I LOVE DAMA. If I could give this place more than five stars, I absolutely would. I've been coming…read morehere for the past six years, and it has truly become my favorite restaurant. From the exceptional food and drinks to the warm hospitality and beautiful location, every visit is a wonderful experience. the service is always welcoming and attentive. I've recommended DAMA to so many friends over the years, and it has become a favorite for them as well. It's rare to find a restaurant that maintains such a high standard year after year, but DAMA does exactly that. I truly love this place and can't recommend it enough. I have several favorite dishes and celebrated many birthdays here. Thank you for six incredible years--I look forward to many more.

Was brought here by a friend as they knew I was a foodie and wanted to show me their favorite tapas…read morespot Downtown in the Fashion Distric for an early birthday celebration. Cute building with lovely patio seating: from the trailing hanging pothos plants, Spanish tiles, to relaxing latin-house music the vibes were welcoming. I'm not much of a drinker though, when asked if I wanted to make my pina colada a "float" I thought incorrectly about ice cream. It was graciously explained that you take an additional shot of rum and float it on top of the drink or mix in to make it extra boozy. The pina colada is top notch they hollow out a real pineapple to make the drink and it's the size of your face! The watermelon cocktail was delicious and there is also a mezcal option. Tasted like if a watermelon aqua Fresca was combined with a margarita, there is a hint of salt that brings out the fruit sweetness. We special ordered a bunch of different proteins and vegetables at half portions to make a feast: Aguachile- Light refreshing starter, kanpachi perfectly marinated and great for the summer heat. Crispy potato- Phenomenally done fingerling potatoes. Whipped beans- Carnitas on top made this dish. Fried chicken tacos- Found the chicken slightly on the dry side, if there was a creamy/thicker sauce would be even better... nothing wrong with flavor, good mild heat. I did enjoy the fresh shredded cabbage and carrots, reminded me of bahn mi. Empanadas- Loved the acidity of the sauce that cut through the fattiness of the ground meat. Light shell. Crispy Squash flower- Delicate crunch, like an angelic version of a jalapeno popper. Lamb chops- Definition of "treat-yourself" luxurious meat lollipops. Celery salad- Simple dish but the lemon flavor and tartness really helped break up the richness of other dishes. Churros- Light crunch and small, petite dessert. The thin caramel sauce is addicting. Fine dining, for those special occasions or if you just want to splurge for a morale boost highly recommend this restaurant. Valet parking or park across the street or around the corner in a lot for $5-10.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I lived in this neighborhood. I couldn't help but think that if…read moreI still lived in the area, there's no doubt I would be hanging out here. The bartender was friendly, and my spouse and I really enjoyed stopping in for a drink before heading to dinner. The vibe is relaxed with a Latino influence, and I especially liked the open-air setting. We're definitely spoiled with the weather here in Southern California. They do serve food, but since we already had dinner plans, we didn't try any of it. So this review is strictly based on our experience stopping in for drinks.

Ok this isn't a totally realistic review because I ate here in a large group, right after the…read moreMexico-England World Cup game and Mexico lost. The restaurant was pretty dirty and the bathrooms were DISGUSTING. I had to beg a restaurant across the street to use their restroom. But, the food we ordered was mostly really good and the service was very friendly and accommodating. We even had a birthday cake with us and they offered to put it in their fridge for us and didn't charge us any extra for cake plates. We had a large group so we ordered some drinks and the giant sampler platters. Everything on them was really good except the chicken wings and pork belly were a little dry and nothing special. Pretty meh. But I loved everything else. The other thing that I don't personally love is that they have a have DJ playing music and talking as well as large tvs playing sports, so the restaurant is really loud. Like you can't hear the person right next to you. If that's your vibe, then check it out but I felt really overstimulated by the time we were done and couldn't wait to get out of there. I'm glad I got to try Escala but I don't know that I'd seek this place out again, unless it just happened to be convenient. Parking sucks in this area and there are so many amazing restaurants in K-town. I'd rather keep exploring.

Third time at Si!Mon and somehow this was my best meal yet. Sexy ambiance, delicious drinks, and…read moreevery single dish had its own personality. The grilled skirt steak, yuca fries with cilantro aioli, fried chicken (still thinking about it), kanpachi in banana leaf, and the LA Cesar were all fantastic. But the unexpected MVP? The tuna carpaccio on a yuca tostada. I could have ordered 10 and called it dinner. Add the coconut rice and a few cocktails (carajillo and FairPlay mezcal drink were our favs) with the girls and honestly... what more do you need? Si!MON, you've got me coming back for that fried chicken alone. And if you're going to get dessert the coconut flan doesn't disappoint

First timer recently and had a wonderful experience. Had a reservation and got seated right away by…read morefriendly staff. It is a tapas style place, so ordering many different plates is the way to go. It was so fun to share and try different things on the menu. Everything was so delicious, the seafood tasted very fresh. Our waiter was very attentive and sweet. Great date night spot as it has moody lighting and cozy seating. Would definitely go back!

