Larkin's

Don't understand why people like this place. I should give it a second chance, but do I wanna'? more

We were at Larkins on a Friday night, and it wasn't crowded, service was excellent, and the food was divine. The side dishes are incredible - we had greens, red beans/rice, and the mac n' cheese. Waiters were attentive and made good recommendations. We'll be back! Pros: Amazing side dishes, good BBQ Cons: parking (try the side streets) more

Decent food and cute surroundings but a really strange operation, and finding a place to park is like taking a walk on the wiid side. No parking lot to speak of, and if you miss your chance on the on the crazy busy curve out front, you're in for an unexpected adventure -- there's no U-turn anytime soon and if you make the next right, it's off on a trip to the moon. Prices are just weird -- at brunch, $12 for an a la carte egg dish, $4 for lemonade; $5 for a smallish side bowl of grits or potatoes, but only $3 for bacon. What could be cheaper wholesale than those two starches (even if you throw in bacon bits, butter and some imagination, way overpriced). Piece de resistance: waiter told us upon presenting the check that it was CASH ONLY (ATM available). Apparently there's a little sign on the door that says so, but since the customer ahead of us kindly held that door open for us to enter, we had no clue. No Amex is one annoying thing, but no credit cards AT ALL and $5 for grits? Hard to swallow and no booze to help. What planet?\r Pros: Interesting recipes Cons: Just about everything else for my dollar more

I had a party of 15 and called left voice mail and emailed them to reserve the patio. I got an email saying no problem. I told them it was after my 5 year old's baptism. Then I emailed them a few days later and said what would happen if I have 18-20 people. I never heard back. I tried calling-- no answer. No emails. The owner was one of our servers. Here is how the emails went down: FROM ME: We want to take about 15 people to your brunch Sunday. My friend is the host. We have both been to Larkins before and love it. We are looking for outside space or possibly a room to reserve. what is possible? Also, do you have kids menus? FROM LARKINS: We would love to have you guys. We have our outdoor garden patio which is a perfect spot to have Sunday Brunch... Our semi-private dining room accommodates up to 12 people only. We can put you inside at one table but would be around other tables. So there you have it, it is all up to you. We do not have a kids menu. FROM ME: Hi— so I would like to confirm the patio for 15 people Sunday, at 11:30am for brunch. Please email me back that you received this.... FROM LARKINS: Got it, See you Sunday. FROM ME: Hi- what happens if we have 15-20 people? Are we still good to go in that patio area? It’s for after a Christening. FROM LARKINS: (no reply) FROM ME: Hi- I’m not sure who this is directed to. But I just wanted to tell you how the internet can destroy a restaurant. I must say everyone in my party was Yelping about the worst restaurant experience of their lives. It’s so sad that my son’s baptism is overshadowed by the disaster that happened Sunday. You made a big mistake. You knew we were coming. You helped others in the restaurant before helping us. We waited 45 minutes for coffee (we timed it) and 1.5 hours for our food. I NEVER got my food at all. I was told “It’s coming” and nothing. I just ate someone’s grits then picked something up on my way home. I have never seen my son so hungry when there was nothing I could do about it. He was fetal in my arms whining how starving he was. You have no idea unless you have kids how painful that is. We were told there was nothing that could be done. Not enough clean glasses. Do you not have glasses for capacity? People were being served before us because their order “was easy”. I am so sad that a restaurant I wanted to support failed so miserably. I had bad service when I went sometime last year and I chalked it up to you just getting started. I would have never thought it would be this bad. BTW, I never did get a reply to my last email about more people or a return call when I left a voice mail. I am 47 and from New Orleans and have been going to restaurants all my life and I have got to say, hands down, this was the worst experience of my life. That is saying a lot. FROM LARKINS: Just thought I would take some of my time to respond to your e-mail. Parties of more than 15 usually pay a fee to reserve a special section of our restaurant.(This helps large parties to have a smooth pleasent time, it allows us to have a designated person for your party.) I think your final count was 23. That being said, my staff attempted to accommodate your party to the best of our ability. It seems that Chuck E. Cheese would have better served you and your children on your special day. Sorry your experiance was so horrible. Hopefully you can concentrate on the positive of the day and not the negative. Our restaurant is not a fit for everyone, as it was not for you and your family. Hope your future dining experiences are more enjoyable elsewhere. -Larkin Pros: great concept Cons: not too bright with getting it together more

