Hi, my parents brought me here in the 80's and brought my kids, before the remodeling. The place looks awesome, they kept the same nostalgic feel to the place. Came in for Dinner last night. Unfortunately I had a Very bad experience with my plate of Food. I ordered the Ham plate with gravy. I kept smelling a Burnt smell from my food. When I tasted my food, the burnt flavor came from the Gravy, although the gravy did not look burnt. It was. This destroyed my entire plate. My other family members had ordered similar plates with the Same Burnt Gravy. After waiting for 25 minutes for the Manager, I had the unfortunate luck of meeting the Manager. The manager or as I call him Mr. SLICK, was NOT apologetic. HE Presented his card for a free dinner for next visit. When I told him I wanted a refund, he snatched His Business card from my Hand. After some time, Mr. SLICK obtained a refund of $24, even though we had paid close to $100.00. I do not believe he checked out the kitchen. Mr. SLICK did not care about me or the other patrons who were also served this terrible gravy. I am a business man and I have lots of experience dealing with bad customers. I can assure you I was not a Bad CUSTOMER. The treatment by Mr. Slick/manager is unacceptable, especially for a relaunch of a Business. To the Owners of Clifton's, I hope you do not allow this Character to continue representing the Clifton name. A name synonymous with quality and integrity. And if This Manager is a part owner, Wow, I wish you all the Luck. read more

Epic Fail!!!! No roast beef, no turkey, Mac & cheese was disgusting!!! Waited another 40 minutes for silverware. read more

Clifton's Republic - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I thought about giving this place five stars just to boost the rating because it deserves higher. Let's start with I don't know what everyone is bitching about here. For twelve bucks, I had a ridiculous pile of turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Way too much for me to eat, and all pretty good except maybe not super hot...but that's the nature of cafeteria food. That's what happens at a carving board. Service was fast and totally fine...I don't need to be best friends with the guy slopping potatoes on my plate and the hostess and cashiers were very nice. The only things holding up the line were confused people who didn't quite catch on to the cafeteria style service and asked a thousand questions that were clearly answered on the boards behind every station. Lazinesssss. Drinks on the second floor weren't cheap but they also weren't expensive in contrast to the rest of the bullshit downtown bars. Seating was plentiful and table service was available. The decor is, of course, great, and worth checking out. It's pretty much like eating at an above-average restaurant in Disneyland. A good place to bring kids, fun to wander around, but no, it's not gourmet and it doesn't make any pretenses that it is. Some people are complaining in their reviews about parking and hipsters and blah blah blah well that's downtown now, deal with it. That isn't the responsibility of the restaurant. They can't have a no ironic facial hair policy. Long story short, it's significantly cheaper and less obnoxious than most downtown establishments at this point, and a fun experience. It would be an excellent spot for medium-sized parties. If you're looking for a fine dining experience, don't eat at a place with cafeteria in the title. read more

Prior to coming here, I had quickly researched Clifton's but I quickly had the impression that this place was a maze. But when I stepped foot into the establishment, I realized that it was not a maze but rather amazing! There is so much to look at! The giant tree and the numerous life-like animals all around were cool but also a little creepy. It was kinda like a natural history museum with a bar. There's also lots of seating here, there, and everywhere. Regular chairs, weird chairs, comfy chairs. There are 4 floors and multiple bars. I'm not sure how many. Their happy hour is called the "magic hour" and it is from 4-7 every day! Drinks range from $5-7, but they also have a 35 cent martini that you can buy with purchase of another drink. On the ground floor, they have a cafeteria. I had some of the chicken pot pie, spinach/pickled onions/cheese pizza, french fries, and macaroni and cheese. It was so yummy!! If I worked in DTLA, Clifton's would be on my rotation for lunch spots. I would definitely come here again and would recommend this for a birthday celebration! read more

See all

In all honesty, I geeked out. At its heart, or at least the appearance of the ground floor, it's very much like the old Clifton's. I made Brandon D. take a picture of me psychotically grinning while holding up the tray to get a picture of the artwork on it. I'll touch first on the service. Most of the employees we encountered were really friendly and appeared to love their jobs, from the pastry counter at the front to the people checking on you at the bar on the second floor. We encountered a weird attitude from a female greeter in the Gothic Bar (who in one breath said, "Hi, welcome, how you doing? That's cool. Yeah, awesome. OK. Go away," when we walked in), but she was the only one-off. The red-headed lady ringing up our orders and who wrapped my Tiki Farm mugs appreciated our enthusiasm and made recommendations of things to try. THE FOOD: we were there on their first Friday night, second night open, and they were out of a lot of meat. It all depended on who was dishing your order; the guy working the Carvery counter was giving out mountains of mashed potatoes, but when this woman took over she gave me two small slices of roast beef (which was quite tasty, though tough) and a small scoop of potato with gravy. I went with the one protein and two sides for $12. Potatoes were good. Mac 'n' cheese was far from "legendary." Skip that. Bran got the Catalina buffalo sliders with fries. Both were delicious. Prices are definitely not like old Clifton's. Expect $20+ a person for an entree, drink, and desserts. I do warn that the food gets cold quickly. DESSERTS: This is the only place I've ever gotten a Red Velvet cupcake that tastes like it's SUPPOSED to, i.e. NOT like Play-Doh. It actually tasted of chocolate and vanilla, rich and moist. The chocolate pudding was also really good and had toffee lining the bottom. And of course, you must get the neon Jell-O (35 cents). When you get in there, EXPLORE. It's what makes the whole experience. Sit in all the woodsy chairs. Check out the dioramas in hidden places. It definitely carries the feel of The Edison, with its boiler room and other areas to check out. I'm sure you've seen the pictures of the taxidermied animals and the tree in the middle of the multi-leveled open area with a fireplace embedded at its roots. The Edison gave Clifton's a second life and I appreciate that. read more

What a cluster f#ck! Out of mashed potatoes. Out of to go boxes. Out of lemonade. Out of ice. Two of us and we were served 18 minutes apart (according to the receipts at the same register) AT A CAFETERIA! I actually witnessed a cashier SCREAM at a patron for moving her tray while she was ringing it up. Not commenting on the remodel, the historic structure, etc. as none are relevant when one is running any establishment this badly. I can't imagine ever coming back here. read more

