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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: El SegundoMon-Sat 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sun 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.
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I've been to this location 4 times, and each time I've been impressed.
I've been here for lunch once, dinner once, and breakfast twice. I think their breakfast and lunch were the best. Great menu choices, and high quality food. The place is clean and fresh, and is kid-friendly, although I don't see many kids here.
For dinner, it was easy to find a table. For lunch, we had reservations for a table of 12, and were seated quickly and our server was on top of it. All the food was very good.
For breakfast, we've been seated quickly, the food is excellent, and there are lots of menu options.
I'm happy to have discovered Marmalade in Plaza El Segundo. Try the Veggie Grill, Salt Creek, or the Counter Burger at Plaza El Segundo as well, but only Marmalade offers breakfast!
i was really excited to try this place when it first opened. i ordered the mushroom risotto for lunch midweek. 3 hours later, i had the worst case of food poisoning ever! i had to call 911, took in 2 bags of I.V. cuz i was so dehydrated from vomiting so much so fast. i had to go go the emergency room! my bf called the restaurant to notify them and all the manager had to say was,"ah, that's unfortunate, what did she have for breakfast?"--insinuating that it wasn't due to their mushroom risotto. I HAD A BOWL OF OATMEAL for breakfast 5 hours before going to marmalade!
i will never go back to this restaurant again!! my doctor determined there must have been something spoiled in the risotto sauce. i called the health department on them.
I absolutely LOVE Marmalade Cafe's location in Sherman Oaks so one weekend when I was craving some Marmalade and didn't want to go all the way up to Sherman Oaks we decided to try this location. I didn't know about the Rolling Hills location or we would have gone there since it's closer to our house.
I ordered a Tuaca lemon drop and it was soooo-oh-oh good. I love drinks made with Tuaca and was so excited to see this on the menu.
For dinner, I ordered the country fried chicken (love!) but it wasn't nearly as good as the one I had at the Sherman Oaks location. My fiance ordered the filet mignon fajitas (which I always think is a no-no in non-mexican restaurants). I was surprised to be proved wrong! The fajitas were pretty good but there wasn't much steak for how much they cost - well over fifteen bucks.
Plus, I think the atmosphere is cold and monochromatic. Not at all fun and funky like the SO one.
Overall, I was pleased but I'd rather make the drive to Sherman Oaks than ever go to this location again.
I usually give places at least two chances before I write a review. Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, right? Wrong! I don't think my stomach or my wallet could take another visit to this restaurant. I'll start with the good things, since there's only a couple.
The decor/atmosphere of the restaurant is certainly nice. Based on looks alone, the place 'appears' to be very promising. The hostess was polite and our server was quaint and brought our food out quickly. These two high points boosted my rating to two stars instead of one.
The menu items all looked to be the 'standard' cafe fare. Nothing really jumped out and grabbed my attention. I tried the Turkey Melt with a caesar salad and my other Half tried some other type of turkey-based sandwich with french fries.
The turkey was TERRIBLE. It had that unfresh iodine taste to it. My fiancee couldn't even finish her sandwich and I had trouble choking my sandwich down. Thankfully, there were french fries to get the horrible taste out of my mouth. The caesar salad tasted just as bad as the sandwich.
Now I wouldn't mind shelling out 10 bucks for a Turkey melt if it was a really DAMN good turkey melt, but this was far from the case. I've had better turkey sandwiches at 7-11 for $2.99. I'm sorry Marmalade- you have potential, but you won't be seeing me back anytime soon.
Save you're money and your taste buds and go to Corner Bakery or a Panera.
Service was excellent, the service of highly trained corporate restaurant employees, so I left a big tip, BUT...
the food is mediocre at best. If you like tasteless, bland, highly caloric food go here. No subtlety or depth of flavor, not quality ingredients.
I got the French Toast. It was dry inside and flavorless.
WAY overpriced. Corporate prices. With tax and tip and coffee was 20 dollars for a very mediocre meal. Would not eat here again.
Surprised to see an average of only 3 stars for this place after finally having had the chance to eat there last week.
We didn't really want to stuff ourselves, so we ordered the nachos with filet mignon chili to share ($11) and we each got a half house salad ($8). I added filet mignon to mine ($5), since I was hungry (I know, it went against the "not wanting to stuff ourselves). Both were good.
