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Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: El SegundoMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"I heart Houston's. It is a cut above all other chain restaurants. If I'm going somewhere and I need a place that everyone will be happy…" read more »
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I was looking for a real nice place for dinner that would not put a huge dent in my wallet and I refuse to eat in the hotel I am staying at (am sick and tired of rubber chicken and overpriced hamburgers!!!!) and reviewed the local yelp reviews and found this hidden gem of a restaurant.
I ordered a beer which came in a fluted chilled tall glass and was impressed with entrees that INCLUDED a salad. Wow a complete meal deal without having to order al la carte! Very impressive. I must have driven my waitress "April" crazy as I read through the whole menu at least three times.
Feeling like a lite fare, I chose the seared scallops that included a salad of cherry tomatoes and cheese which was great except the scallops were a bit gritty with sand which I think could have been avoided if they did decent prep on them. Anyway I was very happy with my selection and it filled me up so much there was no room for the wonderful dessert selections.
I kept myself entertained watching my food being prepared as the kitchen is open to the restaurant.
I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for a decent hide away type restaurant with great food at very decent prices.
My neighbors had raved about this place, so I choose it when a friend was coming to LAX to pick someone up & we would meet for a dinner first, he saying to pick a place.
I ordered a fish plate and he inquired about the scallops - was told they were silver dollar size. So he ordered them. A while later the waiter came to our table and told me my dish was not available. I, too, ordered the scallops ... but quickly changed my mind, ordered something else.
Two plates of scallops were brought - he forgot to change my order. Had my friend eat his as they were still warm - were NOT silver dollar size. My plate came when he was done. He did bring it up to the waiter that his weren't silver dollar size - his plate was comped. My friend picked up the tab - but because of the experience, I would never go back.
Have eaten twice on Richmond Street this week - once nextdoor. Looked in Second City & they never as busy as the night I had been there. No doubt might be someone else's favorite place - but never again for me.
I've eaten lunch here twice and dinner here 3 times. I was just here 2 weeks ago to take a good friend out for a birthday dinner. 4 of us showed up at 8:30pm on a Friday night and had no problems getting a table (you can tell the economy is taking a toll). We choose the place because we wanted to bring a couple good bottles of wine. A Brown Zin and a Vina Cobos (Paul Hobbs) Malbec. The corkage on the 1st bottle of wine is free and the 2nd bottle is $20, so it only averaged $10/bottle.
The place has good menu selection. We started off with the Baked Brie and Tempura Shrimp appetizers. Both appetizers were good. For the main courses we ordered the 14oz Peppercorn New York, Bacon Wrapped Filet, Filet w/ Cherry Port Reduction, and the Rack of Lamb of the day. I tried all the items. The New York was good and so was the bacon wrapped Filet. The Filet w/ the port & cherry reduction sauce was really good. All the filets looked to be almost 12 oz. They were big filets. The rack of lamb of the day had an Italian twist to it. It had a tomato cheese things going. It wasn't my favorite. For dessert we ordered the Banana Phyllo dish. The phyllo was filled with banana, caramel, chocolate, cream cheese, and peanuts. The dessert was really good and a big hit at the table.
All in all 2 appetizers, 4 main courses, a $20 corkage fee, a dessert, and tax came to $175 plus tip. It seemed like a really good meal for the price. The have a nice little outside seating section too.
Been twice, once a long while back, and once more recently. Both times the food was great, cooked and seasoned to perfection. The service was very efficient and gracious, and it was a little hard to believe we were eating at such a nice restaurant in El Segundo. I hope they continue to do well!
It's been a long while since I've had dinner at Second City Bistro after moving to Chicago, but when I was back in LA, I couldn't help myself from wanting to go back and have some awesome French American food.
Our meal was excellent, the melted Brie starter was delicious and my Braised Lamb was cooked to perfection and served along some scrumptious mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Our server was friendly and attentive. The best part was they are BYO and were totally cool with us bringing a few bottles.
Probably my favorite restaurant in El Segundo and definitely a hidden gem in LA.
