The best Lounge in Redding by far. Here at Fusion Lounge, we do American food with a Southeast Asian Twist! Whether it’s a Thai, Mien, Laos, Vietnamese, Japanese or Korean twist, there will be a little influence from one of these cultures. Our food is very flavorful, unique and a blend of east meets west. We have weekly specials usually beginning on Wednesday or Thursday, and we will only have the item will supplies last! If you’re in the mood for something different, please feel free to come try us out! All our sauces, broths and ingredients are made daily fresh and original! We also have Southeast Asian infused drinks as well! You won’t be able to find food like this with 150 miles from here!! Hope to see you soon!
Fusion Lounge Bar & Grill opened in Jr’s place. The premise is a new one for Redding: fusing elements of Asian cuisines (Lao, Thai, Vietnamese, etc.) with American and Mexican dishes to create such hybrids as the Pho-rito, Pho-nudo, and the Senganator Burger, while also functioning as a neighborhood bar.
Despite their new sign, it’s easy to miss east on Hartnell, lost in a sea of metal auto repair and machine shop prefab buildings. The parking lot is one of those long narrow ones that pass by a long row of metal doors behind Fusion, makes a U-turn, and sneaks back out to Hartnell.
Fusion’s black and blood-red concrete block walls, easy-clean tables and floors, and a goth restroom took a note from the punk club playbook circa 1976, but the clientele was a mixture of locals, auto shop employees, hipsters, and families. (Note: family-friendly until 9:00 PM.) There’s a pool table near the back and a smoker’s patio out the side door. Sit at the bar or one of the tables and wait staff will take your order. Service was friendly and relatively fast; servers are knowledgeable about the food. Specials are on a backlit writing board at the end of the bar.
Baller Bowl, $10.99
The concoction was a refreshing mixture of a taco salad with crunchy mixed cabbage salad, deep-fried shrimp, and tataki of tuna, Sriracha and wasabi drizzle, and a soy dressing on the side. The tataki (seared ahi with sesame crust, thinly sliced) was so very much like fine filet mignon that only its tendency to melt delicately on the tongue belied its origins. Alongside were crunchy fried shrimp that made a nice contrast to the pleasant and light tuna. The soy dressing, however, proved to be very salty, and toward the bottom of the cabbage salad, M. de Joie regretted pouring the dressing over. Sriracha and wasabi were fun to smear the shrimp in, but mixed on the plate they tended to look septic.
Fusion fries, $7.50
Jason ordered Fusion Shrimp but what came to our table was Fusion Fries, as she discovered when he couldn’t find anything but chicken in the toppings. A variation on nachos or potato skins: Jo-Jos – seasoned crunchy potato wedges – were topped with melted cheese, shredded chicken, cilantro, diced tomatoes, Jalapenos, and Fusion sauce. Fusion sauce is a somewhat spicy, smoky red sauce with hints of Thai curry – think of it as an exotic fry sauce. It was quite good when first delivered, but after fifteen minutes or so, the potatoes got pretty soggy. This was plenty to share among two or three people.
Calamari, $8.00
Calamari is a popular appetizer in restaurants, but it is almost always straight out of a frozen box, already breaded and ready to deep-fry and serve up with “our garlic aioli.” Fusion’s salt-baked calamari was delightful: thick bite-sized morsels with a dusting of tart tamarind and garnished with fried green onions and Jalapeno slices; this was addictive and original.
Kaliang Fin, $3.00
M. de Joie had never heard of Kaliang Fin and cannot find any reference to it elsewhere, so it may be an original specialty. Korean flour made from mung beans is cooked with water, cooled to produce a gelatin-like block, then cut into small pieces and served in a cold and slightly sour broth. The gelatin cubes had the texture and taste of hard-boiled egg white, slightly sulphuric and bouncy. The broth didn’t have much personality other than tartness and seemed to be mostly a vehicle to support the mung bean jelly. On the side was a small amount of house-made fermented bean & chili paste to mix into the soup – the paste was spicy-hot and delicious, though didn’t think it helped the soup much. KF (as it’s called on the menu) did have a refreshing quality that might be appealing if one had overindulged in too much delicious food and drink.
Fusion Burger, $9.99 with garlic fries ($1.00 extra) and pepper jack cheese
This towering burger, piled high with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, roasted eggplant, Fusion sauce, and a fried egg, was in no way reminiscent of a franchise burger. Goopy and drippy, the thick burger fell apart as the egg yolk, and Fusion sauce disintegrated the bun and was overall luscious, juicy, and a wildly delicious messy mixture of tastes. Garlic fries on the side were on the greasy and slightly limp side, but Femme de Joie loved the plentiful garlic bits.
In an unlikely location far from the main hubs of Redding, Fusion is trying out new and exciting ideas, and for the most part, they work. The menu is wisely kept small and manageable, with weekly specials thrown in. Prices are more than fair for the amount and quality of food. Though there were a few missteps, overall Femme de Joie loved the intent and direction of the kitchen. If you’re looking for something new to try, drive out to Fusion and sample their innovative dishes.
Fusion Lounge Bar & Grill, 2704 Hartnell Avenue, Redding, CA 96002. 530-768-1360. Open Monday through Thursday, 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Friday 11:00 AM – midnight, Saturday 3:00 PM to midnight. Closed Sunday. No minors after 9:00 PM. Cards and cash; but no checks. Full bar. Vegetarian and vegan options. Parking lot. Follow them on Yelp and on
Jordon wrote a review on Fusion
Not sure what kind of scrubs are running this place…?;-P But whoever it has this place on point!!! The BEST bar food in Redding’s hands down! Their fish tacos are out of control! Not to mention some of the best services you will find! Do yourselves a favor and try this place out ASAP!
Heather wrote
We ordered ahi lettuce wraps, Calamari, and fusion Nachos. Everything was excellent especially the calamari. The beer selection was good if you’re an IPA fan I am not, but the food made up for it. Sorry I didn’t try this place sooner and can’t wait to go back and try other items.
Jason Stovall
Local Guide · 69 reviews · 72 photos
in the last week
The place sets off of the east part of Redding just down the street from the hen house. Looking for something different than your standard cafe/pub food this is the right place. A blend of Asian and Western food dishes. Fries are tasty; the fusion burger is a must try. Haven’t tried the Pho yet, heard it was good from friends.
Jim Hamilton
2 reviews
a month ago
Excellent food, uniquely prepared and served in a dive bar atmosphere and the prices are great!
Helpful?
Sean Bird
Local Guide · 102 reviews · 86 photos
Four months ago
An excellent Asian take on American pub food. Great happy hour. The calamari and wings are great, the Pho is amazing, great beer selection. I could go on and on. I will be back