I grew up on Clifton's at the west covina location. I loved the beef patty with au jus, the vienna loaf and the red punch already in the glass. None of these items were available. They had jello but it didn't have the classic dollop of whip cream on top. My family and I were so disappointed. The food was very average. This new refurbished Clifton's is nicely decorated but having separate food stations made getting food chaotic. If you wanted just a side of mashed potatoes you'd have to stand in line at the carving station. Bring back the classics. Get rid of the different food stations; make it a true cafeteria experience. I don't think we'll be back unless some changes are made. read more

Haters gonna hate. It's sad that people are ragging on this place- starting with that poor excuse for a journalist Megan Koester from Vice, who wrote a smear piece before they had even opened. I went for lunch and didn't see a single hipster, except for the ones serving food behind the counters. The crowd was uniformly composed of older, nostalgic angelenos. Honestly, I feel stupid even having to report on the demographic of the place. Who the heck cares what kind of customers go? Are we really that cynical and shallow that we refuse to embrace a business because it attracts a somewhat annoying clique? I dislike scenes as much as anyone, but this was no scene. This was a real institution, with real people checking it out. The crowd does change in the evenings- it definitely turns more into a "scene". People like dressing up and enjoying themselves in a throwback temple of nostalgia- why dafuq is that a problem? The space is absolutely gorgeous, and what is even more impressive is that the staff REALLY made an effort to make sure my friend and I were happy. We sat down and two staff members came over to check on us, and one removed our trays as soon as we were finished. The food is a solid B. I would say that they are basically taking comfort food and just trying to spruce it up a little. The results are a mixed bag. The mac n cheese was good but not spectacular. The ham was excellent. The mashed potatoes were good. The fried chicken was by far the weakest link and really, really unremarkable. It doesn't help that I was only given wings (and small ones too). The chocolate cupcake was excellent. The biggest concern, and one that absolutely needs to be addressed immediately, is the line system in the food stations. It's a mess. You are free to go from station to station, which means that the food you picked up at station A gets cold while you wait in line at station B. The dividers are not clear or strong enough. By strong I mean that if that's the system they want to adopt, they should rope off sections so you literally have no choice but to get in a specific line. We are sheep. Let's get herded! The other problem with this system is that you miss out on food. You get tired of the confusion and just get in line because you see people getting served. I would have loved to try the pizza and the burgers, but they were all the way in the back and I couldn't be bothered to figure out where the line started, what it was for, etc. I would strongly, strongly suggest having one line that just snakes around. You get in, you go through all the stations, you are served immediately, you check out. Boom. Chipotle style. As of right now that is the single biggest problem with this place. I am just really, really happy that it's open, it's beautiful, and it's trying hard to be great. Right now it's just good/very good. Should they have worked things out prior to opening? Yes, absolutely. But this is an oddity of a place. A cafeteria/bakery/wunderland/bar/museum/charity/urban forest. If you don't like it, don't go. If you like it and want it to be better, and succeed, then go, and report back to them. They are not trying to suck. Is anybody? P.S. portions are absolutely fine. What are we, pigs in a trough who need 14 lbs of Mac and cheese to feel like we are getting "our money's worth"?? no offense but if you seriously find fault with them, you might need to rethink your approach towards food. Greed is not good. read more

I also really wanted to like Clifton's, but ultimately, if I ever come back here, it would not be for the god forsaken food. DECOR: 5 stars. No doubt about it. The decor was just amazing. I loved the redwood room, the taxidermies, and the hidden chapel. They are all cool. Everyone wanted to have their pictures taken with the lion on the 3rd floor. SERVICE: 2 stars. This is not the waiters' fault. The fault lies solely with the owners. The restaurant is severely understaffed, so when you ask for a to-go box, it takes half an hour for that to-go box to get to you. If you ask for a glass of water, well, we never got it, so I don't know how long it will take. I ended up going to the bar to ask for that glass of water. Our waiter was apparently stopped by a stampede of equally underserved patrons who were all wondering about their lack of service and water so he couldn't get our to-go box to us. CAFETERIA: First of all, is this a joke too? After dumping that much money into the renovation, they want their patrons to bus trays of food up three flights of stairs? This could have been an upscale establishment, but instead it was like a really bad hometown buffet that was not even a buffet. Second of all, the cafeteria is so poorly organized that no one could figure out how the lines were supposed to flow. People entered from all directions to the carving station, and the one waiter who was there to direct traffic zoned off for a minute, and by the time he came to, the flow of traffic already reversed to a more sensible pattern. Dismayed, he kept telling people to go the other way, which just caused a traffic jam in the middle of the carving station. The prices in the cafeteria were not always displayed, and when they were, they were in that stupid Clifton's font that was not meant to be read. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to use a font like that? Was the pricing signs designed by a 13 year old who just discovered Word Art? FOOD: 1 star. These are quite possibly the worst American food you will ever taste. I guess "Clifton's Cafeteria" was appropriately named, because the food is literally no better than your crappy school cafeteria food. I'm sure prison made better food than Clifton's. Imagine McDonald's burger and fries combo, and then imagine how you would feel if you knew you could be eating McDonald's, but instead you're eating Clifton's, and how sad you would feel when you realized that you would rather eat McDonald's than Clifton's. Everything was too salty, and everything looked like they were made to feed slaves. Well, we're not slaves okay? We're paying customers. We should not have to go from station to station and sigh at our choices, and sigh at the fact that McDonald's burgers looks so much better than the burgers Clifton's serving up, and sigh at the fact that the fried chicken looks old, the macaroni and cheese looks like pig feed, and the ham looks like the ham was crying because it would rather be at Home Town Buffet, and at the end, reluctantly get the most edible-looking food and try our luck, only to find out that it really did suck as badly as it looked. CAKE: -5 stars. We went there for a birthday, so we bought a cake. If you thought Clifton's was going to be a competent restaurant and go to Costco to buy a decent cake to serve us, then oh boy are you wrong about this. Imagine that you have a 5 year old, and imagine that one day, you decided to teach that 5 year old to make cake from a cake mix. The cake is finished, and you tell the 5 year old, here's some sprinkles and some chocolate frosting. Go wild, honey. It's your first cake, so you can decorate it however you want. Then imagine that your 5 year old who was making this cake has cerebral palsy. That was how pathetic our cake was. It was such a disaster that I thought maybe that wasn't our cake, and instead it is for another table, and their 5 year old with cerebral palsy made it. Alas, it was our cake, and that was not the worst part of the cake. The cake was frozen. FROZEN. They served us a frozen cake that they themselves could not cut with a chef knife! The server brought a 9 inch chef knife that was longer than the diameter of the cake itself to our table to cut this cake, and the restaurant grade chef knife could not cut through the solid block of glacial ice! He had to go get hot water to heat his knife so that it'll cut through the ice block. Was that a gag joke? How is that acceptable for a restaurant? ACOUSTICS: 1 star. You must shout to be heard. ATMOSPHERE: Male waiters were dressed appropriately, but the owner forced the hostesses and the waitresses to dress like call girls, and that is just tragic. CONCLUSION: I still think this restaurant is worth going to ONCE so you can see the decoration. If you go back again because you love the food so much, then you know what, go to a doctor, and go check to see if your taste buds are still functioning correctly, because they probably are not. read more

