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Formosa Cafe
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 4 pm - 2 am
Sat-Sun 6 pm - 2 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
165 reviews for Formosa Cafe
Review Highlights
"My mouth is still watering for the lobster mac n cheese."
(in 6 reviews)
"Happy hour deals, historic spot, unique / authentic decor."
(in 16 reviews)
"The wasabi mashed potatoes and bok choy were perfect."
(in 3 reviews)
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165 reviews in English
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Review from Eder P.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
TRUFFLE FRIES!!!!
Seriously. Get these. Some of the best fries I ever had in my life!! NO LIE!!!!
They sprinkled cocaine on them or something.
Other than that, cool dark, dive bar. They have pictures of old-school actors waaaay before my time.
One last thing: GET THE TRUFFLE FRIESSSSS!!!! -
Review from Lauren E.
Los Angeles, CA
1/19/2012
My friends and I wanted to try the Formosa because most of us have lived here for over 10 years, and felt we needed to visit this Hollywood institution.
We arrived around 7pm and it was pretty empty minus a few people sitting at the bar, and a couple at one of the booths. We sat where we wanted, and the waitress quickly approached us about drinks. We did enjoy the atmosphere which was certainly old school, with their red vinyl booths, and the dimly lit room. When we received the menus, we were caught off guard on their very limited choices. We ordered calamari and the veggie tempura to start. The calamari was okay, a bit salty, and the dipping sauce was not very good and the veggie tempura was very greasy, and again the sauce was not very good. I ordered the Mongolian beef and veggies, my friend ordered the tofu and veggies, and my other two friends ordered the salmon and veggies...to say we all didn't finish our meals, I have to say it was close to the Chinese food you get where they also sell donuts!
To close, it was a very disappointing experience, saying that I would probably go back JUST for drinks to enjoy the old school charm. -
Review from Eric R.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
A-OK, yes.
Came here after Jone's Bar and it has a clean divey feel. Drinks were reasonably priced and bartender seemed nice enough.
Kind of had that out of place feeling if you know what I mean. -
Review from Larry W.
North Hollywood, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow, the reviews for this place must be bought and paid for! The Atmosphere is four star for a nice, dark, cozy little old Hollywood nostalgic dive diner-esque eatery. Unfortunately, the Food brings this joint down to a one. Food is overpriced and bland and while it gives one the sense that it may have been inspired by Chinese food at one time... but it isn't any longer. If the prices were halved and portioned reduced a bit, it still wouldn't help. This menu needs a much-warranted make-over. Oh, and for you old-timers or classic Hollywood lovers... don't look for the formerly famous and old-school Egg Foo Young or Chop Suey. They are long gone. If you must experience Formosa Cafe for it's history, pop in for a drink with some friends and maybe an appetizer (the Truffle Fries seem to be a favorite), but pass on the Menu.
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Review from Smoody and B. P.
Santa Clarita, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Worth checking out for the lobster Mac n cheese!
Kinda noisy! Diffinately a bar first, restaurant second. There's a couple of secluded booths off to the side that are nice, more private. Used a groupon coupon, that made it even better! -
Review from Benjamin S.
Newhall, CA
1/14/2012
Went to a private party there a few months back. Great party with rad people but the venue was weird. The staff seemed to be on sleeping pills. The drink specials weren't special; but the people making them might have been.
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Review from Tati R.
11/10/2011
The most important fact about this bar is that it is two blocks from my apartment. That means I can be there in five minutes including doing my makeup. Yes, part of the sign facing Formosa is broken, and they were closed on New Years eve, but I still really enjoy this place.
I like wandering over here to start the evening but more realistically, I stumble into Formosa as a way to end the evening. It is a bar with dim lighting, a few people sitting having drinks, and some random menu items. I suggest avoiding the chicken satay. Really nothing super hip, but just a great place for a drink. -
Review from Eduard G.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2011
This place is very lowkey and has a simple ambiance great place to go when your in a slump.
