Citizen Smith Restaurant

I have visited this place a few times in the past and sat at the bar with girlfriends. We usually ordered apps, but I had never eaten dinner here until recently. I made a reservation (since the reviews said I ought to) and when I got there we were told our table would be ready in ten more minutes. We were fine with the wait but even so the manager, bought us a drink as apology, which was appreciated. Our server's name was Melaina and although she appeared to be busy she made it to our table just enough and not too much, if that makes sense...the group of girls I was with are EXTREMELY picky, but Melaina seemed non-plussed by the demands. I ordered the BBQ shrimp, since it is my favorite app. It was great, as usual, but I must add that the name does not warn you how spicy it is. For dinner I ordered filet mignon and substituted the smashed peas with esparagus. I am a steak girl, to be honest, so I tend to order the same thing where ever I go. You would be amazed how easy it is to screw up steak. I was pleasantly surprised because I had read reviews that the steak was average at best, it was perfectly cooked. Medium rare to perfection! I only asked my friends to my right and left ,because I really was with a big group of girls, how their food was. My friend to my right loved her chicken and waffles, which I thought was a funny combination. My friend to my left ordered the summer salad (it might be called spring..can't remember) and she loved this salad a great deal. For desert we ordered one of everything, since it was someone's birthday. I only tried the chocolate cake and the sorbet. The sorbet was sorbet...can't really screw with that. The cake was really good and I am not a chocolate fan. It was not heavy at all... I was told it is flourless. Overall, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for dinner or for a fun place to hang out with friends for drinks! Last but not least, the decor is really lavish!!! Exposed brick, mirrors, candles..gorgeous!!! Pros: Beautful place, great food, good service Cons: does get a bit too loud after dinner... more

so i picked this restaurant for a business diner... we had to wait 15 - 20 minutes to get a waiter. more

This place is SO cool!! I loved the music and the vibe, but I was even more impressed when the food came... We ordered a table full of appetizers and everything was so good!! We got the Nachos, which is more like a big flat mexican crispy pizza, Onion Ring Tower, Chicken Strips, Sliders Hamburgers, and last but certainly not least, the tastiest Macaroni and Cheese I have ever had... I will definitely be back!! Pros: GREAT FOOD more

The BEST food, atmosphere, music and ambience EVER!!! Very friendly staff, melt in your mouth filet, awesome Citrus Shrimop, and the best Mac'n'cheeze I have ever eaten (I add bacon, it is to DIE for!!)!! Great DJ's, playing rock'n'roll music, but quiet enough that you can actually have a conversation... I have celebrated my birthday at Citizen Smith for the last 2 years... My absolute favorite restaurant!! Great bar and hang out spot as well... 10 stars Pros: Food, Service, Decor, Ambience, Music, Great bartenders and drinks!!! Cons: That my waistline cant afford to eat the mac'n'cheese everyday!! more

Citizen Smith is a rather trendy restaurant with a classy, gothic vibe. The interior is filled with dark woods, wrought iron details, leather booths accented with pony-hair wall coverings, chandeliers, mirrors- it's quite a visual extravaganza, yet somehow seems to work all together. The two main focal points appear to be the impressive and well-stocked bar and the glass back wall which opens into a lovely patio. I had been here when it first opened, and liked the general vibe but was a bit turned off by the crazy trendy crowds and the ""too cool for school"" attitude conveyed by the servers. They specialized in comfort food, and that hasn't changed. It's been a few years and I decided to give it another try for lunch. We were immediately greeted when we entered - it had just opened for lunch so there were no other patrons. They seem to be reorganizing their menu/wine list/staff so there were some hiccups in service (but no attitude). The sommelier was lovely and I settled on his recommendation (Conumdrum), a pleasant white table wine with a lovely floral bouquet. Our group had the following: house salad - simple, fresh, mesculun greens with plump sweet tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette; fried chicken skewers - 4 large chicken tenders - very juicy, but a bit large - good for sharing; jalapeno mac & cheese - good; nice baked bread crumb topping. perhaps i like things too spicy, but i wished it were a little spicier; chinese chicken salad - my friend liked it; chopped cobb salad - again my friend liked it, but i wasn't that tempted. Overall we enjoyed it and would definitely come back to try for dinner. They have very interesting cocktails on the menu so i'm sure it'll be a fun experiment. Service does need to get more polished (not sure why, but our server seemed really nervous ... maybe he was new on the job...) Pros: Great Interior; Good wine recommendations Cons: Nervous, choppy service more

