Citizen Smith Restaurant

Born and raised in the Midwest I know a great steak when I taste one, and the filet mignon I had at Citizen Smith was thick, juicy, flavorful, and without doubt, a supurb cut of prime (properly aged) beef. Prepared exactly the way I ordered, along with the chef's marvelous wine reduction, it was a dinner I talked about for weeks. Our server helped me pair it with a wonderful cabernet and I was set. Our rather large party was seated outdoors in a booth configuration that allowed conversation to flow easily throughout the evening. Service was attentive throughout our stay; appetizers, cocktails and the main courses arrived with little wait as the restaurant was filled to capacity that evening. If visiting the LA area again, I'd definitely stop in again. Pros: Tender, aged, prime beef Cons: Perhaps a little too dark more

My finace and I ate at Citizen Smith for the first time Sat night and had the MOST TASTY dinner that I can remember in years!!! I had the lobster linguine; smothered in a flavorful fresh buttery sauce. It was heaven in my mouth. I was sad I couldn't finish the whole thing and lobster doesn't go home in a doggy bag well. So my boyfriend finished it for me, after licking his plate from his steak he had. Both of us were so funny, practically making love to our food at the table. People must have thought we were nuts but I don't think anyone noticed, it was so dark in there. Which made it that much cooler! A candlelit dinner was just what the doctor ordered. Citizen Smith was recommended by a friend and we are so glad we've found this gem. I highly recommend it to everyone! more

For such a controversial place I absolutely adored this restaurant!!!!! What a beautiful interior, attractive , friendly and courteous staff, and the food was incredible. No flavor?? You guys must be joking. My husband and I brought 2 very close friends from back east, we all loved the BBQ shrimp , the cedar plank salmon was cooked to perfectionj. My husband had the filet and remarked it was one of the best he'd had in LA. There was a pork chop special stuffed with smoked cheese and herbs that my best friend insisted we all try......fabulous. I'm so glad that we didn't pay any attention to some of these reviews (they seem almost vindictive) Do yourselves a favor and go to Citizen Smith you'll be glad you did. Pros: FOOD SERVICE AMBIENCE Cons: A LITTLE LOUD more

My friends were visiting here from Chicago and I'm from Arizona. We went to LA for a few days and wanted to eat at a great place. Citizen Smith was recommended to us. What a great place!!! The food was excellent and the atmosphere was so beautiful. I had the filet mignon and it was so good...it melted in my mouth. My friends all loved their meals. I can't wait to go back. more

I love the interior and think this is a great place to have drinks, but not so much to eat. I have eaten here a bunch because it is close to where I live. I have to say the only good things I have had were the sliders and the jalapeno mac n' cheese. All of the entrees were flavorless. I think I have had a better steak at Outback Steakhouse. It is suprising, actually. Please add some more variety to your menu and make the entrees you do have more flavorful! I really like going here and want to come back!!! Pros: Atmosphere Cons: Food and Service more

I should have read the reviews first. What a joke. The interior is super cool but the food was the worst. Flavorless ahi that was cold ( not sushi) potatoes that were watery and service that was slow and poor she barley came over to check on us. We should have walked out right when we came in and had to beg to be moved from being seated right next to the door and when we asked for a booth, the response was ""they are for larger parties than four"". While we were there two booths were empty, one had two people in it and the other had four. It was no surprise that when we left, the place was half empty on a Saturday night. If you want to cruise the Cahuenga scene - go for Popeye's first and then slink into the Burgundy Room, You won't be sorry - save the 350.00 for a spa treatment the next day. Pros: valet parking - cool interior Cons: bad food - bad service - weak wine list more

