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Smoking is strongly discouraged in the vicinity of the new Lompoc Tavern (1620 NW 23rd Ave., 894-9374, lompocbrewing.com). Management is so obsessive about it that one of my companions was actually asked to move not just farther down the public sidewalk, but all the way across the street. Yes, things are different on the new Lompoc patio, which sits in front of the bar instead of out back, on the ground floor of a shiny, new mixed-use building. The original Lompoc, a brewpub that sat in a raggedy old building in this location until being torn down to make room for new construction, was co-founded by noted tobacco enthusiast and legendary local publican Don Younger. Younger and the old building are gone. Lompoc beers, no longer made on site, are about the same. The food is actually a little better—both the Cajun chicken sandwich ($10.75) and a plate of wings ($9) have more snap than anything from the old kitchen. Enjoy them with an IPA of the Day, then trudge across the street for a smoke.
WWeek 2015