The waitress was nice and the service was good. It's a little on the pricey side. Their menu is pretty extensive, ranging from fish to pasta, so I'm looking forward to going back for lunch sometime where it might be a bit more affordable. And you can walk down the plaza and get Pinkberry for dessert if you're into the froyo craze.
I came here for Sunday brunch with some friends. The restaurant is cute...with a decent size bar and a few TV's to catch a game. I had the Stacy's Breakfast off the brunch menu which was very tasty. I asked for cheese and it looked like they just melted a slice on top of the egg whites which wasn't too appealing. The portions are pretty large .
I downgraded my rating because way they incorporated the cheese into my egg whites and the service- it was a little worse than average. Our waitress didn't remember the spoon for our coffee's or my apple juice and it wasn't a full house.
I would come back, this is a good place to bring visiting family or friends for a hearty meal in the cute Plaza El Segundo, and then some shopping (or in reverse :-). However, there isn't anything terribly unique about this place.
3.5
Great brunch place, I have yet to be dissapointed with their brunch items though there was this one time that I had a large stubborn tendon that kind of disrupted my steak. Grrr... anyways, they have mimosas and i saw Gerry Bus there! Didn't know who he was until someone said something but I thought it was pretty cool! Nice outdoor seating, good place to hang with friends, but not a good place to catch the sunday games.
Been here a few times for lunch as well as brunch on weekends and although it's not blow your mind great, it's been consistently good and the service is always nice.
I've had quite a bit on your menu so I'll just review what I had for brunch on Sunday. Their corn beef hash was different and very tasty. Liked the poached eggs on top of the corn beef hash.
And for laker fans, it's a good place to get some celebrity sighting. I've seen Phil Jackson and Gerry Bus there on two separate occasions.
Had I written this review prior to my last experience a few months back this place would have got at least 3 stars maybe 4. That said the food is good but the service is atrocious. We waited for about 45 minutes before being seated at a table for 4, thing of it was there were 5 of us and I had asked about that exact same round table 20 minutes earlier and I was told we could not sit there because it was a table for 4! When we were taken to the table by the obnoxious host, he didn't even bring the 5th chair, the bus boy had to bring it. I reported him to the manager and yes I did lose my temper. The manager offered us a free appetizer of his choice apparently, thanks for the free Nachos! Yuk. The Server was great though and we did not undertip her as she had nothing to do with it. I did have a few choice words for the host on the way out.
Speew!!! I came here with my Buddy on a Tuesday afternoon. I didn't really want to try this place out because I didn't look inviting (at least from the outside)....the place looked too "corporate". Anyway, the inside is decorated like Cheesecake Factory mixed w/ Pachenga casino buffet dinning room mixed w/ Fox Sports Bar and a hint of "french" cafe. I ordered a turkey sandwich (it had some kinda cranberry jelly inside of it..tasted like they just opened a jar of Smuckers). The turkey was NASTY! it left a horrible after taste...Perhaps they got the turkey that was left over from the homeless shelter. i don't know. Anyway, I tried to eat my food ($14 for a sandwich and fries) but I couldn't get myself to have more than 4 bites of the sandwich. I ate most of the fries...which were just okay. Basically, this place is an over priced Coco's (stole that comment from my Buddy). Two stars only because the parking was good and the staff was nice.
Nice location, easy to find, and lots of parking. I have gone to this location a few times, the service is friendly, the food is good (for a chain cafe), and the prices are average. They have both indoor / outdoor seating and if your looking for a casual place with a variety of menu options this is a good option. I don't think I would go here for dinner, but that's just me. Overall I would recommend this place if your looking for a casual dining experience for breakfast, brunch, or lunch and are in the mood for traditional cafe food.
Quick & Dirty: An upscale Mimi's Cafe. Good food, reasonably priced menu, great for Lunch.
Long & Safe:
I've been to this Marmalade Cafe a few times since it's not far from my work at all. If you get there early enough it's never usually crowded for lunch as all the cool kids tend to go to Salt Creek across the way.
For Lunch the Marmalade Cafe is always a safe bet. They have Sandwiches, Soups, Salads, Pastas, all the regular fare, but it usually comes with a little flare. I like that. I get so tired of eating the same kind of lunch food that it makes me sick. When I go to Marmalade I know it's going to have some flavor.
Their soups are always good and fresh. If you love soup then this is a great place to go. I also had a salad which I forget what it's called but it had tons of fruit in it along with the lettuce. Strawberries, mandarin oranges, etc. Yum.
