Raised by Wolves

I wanted to take videos of this place but in honesty, this is one of those places where any video would ruin your expectations of the experience you'll actually have. Although opulently and ostentatiously standing in a Westfield shopping plaza, Raised by Wolves presents themselves as they state in their foreword in their menu: "We're outsiders here." When you walk into this speakeasy the front looks like a highly decorated liquor store catered to mesmerize novice drinkers and the randoms walking by outside. Although there are walk-ins available to enjoy Raised by Wolves, reservations are highly encouraged and they get first priority. Once checked in, take a seat and let the magic take you to another world. The bar is a giant marble circle with a fountain in the middle. This is the first thing you gaze your eyes upon once entering the speakeasy and it captures your attention. As you are seated at the bar you take a look around and it feels like you're in what you think a World's Fair might have been in the early 1900s. The details placed around the room makes you feel like you're in San Diego legend Ron Burgundy's home: filled with leather bound books and smelling of rich mahogany. Indeed, even his love of bourbon can be showcased with the large amount of liquors available. The genius of bartenders with the drinks concocted are highly crafted without being boastful. Each drink will be unique and there is a large amount of them. Instead of trying to explain what each tastes like I think the better suggestion would be to encourage you to try anything that tickles your fancy as you read the menu. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed. I came to Raised by Wolves against my will (jk) but I'm glad I came with no expectations and no idea. Every moment spent in here felt well worth my time and it is a unique experience I think anyone, from locals to tourists, will enjoy. Cheers!

We waited over 30 minutes to be seated on a Sunday afternoon, which was frustrating especially once we got inside and saw that the place was mostly empty. There were plenty of open tables and more than half the bar was vacant, so the wait made no sense. We both ordered the Tiki Room cocktail, which was pretty underwhelming. The flavor was balanced and pleasant, but the presentation made it hard to enjoy. The glass was awkward to drink from without a straw, and the paper straw they provided started disintegrating within minutes. On top of that, the glass was packed with so much ice that it felt like you barely got any actual drink. I realize it’s a tiki drink and lots of ice is to be expected but a different class or a different type of straw should be used. The ambience was decadent with dim lighting, and the service was good but overall, the experience didn’t live up to the hype or cost.

Off the bat, this place is pretty cool. I really liked the revolving fireplace to introduce people into the space. The liquor store in front has a ton of specialty liquors, mixers, and other really high end cocktail hardware and liquids. The design of both the front and the main lounge space is really classy. Lots of thought went into the design of the two spaces. It's a bit dark on the inside but I think that adds to the allure. Even the bathroom is designed well (but also really dark). The seats we were seated at were small and cute, but I sat on one of the wooden hands, and I have to say it was incredibly uncomfortable. I get that they have a 1 hour turnaround but man, that chair was not comfortable. The drinks we had were really lacking. I had a tiki-like drink, which is usually strong and full of complicated flavors. Some of the flavors were there but there was a lot of ice, and it was just way too sweet for me. For what its worth it was on the special Christmas cocktail list. The second drink we got was a bit better and stronger, and a little more complex and less sweet. Overall cool place, but I would probably go somewhere else given the chance.