What: American/bar food

Where: Townhouse Kitchen & Bar in Sherman Oaks

Must Order: Pork belly sliders; hummus; deviled eggs with sriracha; any house beer

The Verdict: I skimmed through some of the reviews on Yelp and much to my surprise, Townhouse Kitchen & Bar got some pretty negative reviews -- and I'm still scratching my head about it. Sure, it's not a gourmet restaurant. Sure, it's not run by some world-renowned chef. It's a bar. Think Yardhouse or BJ's. Certainly, not every dish is fantastic, but I stand by the notion that this place is worth skipping past Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

There isn't any one dish that should be avoided; most of the items are decent. Some of the stellar ones, though, are the Hummus with Pita Chips, the Deviled Eggs with Sriracha and of course, the Pork Belly Sliders. Although they'd be better named "pulled pork sliders," these little burgers are meaty and full of flavor without being too juicy (or even too dry). With a serving of greasy-enough onion straws, they're the perfect accompaniment to a glass of one of the house brews. My number one choice is the North Coast Blue Star Wheat beer. It's sweet and not too hoppy, a great beer to sip on while eating a meal as hearty as the sliders. And for $3 (during the happy hour special), this drink is a steal.

Townhouse Kitchen & Bar offers happy hour twice in the day, one from 5-7pm and another one that starts at 11pm. Stop by for a snack and drink after watching a movie at the ArcLight to properly end a date night or a night out with friends.