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Allston Yacht Club
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1320 Echo Park AveLos Angeles, CA 90026
Neighborhood: Echo Park
(213) 481-0454
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
151 reviews for Allston Yacht Club
Review Highlights
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"The Cedar Plank Salmon is absolutely perfect." In 10 reviews -
"We order the duck confit which was delicious." In 16 reviews -
"braised short rib - super soft and melts in your mouth." In 7 reviews
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151 reviews in English
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Review from Natalia D.
Long Beach, CA
4/27/2012
Plates are severed tapas style...great for stuffing your face with more than one option. Cocktails & service are great too.
*Suggestion: This is a snazzy place for a date, not stuffy but sure to get those googey-eye going. -
Review from Dee D.
West Covina, CA
5/18/2012
The location and resturant itself is really cool, but the food was pretty boring.
Everything on the menu sounds like it would be so good and full of flavor, but it really wasn't. I went with 3 people and we all felt that the food wasn't really on point. We aren't snobs at all. We don't discriminate but this was just not that bomb.
The best thing on the menu is the bison burger for sure. -
Review from John T.
Monrovia, CA
5/4/2012
I've only been here once and it was on a weeknight. The place was not very crowded and the service was excellent. Our waitress was extremely friendly and very helpful with wine and tapas suggestions. I had the brussels sprouts which were divine! The 2 $$ price rating is a bit inaccurate. It can get spendy, as tapas tends to add up quickly. Especially when teamed with pricier wine, of which AYC has many lovely selections.
I've heard horror stories about the service here on the weekend. The place is small so I could see how it would fill up quickly. This is a good place to meet those friends that you rarely see, although they live downtown and you live in Silverlake (or vice versa). Now you have a pleasant, midway meeting place. -
Review from Hector H.
Los Angeles, CA
5/24/2012
OMG what is this place? Where have you been. I've passed by here on so many occasions while shopping at House of Spirits in Echo Park. I loved their menu. Nothing overwhelming, and since its small the waiter can describe everything on it. Brilliant. Loved the cat decor on the walls and ambiance. Great for dates or just hanging out with the fellas. The prices where incredibly affordable, making my experience that much better cause I tried several items. Great job Allston Yacht Club!
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Review from Allen C.
3/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
That's right, I go to a yacht club b*tches!!! I'm classy. Blazers are my t-shirts. I don't clap--I golf-clap. And my pinky has never touched a cup. Accept it. Ooooh, it's like I'm from the Hamptons. And maybe Emily Thorne wants to hurt me too! Yipee! But seriously, you may think this place sounds highfalutin, but the environment and restaurant are far from that world. I have no idea why this place is called Allston Yacht Club, but what a great, quaint little find with tons of character and great service!! Oh, Echo Park, you grimy-hipster-ghetto-artsy gem of a neighborhood.
All the stars must've aligned because different circumstances led me to this place and now, it's my new favorite yacht club of all the fake yacht club restaurants I know. Disclaimer: I know of only one.
Sundays from 4pm - 9pm happen to be $5 nights. Meaning all the entrees were $5! When my friend and I arrived at 7ish, the place was pretty empty. But it got a bit more crowded by let's say 8-8:30. I think the Echo Park crowd are just later eaters. Take note: Sunday before 8pm. You're welcome.
I suggest you share all the food. A great place for 2 people, but I did see bigger groups. I don't know how big the plates are on normal nights, but on Sundays, they are a bit smaller, like tapas. And like tapas, the Sunday menu items are a bit more hardy, so you can get full on a few shared things. Between the two of us, 3 plates and a dessert were about enough. We shared the Shortrib Poutine Tostada, the Lobster Roll with Lemon Slaw (a special of the night verbally told by the waitress), and the Warm Mushroom Salad (replaced mixed greens with romaine lettuce). And for dessert, the chocolate caramel bread pudding with cinnamon in the whip cream (I think). Everything was DELICIOUS! The lobster roll was like the best friend I always wanted to eat!!....wait....The tostada under the poutine was a bit teeth-crackingly hard, but that's just knitpickyness now.