Parking was a joke on the little side street. The lot in back has four spaces that were probably taken by the waiters. I asked a waiter, who was on the porch, ""Hi, we're here for brunch. It's our first time. Do we check in with you?"" He could not have been more hostile,""Do you have reservations?"", he scowled, hopefully assuming we were a big party and could be turned away. "" When I called, they said we could just walk in"". There were only four of us. Visibly disappointed, he muttered for us to follow him in and then just left us standing in the dining room until someone else told us to take one of the available tables. My wife saw the first waiter spying angrily from behind a curtain in the back that he quickly closed when caught. ""I'll try to find you some menus"", the second waiter offered bitterly before he too became lost. What seemed like days passed, actually 15 minutes, when he came rushing by again, I asked through parched lips, ""Can we see a menu please?"". "" I told you, I'll try to find them."" I told you? I told you? Surely my hearing was also going haywire. A waiter would never say"" I told you"", would they? Another 15 minutes waiting for iced tea in (who cares now) Mason jars. Then the long march waiting for the food. By the way, Mr Joshua, I saw no art, no charm, and certainly no quaint craftsman experience. Only disdain, disregard. disrespect, and a hostile vibe. Before I could lose my mind and voice, we decided to cut our losses and leave, long before the food arrived. Another seemingly good idea gone very wrong. Happy Ending! We had a lovely brunch at The Castaways in Burbank. I highly recommend their vibe. Pros: nothing Cons: everything more

We ate here last weekend and had an amazing time. The restaurant is small so you may have to wait. Great service and I will be back for the fried chicken it was delicious. My husband had the jumbalya and wouldn't share. Great staff- Great food-Great prices. Who new this little gem was hiding in Eagle Rock. Cons: no reservations more

I went to Larkin's last Saturday and I loved the fried chicken, it was perfectly seasoned and crispy. The cornbread, mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes and gravey were all delicious. I also loved the complimentary black eyed pea dip. Everytyhing had plenty of flavor. The service was a little slow but I didn't mind because the food was satisfying. Know before hand that they close somewhere between 3 and 5. Also, they dont serve regular fountain drinks like pepsi and coke. I loved the decor, it was pretty original ( stained glass, ""woodsy"" feel, picnic tables as out door seating). The online menu is a bit different and should be updated. The quality of the food outwayed all the negative things for me thats why i give them 5. Nevertheless, I would go back and even recommend to a friend. Pros: excellent food, cute decor, and not busy location. Cons: low on staff, slightly slow service. No common soft drinks. more

I've been here twice and can't wait to bring more friends. This resturant is in a great Craftsman style house and the food was amazing! I recomend the fried chicken! It melts in your mouth, the blue cheese wedge was also worth having then have the banana pudding for desert. The crowd is young, cool and hip. They have a great patio. The staff was friendly and fun! Pros: Great food, Friendly Staff Cons: Don't take reservations for less than 6 people. Its first come first serve more

We are ""regulars"" at Larkin's and have been since December '07. This place is great and although, yes, I agree that parking is difficult and the wait is long if you don't have a reservation - it is so worth it! We've never been disappointed with the service, always with a smile and always accomodating. The food is delish! Our favorites are either the Jambalaya or the Red Snapper - the collard greens, mac n' cheese - and of course ALL of their desserts. We've hosted several little parties and Joshua has been great in helping me get everything together and pulling it off effortlestly. I can't say enough great things about Larkin's - yes, it has room for improvement - but nothing like what's been described in the other reviews. It's a great small restaurant, with a small restaurant feel and awesome home styled cooking. Not soul food, not California cuisine - just great food. Pros: Great service and food - Homey ambience with excellent decor Cons: Parking more

I read the variety of reviews and have frequented Larkin's three times and had impeccable service with a smile and the food was also tasty and flavorable. I have been twice for lunch and once at dinner and due to the popularity of the place, I recommend having dinner between 6pm-7pm because anything after 7pm will require a wait.\r \r I like the hot link corn dogs, the killer black eyed pea salsa and the mac and cheese creation is sinful. The po-boy sandwiches are also great and I especially like the idea of being able to bring my own bottle of wine, how lovely. As for the parking, stop complaining folks as that is becoming the norm in this lovely city and it is only going to get worse.\r \r Just walk or park across the street or for those who did not know, there are about four more spots in the back of the restaurant if you bothered to look.\r \r Glad to see Larkin's is in the community and looking forward to going back again and again and again :) Pros: Nicely decorated, affordable and fun Cons: No white meat chicken :-( more

I had an opportunity to dine at Larkins last week. I pulled the menu online but was looking forward to their ""fine"" soul food Cuisine. The service was adequate- smiley faces but unable to accurately list the ingredients in the veggie sausage. The Sunday Brunch menu was quite limited.The scrambled eggs was well seasoned but not tasty. ( that should speak volumes) The pancakes was too sweet. It would send someone into a diabetic coma. I was not impressed at all. Leaves much to be desired : ( more

I went to Larkin's with my boyfriend and his parents and we were all disappointed. We were told our wait would be 30 minutes but the wait ended up being over an hour. During that time, we saw many tables that could have been seated sit uncleared by the bus boy. That was strike one. Strike two was when we asked our waitress if we could have another cup of the bean salad with pita they serve before the meal. (its the equivalent of chips and salsa at a mexican restaurant) Our waitress told us that she would ""Have to ask"" if she could give us more. We all thought that was pretty weird - to have to ask to serve FOOD at a RESTAURANT - and needless to say, she never gave us more, or said anything more about it - she just ignored our request. When the food came, my boyfriend scalded his hand because the waitress didn't bother to tell him that his dish had just come out of the oven. I got the fried chicken, which was fine, but they dont serve any chicken breasts, only dark meat - shocking considering it $15 - and the presentation was non-existent. It was like they had just thrown three pieces of chicken on a plate with a lump of potatoes. Mac and Cheese was also nothing special - I could do better with a box of shells and cheese or a trip to The Cheesecake Factory.\r The whole service gives the feeling of being amature, run on a shoestring budget, and trying pass as something much nicer than it is. Pros: decor is cute Cons: Slow, inattentive service, long waits, over priced more

