One star for the service. Our server, Danielle, was nice and attentive. Food is lacking. Well, if you like salt and absurd pricing, it's definitely not lacking in that. Our ribeye was a salt block, the sanddab was fishy (in an un-fresh way) and drenched in lemon caper sauce, caesar salad for two wasn't memorable either. My partner and I were basically the Spongebob WATERRRR meme by the end of our meal. I would return to sit at the bar for a drink but not for anything else. read more

Cool, old, classic steakhouse vibe. It is noisy. Service was very good! We took our daughter and son-in-law to celebrate her birthday. We have mixed reviews on the food. Wedge salad and Caesar salad average. My wife had the sand dabs and loved them. Son-in-law got the sirloin steak and I the filet. He made the right choice! My filet was over tenderized- pretty disappointing. The sirloin was very tasty! Our daughter had chicken parm and was happy with it. Side dishes..German potatoes, creamed spinach & broccolini all very good! We ordered one dessert for the table. They brought it to us with a candle for the birthday.....but it was not complimentary ‍. read more

I'm a little late to the party but finally made it to Dear John's. I can understand the hype and it's well-deserved. After sipping some kick ass cocktails we rolled through the appetizers which were a meal by themselves-Garlic bread that would scare off any witch in LA, tater tots with creme fraiche, caviar and salmon roe, avocado stuffed with crab. The Caesar salad was the equal of the old Cove mixed tableside and we all split the monster ribeye steak done perfectly medium rare. Now I know why you can't get a rezzie here. Completely stuffed we had to taste the dessert for our friend's birthday. Delicious. We were guests so I didn't see the bill but our host was still smiling vowing to return soon. read more

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Super dark when you first walk in and almost walked into other people but your eyes adjust quickly. I also went when the sun was still out so if you go later in the evening should be fine. Nice old school Hollywood steak house vibes. read more

DEAR JOHN'S?..... MORE LIKE DEAR GOD!! STOMACH CRAMPS AND FIVE VISITS TO THE BATHROOM ALL MORNING LONG. My girlfriend and I are seasoned Steak-cations. We arrived on time for our 5:30pm reservation. 3 gentlmen who arrived an hour early for their reservation at 6:30 they were willing to sit at the bar until their table was ready but the hostess decided to seat them an hour early. We did suggest for indoor seating through "Resy" Why didn't she seat our 5:30 reservation first but instead sat the 6:30 party early. Your seating arrangements is quite confusing. We ask why didnt she seat us at that table where the gentlmen were willing to sit at the bar for an hour. She didn't have a proper answer to our question. I'm not sure if anyone reads the suggestions at Resy. Perhaps if she would've read our request for indoor seating, the gentlemen would've been happy to wait for their reservation at the bar. If i were the hostess, i would've had the gentlemen wait at the bar and most likely they would've order drinks (profit margin) We got seated outside but the noise level was too disappointing to eat our dinner through that noise. We decided to eat at the bar. The bartender was great and responsive. We ordered ceaser salad for 2, Shrimp cocktail, pigs in a blanket and french fries. All were good. Next came the main course, the NY strip steak... worse cut! The seasoning was nice and the sauces were good but not worth $5 per sauce. Cutting through the steak and some tendons was unpleasant. Chewing and swallowing the steak was even more of a task. There are other steak places that are SO much better quality then Dear John's and pricing is comparable for a New York strip steak. Overall rating..... between 1-5 (1 being the worst) I'd say -1!!!! Dear Jane's is another story... too expensive! read more

Think 1960s bar / restaurant that Sinatra would hang out at - except the food is expensive and very mixed. After you enter into the tiny foyer your eyes will have to adjust to the super under-lit (extremely dark) room. Bring an iphone to read the menu. The ambiance was good - but you have to like very dark decor and almost non-existent lighting. Seating was comfortable and there is a separate bar. The food is mixed. My friend had the 16 oz NY Strip - $65. There is a reason that prices are not listed on the web... she loved the steak, I thought it was mediocre and under seasoned ; sauces are $5 extra - you'll need one. My chicken parmesan should have been explained upfront... it's not the Italian Classic I was used to... the chicken is folded over and stuffed with a tasteless cheese then breaded and deep fried. The a small container of sauce on the side. The chicken was moist, however, overall the dish was bland... the cheese had no flavor - odd. I had the French Onion soup as an appetizer. It was passible, however, bread took up most of the bowl and sucked up almost all the soup. For sides we had the mash potatoes (pretty good) and steak fries (mediocre) - both overpriced. Drinks are $18 - $20 range. The martini was good and my Mezcal cocktail was forgettable. We passed on dessert. With tip, tax the bill was about $250. Although I really liked the ambiance and the service was solid - it's a rip off. The valet guy told us that the "patio" was simply part of the parking lot when we asked about it... valet is $10. read more