I never write reviews, but I genuinely feel like I have to because I enjoyed this meal so much…read more Listen, this place took me to flavor town!! Everything was seasoned beautifully and cooked to perfection. The fish and oysters were fresh and the drinks were damn good. We also got the charred skirt steak with papas, and it was super tender and delicious. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a pic because we devoured it so fast. My only tiny critique is that the Kona Kanpachi could've used a little more flavor, but the fish was so fresh and vibrant that I didn't mind. Our server, Denise was super attentive and full of great recommendations! This was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time. I'll absolutely be back. Chef's kiss!!

My family and I decided to stop by Encanto Restaurant while in the area. We took a rideshare there…read more The restaurant is nice. It's has a large bar area with natural light that comes in through the windows. They also have a lot of seating. When we walked in we were greeted right away by the host. He asked if we had reservations. We replied with a no. He took a few minutes and the said that he could seat us. He took us to a booth in the corner and then told us that our waiter would be taking care of us soon. He asked us if we wanted anything to drink. We told him water and he brought us some water fairly quickly. Then another person showed up and he told us that they would take care of us the rest of the evening. Our waiter was very friendly and did an excellent job all evening. After looking at the menu we decided what we wanted. We started with the guacamole chips and salsa. The chips were okay. They were lightly seasoned with salt. The guacamole was fresh and the salsas were tasty. I preferred the green salsa as the red salsa was spicier. For my main meal I ordered the Quesadilla filled with skirt steak, pico, avocado, salsa, and crema. The quesadilla was delicious. I've never had a quesadilla like this. It was rolled up and looked like an egg roll. The steak was very tasty with a lot of flavor and the other ingredients were fresh. It was so good. For my side I ordered the rice and beans. The beans were good and had flavor. The rice was perfectly cooked. Combined the rice and beans had flavor and were very filling. Overall Encanto was a very nice restaurant. The bar area is large, the seating was comfortable, the service was very good and the food was delicious.

Food is so really tasty, the portions were enormous and the service is outstanding. The ambiance is…read moreno frills. Straight forward and to the point... excellent quality food. We went with the cheese bread and the mixed plate. You could have fed 4 grown men. This is where you appreciate true to ethnicity food. No messing...no pretending and no nonsense. I don't think I could have bought the ingredients, seasoned and cooked this for any less than what we paid. The table next to us ordered the fried fish...as full as I was...I wanted to taste that fish. La Finda Antioquena, thank you for a great experience. We will recommend this place and WE WILL DEFINITELY COME BACK. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

To begin the service is horrible. Nobody I mean we had two different people come up to our table…read moreand neither of them greeted us. The woman (Sandra) who came up to our table was to ask us to move to a smaller table. Mind you we sat there so we could watch the World Cup game as we waited and ate. She was so rude about it!!! Then the waiter to finally came to take our order was also rude. Didn't greet us, they lack manners. I liked one of the empanadas but they have a different name, other than that their food was bland tasteless. I came here with a Colombian friend who wanted to try Colombian food in LA she liked her plate but it was the most simple thing you could order, steak rice and beans. Would never go back here ever... oh also the place was filthy they should keep their tables and floors clean come on.

Came to this cozy spot for Dine LA Resturaunt week and this was the best deal so far! They offered…read morea 3 course meal for $25 for lunch. What I Ordered: Starter * Complimentary Fresh Bread and Chimichurri (spicy sauce yet perfect start) First Course (appetizer) * Curry Chicken Empeñada (flaky crust with savory sauce inside) 8/10 Second Course (main) * Pechugua Encobollado w/ Mashed Potatoes and Salad (seasoned very well and tasted fresh but chicken was a bit dry) 8/10 Third Course (desert) * Flan (burnt caramelized taste to a milky texture but paired well with the sweet dulce de leche sauce on top) 7/10 This place was great and efficient service from kind workers! Reasonably priced food with great flavor!

