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Restaurant 15 - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1320 Echo Park AveLos Angeles, CA 90026
Neighborhood: Echo Park
(213) 481-0454
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
96 reviews for Restaurant 15
Review Highlights
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"The salad and mac and cheese were both really delicious." In 48 reviews -
"OMG the bread pudding is to die for." In 38 reviews -
"The prix fixe menu is definitely worth $19." In 10 reviews
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96 reviews in English
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Review from BustA G.
Pasadena, CA
11/7/2008
This review pertains to 15 before it changed hands at the end of Oct. '08:
I came here with my family a few days before, so I was familiar with the menu offerings. My Pomegranate martini wasn't as tart as I would've liked. I previously had the salmon which was tasty except I didn't like the mango garnish heaped on top.
The mac n' cheese which was passed around to share with the group was good with fresh slices of Parmesean - not that powdery stuff like I have at home. I had the lavender fries again which were a good crispness and taste and no one cared for the portion of the fries that was closest to the lavender "flakes". The chocolate covered bread pudding is a fave and is worth the $6.
It's a shame that Restaurant 15 is closing (and later reopened as a restaurant with new owners -- I may give it a try again). I think this place would've been more successful in Old Town Pasadena because of the decor, prices and menu offerings. The neighborhood is a tad scary and the parking is difficult. You either had to park across the street or use the $5 valet service. I wish we could've met chef Alex but we were so engrossed in our conversations that I don't think it was a big deal to meet the chef (since he was departing).
We put our names and email addresses down so that we could be on the mailing list in case Chef Alex or the Restaurant 15 owners could let us know when/if they will open a new restaurant. Business has probably been booming because the restaurant was closing and Chef Alex may be on to bigger and better things. -
Review from Aunny D.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 9/8/2008 3 photos
This one goes out to the waiter with major 'tude last Thursday...
Word to the wise, my man. It would benefit you and the restaurant greatly if you would leave that diva attitude at home BEFORE you step foot in 15 ever again. Here is what I'm talkin' 'bout, Willis:
Aunny D: Excuse me, what exactly is a lobster roll?
Diva Waiter: (Rolls eyes) Umm...it's lobster...on a roll.
AD: OoooK, but what does it consist of?
DW: It's similar to chicken salad: mayo, lobster, etc.
AD: So it's lobster, nothing else, and a roll?
DW: Chicken salad. Same idea.
AD: OK, I'll have the Kobe beef burger instead.
Wow, thanks for the elaborate explanation of how you prepare your lobster salad, buddy. Lobster and mayonnaise sounds amazing! (I hope my sarcasm comes through when I type that). 15, sadly, you just lost a lot of my love because of Mr. Customer Service. If I ever step foot in there again, you better believe that I will request a different waiter, because I would have rather had the bussers wait on me last week, they at least were polite.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/24/2008
I'm in love with the number 15. Wow, that was reminiscent of Sesame Street wasn't it?
This is quite… Read more »
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Review from Suzanne L.
Los Angeles, CA
15 reasons to love 15....
15. Echo Park - I finally made it over to the east side!!!!
14. Pomagranatinis
13. Made to order Mint Juleps
12. The Cocktail Menu
11. A $15 prix-fix menu that offers options... even vegetarian
10. Grrrrrrrrreat Service (remember the time the waiter actually helped Courtney L. take off her coat and hung it on her chair?)
9. Returning your drink and having it replaced without an ounce of resentment.
8. Modern Stylish Decor
7 Prix-fix entrees that look like full price entrees
6. Dessert!!! Bread pudding with whipped cream, caramel sauce and chocolate.
5 Olive Tapenade
4. Macaroni and Cheese
3. THE SALMON
2. Wanting to try everyone else's food
1. Laughing Laughing Laughing with your friends. -
Review from Linden G.
Los Angeles, CA
4/18/2008
6.15pm on a random Thursday night.
We walk into the unassuming restaurant expecting it to be empty. Instead we are greeted by a stylish but very full dining room. Every single table is full and settings have been laid out at the sleek ostrich leather lined bar.
We take a seat at the bar and order a glass of chardonnay and a mojito whilst we wait for a table and take in the room. Soft camel walls, blond hardwood floors, high backed chairs and bar stools in dark brown leather, tan ostrich leather and marble bar, and large black and white prints of Slash, Dave Navarro and Tommy Lee on the walls. All very understated and all very stylish.
I remind myself that we're not in Hollywood. This is Echo Park, where a few blocks can separate gangland from hipsters. What celebrity chef has brought all these diners here at 6pm on a weeknight? Is Mario Batali moonlighting?
No, it is the $15 three course tasting menu being offered between 5pm - 6.30pm.
For the appetizer course, we were offered a choice of tomato bisque, a herb and green salad, a heart of palm salad, and their signature mac n cheese. For me, there was only one obvious choice. The mac n cheese. Good quality cheeses and al dente macaroni with a bit of cracked pepper. Simple and delicious. Definitely one of the best mac n cheeses I've had at a fine dining restaurant.
For the entree course, we had a choice of their signature burger, a vegetarian pappardelle pasta, seared salmon and seared pork loin. Again the obvious choice for me was the pork loin. It was slightly overdone for my liking but the parsnip puree it was served over was delicious, and the cherry chutney added an interesting aniseed flavor.
And lastly, the dessert course is the chef's choice. Tonight it was a chocolate croissant bread pudding with warm caramel and cream. I'm not a dessert person and I loved the dessert. The chocolate was not overpowering and the use of croissant instead of bread added a wonderful buttery texture, nicely complemented by the caramel.
