The Kitchen

An enthusiastic thumbs up for this place. Food is always extremely flavorful and well crafted, and also a strong value. Menu is small, but focused. Atmosphere is warm and cozy. The Kitchen rocks! more

came before with a friend, and thought that despite the slightly elevated prices for comfort food, the environment was nice and the waiters were nice. So, on Wednesday night, after a long day on the Eastside, my boyfriend and I decided to go there to dine. I parked in the back parking lot, and after 15 minutes, our waitress told us that someone had smashed the back passenger window of the car. Unfortunately, the perp took my boyfriend's backpack, which had over $2,000 worth of electronics. I think we all know that s%&* happens in life, and it's not the end of the world. But the reason I'm giving the restaurant one star, and also why I won't be returning, is because, given our great losses that night, I would have liked more than sympathetic looks and condolences from the staff. Honestly, it was kind of tacky that they didn't even attempt to give us a discount or comp our meal. I've worked in a nice restaurant before and have seen people get comped for much less. Obviously we still would have left a huge tip for the waitress, but given that we lost a couple thousand dollars that night, it would have been the human thing to do to at least not charge us in full. Tacky, tacky, tacky service. People need to realize that you're not just going to a restaurant to satiate hunger. There's human contact involved in the dining experience, and if earning $50 is worth more than a compassionate, kind gesture, then, this is one restaurant I do not care to patronage. And I'd advise you not to either if you share my sentiments. No amount of comfort food is worth genuine human comfort. more

After enjoying years of enjoying many meals, the party's over! The wait for a table was 45 minutes, which is OK if everything else works. But the strange service, the mediocre meals, the change of menu (no more fine cuts of beef), the waiting, waiting and waiting for food, everyone and everything, including the lost check, the owner's attitude, unhappily leads me to say, three strikes you're out! \r But I will say thanks for all the great meals and service we've enjoyed in the past. ps don't take your patrons for granted! Pros: Comfort Foods Cons: Service, food and attitude more

Went here on a rainy Saturday night - 8:30ish - as a party of six. Since they do not take reservations, we knew we may be in for a wait. Rather than seating smaller parties ahead of us, they gladly held tables that could be pushed together to accommodate our group as quickly as possible. We were seated in 30-40 minutes.\r \r Standouts from the meal -- mac & cheese appetizer is great to share and the bruscetta carbonata is a must (even if you tihnk you don't like eggplant -- it's awesome). Main dish higlhlghts -- fried chicken (delicious & not greasy) and ny strip with blue cheese and truffle fries (to die for!). Make sure to leave room for dessert -- their homemade treats are well worth the extra calories and unbuttoning the top button of your jeans. We shared the bread pudding (amazing!), pecan pie (awesome) and flourless chocolate cake (loved by the chcoco fans at the table). \r \r They now have a liquor license, but it is stil OK to BYOB -- $8 corkage. They are also a KCRW discount joint - so you can save an extra 15% if you bring your card.\r \r Highly recommend this neighborhood joint! more

I live in West Hollywood, but it's worth the traffic and the drive to Silver Lake to visit The Kitchen. I have to say, I have been going here regularly for three years, and I have never had a bad experience. I have also never ordered any of their main dishes other than the fried chicken. I know, I know. My friends have enjoyed the pork chops and tried their seasonal specials, but I am loyal to the bird. It's a definite must, resting atop a pile of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Plus, take away the food and the place is still fun. It's Silver Lake so the atmosphere is relaxed and artsy, the clientele diverse. I like to bring in my own bottle of wine or grab one last minute from the store around the corner. Pros: Fried Chicken more

I waited an hour and a half for my food to find out the waiter lost my ticket......then assuming the food would be taken care since I was creeping into the 2nd hour of sitting there ...I come to find they still charge for pretty much half of the meal....after I took it up to the so called owner he proceded to tell me he didn't need my buisness....hmmmm..okay I said. So this place is definitely somewhere I wouldn't spend my hard earned buck.....thanks anyway guys..... Pros: the food is okay Cons: the service is absouluty terrible... more

been a devoted customer for YEARS now but tonight my opinion of this place has changed from my 2nd favorite restaurant in LA to the worst. we ordered our food when there were 5 other tables in the restaurant in there..an hour later we were still waiting while everyone else had their food. we were told our ticket got lost...the waiter was cool, he knew he screwed up and was super polite. we reordered and our waiter, who was rad, said it'd be the next thing out, but other mac and cheeses came to other tables first...which was still fine..but then the check came and it was still WAY too much, bc its alreaday expensive for what it is, with our fries and corkage fee comped...umm, thanks...the manager came over and in his flaming ways said he already did us a huge favor and said ""give him a break."" sorry dude, but when a restaurant screws up, you comp the meal!! it's how it goes. it's business...am i wrong? then we told him he obviously didn't care about our business and he said he wouldn't miss it anyway. thanks bro, consider the gay kids on the east side former customers. that's 70% of your business. Pros: good food... Cons: self proclaimed ""owner"" is a hot head idiot. more

The food was fine at the Kitchen - but I felt the prices were high for what you get. \r \r Needless to say, they are always packed, so some people really seem to like this place.... Pros: Food is fine Cons: Overpriced more