I came here once and had a dirty spoon, dirty glass, and a hair in my food to top it off. The Manager brought our table a complimentary piece of Red Velvet Cake. OMG. Please do yourself a favor and get a piece if you ever come here. It is the best.
Would I go back? Sure, I like this place even though other Yelpers may disagree. I haven't had a problem with dirty dishes since that incident.
Should you go here? I suggest it, the lunch is really good.
Sam
A decent French Dip sandwich bit with an iced tea, it was like 20 bucks.
Well I've been here a few times for Brunch.. Wasn't really thrilled. Thought I brought my Friend and her family visiting from Taiwan to try again. I had their Blackened Chicken Breasted Penne with Pesto sauce. I substitute the Chicken with Steak. $14.95 add $2 for steak. It was just OK. I thought the tastes was better then their breakfast selections. But the rest of the 6 other people complained about the food being way toooo salty!
Their ambiance was very pretty and cozy although I prefer the ambiance and decoration at their Palos Verdes location way better.
Been here twice since it close to work. I've had a tuna melt and the salmon with bowtie past in a cream sauce. Both were really really good. The wait staff is very attentive and the place is great for lunch. Fast & friendly.! I heard the breakfast is great so Ill have to make another trip.
Tasty Fettucini - they have a really interesting cream sauce that I liked quite a lot, but the noodles weren't quite as wide as some other fettucini that I like. Closer to Angel Hair but nowhere near THAT thin.
The girl serving wasn't really pro - she was ok. Nice, no real complaints, but no real compliments either. Just ok.
I thought that the French Onion soup could have been better. I make it better when I make it at home. A little too salty - they must have used too much bouillon and not enough water.
The chicken in the fettucini was cooked really well though - kudos for that.
Nothing bad to say about them, but I wasn't blown away. That said, you shouldn't go there looking for blow-your-mind-food - it's a good restaurant and that's what it sets out to be.
Ok, I've come here several times for dinner on weeknights and a few times for Saturday morning breakfasts. I'd have to agree Edmund L.'s review: the food and service are both hit or miss.
I went here yesterday for breakfast and it was sadly a miss. The blueberry pancakes were so-so, the eggs were not cooked the way I asked, and the sausage was more sweet than savory. The saving grace of the meal was the delicious mug of Cafe Mocha (although for the price I couldn't help but think I could have gotten the same thing for less at the Starbucks across the street....)
That being said, I LOVE their soups and fresh-baked bread at dinner. There aren't many restuarants that give you this kind of soup selection on a daily basis, which I think is great. This simple dinner will bring me back!
Eek! Bad food, small portions, mediocre service...I don't understand why people wait in line to eat here.
I mean, seriously, how do you call yourself marmalade cafe when your coffee is bad, your pancakes are chewy, and you serve single-serving vacuum-packed jelly with your toast?
Where's the marmalade? Where's the cafe?
Went here today for a graduation party. There was a select menu and I had the chicken marsala. You can't really go wrong with that. It was so-so but it was compliments of the graduate so it's just rude to complain.
My honey had a humorously small filet of salmon that was dry and overcooked. My son had a bland, small portion of 3-cheese ravioli. Trust me: the chicken marsala was the best thing going here. My husband also had filet mignon chili that was lukewarm when it got to our table. Ugh!
We had bread pudding and tiramisu for dessert. The bread pudding needed ice cream and the tiramisu is not worth trying; too much cocoa on top.
Overall, my favorite part was the sink in the bathroom. It was this awesome shared basin! Other than that, I am over this restaurant.
The husband and I wandered here on Sunday for a late lunch (2pm-ish). It was our first visit. The place was packed but luckily there was no wait for us.
There were two menus - the regular menu and their brunch menu. I'm notoriously bad at trying to figure out what to order when I don't have a particular craving. Having two menus did not help.
Our server promptly arrived and took drink orders. Husband was feeling the need for some alcohol and asked for a Captain n' Coke. Strangely enough, our server came back saying that they were trying to locate their bottle of Captain hence the slowness in delivery. But the fact that he came back and explained the wait was just one sign of the great service we got. I never had to ask for a refill on my water; our food arrived quickly and our waiter was attentive without hovering.
The other half decided on the country fried steak and I opted for the seafood risotto. While we were waiting, a basket of nice warm rolls arrived. Nothing special about them other than the fact that they were warm which is great for melty buttery goodness.
