Royal Claytons
Categories: Wine Bars, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown1855 Industrial St
Los Angeles, CA 90021 (213) 622-0512
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Mon, Tue, Thu
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
37 reviews
Neighborhood: Hollywood
"Best place to buy wine in Los Angeles. I love K&L. Staff is great, knowledgeable and friendly. Prices are all reasonable (if not…" read more »
73 Reviews for Royal Claytons
Tucked away in a semi secret location under the toy lofts is a gem by the name of Royal Claytons. This place is a jack of all trades. If you are hungry they have got you covered with a 70 item plus menu. If you find yourself parched, Claytons has a beautiful Full bar with stocked goodness. Need a place to watch the big game? RC's even has 2 plasmas set to espn and a free pool table! The staff is efficient, friendly and really are more like your friend than your server. When you hang at claytons you feel like you are at a party surrounded by all your friends. Great vibe. Good eats. i Hightly recommend.
Not bad, not bad...definitely not a bad place to visit. The door, super heavy...I had a hard time pushing myself out. The Royal Pictures of English Queens on the walls makes me want to go home and study English Royal faces. I'm wondering if they have a portrait of Eleanor of Aquitaine who ruled from 1122-1202....
At first, I was a little sketchy coming here. I was like, "Naw man..you got to be kidding me! This doesn't look safe for a lady..", but all you do is turn one little corner and you find yourself in uber- urban -yuppie ville.
And not to mention, I ate really good. They have an excellent menu for salads. I ordered the spinach and mushroom salad served in a big bowl. It was doused in walnuts, dressing, red onions, orange slices, spinach AND THEN, they topped it off with grilled chicken strips. Not bad. The Mushroom pizza was also really, really good. I thought the food was good, then again, I hadn't eaten in a few days.
The boys will hit on you..it was pub heaven..
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Re: Bad neighborhood
If you don't like it, go to the west side. Yes, the roads are bad and the streetlights sparse. Yes, there are big bad warehouses scattered round. But really, how much danger can you really be in walking literally 20 feet from your car to Royal Clayton's? I'll answer that: NONE.
Re: Sickness?
Last night, I was very aware of the dangers of salmonella running rampant, so I ordered a turkey burger with a fat slice of tomato. No vomiting 'er nothing. My domestic partner eats here almost every day for lunch break and has found himself energized and full of protein and other nutrients to get through the day.
Re: Awesome, English pub?
Yes! The decor/ambiance is great. I felt like I fell into a time/place warp. It isn't all kitschy and stupid like a theme restaurant. I would characterize it as legit.
Their "happy hour" is absolutely great. You can't get much better than $2-3-4 dollar beers and $5 small plates. Their Guinness on tap was a little flat, however, I enjoyed more than a fair share of Blue Moons. The service is great because the employees have character, and throw laughs and jokes all over the place.
My turkey burger was perhaps the best one I've had, especially 'cos it was served with a heaping mound of sweet potato fries (thick-cut, just the way I like them). I did chose something boring, sorry. There are interesting selections on the menu which I am excited to try next time.
We watched the Lakers game ( :[ ), played a round of pool, ate, drank, people-watched, and left into the scary, monster-filled neighborhood, luckily back to safety.
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I really love strong whiskey sours.. I like them 50/50. Mmm..
The girl who made it said they dont use the s&s mix. I was a little sad because I grew up on that stuff but excited at the same time because she said it was gonna be awesome and fresh. Well, it was and I was very happy and had to order a second because it was so damn good. It wasnt 50/50 but it was still ok. And the calamari was pretty good with the 2 spicy sauces.
4 stars+1 because its an elevator ride from my friends place upstairs.
oh, and ive had the fish & chips here before but i kind of forgot how they were (not that they were bad but it was a year ago).
ps. J.MO! haha
Nice quiet bar with decent food, free pool, and good service.
cool place to come for drinks- near siarc- so pretty nice, chill spot. food- not so much. I think it's English food- so don't expect flavor. I recommend the onion rings though- those were killer.