Wow, what a disaster! I had a MISERABLE dining experience on Sunday. The most pleasant part of the entire meal was probably waiting outside on the sidewalk for 25 minutes before entering. Yes, you heard me right. Sunday Lunch Recap The wait outside: Well organized line with bouncers to keep the peace and flow in check. About 25 minutes. The wait inside: Inside, you're still waiting for another 5-10 minutes before you're let loose in the cafeteria. Cafeteria: Where do I begin to describe one of the circles of Hell... - Utensils are dirty with crusty food bits. Check your utensils when you get your tray. -Salad bar line and the grill moved well. Fries were good. - Carvery line from hell: There are 2 lines - one starting at the 12 o'clock position and the other at the 6 o'clock position. I got in 1 line, my friend got in the other at the same time. I do not know why my line was in was so freaking slow. My friend was through his carvery line in 5 minutes. There were only about 10 people in front of me, but I waited in that line for over 15 minutes to get my food. The fried chicken was under-cooked so they had to send it back upstairs and it was no longer on the menu. They sold out of the stuffing. There was no cranberry sauce for the turkey. So if the restaurant doesn't have those items avalabie, why don't they update the menu? It's a on TV screen, you can easily modify the menu. I got mac n cheese and peas - both were COLD. I took a few bites of food immediately after the server gave me my plate. I was hungry. So yes, it came out cold. My turkey was dry and also cold by the time we sat down. Carvery guy also looked completely pissed to be at his job. Pretty much threw my turkey plate at me. - Beverage station: they were out of lemonade and out of ice. You had to wait minutes to get your self-serve drink. - Dessert station: No signs so you don't know what anything is. - Cashier's: The layout is miserable. How can you have 2 lines and expect 1 lines of people to squeeze through the same 1.5 ft opening? Even 2 skinny people cannot squeeze by each other. - Seating - plenty of seating on the 1, 2, 3 floors. Everybody was stuck in the cafeteria with their food getting cold. - Bathrooms - women's on the 3rd floor. For a 3 story restaurant, they only had 2 stalls on the 3rd floor. And one of the stalls was broken. - Condiments - all the ketchup bottles at the tables were empty. I don't know why they have all these busboys walking around the dining area not doing much when there's a whole cabinet full of empty ketchup bottles. Food was so sub-par. This is not upscale cafeteria food. This is like public school lunch quality cafeteria food. read more

The atmosphere inside (outside is horrible) is super cool, I would go several times a week if the food was decent. Thats brings me to the food - which if you've read any other reviews, is subpar. Worse than drive-through at any fast food joint, but 2x the price. I guarantee you Clifton's loses money on their food business but makes up for it with all the hipsters looking to drink at their ultra-hip bars every night. Cliftons - listen. You can have great food and charge high prices for it, or crap food and charge low pries for it. You can't have it both ways like you're trying to do - that is why the restaurant at Clifton's is tragically unsuccessful. read more

I've been waiting four years for this place to open up. I know it's no fun to drive downtown and look for a parking space. And I know Andrew Meieran, the owner of hipster bar Edison was going to make some changes. And I know he hired a new executive chef. But I know I've never been so disappointed. Yes, the first few days every restaurant needs to work on the kinks. Assigning employees at every station was very helpful to help navigate through the crowds. There was a cool vibe in the air as everyone seemed to be impressed by the animal statues on the third floor. But with every restaurant or cafeteria, it comes down to the food. Unlike the Clifton's of old, the selection was very limited. It seemed that food choices were only 25% of what it used to be. I only saw about four or five salad choices. Same thing with the desserts. Though they had jello, I was hoping there might be carrot cake, pudding, pineapple upside down cake, or even a baked apple! All I saw were some white cake with frosting and a handful of other desserts. There was a center carving station that offered a "protein" and two sides for $12. A little more than the $7 or $8 I spent at the old Cliftons, but someone's gotta pay for the executive chef's salary, right? Well, maybe Andrew Meieran should try eating there as a disguised customer. Small portions and dried out turkey was what I got. Was looking forward to eating with the mashed potatoes, but they ran out! I was anxious to try their macaroni and cheese, as I loved Clifton's old recipe, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. The wife ordered a half order of salisbury steak and a piece of fried chicken. But it must have just come out of the refrigerator because it was stone cold! Total bill for two people was just over $26. I think a visit to Hometown Buffet would have been better. read more

Words can't describe how absolutely AWSOME this place is. I have never been so excited and in awe at the creativity and pure genius this is. Every floor has a very special and unique character. I definitely recommend bringing your friends or even a date to this hip, cool, fun place.. it would be an unforgettable first date as well. Pictures and internet sites don't do it justice. Just go there. I will guaranty you'll love it. read more