The country fried steak came with mashed potatoes and a medley of squash, carrots and broccoli. I stole a bite of everything on Husband's plate. The potatoes and they were quite rich, creamy and buttery and also skinless. It seems like a lot of places nowadays are doing "smashed potatoes", leaving in the skins and not really whipping it up to the right consistency. Marmalade Cafe did it right, thankfully. The gravy was super thick, a little too thick, I think, but was okay flavor-wise. The chicken was a little dry for my tastes. It was breaded with Panko crumbs which had a nice crunch and wasn't super-saturated with oil. As for the veggies, they were cooked perfectly; they still retained a little crunch of freshness.
The risotto was a bit disappointing. It was too soupy and thin, almost as if they didn't spend the time to stir it to the correct thickness. The dish looked more like seafood and rice mixed together with a little pool of broth at the bottom of the bowl. The broth was tasty and the flavors simple. There was a generous amount of seafood given which was a plus. But it wasn't really risotto in my opinion.
The cost was a bit on the high side. The risotto was around $20 and I think the country fried steak was around $15? But the portions were filling and we were both stuffed with our meals.
There were many things on the menu that were tempting, especially in terms of brunch items. I think the other half and I were happy enough with our first experience to go back again. I just don't think I'll be ordering the seafood risotto again unless I'm craving shellfish.
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On my first trip to Long Beach, this was my first stop after leaving LAX. It's not the best place I've ever experienced, but it's quite tasty.
I don't remember the name of the dish, but it was three eggs scrambled with avocado. I was drawn to the avocado (hence the 'Guac Addict' nickname) but I was a little worried as to how it would be in eggs because I'm not the biggest fan of scrambled eggs. I was pleasantly surprised - this dish was delicious.
On a different trip we stopped for lunch on my way to the airport. I ordered the quesadillas. They were quite flavorful and tasty. It was a good meal to eat before boarding the plane because they were filling but not too heavy.
If you're on your way in or out of town, MC is a good place to grab a bite to eat.
I don't know what the last revew was smoking but she must have had "the munchies" when she walked into this place... the food is really going down hill..
What happened to the wonderful fresh bread, the great service and the big serving. Marmalade used to be one of the best places in the valley to go to. Always consistent with great service and GREAT food. I don't know if they changed management or what , but the food is really bad now. I used to go to Marmalade 4-5 times a month, and now never dine there anymore!
Came here for lunch with co-workers on a Thursday. Ick.
Okay, so the meal was company-paid, and hence the price didnt bother me that much. But from what I saw of the prices, I dont think I would ever come here voluntarily on my own time. Especially with the quality and quantity of food.
The menu reminded me of The Cheesecake Factory.. there were choices of everything.. from salads to sandwiches to pastas to full-on entrees. I ordered a salmon and asparagus pasta ($11.95 for the half), and it was not only flavorless, it also had a layer of oil sitting on top of it. I mean, at least try to hide the oil! Ugh. There were like three bite-size pieces of salmon in it, three pieces of three-inch long asparagus, and the rest was bow-tie pasta soaked in oil. Yum? No.
One star for the dining experience.. we were seated outside and it was a beautiful day, so that was nice. And the waitress was pleasant. Another star for the sweet potato fries which we got for an appetizer. That was good. I've also heard good things about their salads.. that they're good and huge, but none of us had a salad that day, so I cant speak for it.
Dont think I'll be back...
Walking in, I don't quite get this place. The decor is very odd. The building is modern, travertine clad with clean lines. However the dining room is full of faux wrought iron cafe chairs with cultured granite tops. The design feels like forcing a square peg into a round hole.
The service was very poor. Even with ample servers and very few diners, it was hard to get any attention. The food was decent. Having eaten earlier, I only had some bread pudding which was very nice. My girlfriend had the salmon nicoise salad of which I was not impressed from a couple tastes. The salmon was overdone and tasted frozen. Our friend had blueberry pancakes which were simple and solid.
Overall the food was 3 stars, the service was a star and a half. My threshold for rating someplace 3 stars means I would come back. I would not come back here. There was nothing special here, and the prices were too high for the ambivalent service and off-putting atmosphere.
I used to hit the Marmalade Cafes in Santa Monica and Malibu for breakfast all the time when I lived up that way. As a result, I have a good impression of the place.
Tonight was the first time I hit the El Segundo location for dinner and it was more for the special music that was playing in their patio than the food.
