If you’ve ever been to a Devil Craft bar, you’ll probably only be skimming this post to find out what’s different about their Jiyugaoka branch. Or probably more likely you’ll have already been here as this place has been open a while and I’ve only just got round to visiting. Given that their first three bars were in Kanda, Hamamatsucho and Gotanda it came as something of a surprise when they opened a bar in Jiyugaoka, which definitely has a different feel to those previous mentioned salaryman packed areas. And even though my visit was only a brief one, I’d say this place has an unsurprisingly different feel to the other branches. But don’t take my word for that, give it a go yourself and see what you think. Here’s what you need to know:
- Not as big as some of the other branches, but has a patio which is a real bonus if the weather’s good. Perhaps 20-30 seats inside with a couple of little counters seating maybe eight. Aside from these aspects, a pretty standard looking Devil Craft bar. Which means that they have the distinctive Devil Craft pizzas which are still quite strange to me, but at the same time delicious. I’m very happy to have my feelings about the unusual nature of food completely overwhelmed by its deliciousness.
- 15 taps on when we went. Perhaps my previous Devil Craft experience has skewed my impressions of their line ups but I was quite surprised and very happy to see that two thirds of their beers were their own ones with the rest being a mix of imports and domestic craft. Generally beers are served in pint (473ml) and half (260ml) sizes with their one beers coming from ¥1000-¥1150 for the former and ¥650-¥800 for the latter. Only a couple of the imports were more expensive and even then, only ¥150 more and there was a Japanese craft guest that was priced at the lower end of their own beer price range. They also have a happy hour (and a half) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 17:00-18:30 when halves are ¥100 cheaper and pints are ¥150 cheaper which is a great deal. I wish more places did this kind of thing. Happy Hours have become pretty rare recently.
- No cover charge, no smoking, no daytime opening at the moment apart from at the weekend, but we are still deep in Corona hours at the moment. I couldn’t find WiFi but I would have though that they would have it. It’s not much help saying that though I guess.
I have to say, I really enjoyed our quick visit here on a Saturday lunchtime on the way to a football match and I’ll definitely be back. I’m not a massive ‘drinking in the business district’ fan so this gave me an opportunity to experience the Devil Craft thing with a more relaxed backdrop. The Devil Craft beers represent excellent value as recently prices have been creeping up everywhere. It also happened that they were really nice too. Jiyugaoka isn’t an area I’m in very often, but the combination of this place and the nice restaurant we went to for lunch before we came here might mean that I change that behaviour soon. It’s definitely my favourite of the Devil Craft branches and you can’t argue with the prices!
Japanese breweries seen on tap:
Devil Craft
Fujizakura
Opening Hours:
Wednesday-Friday, 17:00-21:00
Saturday & Sunday, 12:00-21:00
Closed Monday & Tuesday
BUT THESE ARE CORONA HOURS SO CHECK BEFORE YOU GO
Location/Map:
自由が丘2-12-18ジェイパーク自由が丘 1F, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
My experiences with Devil Craft are tinted by its claim of quote-unquote Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza. To begin at the core, Deep Dish Pizza is _not_ the only pizza style served in Chicago.
Anthony Bourdain [R.I.P.] was on-topic when he remarked his disapproval of “deep dish” pizza.
That said, there are restaurants in metropolitan Chicago which prepare a version of this pizza. I have had a few of those pizzas. They are OK; but I prefer “tavern-style” thin crust pizza, and extend this as far as national chains like _Little Caesars_ with their efforts at piling toppings atop reinforced crust pizzas.
The _bottom line_ is: Devil Craft’s Deep Dish Pizza WOULD pass muster in Chicago. Its versions of the Deep Dish are disconcerting, but allowing patrons to specify what toppings should be in/on their Deep Dish pizza would probably snarl the assembly line. Pizza is that rare couture which survived COVID-19 restrictions (because it was so adaptable to take-out and delivery option).
If you think I am speaking out of the corner of my mouth, I invite you to _look up my Foursquare review_ of Devil Craft Kanda. You will espy a tip accompanied by a _picture of me in the stairway_ there (because I could not make a reservation there – have I mentioned I do not have a mobile telephone?).