Dear Chef Citrin and Chef Rockenwagner: Thank you for reopening this restaurant, even if it is very brief. Dear John's is a legend on the westside. My beloved grandmother, long deceased, spent many an evening with a scotch and soda and my grandfather here. You let DM and I return to the scene, in all of its Rat Pack glory. The restaurant is divine. It is easily accessible from the small but free lot. The staff is professional, attentive and very well groomed. The dark interior and oil lamp lit tables are meant for keeping two heads close together in conspiratorial tones (but it is pretty loud in here). The food shines from start to finish. The tableside Caesar for two is generous and well prepared. The crisp, chilled and very well dried Romaine lettuce is tossed in the dressing made table side with egg, vinegar, olive oil, anchovies, garlic and lemon. The finishing of freshly grated Parmesan makes it all seem so classically simple, but it is so well prepared. The thermidor is a perfect execution of a dish of a bygone era. My favorite was at Millie Riera's Seafood Grotto of Redondo Beach of yore, but yours is even better than what I remember. The two lobster tails have loads of big chunks of lobster in a mustard laced cream sauce with fresh herbs (parsley I would say), garlic and shallot and finished with a little Parmesan. Perfect for two to split, this is a dive into seafood luxury. The broccolini was a weak moment. While it was crisp tender with a bit of heat, it was undersalted for sure. Don't worry, they were still completely edible, and long forgotten by the time I was eating the sautéed mushrooms. A tip? Serve these with Béarnaise Sauce. These meaty little mushrooms are EVEN BETTER (if that is possible) with that stuff. Trust me, I did it. Your bartender knows what he is doing. DM loved her Summer Wind, and I could have taken a swim in my Vieux Carre. I may have butchered the name of the drink, but it was strong and exquisitely crafted. Truly top shelf. We definitely ordered the best dessert when we got the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte. In my mind, it was like chocolate peanut butter pie that was elevated to another level. It may not be a huge dessert but it is so rich that it should certainly be split. We had a divine evening. We want to come back and have the chicken parm and then come again for filet and creamed spinach. Tell LA, "don't tear down that building," while channeling your best Reagan admonition of Gorbachev. LA needs you. Love, Me read more

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Not happy about writing a bad review these days, but hopefully this can help. We have been steady customers past year, and our two couples went here last night and very surprised to see the (ala carte) steaks raised considerably higher than prior visits. Now this is a top tier price restaurant and honestly the food just not consistent at this level..even the 3 sides(mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and creamed spinach) only good(not great)..and the signature table side Caesar was definitely off. Ugh. Way too expensive now. Sorry, you have lost 4 good customers. read more

Don't sit outside and be prepared to pay top dollar for only ok food. Bathrooms are uncomfortably small.

Soooo sorry I chose this place for bday dinner celebration.. food was mediocre at best.. everything arrived luke warm to the table.. one waiter for the entire restaurant., never came by to see how everything was.. my sand dabs were fishy tasting.. if so done was around to ask.. would have sent them back.. ny strip steak had lots of grizzle... Complained to sever.. said he would tell the chef.. for a three hundred dollar meal for two.., beyond disappointed.. there are too many amazing restaurants in la.. don't waste your money ... !! read more

So, let me break this down: In the last six weeks, I've eaten at Peter Lugars in Brooklyn, APL in Hollywood, Maestros in Beverly Hills, Taylor's in DTLA, Parks BBQ in Korea Town and (just now) at Dear Johns in Culver City; and the winner and new champion for the best steak so far this year is........Dear Johns!!!!! I mean their 18 oz. Ribeye steak was cooked a perfect medium rare and just slayed the competition. Everything about this steak was perfect (and for me) perfect means I didn't need any silly ass condiments to mask any flavors of this beautiful slab of beef. So, what brought me to Frank Sinatra's old hangout, after all, Frank and The Rat Pack have been long gone for decades? One word brought me to this small, old school Steakhouse - "Hank"! For all of you in the know, you'll get it, for all of you who don't, you gotta figure it out. Of course it doesn't hurt that two powerhouse L.A. chefs reinvented this place, but the draw for us was that one word above. Now, steak is Dear John's thing. But this San Franciscan (me) saw Lobster Thermador on the menu and that's my next buy, next time; and after that, the Chicken Parm (sounds like I'm going to be a regular!). Their Caesar was great and made at your table (right up Hank's alley), their French Fries were crispy and out of this world and we had a chocolate French Cake desert right out of Michel Richard's playbook, that was excellent. They make a seriously good Martini and the ambience was dark, cheesy (the art on the walls) and early '60s. What more can I say except, I Really Loved Dear John's!!!!! read more

