Dine LA Restaurant Week brought me in!…read more From the Dine LA dinner menu we ordered: wedge salad, and they were kind enough to substitute Gorgonzola instead of Kona for my dry aged NY strip. We also tried some additional appetizers: lobster and crab cakes and double cut smoked bacon. Both delicious. For beverages we tried: the doli, blackberry bourbon sidecar, and capital cosmopolitan. We also tried a glass of wine: DeLille Cellars, Chaleur Blanc. Every drink was amazing. Our server Halina took good care of us along with all of the staff there!

Clam chowder pretty standard. Nothing special. Dry aged NY…read moresteak and frites- asked for medium rare but got like medium well. Flavor was good, nice crust. The meat was nice and flavorful. Green sauce resembles a chimichurri. Pretty good. Frites are crisp outside and starchy and soft inside. Well salted. But the sauce for fries is lacking in flavor. A simple ketchup would have been better. Ambiance is high end restaurant. It's great. Service was slow for us and they forgot the bread basket. We're kind of getting neglected in the side by the window. Overall: dina LA set $25 lunch is great deal.

Came by during dineLA to celebrate an early birthday!…read more The dineLA menu is pretty good selection and filling. We shared the steak & pork chop entree, Wagyu meatball and shrimp appetizer, corn and shoestring fries sides and butter cake for dessert. Plus an extra lava cake for celebration! We put in reservations and saw there were lots of openings day of, but when we arrived it was pretty packed. It's a large space much like their sister restaurant Taisho with many booth tables, a large open bar area and an outdoors patio seating. Be aware there is a 3% surcharge.

BLVD Steak opened up in November 2023 (when I first started coming here) and it's been a great…read moreaddition to the SFV scene on this side of town. Ambiance: Modern with dark tones (some parts of the restaurant are dark), leather chairs, emerald-colored booths. It's definitely stylish, classy with a mix of intimacy; there's some good energy here. The square shaped bar is stylish with marbled counter and chair stool seating; there's a couple TVs within view sitting in this section. There's also the main dining room as well as a partially covered patio. Good music. I've sat in the bar as well as the main dining room and find them both enjoyable. Service: Service has always been great the times I have been with everyone being professional, friendly and addressing needs easily from ownership, management, and all staff members. Food: A good mix of starters, fresh seafood, salads, steaks of course, various side dishes, and some other entrees. A few of my favorites include the wagyu meatball steak tartare jumbo shrimp cocktail chopped salad 6 oz petit filet 32 oz porterhouse mashed potato mac & cheese The steaks I've ordered have been cooked well to my liking and the meats have always been tender and seasoned well. The wagyu meatball is very tender with good flavor, the vodka sauce is not overpowering. Love the chopped salad with the red wine vinaigrette and the crunch from the crispy chickpeas. Mashed potatoes are creamy and very good. The jumbo shrimp cocktail is great and comes with three shrimps served with lemon, mustard aioli and cocktail sauce. Drinks: Great classic and off-menu cocktails, a couple beers, a couple non-alcoholic cocktails/mocktails, champagne and a wonderfully curated wine list. My ultimate favorite is the BLVD martini made with gin. It automatically comes with a half-filled side shaker effectively giving you an extra pour for a great value and experience. Happy hour: 5-6pm in the bar only, featuring some discounted cocktails and foods (from the main menu but with the addition of a burger) Parking: There is valet parking available (currently at $15). There is street metered parking as well on Ventura Blvd. Prices: Comparable to other steak house establishments. drinks: cocktails $19-26, wines (glass) $14-40, starters: $6-48 (the main ones are in mid to high $20's), seafood: $29-mp, salads: $19-20, sauces/butters/toppers $2-28, sides:$15-42 (the main ones are in the $15/16 range), steaks: $62-198, other entrees/favorites: $32-56, happy hour: expect to find cocktails at $12-19, wines/champagne $12-59, food $8-87) in the bar only 5-6pm Fun Facts: -Their sister restaurants are Taisho and Casita which you can find within a few blocks -BLVD Steak opened up a second location in Calabasas in 2026