The service throughout the night was also excellent. The owner greeted us at the door and showed us out at the end. He worked the room like a warm and friendly host, stopping by our table several times throughout the meal to check if everything was ok. Our server was also friendly and efficient, even encouraging us to use our large camera to take photos of the food and the restaurant rather than our discrete camera phone, which we declined. We like to stay under the radar. The bartender was probably the only weak link, not knowing his wine selection and telling us that the $15 tasting menu was no longer available when we finally ordered after 6.30pm. The owner, however, walked right up and casually set things straight as we had been waiting at the bar for 20 minutes.
As we waited for our check, I looked out the window to see a homeless man pushing a shopping cart and looking for spare quarters in the pay phone. Yes, we were still in Echo Park where gentrification is colliding head on with poverty. Like it or not, that's progress and bringing a restaurant of this quality into this neighborhood is a gamble.
I sincerely hope this gamble pays off. But perhaps not so soon that they stop offering their $15 tasting menu. It has got to be one of the best value menus on offer right now and this quality at this price can't sustain itself for too long.
Bookmark this restaurant and get over here the first chance you get off work early or feel like an early Saturday dinner.
For $15, what do you have to lose?Listed in: Tasting Menus
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Review from Amy K.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2008 13 photos
The other evening when the usual question of "What should we do for dinner?" came up, my boyfriend said "Stay in the car. I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes."
'Cool' I thought. This is going to be fun. So off we went speeding to an unknown destination.
"We have to be there by 6:30 p.m." he said.
Ok, where is THERE? I am thinking. Turns out 'there' is 15, a new restaurant that has received some cool reviews on Yelp.
We arrived at approximately 6:15 p.m. The place looked sort of nondescript on the outside, no indicated of the chic yet masculine decor on the inside. When we opened the door this barrage of brown leather, creme walls and a very cool bar complete with black and white rock photos, and an ostrich lined bar counter made me relax and 'vibe' with the place. It was a shock since the restaurant seems SO out of place with the neighborhood, but a good shock.
Since our table wasn't ready the owner put us up at the bar, and beckoned us to have a drink while we waited. We ordered a glass of wine (so-so) and a mojito (much better) and took a look at their menus. 15 has 2 menus; one complete dinner menu and another menu that offers a three course dinner for $15 if you order by 6:30 p.m. Aha! There was the reason we had to hurry. He's such a clever boyfriend and full of surprises.
Overall the portions were smallish but good tasting. I ordered the endive salad for starters and salmon over mixed grains for the main course. The fish was not outstanding since it was a bit overdone. When the staff took the order I was informed the chef prepares the fish medium rare and asked if this was alright. Linden ordered mac n cheese and pork over parsnip puree. His pork was slightly overdone as well (bummer) but the mac n cheese was perfecto! It had All Spice in it (I think) which gave it a nice flavor, also lots of parmigiana cheese. My favorite course was dessert of course, which was really spectacular. The bread pudding was made from a croissant, caramel and chocolate. Damn delightful and moist!
The ambiance of 15 is really sharp though it tends to get noisy as the wood floors reverberate in the small restaurant. The wine menu needs maturing (but definitely will improve as time goes on I believe); the drinks are good.
A great value for the price and nice place to go in Echo Park to have an early dinner with family/close friends. It's also in a neighborhood that's a bit sketchy so keep this in mind.
=====I TOOK PICS===== -
Review from Stephy S.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2008
What a fantastic little gem this place is!
While on one of my brief visits to LA, my friend and I wanted to go out for a drink and catch up. She had heard rumblings of a down tempo spot in Silverlake at Rambutin Thai and so we headed over there to see what this new little lounge was all about. Well, it's about empty and tempo left the building. Basically, it was a ghost town and so it was time for Plan B.
She then suggested this cute little place that has wine and prix fixe menus for $15. This sounded like my kinda scene and we headed over. Once we walked in, I instantly dug it. It was warm and friendly and definitely said, "Come to me Stephy and pour liquid grapes down your throat" It's strange the voices i hear in my head.
We then grabbed a seat at the bar and chatted each other up and before we knew it, the place was pretty much empty. I point this out because A)any place where you genuinely lose track of time in is a good one and B) even though they were closing down, they still let us sit and chat while they cleaned and broke down the place. I thought that was really cool of them and definitely made me feel happy to be back in my hometown, cuz LA was raised right and with manners :)
Go check this place out. It's reasonable, the wine was tasty and the food looked great!Listed in: Los Angeles Restaurants!
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Review from Will R.
Long Beach, CA
8/20/2008
The service here was great, as stated before. and 19 bucks for a 3 course meal, this is uncanny! Place has pretty cool decor, feels jazzy and overall ritzy. I had Kobe burger, kiinda small. but the palm of hearts salad was kinda iffy.
Hearts of palm are, coincidentally, palm-length, yellowish white members of the vegetable family, ranging in diameter from as large as a banana to as small as a chopstick. Smooth in texture, hearts of palm appear quite durable, even strong, but when subjected to mastication, they quickly turn slimy and release an overwhelming salty taste.
I had the unfortunate encounter of eating these in a salad, which I am told is one of the main uses for hearts of palm along with soup and deep frying. They originate from the core of the palmetto tree, and were first popularized during the Great Depression when desperation apparently led people to eat things that no sane person would ever try. Avoid. -
Review from Caroline Y.
Los Angeles, CA
7/25/2008
The owner of this restaurant is pretty smart.
$19 for a 3 course prix fixe menu~!!
Times are hard for many, so people are gonna try to find steals and deals and this is definitely a great deal.
I had dinner here last night for an intimate GNO and we were pleasantly surprised. It's a cute little restaurant with a modern decor and awesome service. All the employees were great. Tthere were a few things we tried as part of the prix fixe menu...