The little space is adorable, the service is great and, oh yeah, the food is tasty! I can't wait to go back. more

The little space is adorable, the service is great and, oh yeah, the food is tasty! I can't wait to go back. more

Good food, friendly and very helpful waiting staff. I loved the mac & cheese !! I thought the much acclaimed fried chicken was ok, not great. It is however very well prepared. I'm looking forward to going back for Larkins specials and brunch. Pros: Soul food with less guilt Cons: Small space so you may have to wait to be seated more

This place is terribly over priced with horrible service, its impossible to park, and they only do take out orders if they feel like it. $15 for fried chicken! Don't bother going here. more

Tonight we ordered takeout from Larkin's. Every time I've driven by, it seems as though the restaurant is full of customers and features a sign out front that says ""Food for the Soul"". \r We reviewed the menu online and placed our order for fried chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, greens, corn on the cob, mac and cheese, jambalaya, and banana pudding. A veritable southern feast that had my mouth watering.\r Well, in a nutshell, Larkin's ""Soul Food"" really fell short of expectation. I've had some incredible soul food and the food at Larkin's made me feel as though the chef didn't taste his/her food as they cooked it. The chicken was...ok. Tasted like it could have been made at home, which is to say that it was average, flour dredged chicken that was not properly fried as the grease was pooling around the slightly soggy-crusted chicken...at least they seasoned the flour prior to frying. The garlic mashed potato had a strange grey tinge and gummy texture. They were the very worst garlic mashed potatoes I've ever eaten.\r My husband ordered Jambalaya, which was overflowing with the grease from the sausages they used in the stew. One bite of the Jambalaya revealed that they used way too much spice, the kind that hits you right at the beginning of the bite instead of the more subtle, after 3 bite heat that you enjoy in a spicy dish. It was almost inedible with the amount of spice that they had in the dish. \r The mac and cheese? My toddler wouldn't even eat it. It was flavorless, gummy and globby. The corn on the cob was good...perhaps not $5 per ear good but was the best thing I ordered. I didn't even touch the greens. I figured, well, at least there's dessert...who knew you could mess up banana pudding? It was sweet, with bananas and Nilla wafers but the banana pudding was a sludgy mess that never quite came together. It was more of banana mikshake with bananas and wafers. It tasted good but the consistency of the pudding was of a thick sauce. 2 stars... Pros: nice decor Cons: overpriced, underwhelming food more

This place is by far one of my favorite hidaways in Los Angeles. The food, the ambiance, the staff, are all working in this little house in Eagle Rock. Don't go if you can't leave your attitude at home. This is a place to sit and enjoy eating. Not a place to be ""seen"". I love, love,love it! It is not a place for the snob or the know-it-all. I took my friends, and its the next best thing to having people over at your own home. There is a wait on the weekend and some adults seem to have temper tantrums because they have to wait, I think I learned how to wait in line in Pre-school, I happened to witness one on a visit. The food is good and I and most of my friends are making this one of our montly stops, if not weekly. You can tell the food is made with love and the owners care about every detail. It is not the usuall cookie cutter foodie eatery. I hope it doesn't change. Pros: Almost everything! Cons: Can get busy on the weekend, they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more! more

Great looking restaurant, that's it! What a joke..if you like waiting in a parking lot (room for two cars by the way) for a very, very long time, waiting a very long time to be seated, waiting a very long time to be approached by a server, waiting forever for your food, overpriced food, small portions, grease, arrogant owners, a condescending list of ""don'ts"" on your table that tell you how to behave in their restaurant...then hurry over to Larkin's and take your place in the parking lot! KFC's fried chicken and mashed potatoes is worthy of a blue ribbon compared to Larkin's greasy small portion of dark meat chicken and a thimble of mashed potatoes. \r Back to the drawing board and restaurant 101 for this place. more

Larkins was tasty. You may experience a wait, but it's worth it. Where else are you gonna go anyway, have a Tommyburger?\r We had the tri tip with yams and fried chicken plate with a side of mac and cheese. Larkins is very heavy on the garlic, and overwhelms the palate and you can still sense it going home. The dessert was just ""ok"" and nothing spectacular to oooh and aah about. A bit more $ than you would think but the food is worth it if you crave for a meaningful plate of fried chicken. Host was very nice but the waitstaff have their own drama going on. They were nice, but they didn't have to bicker about who was getting us hotsauce in front of us. Maybe someone should look into Larkins being the next reality tv show. \r Pros: Fried chicken! Cons: Possible wait, no substitutions, dessert is just ok, no fountain drinks. more