Royal Clayton's is a nice change of pace from some of the other joints downtown. The beer selection on tap is great and it really has the feel of a true English Pub. The food? Not impressed, not even a little bit. I vaguely remember there being something that was randomly edible, but nothing to write home (or you) about. If you been to most of the local spots downtown, Royal Clayton's will be a nice change of pace.
I agree with the totally random location comments. However, if you work in the warehouse district like I do, it's sort of nice to know you can get a decent drink without carrying your pink tear gas dispenser in your back pocket just in case.
I enjoyed this place. Unfortunately for those looking for food criticisms, I ordered the veggie burger, which is a Gardenburger (translation: it's exactly the same, everywhere). The sweet potato fries were phenomenal, though, and came to my table in copious quantities.
The gin and tonic I ordered was good, but slightly too weak for my taste. So for my second drink (that's about where I max out when I need to drive home and the sun's still out), I ordered a mint julep. amazing! Freshly crushed mint leaves, and plenty of it. Wonderful refreshment on a warmer evening after work.
The service is friendly, but don't expect to be blown out of the water. Personally, I enjoy being left to my own devices after I've ordered, unless the waiter notices that my drink looks a little low. In this sense, the waiter was very attentive.
The atmosphere is probably the reason I'll return : old warehouse-style furniture and dim lighting. Clean restroom. High ceilings. Hardwood floors. I love that stuff. If you're in the neighborhood, you should go.
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this tavern is tucked away in a secret little side street near the american apparel warehouse. when i went here with a friend, it was after a modernica warehouse sale and it suggested to go to the tavern across the street. we went over not knowing what to expect. when you walk in you are greeted with a large arched cathedral doors behind the hostess desk. all the tables have office chairs as their seats. the crowd that was inside was mixed and random. seemed from the decor that it was a pretty cool place. my friend was a vegetarian and had no problem finding something good to eat. i, on the other hand, need meat. i ordered the traditional english breakfast, which turned out to be good and authentic. our waiter was british and flirty, but kind of slow. other than that, it was an overall pleasant dining experience.
This place had a mix of English dishes like Shepherd's Pie, bangers and mash, and fish and chips and more American options like portabello burgers.
I came in here for lunch and ordered the mac and cheese, which my friend informed me was what a lot of ppl she knew ordered. I couldn't resist. It was quite tasty. I loved the added herbs. The texture of the cheese sauce was a little grainy though. This was also a hefty portion, and even I as a person who can pack it away has to recommend that you share this with someone if you order it.
I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries, which turned out to be too much on top of the mac and cheese that i had trouble finishing. They also came a little late.
It was lunchtime on a wed. and there was only one person taking orders. Midway through our meal there were probably about ten tables she had to take care of. She had someone to help her, but I did feel bad for her. Overall she and the other person were good about keeping our drinks full.
The decor was really fun. Nice high ceilings, dark wood, old portrait paintings/prints, and stained glass windows that were obviously brought in from somewhere else since they didn't fit in the window cutout.
This place would be a good place to bring a group of friends or coworkers for a bite to eat and a drink.
I went here with high hopes. I had heard so many good things. Everything turned to shit from the start. The air conditioner was nonexistent, making it ten degrees hotter then the 95 degree heat outside. I ventured in anyway just out of hunger. Once inside I wasn't greeted with a host but a restaurant full of dirty table's and old sweaty women...far from the "trendy and hip" portrayal I was introduced to. After reading the menu for about 10 minutes I had decided to put my waiter skills to work. I bused and cleaned off OUR OWN table, AND grabbed menus. Finally, I thought, we were on our way to a good meal...
After ordering from a basic, run of the mill menu, it took about 15 minutes to get our request for water heard. I can honestly say the water was the highlight of the meal. Half an hour later I finally receive my dry, deli-meat turkey sandwich and a warm, soggy, mediocre salad.. which had clearly been sitting under a heating lamp since it's conception.
I approached the waiter, who in fact was the manager, and before i could get a word out, he says to me "you don't like the salad?", which tells me that it was no secret that our meal was sub-standard.
I left Royal Clayton's with an empty stomach and feeling thoroughly under-whelmed ... which is no way anyone should feel after using my hard-earned money on a simple sandwich and salad.