Formosa cafe is fairly expensive because its about 10 or more a plate, but man is it worth it, this was my first time here i look forward to coming back here again.
It looks rundown and crappy but its just a facade, Formosa has a lot too offer because it is simply a good joint to hit up. My girlfriend and I came here yesterday and we had split an Ahi seared salad which was 14 dollars. The tuna was great, not fried nor raw just in the middle.
The salad was, well a salad....
The Waitress that was there had a actual conversation with us about occupy wall street, along with her whole life story. It was a refreshing change over regular services that are just hand you your food and do not intensely interact.
If you have no been here defiantly the place to go.
(did i mention it has a full bar ;) ) -
Review from Ching T.
Whittier, CA
Came here one night for some grub with fellow Yelper Frederick G after catching a one man act at nearby The Actors Company down the block. Jones Bar across the street was super packed and the wait was ridiculous, so we settled on Formosa Cafe.
I honestly don't remember what I had, but it was certainly an Asian fusion of some kind. It was edible, not the very best that I'd write home about though.
EDITED to add: "FOG recalls you got the salmon served over spinach and mashed potatoes and LIKED it very much. So did I. Good price too."
But what struck me the most about Formosa is their very cool diggity vibe inside this renovated train car. Not at all pretentious, and the "oriental - red" decor wasn't over the top like it is at The Good Luck Bar http://www.yelp.com/bi.... There's some kinda old Hollywood seedy glamour to this place with all the well worn booth seating and cheap drinks. This is the kind of place you half expect to meet a fedora decked chain smoking Humphrey Bogart type for some late night clandestine showdown before heading off to some place more swanky.
4 Stars is for the vibe and service, NOT for the food which isn't memorable.Listed in: Bars & Lounges
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Review from PetsUntilEaten L.
Los Angeles, CA
10/7/2011
Sentimental favorite that has improved with age. A little like post-Giuliani New York. Still has character but not the seedy place I used to love.
Its hard to complain about a place that has decent food, character, and good cocktails. I used to go when you would only eat the food when you were too drunk to stand up, much less drive home drunk. I remember people doing blow on the large back booth table in the early 90's.
Ah how things change.
I think I'm going again tonight. -
Review from George M.
Los Angeles, CA
8/25/2011 16 Check-ins Here
It's OK. The draw for us to go there are these three things:
1. It's two blocks from where we live.
2. They're open late.
3. You can earn air miles by using your credit card.
The food is OK, but nothing to write home about. From looking at the menu, it's clear that it was created by Matthew Gladstone, who created a few other restaurants' menu (similar to this one, although this has more Asian influence) in town. His signature Lobster, Mushroom and Truffle Mac & Cheese is pretty darn good here, too.
Some of the drinks are good and they're not too expensive, service is good when they're not busy.
So, I don't go there too often, it's usually a last resort choice over a few other late night spots in the area.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Lauren B.
Manhattan, NY
9/10/2011
I love this place during the week and on weekends.
It's chill....dark...kind of cheesy old Hollywood decor... but the staff is very friendly and the smoking area outside in the back is awesome. -
Review from Sloe R.
6/21/2011
Don't tell anyone but this is my favorite neighborhood joint. I'm here all the time so if you want to stalk me you can probably find me sitting at the bar or on the rooftop any given Friday evening. Cool bartenders, cool people, and depending on who is serving drinks, you'll get to hear a cool selection of music via their iPod. Favorite bartenders are Matt and Patrick.
I can't really tell you about the food because I'm usually hammered by the time I leave here. Overall, it's been good, but it all tastes good when you're shitfaced. Oh yeah, and where else can you inadvertently rub shoulders with random celebs who stop in? The other night it was Peter Stormare. How cool is that. It would have been even cooler if I actually got to meet him. Next time.
If you are into the club of the month scene you probably wouldn't get this place. If you're into seeing the same friendly faces and having a solid conversation with bright, creative, and interesting people, then you should check out Formosa. -
Review from Adrienne V.