After living in the LAX/Westchester area for a few months, my boyfriend and I decided to see what good dining options there were in the nearby area (meaning not having to drive to Santa Monica/WeHo/Hollywood). Second City got lots of great reviews on Yelp, and the menu looked great, so we decided to check it out.
Right away, the service was attentive and prompt. We were seated right away (although it was a weeknight). The bread was delicious and the menu took us awhile to get through. I ended up getting the grilled halibut with olive and pesto tapenade and my bf got the lamb burger. His was cooked perfectly. The halibut was nice and flaky, with just the right amount of tapenade.
I also saw that they had an extensive wine list, but I've heard that if you BYOB, the 1st bottle is free, and the second is $10. We ended up getting getting wines by the glass, but next time we'll definitely bring a bottle of our own!
I was really excited to try this place out. It looked so cute and got great reveiws. I thought for what we got we got ripped off. Everything tasted fine. But if I wanted fine I would have went to Chipotle. First we had reservations for my coworkers birthday. Got there right at 11:30 when they opened so that we could ensure we got good service as fast as possible since we are accountant's and were on 15th deadlines. We sat at our table for 10 minutes while our waitress was chatting it up with the chef and kept taking sips of her drink.....hellooooo??? Then she brought the drinks, left and didn't come by till I waived her down and told her we wanted to order. The food was ok. Not great. All 5 of us felt the same way. Apple pie was delicious but the chocolate creme brulee was inedible.
I visited here the first time today for lunch with a group of work friends. I had heard good things about the place and was curious to try it out myself. Bottom line - I was blown away. The food was delicious! Wonderful, fresh flavors, reasonable portions, and beautiful presentation. The steak and shrimp kabobs were a big hit at our table as was their tomato creme soup. We had the dark chocolate creme brulee for dessert that was amazing.
The decor inside was very tasteful with a front patio to eat outside. I have heard they do wine tasting during the week. I would love to come back and try that out sometime soon.
If you are in the area definitely try this place out.
Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Second City Bistro:
10. BYOB (first bottle is free, second bottle is $20)... just come with a small group aka date or 2 Greek Lady Friends (GLFs) so you can drink good wine without paying jacked up prices.
9. Fresh, hot, complimentary cheese bread with herbed butter. They will bring you more if you run out.
8. White table cloths, spacious seating, hip urban bistro yet still classy interior.
7. Yummy boy-next-door waiter that had my GLFs and I drooling, no, foaming at the mouth. Very attentive and when we asked him what's in the bread pudding he went back to the chef and practically took notes for us. *muah*
6. Dark chocolate bread pudding? And they gave us three woman a HUGE piece. It tasted like it was first soaked in chocolate milk, then baked with chunks of dark chocolate. The whipped cream was obvious freshly beaten full fat cream. Vanilla bean ice cream scooped on top, slightly softened by the warm bread pudding and fresh berries adoring our large portion. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
5. Only took me 35 minutes to drive to El Segundo from Hollywood. . . Ok it was a Sunday night, but still. I parked right in front, no valet bull B.S. The GLFs live in the South Bay so this spot was a good meet up location for us. Plus, who goes to El Segundo anyway? NO ONE, that's why it was so easy to park.
4. KCRW Fringe Benefits card holders get 15% off. Awesometown!
3. House Salad. DIVINE! Think mixed greens, gorgonzola, burgundy poached pear, candied walnuts drizzled with a zinfandel blueberry vinaigrette. No joke, this salad was perfection. (see burger pic).
2. My GLFs shared the linguine with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, spinach, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Fresh and light, and the pasta came in two separate bowls, without any hassle or mess of doing it at the table. Of course a Greek salad was ordered as well, and it was given two thumbs up.
1. 10 oz LAMB BURGER (YES THIS DESERVES CAPITAL LETTERS!). http://www.yelp.com/bi...
OMFG, there was no better combination than my petite syrah and this lamb burger. Biblical. It came with a beet chutney and a light garlic mint aoili, but these were just complimentary to the flavor of the lamb. The lamb patty was perfectly grilled on the outside, and plenty juicy and moist on the inside. No need for ketchup or any other lube. I was a ridiculously happy girl after this burger.
Finally ate here. The portion is big, the taste is average.