"Zerimar and Fritz (http://zerimarfritz.co...) performed on acoustical guitars, but with a Flamenco-inspired frenzy that made the room sound like a tunnel with a freight train running through it. Bach and Dick Dale in the same set make perfect sense when performed by these virtuoso speed demons." - Easy Reader, March, 2007
What I wasn't expecting was to see such an older crowd enjoying themselves and groups of older single women. The patio was full by the time we left around 8:30pm and we enjoyed ourselves, but it was just funny to be staring at the back of the head of the white-haired gentlemen in front of us.
My salmon, asparagus and noodle dish was good. My friends ordered buffalo mozzarella and tomato salad which was luscious and huge. The other friend ordered crab cakes that came with a side salad. They were large too.
I don't know if my friends liked their meal because the music kind of kept us distracted and we were chatting about other things. I'm plotting some events for foodies in Hermosa Beach and wanted their feedback on my ideas.
Now that I've seen the musicians perform twice, I think that's good for now. Probably won't be back to Marmalade either for awhile, but not because we didn't like it, it's just fairly common food and not something I'd go out of my way to visit unless I was in the area.
Well, I've eaten here at least 15 times, here's what I think:
FOOD - Can be very hit and miss. A lot of pasta and meat dishes are bland and not well cooked. On the other hand dinner rolls are always hot and tasty, and some of the soups, salads, and appetizers are delicious. In particular I love their salads, they put some very good ingredients and flavors in them.
And the taste is very consistent. I order practically the same thing everytime (Tortilla soup + either Cobb or Nicoise Salad) and it's always good. Does that make me boring? Oh well, it beats eating a FO burger and juggling a beer while standing around with a bunch of DB's.
ALCOHOL - Full bar. Good wine list, reasonable markups. Bartenders mainly dispense sodas, beer, wine.
SERVICE - As with the food, this can be hit and miss depending on who you get. I always try to sit at the bar, because all the bartenders are great. Plus they have two TV's, and I love TV.
ATMOSPHERE - A little strange. Lunch/brunch can get crazy, especially with the "my baby is cuter than your baby" Manhattan wifey crowd. Weeknight dinners are usually not a problem. I find the overall interior design to be mismatched and cold, with heavy steel chairs and granite tables - atypical decor for a cafe.
MISC - Some people say it's overpriced, but I think most restaurants in the area have a hard time beating Marmalade price-wise. Their half-portions are more than enough for any regular sized person! Also, they use good ingredents which cost $$$. Yeah, you can get more food at CPK, Chili's, or Islands, but it's not as good quality.
Also parking is not a problem here. I know, not a big deal...but still, it's nice not to have to look after a long day at work.
SUMMARY - nothing new here; but solid food and good portions at the right price. Get your dessert at pinkberry if you must.
We recently held a company dinner party @ Marmalade cafe. We were seated in a small room separated from the main dining area with glass doors. By my standards, I wouldn't call it a banquet hall; it was pretty small. Don't get me wrong; we fit alright & there was one empty table, but I'd say the room isn't big enough to comfortably fit parties over 25.
TIP: If you haven't been there before, follow the directions the website gives you. DO NOT follow mapquest, google maps, yahoo maps, or GPS directions.
I had a difficult time finding the restaurant because I entered the address (2014 East Park Place) in my GPS & it led me to a different area. Luckily people in our party were already at the restaurant & were able to direct me to the right location. Not sure if the address is correct on their website. Others followed the DIRECTIONS linked on the website and they had no trouble finding the place.
Food-wise, I wasn't too excited. We had a four course menu planned:
Salad: Organic Mixed Greens with lemon champagne vinaigrette. [Comments: Very light & healthy. The dressing was OK.]
2nd course: Wild Mushroom Risotto.
[I skipped on this course b/c we had appetizers before the salad. The appetizers were OK; I won't bother to review them.]
Entree: There were several choices.
[I had the grilled salmon with lobster cream sauce. It was so-so, nothing to get excited over. The salmon was a little under-cooked toward the center & the sauce was decent.]
Dessert: Tiramisu.
[Again, enjoyable, but not amazing. The texture was OK, the espresso wasn't overpowering, and it wasn't too sweet.]
The service could have been better; although, it is more difficult to serve larger parties as opposed to serving a couple of people. There were a few mix-ups in food orders, possibly due to the way the server wrote down the orders, but I can't be sure.