I think alcohol was discounted too, but I can't remember how much. Beers, wine, mimosas, bloody marys. I went with a BM and it was good!. And yes, I understand it wasn't brunch and I wasn't hung over, but for some reason I just felt like having a veggie in my drink...or fruit...or veggie...ahh, damn you ambiguously gay tomato!
Anyway, I'm coming back for sure! The place is inconspicuous so OPEN your eyes, and be prepared to find street parking. It seems like it would be a non-embarrassing place to eat alone too if that's your thing. The TV and seating at the small bar definitely help!Listed in: Worth a Try For Gits and…
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Review from Lee S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/26/2012
I wanted to like this place, I really did. It's walking distance from my apartment so I've gone against my better judgement and dined here several times during the 2 and a half years I've lived in Echo Park- mostly for the sake of convenience.
And the food isn't bad- though I always seem to leave hungry. The portions are small, which is to be expected at a tapas place, but the prices are not so small and the bill adds up fast.
My big issue with this place is the horrible service. The waitresses and the owner are pretentious, rude and apathetic. On one visit the tall brunette waitress missed my friend's glass, pouring wine all over the table and getting some on her blouse. She never even said sorry or made any attempt to clean it up- just walked away without saying a word. Weird.
I had another terrible experience there last week that involved having the table I was waiting for given to the owner's friends who came in 10 min after I put my name in and then waiting for another 20 minutes with said owner avoiding eye contact with me, only to leave and dine at Mohawk Bend instead.
This place has a bad attitude and an obnoxious too-cool-for-school vibe. Red Hill across the street has better food, service, and ambiance. -
Review from Mary T.
CANYON CNTRY, CA
4/30/2012
Great simple dining from every aspect.
Loved the food, service and atmosphere.
Look forward to returning and this time double up on the duck.
Highly recommend ! -
Review from Leslie T.
Los Angeles, CA
2/16/2012
I wasn't quite sure what to expect since this place is called the "Yacht Club" - but I was pleasantly surprised!
The food was delicious and in happy portions, they have a special on Thursday with $5 menus and $20 bottles of wine (I did not partake in the wine, but it seems like a deal!).
The service was prompt and really sweet and polite. They were attentive, but not overbearing and just a good experience overall,
Plan on coming back for sure!
Note: the brussels sprouts and sweet potato fries were to die for! I've never had sweet potato fries that good in my life! With the chili-ketchup! LOVE! -
Review from Martina H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/16/2012
This is maybe my fourth time here and each time I've really enjoyed it. Came this week on Wednesday when they have great deals on both food and wine (select menu items are just $5 and select wines $20/bottle). The menu consists of small plates - love the cedar planked salmon and the shishito peppers. My meat-eater friend swears the braised short rib ranks among the best in town. The wine list overall is not huge, but well put together and very reasonably priced. Full bar and some great drink concoctions, as well.
Everyone that works there is great... not only is there no attitude (smack in the middle of attitude-heavy Echo Park), they make you feel like family. Very welcoming. Parking is a little challenging but if you can't find street parking, there is a parking lot just across Sunset. -
Review from Karen H.
Glendale, CA
1/16/2012
A friend took me here last Wednesday for dinner and I loved it! Wednesday nights most menu items are five dollars and bottles of wine are twenty. We split a bottle of wine, five plates (tapas restaurant) and two desserts. Everything was delicious, here, to the best of my memory, is what we ate..
1. Mussels served with toasted bread and a sausage spread.
2. Some sort of spicy sausage
3. Grilled salmon
4. Braised short ribs with root vegetable purée
5. Bison burger with grilled onions
6. Apple caramel tart
7. Key lime mousse
Everything was delicious. I also loved the ambiance of the restaurant, like a trendy wine bar with eclectic art on the walls. We found parking in front, but parking might be tricky on a busy night. -
Review from Lorraine D.