My friends and I love their wine tasting in the back patio. It's our favorite after work activity.
I just came here for lunch with my friend. We were meeting up since we had not seen each other for some time. This was such a cute spot to meet up! It was her suggestion, and its my first time. I like trying out new places.
I ordered the beef burger, sweet potato fries and an iced tea. I thought that my choices tasted fine. The grilled onion on top of my burger smelled so sweet and delicious, but when I bit into it...I didn't get that same sensation. I don't know what it was but that kind of made me sad.
I really want to love this place because the ambiance is so nice, and I would love to come here for dinner sometime with my husband. I just wasn't wowed by my choices. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing? I saw on these other reviews that the lamb burger is the sandwich of choice, but lamb was a bit heavy for me at lunch.
I saw that they do wine tasting Mondays. The list of wines sounded good. Maybe we'll do this one of these nights when we are too lazy to cook at home.
The server was really nice and the bread was yummy.
Second City is a great location, restaurant, vibe, etc.
- The open kitchen is a great visual when you enter or roam around.
- I have had a variety of dishes there, and all been great.
- They do wine tastings on a weekly basis.
El Segundo has reemerged as a great spot for restaurants.
I'm going to quote my GF on this one, since it basically equals my experience as well...
"We came here on a Friday night around 7:50pm. There were some tables available.. 2 on the front patio and some tables across from the open kitchen.. The atmosphere was pretty cool... subdued... quiet, nice ambiance.
We waited about 15 -20 minutes. They sat us on the 4 seats table on the front patio. The waitress greeted us.. but only said she'll come back with the bread.. she didn't stop to talk more to sell some wine or beverage other than water.
she stopped by again twice afterwards.. but still didn't ask us if we are ready to order. We finally flag her down and said we're ready.
We ordered the appetizer; crab and bay shrimp cakes with lime aioli."
I couldn't decide between 3 dishes that sounded pretty amazing.. The seared filet mignon salad with brie cheese, spicy pecans, cranberries, black cherry dressing OR the jambalaya OR the praised "Lamb burger"
We made a bet that the waitress would recommend the lamb burger. I thought personally she would choose the more expensive thing, the salad, but I was wrong... She chose the Lamb Burger, which is apparently what they're known for.
I was not impressed at all. I think it was the Chutni, but there was something on that burger that I didn't like at all... It was over all, an expensive dinner, and I was very dissappointed.
I won't be coming back, personally, I'll see about finding something a little more tasty, or I may return to try that salad.
I came here for lunch a loooong time ago and I remembered enjoying it so I decided to come back and try dinner here. I was hoping to like it more but I just thought it was OK.
The waitress first served us complimentary cheese bread, and it was very warm and delicious! I ordered the seared sea scallops http://static.px.yelp.... and thought they were a bit over cooked but the sauce was pretty good. The mashed potatoes had no flavor at all and the tomato-mozzarella-basil salad was good but felt a little out of place. Others at my table enjoyed the peppercorn steak http://static.px.yelp...., petite filet http://static.px.yelp...., and pork tenderloin http://static.px.yelp..... But the rare ahi tuna wasn't rare at all http://static.px.yelp..... I guess I should have ordered meat instead of seafood. Another disappointment I had was their dessert menu, yelpers raved about their dark chocolate bread pudding, but it wasn't on the menu! I was totally bummed out.
Overall the service was ok, the waitress brought out everything we asked for. We also ordered a bottle of wine to share but she didn't distribute the wine very evenly. Ambiance is pretty nice, the restaurant got pretty full around 8PM.
I'll give it an extra .5 star for the free wine tasting every Monday from 6PM-7PM. Just make sure you get there by 6PM, locals come here all the time and wine can run out by 6:30PM.
Maybe if they bring back the dark chocolate bread pudding I'll come back and check out other dishes on their menu.
Leave your wallet in El Segundo...
so that you have to go back and try this spot. Downtown El Segundo is so cool. Most people think El Segundo is polluted and blah. The downtown area is sweet.
We had blackened talapia, steak salad, onion soup, curry soup, etc. All was super good.
The service was great and invisible. They didn't want to be our best friend or anything lame like that. They let us enjoy each other's company.