*Hearts of palm salad with avocado, red bell peppers and red onions over baby mix greens
*Mac and cheese
*Pork chop over chipotle whipped potatoes, topped w/ roasted corn salsa
*Kobe burger with white Cheddar, aioli and braised onions, served with Lavender pomme frites
*Pappardelle pasta with Heirloom tomato, baby summer squash, wild arugula and fresh mozzarella
*Chocolate caramel bread pudding
Because we are sharing type folks we shared our plates. I must say the Kobe burger was the best from the entrees. You can't really go wrong with a burger. The pork dish was nothing special. Or maybe I just feel that way because I'm not the biggest pork fan. The pasta was so bland even after sprinkling more Parmigiano-Reggiano. I wouldn't order that again. The salad and mac and cheese were both really delicious. But I think dessert was the best. It was topped with fresh whipped cream with a drizzle of caramel. Mmmm.
The prix fixe menu is definitely worth $19. I will try this place again once they change up the prix fixe menu a bit.Listed in: Palate pleasers
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Review from Min T.
Los Angeles, CA
8/27/2008
When 15 first opened, a friend of mine wanted to go because she knew someone who just started working there. This was before everyone knew about their special tasting menu for $15. I didn't make it then but had a chance to finally make it over last night.
Now it's $19 which is is still a great deal considering it's about the price of some of their entrees. The early bird tasting menu (which can only be ordered from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) includes an appetizer, entree and dessert.
I had read over the reviews and noted that most people disdained their wine list so we brought our own. The corkage fee is $15. The server was very attentive and immediately brought out an ice bucket for our white wine and glasses. He asked me if I wanted to wait for my friend or have the bottle opened then. I chose to have him wait.
I had already figured out I was going to have the hearts of palm salad and the Kobe burger. I also got a chance to try the mac and cheese as well as the parpadelle pasta.
I loved the hearts of palm salad. The avocado, red onion and greens all complemented the crunchy hearts of palm.
I had asked for the Kobe burger to be medium rare. It came out medium which was a shame since it was such a thick burger. I think it was probably a half a pound! And the bun had been impressed with a concentric circle design. Very nice. Overall, it was a decent burger. I just wish it was more on the rare side. The lavender fries it was served with were rather addicting. I liked the more crisp pieces.
The mac and cheese was okay. I do prefer a more creamy mac and cheese. And the parpadelle was too heavy on the truffle oil for me.
Then came our dessert. I am not the biggest fan of bread pudding but having had Masa's (two blocks down from 15) last week, I must say it wasn't fantastic. Still, it was a nice end to the meal.
The place is furnished with heavy and comfortable black leatherette chairs. I liked the space quite a bit. It doesn't bother me the restaurant is in such a "crummy, sketchy area" as others might describe it. I didn't have trouble finding parking along Sunset, just around the corner.
I was interested in their organic martini featuring cucumber, mint and cilantro. Considering their house water has cucumber in it, I'm sure their martinis are pretty good.
Would I come back during the hours the special isn't going on? Sure, they have a lovely cocktails menu, some interesting choices for food and great service. -
Review from Gavril L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/30/2008
I came, I saw, I Fifteened- I came in search of the infamous 3 course tasting menu offered from 5-630 pm
My first visit was on a Sunday, only to find the doors locked dooh! But upon my return here later the next week I was surprised it wasn't full of yelpers lining up for the $15 grub. I liked the dcor, clean and simple with some local Guitar/Junkie heroes like Slash and Dave Navarro in Sepia tone on the walls. I have a Pho-Hito while I wait for my lovely dinner companion, very nice and friendly staff. While I was at the bar I overheard the bartender telling the owner that Tina (?) from yelp called from San Francisco, why is yelp calling? I am curious but the barkeep ain't talking.
Let us get down to it, the house specialty is Mac and cheese and we order that with the Hearts of palm salad for openers, expectations are not high! Stop the presses, I am shocked, this is great. The M&C tastes like it has Parm and maybe some pecorino cheese in it, best I have had in a while. The hearts of Palm is great too but it has been upstaged. The pork loin was also very nice, parsnips are my frickin favorite and some cute veggies made a great dish, I am liking the petite portions too. The salmon was also excellent, mango burre blanc (kinda retro but cool) I had mine Rare because that is how I think salmon tastes best, if you will eat raw salmon try a salmon steak rare it is so much better than cooked through. The Croissant Pudding with chocolate melted through was great but it was made with bread croissants not real croissants and that kinda bugged (just a little)
Service was excellent, quality of the food was great and the dollar to flavor ratio was off the hizille!!!
Chance of return 100%Listed in: Silverlake Hot Spots
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Review from Christian P.
Los Angeles, CA
8/4/2008
Oh My God!! This place was amazing!! We came here Saturday night due to the reviews here and being in the area. After Reading Linden G and Amy K's review I just knew it had to be on the TO DO list..
We made reservations for the $19 @ 15 which is their 3 dish tasting menu off their regular menu.
We arrived just about on time at 6:15 and called to make sure we still were ok.. The owner was very warm and kind. As we walked in he greeted us by name !! Guess my good looks gave it away! :)
Anyhow The decor was very modern and minimalistic (way to go!)
We sat near the left side facing the bar and the capacity was nearly full!
I ordered the salad, pork and dessert. The salad portion was HUGE! I felt like a rabbit after eating so much.. Regardless it was delicious and fresh.
Next was the beautifully presented pork and it tasted just as delicious as it looked! Perfectly seasonded as well as perfectly cooked.
The desert was also perfect and very well prepared
My guy had the Tomato Bisque soup which was also huge in size. It was very flavorful and delicious! His entree was the salmon and it was so perfectly cooked and seasoned I wanted more hehe
I will Definitely be back if I am in the area.. ASK FOR ERIC - his service was excellent... he is a black guy with retangular glasses..