This place came up several times when I researched on great restaurants that have excellent vibes…read moreand great food. Although it didn't really necessarily show up as "the best food in LA area" but all the reviews were so good so I became curious to try. Mainly the reviews also raved about the vibes, services, and live music. Well, they were not wrong! It was fairly easy to make a reservation through Opentable, and I made a reservation for two people for my birthday dinner on Sunday night. I put on the notes that it's my bday so it'll be nice to get a nice table near the stage. I didn't have a high expectation, cos I'd never been to the place and I didn't make a call or anything. But wow, they definitely gave us a great table at the very front! As many reviewers had mentioned, the acoustic of the restaurant is really great. You can barely hear other people's conversations. There's a live jazz band playing, so you can really enjoy that. Although it made it slightly hard to hear what other nearby people say to you either, haha. Our server Dawson was a really great one! Very nice, very informative and just has a great vibe that made you feel comfortable to converse with him. We also asked if he could take a picture of us and he went above and beyond with taking our pictures haha. He took the table lamp as our additional "lighting". Such a great service! Dawson also made a few suggestions on food. We ordered the milk bun (so great!), the tiger prawns tostada (omg, my favorite of the night!), braised lamb pasta, pork belly risotto, and roasted broccolini. Everything was really good and really filled us up! We also got the "smokin old fashioned" and "Wake up and repeat" cocktails. It was plenty of food for us so we asked for a check. Dawson asked if we wanted a dessert but we were already full. He asked if it's ok to give us a lil treat for my bday. It was a really nice dessert :). Oh I forgot to mention that they also put a small bday card on the table for me. The prices of food and drinks are on the higher sides, but I feel like it's worth it due to the live music and the vibe. It easily covers the entertainment part. We definitely will go back and recommend this place for anyone who's looking into a nice date night or to celebrate something special. I was informed that Friday has more of a "party vibe" here, although it's still a jazz performance. Sunday feels more laid back :) Overall I'm really pleased by this place. I used to think that I don't care that much about excellent service as long as the food is great, but I was wrong. The excellent hospitality just made the night even better than expected. Thank you for making my bday dinner memorable.

This place was on my list and we happen to pop in at 5pm but reservations are highly recommended…read more It was a little difficult to find because it's just a door without any signs, but I saw the valet guy pop out so we figured it was the entrance. The usually have a live band after 7pm and the sound in the resturant is amazing. It's like a recording studio. The staff was very friendly! The decor and ambiance was also impressive. Definitely swanky but down to earth vibes. I got the rasberry beret cocktail and it was different but fabulous. Not sure how else to describe it. It was refreshing. We got the tiger prawns and it was presented as a toasta, which had a great flavor and texture. The apple salad was also refreshing and a good portion to share between 2 people. The broccolini was cooked perfectly and my favorite after the tiger prawns was the Dungeness crab pasta. It had uni on top! The uni elevated the dish, and honestly there were a good amount of crab meat in the dish. Overall well balanced and creamy. The 2 of us left full and satisfied. Highly recommend this place for a date night. There's also plenty of street parking when we went but there is also valet for $15.

I finally got to try the iconic Burbank Smoke House, and it was a very cool experience. We were…read morelucky to find free parking nearby because we were not planning on paying for valet parking. Once we entered, the place had a very old Hollywood vibe. It was like stepping back in time. Once we entered, we let the host know about our reservation, and we were sat in one of their iconic dining booths within 10 minutes, which wasn't too bad of a wait. It was quite busy and understandable as it was a Saturday night. The ambience was dark and romantic, and not pretentious at all. The prices were also quite affordable, which was really nice. Especially if you're on a budget. However, the food was average in my opinion. I would say, it was great for the price, but it wasn't high quality. The service was great. Prompt and attentive. Overall, I would come back here for the ambiance. Not so much for the food. They have live jazz music on the weekends, so it would be fun to come back for that.

We went to The Smoke House for Sunday brunch on August 23, and we had such a wonderful experience!…read moreThe food was absolutely delicious, the service was phenomenal, and one of the things that really stood out to me was how well the staff worked together. You could see the teamwork between the servers and support staff throughout the restaurant. Everyone we interacted with was polite, friendly, attentive, and professional, even though the restaurant was incredibly busy. I also wanted to give special recognition to a manager/supervisor working during brunch. I unfortunately didn't catch his name, but he was wearing a flat/newsboy-style cap, so hopefully the restaurant knows who I'm referring to. We happened to witness him dealing with a particularly demanding guest who was extremely unhappy with where his party for three had been seated. The guest repeatedly complained about having made a reservation and wanting to sit in a different, quieter section, and became increasingly loud and upset with the manager. What impressed us was how incredibly calm, patient, and professional the manager remained throughout the entire interaction. He never became defensive or matched the guest's tone. He simply continued trying to resolve the situation and de-escalate it while keeping things comfortable for everyone around them. The restaurant was PACKED for Sunday brunch, including a full waiting area, and many of us had reservations.. our party included. There are only so many tables and sections available in a busy restaurant, and a reservation can't always guarantee one particular table or area. I thought this manager handled a very difficult situation exceptionally well and deserved recognition for it. I know how difficult it can be to maintain that level of composure when someone is directing their frustration at you. He handled himself beautifully. Wonderful food, wonderful service, great teamwork, and a staff that clearly knows how to take care of its guests. We had a fantastic brunch and will absolutely be back!