Out of the many places in the Hollywood/Los Angeles area to go out for dinner and cocktails, Citizen Smith has become my top restaurant of choice. This is my first review on citysearch. I starting using this service a while ago and am just now getting around to sharing my experiences of my favorite places in LA and wanted to start with Citizen Smith because it's my absolute favorite. I've had my last two birthday parties there and go at least once a month, which is a lot of me. The atmosphere has a romance of class and charm adorned with candles and gothic chandeliers and the staff is friendly and accommodating. Best of all and most important, the food is always excellent. Overall Citizen Smith has set a new standard in dining for me. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys an upbeat night out whether its shared with friends and family, clients, or a destination to wine and dine your significant other. It's layout can set a mood for any variety of motivation I might have for going out. My favorite is a comfy booth on the smoking patio. Thank you Citizen Smith for offering such a happy destination for me. Pros: Prompt service, Great food, Friendly staff, Cool doorguy Cons: Valet parking more

I had a reservation for 6 people this week and I decided to cancel based on the latest reviews on citysearch. In this day in age where there is so much competition in eateries you would think that the owners would step it up and make changes , especially if there is poor mangement and staff issues. more

The staff was not great. The food was average to below average. Pros: Decor Cons: Management, Staff & Food more

I made a reservation 2 weeks in advance and specifically requested a booth inside. When we got there (admittedly a little late) they took us to the outdoor patio and tried to seat is in the far corner basically next to the street. It was a cold night, and hardly any heat lamps...not to mention the patio is not attractive in any way. It's a gated in area in between two buildings and has no ambiance whatsoever. Just a space to squeeze in more business. Cons: awful service by GM, patio seating poor, not enough heat lamps, no ambience more

Even though my reservation was confirmed for a booth over the phone earlier, once we arrived and were seated and settled in, the hostess came and said we had been seated in the wrong spot. We told her we were quite settled in already, but felt obligated to move when she said the seat was meant for someone with a diability. Of course we wouldn't argue with this, we were moved into the noisy lounge area seating next to a giant, loud, wooden sliding door. Now, with horrible new seating arrangements we spent the next 15 minutes without a server. When I went out to meet a friend, I saw two girls just casually drinking drinks in our former booth. On our way out there was a party where no one in a wheelchair, like stated to us. Clearly they wanted to move us to accomadate someone else. Poor service and inconsiderate hosts ensure that no one in my party or business will be visiting again. more

I have been reading all the crazy reviews on this place since they opened and finally decided to check it out for myself. To my surprise, everything was almost perfect. From the ambience to the food, this is one restaurant that will not disapoint even the most picky restaurant-goer. Pros: Decor and Service Cons: Valets are idiots more

I went to Citizen Smith last night with a group of friends. This was my third time there. I was last there 6 months ago and was not that impressed. The service and food stunk, however this time was incredible- boy what a difference! We got there around 9:45 and the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for table and had a round of martini's at the bar. The bartenders and the hostess were very hospitiable and nice. We were led to our table around 10:00 and on the way we bumped into none other than MB20 singer- Rob Thomas and his wife Marisol- very cool! We were seated on the outdoor patio and the vibe was killer. Our waiter was very nice and on top of his game. He immediately told us the specials and got us a round of drinks. Pros: Ambience, food and service Cons: parking is too expensive, the place can get crowded more

Visited our aunt in L.A. and drove straight to Citizen Smith for a nightcap after an evening of flying from Reno-Tahoe. After getting back to her house, woke up the next morning and behold - noticed our luggage had been gone through and a Sony Playstation Portable inside a zipped bag, inside of a zipped suitcase was missing. After no calls back from the Valet service and one ""courtesy"" call from Citizen Smith, we ended up having to file a police report at the Hollywood station. Come to find out this isn't the first report they've received from the location. Valet parkers beware! Pros: Ambience hip Cons: Valets are theives! more