SOOOOOooooo much better than when the place first opened.
I won't go into it but suffice it to say Yelp won't let you leave zero stars.
Must be thanks to John, the guy running the show now.
I had the Fish and Chips which were Fish and Chips.
No flavored Mayo from the dark side of an egomaniacal "super" chef's mind.
The fish was battered and hot.
They came with Tarter Sauce and Ketchup, which is just dandy for me.
The Super F had the Bangers and Mash.
They came with baked beans which made everybody happy!
And I had the best lemonade ever. Three glasses of it.
The portions are huge.
The food is tasty and un-fussy.
The staff is friendly and attentive.
The crowd is local.
It's walking distance from my house.
That's a five star joint in my opinion.
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Totally random location. If you're ever in the need to crash at an SRO, cash a check, go to a bail bond store, sleep on the sidewalk or catch the Greyhound, this is your neighborhood. Portraits of kings and queens, polished concrete floors, hipster clientle. Incredibly slow service. Plenty of parking. Right by the Biscuit Factory lofts -- advertising "85% sold!"
Pabst Blue Ribbon and Stella Artois on tab proves this place doesn't care what you think or the car you rolled in on. Seventeen different types of Whiskey means you come here to drink and "STFU this is not Hollywood." Authentic pictures of 14th and 17th century British Monarchs, means we are Olde School and a pool table flanked by two 42" LCD TVs, is just sweet. Located in a non-discrete industrial neighborhood. Good Sir I am home.
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Royal Claytons is one of those joints that you expect to blow your mind but is actually not designed for mind blowing. Let me say it another way, this is not the joint for you if you even use the phrase 'mindblowing experience'. It is the place for you if you've ever imagined yourself buying a drink for Michael Gambon.
You can't really take any English Pub style joint seriously for food. I came order a pint of bitters, and the bird didn't know what I was on about. It's got the look, but its a bit of Limey Lite, I'm afraid. Yes. Complete with an 'established in 1994' sign or something of that sort that tries to make you appear cool to your friends to know it was trendy before it was trendy. Me, I was too blotto to remember that actual number, but I knew it wasn't in the 1800s so why should I care? Besides, it's not a real pub unless some ugly blighter starts yammering in your ear about Man United. The replica will do.
But I tell you that bit of transparent pseudo is well made up for by the presence of a jazz quartet with an accordian. It doesn't get any more unique than that. Unfortunately we were too close to hear ourselves think anymore. Fortunately, they had talent. Unfortunately, it was like a bad mix of Polish Jazz and Klezmer. Fortunately, I was in the mood to be surprised and that certainly did it.
I can't make up my mind whether or not I actually dig this place despite its great digable potential, but since my brother keeps inviting me back and I keep missing the date, I've got a bubble of anticipation in me. The beer I got was good enough to keep me happy, but all the pieces weren't in place as they were at this greater joint in Philly, The Society Hill - which doesn't try so damned hard to be authentic.
I can guarantee you this, it's better than the Cheesecake Factory in Marina Del Rey.
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Love this place Excellent fish and chips along with really spicy bloody marys some nights live music !!! Great location to meet up with friends before going out :)
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Let me tell you people, our table had a genuine hand crank at the bottom. This sort of activity may be frowned upon during the evening rush but we cared not! Other than childish activities the beer added to a most pleasurable experience. I say if you are looking for some of that "Downtown" feeling head over to Royal Claytons and enjoy!
The service in this place isn't always th best. The young staff is often sort of inattentive The beers on tap are good and usually a good price. I can't say that any of the food I've had been that great. What gets me is when they serve you a Ploughman's lunch, which is basically Kraft Singles and Cosco salami in a semi fancy formation. I didn't really think it worked. The atmosphere is nice I guess.