Los Angeles, CA
1/13/2012
There isn't too much good to report here. In a nutshell: You get too little for way too much money and mediocre service. The menu has very few choices. Some times the quality or quantity of the food justifies the high price, but two little crabcakes shouldn't cost $15, nor should mac and cheese with a hint of lobster. The drinks obviously had cheap liquor in them even though they were $11. The bartender bitched because we left the drinks basically untouched. Save your money.
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Review from larry r.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
Been here many times and drinks are always strong, good and the service is there when you need it. Rarely eat here but mostly consume Manhattans that are tasty. Check out the outside area upstairs too.
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Review from Steven N.
4/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like this place. It is not pretentious. There is no dress code. No stuck up bartender and outrageously priced drinks. It isn't fancy or divey. Just a clean and relaxing place to get a drink at. Walking into this joint was like walking into a scene in a movie. You walk through doors that remind me of a restaurant kitchen door opening into a train car like joint. Once through the doors, you are in a dark bar with red furniture. Above the bar are faded black and white pictures of old Hollywood stars.
How about the food? I can't tell you how the Chinese food here is. Didn't eat here. But I would love to try Genghis Cohen down the neighborhood purely for the name. Two names I would never think would go together. Welcome to LA!Listed in: My LA
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Review from Kiesha M.
Los Angeles, CA
6/18/2011
Very Hollywood kitsch. The Formosa is a former train car so it is on the small side, but feels cozy as opposed to cramped. This place is a true landmark; stars used to get dolled up and hang out here and they have the pictures on the wall to prove it.
I have never seen this place super busy or crowded and the staff are always uber accommodating, particularly with happy hour specials. They have a very tasty ginger margarita for $6 during happy hour and if you walk in just before happy hour ends they are more than happy to serve up your second drink before you have finished the first.
This place is very dark (though not dingy) so I am always shocked when I walk outside and realize that there are still light hours left to the evening. Overall, this place is a solid neighborhood bar. I wouldn't drive out of my way for it, but I like it just fine when it is within stumbling distance. -
Review from Sassan P.
Laguna Niguel, CA
5/3/2011
I give this place an extra star because it's a Hollywood landmark, & because of that there's a very special feel when you dine there or sit at the bar. The wall is covered with celebrity head shots and photos of all the classic icons like Tony Curtis, Elvis, & practically everyone else, plus many pictures are autographed. Many films such as 'LA Confidential' have scenes where the actors walk inside here, that flick was set in the 1950's that gives you an idea of how old this place is, it's part of Hollywood's lore.
The menu doesnt have that many choices, I like the chicken dumpling appetizer, and the Pad Thai noodles. Formosa Cafe passes the "how fast do they fill up your water" test, which is a good measuring stick for a restaurant's quality. They make good martinis here too. This is a place everyone should try once because it's a bonafide tinsle town landmark! -
Review from Kai L.
Like the real Formosa, Formosa Cafe is an island, only in the West Hollywood sense an oasis among glitzy, cloyingly pretentious douchetaverns -- and not a Republic of China boasting the world's second tallest building surrounded by a finicky Pacific.
Anysegue...
The drinks are neither the most expertly-mixed nor the strongest, nor do its friendly bartenders have the heaviest hands -- and the chefs aren't exactly going to make Alain Ducasse or Mario Batali peer over their shoulders in intimidation.
-- But that's not why you're at Formosa, or, at least if you become a repeat visitor, the qualities of the food and drink won't be your biggest draw.
What is, then?
Atmosphere, dear, cliché notwithstanding. It's comfort and safety, if such a paradox can exist in WeWhore.
Here, you don't need to dress up like you're going to Skybar -- if you really don't feel like it -- and yet, once you traipse across its threshold you might feel like you've entered a 1940s Hollywood bar cliche from a B-rated film noir, with decor and mood to match. Formosa isn't so much a bar to people-watch, as it is a bar to be enjoyed for its own sake... not to get sloshed, but acquire the feel of neighborhood history through osmosis.