To sum it all up, the experience wasn't amazing, but it wasn't horrible either. You might just have to check it out for yourselves. Maybe you're experience(s) will be better than mine.
Side note: I did have fun, but that was because I was eating with pleasant people and the company I work for is AWESOME!
Great place for breakfast. It has a large seating area and the times I"ve been there, there hasn't been a wait. They have the best really strong coffee and they keep it coming. The scrambles are huge, with great portions of home fries on the side. And today I tried the blueberry pancakes, yum! I think the pancakes had been sitting under the heat lamp for a while, cuz the plate was super hot and they had gotten kind of moist. But overall still a good place to go. Easy parking and fair prices ($6.95 for my pancakes, and usually around $9.95 for the scramble dishes.)
The food was OK but the service was slow and almost painful. I don't think our server had more than 4-5 tables but he was awful. The service was slow, our food server was forgetful and not very attentive. It's probably a good thing for the restaurant that I didn't even spot a manager on the floor or one didn't stop by our table to see how everything was. I'm not even sure there was one working within a 1/4 mile radius of the restaurant.
My friend and I shared the pot sticker appetizers which were actually very good, and then we each had a lunch portion salad. The salad was fresh but lacking a bit of flavor. I asked if it was possible to order without onions, I was told "no problem" - and then my salad showed up with a few onions in it. If the service wasn't already so slow and bad I probably would have mentioned it but as it was, I just wanted to leave.
I had dinner here last night. The place was relatively empty and quiet. Not sure if it's because it's new, or if it reflected people's opinion in town.
I had their "Today's Special" which was Sword Fish with Lemon & Caper sauce and bean sprout on top. It was accompanied by mashed potato and seasonal veggies (carrots, zucchini, and squash). This dish was actually pretty good. Though the lemon sauce was a bit too sour on bean sprout, over all mashed potato and fish went well with it.
My friend had a White Fish with Lemon & Caper & Dill sauce. This one was much milder, as far as the sauce goes, not too sour. I liked it but tasted a little bland after my strongly flavored fish.
Another friend of mine had Blackened Chicken Pasta with penne in pesto sauce. This one was... well, I only got to taste the penne, as the chicken was long gone by the time I asked for a bite. And the penne was... well tasteless. He mentioned that he added salt and pepper on it, but I still didn't taste anything. Hmmm, so bland. He was so nice (?) that he gave me his left over take-out box coz he's leaving town in 2 days and couldn't eat it. How nice, but what am I supposed to do with this tasteless chicken-less pesto pasta???
The wine that we had was... let's just say that my friend almost sent it back after tasting it.
Anyway, I'm giving it 3 stars because I really liked my food. $16 for sword fish and veggies in fancy sauce is relatively reasonable in my opinion as other fancy restaurants in town would have charged at least $27.
Ate a tasty breakfast here - Wheat pancakes with banana and granola, actually pretty good. The eggs were cooked perfectly, not burned. And I had two spicy bloody maries to go with it. Service was pretty attentive and we didn't have to wait at all to be seated on a Sunday morning. Breakfast items run about 7-10 bucks per entree. I would go back.
Update Oct 4, 2007:
I came here for lunch and had the beef melt sandwich with ortega chilis and it was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had...really. I also had the split pea soup which was very tasty but it did not have ham in it and that is how I like mine (my grandmother made hers with ham).
We sat at the bar so...guess what...we could watch sports and the bartender served us but he did a good job.
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Located in the new SUPER COOL Plaza El Segundo just North of Rosecrans on Sepulveda (NOT where the map shows near Aviation).
I came here for my company meeting this morning and after reading the reviews I was not expecting too much so I was pleasantly surprised by my experience [btw...I have worked in F&B for many years and during the first few weeks of an opening...well sometimes things do go as smoothly as you expect].
We had a group of just under 100 people and we sat out on the patio area with a hot breakfast including eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, bagels and fresh fruit. The staff including the manager was extremely attentive and my coffee cup was never empty and I drink coffee not sip it.
I know what you are saying...but you did not receive regular service...true...so I will have to go back and give you an update.
I was really looking forward to this Marmalade opening so I went last Friday night, fairly early. Had a choice of sitting inside or out and we picked out. It's a pretty nice patio with heat lamps.
The hostess was nice and so was our server. Just pleasant enough. The food was not as good as I remembered from the Rolling Hills one I had gone to several times.