Frank Sinatra would be rolling over in his grave if he knew how this place was being run. I am all for a good dive bar. This place has horrible food, a horrible hostess, horrible lighting and if you want to sit inside you have to promise to spend $99 per person. Not enough heaters to give each table one. Don't do it. So many better places to spend $282 (out tab total) Chicken Parmesan was dry, spaghetti that accompanies it was sauce straight out of a can. What were supposed to be Kobe beef pigs in a blanket, were Smart & Final hot dogs wrapped in 3 day old pastry. Ugh Steer clear! read more

The last time I ate there a couple of years ago, I felt the prices were inordinately high and the food and service were only mediocre. But when I recently looked at their ad for Thanksgiving dinner, I was truly stunned and very disappointed: $125 per person for a 3 course dinner, plus dessert --- yes, all the trimmings included, but NOT including any wine or beverages of any kind -- cannot begin to fathom the value!! read more

I like the period ambiance and the beautiful art decorating the dark room. While food is very good there are very few dairy free options - almost none. Had to get French fries and steak with house sauce. Hope they may expand options in future. read more

Great atmosphere, great service, great food. A new favorite for me and my family. A great nostalgic feel from a past LA. Just fun and delicious. read more

Transport yourself to an old school steakhouse with attentive service! My friends and I went for DineLA and we're able to snag a late dinner seating on the patio. Our server Eric was attentive and friendly. The food was fine and if you're not into traditional old school meals like steak Diane, Sand dabs, or lobster thermidore, you might be disappointed. I had the Caesar salad, chicken Parmesan and chocolate crunch cake. The meal also came with broccolini and mashed potatoes, which were weirdly very lemony. Honestly the food was nothing special but the cocktails were fantastic. Despite this, the service and atmosphere were truly exceptional and we all had a great time. It's on the pricier side, but overall, a fun time. Easy parking on Sepulveda if you can't snag a spot in the lot. read more

Had been meaning to try this place for a long time. Sat outside (which is nice enough but I think dining indoors gives you the full experience) and started with vesper martini and whiskey sour. Drinks were very good. Ordered Caesar salad (prepared table side), New York strip w Brandy peppercorn sauce, and steak fries. Everything was delicious and prepared perfectly. The waiter was lovely. Will definitely return. read more

I have lived in Los Angeles all my life and have driven down Culver Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd many times. I would see Dear John's sign, but I thought the place was closed. My girl squad and the guy had reservations on Saturday, and to our surprise, the restaurant has been around for years. The host is very welcoming. The restaurant has an old-school steakhouse vibe; it's very dark inside, but it was. The inside is a dining room style and it's small and cozy. The floor manager (I hope this is his title, or I get an "F" for not listening), Hank, was fantastic. Hank was detailed; he knew the menu and the specials for the evening. The way he explained the specials was like someone describing a piece of artwork, and you could envision it in your mind. Our food choices were the 18 oz ribeye, chicken parmesan, salmon with white wine, and sorrel. Our sides were broccoli with lemon, chili, garlic, toasted breadcrumbs, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, truffle mac, and cheese. The food was delightful. Everyone (all six of us) was happy. Make a reservation! read more

Dear John’s - 18 oz ribeye, mashed potatoes, broccolini, truffle mac and cheese. Sorry, the picture is not better, but the food was delicious. - American Near Me - Culver City, California

What an amazing old school vibe and great service. Best French onion soup. The steak was crap. It's way over priced. They can't offer cheesecake with that lame other kind of cheese... might return for soup and a burger! read more

One of the best steaks I've ever had and everything else was delicious too. I got the wedge salad and rib eye

Most excellent evening all around. It can get quite loud, so deal. It's dark, brick & very old school vibe. Perfect homage to the OG spots of last century. I loved it. Glad they maintained the room, kept the feeling of history intact. The service was excellent from beginning to end, with the best server of all time - Geoffrey. What a treasure! Made me feel so welcome and took care of us. We had a very heavy and rich meal, but it was all delicious. It feels like a special occasion place, but I'd be happy to post up at beautiful dark wood bar for a drink any night. The table-side prepared Cesar salad was perfect and the cheesey garlic bread very indulgent. The over the top rich lobster Thermidor was nicely done. Thanks for a lovely meal and a fun night. read more