This place is still working out a few kinks. I ordered, the basket of fries & onion rings, first. Best onion rings I've had in a while. Light on the batter, crunchy ass hell, and the onion was sliced pretty thin. Think crunchy! For the main entree, I ordered the sea bass. This is where the food went downhill. I personally like my fish undercooked, because it melts in your mouth. It came grilled to brown'ation. That to me, is a sign of no culinary experience. It also came upon a bed of crescent-cut avocado, similar-cut oranges, and sliced tomatoes. What a weird combo, and it does not compliment the fish, at all. Also, a HUGE portion of stilton cheese, raw. That's like eating a pound of mold. Definitely NOT a great scent, sight, or taste (melted on a burger or toast is fine, but I can't do it raw).
Here is where & why I still gave them four stars. First, the service wasn't the most attentive, but they are SO friendly. Not to forget, they're also super courteous. They also even asked for tid-bits on the entree. They asked, "anything we can do to make it better?". I, being friendly, gave my humble opinion. They agreed, took note, and told the chef. I thought this was a pretty friendly thing to do. They're giving the customers what they want. That shows me great incentive. That also ensues, they want to give the people, what the people want. I can never say anything bad about a democratic-contemporary pub.
There was a Caucasian male, with a goatee. I think he was the manager. Real friendly guy. Also, two European gals, with slight accents. They're super friendly too. Everyone here is real friendly, quite ready to dote on your needs, and very humble.
The decor is a contemporary-Gothic whirl. Think lots of concrete, with dark panels, and modern amenities.
There is no longer a happy hour available, but they still carry some discounted beers.
The area is safe, plenty of street parking, and the the pool table is FREE! Help a local spot out, and give it a whirl. Support local businesses.
Oh yes, they also make a pretty decent latte & cappuccino.
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I agree with the douchbag free zone, in fact nary a new Mercedes or Hummer in sight. and no one will use the word "chillaxin". That alone is worth 5 stars. It takes a really big city to sprout a place like this. I spent money here and the verdict is, I'd do it again.
Everybody talks about the location in the Toy Factory, across from the National Biscuit loft building. Even the staff can't tell you how to get to little tokyo (it's really easy, go up to third and take a right, no, uh, that's a left). I hope you have GPS. You can take 101 to the 5/60, off at 7th, right across the river, right on Mateo and you'll see it, trust me, the only sign of civilization visible in the Blade Runner district. I don't think it's scary, your date might. Is that a good thing? Yes. But there's a single woman walking a dog next to the semi trying to make a tight turn. How dangerous can it be
Once inside the fear subsides, we're in an arts district hangout with disheaveled hipsters, arty parents with a teen, gay and lesbian couples, no anxiety ridden strivers as you might find in beverly hills. the sleek stark money is spawned by, well by folks like us venturing downtown. You'll look up at the lights in the lofts and say I could or couldn't do this, but for now it's fun.
as a restaurant it's servicable, geared to locals, regulars perhaps. nothing over 20 on the menu. that's like 8 years ago prices. Fries and rings, yes, salmon, yes, broiled to a crust and not totally overcooked inside, that pub pie thing, eww, no, too bland. I don't order pub food in erzatz pubs. Lots of food, you may have your lunch for tomorrow Wine: we had an australian pinot, completely different than california. many low priced bottles on the small list, not a bad list, veuve cliquot for 75 cool, korbel for 30 not so cool...that's less than2x retail vs over3 times retail, so you probably want to order what you would not buy in your supermarket.
the inside is nicer than some reviews lead you to believe. windows, tall industrial space, the "pub" touches are added on to the loft, it isnot by nature a dank damp spot. RC is not a suitable name really, I would try something more industrial. It wasn't busy on a Sunday, what is. Parking outside the window. We didn't have any service problems. I think it would make a comfortable date restaurant, certainly enough distractions to discuss and outside of your regular haunts.
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Please, a moratorium on hipster joints serving Pabst..... It was cute and ironic ten years ago; now it's just sort of lame.
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Clayton and I don't go far back, in fact, we just met.
Here's what Clayton does have going for him:
1) nice beer selection, I enjoyed a great white, the other beers are respectable as well.
2) delicious onion rings
3) ample dark alley parking ;-)
okay. so that's all I've got, which is why Clayton gets 3 stars from me. It's not a place that I'd run to, but I also wouldn't run away.
cheers
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A hidden pub underneath the new Toy Lofts building. Clever siting, providing refuge and nourishment for the neighboring downtown artists; offering coffee and breakfast in the am, lunch in the noon to pm, and a casual hangout loungy digs in the eve.