The interior is super cool too: Open kitchen, exposed brick wall, etc.
We're definitely going back.
Don't half step. Hit the Purple Orchid bar next door for some pre-dinner drinks.
A co worker of mine recommended this retaurant as one of the possible dinner place for our party coming up in the next month. So i checked out their website.. and WOW.. the menu just sounded so intriguing... eye catching... and made me want to jump out of my office chair and say " Let's go!!! now!!!"
Well i waited until the weekend, so i can have an unbiased opinion... since i'm pretty picky eater..
We came here on a Friday night around 7:50pm. There were some tables available.. 2 on the front patio and some tables across from the open kitchen.. The atmosphere was pretty cool... subdued... quiet, nice ambiance.
We waited about 15 -20 minutes. They sat us on the 4 seats table on the front patio. The waitress greeted us.. but only said she'll come back with the bread.. she didn't stop to talk more to sell some wine or beverage other than water.
she stopped by again twice afterwards.. but still didn't ask us if we are ready to order. We finally flag her down and said we're ready.
We ordered the appetizer; crab and bay shrimp cakes with lime aioli; i ordered the pork tenderloin warpped in smoked applewood bacon with sage mushroom pate and puff pastry. And my bf , can;t decide between 3 dishes that sounded pretty amazing.. The seared filet mignon salad with brie cheese, spicy pecans, cranberries, black cherry dressing OR the jambalaya OR the praised "Lamb burger"
we made a bet that the waitress would recommend the lamb burger. And i was right.... as always.. LOL.. just kidding. i knew she was gonna say that cause he's a guy.. grown boy.... lol... salad won't do.. LOL..
anyways.. so we ordered the lamb.. the waitress went back to put our order... and came back to tell us that the fryer had went kaput????
i blurted out.. can't you just oven bake the sweet potato fries?? but my bf wanted the french onion soup.. which btw... was probably the best thing that we tasted..tonight.
anyways our dinner came... my pork was good.. tender.. some portion of it was a little dry.. but the puff pastry was good.. crunchy flakey... the apple glaze???? well there were only a very light glaze.... i wish the chef had given me a side order of the glaze.. so i can dip it if i'd like.
the portion was big... BUT the taste was just not there... it was a disappointment... especially after reading the "teaser" menu.
I tasted the lamb burger... it was ok.. i'm not a big fan of lamb.. but it was juicy.. it wasn't a WOW i need to get that burger next time.. either..
to say the least.... our dinner was A ok.. and would we come back??? i'm not quite sure... But i can say that i wouldn't be picking this place for my dinner party location.
I've been here a couple of times: once for lunch and once for dinner. We had reservations both times so didn't have to wait. The lunch menu was reasonable and the food tasted very good. It did take quite a long time for the food to come out though.
For dinner, the menu was a little bit different and seemed a bit pricey for what you get. The food that evening was just okay...nothing I would go back for but maybe we would try something else next time. You could get steak for about the same price as Ruth's Chris.
Both times, the service was great and they have an extensive wine list. Again, on the pricey side - I say this just because a lot of what they had can be purchased at the grocery store and it seemed to have a 300% mark up from those prices.
When I visit LA, this is the one restaurant that I always make sure to visit. It is a tradition among my classmates and I to make the drive to downtown El Segundo for what always turns out to be a fun evening of great food and wine.
As usual, we started out with the cheese board, which includes brie, muenster, and blue cheese with fresh grapes and crackers. Sure, it is nothing I couldn't toss together at home, but it is a great start to the meal.
The wine recommended by our server was Artesa Elements Cab, a Sonoma-Napa blend. It is a great fruit-forward wine with strong black cherry and sweet raspberry flavors. To be honest, it didn't go great with either the appetizer or entree, but it certainly didn't dampen the experience. Note: this is a great cocktail wine, and I would recommend it for drinking at home while relaxing after work.
As always, I started with a bowl of the tomato basil Gorgonzola bisque. The best way to describe this is that it is like a delicious pizza converted into a soup. It is smooth, creamy, and flavorful.
