This was my first time visiting Wirtshaus while hanging out with some friends in LA, and I left…read morereally impressed. I ordered the Cordon Bleu Schnitzel with Brussels sprouts and spätzle on the side. The schnitzel was easily the highlight of the meal. I don't come across Cordon Bleu very often, so I was excited to try it, and it absolutely delivered. The Brussels sprouts were a great pairing, and while the spätzle was pretty simple with a light buttery flavor, it complemented the richness of the schnitzel well without overpowering it. The service was great throughout the night. Our food took a little longer than expected to come out, but it was a busy Friday night and our server kept us updated the entire time, which I really appreciated. My friend was also celebrating his birthday month and was given a free Beer Boot, which was a really fun touch. The atmosphere was lively and perfect for hanging out with friends. We were there while the NBA Finals were on, which made the restaurant feel even more energetic. One thing I also appreciated was how easy parking was, there was plenty of street parking both in front of the restaurant and across the street. Overall, Wirtshaus has a unique menu that you don't see very often, and I'll definitely be back to try more of it.

This was my first time trying authentic German cuisine, and it was a fantastic experience…read moreI started with the giant Bavarian pretzel, which was warm, soft inside, perfectly baked, and served with delicious mustard For my main course, I ordered the Wirtshaus Schnitzel, and it completely lived up to its reputation. The crispy schnitzel was topped with a creamy garlic sauce and a perfectly fried egg!! I paired it with homemade sauerkraut and homemade Spatzle, which made the meal feel truly authentic and comforting To complete the experience, I had a Paulaner Oktoberfest beer and it paired perfectly with the food The service was friendly, the food was excellent, and I really enjoyed my visit. The only thing I felt was missing was a stronger German atmosphere. Some traditional German music playing in the background would make the experience even more immersive and memorable!!

Hands down one of my favorite spots in LA, and we've been coming back for years. The second you…read morewalk in you feel like you've been teleported straight to Bavaria - dark wood, old-world decor, the whole thing. It's a European vibe that you just don't find anywhere else in the city. Their beer selection is what really sets them apart. They've got an impressive rotating tap and bottle list loaded with German imports you won't see at your average bar. A few of the drafts include Spaten Lager, Bitburger Pils, and Gaffel Kölsch. If you're into beer, this is basically a pilgrimage spot. Food is good too. Generous portions, and there are even solid vegetarian options if you're not in a meat-and-beer mood. What really makes Red Lion special is the space itself, there's a cozy indoor chalet style room for when you want that intimate tavern feel, plus a huge multi level biergarten/ patio upstairs and out back for when you want to be outside under the lights with a beer in hand. It gives you options depending on the night. Always a great mix of people, good energy without being rowdy. It's the kind of place that feels like a neighborhood spot even though it transports you halfway across the world. If you love good beer, hearty German food, and a genuinely unique European atmosphere, Red Lion Tavern is a must. This place has my heart.

During the World Cup we checked out some German beer gardens, and somehow over saw this one,…read morepossibly the only heart-driven authentic German one. The most we have seen so far, it was more a "business plan" let's do what Americans may think a German beer garden looks like. Our friend, the LA promoter Vahe, took us yesterday. We found a little gem, grown over the years, with an actual German owner and a service that had more than basic knowledge of German food. Nice! The ambiance was what you would expect from a place like this, less stylish-designer but more owner look-what-we-brought-from-Germany over the many years. The food was actually good, reasonably priced and generously portioned - the sauce platter really deserved its name "platter"- Came with great German curry ketchup. It would be too much to brag about the food, it was decent better than just OK version of classic beer garden dishes. But one has to be fair: where in German beer gardens you find food really worth bragging about? So while I was really tempted to stop at 4 out of five stars, I give 5. After all, it matches my most key how-to-get-5 element: would I do a 30+ min detour just to go here. If someone asked me to show them decent German cuisine in a somewhat authentic ambiance, I would take them here. The Kiez may be closer to our home, the Wirtshaus more stylish, but here we found the hearty welcome we missed elsewhere.

Best ham hocks for beans and soups.Plus lots of cold cuts you can't find anymore.The sausages make…read moreyou want to take one of each home!