Also the outside is perfect to sit and have a glass of champagne after dinner:)
BTW I ordered the drink in the the photo of the blue martini -- GREAT! just a bit too sweet for my taste but still excellent!Listed in: Top Restaurants, Best Places for First Date
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Review from Derek Z.
Los Angeles, CA
8/27/2008
I wouldn't be a yelper if i didn't love a fantastic bargain or great food. I'm glad 15 is around to satisfy our foodie hunger with a great meal at a bargain price. We went to 15 before they raised the price of their $15 @ 15 from 5:00pm - 6:30pm deal. Even @ $19 it's still a great deal for what you get.
I love the decor, its warm and cool at the same time. I dig the framed rock posters all over the place. As we walked in we were greeted promptly and seated right away. We started off with 2 mojitos to cool down from the LA heat while we decided on which menu items to pick from the special menu.
We ordered the bacon wrapped figs with goat cheese as our appetizer. You cant go wrong with plump figs wrapped in bacon. Now, the only letdown was the goat cheese mousse. It lacked the tangy tartness that should have offset the sweetness of the figs.
Our meal started with the famous mac & cheese that was perfect, not too dry and not too creamy. The portion was larger than what i expected but i still scarfed it down. Kobe burger: I love a good burger and this one was great. The burger came with a nice big juicy patty that was grilled medium, white cheddar, no onions cause D hates them with a passion, and a really good aioli that i wanted to bathe in. Our main course came with a large amount of lavender fries that we ended up taking home as leftovers. Their wine list is small but with some decent options and off of that list we had their BoxCar Syrah that paired well with the burger.
Ive never had a croissant bread pudding as dessert before and hot diggity dawg i liked it a lot. The bread pudding was served with warm gooey caramel sauce and light creamy creme fraiche. Our dessert was a great way to finish off our meal and our fantastic Syrah. -
Review from Maximillian M.
San Francisco, CA
4/22/2008
I can't speak for the other reviews here, but I had a pretty good experience here. We were acknowledged right when we walked in and seated right away. Friendly and attentive waiter who even wiped down our table every time he cleared a plate. As you'll see from my other reviews, I rarely hand out 5 star reviews. When I walked in, I forgot I was still in Echo Park. Odd-but-pleasant shi-shi decor with rock icon photos gracing the walls (and they were playing electronica).
On to the food... Prix-fixe for $15 is a pretty good deal. Mac n' cheese is nice and hearty. Pork loin was a tad dry, but smelled incredible and was great once you swirl your pieces around in the sauce. The seared salmon was a little more than seared but was a nice cut and also tasted delish. The hearts of palm salad is amazing. And, though not part of the prix-fixe, the bacon wrapped figs are OMFG incredible. Cucumber water--nice touch. Oh...dessert: the best bread pudding I've ever had, nice, rich, and decadent (it even had chocolate in it!).
Enjoy your time here, 'cause once you walk back outside, reality hits you like an angry boxer. I still can't believe this place is in EP (not that there's anything wrong with that). -
Review from W L.
Los Angeles, CA
10/23/2008 8 photos
We walked up the stairs to a small structure that could have been a house and found our other friend already seated.
I had memorized the online back-to-$15 tasting menu and with a glance at the paper tasting menu, i noticed that 1) the menu only offered two courses 2) no 15 Mac n Cheese anymore for course 1 and 3) they switched the skirt steak to pork loin cutlet.
The three of us happened to order different things, so check out the pictures -
Course 1
-Tomato Bisque (my friend D's)
-Hand Picked Herbs & Field Green salad dressed with roasted shallot dressing (my friend T's)
-Heart of Palms, avocado, red bell peppers & red onions over baby mix greens (mine)
Course 2
-Kobe Burger with gruyere cheese & caramelized onions served with fries (D's)
-Seared Salmon over fresh mango & green vegetables with a mango buerre-blanc (T's)
-Pork loin cutlets over lemon-sherry parsnip puree, topped with marinated mushrooms (mine)
I probably would have given this place 3 stars if we paid full price. For $15, it's a pretty good deal. I looked at the regular menu and my food would have cost $27.
The bus boy in jeans seemed to be out of place and frazzled as he switched out our regular menu while we were looking it over. I asked him what was different, and he didn't know. Then he got really confused and wanted to switch the menus back. We already told him that we're interested in the tasting menu but he insisted on getting the other menu right.
Our waiter was a bit odd and a bit of a diva. When we asked about the missing Course 3, Chef's choice of dessert as i remembered, he told us that we were only able to get the $15 deal because they took out the dessert and changed the menu a bit. Ohhhh. Thanks for bestowing your grace on us. He told us that the chocolate bread pudding was $8-10. Hells no - I'd eat another tasting menu combo for $5 more for "dessert."
i'm looking forward to the wine and tapas bar coming soon. -
Review from Felicia C.
Manhattan, NY
5/17/2008
My dad is what some people call "cheap". I like to call him "frugal". No matter what you call him, he doesn't like spending money on food, especially if his daughter (me!) is taking him out to dinner.
Enter 15.
Thank you for being cheap and having solid food.
Seeing my intro to this review, it's safe to assume my dad and I were going to order the $15 3-course meal. I mean, the value of the meal plus the hype of Yelp equals a must try. So we tried it out.
For the first course, I ordered the mac and cheese (as everyone recommended) and was a bit underwhelmed by it all. I mean, it was good, but it was just macaroni and cheese. It didn't make my taste buds dance, it just filled the stomach. My dad's hearts of palm salad, on the other hand, was top notch - It was nice and light and had the perfect amount of vinaigrette on it.