See all

Reviewers are jerks....NEWS FLASH...ITS A CAFETERIA, ITS HISTORIC, DON'T TAKE IT SO SERIOUSLY! This place is charming to the 9's. It is a historic LA Landmark that my parents even went to as kids. Sure, the food isn't Bottega Louie, but if you want Bottega, go there. Its cafeteria food in the worlds most charming environment. I listened to "Jeepers Creepers" being played while sitting in a redwood forest eating a rather delicious bowl of butternut squash soup, what is not to love? Some of the food was meh, edible but certainly not amazing however the soup was delicious. The price for my plate that I couldn't even finish of vegis, a bowl of soup and a pot of chocolate pudding was under $10. I was not remotely insulted by the cost either, after all the effort, money and time that was put in to saving this glorious place, the owner has every right to charge a competitive rate for lunch in a bustling downtown center, and I didn't for a moment feel ripped off. I don't get what all the negativity is about. Get your expectations in check folks! The staff were all extremely friendly too. Its been open for over a month now and one thing I've learned about restaurants, never go right when they first open. Employees are not trained for 4 years in college on how to work the registers, Im pretty sure most of these terrible reviewers were pretty crappy their first few days on a job. If you are in the area, swing by and enjoy a slice of the past. I will certainly be going back! read more

Sad, very sad. That is how to best describe what is happening at Clifton's (or at least when I visited around the first week of October). The only people who are giving it a good review are people who never visited it in the past. Yes, the place is beautiful but it doesn't matter if the place is plated gold, if the food sucks I don't want to be there! The person who came up with the menu should be fired! The main reason so many people loved going there in the past was because the food was comforting, filling, tasty, warm, home-cooked feeling, etc. It is now none of these things, it is some sad attempt to appeal to a new generation and failing miserably. Is there even a senior citizen discount? I remember they had special plates for seniors. Why? Because it was a place where people cared like that....now, not so much. I will return and check it out again to see if any changes have been made, I want to like the place. read more

Coolest lunch spot and bars with photo opportunities in LA. Original cafeteria with funky, kitsch outdoorsy decor, including a huge fake redwood tree and stuffed bear and bison. Photo booth cave is great. Turkey pot pies are big and delicious and both the Vegan and meat meatloaf are delectable and old school deserts like jello and pie are photo worthy and fun. Upstairs are hidden Speakeasy bars! The tiki bar has boats shipwrecked on the third floor and great mai Tais and boat drinks with umbrellas and fruity garnishes. read more

I wanted to love the new Clifton's. I wanted to come to Yelp and write a glowing review that bucked the trend of all the other reviews calling out the style-over-substance of the new place. Unfortunately, the average seems to be correct here, and it pains me to be one more voice in the morass of dissatisfied diners. Let's talk about Disneyland for a second: it's another southern California staple known for its history and kitsch, changed many times over the years and has legions of passionate fans. Like Clifton's, Disneyland is one of those places that had to be seen to be believed, and no detail of design has been overlooked. In that respect, Clifton's really does impress; the beauty of the space has been enhanced and carefully preserved. The place where Disneyland and Clifton's part ways is in follow-through. At the theme park, you can be surprised and delighted constantly with new food offerings and expertly-prepared classics. We all know for a fact that a Dole Whip will be just as good as it was 30 years ago and the fried chicken will give us a taste of what tourists enjoyed a generation (or two) ago. There are also new, exciting creations, driven by chefs, that make the parks a true destination. That comparison is to explain what Clifton's is really missing. For a place that is so glorious to look at, with a long history in LA's culinary landscape, the food has become a distant afterthought. The historic bakery? Hardly a blip in the new place. The miles of cafeteria lines? Consolidated into a handful of uninspiring food stations. The possibility of discovering something new or rediscovering a recipe from the past? No. The carving station is where I went - not a bad deal for a large portion of meat and two sides (the earlier complaints about portion size must have been addressed), but the quality leaves much to be desired. Meats were dry and bland. The side dish selections amounted to mac & cheese, mashed potatoes or bread stuffing. If you wanted a green vegetable alongside your carbs, you're out of luck. Salads were minuscule and routine. Desserts were a complete waste: dry, cloyingly sweet cupcakes that make your teeth hurt with all the sugar. I ate at Clifton's once before the re-model and remember the food being simple and authentic, like someone's grandmother was cranking out those dishes. Those really were the recipes that had been time-tested and didn't need to be reinvented. Change is inevitable, sure, but to the extent that all identity is gone is a bad decision. I hope Clifton's can do better. I want to go again after the kinks have been worked out, but it seems that with all the delays to re-open, the huge turnovers in food & beverage staff, the focus is on creating the bar scene in a lovely interior, not in creating food memories for another 70 years. I'm hoping Clifton's can just get a few food items completely right - find the one or two things that make me point to their restaurant and say "you need to go there and have the...[whatever that item may be]". I can think of any number of restaurants, and again Disneyland, where there are dishes so iconic that you can't imagine having them anywhere else. Clifton's hasn't reached that bar yet. read more

Pros: The place is amazing. It is a great environment and I felt like I had left L A. There was a LIVE jazz trio that was really good and I do appreciate that. This was great. And got 2 stars Cons: Were do I start? We came for the buffet banquet. $40.00 each. A fair price for what was promised. We started by walking up 5 flights of stairs. Not great. Then we got a table. I went over to the buffet. No salad of any kind. There was ham, roast beef and turkey. Very un seasoned. Some of the dark meat was pressed turkey. Yikes. Other was regular. No cranberry sauce but a mystery red liquid. I asked the chef and he called it cranberry jus. It was cranberry gravy. The veggies were standard and fine. In order to get an ice tea one of the waiters had to go down 5 flights to get it for us. Then, when it was time for desert, the coffee was empty and a half hour later was still empty. There was no pie, just some small pastries. When I got to the lobby I went into the cafeteria and got a cup of coffee. To sum up. Food was very institutional. The vibe is still "soup kitchen" which I'm sure is what it was before the renos. Will I go back? Not to eat. But I might go for a drink sometime and hang out with some of the stuffed animals. read more