If you advertise that you're open until 5 PM, then act like it. Turning customers away at 4:35…read morebecause you already cleaned the slicer is lazy, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. People have better things to do than waste their time driving to your shop just to be sent away because your staff decided to shut down early. Change your hours to 4:30 if that's when you actually stop serving

Enegren is exactly what you want from a local brewery. Great Bavarian Style Beers, solid ambiance,…read moreno BS, and a great outdoor situation with "The Alley's" neighboring businesses. Their events are always fun like Oktoberfest, the Spring Fest, and often they have summer night events in the alley. Great beers, great community.. awesome

Enegren is a one-of-a-kind brewery that is truly special. Their German-inspired beers are best in…read moreclass. If you're looking for a lager, Helles, altbier, etc., look no further. Enegren puts out quality brews with a ton of flavor that are both drinkable and tasty. The staff are always happy and helpful. The space is awesome. There's an indoor/outdoor vibe that allows you to enjoy the So Cal weather. The alley often has live music and picnic tables, so you can enjoy your brews with some good tunes.

Quiet neighborhood restaurant where you can chow down on some perogies. Got some boiled and some…read morepan fried--both were nice but the pan fried edged out slightly with a little more flavor from the light caramelization on the outside. I wish there had been more caramelized onions to provide a more tasty contrast with the mild perogies. The highlight was the flaming cherries & cheese (it was cream cheese) crepe. Tasty and fun! The modest sounding chocolate pudding is also surprisingly delicious. Service was attentive.

Polka is a quality Polish restaurant offering authentic polish foods in a cozy ambiance…read more Our family, including my Krakow-born, Polish-speaking and cuisine-discerning spouse, came to Polka on a Saturday evening. Disappointingly quiet, we entered the cozy restaurant adorned by newspaper clips, polish coats of arms, and were greeted by our friendly waiter. I had the meat patties ($24) which were delectable. Rich ground beef and pork spiced perfectly and fried with an accompanying gravy. Rich, but not greasy. My wife had the chicken schnitzel ($30) which was good but not groundbreaking, and the kids a number of perogis ($25) I found excellent. Accompanying the two adult meals was soup (a delectable tomato and a surprisingly sour savory pickle) and salad. We concluded with a delicious strawberry jam crepe ($15, see photo). The soup and meat paddies were the strongest entries on the menu that evening. The service was warm and genuine, taking our order, giving recommendations, communicating in polish as per our preference, and the restaurant was cozy and clean. Prices, as listed above, were reasonable considering the accompanying soup and salad. Overall, Polka is a solid restaurant with excellent food and service at a good price. Delicious, hearty, and with a cozy atmosphere it is perfect for a date or small family looking for a genuine taste of Eastern Europe. Food: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Service: 4.5/5 Value: 4/5

Guten tag, Fraulein! That's just about the extent of my German phrases. Of course, sure, I…read moreoccasionally make men mad when greeting them like this, but I just really don't remember much from my 1 year of high school German. Alas, when my eyes met for the first time, a glorious truck with pictures of sausages all over it...I darted over and wasn't afraid to introduce myself. Thankfully, a lady greeted me and was ready to take my order. If you order a soda ($2) -- you're gonna spend about $10 total -- fair. The two ladies (frauleins!) working the truck were both really nice. The menu features 8-12 of wursts to choose from (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/germanys-famous-bratwurst-san-fernando-valley?select=fPB0I_Yh0xwHQ_26WVrD5g#fPB0I_Yh0xwHQ_26WVrD5g). Goodness! What do I do? Well, I trusted my 6th sense, and ordered the Currywurst with German potato salad. Now, you must know -- I'm nearly never wrong. When I go out, in fact, 99% of the time it is me that orders the winning item at my table. I know what you're thinking, this guy should bottle this gift up and sell it! I know. I know! This day, I was kinda wrong. My plate (aka "styrofoam box") contained a little paper basket of cut up sausage, with a ton of curry ketchup over it...and it was swimming in it (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/germanys-famous-bratwurst-san-fernando-valley?select=fPB0I_Yh0xwHQ_26WVrD5g#vdlTUQcB9HZ5EyKGqEzCbA). Honestly, it looked Italian (which is very attractive, no offense meant). The sausage was very good, lean, no grissle, and finely ground. The portion of potato salad was huge, and nearly dwarfed the currywurst portion The sauerkraut I ordered was a cold and crisp (not cooked, and soft), and the size was the little sample size cup. ERROR. TRY AGAIN. However, my dining partner (and client) hit the jackpot. He ordered the Jalapeno-Cheese Bratwurst, which was on a roll, jammed with sauerkraut, and grilled onions. AWESOME. The fries looked double-fried, crisp, accompanied by curry ketchup. TRUMP. WINNER. This loss just flat out hurts. And, while my Currywurst was quite delicious, the portion-size and presentation was all wrong. Basically, I filled up on potato salad (which was nowhere close to my grandma's, nor authentic as it was made with mayo not vinegar)...and the curry ketchup soup, basically, that the currywurst bathed in. #IMALOSER Would I order again? Ja. Would I order a Jalapeno Cheese Bratwurst? Ja. Ja. Can I go to a German restaurant and pay the same thing for a better overall experience? Ja. Ja. Ja. (mit bier, bitte, und Oom Pah, Pah)