For the second course, I ordered the salmon on quinoa with some kind of mango sauce while my dad had the pork loin on some puree (I forget what it was made of, I really should write this stuff down). For this course, the pork loin ended up being the loser of the round as the salmon was perfectly cooked and well seasoned and the mango sauce was a great compliment to the fish.
For the final course, they served a bread pudding with chocolate and caramel. The flavors were good, but I wish it was served piping hot (instead of at room temperature, which is how we got it).
All in all, 15 was worth the $15.
But would I go to 15 outside the hours of 5-6:30pm? Probably not. -
Review from claudia g.
Los Angeles, CA
4/8/2008
Just had a delicious- flawless dining experience at 15. What are the super- negative reviews about?
Full Bar ***
Decor- average- nice, clean and thank goodness not over the top antler- chandeliers with cow skin seat covers
Service-great, friendly and efficient
Food- Delicious- we had the mac and cheese and palm salad to start with- they were promptly served. Salad was perfectly dressed but could have used a bit more flavor. Entrees were good- steak skirt was cooked as requested and my salmon was tasty. To end the meal- a nice port and some chocolate- mango and jalapeno mousse.
All good. We made it in for their $15 before 6:30p.m. special but it's a bit early for us so we will return for dinner another time now that we know it's worth our $$$
And last but not least- I am not sure what anyone means by "it doesn't fit the neighborhood" wtf? I am an angeleno native and from a property owners point of view --this restaurant is gladly welcomed and thanks for adding to the property value of many home owners...
Echo Park has changed drastically and like any gentrified neighborhoods some of the change is hard but a nice, clean restaurant with a FULL BAR is exactly what we needed! -
Review from Thao L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2008
Go see the film "Quinceanera ," about Echo Park's gentrification, and you will appreciate the chef and co-owners' decision to make good food available for everyone in this neighborhood with the $15 pre fixe menu. Or even for those of us who visit.
From start to finish, I had a very good meal with attentive service. My first course was the "15" mac and cheese with a hint of nutmeg (?), the second, the pork tenderloin with chutney over parsnip puree with grilled vegetables, and to finish the chocolate bread pudding with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream.
To tell you the truth, I was getting full after the "15" mac and cheese. (I want to return to eventually try all four "15" mac and cheese--especially the one with foie gras and duck confit).
My guava mojito was half of the cost of the $15 pre-fixe dinner! Yes, there is a full bar and a small wine list of affordable bottles of wine for your one course to three course meal. We were finished before 7 o'clock so, no offense to our older and wise Yelpers, but I did feel that I just had a senior dinner since it was still light outside.
I think one of the co-owners came by to bus one of our course plates away. He also thanked us for coming and walked us to the door.
I hope the folks who live in the area will come in and have a meal at "15" and make it a favorite neighborhood spot. -
Review from Paul J.
Los Angeles, CA
6/3/2008
I have had my eye on this place for some time. It has been kicking around my bookmarks for a few months and so Friday we pulled on our super skinny jeans, Chuck Taylor's, rode our vintage 10-Speeds up Sunset and gave it a go. It's in Echo Park...we wanted to blend in.
I guess if I had an IKEA gift card and owned a restaurant then this would be how I'd decorate that restaurant. I felt like I was walking through the kitchen and bath section of IKEA, the only difference was that everything was actually hooked up to plumbing and the toilet didn't have that plastic shield on it to keep people from pooping in it.
That said I thought this place had heart. We were greeted by the bubbly host (owner?) and were seated right away. Its a small place with a main dining room and full bar. The playing of music drove everyone to speak louder which turned the place into a yelling gallery. Kind of annoying, but then you start to appreciate people having a good time. The host (I think Vic?) walked around and did that thing where he asks how your food and tells you a little story, suggestive sells desert...etc.
The menu changes so I won't go into to too much detail on what we ate. We did start with Mac and Cheese because of the raves we have seen about it. Good, but not earth shattering. I appreciated the effort I could taste, but it did not strike me as something new and exciting.
With 2 glasses of wine, appetizer, 2 entrees (one of which was the Filet Mignon), two deserts and coffee we got out of there for about $100. I think that's in the second or third date price range. I would suggest you go to this place more with friends of family as the atmosphere seemed to attract groups. Plus they show sports on the Bar TV, so as a guy I find myself drifting off as I look at the latest scores and highlights of the day.
Its located in Echo Park next to House of Spirits so after dinner options are widely available. -
Review from Erika G.
Los Angeles, CA
6/13/2008
really cute, comfy and yumm. Reminds me of one of those places that just, well not shouldn't be in the area, but you know, shouldn't! kinda like phlight in uptown Whittier, you wouldn't think it'd be in that spot but it is.
anyhow, back to 15. it's nice and cozy and IIIIII think you'll enjoy it as much as i did when it comes to trying something different. -
Review from daniel d.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2008
I love this place.
The food is awesome, and the servers are friendly.
I've had the Salmon (melt in your mouth pan seared with the tangiest grilled mango, perfect balance!!!)
The burger with frittes is juicy and cooked to order.
They have great sides, tasty cocktails, etc.
Please support this place !!! I Can't imagine echo park without it. -
Review from Kelly S.
Silver Lake, CA
10/6/2008
The website Eater LA is reporting that 15 is closing and the final night will be Oct. 25. They are also saying that the restaurant has a new owner who plans to replace it with something called "Allston Yacht Club".
Not to judge a book by it's cover but... that is a really lame name.
So better go get the yummy price fixe menu @ 15 while you still can.
*Note: Just read on their website that they rolled the price fixe menu price back to $15 until their final night Oct. 25. Yay!