Los Angeles, CA
1/7/2012
Alight, this place was waaayyy too talked up.
After a great week I made a reservation to celebrate with my partner....arrived at 7:50 for the 8:00 res, only to be seated at 9:45, ugh. We hung around only because we were not ultra hungry and after the host ushered us to their back bar patio I ran into an old gal pal, we gabbed and gabbed. Another factor for tiding us over was during the over hour and half wait the host kept feeding us drinks "on-the-house" after I had to walk back to the front twice only to find tables overturning across the damn place. We we're obviously left in the cold.
The food was nothing like Lazy Ox, just above OK and the bill - we we're charged for the "on-the-house" drinks!!! WTF I honestly didn't have it in me to send the bill back and continue the negative energy towards this place. Shame on me for sticking it out.
Bottom line this place doesn't honor reservations or have consistence service. -
Review from Robert C.
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Only been once on the http://restaurant.com, but so far so good. Had a light dinner and with tapas style portions it's great for sharing a few dishes.
The broiled brie was good although room temp, would have been tastier served -- well broiled.
The house salad is quite good with a golf ball sized was of goat cheese on top.
The drinks are well priced and the service was very friendly. Would love to try their grilled cheese and pulled pork plates next time.
Cozy, but bright ambiance with an intimate feel. -
Review from eep y.
New York, NY
4/5/2012
Great food, great atmosphere, nice drinks!
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Review from Patti G.
Los Angeles, CA
2/11/2012
Great happy hour and I can walk from my house!
I have never been disappointed by this place,it's comfortable with a casual elegance ,the wines by the glass are good,truly a knowledgable wine buyer and i love the small plates of food,never have eaten any that I did not enjoy.
For dinner,the salmon stands out and has been consistently good for months! -
Review from Zach A.
Los Angeles, CA
1/31/2012
Lucky to have AYC in my neighborhood. Small plates, easy atmosphere, great for any occasion. My family eats here once a month, and it never gets old. Daily grilled cheese specials, calamari, and the shishito peppers are stand-outs on the menu. Oh, and you gotta try a jalapeno martini. Tastes like ballgame nachos--so it's more of a say-that-you-did-it drink.
Minus a star for unfortunate lack of parking and somewhat inconsistent quality. (We must've had 3 different versions of the calamari, one never as good as the former.)
I'm going to say this place is good for kids because I bring my toddler here. But I wouldn't recommend coming here if you're bringing more than one kid or if you're arriving after 6:30. -
Review from Danielle M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012
It never fails. Every time I come here, my stomach leaves VERY happy.
Wednesdays: $5 deals on everything on the menu (except for their lobster roll), and $20 for a bottle of wine. Seriously, how could you go wrong?!
The food melts in your mouth. It's so rich and full of flavor. You don't get cheated out here. Just remember that all items on the food menu are tapas-sized, which means you should probably order 3+ plates and if you go with someone, share! (This is why Wednesday nights rock). Also, they have 'market' things on their menu that are always changing too... like the cheese/bread they use for their grilled cheese, which makes it exciting every time you end up going, because you're going to go more than once.
Though normally pricey, you can check online for their happy hour, and also make sure you go to their Unbrunch Sundays- YUM.
AYC, you're so good to me. -
Review from Matthew C.
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA
11/22/2011
Tapas-like, small plate boutique in the heart of Echo Park. And true to form, decked out with Shepard Fairey (or was it Mr. Brainwash?) art on bright, mono-coloured walls. So, yes, lazer-eyed cats will creep on you during your meal. My girlfriend turned to me in mock disgust on walking in and channeled her best Portlandia Fred Armisen, "Agh, Shepard Fairey is so OVER."
I didn't try any of the hyped cocktails, although fig-infused bourbon for the old fashioned looked interesting, but I was generally disappointed with the meager beer and liquor selection. Only two taps, although to their credit, both local: a craftsmen hefeweizen and eagle rock xpa (last weekend). As for liquor, it was standard well...