Lunch at Clifton's Cafeteria introduced me to Republic as it answered the question, what would happen if Culver City's, Museum of Jurassic Technology opened a snack bar. Clifton's is a sprawling four story roadside attraction, smack dab in the middle of DTLA. Great place to wander. The key to moderating your lunch expectations is right in the name: Clifton's Cafeteria. Hell, it's painted right on the building. Physically, it's a send up of the nicest studio commissary of the golden age of film. The food is okay. The roast turkey at the carving station looks very tempting. Psyche. Sorry. It's just for show. Order turkey and the server will produce what appears to be a whole, skinless, turkey breast from a warming drawer. The breast was fine, diminished only by my anticipation of slices cut to order off of a fresh roast. The meatloaf was tasty if a little dry. The stuffing was okay as was the mac and cheese. The star here is the room not the fare. Many say Clifton's is old LA. The place doesn't feel like any one thing at all. The Monarch room is an indoor forest. The Brookdale and The Gothic Bars are like scenes from competing productions of The Great Gatsby. The Pacific Seas Room is the bar that Gilligan and the Skipper would have built is they could get off of the island. A lot is invested in these settings. All are super cool and any would serve admirably as event venue. But hire a caterer just to be sure. Staff was fine. Parking was a flipping nightmare. read more

Oh. Crap.......did I just give you a five star review? Ohh.... Yes I did, but, that was for your services from years past. Today, is a disappointment. I have waited for your venue to open and these are the reviews??? Where the hell are the investors? They must be shitting bricks right about now. I have watched and read the reviews and I am disgusted and unimpressed with your soft opening. Yes I am referring to the management regarding your misrepresentation and non-existent caring for your loyal customers. Granted, I have not been there to witness the chaotic mess that you have created. Yes I'm referring to the FOH and BOH. It's your responsibility to fix it!! You are really killing it right now and I'm sitting here and there is not a frigging thing I can do but watch it go down. Get your S$&:T together or you might not last til the end of this year. Your ship is going down and none of you bastards give a damn!! I love Cliftons. I am your biggest supporter. But I just can't watch it sink.... You need a really great Chef and an amazing FOH manager that gives a shit and that can bring back the glory. Good luck with that! I would volunteer, but I'm all booked up. I wish you all the best! PS. if and when I do come to revisit your shit storm, my visit it better be extraordinary!! Or I'm going to revoke my five star review! Know this... you caught me on one of my good days today! read more

I love walking down Broadway at night. The neon is so beautiful and when there are events up and down the street, LA comes alive. The doormen at Clifton's are gentlemanly and funny... and then you walk through the door and wow! It's like the Natural History museum meets Alice and Wonderland meets 1940's New Orleans meets Mayberry meets Hostel (just the downstairs bathroom). When we were there, there was a DJ on the main (deer and tiny chairs) floor who was killing it with 80's-2000's happy hits. We then walked up the stairs into this beautiful room with a white tiger and New Orleans fancy riverboat decor (? I don't know ?). There was a band playing, Barrelhouse Wailers and they were magic. I think I fell in love with the trombone player in that 15 minutes we stood mesmerized. Everyone is beautiful, it's super interesting, one star off for tasty, but weak, drinks. read more

Ok this place is definitely worth visiting at least once. There were like 4 floors and each floor has a different theme. I think you need to reserve some tables but a lot of them were open to everyone! If you dont like to drink, I'd say it's worth just touring around! We ubered here so dunno about the parking. I think I saw valet parking. Drinks are okay and pricey. read more

I've been coming here since the 70's, when it still had the metallic modern front. But I'll say the remodel is absolutely beautiful, and they preserved many of the existing items that make this place unique. The issue that plagues the place is the frequent "private events" that are hosted there. They do not inform the general public beforehand, and you might wind up traveling from far to visit the place, pay for parking, and then discover the place is not available to you. Call ahead I guess. Otherwise the experience would be 5 stars. read more

I am in love with the new Cliftons! Haters are gonna hate, but it's so awesome to go to a place that is keeping LA's history alive (open since 1931, serving DTLA through the depression) and keeping DTLA feeling like a neigborhood instead of just the next hipster stop on the popularity train. AMBIANCE: You walk in on the Cafeteria level. It's dripping with history, from original storefronts and counters, to throwback signs and very old school dishes. There's a sandwich bar, salad bar, soup, carvery, pizza, pasta, and burgers. Also desserts like peach pie, and jello. It is, afterall, a cafeteria. Prices were a bit higher than cafeteria level ($7 for a slice of pizza and a side of fries), but it's DTLA and people gotta pay rent. There's a bar planned to open on the ground floor. The fries were great and crisp, and not too oily. The pizza was a standard cafeteria pizza and did its job to soak up the drinks. Level Two: hunting lodge. The entire space was renovated and they cut huge holes in the floor to allow a GIANT tree to occupy the center and link the floors. Amazing view to behold a you walk up the stairs. There's a fireplace IN the base of the tree, and sitting areas near it. SO COZY. It feels like the love child of Seven Grand (hipster-hunting lodge) and Rockwell VT (outdoor/indoor space with a giant tree uniting it all), and it's amazing. There's a bar in the back, and plenty of tables (with waitress service available, but not necessary) all around. Level Three: fancy parlor sitting. Each level is seriously a totally different vibe, and here we felt like we walked into Marie Antoninette's sitting room. There's beautifully gilded style furniture in the indoor space, and the outdoor is more chill, with booth seats, and its own bar. We spent most of the night here, and were so happy lounging around. Level Four: Tiki bar and tree top lounge. TIKI BAR in DTLA!!! Sold. Open in a few weeks, this is gonna be awesome. There's a huge 70 year old, larger than life wooden Tiki to welcome you in. Old school maps and trains adorn the entry. Then, the bar is cut in half literally by a hand-carved amazing speedboat! It's like we're straight in 70s Waikiki. Hawaiian shirts encouraged. Basement: Speakeasy style bar will be open soon too, serving up prohibition style. STAFF: The staff were amongst the nicest wait staff I've encountered in DTLA. SO patient (especially the guys working the burger grill, they were the best), the bussers, the ushers. THE DRINKS: $30 gets you 2 mixed drinks and a beer. The bartenders make a generous but delicious (and perfectly proportioned) Gin and Tonic and Rum and Coke. Not the cheapest, but definitely a generous glass and no more expensive than the rest of DTLA. OVERALL: Now that the opening buzz lines have waned, this is my new favorite spot in DTLA. There's a level and ambiance for everyone. I can't wait for the tiki bar and speakeasy to open up, though I think that level 3's outdoor space won my heart over yesterday. It's brighter than your average bar, but not in a bad way. It's cozy and FEELS like a cheers/neighborhood bar, and makes it so you don't want to leave. DTLA needs to keep places like this, and not just hipper/newer/shinier. This is an awesome re-addition to our neighborhood and I can't wait to come back! read more