Great concept but under delivered with the food / bar offerings and service. My aperitif, which was a PIMM'S CUP, was incorrectly prepared twice. First try, it was served in a martini glass w/ white vermouth...WRONG! Second try, it was served w/ a lemon wedge...WRONG! I had to tell the bartender how to serve and garnish the drink. Perhaps, she needs to go back to bartending school.
The food was nothing to prattle about. The FRIED CALAMARIS were over fried and bitter, the CHICKEN QUESADILLAS were nothing spectacular (Poquito Mas makes 'em better!), and the BBQ RIBS were overly sweet and boring.
They need to regroup and work on their menu and service. Otherwise, it's a dandy place to hangout, play pool, and chat with friends over a "misprepared" cocktail.
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This place is terrible. The inside is really cool, but that's about it. Their beer selection is decent, but the food is unreasonable, at least everything we tried. We started with the steak spring rolls, but they seemed kind of greasy. Then came the steak, overcooked, we asked for medium rare, fries, definitely freezer fries. We also split the most disgusting salad I've ever tasted. Just remembering it I'm tempted to go back and give them 1 star. The salad was supposed to have twice as many ingredients and a different dressing, but was actually really gross. The service was spotty, but very friendly. I will never go back though.
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The food wasn't memorable - quite literally - I don't remember what we had, just that it wasn't awful and wasn't great - but we LOVE the French Gypsy band! They are straight out of Amelie. How often do you get to hear accordion in LA? Come for a drink, stay for the band.
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I went here on a Friday night to celebrate a friend's passing of some very important exams. Now, I am not a LA person per say, I've been sheltered my whole life, so every time I have to make the trip Downtown I panic and assume I am going to get lost. I of course got lost for a bit, but once I passed the old warehouse buildings and the dark lonely streets I finally found the bar.
What a great bar! I felt like I had stepped into a speakeasy of sorts. The decor was interesting. They had like pipes along the walls and the above the bar look was almost like old wooden doors freshly polished. The tables were long and the chairs while not very high were comfortable enough.
The whole place just had a very chill, kick back atmosphere. It wasn't too trendy and people were not all decked out. You could tell it was the kind of place regulars go to have a couple of drinks and maybe dinner. We tried the Philly Spring Rolls at the recommendation of my friend and they were delicious. At $9 a plate for 6 it's easy to split with a second person.
The service was okay, it wasn't spectacular. My friend had to go ask someone to get a waitress to our table after we had been sitting there for almost a good 30 minutes. Once we did get our waitress she was friendly and kept checking in. We also discovered that they have water right on the table, duh! That way you can refill your own and not have to wait around. I didn't drink that night, so I don't know what the drinks are like or the prices, but I am definitely going to be making a trip back sometime soon!
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RC is an extremely attractive space with excellent food. We found parking quite easily and had no trouble finding it, as we live nearby. When I was there they were out of every single beer I wanted to drink, but I doubt that is typical. I wish it was in the ground floor of my own building, I'd be there every night.
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Nice inside, looks way better on the website than in person.
I can't comment on the food except to say that the basket of fries and onion rings were damn tasty. I like that their mustard has a hint of horseradish to it. It's good for happy hour, though it ends at 6 (early right?).
The service was pretty slow and spotty, making this a bad place to take your lunch break if you're in a hurry.
Until I can make that right turn off of 1st street into the Bordello again, I'll be coming here for drinks after work.
I had heard this place was cool so I met up with a friend about a week ago to have snacks and a drink. The drinks were fine the food, not so much. We ordered wings, the quesadilla and the seared tuna appetizer. The quesadilla and the tuna were o.k. and the wings were inedible--too much sauce that was too spicy. In either case, I liked the atmosphere and the vibe and that it wasn't competely crowded. My recommendation--go for the drinks.
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It really saddens me that I MUST write this review.
I recently moved across the street in the coolest Loft and was very excited to have what I thought was a great restaurant so close.