*UPDATE 10/31/08* - Apparently the new owners changed their minds re: the ill-fated "Allston Yacht Club" name (good call - that was heinous!) and re-opened this weekend under the old name 15. I heard it is just "small plates" mostly $6-8. Not sure if that is because of the soft re-opening or if that is what the menu will be. -
Review from Celeste M.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2008
A Tuesday night and the place was packed by 6:15 pm for the "$15 @ 15" taster menu, which ends promptly at 6:30 pm.
My friend and I couldn't get over the tastiness of the ENTIRE meal. Nice selections for each course. Portions were taster-size, in other words: "leave you wanting for more." Hence, I had no choice but to order an extra appetizer, the decadent bacon-wrapped figs. And with that side order of deliciousness, I was completely and blissfully satiated.
My first time there -- and I'm coming back! -
Review from nichole d.
Oceanside, CA
3/17/2008
We ate here for the happy hour special, 3 course meal for $15 and it was well worth it. I didn't look at the regular priced menu however.
The portions were huge and the food was delicious!
I had the mac-n-cheese for starters, pretty darn good. Buttery, cheesy deliciousness. Next I tried the burger with fries. I have to say it was good, but not the best burger (still on my quest for that one). The accompanying lavender fries are always good too. Bread pudding was the chef's choice desert, a small portion, which is fine since everything else was huge.
I would definitely come here again for the happy hour special!
i liked the ambiance to, nice low lighting with a new york kind of vibe. -
Review from Amy W.
8/26/2008
It was a rather scary walk to the restaurant from the car. The neighborhood it's in is just not the best and they don't have a private parking lot for the restaurant so you have to park on the street somewhere. Later, the server did tell us we can park at the lot across the street. That it was okay, we wouldn't get towed. Maybe we'll try next time, but I'll probably go in a larger group next time too.
But on to the food! We went during their 3 course dinner for $15 time period. I believe it was between 5pm and 7 pm. Besides the 3 courses, we did order a foie gras appetizer from their regular menu. WOW! It was so tender and buttery and paired very well with the strawberries it came with! So for the appetizer course I had their mac n' cheese which is supposed to be one of their best sellers. It was very good! I don't really remember what else I had, because I had a bad stomach that day and couldn't really eat anymore after the two dishes. But my fiance enjoyed everything!
This place is a must try, especially during their special $15 dining time! They don't take reservations during these times, so be sure to arrive early for a spot! They get filled up fast! -
Review from hong p.
Los Angeles, CA
5/28/2008
Definitely a great value with the 15 prix fix. A very non-descript brown exterior in opens up very pleasantly to a very simple and elegant wood floored dining room.
I'm not a fan of mac n cheese in general, but theirs was very tasty and a nice portion. my main course was the kobe burger..very tender and cooked medium rare to my liking. The fries were thin, crispy, and nicely season w/ rosemary and other others. The free bread was very good w/ the minced olives and capers.
The service was prompt and very attentive. Overall, a great value and will have to try again. -
Review from Jenn L.
South Pasadena, CA
7/19/2008
Their $15 @ 15 menu is now the $19 @ 15 menu. Still a great deal for a three course meal. I've gone there twice for this prix fixe menu.
You've got three great options for your 1st course. I've tried the mac-n-cheese and the hearts of palm salad (but that was just a forkful off of my friend's plate). Let's get back to the mac-n-cheese though - if I wasn't out in a public establishment, I would have picked the dish up and licked it clean! Yum yum!
As for the entree, the first time I had the salmon with black rice and watermelon. The salmon was nicely done - just perfect. This second time, I got the Kobe beef burger with lavender pomme frites. (I got it withough the bun since I had gone with the mac-n-cheese.) I love lavender and that lavender on those fries goes really well with the burger! And the burger itself was soft and tender and a burst of savory flavor in mouth. My companion got the papardelle but it was a bit bland. A dash of salt and she was a good to go but I think she was secretly coveting my burger.
And for chef's choice dessert - a perfectly sized mini piece of bread pudding. While I"m totally sold on what is now the $19 at 15 menu, I'm wondering if they'll ever change up the options offered, making it more like a seasonal menu. Hmmmmmm....... -
Review from tiffany s.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2008
I went to eat dinner at 15 with a bunch of girls and we had a blast. The atmosphere inside is clean, crisp and chic. They got a little bar in there and have a decent, unique menu to choose from. We missed the whole "15" deal but we ordered a variety of goods anyways. We had some yummy salads to start with and I had a very flavorful, moist salmon with some mango salsa. mmm...get in my belly. After that we finished off with some bread pudding- now that is usually no where near my dessert option but my friend insisted...and I am glad she did. It was absolutely amazing!!! I think we wanted to lick the plate....gotta go out to try it!
I would mos def go there again-this time for the "15" deal. -
Review from mertyl p.
Los Angeles, CA
9/19/2008
The first time I tried 15, I missed the prix fix dinner. So I had the hamburger. It was delicious, but what really had me hooked were the fries. They were made with lavender, which added this amazing flavor. I couldn't stop eating them, and I don't like french fries that much, normally.
The second time I went, my friends and I all had the $19 prix fix deal. We also shared the bacon wrapped figs. They were very good. A couple of us got the macaroni and cheese, which was just OK, nothing special. One of us got the tomato soup, and that was pretty good.
For the main course, I got the salmon, and thought it was really tasty. The other things we had were the hamburger, the pork loin, and the short ribs. Everything was very good.
Finally, we had the chocolate croissant bread pudding with warm caramel. We all agreed that it was spectacular.
You can't beat the price, and the quality of the food is excellent. The service and the ambiance are also superb. I would highly recommend 15. -
Review from JENNIFER N.