I ordered lunch here today and bit into the Wurst -- CUT…read more TAKE TWO If you like German Sausage, this is the truck with the Wurst --- CUT TAKE THREE I walked up to the truck and met Doreen who is the Wurst chef ---CUT As you can see I am stalling here. I want to write a review, but I really want to give this truck an incomplete. I don't want to give them low marks, because they do somethings so well; but yet I don't want to give them high marks because they haven't quite nailed it yet. Let's just say it was the Best of Wurst and it was the Worst of Wurst. So let's see what happens in the next few weeks. will this truck go from Wurst to first? Or will it be the Wurst-Case Scenario? Let's just list the good and the bad objectively; and I will not make any more puns, because you all think they are------betcha thought I was going to say Wurst. GOOD----I ordered the Original with Sauerkraut which is $4.50. The sausage seriously protrudes from the bun, so the first bite was all wurst and mustard. It rocked. It was fresh off the grill, spiced nicely and a bit spicier than the bratwurst you usually find in the USA. GOOD---Doreen, the owner/chef is a very sweet lady, who is new to LA and the truck scene. She is friendly, helpful, proud of her product and most of all; wants input from customers. GOOD---Milkrice,. For $3.00 you get a sweet, but not too sweet dessert. Milkrice is the traditional German dessert, It's like rice pudding, but without the pudding. As it's name implies it is a rice.milk concoction topped with cherries (which I selected) or cinnamon, which also looked good. GOOD---The ketchup. Seriously, Doreen gave me a sample of her homemade ketchup. She makes it from scratch. I think I tasted some serious clove and cinnamon, but I could be wrong. Now I would never put it on the sausage, but I'll bet it is awesome on the fries. BAD---The bun. It is basically half of a bakery roll, cut to about half the length of the Wurst. Not only was the bun stale and crumbly, it was especially inefficient considering it had to hold street food in place. It also tasted like Harry Belafonte bread. You know DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY-old DAYYYY aYYYYYY aYYYYY-old. Seriously Doreen, the bread needs to be bigger and fresher. Doreen tells me that that's the way they do it in Germany. She's been there, and I haven't but still they have to be better than what was on the truck. BAD---The sauerkraut. I paid a dollar extra for what was no more than 2 or 3 small spoonfuls of it. I understand why the portion was small, the bun couldn't hold anymore, but that's another reason why they need a bigger bun. BAD---The mustard. They have traditional generic yellow. Now that isn't awful, but Doreen had never heard of brown. Hopefully she will offer a choice. BAD----The soda, they offer 4 choices of canned soda. Were these flavors chosen by the Department of Redundancy Department? Sprite, 7-Up, Fanta Orange, and Sunkist Orange. WTF?? I can't believe that there is no Coke or Diet Coke. This should be simple marketing, and is easy enough to fix. Diet Dr. Pepper would be nice; but Diet Coke should be mandatory. Furthermore; most trucks are $1.00 a can, I blink at $1.50. they charge $2.00 and as far as I know don't even offer a combo savings. Bottled water is $2.00 for a 16.9 oz bottle of one of the cheapo brands (Arrowhead I think) I was wavering on a 3-star rating; but I am going to go with a 4 star. The pluses outweigh the minuses. But I will re-rate it one of these weeks. Hopefully their rating will be the best, and my meal will be the wurst. "Gourmet Food Truck #97 on my never-ending quest to try every truck in So Cal"

I got this for the first time today and I was really impressed. For me, it hit that perfect spot…read morebetween "rich and delicious" while still feeling light enough that I'm able to continue going about my day. I got the Doner Wrap with beef and lamb and it was delicious. I also got the fries and they were my personal favorite style where it's getting to be a steak fry size-- good fry to potato ratio. Beyond that, the guys inside were super cool and friendly! I took the food to go, but I look forward to sitting in their little outdoor patio in the future.

