The Depot is our favorite restaurant in Torrance. The staff, the food, the ambiance and the owner/chef are all great. Don't miss this place. read more

Great service. Great food. Great drinks. Just an overall great experience. Ate the food so fast we forgot to take pictures. Got one of the Strawberry Creme brûlée though. read more

Depot Restaurant - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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Depot Restaurant has great salads and sandwiches for lunch. The atmosphere is conducive for conversation. The staff is welcoming and professional. read more

Wow, I didn't know what to expect, but perfection wasn't on my radar. Cute interior, like a really nice living room with tables. Menu has a lot of variety, and I'm down to try it all. Enjoyed the Rock Shrimp Sausages. They're creative, and that twice-baked garlic sauce rocks. Grilled Scallops are freshly seared, and the Ahi Tuna entree is awesome. I've never had a tuna steak taste this good, and the bed of beets is my favorite side. My Chilean Sea Bass has to be the best thing on the menu because I can't imagine anything beating this. Each bite is buttery and supple, and the snow peas are drenched in the fish juices. The desserts are classics with a twist, and they'll never get old. The Lemon Tart Brulee with orange sauce is a great citrus combo, and the BEST Banana Cream Pie lives up to its name. I was worried. I had no idea what to expect from The Depot. Never heard of it, never even noticed it sitting there. How have I missed something so good for so long? read more

Our go to spot Creative amazing food with smart friendly service Genius bartender great happy hour Owner and Chef very attentive and fun read more

Love the ambiance, it's so elegant with the decorations and the atmosphere. Service is excellent, our waitress was attentive in refilling our drinks and if we need anything else. read more

The first thing I appreciated about the restaurant was the ambience: it's cozy, especially if you're seated in a booth. Though I'm not sure if Depot would be good as a date spot since most of the clientele were older folk. The hostess was friendly and attentive, so there's nothing more to be said on the quality of the service. The food however, did not quite suit my palate. I ordered the sand dab with pesto orzo and found it bland. I also had a few bites of the angel hair pasta, and in my opinion, nothing about either warranted a $30 price tag. There were a few strange items on the menu which conflicted with the... Italian theme of the restaurant? I hesitate to say Italian because of some dishes like the "kim chi rice" and bento box. I didn't order them so perhaps I'm out of my depth to comment, but to have a few outliers leaves an odd impression. It really surprises me how this place has four stars, and I'm being generous in my three star rating. read more

I recently enjoyed dinner at the Depot with a group of six guests to celebrate my wife's birthday. There is a wide selection of food choices on the menu. All seven of us enjoyed what we ordered. The food was perfectly prepared and delicious. The chosen dishes were mostly seafood but included one half chicken and one hamburger. The service was excellent also. The location in what was once the town's railroad station, a historical site, makes the visit especially interesting. read more

I haven't been here in a long time, but The Depot like Paradise (at Vermont & 190th), are staples on the biz lunch scene in the South Bay. I met a business associate who happens to know the owner Michael Schaefer. Michael also owns Buffalo Fire Department, a high-end burger place across the street. Both restaurants are at Cabrillo & Van Ness in Old Torrance. The Depot has numerous entrees, salads, and seafood ranging from the mid-teens to the low-twenties. I ordered the pan roasted bara (a mild whitefish) on a bed of brussel sprouts w/ bacon ($19.95). My associate ordered the sanddabs on risotto ($19.95 - sorry, no pic). Lunch comes with a large bread basket with flatbread, rolls, and zucchini bread. The bara was very good. It was a large piece of fish and it was cooked nicely. In addition, the brussel sprouts were also very good and there was a lot of bacon. The only downside was the brussel sprouts were overcooked: 4 Stars. My associate really like his sanddabs. He has ordered this dish before when we have eaten together, and he really likes The Depot's version: 4 Stars. Lastly, the bread was excellent. The flatbread had a nice flavor to it, and the zucchini bread was to die for. On the side was pesto butter as well as regular butter: 5 Stars. The ambiance is nice. As you walk in there is a bar directly ahead. The dining room has tables and a few booths: 4 Stars. The service was really good. Brittany was very friendly, and was able to answer questions on the menu. She refilled my water glass without asking, and was very proactive with other aspects of the meal. The only thing that prevents me from coming here on a more frequent basis is the prices. I don't spend the foregoing kind of prices on every day lunches that come out of my own pocket. However, for business lunches, I have no problem designating The Depot as one of my go-to place by my office. I can't wait to try BFD across the street too! read more