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It seems historic LA dining options are few and far between Dear John's is a bastion of old skool class and quality in a world awash with mediocre upstarts and prentenders This is the restaurant I've been looking for for years The food was spot on, table side steak tartare, made by a server who obviously cared about her craft Excellent lobster thermidor My son relished his steak Ambiance straight out of 1962, especially the two waiters that looked like they had been there since 1962 I would not have been surprised to see ol' Blue Eyes himself propping up the bar Go, if you like a stiff classic cocktail, a generous perfectly cooked steak and proper service read more

From the glowing intimate deep-and-dim Brat-Pack interior to the old-school service and classic dishes which resonate with care and quality, Dear John's feels like a secret retreat that is at once of this moment and long-lost others that we love to imagine lingering in. It's a place for a full evening of great conversation and a sense of being in a film someone should make of you... This great old building was going to be lost to development, and in light of the pandemic I have no idea what the status of that is, but GO before you lose your chance! The table-side caesar salad, steak tartare, and marinated pork chop were standout dishes, but everything I have had here worked. Bravo, Rockenwagner and Citrin! What fun you have made happen here! read more

Just got back eating at Dear John's in Culver City. We were looking forward to enjoying their traditional prime rib and engaging with entertaining staff. The last time we ate at Dear John's was about 2-3 years ago. When we sat down, we found out Dear John's was under new ownership and prime rib was not on the menu. Ok, we had a long day at work day, and wanted to have a nice meal. We kicked off the evening with a couple of cocktail; a dirty martini ($12) for me and my wife ordered a Cosmo ($12) . Wow, the drinks came in two small Champaign glasses you use to toast on New Year's eve. The drinks were weak. Overall rating 1-5, 5 being best......1 We started off with starters, a Cesar Salad for two ($24) and a French Onion Soup; if my wife didn't tell me it was a Cesar Salad I would of thought it was a salad with Italian dressing. I've had way better salads at Sizzlers. For the price we paid, I would rate the salad.......1 The French Onion soup was probably the best part of the meal, not sure if the soup was that good, or that I was so cold eating outside, the soup warmed me up. The soup I would rate......4 Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, we decided to skip the sides and ordered the main course.......MEAT. I ordered the Rib Eye ($60) (medium rare) and the wife ordered a Prime Sirloin ($32). The both meats were good and tasting, and cooked as we requested. However, we did have to wait sometime to get our meals, but overall I would rate our steaks........3 Our service was slow and I felt our server was being pulled in all directions. I could hear other patrons trying to order items off the menu, and I would hear the waiters respond; " Sorry we ran out". Service......2 I don't mind paying for a good meal, put for $197.00 I was expecting much more. I've had some great meal and great times at Dear John's but this was a big disappointment and I'm sad to say this was our last visit. Overall I would rate meal, price and experience............. 2 PS...Dear John, I'm breaking up with you, I can do better. read more

this was smackingly good. steaks on point, sides on POINT. that creamed spinach almost had a mfr creaming you feel me. service was on point, super helpful and down to earth. our server started drinking on his own and we were like hell yeah brother. would definitely come back. that old timey vibe and beautiful ambiance makes for a great date night. slide on my bro John. read more

If you are wondering about dining on the patio, it is great. Unlike most places that have patios, the ambience is that of a nice dining room. Tablecloths, art on the walls, tuxedoed servers. Heat lamps The captain who brought our bottle of wine pointed out that the mains are large enough to share, so we shared a strip steak, which was indeed ample, perfectly medium as ordered, and delicious with the Bernaise (another, "steak sauce" was included.). We had the German potatoes which were fine. We were offered a choice of two desserts, not sure if that was going to be complementary as it we were celebrating my birthday, but we didn't need it so we passed. We were there on a Tuesday and it was well attended, by 5:45 p.m! So good for them. read more

3 stars for value Should two, 8oz filets, 1 salad, 1 shrimp cocktail, 1 glass of wine and dessert be $300 with tip? Food was good, not great. Ambiance was dark old school Sinatra esk...I loved it. Service was good. Price was double of what it should've been. They would've made more$$$$ off of return customers than wham bam thank you ma'am! Our neighbors thought the same. read more