In a rare dining experience, all of the food appeared and tasted exactly as I imagined it would after reading the menu: the bison burger, spicy and not too dry, as can happen with big game; the sweet potato fries, crunchy and fluffy, not overspiced or too oily; the vietnamese chicken skewers in chile verde sauce, grilled nicely, still very juicy inside and complemented well by the salsa. Everything came off well. But in an odd way, it felt as if I was sleep walking through the meal, with none if it particularly interesting enough to make me pay attention too closely.
Service was fine, the food was good. Boring, standard gastropubish-good. And since this kind of thing is proliferating all over at the moment, its hard to get excited about, and to be honest, hard to scrounge up any interest for at all. I came here as part of a group I was only peripherally connected to and that's probably the only way I'll end up coming back. -
Review from Sherri B.
Los Angeles, CA
3/22/2012
This is a total hipster hang place. I am not a hipster per say but I like the vibe here. I decided to take my boyfriend with me for some happy hour unwinding after work. The flavors and spices they use on their food are very unique and interesting. I dig that. They have good happy hour specials and Sunday specials. I like their variety of beer as well. We were stoked to get window booth as well. The waitresses were super friendly attentative too...I tip good for good service and I did...I gave them four stars because it is a little pricey for the portions outside the special times of discounts but I would definitely go back and try more things on the menu!
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Review from Angela S.
2/28/2012
Came here for $5 plates on Wednesday and it was awesome. It's a good time to try new dishes... like shishito peppers (oof, not for me). The braised short rib was my fav. Good size portions, but parking sucked. Left crazy full and
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Review from Laurice F.
Los Angeles, CA
11/2/2011
We used a http://restaurant.com certificate to check this place out since I've always been curious. Pretty much in the heart of Echo Park, AYC (while easy to find) does not provide much for parking. We were there on a Friday evening and were seated right away. It's a small restaurant but it didn't feel cramped.
The clientele was very chatty/loud and it was hard having a normal conversation. Our waitress was friendly and informative and we didn't wait long for our orders. I enjoyed a Pinot Grigio and my husband enjoyed a vodka gimlet.
Off the specials list, I ordered the LOBSTER ROLL and it was the first thing to arrive at our table. I've always wanted to try one (based off of what I've seen on various Food Network shows) and AYC's version seemed to be unconventional - it was light and fresh and hardly had that ocean taste. It was slightly sweet and the roll was lightly toasted. I was expecting more flavor and texure - it felt like I was eating a coleslaw sandwich. Definitely disappointed that I didn't get hunks of lobster in a gloppy mayo mess - aka something a little more authentic.
My husband ordered the ELYSIAN BURGER (Wild Boar & Niman Ranch Chuck. Onion Jam & Cheddar) and he loved it. I had a bite and experienced the juicy meat and smokey/sweet flavors. We also shared an order of FRIES with chimichurri sauce - the fries were awesome, and we would've liked the sauce if it were thicker (it seemed really watered down).
Overall, we liked AYC and would probably return on a special occasion. I'm sure trying other items on the menu would up my ratings, but for now that's the impression I was left with: AYC-OK. -
Review from Kasey E.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2012
Went on Wednesday night and had no trouble getting in at 8pm. It is a great place for small groups. Small plates came out in waves and each one was very tasty. The wines were 20 dollars a bottle and probably not worth more than that but still it did the trick.
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Review from chavo d.
Pico Rivera, CA
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Reading more than a few praise worthy comments on Yelp, I've had my sights on Allston Yacht Club for a while. Saturday night seemed like a good time to go and discover this Echo Park destination...
On first glance, its not the easiest place to find, but cool and inviting upon entry. Don't know if this was a regular Saturday, but the place was really slow (30% capacity at best). We ordered several items from the dish and our stand outs were the salmon and the burger. The clams were rubbery and overcooked. The Arancini was pretty good as well.