The faded, black and white pictures on the wall from long-dead Hollywood icons seem perpetually new and fascinating, even after your umpteenth time gazing at them with a martini drier than British humor in your hand.
Formosa isn't a dive but it has certain dive qualities -- come here to meet your friends, talk about love, politics, or bitch about how your boss doesn't appreciate you (but after your third drink you've accepted that he or she isn't all that bad, after all, and maybe you do take too many coffee or cigarette breaks).
It's wrong for a place to coast on its reputation -- and Formosa doesn't. Find out at happy-hour.
-- now THAT'S fresh, pussycat.Listed in: Get stuffed in WeHo, Tick-tock Tick-tock - Take a…
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Review from Dan H.
1/30/2011
So Steven N and I are finishing up our less than stellar early dinner at the Farmers Market and are running a little early to the Social D show at The Palladium. Where to get a drink on the way? Hmmm....hey, Formosa Cafe. Used to go there back in my LA club hoppin days. Before 502's DUI's DWI's, $260 jay walking tickets, smoke free bars etc. Jeesh kids, America used to be much more fun before present day prohibition like laws.
en N checks his GPS and cheerily reports its only a couple of miles away. I do a few zigs, a few zags, and impress my self that I still know the lay of this land.
This is more like a Tarantino movie set than I remember, probably because when I went here Q was barely dreaming of the perverse celluloid mayhem that we have come to love.
It's dark.....red, and hobbit like, especially the doors to the restrooms. Thank dog my physique protrudes forwards and not sideways. I would give my left nut to science (would they want it?) to see Danny Devito try and squeeze through.
No too cool baditude from the staff here. Everyone is smiley, hello-ing on your arrival, thanking you, you're welcome-ing you, and see ya soon upon departure.
$18 for 2 easily double Stoli rocks, and I now believe Hollywood still has some cool places that door douches/bouncers with their fake "exclusive" entrance BS have not yet polluted.
Well at least one anyway. -
Review from Judy L.
Burbank, CA
4/10/2011
After years of saying i would go here, last night my bf and I finally stopped in. Loving historic places, this was a must stop. I had heard from many people the food was not really worth trying (i see from reviews this can be true or not true just for the mac n cheese), anyhow.... we just had drinks. Sipping on my raspberry audrey hepburn drink (chocolate heaven), i looked around and tried to imagine legends sitting in there. The charm/class has definitely been altered with the tvs, music change, and hipsters, but I still felt it was that place where illegal gambling did occur.
I would suggest doing what we did and stopping here at least once, I don't think its going to be my regular hang out, but it was fun to be apart of history for a few min. -
Review from Shaun L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/7/2011 2 photos
I'm pretty good at long Yelp postings about how bad or good something is.
This place left me sort of speechless. Don't think. Just go. Get the Burger stare at the walls and imagine that you are sitting in the booth John Wayne passed out in. -
Review from Frances L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/8/2010 4 Check-ins Here
The Formosa Cafe has such an interesting and rich history, it's almost impossible for me to give this place anything less than four stars. While the establishments around the Formosa have changed significantly over the years (it is now the only small business on a block that has been taken over by a big corporate shopping center), it has mostly remained the same through and through with only minor updates (the menu) and the addition of a couple modern touches.
Upon walking into the Formosa, you are instantly taken back to a dark and seedy time of years past. A Chinese themed, dimly lit joint with old photos of celebrities and a very classic-looking bar. Beaten up booths and cheap cocktails set the mood for an intimate night-- red and black everywhere allude to mystery and sex.