We stopped in on a Friday night without reservations and got sat about ten minutes later after grabbing a drink at the bar. The hostess was really friendly and quite beautiful, as is required for all hostesses in LA, right? We sat outside on the patio. Maybe I am biased because my friend and I are in the service industry, but it was obvious that the place was bumpin' and if our waiter took a couple extra seconds to come over, it was hardly noticed. I ordered the fried green tomatoes appetizer and my friend got the quesadilla. Both were excellent and very flavorful. For an entree I ordered the Flame Broiled Salmon - my friend got the shortribs. We ate every single delicious bite of both, even though we were pretty full from the appetizers - the portions are very generous. For dessert we got the truffle chocolate cake with creme fraiche and vanilla bean marshmallows...it was incredibly decadent and absolutely delicious. Service was quick, friendly and we didn't feel rushed. When I paid a compliment to the manager about our server, he was very gracious. And the bathroom attendants were nice. When you go out to eat with such good company you're bound to have a good time, but our experience at Citizen Smith was nothing short of fantastic. Thanks for the great meal. Pros: Service, ambience, food Cons: we walked, so I'm not sure if parking is bad...looked pretty crazy at the valet more

um, I'm not a food critic or anything, but i went here after work and our waitress told us they had some new menu items and recommended the (ohmygod) PANKO CRUSTED TUNA. sorry. am i drooling? ok. it's heaven on a plate. little crunchy on the outside, rare on the inside, with some crazy good avocado vinaigrette (?) and this interesting little salad thingy, and some potatoes which i could take or leave...but... ohmygodpankocrustedtuna. so yeah. recommended, folks (although i'll definitely get a reservation next time...at least if i go on friday). Pros: PANKOCRUSTEDTUNA, service, drinks Cons: crowded more

Went there on a Tuesday evening with some friends and saw the handsome Miles Mosely perform with his band. At first it was a little dark, but once we adjusted it was okay. The decor is beautiful, they have two bars, and our bartender Brad was amazing--remembered our names, our drinks and everyone else's while dancing up a storm to the live music. We had a great time and even ventured to try some of the tuna tartar & pizza...and mojitos. it was a little weird to eat in the middle of the jazz crowd but the vibe was really chill. Overall, I'd say I highly recommend for a night out. Pros: Music, Service, Ambience, Food Cons: Dark more

Run from this place as fast as you can. First and foremost I'm FINALLY getting over my - what doctors called - food posioning from this place. I had heard about Citizen Smith from a few friends who had been and had OK (at best) experiences. They told me it was overpriced, food was bland and the drinks beyond overpriced. I'm one to try things myself - mistakenly. I went there with three friends, was totally hassled by this moronic, overweight black bouncer at the door. He questioned why we were there (umm, gee i duno sir - why would we be entering a restaurant!). We were seated after a little wait (even with reservations!) and then escprted to a too small table. Even having a name here doesn't help as my somewhat high profile friend's assistant was the one who made the reservation. After a round of drinks I was ready to take out a loan - overpriced and overwatered. Hey bartender - how about learning to mix properly if you are going to plan to pay off your condo with our bill! The food was - as suspected - bland bland bland. I'll spare you the rest of the night's experience as it was dull thanks to the attitude of the staff. Our mornic bouncer made an appearance again seemlingly causing some issues at the door - good to see it wasn't just us. Bottom line is that with in hours of returning to home I started to ""expell"" (and other fun stuff). Wound up going to the doctor on Wednesday AM - proclaiming it was food posioning. Rock on! LA CITIZENS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED - AVOID THIS PLACE! Pros: Location Cons: Everything else - and I mean it! I got sick from this place. Staff has attitude galore. more

Was in Citizen Smith recently and after reading all the stupid reviews here all I can say is if you don't like the place then do the rest of us a favor and stay home! The mussels were spectacular, the service great and I was treated like royalty. My friends & I stayed for dinner & drinks & had a ball! Pros: food, decor Cons: valet more

I have been there for dinner on ""off"" nights (like random Mondays when not crowded) and just drinks on ""on"" nights like the weekend- & all of my experiences have been great. The hostess did take a long time to seat us, but after reading the reviews, I don't take it personally. We were given a complimentary appetizer, & our waiter was great (& adorable) & more then made up for the hostess. I liked the food & ate all of it, but I am not a food snob. For drinking nights, it is crowded & fun & you can usually always just walk in. Drinks are priced for LA, & there is a good vibe. The atmosphere is a little more lax & comfortable than lounges or clubs in Hollywood, but still cool- & that's why I like this place. Pros: Not pretentious Cons: Some people like pretentious more