All in all, good not great... Service was also decent, but not praise worthy. Maybe it was an off night, who knows... Scratch this off my to try list and file into "may try again sometime soon..." -
Review from Emily S.
10/10/2011
I hear they have a happy hour and I'm jealous I did not go.
Because I had amazing mouth-watering food and drinks (Echo Park Mule, yo!) and it was dangerously expensive when it was all said and done. Strange sidenote: everyone in here was so happy! The patrons and the staff.
YUM! I can't wait to come back! -
Review from Mandy d.
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I just heard about Allston Yacht Club while perusing Yelp, and am happy I did.
I came here with my roommate after we wanted to take advantage of a happy hour, unfortunately is was Saturday, so happy hours at 5 aren't easy to come by. Enter Allston Yacht Club, with happy hour from 5:30-7 every day. Now it isn't the best happy hour in all the land, but I still appreciate that they offer it on the weekends.
We walked in around 5:45 and there were only a few other people there. The space itself isn't very big, but its nicely decorated, and the staff is very friendly.
They give you complimentary crunchy chickpeas in what I believe to be paprika, ooh they are so good! We ended up each getting a drink ($7 each during happy hour and $9 regular). My roommate went with the dark and stormy, and I went with the Yacht Club Old Fashion. Both were heavily poured, and tasted right. We also ordered the Jalapeno and Corn Fritters and the Arancini. They each came with three balls to the plate, and both were also very tasty.
We didn't spend a whole meal at Allston Yacht Club, but it was a great time we had there. Our waitress was really friendly, the drinks were good, and the food was delicious. I would definitely come here again. They also have a ton of different "nights" where they have deals on different food, oh and they have happy hour every night, I mentioned that already, didn't I?Listed in: There's No Place Like Home…
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Review from Leslie C.
1/29/2012
I've been here a few times now--mostly to grab a quick beer while my laundry is drying at the laundromat across the street. But I came here with a friend last week on Wednesday for happy hour and their $5 food special. I got a Revolution IPA and an Ultra Violet Martini-- the martini I was a huge fan of. We also shared the ramen "paella," vietnamese style skewers, and the mussels with sausage. The "paella" was interesting but tasty, and the mussels and skewers were good too--not too shabby for $5 each. Definitely a great place for a quick bite and drink.
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Review from Annette B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/21/2012
Such a great Sunday spot! Great atmosphere, awesome cocktails, and five bucks for everything on the menu and all draft beers! I don't know if I would frequent as much during the week, but their un-brunch deal is undeniable. I had their "Lena's Holiday" cocktail, it made it on my top 5 list of best drinks ever. Will definitely be returning.
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Review from Mandy H.
Los Angeles, CA
4/10/2012
The Yacht Club is a hidden gem amongst the Echo Park scene. I had driven by it multiple times and often wondered what this place was. I found a deal on Rush24 and decided to purchase it ($40 for $20!) I went there with a large group one night and had wonderful service, shared appetizers and snacks, amazing wine and great company. The owner and staff were very accommodating and friendly. I am a french fry connoisseur and when paired with a perfected aoli sauce, you can be rest assured to receive high rankings in my book! I was a broken record all night saying "I love this place!" I have been back several times and have spread the love!
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Review from Susan O.
Los Angeles, CA
1/6/2012
Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow!
Went there on Thursday night. VERY good Happy Hour 5:30-7P! It was mellow, don't know how it is on wino wednesdays....
Previously had dinner so ordered light:
Brussell Sprouts---Ahhhhwesome! $
cheese plate-------Ahhhhwesome! $
Italian wine---------Ahhhhwesome! $
excellent service--Ahhhhwesome!$$$$$$
cool art--------------Ahhhhhwesome!$$$ -
Review from Jess C.
Kailua, HI
2/15/2012
I really love the concept of small plates, Charlie and the rest of the AYC gang really know how to put out a feast of tapas. Their cocktails are handcrafted with infused booze and all kinds of yummy twists you'd never imagine. They have great specials on food and drinks but you'll have to discover them for yourself... I like to keep my special nights secret. The standouts for me were the chocolate bread pudding and the calamari, but everything was amazing, and they change up their menu a lot since it's based on available fresh ingredients. Parking sucks, but hey, it's L.A.!