While being out one night, I noticed that The Kitchen was packed, so I had to try it soon. I visited The Kitchen yesterday late afternoon for a lunch date with my boyfriend. He ordered the burger and I got the steak salad. We both thought it was just ok. nothing to amazing to our taste buds being that the prices were not cheap. Service wise they were very accommodating and polite with no attitude. I think that The Belmont has an amazing steak salad for a few dollars less. Pros: They do have outside dinning Cons: atmospher could use a kick more

my boyfriend and i like the kitchen, and we've been eating there for about two years. we've celebrated a birthday there with a friend, brought out-of-towners, even had dinner with the parents there, and all have been good experiences. the mood in there is casual and hip, but warm too. the food has never been disappointing. portions are good, ingredients fresh and well chosen; sophisticated comfort food is a very fitting description. all this being said, the staff has, at times, failed to impress us, seeming to be overwhelmed and too busy to give attentive service. for a shared salad, shared app, shared entree, bottled water, corkage and tip, we were out the door with a full doggie bag and out $40. more

The food here is really bad. I ordered pork chops and they were overcooked and had no flavor at all - and for as bad as the food is and how stripped down the place was - it was expensive! The worst pork chops I've ever had were like 15 bucks! And the portions were so small, my girlfriend and I literally considered getting fast food afterwards. The service here is somewhat decent, but the food is just awful. Also, I sat near the entrance in a stool chair, and even though I was seated as closely to the table as I could (uncomfortably close actually), people kept running into me. Over and over and over - the whole meal I was being bumped forward because the design of that building so is awful. And parking was a pain too! DON'T GO. Pros: Ambience (sort of), service (not really) Cons: food. was. terrible. (and overpriced) more

The Kitchen is GREAT. I had a lovely time, sat outside. Service was average but the pork chops with mashed potatoes was a great dinner. Decend iced tea for los angeles, too! more

The Kitchen combines terrific food with friendly service. We like to sit on the patio in the summer because the main dinning area is a bit on the small side. The menu has a nice variety of items that should accommodate most any palate plus you can bring your own alcohol (except on the patio.) I recommend the fish dishes and the desserts are amazing. This a great place to go with friends. It's hard to beat it for the money. Pros: Great food at good price Cons: A bit cramped more

We decided to have our friend's bday dinner @ the Kitchen..........mediocre service.....of a party of 8 people.....5 PEOPLE FELT SICK AFTER DINNER. We all ordered different things and all regretted eating there. We had planned on going out after dinner but several of us went home due to the fact that WE FELT TO SICK AFTER EATING @ THE KITCHEN. Maybe it was an off night for them, but it's unsettling to pay for a meal only to feel sick after eating it. Disgusting. Had I not GOTTEN SICK from their food, I would give the restaurant a B-. Pros: whatever Cons: YOU RUN THE RISK OF GETTING SICK FROM THE FOOD SERVED more

This is definitely a hidden find. Tucked away on a small corner off of Sunset, the location is inconspicuous, but the food is not. I had the chicken couscous salad and my friend had the albacore sandwich. Both were very yummy and of a good portion. The brick interior and 70-ish decor is cool, intimate, and perfect for a casual dinner. Pros: food Cons: parking (street, limited spots in the lot) more

I've been going to the Kitchen for nearly a year and I believe it is my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. The food is good, the staff is friendly and professional. If they served beer and wine it would be even nicer, but the $3 corkage fee is a bargain. Also, you can have a drink at the Akbar while you wait for a table and they will call you when a table is ready. What's not to love? Pros: Good bargain, Personable waiters Cons: Crowded more

the kitchen used to be one of our favorites - consistently really good food, even with the marginal service. last time we went there, the food was awful - second only to the service. more

I love to try a new place every week, but this place has turned me into a creature of habit. This restaurant always pleases. Whether a romantic dinner or a group of friends, we've always had a good experience. The food is outstanding. Home cooked meals- upgraded. The cornbread is the best I've ever had. The steak, the scallops, the fried chicken, the rice, the lamb, and the spinach are all amazing. Almost everything on the menu is a treat. And- the flourless chocolate cake! The waitstaff is so kind and quick. Yes, it is quite small but it really adds to the atmosphere. We're all family, just eating in the kitchen. Pros: cornbread, waitstaff more

We love the kitchen, and go there about once a week. Most of the food is great, although I will agree with the previous rewiew that the cornbread is a mystery! Try the beef stew, the chicken dishes, or the calamari appetizer. Portions are large, we generally split an entree and appetizer and can't finish it all. The atmosphere is pretty basic, the service is no nonsense but efficient and nice. The mac and cheese is nicely done in a bechamel, too. The food is somewhat better during the week than on weekends, and also slightly (slightly!) less crowded... Pros: good comfort food, great for splitting more

I agree with other reviewers that The Kitchen is small and crowded at peak hours, overwhelming the waitstaff. In my experience, solo diners can get lost in the shuffle. That being said, I go out of my way to have lunch here on weekends when it's less packed, mostly for the Belgian beef stew (cooked in beer, served with spinach and mashed potatoes), sophisticated comfort food for which I have developed a serious perpetual craving. Recommended with reservations. Pros: Belgian beef stew, Meatloaf, Soups Cons: Crowded, Limited parking, Overwhelmed waitstaff more