Back in June the food was great, good chef, nice waiters etc.
Not too long ago the chef was let go and the menu changed, but I still gave the place the benefit of the doubt and took my son and his girlfriend for dinner.
I was craving a simple pasta dish, so I ordered pasta with a simple meat sauce.
It was simply inedible. It was so spicy I only managed to eat three mouthfuls, not even an exaggeration. The waiter came around and asked how everything was like I suppose they are trained to do.
When I told him I couldn't eat my pasta because it was too spicy, he just looked at me, didn't offer me anything as a replacement and didn't take it off the bill.
That should have been my last meal there but the day I moved into my loft my son Matt and I were staving so we walked across the street to eat. With hardly anything left on the menu we liked, we ordered something familiar. "Lemon Chicken" simple and safe, or at least we thought it was. What happened was a Nightmare.
Matt and I almost simultaneously started to question the chicken, it smelled really bad. At first I thought it was the sauce, but as a cook I know that scent of tainted chicken. We both decided we better tell the waiter. He took it back to the kitchen and a few moments later a woman came to the table and started to make excuses for the chicken dish, telling Us it was old wine in the sauce.
When was the last time old wine didn't smell like Vinegar? She Promised us that we had nothing to worry about, it was NOT the Chicken.
Neither of us wanted to order anything to replace the dinner and instead filled up on fries and onion rings.
Fast forward to Friday night three days later. Matt started to feel "weird" but got up for an open casting call on Saturday. After standing in line for hours he really felt sick, He picked me up and I took him to dinner, insisting that he have some soup to help his stomach.
Sunday, Matt wakes up with a fever of over 100 degrees, he's freezing and can't stop shaking. I thought he had come down with the flu.
So I fill him with all types of flu medication. Nothing seemed to help him feel better.
Monday I call him in the morning to check on him and he still has a very high fever. I couldn't get to his house for a couple of hours.
By the time I arrived his fever was 103.5 and rising. He was delirious.
As his mother I freaked out.
I stuck him in the tub and called the doctor. She told me to get him to her office because it didn't sound like flu to her.
To make a long story shorter, What Matt got at ROYAL CLAYTONS was more than a bad dinner. He got CB. It's short for this terrible bacteria that KILLS people.
I am not being dramatic. This is a very serious thing to get. The health department called him twice after his test results came in.
I called the Manager to inform him because I really like him,, He was really sorry and embarrassed he said. I believe he is.
But, after a week of being on Nuclear strength antibiotics there is still an open order by the Doctor at St. Johns Hospital to take more tests if necessary. It seems this little thing will linger in his system for at least seven weeks and in some cases it even turns into something else. I can't even begin to think about that.
All I know is that my son got deathly sick there and I will never set foot inside that place again. I don't think I will ever forget this terrible ordeal Matt has had to endure. We still don't know how long it will be before he will be back to normal.
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Downtown's coolest local hang - very sexy, very cool, you can't believe it until you visit... and you still need to eat to believe it.
-Billards, Flatscreens, and great Filet Mignon? Hey, it works - I eat there once a week minimum.
Seriously, the food isn't what you think... the best pork chop and Filet - and totally affordable... $19 for a pork chop (should be $30) and $26 for Filet (should be $34), the burger rocks too... fun apps - but not for those on a diet... lots of heavy rich stuff.
Plus' Hip design, cool location under the Toy Loft Building, valet, open late, fun staff, feels like a cool soho spot to me.... love the church stain glass windows and the metal work. Dessert was really good too.
Minus' Downtown isn't supporting this place the way we could/should, I hope they can continue to do as good a job as there currently are.
Wine List - ok, could use some love from a good wine buyer.
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Actually I've been there a total of three times. Two out of three and the service just sucked. It was better today. That's the one star!!!
I was there for lunch today 1/24/08, the other times I was there for DRINKS!!!
I figured I couldn't go wrong with vegatable soup right? Wrong the darn thing tasted like "sock water with corn!!!" Server was really good about it and brought me a different "sock water soup." Here's the second star. Cheers to our waitior who was super cool today!!