The food here is great - good portions (very filling) from what I could see and my sandwich was…read morepacked with delicious chicken. It wasn't too dry (one of my worries whenever I eat chicken out) and the sauce (original + tzatziki) was delicious. Louis was very nice and patient to recommend and suggest items based on my questions and preference. The Thai tea was a nice surprise on the menu and I ordered some. It's a nice little clean space and there are only a couple of tables indoors for dining in but we didn't have any issues. Overall based on the food and service I'd return for sure!

This was my third time dining at this wonderful restaurant, and it continues to impress me every…read morevisit. From the moment you're seated to the very last bite, you feel genuinely welcomed. The care, passion, and attention to detail that go into every dish are evident in every aspect of the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the delicious wine, incredible food, and decadent dessert. Everything was beautifully prepared and full of flavor. Also, the decor of the restaurant has beautiful and unique art on the wall .This is the kind of place that keeps you coming back, and I can't wait for my next visit.

Food, service and ambiance here are excellent…read more It's like entering a portal to Hungary and Italy. The staff made us feel at home and were very kind in advising. This place is a delightful gem. We had the beef stew and the tagliatelle bolognese. Both were very good. The service was fantastic and this place should not be overlooked

Hailing from a Social Bar + Kitchen love affair, the concept was developed to celebrate the…read morecultural diversity, rich history, and the proud spirit of the original 141 residents* of the LA Basin**. Personally, I think this is one of the best happy hour bars around. Inside, it has a steampunk-y sensibility with rich, dark wood tones & comfy booths. Outside, there's a patio along Honolulu Avenue that's just the spot for people watching. HAPPY HOUR MENU :: - The wings are great. They're perfectly saucy, served with blue cheese or ranch. Pairs well with their Happy Hour Prickly Pear Cider (in a can for $5). - Also, there's Habiscus Cider on draft, which is also sweet and more soda pop-like. It's not on Happy Hour. $9 for a tall glass. - Potato Skins are stacked with toppings and super cheesy. We tried their house Ranch and asked for a side of Bleu Cheese. OTHER NOTABLE FAVES :: - $15 gets you 2 tacos with a side of chips. - Meatloaf Mondays - get a proper meal that sticks to your ribs + a pint for $20. - No wait for a booth. Food & drinks came out quickly. Overall, the service is great. Sorry, kids. This place is 21 and over only. It's a date night, bday drinks, or first stop on an adults night out kinda place. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * That number comes from the 1st census count in the early 1800s ** The LA Basin includes Hollywood Hills to Coastal PCH Shores, San Fernando & San Gabriel valleys + Orange County too.

I almost always order one of my favorite dishes at Basin 141, but this visit I decided to branch…read moreout and give the Shrimp Pasta Blanco a chance. Despite being so close to a seafood restaurant, I never expected one of my favorite shrimp dishes to come from here. I'm glad I took the chance. The shrimp were tender and full of garlic flavor, and the creamy white wine sauce was rich without being too heavy. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly, and the fresh tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan added just the right balance. The warm French bread was perfect for soaking up every bit of the sauce. This dish completely exceeded my expectations and has earned a permanent spot on my list of favorites. Basin 141 continues to impress with both its consistency and its willingness to surprise.

Where do I even begin with this establishment? Let's start with the owner, who apparently believes…read morerunning a bar means channeling his inner Don Draper--minus the charm, style, and basic human decency. His management style seems to be "harass first, ask questions never," particularly toward patrons, and even his female staff who unfortunately have to endure his presence. The food? I've had more satisfying meals from vending machines. My dish looked so sad I almost offered it therapy. The poor soul who microwaves the food in the back appears to believe "seasoning" is just a suggestion, and "fresh ingredients" are things they've heard about but never actually seen. The atmosphere? Imagine a DMV waiting room had a baby with a public restroom in a truck stop. You'll find the same delightful mix of desperation and questionable life choices that makes you question your own judgment for walking through the door. Save yourself the trauma and money. HQ down the street has better ambiance, and Pickwicks actually understands the concept of "clean." Trust me, your wallet and self-respect will thank you for going literally anywhere else.

If you a futbol ( soccer) fan! This is the place to be. Great food. . My favorite is the fish and…read morechips! And staff is great . Love the atmosphere here! Approved by @bigbeanbites