dares You to Name a Better Burger
For the the best burgers in Los Angeles' talk that gets thrown around the Southern California blogosphere, you're not likely to hear about many spots outside the city limits. But if The Lab Brewing Company in Agoura Hills has their way, that'll change soon enough.
VC BUZZ
With an award winning brew master Roger "Dr. Hops" Bott and a seasoned chef, Moez Megji, the Lab Brewing Company has no problem satisfying hopheads and foodies alike. Quality beer and food, paired with a full bar and a packed entertainment calendar, the Lab is sure to be Conejo Valley's newest hot spot.
Agoura Hills Patch
The Lab Brews Up Delicious Fare
This newly-opened brewery has quite the selection of brews, bites and brands.
After spending a Friday evening sipping on hoppy brews, dining on crafty creations and enjoying the sounds of a local band, I've decided this will be a new "go-to" spot. The bar area is great for grabbing some drinks, the outside fire pits create a relaxing environment, and the high-top tables make a fun dining experience.
Los Angeles Times
Beer Notes: Winter brews in Agoura Hills, Atwater Village
Opening a restaurant/bar and calling oneself Dr. Hops takes guts on the West Coast, where breweries have long delighted in maximizing the ingredient for all its tart and bitter glory.
"That was a joke, initially," Roger Bott said. "We put it on the website with a little character, and it stuck from there. Home brewing, though, I was always using more hops than anyone said would taste good."
FOOD GPS
The LAB is located on a corner of an industrial park but don’t be fooled. The interior is spacious with plenty of outdoor seating as well as a stage for live music. Or you can do like I did and sit next to the brewing equipment.
Ventura County Star
Dr. Hops is the brewer behind The Lab Brewing Co.
Roger Bott of Camarillo loves beer.
It's a passion that's taken him from his first experimental brews in the garage of his home as a teenager to learning from brew masters in Holland and Belgium and now to his own craft brewery in Agoura Hills.
Bott, known affectionately among his peers as Dr. Hops, is the brewer behind The Lab Brewing Co., now open on Agoura Road. He and business partners Bentley Richards and Rod Hecker hope the brewery will draw customers eager to taste its signature creations of barley and hops.
Taste Terminal
LAB Brewing Company: inside look at Agoura Hills' newest gastropub
The space features 31 beers on draft with six taps for house brews, dining room, patio sitting, and a stage for DJs and live music. LAB stands for "Live Art of Brewing." Roger tells us, "I strongly feel brewing is an art." A walk through the restaurant reveals displayed artwork around the venue.
Agoura Hills Patch
Agoura's Hip New Hot Spots - A couple of new watering holes are attracting lots of buzz.
Bott, who trained and operated pubs in Holland and Belgium, highly recommends the West Coast Hoppy brews, known for their more assertive flavors and character. They're very soothing but they have a higher alcohol content," he said. "They are paired best with spicy and heavier dishes."
Megji singled out The LAB Burger as a dish worth trying and salivating for. "It's a blend of sirloin and rib-eye which we grind on-site," he said of his signature dish topped with Gruyere and blue cheese.
GRUB STREET Los Angeles
The Lab Starts Brewing Tonight in Agoura Hills
Hopefully, the ambitious plan leads to a solid output, as this northern spread of The Valley could truly benefit by converting a few more of its dull sports bars into places with decent drafts and more adventurous menu items than chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks. At the least, it'd keep us coming back.
Beer Search Party
I liked the XPA which was strongly bitter and vegetal and stronger hop-wise than intended due primarily to mechanical issues and Richard enjoyed the coffee stout the best which had a really great aroma and weas strong with a velvety taste.
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