Frontrunner Restaurant

We had a wonderful time at the Santa Anita Racetrack & The Front Runner restaurant. I require a service dog due to two physical disabilities and one mental which makes my K9 partner a multipurpose service dog in training.

I contacted the track prior to going and they told me they follow ADA guidelines and protocols. Well this is not my first service dog (my third partner and I also train working dogs for a living as well) and I have had issues with access before (asking for registration which does not exist) and I was prepared to argue about the laws which I typically have to do (thanks to the Karen's with fake service dogs!). Well they were so so so amazing. Everyone at the track understood the laws (I was so shocked) and they asked the two questions they can and everyone was so professional and great around Bodhi.

We went through security, they wanded us both (this was Bodhi's first time in security) they asked the appropriate questions and told us to stay away from the horses (which I was my plan!). The officer who worked with us was amazing. I got very anxious and was not myself and was having issues with my PTSD. My service dog went into work mode, correctly alerted and responded while we spoke with the officer.

When we headed up the the front runner we did get a few looks which is normal (especially because he is a large dog). We had called ahead and informed them so they were waiting for us. The host was such a good guy (I believe his name was James!) and he and my bf walked around to find the best table for us to sit at. He sat us at the perfect table (we were against the wall and tucked into a corner so Bodhi could still see the horses walking in front of the glass but wasn't in everyone's way or in a way that we would get a lot of attention). We tucked Bodhi under the table and he loved it.

Our waiters were great, they didn't even notice I had a dog until I told them and pointed him out. They worked around us with no issues and they completely ignored him and Bodhi ignored them as well. Everyone was so professional, so nice and everyone was shocked by Bodhi (because he is a legitimately trained service dog) and they were all shocked at how well he did.

To anyone who has a service animal who wants to come here the two biggest things we were told was "the dog cannot go near the horses" (of course! No reason for a 30k dog and a million dollar racehorse to meet!) and that if he barked we needed to leave (he has a passive alert which is either nosing or pawing me, I know some handlers do use a more active alert and this could be an issue). We will definitely be back, I was so blown away. It was such a great trip.

Frontrunner is the restaurant located inside the Santa Anita Park. It's on the inside area and you need to reserve your spot or if it's not too busy you can walk-in too but regardless there's and extra charge to enter. There's a few spots where you can place bets so it's not like you need to go outside to do that. Think of the Frontrunner as the VIP box suites at the Staples Center if you're into watching basketball or hockey. I can see why people would like to sit outside since you can feel more of the crowd energy and probably hear the horses footsteps but I was pretty comfy sitting at a table with the AC on

On Yelp there's not many pictures and the pictures that they do have are a few years old. I had low expect coming in here but the food was actually pretty good and I enjoyed it.

A lot of people in previous reviews complained about the hostess but the girl that helped us was very friendly and helpful.

// FOOD //
ARTISAN BREAD: Think of an assortment of dinner rolls. Most of them were white but we did find a couple that looked to be whole wheat and almost like an everything bagel. 3/5

CHARRED BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Lemon, pecorino cheese, spice rub. Charred and crispy pieces of Brussels. The pecorino added a salty touch to the dish which was good. 4/5

GOLDEN BEET CARPACCIO: Feta cheese, sweet pecans, arugula, peach vinaigrette. The beets were golden and thinly sliced. Off to the side was the arugula salad with feta cheese. The sweet pecans were really good on top! 4/5

MARGHERITA PIZZA: Buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomato, fresh basil, garlic. Great crisp and the pizza was really good! I would definitely order this again. 4/5

CALIFORNIA CLASSIC ALL BEEF BURGER: Tomato, cheese, green leaf, garlic aioli and served with fries. It's in the name - your classic cheeseburger and fries. No complaints on my end. 3/5

APPLE STREUSEL CHEESECAKE: Graham cracker crust, cinnamon, apples and a drizzle of caramel. A pretty solid cheesecake and I loved the bites where you get more cinnamon too. 3/5

MOCHA MUDDER: Whipped mocha ice cream, Oreo shell, smoked almonds. This was delicious and I would recommend this over the cheesecake. 4/5

Overall, I had a great time coming to the racetrack and also Frontrunner. So why the 3 stars? For 7 people the food and dessert plus tip and the payment for entry/reserved spot came out to roughly $100/person. I can think of a lot of restaurants in which you will get much better food for half the price BUT this was also a meal and the experience. If you're into horse racing then I would definitely recommend coming here. I do plan on coming back eventually.

Real good food nice place to enjoy the races
You can make bets we had nice table
severs was nice go enjoy your day at the races

Great place to go and watch/bet on the races. We always reserve to be seated by the window. The drinks are decent but the food is super overpriced and always lukewarm. For the prices, it should come out the kitchen fresh and hot! Service is always pleasant but ALWAYS slow! You have to flag your waiter down for everything!

Met up with about 12 of my retired firefighter buddies for a get together. The restaurant was basically empty and the food service was absent. The one redeeming standout was Pawl, the bartender.... He was fantastic and on top of his game. He was never too far away or too busy to see to all of our needs. The reason for only 3 stars is, why do you have to charge $12.00 for a bottle of Pacifico when a case of 24 is only $20.00 at Sam's Club. When in Vegas and gambling you can drink for free, yet when gambling at a racetrack you pay $12.00 per drink. I would have gambled a whole lot more if I wasn't shelling that much money for bottled beer....

This is an amazing place where to spend an afternoon enjoying horse racing ,however is the worst food I ever experienced at any racetrack I visited around the world
Come for the Show, eat somewhere else. Its incredible whoever is in charge of Front Runner doesn't make it a culinary destination
Menu is very poor, mostly finger foods. I saw a gentleman wearing a suit eating a hamburger with his hands

The food was buffet style. In my opinion, the best part of the Buffay was the ravioli, stuffed with mushrooms, the beef tenderloin, and the chicken with rice pilaf the only problem with most of the food it was lukewarm. The Mediterranean grilled vegetables were cold. The desserts were typical. I did like the rice pudding. The venue is a great spot to spend the day watching the race. The only problem the noise level is very high. The best part is the service was outstanding. Our server was Max and did an impeccable job tending to our needs.

Great view of the Races ! Worth paying extra for air conditioning and table service, definitely. Also the betting windows right in the penthouse restaurant made for a luxurious racetrack experience. The charming trumpet player for the races even stopped by , with a pleasant greeting and some "low key "trumpet playing! The table service however ....was spotty at best ? The waiters are practiced and skilled at avoiding eye contact . We enjoyed a cocktail, pastry and coffee for "breakfast "and had planed to order lunch somewhere between the 3rd and 7th race but were unable to flag down our waiter for so long it became laughable. We finally decided just leaving before the 8th race and going somewhere else to dine was for the best .

I concur with other recent reviewers who also went to the 2023 Mother' Day Brunch. The buffet was terribly organized with super long lines, and not great food options. We left disappointed and felt like we overpaid for the day.

The panoramic view of the racetrack and mountains is incredible. The food was mediocre. Came in for a private event. I'll definitely come back and try their regular menu.