I agree with the reviewer below, the place gets a tottally undeserved bad rap. WTF? It is without a doubt, the most gorgeous space PERIOD in the entire hollywood area, the staff is sultry and polite, the food is great and they throw a great party. Thank god the management understands how to create a good vibe, because it would be easy to ruin it with top 40 nonsense. there is no where else i know of in LA that is like it. You can chill in a uber romantic atmosphere, listen to timeless music, eat and drink yourself silly, and all without the pretense of the other unjustifiably snooty, characterless shitholes in the area. They have gone through some ups and downs since opening i hear, but the basic package is unbeatable and seems to be getting better every time i go there. more

I don't know why this place gets bad reviews! I haven't tried the whole menu but their burgers and steak are alone worth the visit! Then there's the music. It's always perfect! Chill on Sunday nights, rocking on Thurs-Sat night -- perfect. Pros: Great music and ambiance. Their burgers are excellent. Cons: It does get a little loud so it's not the place to whisper sweet nothings to your significant other more

I was at Citizen for a closed event and liked the space and the tray service so I opted to take some friends there for dinner and drinks. Although the music was a bit loud at times, I found the dim lighting to be mood setting and the food was as good as I remember. I had a great female server that was really sweet and attentive and had no problems with the bar. Really, aside from the fact that the booth we sat in was hard to get in and out of, we had a great time and although I have read mixed reviews on the place I have to say that I really enjoyed myself and would highly recommend this restaurant to my friends. I would, however, deter older guests from going too late unless you request being seated on the patio, which was well heated and charming. One of my friends is a smoker and we loved all the candles and the fact that we were in a tent. VERY ROMANTIC and the music is not really heard as much here. Also, really recommend the shrimp. It was glazed in a sweet sauce and I think it was an appetizer, but I ordered as a meal with a salad! Really great! Will visit again soon! Pros: Ambience, food, music Cons: the music was a bit loud, booths a little hard to get in and out of more

Ever since this place opened, I've been reading glowing reviews about it. I finally decided to try it out this past weekend and it was DISAPPOINTING. We were seated in a corner by the kitchen when there was room all around the main dining area, our server took a good 20 minutes before coming to greet us, the ENTIRE staff (I'm talking hostess, servers, DJ, bartender, and MANAGERS) were gathered near our table talking about some personal drama. I ordered the Mahi Mahi (and was not asked how I would like it cooked), needless to say, it came out dry and the spinach and fingerling potatoes came out on the bitter side. I should also mention that their steak was not anything to cheer about either. I can't say too much about the decor as the restaurant was so dark, it was hard enough to see the food in front of me! We really couldn't get out of the place fast enough. Again... totally disappointed... Cons: Service more

Been here a few times and it's usually pretty busy. Yes, the mac-and-cheese is good (you can get it w/ or w/o jalapeno) and the entrees are what i call upscale comfort classics. The loungey music is courtesy of the iBook DJ near the bar and you can usually spot a few cougars in the crowd. The lighting is VERY dim, but you can tell the decor is really cool -- vaulted ceilings, cool wall treatments and lots of mirrors and chandeliers. Worth checking out at least once. Pros: most of the food Cons: crowded, need a rez usually more

We went last Sat. night before going to the theater, we had 6:00 pm reservations. We arrived at 6:05 and the hostess was chatting with a lady, and after a few minutes, sat her at a table. She then disapeared for a full 5 minutes leaving me standing there. The place was virtually empty with only one booth and several bar seats occupied. more

My husband and I recently celebrated our anniversary and we chose to start the evening with dinner at Citizen Smith based on a review a friend had given us. We did not make a reservation and were able to walk right in, which was nice. Also, when asked if we had been there before we told the hostess we had not and that we were there for our anniversary. Perhaps, because we told her why we were there or perhaps because we just had good timing, we were given a booth in a quiet corner. The ambience was very romantic with lots of candles and dark furniture. Actually, when my husband and I walked in we were incredibly impressed by the decor! It really is very beautiful. Pros: ambience is fantastic and the food is delicious! Cons: the valet took a little too long, but there is a parking lot across the street that is less expensive and very close. more