I went to Morrison for my dog's 9th birthday! I had seen online that this is a dog friendly spot…read moreand wanted to try it out. The patio was perfect! Plenty of shade and seating. The servers brought out water dishes and treats on a silver tray for the dogs- true service! I missed happy hour, but tried a themed cocktail, the onion rings, and the truffle burger. It was all great! My friends and I enjoyed the atmosphere and the food and our server was great. It seemed like a lot of regulars were there, which helped contribute to the overall good vibes. Dog friendly- YES! We loved it!

Visited Morrisons a couple times so far and each time was very pleasant. The staff here are super…read morefriendly and I noticed how they treat regulars - remembering their names and orders. That says a lot about the staff. Our server, she was a young lady, was on top of everything and really made our time here enjoyable. I came here for happy hour on a Tuesday was surprised to find out they do $2 tacos and $5 margaritas. Let me tell you, the tacos are delicious and the margaritas are STRONG. It's a hell of a good time. I really enjoyed the chicken taco and carne asada taco. The meats were juicy and very flavorful. I also ordered their nachos, chili cheese fries and bread pudding. The nachos were made perfectly with the chips being thin and crispy. They used a couple different cheeses and the jalapeños were a nice touch. Definitely ordering it again, I can do without the chili cheese fries. It was good but it wasn't amazing. Their bread pudding was HUGE and I can see why it's one of the popular items here. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft and gooey in the inside. Morrisons is definitely a fun place to be. Perfect to enjoy happy hour, catch the games on, and hang out friends. They have plenty of seating inside and outdoor with heat lamps. They are dog and kid friendly as well

My husband and I came here for dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We chose Dine LA menu…read more For the table: Onion soups x2 Filet mignon 6 oz x2 Creme brulee x2 Truffle cream corn, side Mashed potato, side Peppercorn sauce Garlic butter sauce Champagne on the house, a glass I appreciate attention to details during our visit. Such as anniversary card on the table, manager coming to say congratulations, complimentary photo of us and champagne on the house. We had a lovely time. It was not busy at all on a Monday night. We parked at the parking structure below and took the elevator up to Morton's. Love the decor color, majority is black. They do partial parking validation.

I went in for the Lobster Indulgence experience recently and sat at the bar so that I could take…read moreadvantage of the filet mignon sliders that they only offer during happy hour in the bar area. Unfortunately, both items were overcooked. The filet mignon was not pink, but gray, and the lobster tail was tough and chewy. There really was no excuse for the kitchen overcooking either item as it was very early and there were no other customers. Both items should've been PERFECT. I was so looking forward to the experience and left a little disappointed. What a shame. The saving grace was the service. Megan was FANTASTIC. Granted, it was early so she wasn't busy, but she was friendly and welcoming from the start. She was very attentive and catered to my every need. It definitely helped to soften the disappointment. Do better, Morton's!

I have had some really good times at Firefly. Had my first…read moredate with girlfriend birthday party hanging with friends

the food the restaurant ambiance is really nice for a solo date especially the music, my server…read moresuper helpful & chill and the valet edward & his brother really nice and fast with the cars.

I found about the Castaway from an Instagram post. When I mentioned it to my friends in the…read morevalley, all of them had been there several times! Our experience was amazing! First of all, we requested outdoor seating which was perfect for a warm summer afternoon. We moved tables to one right on the edge that had a perfect view of the setting sun. The food was so delicious and the presentation was amazing. A huge shout out to our server Jonah who asked the three of us our names and remembered them throughout dinner. He went the extra mile to make sure our experience was fabulous! I'd come back just to get seated at his table again! We started with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts which had just the right amount of crunch and tanginess. My friends shared the Ahi Tuna Tartare and said it was delicious. For mains, we split the Dry Aged Ribeye and the Wild Mushroom Pappardelle Pasta and had the Garlic Truffle Fries and the Four Cheese Mac 'n' Cheese as sides. Our favorite was the Wild Mushroom Pappardelle. I'd go back and just order that with a protein. Of course we also had a few drinks. My friend ordered the Belle which was an experience in itself. My other friend got a mocktail and I got a strawberry lemon drop! There are so many other items on the menu so I will, no doubt, be making a return trip soon!

