How come nobody has mentioned Bj's yet? There are many of them in California and I've seen some in Nevada and Arizona too.
I like BJ's a lot. I like the beer, and their pizzas and burgers are mucho yummy.
Bucca is OK. It's got good sized portions for sharing, but it's not particularly tasty. Lemon/Caper Chicken is tasty. When I've gone there, my favorite thing is being able to get 20 oz. Sam Adams on tap./
I know you're stuck in Japan and all, but SMH.
Hey, papa gundam, I ever get to the pacific noffwest, you're going to have to show me the ways of true beer. I
know how sad it is that Sam Adams seems like a treat, even when I'm stateside. I've paid US$25 at current exchange rates for a single bottle of Arrogant Bastard, and that's the best beer I've ever imbibed in Japan.
Good Japanese beers exist, but they're not common in Osaka. I've looked; most locally brewed beers are both mediocre and more expensive than buying an import Hoegaarden or Duvel.