Depot Restaurant - Pan roasted bara on a bed of brussel sprouts & bacon ($19.95) - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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Nice place for lunch. Choice food. Excellent service. I met a few colleagues from Toyota and Herbalife here for a business lunch. The location is a hop skip and a jump away from the Honda corporate headquarters. The restaurant is located in a nighborhood kind of location. Ample parking with valet service. When we were ordering lunch, I was going to order a salad, but joked with the server telling him that I'd like to order Foie Gras (which wasn't on the menu and it was recently banned in CA). The server gave me an OK. The when ordering my main meal, I told the server I wanted the fish of the day topped wit Foie Gras (again joking). When he didn't ackowledge my joke, I asked him about it. To my surprise, the restaurant DID have foie gras, and I learned that the ban on it was lifted. Foie gras was on the secret menu for customers who knew about it. Laugh. It ended up that I did stick with my faux order, and I enjoyed every moment of it! The restaurant is kind of dark and has a 1970's decor. Service is very professional and efficient. Kudos to the owner/Chef who delivers a unique and original menu selection every day. Nice round of Japanese/Asian influenced items to the typical American burger and fries. Food Grade: B+/A- Service Grade: B+ Worth the Money Grade: B+ Overall Impression Grade: B+ read more

Depot Restaurant - Menu - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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3.5 stars. I guess it's some kind of Korean tradition to use your first paycheck from work on your parents. Hence, I bought dinner for my parents here recently per their suggestion. My favorite part about this place is the complimentary valet parking! That is unheard of in LA! I guess that's one good thing about Torrance. Depot has won a lot of awards as being the best place for a business lunch in Torrance for I think a few years now. The ambience is definitely on the nicer side, and it's very clean and pretty quiet, so I suppose it's ideal for business negotiations and such. The service here was superb! Our waitress was very friendly, cheerful, and brought us every little thing we needed. The head chef, Michael Shafer also came out to greet all the tables during our meal. But as for the food, I thought it was pretty good but not memorable. There's nothing that I ate that really caught my eye or tastebuds, and I'm not dying to go back. For appetizers, we shared the crispy tasters which was a sampler made up of thai bbq shrimp, chicken wontons, calamari, canton ribs, and seared tuna. I didn't particularly enjoy any of it except for the sauce on the ribs which was really yummy! For the entree, I had the bowtie pasta which had chicken and roasted corn in a chili creamy sauce. The pasta was just okay. I didn't eat much of it. I actually think the best part of the entire meal was the bread at the beginning! Their bread basket is huge and has so many different kinds of warm freshly baked breads. mmm :) They also had an excellent soup of the day which was a pumpkin corn soup I believe. Delicious!! My mom and I loved it! Overall, the dishes are pretty pricey. Next time (if there is a next time), I'll probably try one of their daily specials instead of getting a pasta. And hopefully they'll have that pumpkin soup again! read more

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I've been going to this restaurant periodically for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries and client meetings over the last two decades. Unfortunately, as much as I hate to say it, this may be the last time I'll be doing that. There is a general sense that service and the whole ambiance that existed is slowly becoming nonexistent. As an example, I ordered the steak that came with french fries, I expressed to the waiter that I would prefer to have veggies or another option but I was served french fries, no explanation, no care in at least apologizing for not even addressing why a change could not be made. In fact the waiter was totally ignorant to the request, I won't mention his name but didn't find him to be very busy to use his lack of care and attention to having too many tables. Had to use a butter knife to cut my steak if I didn't ask another employee to get me a steak knife. In fact this establishment use to be fully booked to capacity, no more than five or six tables were occupied. Also, the menu options have not changed much or at all over the last decade. That's my disappointing take on my very last visit to be! read more

Love eating at this place! The owner is so sweet and amazing and always comes around to see how you are doing either lunch or dinner time. He gets all his veggies from his farm in PV and his fish fresh at the market everyday and you can tell his fish is fresh I always order it everytime I go! The sandabs is my favorite with slosh instead of rice and it's so delicious! read more

My boss took me here for my one year anniversary lunch. It was my first time here and I thought it was great. I tried the salmon, which was cooked great and tasty. The bread they brought out in the beginning was also great. They had this flavored butter that went great with the Fresh bread. I also tried the ice cream sundae which was so delicious. There was 3 of us and we shared one dessert and it was plenty for us. Parking is valet only. (I think there might be street parking available but we just valeted the car). read more