The tuna tartar appetizer was just a huge mound easily can be shared with 3 people. The beets and bleu cheese salad was over-dressed, which I don't like.
The spaghetti and meatballs was mediocre with the pasta being over cooked and there was really no sauce at all. My husband kept getting sauce from my cioppino over linguine which had more sauce since cioppino is a seafood stew. My linguine was overcooked as well.
Needless to say, we passed on the dessert though I did see a couple of them being served to other tables which looked pretty good.
What I do want to say it that I wish this location was the more casual one like they have on Montana, a good selection of cold salads on display, sandwiches, and a big selection of baked goodies, cakes and pies. Oh well. This place does have a wide wide range of foods on their menu though.
Recently dined here with mom from Hawaii and sis who I took to the Marmalade at Farmer's Market.
While this new one lacked the charm of the Sherman Oaks location and the people-watching locale of the Grove, the food was just as good. I ordered my usual, Gilson's scramble. Though they were a little stingy with my coveted avocado, it was still scrumptious. Moms ordered the egg white frittata, and liked it.
Service was also a little more attentive here than its sister locations. And the little jelly jars were just too cute to give it anything less than 4 stars!
As I've said before, I don't like reviewing chain restaurants, but I will again today b/c I have to tell you that I had one of the best cioppinos here last night. For almost $20, it better be. I was hoping for a bigger bowl b/c hello, it was $20 for a small one. But still, I was grateful for the hearty pieces of fish, clams, mussels and shrimp. The broth was extremely flavorful. It had a little kick to it, which I enjoyed. Used the bread to sop up all the wonderful yumminess.
Nice restaurant, good service. Decent selection of food on the menu. Maybe if I'm hungry and in the area, I'll consider this again.
It was only my 2nd time at a Marmalade &I still don't think the food is quite worth the price. : ( In addition, most of my lunch companions only thought they're food was OK.
However, this El Segundo one is new & the management was really gracious & apologized for slow food explaining that they were still working out kinks.
I've eaten at the Marmalade in Malibu and Rolling Hills for breakfast before and both times, I thought the breakfast food was great. I had a good experience at this new El Segundo location for lunch as well.
I dined here with a business colleague of mine. I ordered the soup and salad and chose the Chicken Tortilla as my soup choice and a Caesar Salad over the House Salad. The cup of soup was pretty good with generous amounts of chicken bits and a tasty broth and the salad was decent although a little heavy on the dressing. I like that they had a wide variety of soups from which to choose. I'll have to try the Wild Mushroom soup or the Filet Mignon Chile next time.
My colleague ordered the Fresh Organic Spinach Salad and after our meal said that it was one of the best salads he's ever tasted and he's in his early 80s!!! Our waiter also served us some warm sourdough rolls and butter before our meal.
The ambience was a little noisy as the place had a high ceiling making for good acoustics and the place was packed for lunch. It seemed like a huge cafeteria with carpet although the decor was upscale and pleasing. I kept thinking they should have created different levels like they did at the Rolling Hills location because the floor setup just seemed so flat and crowded with tables offering very little privacy. Privacy could be had, however, in one of the booths that are available.
Our waiter was attentive enough and I noticed they had a banquet room in the back and the out door patio could be a good choice on a nice day or a warm evening. They also provide catering as another service.
I like the menu items as they include a variety of plates. I'd definitely want to try some of the other items on the menu which sounded appetizing so I'll most likely go back again.
I hate to do it, but I can't rate Marmalade Cafe highly. While I was enjoying my pasta immensely - flavorful, light, delicious (picture uploaded) - i was 3/4 of the way through when i saw a creepy crawly centipede-looking bug floating in the plate's oil pool at the bottom!! i was intensely disgusted and immediately lost my willingness to continue eating.
since the management apologized profusely for the lack of washing thoroughness on their "organic" mushrooms and offered me my choice of delectable desserts for free AND comped my drink, i must give a star to the upscale atmosphere of the place (very nice, simple decor) and pleasantness and good service of the wait staff and management. unfortunately, the entire "bug affair" was devastatingly traumatic and i do not see myself entering their establishment again to tempt the thoroughness and cleanliness of their kitchen and cooking. what a shame.
Great menu. It usually has a wait on saturday and sunday morning but is worth the wait. Recently they changed their jam quality to smuckers which bummed me out i like the jam they had before. PLEASE change it back. I recommend just about anything on the menu. my favorites are the pancakes and scambles. T
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