I live walking distance to this place so I guess I will go there when I'm in the mood to be ignored, and of course when I'm in the mood for sock water soup.
I will give the place another chance and order something else like BREAD!!! I'm hopeful the menu will get better and as time goes by I'm sure they will imporve.
The place is cozy and decorated nicely. Clean bathrooms!!
Drink, eat and be merry my friends!!!
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We wandered in last Friday, early evening and were able to grab a tall bar table and relax from a crushing work week. We ordered a delicious bottle of Shiraz and a few plates from the appetizer menu. Quesadilla, Philly Spring Rolls and Buffalo Wings. All good, all a little better than your typical greasy bar food. Nothing extraordinary, but good.
Now that the food wasn't the star or the draw, i can write about the great space. The tables and chairs must have been scooped up from an old sewing house or other kind of factory. Check out the old bike chains and cranks below your table. I can picture a row of war-time women sitting upright cranking type-writers from these chairs. The interior is loft-y but with a warm leather and wood feel. There is a small side bar with a few flat screens, a pool table and ample barstools and tables. The front dining room is softly lit by candles and well placed fixtures.
The service was prompt (except for that damn filling of the water, not sure why that detail is most often missed) and she gave us the great wine recommendation after our Barbera bottle was not available.
The crowd was groups of downtowners and professionals straight off of work and a few girls enjoying girls night out.
I enjoyed my first visit and will be back for another bottle of wine and that might be it. I hear i have to try some of the entrees, so we'll see.
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Super cool place to have a drink or get some grub. Not extensive enough of a food menu so hopefully they will add more things to it eventually but the atmosphere and the local loft dwellers make this place rad. I like the dark brown tables and the set up of the place. Good local hang with a nice wine list as well. You can play pool too! Rad!
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This is cool bar....a great place to meet your friends to kick back a few. They've got the requisite plasmas to watch your fav game...and pool table wager your next drinks. It's a got a really dark tavern-esque decor, and these very unique old office chairs that look like they were from the original Toy Factory.
The Food: is bleh. I wouldn't come back here to eat. It's not horrible like some of the other reviewers have noted; it's just not that good. This is really a drinking establishment. I hope the owners/managers will embrace that.
The Service: is kinda like the food. Our server didn't know what a Dewars and Water was...we told her to ask the bartender. No worries, she brought it back with swiftness.
I can't wait to do a Happy Hour here.
One upside...no douchebags like in Financial Dist./South Park areas
I was there on my birthday! The place is casual, has a pool table, great for hangging out, and the service was great! They even bought me a desert of my choice :)
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This spot is pretty happening. I was there on Friday around 9 or so. Would have been earlier except a wrong turn was made from the bus stop and walked a mile around to get to it. oops. They have a nice beer selection.. including the Lambic my favorite, yum! If you like fruit and aren't a huge beer fan, this is the beer for you. The Crab cakes were excellent, the linguini alfredo (boring I know!) was pretty good too, but I have certainly had better. Cool atmosphere, in the middle of nowhere - the industrial district. Free pool, even though I didn't take advantage, and to top off the evening the creme brulee trio was so good. I will definitely hit this place up again, on my mission to take more advantage of the awesome places downtown has to offer... even if the area is a little sketchy.
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The other reviews listed pretty much says it all.
It is a place to impress if you want something different (skid row junkie tour dream} and then a singke malt scotch to wake you up.
The food is good.We both had the flat iron steak. But the french onoin soup was to brothy and way to sweet Reasonabley priced evening.
Not big on Belgian beers but if you are then diffently do not miss this place as you will be rewarded.
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I would put this place on the map for a little first date action. It's more of a restaurant than a bar, its impossible to find, and after getting lost and going through skid row to get there, your sure to be guaranteed some action.
The Toy Design loft is super sweet and the RC interior is defiantly on the cool side. Other pros are free pool with nice sticks.
The down side is that I'm not sure who goes here. It seems to be young professionals and visualization render nerds or something like that. The vibe is a little tense and the whole downtown scene leaves something to be desired. Still this place is a good getaway if your sick of everything else and you have a subscription to Metropolis.
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