Depot Restaurant - Salmon with green bean and dates - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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When I told my mom where I was going to dinner, she said, "You're going to Home Depot for dinner?!?" I really wanted to like this place. I'm all about supporting small/ family businesses, but this place seemed to fall short. The service was excellent with welcoming staff and a kid friendly environment for families. Our waiter was attentive and the head chef made an appearance multiple times to check on us. The food on the other hand fell short. I ordered the sand dabs as it was listed as a special, but it had no taste. The appetizer and dessert were just okay and forgettable. I would probably pass on a return visit. read more

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The Depot is excellent! Chef Michael puts a lot of pride in his dishes. I really enjoy their Sand Dabs and Risotto. Salads and soups are also a nice compliment...but I'm stuck on the sand dabs, and their bread basket. Everything is great, a must try! read more

This place was amazing. The ambiance was magnificent, and the staff very welcoming and kind. We were celebrating our 17 year wedding anniversary and they made it special. Our waitress Candy was sweet and attentive. Will def come again. Very classy establishment read more

Depot Restaurant - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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Elegant steak house/neighborhood joint kinda place. Very hidden in old town Torrance. The owner is the same as the firehouse grill? Next door. It's the more refine version. Apparently the burger joint is closed by he kept this restaurant. It's nice they have daily specials which shows sensitivity to seasonal faire. The waitress was very cool. We ordered the rock shrimp sausage that came with a cheese wonton. Very tasty. Thai style fried chicken and shrimp yummy and fusion flavor with mashed potato underneath Pan roasted sand dab with pesto orozco rice and capers something light on top and heavy on the bottom :) Side mac and cheese (they use penne pasta) and fries Dessert we had was their huge banana cream pie. Pile up of cream banana and raspberry. The pie is a chocolate tart. I do wish the chocolate was a mouse cuz their's dense chocolate. Nothing bad just my preference since the banana and cream is so rich. Kudos to their fryer because all the fried things are on point and crisp! Over all very large portions and fast service. Their cocktails are strong which is a plus. Will come back and bring friends for sure! read more

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Hosted a private birthday with 18 guests. Venue, food and service were fantastic- very accommodating. The evening felt very special and everyone had a great time. Highly recommend- especially for a private party. read more

This place is a hidden gem! The vibe is spot on and is a great place for date night - it's a converted train station. The staff is super friendly and the food is amazing! Literally, no matter what you order, you can't go wrong! The menu changes as well so that keeps things exciting :) The chef also goes around to greet people which is a nice touch. Oh and if you like Manhattans make sure you give there's a try! read more

All foods are good and it is German style restaurant and I highly recommend Price is about $20-30 I think it is good place for date too read more

Depot Restaurant - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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First time experienced with depot, good service and ambiance, ordered few drink and like them all

Indoor and outdoor dinning available. Ordered the cob salad and grilled prime flat iron steak with a side of mash. Perfectly cooked medium rare steak. No steak sauce needed. Huge portion on the Cob salad. My husband and I satisfied our palates. read more

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Service is always great and attentive here. Food never disappoints, ambience is great, plenty of parking outside and the owner always come and greet the tables. read more

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I found this place on apple maps. it was right next to the bowling alley i was going to. i was lured into going by the pictures listed on yelp. it looked like a fine dining spot and figured we should treat ourselves. Candice was our server, she provided exceptional hospitality and service. She made sure our drinks were never below half, answered all our questions including history of the establishment, and was very friendly! give her a raise ! read more

This Thanksgiving all of our family members were out of town so my wife and I decided to go out to dinner and we invited my brother. We haven't been to The Depot in years and decided to give it a try. My wife and brother ordered the Thanksgiving dinner, which they both enjoyed very much, I unfortunately ordered the ribeye steak and it was one of the worst steaks I've ever had. I ordered it medium rare and it was cooked correctly. The problem was the terrible cut of meat. It was a little over a half inch thick and it was full of gristle which made it almost impossible to eat. Our waitress never came to ask how our meal was so I just ate the side vegetables and potatoes, which were very good. I'm sorry but I could have probably had a better steak at Sizzler or Denny's. I've had ribeyes at all kinds of restaurants all across the country and this was the absolute worst. I don't complain about food very much, but this was very disappointing read more