I was so looking forward to Cliftons reopening. It's a shame that a restaurant took so much care in the renovation and decor has what is possibly the most hideous food in downtown LA. Everything that a group of 7 had was served cold. What looked like scrambled eggs was a lump of Mac n cheese and cold mashed potatoes. They ran out of fried chicken and roast beef one hour after opening on a Sunday. Knowing that the lines are long and the crowds are big, one would have hoped that the kitchen and management were better organized. Take some tips from Disneyland, they're just as busy and don't run out of food. It's questionable as to what the staff does because I watched tables sit with stacked dirty plates without anyone to buss them. The table I found was so dirty with food stains, that I had to flip the tablecloth. Gross I suggest anyone that plans on going here to go strictly for cocktails. It's seems to be something you can't go wrong with. read more

Clifton's Republic - You could be confused with the food in a nursing home. Cold and gross - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This review is for a Sunday brunch/lunch. Let's start with the strongest pull of this place- the weird over-the-top decor. It's hunting chic meets Los Angeles County Museum taxidermy. There's stuff all over the place and it's kind of neat to look at. That's about it that's good about this place. The drinks are expensive, the food is bland, borderline gross in many instances, the employees hate working there and the clientele is a mixed bag of weird. Seriously, there were old people, hipsters, families on vacation... you name it. It is literally a cafeteria, and it tastes just like your old high school cafeteria. I got the roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and mac and cheese, and a piece of fried chicken (on a whim). The turkey was dry and gross, the mac and cheese tasted like nothing but oil- only the fried chicken was any good and it was so over salted that it was barely edible. Do yourself a favor and skip this tourist trap. read more

Thank you to Carolina and Kate for the wonderful experience at Clifton's and the special tour of the Pacific Sea bar. read more

Clifton's Republic - Pacific Sea bar - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

If you loved Clifton's before the remodel, don't bother going now. Before Clifton's closed for renovations, I would go for breakfast a couple times a week...best pancakes I've ever had! Sure it needed to be freshened up. I was really excited when the penny tile floor and original molding were revealed. The remodel looks great, if a bit sterile. The new Clifton's has some problems though. The cafeteria line is complete chaos. The old system worked great for 80 years...why mess with what worked? Also, everything is premade. No more chatting with the ladies who would ask how you want your eggs and make you fresh pancakes. You get scrambled eggs scooped out of a chafing dish and limp pancakes pulled off a stack that were made who knows how long ago. It's obvious the the developer had never gone to Clifton's when it was open and has no clue that is was more than the decor that made Clifton's so special. read more

Ambience + Decor: 5 Stars Food + Drinks: 1 star Service + Staff: 1 star (0 stars if I could!) This place needs an attitude check as well as a refresher course on customer service. Clifton's has so much potential. So much. After spending millions on renovations, it is stupid to throw it all away by having awful food and an even more awful staff. Get your S together Clifton's, you can do better than this! Food - we got in line at the craving station, which took about 15 minutes to go through (on a Tuesday evening). The cafeteria is confusing and the layout sucks, as other Yelpers have mentioned. $12 for a protein and 2 sides. There was ham, turkey, roast beef (or if you can call it that, it looked so dry), ribs and fried chicken. We read the chicken was the best thing to get, so we got that. The sides, well they were out of pretty much everything. They were out of mashed potatoes and the customer in front of us asked how long for mashed potatoes and the server literally snapped at him saying he didn't know and lots of people eat here everyday........which is not really an excuse, nor is it good customer service. He literally ignored me after my husband got his food, for some reason. He seemed really upset about the mashed potato incident. We got fried chicken with mac and cheese and stuffing, all of which were cold. It doesn't take long to make mashed, and why not have some back up in the back?! Drinks, yeah major fail. They had no ice. No sodas except diet sodas. Super. Total, $30 (with a $0.35 jello). Eating was a whole other experience. Took our trays upstairs where tables weren't cleaned off (and gross). Finally found a table and began to eat our food to discover the fried chicken was SALTY. Like inedible salty. Like a salt lick salty. Wow. I mean, fried chicken isn't that hard to make, who's making this S?! The mac and cheese was cold, gritty, and flavorless. Stuffing tasted like cardboard. There was nowhere to leave your dishes afterward, so people were piling them up at the valet desk area. Seriously, the staff is lame here. Food servers and busboys. Much need of training or something. You just don't treat customers like that. And they need to change their chefs/cooks. Other than those issues, this place is a MAJOR addition to DT. It's not only awesome to go through, it's nostalgic, it's intriguing, it's a bit kooky and fun, it's hip, and it's dark and cozy. You can take a date or a group of friends because there's so many little nooks and crannies where you can hang out and just talk, drink, or eat. Amazing job with the renovation, especially the tree and all the great displays. Now if Clifton's can get their act together , they would be a solid place! read more