Have you seen L.A Confidential? How about that cheesy movie Still Breathing? Many movies have been filmed here because of that very primal, secretive, and sexual appeal that the Formosa has (on good nights). No one bothers you. It's never too loud or busy. While I could do without the food and the choice of music, it's still a nice place to have a stiff cocktail before heading off to somewhere better. 3 Stars for the actual place and the bar, but bumped to 4 stars because it's still alive and kicking after all these years. To truly enjoy this place, don't eat anything.Listed in: Cocktail Hour!
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Review from Yuriana S.
Long Beach, CA
10/8/2011
Soo Bad, it was like eating panda express but expensive.
I went with a group of friends and non of us liked it at all, it was soooo dark we couldn't see what we were eating we had to light up our food with our phones.
I dont recomend it at all -
Review from Liza N.
Los Angeles, CA
11/29/2010
Charming little joint. It half seems past its heyday, but the other half of me feels like its more vintage/retro and less run-down and dated. Drinks are a bit on the steeper side ($10 for a small-ish gin and tonic) but the vibes and staff are great to let you just sit and hang for awhile.
I went on a Saturday night and it was fairly quiet even by the time I left around 11:30, so I'm guessing its days of being a poppin' spot might be over?
Oh, and the lobster mac and cheese is delish. Duh. As if you had a doubt.Listed in: The 'Hood
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Review from YaoYao W.
2/18/2011
I remember expecting to get crappy Chinese food... Well that's what my friends ordered...
But I got the ahi tuna and it was pretty amazing. Forgot what bf got though...
The place definitely has a certain "flavor" though and is quite unique. At the same time, it's definitely losing its flavor a little. -
Review from Natasha T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/13/2011
Wait, you're joking, right?
(review for bar only - didn't feel like eating that night)
If you enjoy waiting 20 minutes for a drink, putting up with a ton of alcohol PR girls, and the bar staff making your drink wrong to the point that it's not even the same color, and you have to TELL them how to make it (even though they had just made the same drink for you an hour before)...this is your place.
I'm honestly quite saddened that we had a bad experience here - I so wanted to love this place, especially with all its history.
Never again! -
Review from Alex M.
Valley Glen, CA
2/7/2011
Get the Lobster Mac and Cheese and order some of their specialty drinks. Ate here for the first time Friday night and thought the place was great.
I wish I had a more thoughtful review, but really, just try the place, you won't be sorry. -
Review from Elizabeth K.
Los Angeles, CA
9/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I liked the place. Me and a friend walked in on the weekend after visiting some disappointing bars on the weekend off of Melrose. I liked the atmosphere and the bartender was nice. Beer was average price for the area, but there weren't any pretentious people. I'll go back because it's walking distance from where I live.
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Review from Brandon P.
Los Angeles, CA
8/30/2011
Happy hour deals, historic spot, unique / authentic decor. Just an all-together cool, ol' joint.
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Review from E W.
Los Angeles, CA
2/16/2011
The Formosa Cafe is a well preserved Hollywood landmark. In fact, it's in L.A. Confidential and the place looks just as good now as when they filmed it in 1996 for a movie taking place in the 1950s.
I've only had drinks here and it's a fun bar. I'm a fan of old Hollywood and L.A. landmarks so it's really exciting to see this one standing and looking as good as it did decades ago for when our grandparents were going there in their youth. -
Review from Lisa C.
New York, NY
9/25/2010
My mouth is still watering for the lobster mac n cheese. I don't even know if there was any lobster in it because it was so dark, I couldn't see my own fork but who cares? It was damn slamming. I had to refrain from eating the entire dish. It was like I couldn't stop and I knew if I finished the whole thing, I -and my stomach- would regret it later.
The service left something to be desired. Our waitress was kind of aloof and when my friend wanted to speak to someone about hosting a birthday party there, the waitress said she would have the manager come over and that never happened. It was nothing horrible though.
All around good time and I like the feel of the whole place. Made me feel like some old timey actress in the 40's dining with my dapper co-stars. I will return and hope that the waitress doesn't read this and spit into my delicious mac n cheese. -
Review from Charlotte B.