There was no wait during the week for lunch, although I did see that they accept reservations. They bring out a huge basket of bread which I had to try not to eat it all but by far the best bread on the menu was the banana nut oh my goodness it was so good!! They also have these mozzarella croutons that they serve on the side of salads and some of the pastas it is to die for! please make sure you order it if you can. I got the shrimp and chicken salad that was a great combination I would definitely return. the parking in this area is pretty hit and miss so they offer complementary valet parking. it is easy to just drive by this place so make sure that you look for a restaurant. I hear it has been there for nearly 30 years. Lots of picture on the wall of famous patrons over the years. read more

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First time at Depot Restaurant. I was very delighted. The dinner I had was a symphony of flavors, which made the entire experience wonderful. The service was superior and the ambiance was excellent. I can see them getting a Michelen Star and becoming the premier restaurant of the South Bay. Go and enjoy. The food is spectacular, the ambiance is delightful, and believe it or not, you were not rushed through your meal which is a treat these days! Laura S. read more

Birthday dinner for my wife last night. Had an excellent meal. I had the "Big Cat Mix" which was steak, lamb chop and sausage with sides of fries, spinach. Very tasty. Couldn't finish it all. Nice ambience. Dimmed lighting. Comfortable seating. The restaurant was not too crowded, which surprised me for a Friday evening. Finished it off with am apple crunch topped with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream. read more

Depot Restaurant - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

Best meal I've had in a long time. The food was excellent. The restaurant & staff made us feel comfortable and safe by following all safety protocols. What an amazing experience. It was so great to be able to dine at the legendary Depot Restaurant. 100% recommend. read more

Excellent food and drinks! The bartender is always friendly and attentive! Great happy hour choices! Fun at the bar, romantic setting for dinner. Love this place! read more

Torrance Food Crawl #176 Very few of the customers at The Depot will remember the original railroad depot at this location. It was still active when my elementary school class back in the early 60s took a field trip to downtown Torrance and we were shown some of the very modest features of the small depot which by then didn't have much activity. After being closed for a number years Michael Franks and Robert Bell of Chez Melange fame were expanding their small restaurant empire and re-purposed the railroad depot as an upscale steakhouse restaurant with an eclectic collection of other dishes that added some modernity to the menu but maintained an old school look with a lot of dark wood and subdued lighting. Chef Michael Schaefer would eventually become the owner and the menu accordingly changed. Even though I've probably eaten here over a half-dozen times, the last time was probably close to 20 years ago so what I remember from then has been almost completely changed over. A late Monday lunch found the restaurant not very crowded. A large bread basket was provided with three types of bread, butter, and a green pesto butter. The breads were very different from one another, a flat bread (more like a thick fried tortilla), a sweet banana bread, and white bread rolls. The pesto butter was best used with the hard thick tortilla 'bread'. I went with the first listed item on the starter menu, Rock Shrimp Sausages, which are sausages with shrimp in a lamb casing, a couple chili-goat cheese wontons, and some mild garlic sauce. The sausages were a little on the sweet side and a nice start. The wontons added some variety but the sausages were the winner here. My lunchtime entree was the Debu-Chan Bento, which came with seared tuna, pan-roasted basa (a type of catfish), Thai BBQ shrimp, crispy calamari, and some greens. I was a little surprised that this item is not served with chop sticks and when I asked about getting some I found out that none were available; I think this was the first time I've ever had a bento box and used a fork. Bento boxes are nice because there is a nice sampling of different items. The best here was the calamari which were very fresh and had a very light and crispy bread coating. But almost everything was excellent. The seared tuna and BBQ shrimp were both very tasty. The basa fish, with a consistency similar to white fish, tasted fresh but was very simple in taste. The salad portion was also fresh with the best part being the soybean sprouts. Rice doesn't come with the bento box but can be ordered on the side if you want. (I looked up debu-chan and the best translation I could find was 'a chubby child' which is cute but its unclear to me the connection with this dish.) Historically Torrance has had few good upscale restaurants. Part of the reason for that is that the local community generally doesn't have the ability or willingness to spend more for their meals as well as a tendency for any progressive or modern premiere restaurant to locate in a more happening place other than fuddy-duddy Torrance. The Depot is now celebrating their 25th Anniversary so they've bucked the trend and hopefully will continue to do so. read more