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Review from Alissa T.
Los Angeles, CA
7/7/2011
Well, I guess because I think one of the owners here, Bill, is such a gem, and treats us like such special guests that I may be a little bit biased... but every friend I have had meet me here always enthusiastically enjoys their meal. And I have a feeling he makes sure many people leave feeling like they were treated like friends.
Before I checked this place out a year ago, I thought perhaps it was going to have an unpleasant 'tude. But it does not. It is very casual and fun for a group of slightly rowdy friends, and yet you could easily take someone on a date here and have a nice time (not me though, I don't like that "d" word). I also have brought my parents here & they had a great time too. Giving it 5 stars for the combo of food, friendliness and welcoming atmosphere.
I usually get a grilled cheese (it changes weekly) if it sounds good- last night it was pickled jalapenos and white cheddar & it was awesome. I love their brussel sprouts as well and try to make sure that gets into the mix. Generally my friends and I all order one thing for ourselves and one thing to share & it always seems to be enough. It's a good start anyhow- and you can always order more if you need to!
They have great cocktails too... I'm usually driving so, as not to get too deep, I enjoy one of the beers they have on tap.
Probably if you like the ingredients in anything you select, you will enjoy it- so just jump in. -
Review from Danny F.
Los Angeles, CA
10/3/2011
Food was delicious. I went in a group of four. We ordered almost everything on the menu and shared everything. Food was very delicious with many different flavors.
Awesome dessert too! -
Review from Paloma F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/22/2012
I finally made it to Allston a few months ago, and I'm glad I did. I have gone back twice since then, and have not been disappointed. The small plates are delicious, they have a nice wine and beer list, and their specialty cocktails (at least the ones I have had are yummy). The champagne ones are my favorite. I have taken a few friends with me to Allston, and all were pleasantly surprised by the nice cozy atmosphere and great service each time. Nice little gem in the neighborhood!
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Review from NITESKYNI A.
Los Angeles, CA
2/5/2012
Good service, good food, good location.
Salmon-4 stars
Fries-5 stars
Mushroom salad-4.5 stars -
Review from Rachel V.
Los Angeles, CA
4/1/2012
Great during their happy hour/Wednesday/Sunday specials, but I wouldn't really recommend otherwise. Went for Unbrunch Sunday; had a great Bloody Mary, mac-n-cheese and wild mushroom salad were pretty good. Servers were very nice. Street parking isn't so bad on Sunday afternoon, but in the evening...good luck.
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Review from Kim Jean T.
Los Angeles, CA
2/8/2012
Wednesday nights are quite the neighborhood scene with $5 special on all menu items. It's certainly an Echo Park hot spot with hipsters and families coming and going. $20 bottles of wine are exceptionally priced and yummy on Wed nights, too. Portions are small, yet super tasty with fine ingredients. Order anything with cheese. The fresh salmon was cooked perfectly as well. The bartender appeared to need back-up on the bar, though. Yet she warmed up as the night went on. Parking and questionable people approaching you on the street was the only downside. It's city livin'!
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Review from Sandra V.
Los Angeles, CA
7/25/2011
Okay, which one of y'all failed to tell me about Allston Yacht Club sooner??
OMG, what an awesome, hidden gem! I was a fan from the word "go," what with the awesome decor and the Hawaiian surf music playing in the background. It was the perfect place to have a celebratory birthday meal.
The food was super delicious. I ordered the burger, sans cheese, and my roommate and I split the lemon slaw and the onion rings. She got the tostada, which had short ribs and sweet potatoes, and was to die for. Very flavorful and tender. The portions were perfectly sized -- not too big, and not too small, great for sharing and all priced fairly. They also serve Bunderburg ginger beer, which I lurve.