Los Angeles, CA
10/25/2010
I came here for my friend's birthday party this past weekend. It was great for what we were looking for: a room with a full bar..... But there is NOTHING more to it than that! As for the atmosphere? Ummm.. what atmosphere?? How does a place in such a trendy part of Hollywood get away with such blandness?
I ordered a gin-n-tonic and it was COMPLETELY watered down. Just to give you an idea as to how watered down it was, I must explain that I am the most hardcore light weight in the world. After having a couple sips of beer, I can get buzzed. My college friends call me the "two beer queer." I felt NOTHING after drinking that gin-n-tonic. So yeah.... VERY watered down!
I don't have a desire to come back here, but it's not like someone would have to hold a gun to my head to get me to try the lobster mac n' cheese that everyone is raving about. -
Review from Maria A.
11/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
I got lost at the entrance- why have that misleading side door? weird.
Anyways, came for happy hour with coworkers.
It was a little too intimate- barely any people, and it was quiet with secluded tables. That would be awesome for a date- or a low key night, but I feel like for happy hour I prefer livelier places.
The food was ok- ordered a couple of the happy hour menu appetizer things.
The beer on tap was good and cheap (happy hour).
Didn't have a bad experience here...
2 of the 3 stars are for the DJ... or CD mix, or whatever. The music was just simply the best part of the entire evening. -
Review from Leigh M.
Los Angeles, CA
7/12/2010
I bet back in the day Formosa was a hot spot with its dim lighting and odd setup (part of it is like a cable car or something), but in present day it's stuck in a relatively quiet area of Hollywood (right next to the Target complex on La Brea), you can't see your menu because it's pitch black, and the atmosphere fits the area -- bland. Other than its fame and history, there's really nothing all that cool about it.
Actually, I take that back. Lobster mac n' cheese is pretty cool.
Other than that, though, ehhhhh. I'm not sure I'd ever go back unless it was for something like lunch. For a night out on the town I think it's worth doing research to find a better gem. -
Review from stephy s.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/11/2008 1 Check-in Here
This was one of my fave little places to drink at while romping around LA in my 20's. Great memories of falling off stools, making out with people in the teensy tiny red bathroom and hanging with awesome people having conversations we were all too drunk to remember having.
But after coming here for dinner on Friday night, I was quickly reminded of how terrible the food is here. Oh, the food. This might be some of the worst food in the area and how you can mess up a plate of sliders and some mac n cheese is beyond me, but Formosa has successfully done it.
The sliders were chewy and had maybe one or two crumbles of blue cheese on them. You can't put blue cheese on the description and then chinse out like that. Not cool. Then there was the mac n cheese. It tasted like what I recall elementary school glue smelling like. Just thick and gooey, but not in the gooey good way.
The service was also pretty bad. Our server was impossible to flag down and a few times walked right by us even after saying, "Excuse me, excuse me, EXCUSE ME!!?!?" And nada. It wasn't THAT busy. About the only saving grace was the fact that the drinks still hold their punch and so long as you eat before coming here, you will be set.Listed in: Los Angeles Bars!, Los Angeles Things To Do, Los Angeles Mac & Cheese, Hollywood Happy Hours
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/24/2006
I hear people knocking the food and yes, it is no place to take say, a hot broad for a romantical… Read more »
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Review from ruth l.
Los Angeles, CA
12/6/2007
Two assumptions you will not want to make:
1) That the veggie spring rolls might be tasty. They are absolutely revolting. The innards are an unidentifiable mush and the wrappers, slimy.
2) That the parking garage will be relatively inexpensive because it's free for the first hour and a buck for the second hour. After hour two, the price skyrockets and I ended up paying $10 for 4 hours of parking.
If you don't make the same mistakes I did, you might have a great time. The bartender was really nice, and extended happy hour past 7 just for the hell of it! Happy hour featured $3 beers (including imports-- although their selection was meager), and $4 appetizers (yes, the revolting spring rolls).