Redondo Beach, CA
8/28/2008
Upscale restaurant in the center of artsy Echo Park! luv it! I enjoy being in Echo Park because its one of those artsy weirdy town.. lol
People of all sorts and kind. Scary yet adventurous!
ok back to the restaurant... I tried their happy hour $15 menu. Food was good. Their Mac and cheese were very different but yet delicious. Their salad was good as well. The hamburger and fries were ok.. too ordinary. Dessert were so so...
Did I like it? yes.. would I return?.. maybe if I'm in the neighborhood again. Not something that will drive my taste buds up the wall and got to have it. ;-) -
Review from Allen P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/4/2008
I thought this place was relatively mediocre.
For one, it doesn't fit the neighborhood at all. It's attempting to be upscale or "nice," but that style of dining didn't match the budget trim level of the interior. I don't mind budget, just as long with some sort of style or character.
Food was ok but nothing special, overall this place really doesn't fit in Echo Park. -
Review from Bonnie M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2008
Finally tried this place out last night with my boyfriend after we've driven by it several times wondering if it's any good.
AMBIANCE:
The decor is fine, i always wish for booths instead of individual chairs, but hey. i would lose the battery operated candles, though.
SERVICE:
I wonder how long this place has been open-- or how long the servers have been serving tables-- every server we came into contact with seemed uncomfortable and unsure of him or herself. Very friendly and nice but seemingly very inexperienced.
FOOD:
I will preface this by saying that I cook (fancy food) a lot and have worked in many restaurants.
first, it needs more vegetarian options on the Entree menu.
Wild Mushroom Empanada Appetizer = FIERCE. sooo good. don't miss this one.
Lobster Risotto Appetizer: a healthy portion, and pretty tasty. but seriously folks, defrost the lobster before cooking it. Better yet, use fresh lobster.
Pasta with short ribs: my boyfirend had this one. It looked really good but when i tasted it it was kinda bland.
Wine List/Wine: you MUST be joking, folks! just atrocious. and i was pretty sure i watched the bartender mix two different wines in my first glass. not a good idea when you're trying to build a reputation. Plus, the specialty cocktail with the name of "Citron My Face"?? not appetizing.
overall, it wasn't a bad dining experience, though. the BF and I decided that we'll wait 6 months and come back. hopefully by then they will have worked out some of the kinks. -
Review from Lisa m.
Los Angeles, CA
6/18/2008
OMG the bread pudding is to die for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everything else I've ordered from them has been outstanding, too. The waiters are super friendly and even hooked us up with a recipe! Can you believe it? Who does that? Honestly? Also, it's one of the very few dinner restaurants in Echo area that isn't Mexican/El Salvadorian/Brite Spot. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my southern neighbor's cuisine, but I can't eat it every single day.... and I'd rather eat my own puke then go to Brite Spot these days.
15 is good. You should try it! -
Review from Carrie D.
4/26/2008
I had a wonderful experience at 15. We stopped by on a Saturday night before a Dodgers game because we heard about the 15 for $15 menu. The place is small and minimalist in decor. We ordered off the $15 menu plus we added a regular appetizer...Here is what we had:
Appetizers:
Mac and Cheese-delicious and cheesy and the portion was huge.
Tomato Bisque-yummy
These were part of the $15 menu, plus we added wild mushroom and pea risotto-so creamy and flavorful and a huge portion for $9.
Entree:
The "15" Burger with gruyere cheese & caramelized onions served with fries
Pappardelle pasta, with wildmushroom ragout, caramelized onions, Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Dessert:
Chocolate croissant bread pudding
The burger was large, juicy and cooked to perfection. The fries were made with lavender and were amazing. The pasta was a large portion and was light and creamy with large mushrooms. The food was all very good, the portions were large and we were stuffed! I will be going back again. -
Review from Anh-Dao T.
Alameda, CA
5/6/2008
I never would have stopped at this place if it wasn't for Yelp. The neighborhood is sketchy and parking is a pain. But my friends and I were determined to try out the 15 deal so off we went to Echo Park. The restaurant looked dark and gloomy, even abandoned, from the outside. But as soon as we stepped in, we found the place packed with diners taking advantage of the 15 deal.
We were seated at a corner table, next to the window. It was fine, since we had plenty of room, but if you're going on a sunny day, make sure to bring your shades as you will be blinded. The service was slow, but our server was very friendly and patient.
The food ranged from decent to good. I thought my salmon was perfectly seared, but the dressing from my salad was too tart for my taste. The dessert was really good, but it was a really small serving. Maybe three, four bites, tops. One of my friends ordered a mint julep which was the WORST mint julep I ever had. It was watered down, the mint wasn't meddled well and there was a puny single stem floating on top. They gave us a free one and between me and another friend, we couldn't drink even half of it.
But overall, it's still a great deal. The service was good. And for some reason, they ended up comp'ing two drinks for us, which I thought made up for the slow service. I'd like to come back and try the burger and the mac and cheese. -
Review from Jims ..
Hollywood, CA
9/5/2008
15 is a modest splash in the small wave of gentrified businesses in Echo Park catering to the pre-bubble-burst homeowners association. Then enter stage right--the Bursted Bubble and his friend Economic Downturn (ED). As if to assuage the nerves of those homeowners with diminishing equity, or worse near foreclosuredom, while still offering them a plate of better days gourmanderie, 15 seized it's niche market and remained "affordable" and palatable which is not trivial.
It's not in a convenient location for parking so valet services are certainly a tempting option. It may be the only place in Echo Park where one can fancy such "elitist" ingredients all on one plate as (Obama)-argula, figs, goat cheese, or truffles.
The wine we tried was drinkable but not remarkable. I found the Dogtail chard drier than the Frei but less interesting. Their Pinot Grigio was too sweet for my tastes.