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This restaurant is celebrating its 28th anniversary this year, yet Yelp has less than 400 reviews. Was actually going to another restaurant but could not find parking and while I was circling, I remembered this restaurant. Wasn't that hungry so we split the Big Cat Mix, which includes their rock shrimp sausage, a petite filet, stuffed lamb chops, wine sautéed shiitake mushrooms, sautéed spinach, a light sauerkraut, and fries... my only criticisms were that the sausage was a little salty and the fries should have been served separately, as the juices and sauces made them soggy. Otherwise it was a well executed meal. I will be back to dine here as the steak was flavorful and well prepared rare, the l a mb chops were excellent. The fact is, I had a bad experience here many years ago and stayed away, but I am glad I gave this place another try. It's not cheap nor is it expensive. Will be looking forward to many more meals here The owner/chef came by and greeted us and you can see why he is a great restauranteur. read more

Wonderful service, terrific food. Didn't disappoint! Our food was cooked to perfection! Loved the creme brûlée. We will definately be back! read more

We were there for a presentation so the dishes were selected by the sponsor. The food was OK , nothing special. Don't think I would pay much for a meal like theirs if I were to pay out of packet myself. The place reminded me of an OLD American pub. Good location n parking read more

We have eaten hear many times over the years but last Thursday was my first Holiday meal. We were seated as soon as we arrived for our reservation and served promptly. Two of our four person party ordered off the menu while the other two ordered the thanksgiving special. All meals were supreme but the thanksgiving feast was, undeniably, the best thanksgiving dinner I've ever had. The cornbread stuffing was both sweet and savory, the mashed potatoes were smooth, the yams were perfectly prepared; I'd like to know the trick. There were about 3 nicely sized slices of fresh turkey breast to bring this all together and fresh made cranberry sauce with a little zing. Topping it all was delicious gravy (I asked for extra since it went with everything). And for desserts were pumpkin pie (my wife's favorite) and a Pecan pie that was as good as I e ever had on my many trips to the south (that's a remarkable compliment since most California pecan pie is just a thin layer of pecans over gelatin). This was delectable! I think we'll be returning for Thanksgiving in the future and may try other holidays. And, as always, great and consistent staff service and a personal visit from the chef. read more

Depot Restaurant - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

The Depot is one of our go-to favorite restaurants. Chef Michael is a rock star in our book. We've been to cooking classes and events. The food is most always excellent. My favorite is always the Potato Crusted Salmon and I rarely waver. Hubby and guests have experimented with other selections and have not been disappointed. One friend even suggests, "next time, let's meet at The Depot." Well, okay, twist my arm. :) Just don't ask for the recipe for the banana bread. It is something to write home about, and a national security secret. Shhhh! read more

Came in last night for something sweet, left with diabetes! Kidding, but the chocolate ganache in the Banana Cream Pie is perfection. And Spencer's Hot Fudge Brownie has this cheesy whipped cream on top that alone can fill you up. Do not attempt to consume either one alone, or at least have a tall, cold glass of water close by. read more

Depot Restaurant - Banana Cream Pie - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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Excellent. Dined here 15 years ago and loved the food, returned yesterday and wondered why I have never made a review. We ordered the Tuna Tartar, Caesar Salad, Sesame Ahi with Fried Rice (Special) & Three little pigs (Sausage, pork belly, pork chop, lionaise potatoes, and red cabbage). Tuna Tartar was so tasty, the slaw complimented the Tuna. The Ceasar Salad had homemade croutons & Dressing, and I was able to get that with anchovies. The Ahi was so tender, and melted in my mouth, and that fried rice was amazing. The pork dish was very nice. Also, the service was awesome, and the presentation of the food was amazing. I will definitely be coming here again. Valet Parking. read more

Depot Restaurant - Sesame Ahi (Special today) - New American Near Me - Torrance, California

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We went to the Depot last night with a group of friends. We had cocktails in the bar while we waited for our group of 10 to gather. The bar service was fine and they made nice drinks. When we were ready to be seated the hostess seated us at a nice table. The restaurant was empty except for two other large tables of 8 or 10 . My wife and I shared a wedge salad and it was very good. Then I ordered the lamb chops and they were just ok but the garlic Mashed potatoes were not very good nor was the green beans. Very mediocre meal. My wife ordered the steak topped with Gorgonzola and it was also no great shakes. The service was good and the waitress was pleasant but I thought everything was just ok. Based on the lack of patrons in the restaurant, I get the feeling that others are feeling the same way. read more