We were a big group, celebrating a friend's promotion and upcoming move, and the bartender and waitress took good care of us. Our waitress successful managed to split our tab into a dozen complicated pieces at different points throughout the evening. At one point we moved out to the back patio, which was nice and had heat lamps, but closed at midnight. They also let us bring in a cake, and brought plates, etc.
Anyway, at one point a friend ordered their sesame fries, which were really quite delicious, but then, I'm a sucker for all things sesame, so I'm biased.
Unfortunately, the spring rolls were so bad that I must keep them at 3 stars. A friend who is a regular there says they are usually good, but he eats frozen food for dinner every night and thus cannot be trusted. -
Review from Ayelet I.
Los Angeles, CA
7/1/2009
Formosa Cafe kind of makes me think of Bette Davis's character in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" Not because it's insane, just sort of decayed and obvious in its oldness. If you're currently saying to yourself, 'huh?' because you don't know the actress or the movie, that's okay-Formosa seems a little forgotten too.
It lacks the glamor of its days as a celebrity haunt and unlike Musso & Frank's, Canter's or The Dresden, the popularity seems to have waned as well. But I still like it, darn it. The food may very well suck, but it has enough elements that hint at its heyday to keep me coming around for $5 happy hour cocktails (from 4 to 7 weekdays), like the lantern-like lighting with little birds adorning their milky glass panes, mirrored "Guys" and "Dolls" signs for the bathrooms that feature illustrations so weathered they must be original, and photos of celebrities who in their day were undoubtedly relevant, but who faded into obscurity as soon as their frame mountings started yellowing.
Granted, maybe some would argue those photos could be replaced for modern ones, and maybe the furniture and paint too, but really, there's nothing wrong about getting old other than denying that reality.
The staff are all friendly and helpful and drinks were perfect-bf's dirty gin martini was not awash in olive brine but had enough to merely hint at salty. I know that picking style (and history) over substance isn't necessarily a good bet, but since I don't come here looking to eat, I've found plenty of all three.Listed in: Old School LA, LA's Jewish Ghetto
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Review from Amy K.
Los Angeles, CA
3/29/2008 2 photos
Something's not quite right in Hollywood land. When did they decide that less than ordinary cuisine is a good selection for an institution that has been around forever, in a train cart nonetheless, and next to the old Samuel Goldwyn Studios? It's like putting Marilyn Monroe in the Jacqueline Smith line for K-Mart. Or making Frank Sinatra do infomercials for adjustable beds... it just doesn't fly with me and it's... tacky, real fucking tacky.
Come on, things have got to change sometime and food has got to keep up with the times to remain fresh. But not only are the selections on the menu ordinary, somehow they managed to suck out all the charm from this historic place with their less than stellar menu selection. Maybe the wrecking ball that was scheduled to demolish this place in the early '90s can hit just the kitchen. Somehow my guess is "No".
At least there's alcohol, lots and lots of endless martinis that I'll be drinking to remind me that hey, Dean Martin probably sat his ass down on the same seat and my ass might be touching that same piece of furniture. Yeah. At least my ass can be happy about that fact.
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re-post 02/08/2008 -
Review from Rebecca S.
Glendale, CA
8/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
The food was decent. I know, you don't come here for the food, you come for the strong drinks but we were hungry. I've lived here my whole life and had yet to step inside of this place. I decided to go with everyone's Yelp suggestion and try the lobster mac & cheese. It IS amazingly yummy. My boyfriend decided to go with ordering 2 appetizers as there were too many food conflicts on the limited menu. The appetizers were $12 each and were just ok. I did order a Mai tai, and, as promised, it was strong and a well done Mai tai.
The decor is red and black and it's a bit dimly lit. I love the old Hollywood feel of this place, I just wish they had a full Chinese restaurant menu and that the food was done well. If that were the case I would start coming here.
Sadly, when we left there were only 3 other people there. It was 9:30 on a Saturday night and the place should be hopping.