LALAs had us fooled at first bite and the service quickly followed…read more.. The very first thing our server asked wasn't what we wanted to drink or if we'd ever been there before--it was, "Are you guys here to watch the game?" We immediately told him, "No, we're here for the food." Looking back, that should've been the first warning sign. They brought out fresh bread with chimichurri, and honestly, it was delicious. It got us excited because we thought- maybe this place really did deserve the hype. That excitement lasted about five minutes. We asked our server what everyone comes here for, and without hesitation he said the skirt steak. Since we wanted to try their specialty- meats, we ordered the Plato Mixto, one of their premium platters. It came with skirt steak, New York steak, Argentine "Italian" sausage, half a chicken, and sweetbreads. It's already one of the most expensive items on the menu, yet they still upcharge an extra $4 per side, if you want one of the "premium" sides. At that price, you'd expect everything to be included and quality to be exceptional. For the sides, we chose the grilled veggies, which the server said included eggplant, zucchini, tomato, onions, mushrooms - basic veggie mix and LALAs Potatoes, described as "Mashed Potatoes & Carrots." We figured that meant mashed potatoes served with carrots, or maybe mashed potatoes with pieces of carrot mixed in. Instead, it was one orange puree--mashed potatoes blended together with carrots. No flavor. If that's what you're serving, just describe it that way. The menu there was very misleading. Then came the sweetbreads. We had to ask our server twice what they actually were because he couldn't explain it clearly. Eventually he described them as "lymph nodes." Whether that's technically accurate or not, that's probably not what anyone expects to hear after taking a bite. Then we actually started eating. The Argentine sausage had a strange, almost spoiled flavor. When we mentioned it, instead of acknowledging our concern, our server doubled down and told us it was supposed to taste "rancid." I've eaten authentic Argentine food before. This wasn't it. It tasted like bad meat. The steaks were no better. We ordered medium rare, but the skirt steak was practically purple raw in the middle. Beyond that, both steaks were unbelievably tough. Every bite was a workout. For a restaurant that's supposed to specialize in grilled meats, that's inexcusable. Very low quality red meat. The chicken didn't save the meal either. I've had incredible pollo a la brasa and grilled chicken from plenty of places. This wasn't even close. It was bland, dry, and completely forgettable. When our server came back and asked how everything was, we were honest. We told him we really weren't enjoying the food. Instead of apologizing, offering another option, or trying to make things right, he doubled down again. "That's my favorite thing on the menu." Okay...and? Then he told us to squeeze a bunch of lemon over everything and brought us what felt like half a bottle of Tabasco. Think about that for a second. If the solution to your signature meats is to drown them in lemon and hot sauce just to make them edible, that's not a customer problem--that's a kitchen problem. By that point, it all clicked. The first thing he cared about was whether we were there to watch the game. We told him we came for the food, but the entire experience felt like the food was an afterthought. The service wasn't interested in listening to our concerns, only defending them. This place may be great if you're looking for drinks, sports on TV, and somewhere to hang out. But if you're coming because you've heard this is the place for authentic Argentine meats, prepare to be disappointed. The meats were tough. The sausage tasted off. The menu descriptions were misleading. The service felt more like a used car salesman trying to convince us our experience was wrong than someone who genuinely cared whether we enjoyed our meal. I don't write reviews to tear places down. I write them to help other people spend their money wisely. In this case...save yours. There's far better places to try authentic Argentine cuisine, this is not it, would not return.

Amazing healthy delicious chicken ever!!!! It is for real. Wellmade chicken the top of the LA, I…read morebet. I love side dishes too. To dine in, it is hot with smoke. So it is good for togo. There are small parking space. Service is very fast. Reasonable price!!

I had heard so many good things about Pollo a la Brasa, so I finally decided to give it a try…read moretoday. Starting with the positives: the food is delicious. I ordered the quarter chicken with rice and salad, and I was really impressed with the portion sizes. Everything was flavorful, comforting, and gave me the kind of authentic Latin food vibes that I love. The sauce was definitely the highlight for me--it was so good that I found myself adding it to every bite. The prices are also fantastic. For the quality and quantity of food you get, this place is truly a gem. That said, there were a couple of downsides. The restaurant itself is very small, with limited seating available. The customer service also wasn't the best during my visit. Since the dining area was completely full when we arrived, we decided to place our order to go. While we were waiting for our food, a table opened up, so we asked if we could sit down and eat there instead. We were told that because we had ordered our food to go, we were not allowed to sit in the restaurant. I found that a bit disappointing, especially since we had already paid for the same food as everyone else dining in. Overall, the food was excellent and definitely the reason I would come back. If I'm in the area and craving their chicken, I'd absolutely return--just with different expectations regarding the seating situation and service.

Some meals feed you. This one converted us. We walked into…read moreThe Running Goose for an early lunch and left as devotees. Start with the "farm vegetables" carrots, yes, but carrots the way a poet means them. Sweet, blistered, singing. And then the aioli..... oh the aioli. I don't know what wizardry was in it and I've decided I don't want to. Some mysteries are better kept as mysteries you can drive back to. My wife and I looked at each other over that plate the way people do when they realize the afternoon has just changed shape. We are coming back for it. Every day. For the rest of our lives. Put a plaque on our table. .....The salmon belly burger was mine and I guarded it like family silver, rich, silky, the kind of fat that melts into everything around it. My wife had the smoked beet quesadilla, which arrived smelling like a good fire and tasted like someone had thought very hard about beets and finally gotten it right. She offered me a bite. She regretted offering me a bite...... And the owner served us himself. Warm, and present, the kind of host who tells you about a dish because he's proud of it, not because it's a script. That pride is all over the food. You can taste the years of devotion in it. Go. Sit down. Order the vegetables first. Let someone who cares about cooking feed you a real, considered, and generous plate. This is what a neighborhood restaurant is supposed to feel like.

What a great find in Hollywood…read more The Running Goose delivered from beginning to end. The kale salad was amazing, followed by the pork belly pincho with a beautiful char. The duck was exactly how I like it: crispy without being burnt and packed with flavor. And then there was the Gringo Burger for my gringa, which she loved. We finished with the Pavlova, which was the perfect ending. Great food, relaxed atmosphere, and the kind of place that makes you start thinking about what you'll order the next time before you've even left. We'll definitely be back.