I guess on another night, a more crowded, douchey scene, I might have thought less of AYC, but given the relative quiet of a Sunday, the ambiance, the late afternoon light, and the fact that it was my birthday, all made AYC something really special. I would come back in a heart beat! -
Review from B T.
Pasadena, CA
2/2/2012
Delicious and wonderful service!
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Review from Robert R.
Los Angeles, CA
1/17/2012
Good food, nice environment and excellent service!! Priced really well too!!! Highly recommended.
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Review from The J's H.
West Hollywood, CA
7/17/2011
Happy Hour Review
Allston Yacht Club is located in a very warm space on Echo Park Blvd., just north of Sunset. The dining room is not much larger than a large dining room in a home, so it's cozy. The walls are painted a warm yellow that picks up the Western setting sun during a summertime Happy Hour and the walls adorned with artsy posters. On top of that, the waitresses are very nice, letting my pal & I sample the excess Basement Window martini (which tasted like a Tootsie Roll with its odd, but inventive mix of Tequila, Kahlua, and Pomegranate) that they had made for another table.
Don't let the Yacht Club name trick you into thinking it's all Cape Cod drinks and Maine Lobsters with dudes in madras shorts and loafers with no socks (I don't know - I think I'm just cobbling together all my stereotypes of rich "Yalies" at a yacht club :) - the AYC is actually kind of a gourmet restaurant/bar whose website description sums it up well: "Serving up creative cocktails, eclectic small plates, good wines by the glass."
Happy Hour falls along those lines as well and we set about to ordering $5 glasses of Farnese Montepulciano, a very smooth red wine that's definitely light enough for summer and several appetizers - Fries with Chimichurri (a parsley and garlic pureed dipping sauce) for $4, Flatbread with Swiss cheese and Shitake mushrooms for $6, and Jalapeno & Corn Fritters for $5. Everything tasted delicious - I especially loved the corn fritters with their crunchy outside texture and hint of spiciness and the Chimichurri dipping sauce with the fries.
Be warned that "small plates" does mean kind of small plates (except for the fries, which were more medium plate - we went in pretty hungry and the small plates were almost just enough, but still left us slightly hungry. A visit to Barragan's would remedy this, though I'm sure one more item from the Small Plates menu would have done it too!
Although I did kind of want to be adventurous with the $7 specialty cocktail Happy Hour list (including the Allston Sunrise (Vodka, Campari, Canton, Tangerine), a Dark & Stormy (with Peach-infused Dark Rum (yum!), Fresh Lime, and Ginger Beer), and more), I stuck with the Montepulciano for Drink #2 and my friend had the Falernia Pedro Ximenez wine - a crisp and summery white wine.
Happy Hour does run a little short - just an hour and a half on Tuesday-Saturday, but it's all good with its Wicked Wednesdays and the fun sounding "Unbrunch Sundays" with $2 off beer, wine, and cocktails with any food purchase from 4-9pm. -
Review from Gino E.
4/1/2011
This was my third time to the Allston Yacht Club, so figured it was time for a quick half-ass review. "A 'Yacht Club...' in Echo Park... and where people that look like Gino are allowed??" Yes, people. It's true.
Wedensdays are their five-dolla-make-you-holla nights, where all their dishes are $5 all night. Keep in mind it's tapas-style servings and not a full-on meal, so sharing is caring. If you're on the angry loaner tip, make sure you order AT LEAST three dishes, although I'm sure you'll be doing more drinking than eating... if you're on the loaner tip.
On this last visit, we had the grilled cheese, which they always switch the cheeses up on them (and I can't recall what cheese it was this evening), fried calamari, broiled shrimp with feta gratin, and mac and cheese. Each app was tasty, with its own twist that made it "different." My favorite of the night was definitely the shrimp. Goood stuff... In addition to the food specials, they also have a couple cocktails as part of the Wendesday night specials.
Service is great, and an overall cool vibe up in the Yacht Club, asides from the fact that it can get a bit tight in there, as the Yacht is of smaller size.