Last Saturday, I attended a wedding-anniversary celebration, and the reception was held at Castaway…read morein Burbank. It was a very hot day. The valet parking area was a bit cramped, and the valet staff who greeted us was somewhat gruff. While waiting for the reception to start, my friends and I hung out at the bar/restaurant area. We sat at a booth with a view. The view wasn't very clear that day, but it was still nice. The décor in both the restaurant/bar and reception areas was contemporary and attractive. The ladies room was clean. Service was cordial, starting with the hostess and our waiter. Our reception was held in a separate event area. The schedule started with cocktails from 5-6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. The cocktail hour was held outdoors on a terrace with some umbrellas. Unfortunately, it was extremely hot--around 90-95 degrees. The bartenders seemed a little cranky, but I couldn't blame them. They were working outside in that heat and wearing black. What was notable, though, was that the two glasses of Chardonnay I had--poured from two separate bottles--both tasted good. So, kudos to the bartenders for keeping the wines, or at least the Chardonnay, at the proper temperature! Luckily, the staff serving the food were cordial and pleasant. Kudos to them! The food served during cocktail hour was quite tasty. There was chicken, lumpia (fried egg rolls), and goat cheese served on small pieces of toasted bread. And that wasn't all -- we also had lechon, a whole roasted pig! When dinner started, we moved inside to the event room. The room itself was fairly basic, but the service continued to be good. Kudos to the staff there as well. Dinner started with Caesar Salad, followed by a choice of main course. I had the Salmon, which was quite tasty. The other option was a combination of Shrimp and Steak, which most people seemed to order. The gentleman sitting next to me barely touched his meal, and when his partner asked why, he said the steak was tough. However, I didn't hear any similar complaints from anyone else. One thing worth mentioning for anyone considering Castaway for an event: our reception included several dance presentations, but there was no private room available for the dancers to change costumes. They had to change in the hallway leading to the restrooms. There was a door separating that hallway from the main event room, but I still felt bad for them. It didn't rain on their parade, though -- they were happy and enthusiastic about their performances. Kudos to them, too! So, just an FYI if you're planning an event here that includes dance performances or other entertainment requiring costume changes. The ladies room was clean as well. Our hosts validated our valet parking, which was much appreciated. When we picked up our car later that evening, the valet attendant was pleasant. Maybe it helped that it was already dark and the temperature had dropped to around 85 degrees! P.S. Looks like Castaway was doing very good business that day (or maybe they always do!). There were a lot of people in the bar/restaurant area, and there were several other events going on besides ours.

Came on a Friday night and it was so good! Very packed, every table was filled. Espresso martini…read morewas amazing. Escargot and endive and pear salad was good to start. Then for mains we got the mussels and the hangar steak frites. Steak was cooked perfectly and mussels had a creamy tomato flavor served with toasted bread. For dessert we had crème brûlée. Top wasn't crispy but the caramel flavor was really rich and smooth. Service was amazing, attentive and he even noticed we had a wobbly table and put something underneath to even it out. Would definitely come back again. Make a reservation!

My family and I have been eating at Mistral for over 30 years. Raul and his crew kept this…read morerestaurant consistently amazing throughout all these years. Some menu items changed along the way, but the core of Mistral and its signature dishes always stayed the same., so recently the restaurant was sold and it's now under new ownership, and I guess the new owners decided to make some changes. The interior dining area was updated with more comfortable and intimate booths, which look great and feel very comfortable. However, I was not prepared to the changes they've made to the menu. Let's start with the service. Almost all of the original staff, except one or two people, have been replaced by younger waiters (not necessarily better ones). Our waiter forgot to enter several of the appetizers we ordered which was not a a big deal, but unfortunately it was just the beginning of our disappointment. Mistral's French onion soup was always one of the best anywhere. It came burning hot, topped with crispy toasted bread and a lots of melted mozzarella cheese. And they have completely changed it. There is no melted cheese on top. Instead, you receive a small triangle of bread with cheese inside it. What? The soup was warm rather than hot, and the entire dish was nothing like the original soup. Another signature dish was Mistral's crispy skin branzino. They have now replaced it with poached branzino. Are you kidding me? You took one of your best dishes and turned it into something that tasted like hospital food. I'm not here to tell anyone how to run their business, but I'm here to say that if it isn't broken, don't fix it. If the new owners want to add their own touch, introduce new dishes like the hanger steak, which was excellent, but don't take signature dishes that loyal customers have enjoyed for decades and completely change them. Even the aupoivre sauce on the New York strip, which we have been eating for years and always tasted the same, has been changed (vinaigrette was added to it) and is simply not as good as it used to be. To summarize: - The Caesar salad was great. - The hanger steak was great. - The new cigars were horrible. - The French onion soup has been completely changed and not for the better. - The updated seasoning and sauce on the New York strip are not nearly as good as before. - The crispy skin branzino should never have been replaced with poached branzino. Overall, this was a disappointing visit. I sincerely hope this feedback does not fall on deaf ears. After 35 years of loyalty, we will give Mistral one more chance and hope things turn back around. Please bring back the original French onion soup. Please bring back the crispy skin branzino. And please remember: new does not always mean better.