Went to Citizen Smith for dinner with my girls last Saturday night. First of all, the inside of the restaurant was sultry! I would use another 's' word, but this site won't let me! The food was perfect and the waiter was HOT! Which is always a plus! We had such a brilliant time that we ended up heading to the bar after dinner to hang out. A DJ, don't know his name, was rocking out and the bartender, also very hot, recommended a martini I had never had called a lychee martini, I think that's how its spelled, it was perfect! Everyone there, patron wise, was cool. Did not feel pretentious at all. Ended up staying almost the whole night singing and laughing. The door guy....I think his name was Austin, was so nice. He remembered our names and invited us back! Very rad. I highly recommend this place for dinner and for atmosphere. The place is a little dark, using primarily candle light for lighting, but it only added to the mood and atmosphere and the music was rockin'! Had a great time and will definitely frequent Citizen! Pros: Ambience, great food, great cocktails! Cons: valet is expensive and a little slow. more

We went to Citizen Smith for a friend's birthday. We were seated on the outside patio, but in the corner next to either the dumpster or storage section. It smelled very bad - like bleach, but the staff brought out some incense to cover the smell. more

After several failed attempts to B&T it, and my open table account under probation.... for cancellations.. this is how it went... I changed my reservation twice during prime time on a saturday night, they were very accomodating and did so with out hoop lah, the door man was charming and funny, the hostess was quick on her feet and with her smile we were seating right away and our server was there when we needed him.... changed my drink because a rob roy in their system is really a roy rogers..., the rice and peas (risotto), and jalepeno mac and cheese, both were delicious as was my friend's mahi mahi, a rec from the server.... the drink was pretty stiff...., great decor, industrial/vintage feel high ceilings... cow hide wall paper once you see it you'll understand..... not crowded at all... two entrees two appettizers, two drinks, all under a 100 bucks on cahuenga in LA/Hollywood..... not too shabby....Like it, I may see it once a month.... Gotta to go at least once.... more

I made a reservation for a Saturday night for my 6 girlfriends and I and the minute we walked into the restaurant we were impressed with the decor. Very lush. We were seated in a booth that put us right in the mix of the restaurant, yet we could still hear eachother and did not feel drowned out by the crowd or music. I hear the restaurant is under new ownership and it shows. Very attentive service, great food and the GM came by our table several times to tell us about the new menu and drinks! We ended up spending two hours just eating our way through the menu. After dinner the place had picked up so much that we paid our tab and went over to the bar instead of going elsewhere as we had planned! Overall, highly recommend for anyone who is looking for a fun night out. Pros: Ambience, food and music. Cons: Valet parking almost a must more

For my boyfriend's birthday we decided to dine @ Citizen Smith. Our group consisted of 8 of us. The server was kind and attentive. Patient to explain our queries about the menu ( as a server should but he was just nice) One of our friends brought 2 bottles of a Syrah blend and a fabulous Pinot Noir. Normally the corkage fee is $25....the sweetie pie server waived the fee because we explained we were all servers now or at another time and would hook him up. He DID and WE did. I believe everyone enjoyed their meals.... cocktails were good, appetizers as well. Mac and cheese was definitely cheesy (in a good way) We sat outside and they had heat lamps made available as it was a chilly night in april. Overall great experience and I would suggest for a date night if not a large group which they accommodated for us. Make a reservation though. more

The first time my girlfriend and I went the service was nice and we thought it was fine so we figued we would return with some friends. Things were different and strange. We are not quibblers about price but the wine list was minimal and expensive. The food was also minimal and expensive. Bread usually a free treat was not and we later found out the bottled water was ten bucks a pop...needless to say I got even by keeping the bottle. The waitess was nice and was trying-she worked to get the broken speakers to not sound like the boom box junk they were-funny how in a town that is about sight and sound music is usually just LOUD. Pros: Nice place with promise Cons: Nice place but no direction, pricey. more

I work in the neighborhood and had never even realized Citizen Smith was practically next door--it's all curtained, no signs (guess that's Hollywood for ya), never saw anyone go in or out during the day. Anyway, my friend from work suggested we try it out one evening and--to my surprise--not what I expected at all! I'd heard of a crazy club vibe, hollywood types sliming up every corner (and, to be fair, there was one table that looked a little ""Entourage-y""), rude service staff, etc. What I found, in fact, was a *Restaurant*. Neat! We got real entrees (my blackened catfish special was divine), a nice Malbec for the table, and a bright unpretentious server who managed to make it happen without passing out headshots (I know...weird). There were some model-esque bartenders doing their thing, of course. Can't believe a place like this is tucked away right under my nose. All in all I had a pretty good time. My only wish is that the DJ would calm down a little--he was all over the place. Pros: comfortable, good service, food Cons: dj random, parking more

I use to go to Citizen Smith when it was popular and liked that it was buzzy and found fun in the mac and cheese. Seemed to be a thing at the time--all this fun comfort food. more