See all

Everything last night was just too much... we got there around 7:00pm and the closest parking structure was across the street. It said $8.00 for parking.. we go up and the man says it's now $9.00 for parking...were like it says 8 outside and he's like oh well we just changed it... so fine! We give him the extra dollar and he says, hold on let me count it...then he says okay you can go thanks a lot...this is after coming from driving and having a car flip right next to our car 10ft away!!... Anyways... we get to Cliftons and it's crazy! Luckily our party had reserved seats for us in the front. We were shown the bar and the happy hour was over.. $14 for a very very tiny drink that I could drink in a second. I swear it looked like 2 shots... we were then shown the supposedly "buffet"... This is not...it is a "cafeteria" where you pick your food and pay at the end. The food was extremely bad and old.. we didn't complain though because we were starving. 1 slice of meatloaf (pretty good) 1 scoop of mac and cheese (tasted weird) 1 (very nasty) dinner roll, and 1 scoop of (extremely DRY and gross) stuffing... That's all my girlfriend and I got and it costed about $33.00 at the end... That's ridiculous! Not to mention as we were standing in a HUGE line to get meat carved (took about 20 minutes to get a slice of meat) a lady hit the line divider and it all fell down and hit my girlfriend in her leg and hurt her. We looked back at her and she kind of chuckled and just walked away and left it...Others in line picked them up and fixed them. Cliftons... you really need to step your game up.. We were here for about 3 hours and the environment was cool and nice that's pretty much it.. only 2 bathroom stalls and 2 urinals. Women's restroom only had a few stalls as well. Only 1 sink for washing hands. Lines to the bathrooms, lines to eat, lines to drink, lines to get in, lines for everything. The food was overpriced, old, not good, crowded, and just horrible!!!!!!!!!! The only pro: Our friends! We had a great time seeing our friends we haven't seen in a long time... read more

The extra star is for the decor and ambiance. Food: bland and a lot of items were missing. It was also quite expensive for what it was. $12 for an entree or craved meats, less than 2-3 slices and sides (all of which were gone by 6pm). Lines: chaotic with no sense of direction of where it starts and ends. Drinks: limeade and lemonade were way too sour and I'm a tart person. I'd come to hang out and have a drink but wouldn't go back for the food. Also- stay clear until a month or two in. This place is just too new with lots of mismanagement at this stage. read more

I am so sad. We will not be back. Andrew Meieran has RUINED the cafeteria I grew up with, brought my (now in their 20s/30s) children to for birthday parties and family gatherings through the years, and loved so much. For many years, we ate at the Clifton's in the suburbs, but once all those closed, we loved Clifton's so much, we trekked into Downtown for 20 years, even though we LOATHED the odor of urine on the sidewalk, the crazy people, the horrendous parking, the disgusting bathrooms and the commute. The revamped Clifton's is huge. It's nice they've made some nods to nostalgia and uncovered some pretty cool architecture, etc. Eclectic decor is even now more eclectic. Plenty of space to have several bars/clubs with your high profit margin that attracts the younger crowd. But you should NOT have messed with the cafeteria! We were there on a Sunday at dinnertime and they were OUT OF TURKEY GRAVY! We waited around for a while, hoping the gravy would be right out, then paid and sat down to eat, going back several times to check ... and even 30 minutes later, still no gravy. This is a management issue - you have culinary computer programs to track quantities used so you can forecast and manage what the back of the house prepares. Maybe the Executive Chef is up at the bar having a drink instead of doing his job. I do not like the new "plate" dinner. Most of us got the Roast Turkey and it was okay. One person got the roast beef and it was DRY and OVERCOOKED. We went in circles trying to figure out where to enter the queue for the "protein plate". You had to get in a totally different line for your sides (salad, rice or veggies) if you didn't take the mac 'n' cheese or mashed potatoes in the protein line. I wanted veggies but the ONLY option was brussel sprouts. The old Clifton's ALWAYS had peas, green beans, corn, carrots, etc - a SELECTION - not just one choice. The serving of mashed potatoes and mac 'n cheese were HUGE. In fact too huge. I prefer the taste/texture of the OLD recipes and the smaller servings. (Clifton's always had good prices - the new cafeteria prices are much higher!) They did not have my favorite coleslaw. :-( And the new mac 'n cheese tastes like it came from a box (the old one tasted like Grandma's) And where are my favorite desserts? No more chocolate layer cake filled with whip cream and bananas! No more white cake filled with whip cream and strawberries! No huge selection of pies and cakes. And the "bakery" is a just display of defrosted foodservice desserts you can find anywhere. The selection in every category is MUCH smaller than before. We loved the OLD cafeteria with tons of choices - small serving bowls where you could FILL a tray with a variety of items for $8-$10 or so. And they NEVER ran out of food. If you loved the old Clifton's, don't waste your time going to the new one. If everyone stops going, maybe they will get the message that they messed up. But then again, I really don't think Andrew Meieran cares. The cafeteria will probably soon be turned into another bar for greater profit. read more

They are out of everything, except salads, hamburgers, and desserts. No one has any information, and the staff seems confused. It's like a ship with no captain: lots of movement but no direction. read more

Clifton's Republic - They are out of everything, except salads, hamburgers, and desserts. No one has any information. - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I will say it is always strange to review a place that has just opened, and I think if they change some things it could get a lot better, but my experience here was very mediocre. First and foremost the food was just awful and that was my biggest complaint. I get that it is cafeteria but I think my high school lunches were better then this place and that is saying a lot. First off, there is no sense as to what is happening and where to stand in line, and everything was mislabeled and hard to read, and many things weren't even listed. My friend got some pizza and it was soggy, greasy and had no flavor. I got "sliders with fries" which was one mini burger with frozen fries that were very bland. Maybe some of the stuff I didn't try was better, but nothing jumped out as even looking that good to eat. The space itself is great and it is worth checking it out once just to see the interior, but i wouldn't plan on staying long. The drinks, especially the cocktails were rather overpriced and just ok. They had a rather limited beer selection. It is huge inside and I think they could use a few more bars just to not have the flow get backed up. If I ever happen here again I will update this review but I don't plan on going back anytime soon. read more