For starters, we sampled the mac-n-cheese and bacon wrapped mission figs w/ goat cheese mousse. Of course it's hard not to be enamored with anything dressed in bacon and centered with creamy cheese and this item did not disappoint.
The seared Maple duck breasts w/ braised fennel & bosc pears, and summer vegetables was more than okay but it was a bit shadowed by the strident flavors of the pan roasted Diver Scallops over seared pancetta. A close second was the braised short ribs w/ roasted baby beets, fresh black figs & summer vegetables. The flesh of the meat sumptiously yielded to the casual mastications of this drunk diner so it was warm and welcome.
As the recession continues to ratchet up, 15 should remain to be somewhat recession proof so long as it does not change it's name to "25 and Above." -
Review from mike j.
Cheviot Hills, CA
5/6/2008
4.5 stars, fo sho.
15 @ 15 is extremely legit.
This place seriously just made me happy from the moment we walked in. Needless to say, the ghettoness of the area also made me happy, just to have the juxtaposition.
The atmosphere was great, really comfy, well spaced out, and a really nice looking, quiet, bar.
The service was awesome- the guy was funny and charming and generally cool. he also gave us as much time as we needed & brought us extra bread immediately after we downed the first batch (which is extremely awesome in my book).
The Food.
This stuff was awesome. It all was extremely yummy.
When we sat down they gave us this great bread sliced paper thin (which was an awesome touch) & an olive tapenade- both really good. The cucumber water was money too.
Together we shared:
1st
Tomato Bisque Soup - really good, and I don't even like tomato soup that much
Macaroni - I thought it was awesome- a perfect mix of cheeses, and tasted great with the pepper he offered over it (only downside is its not one of those macaroni's they bake, so there's no well done crispy bit at the top, but it was still awesome)
2nd
Salmon - pretty good, small portion though, nothing amazing but pretty solid
Burger - really good...realllllly good, with an interestingly good bun. a crazy amount of cheese though. The FRIES WERE AWESOME. I loved the lavender touch- and they give you a huge portion as well.
3rd
Bread Pudding - awesome and just small enough to stuff it down.
I was/am SO full.
Great stuff.
Oh the drink I had there was great too. -
Review from Wynne H.
Pasadena, CA
5/28/2008
$15 for a 3 course meal is quite cheap but you have to arrive before 6:30pm. Although the portions are small, it was enough food to fill me up for awhile. The decor is contemporary and I mostly like the chocolate-colored leather chairs. This place actually reminds me of HK-style American restuarants except the service here is slowww...
The kobe burger tasted good and melted in my mouth, but is definitely not made with kobe beef from Japan. The pork loin however didn't taste so good. The pork, sliced into 2 small thin pieces, was bland and the semi-peppery sauce was too sweet. They change their menu often so maybe I'll go back and try their food again. -
Review from Lauren U.
Seattle, WA
5/6/2008 2 photos
$15 @ 15 w/ BF
After reading all these great reviews about the steal of a deal for a 3 course meal for $15 from 5-6:30, my boyfriend and I decided to test it out.
15 is in a pretty random/ghetto area of Echo Park, the ambiance is somewhat killed when you look out your window at a cracked out chicken joint and a parking lot. But upon looking inwards the restaurant is warm, charming, and moody. Great date feel.
We split our meal somewhat evenly so between the two of us we had the tomato soup and macaroni to start, followed by the salmon and hamburger, finishing with chocolate bread pudding.
The macaroni needed salt in my opinion, but was good and the tomato soup was relatively average but yummy. The burger was bomb and the french fries with the interesting twist of lavender was so nice. GREAT fries. My salmon was fine but a small portion and a little sweet. The bread pudding was all the decadence I could have asked for but the perfect size. Another interesting accent which I loved was that the water was served with a slice of cucumber rather than the regular lemon - you'd think you wouldn't be able to taste it, but it made the H2O so refreshing and crisp.
Considering the quality of food and atmosphere we received I really enjoyed this restaurant. The service was friendly and attentive, the food was good but not insane, and the experience was worthy of going back to. -
Review from andrea r.
CA
3/29/2008
Bleh. I don't like it. If you don't go during the $15 prix fix special you may find the service is crap for the prices, which are high, for the food. That was my experience and that's not a winning combo folks.
I went with two vegetarians and three carnivores, tasted almost everything and only had one really good flavor all night.
The Tomato Bisque was lovely.
Every other dish, I wanted to go back in the kitchen and remake it myself.
Duck Confit-very pretty, almost no duck flavor which is amazing since duck is a pretty strong taste, under cooked potatoes and too much of a discordant sauce.
Scallops-the little guys them selves were okay, but they were on a bed of beans and potatoes that did not taste, feel or smell like anything. Again-discordant.
Salad with shitake mushrooms and pepitas. Crunchy. That is the most interesting thing about it. Not discordant, just bland.
Everything just bland or seasoned wrong. Oh except the dessert. That was delish. Croissant bread pudding with whipped cream.
But with $9 soups and $18 entrees it shouldn't be impossible to get a water refilled. And dessert shouldn't sit on a table for 5 minutes while you flag a waiter for some spoons.
so yeah. Bleh -
Review from Sandra K.
Los Angeles, CA
7/20/2008
What's the big deal?
I tried the $15 deal once, and that was enough.
My salad was pretty good but how can you mess up such an easy salad?
For the entree, I believe I ordered the pork chops while my friend got the salmon. Do they know what salt is?
We we're too embarrassed to ask for some salt and pepper... and since the portions are for children, we finished it in 5 bites.
I think the best part of the meal was my Arnold Palmer.
Good job knowing how to combine lemonade and iced tea.
Bravo.