The ambiance was amazing very date night friendly. The staff was super nice and had an overall great experience. My husband whose birthday it was loved the food so much. My only advice is share the salmon. I made the mistake of trying to eat it and my stomach was so full. Also the inside of the restaurant has that magical feel to it with the lights not shining on your face. 10/10 definitely would eat here in the future with my family. read more

Went tonight for a birthday dinner for 2. The food was disappointing across the board. The French onion soup is incredibly salty. For a steakhouse, the rib eye was dry and flavorless. We left sad we had paid $200 for a forgettable meal. To make matters worse, within 2 hours the food poisoning set in. We paid $200 for a painful and ruined Saturday night. read more

I love this place and will likely return as the ambiance is amazing and food did not disappoint. One thing I recommend to the restaurant is to let people know up front that the table is ours for a set time. We were unaware and would have opted to not have $25 after dinner drinks and dessert as it felt very rushed. This would be good to make crystal clear when making the reservation via Resy. Fast feedback for the hostess: figure out a better approach to letting people know. Perhaps offer a drink at the bar OR even let us know she was sorry? Her vibe made us all uncomfortable. read more

My girlfriend used to live within waking distance from Dear John's during the previous ownership days, so this was a neighborhood haunt for a drink and a bite. Being a regular, the crew was familiar and familiar. The offerings were basically surf and turf fare. We've been back less often recently. Prices have increased. New staff is more formal. Quality and variety upped somewhat. Dear John's aspires to more now, but the menu seems not to have changed significantly. It's still an older and traditional crowd. Their audience probably expect the security of less change. Still the same traditional house that's comfortable, dark, and familiar, only pricier. read more

This is speaking to their customer service. I called to say that I would be fifteen minutes late, and rather than just saying "That would be fine" or acknowledging the delay, Tanya informed me that the restaurant would be very busy and our allocated time would be affected. I understand a busy restaurant, but during the pandemic I don't understand how a restaurant can be THAT busy. It makes me wonder if they are even following social distancing guidelines. I was really hoping to eat here before it closed but seeing as the front desk staff isn't welcoming, I'm happy to eat the $20/head cancellation fee rather than at this establishment. read more

Awesome place to grab a steak, cooked and seasoned great. Sides were really good too, especially the truffle mac n cheese. Cant wait to try their bougie tots lol... read more

Hostess rude and abrupt Cannot take reservations for 1 Really dark inside Difficult parking read more

My mom lives right down the street and we go there every Christmas eve for dinner. This is and OLD school steak house, with an attempt at a new flair uplift, but they still have some work to do. The bar, is absolutely fantastic.. The new look is modern but doesn't give up any of that old school flair. The piano bar is much smaller but still as campy as before but entertaining. Service is good (we had the manager). So here is the falldown.. The food.... It really needs updating. The prime rib, awesome, but loose the fake horseradish sauce and stick to the real stuff (which can be requested with no issue). The vegetables, come on guys, those are canned... Lose those, go fresh. Who serves mashed potatoes with an ice cream scoop? They still do... Novelty maybe but reeks "mass production". Other than that, this place has GREAT potential. The manager is on the ball, and there are small things that can be done to improve the ambiance (like not having the ceiling dome lights shine in your face). The food, can be WAY better, but again, its tradition, and the prime rib is awesome. Take the same energy you spent with the renovations, and have a meeting with your food staff and you can easily compete with the Mastro's / Ruth's on the prime rib alone. Well be back. read more

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Might be my favorite restaurant in LA. There's always rumors of it closing, genius marketing. The ambience and service is top notch, you never see anyone on their cell phone or standing idly. Every dish has impeccable presentation and they have some interesting spins on classic dishes. Im proud to say this place holds a special place in my heart as it was me and my future wife's first date. read more

These types of steakhouses won't exist for much longer. The charm, character, and ambiance is unmatched. The drinks are great. The ceases salad made table side was delicious. The steak was a bit fatty but worth the experience. I would go back. Must sit inside though. read more

Ambiance was amazing!! The steak was phenomenal and the experience was just the best. I hope to get here a few more times before it actually closes! read more

Hank! My man Service felt like real hospitality. Like a real dining experience. Felt like family Thank you for making the experience genuine. read more

Best things on the menu for LUNCH? 1. Beef Dip 2. Black Forrest Both of these sandwiches come with savory, thick slices of prime rib. You get a side of horseradish which really heats things up. You also get a side of fries. The quality of the meat on these sandwiches can't be denied, which is why I recommend this place for lunch. PS - Word on the street is that the drinks are poured with a heavy hand. read more

Dear John’s - Forrest - American Near Me - Culver City, California