My brother drove up from San Diego. We had planned on visiting this old favorite weeks ago. Although DTLA has supposedly gentrified it was gross and disgusting and difficult to maneuver around the various street closings. They should just permanently close Broadway. There should be no street traffic. Just bikes and pedestrians. It takes forever to just drive two blocks. Avoid driving on this street. I found parking on 6th and Main for $7. I just wanted to get out of the car. My brother hopped out earlier when we were in standstill traffic and went to wait in line. When I met up with him he was pretty close to the entrance and the line was moving fairly quickly. The restoration is fantastic! They have kept the original flavor of the old Clifton's while enhancing it at the same time with some incredible taxidermy and diorama displays. But this isn't a museum is it? When we got inside we were excited. Because it seemed like the the same familiar direction and line that led you to the cafeteria which used to be VERY efficient and EASY to navigate. But No! When we finally waited for an interminable amount of time just to get to the table where you get cutlery we were suddenly stopped by a young woman who clearly was enjoying her power to not allow us to proceed further. So we waited and waited.............and waited...... The line ahead was not really moving too quickly but it had progressed enough for us to move on. The girl on a power trip got some words from me. Not pleasant words. And then we moved forward. To chaos. The question is, why change a system that worked perfectly fine after 80 years to something that is completely ineffective? Why is the food cold? What happened to the CAKE? Or for that matter why would anyone want turkey and mashed potatoes with no gravy? Also nobody seems to know what size the portions should be. I really don't want those dry mashed potatoes without gravy in the size of a loaf of bread! After we choked down our dry disappointing meals we decided to check out the rest of the new Clifton's. Well, it looks really great. But we remember this place fondly for the cafeteria. Which is basically gone. There is a fancy bar and more bars to come. But aren't there enough COOL bars in L.A. already? I guess you're supposed to get so drunk that you don't care about how it took 5 years and millions of dollars to ruin the cafeteria that everyone fondly remembers. read more

You simply HAVE to go to Clifton's Cafeteria. It is hands down a MUST SEE when in Los Angeles. Part retro cafeteria, part hipster bar scene and part Disneyland... this is a stop for the whole family. You will be bombarded by waterfalls, giant taxidermy everywhere you look and more! The food is good, but not amazing and it's WAY overpriced for what you get. WAY. But even that didn't deter me from giving this 5 stars. You can go and get a drink here now at one of the upstairs bars. I haven't even been to all of them because they're not always open. Whether or not you eat here, make sure you explore every part of this place that is open. Go everywhere! A great experience! read more

This place is terrible. Showed up for breakfast and their eggs looked like gray brain matter. Look at my pics for proof! At one point I really thought to myself that it'll be ok to eat those eggs. Then my instincts kicked in and I left my plate on the counter and walked out. I'm saving you from having to talk to yourself when you finally look at the food you ordered and wonder wtf just happened? Am I really going to eat this? Good things is that you don't have to pay for it until you reach the check out line. So if the shit looks like shit, you can bounce! Don't take anyone here for anything. It's over priced cafeteria food for tourists. read more

Clifton's Republic - Looks DAH-LISH-SHUS, if you blind! - Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

See all

I had high hopes for Clifton's, after its $10 million dollar remodel and hearing about its place in LA's history as a legacy restaurant. However, my excitement over the eclectic and interesting decor quickly fizzled upon seeing the food. I think I expected amazing, top-notch food, as with many openings of restaurants in LA, and I was definitely disappointed. I got the roast beef with two sides: mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. For $12, it's a pretty sizeable meal with generous portions. However, the mac and cheese was rubbery and near flavorless--it reminded me of the microwaved kind that you used to get in your high school cafeteria. The meat carving station with its turkey, ham, and roast beef had looked promising, but the roast beef tasted dry (even with the au jus) and also lacked significant flavor. Mashed potatoes (even with gravy) were no better either, and after trying some of my friend's turkey I was disappointed by that as well. Our overall sentiment after eating at Clifton's was that the food is alright, very mediocre. You would think after spending so much on remodeling they would put just as much effort into the food, especially in this day and age of Yelp and online reviews. Adding a star for the beauty of the restaurant itself, but my recommendation would be to not eat here and instead just stop by to check out the place and grab a drink or something. read more

Just went to this Clifton's for the first time. I used to go with my parents all the time way back when at various Southern California locations. It's not the same. Apparently the management is aware that the older patrons are disappointed, but they have a "different vision," I had the turkey dinner with the mashed potatoes and vegetables and gravy and cranberry sauce. The quality and taste of everything on my plate was far, far better than what the old Clifton's used to serve. Still, $15 a plate at noon on Sunday? And $3 for a self-serve fountain soda? And still worse, they can't get the line moving. My turkey's getting cold while the 5 hipsters in front of me are telling the sides server where they want their gravy and how much. IT'S A CAFETERIA. YOU DON'T HAVE IT YOUR WAY. They should lower their prices and bring back the stern-looking old ladies to remind these brats that they're getting a good meal at a great price. It is a neat looking place and it looks like it's a lot of fun on a Friday or Saturday night. I may go back for cocktails when I can find a babysitter. read more

Came here with the Mrs. after a conference I had at the Biltmore Hotel, which is such a lovely and beautiful hotel...a lot of movies film inside that hotel so it's definitely worth it to check it out. The Mrs. told me that the people who put on Edison revitalized Clifton's and tried to keep as much of the original decor as possible and it was a huge investment. They have a stuffed Bison, other animals such as deers, birds, etc....a huge ass tree on the 2nd floor bar area...decent selection of beers on tap...looked like about 10-15 drafts....bartenders were nice and accommodating. However, their food is lacking in many ways, not to mention it being expensive. We had a little snack before dinner, and ordered the Chicken Pot PIe....after taxes, a whopping $10.90. Probably steeper prices due to it being in LA as well as for the view...but that's a pretty expensive Chicken Pot Pie. Clifton has great happy hour and a great place for drinks and to hang out with coworkers or friends. They have a wide variety of happy hour specials so read some of the other reviews for more of an in depth look. The Mrs. and I came from a open bar work function so we were already liquored up. I would definitely come back for drinks with friends, however, I'd urge them to eat elsewhere...there are so many other good food around DTLA. read more