I followed this with my standard entree (and the only on-menu vegetarian option): the linguine tossed with artichokes, broccoli, peppers, and spinach, finished off with basil and garlic. It is one of the most exciting and flavorful dishes I can imagine. The taste of each veggie blends with the others perfectly, without that annoying "everything but the kitchen sink" feeling that you get from some variety-pack style entrees. I am not used to the vegetarian entree being the one that everyone wants to taste, but everyone at the table was interested in what was on my plate. Bottom line, this dish looks and tastes like what a tossed pasta dish should be.
One thing that we don't always do at Second City is dessert, but tonight we opted for sweets, and I am so glad that we did. One of my dining companions and I split an amazing Oreo cheesecake. If the idea of "Oreo cheesecake" brings to mind the pre-made, pre-packaged garbage you buy at "The Factory", well the chefs at Second City will set you straight with their creation. This cheesecake is pure delight: chocolatey without being too rich, sweet without being sugary, the texture creamy without being smooshy. Perfection.
As always, the service was attentive without being overbearing, and the atmosphere is great. The kitchen is open but not obtrusive, as friends, wine, and food are the stars here. It is a great place to visit if you want to have a great LA dining experience outside of the usual restaurant corridors.
I'll give it 4 stars.
Pros: The place was nicely decorated for the holidays - loved the decor and the open kitchen. Food was pretty decent - I had the seafood pasta and it was tasty. My friend enjoyed the ravioli. Also, lots of free street parking, which is always a plus. Prices seemed moderate.
Cons: Service was less than spectacular and the restaurant wasn't even completely full. Food was good, not great.
Finally came back after almost a year. Once again, the free wine tasting was fantastic. Yes, it's FREE. This week they had the total of 18 different Chilean and Argentinean wine. Wow, 18, eh? Of course a lush in me found a way to taste most of them.
After getting a good buzz, we went downstairs to have dinner. Last visit, I had a horrible waiter that made us leave the restaurant before dinner, but this time we were in good luck. Our waitress April was friendly, accommodating, and helpful. The warm cheese bread came out in no time with soft garlic butter with chives. These were soooo delicious! It took all my self control to stop myself from filling up with them.
Then the steamed manila clams came. I was skeptical at first as I've never had a good experience with clams in LA. Maybe I had a bad luck, but they always seem to be under seasoned to me. This one was great though. The chardonnay sauce was filled with salt and garlic flavor and it was just fantastic! I kept scooping up the broth with the shell to drink. Even after we were done with the clams, we kept the bowl as a dipping sauce for the bread.
The cheese plate had surprisingly huge blocks of cheese. I'm so used to the dainty cut of cheese for $18 or so, but this one was double the size of normal LA's cheese plates for less than $15! What a deal! None of them were mind blowing cheese, but they were all very much enjoyable.
I think Second City Bistro has fully redeemed itself. Now I won't wait for a year to come back here.
I was here last night with several friends of mine. We specifically went for their Monday night… Read more »
Burger # 91: Free Monday Night Wine Tastings!!
We went, tried well over a dozen different wines, and then snagged a table downstairs before the rest of the drunks made it down. Good thing we were quick about it, the place got packed 15 minutes after we snuck down.
We ordered a typical dinner for ourselves; the burger, cheese plate, clams, and a dessert. Nice and light. =]
They brought out some delightfully warm cheese bread after we ordered along with some of the best butter I've ever had. It was very hard not to fill up right then off the bread.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Next came the clams, and damn those guys were so good! A nice big bowl housed a couple dozen fair sized manila clams, bathing in a nice, salty garlic infused broth. Once the clams were gone, we kept the bowl and sopped up the broth with even more bread.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Then out came the cheese plate with four very large lumps of cheese. The cheese was served with a long trail of crackers and some grapes. The bleu and brie were my favorites.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Right after the cheese, my burger came out. I have to admit I didn't read the description on the menu at all and so I was surprised when it came with avocado and caramelized red onions. Both were welcome additions to my meat. The perfectly medium-rare burger also came with ample bacon and cheese. All together it made for a very messy burger that the bun couldn't control. The meat was of an excellent texture and was almost perfectly seasoned; I had to dash some salt on half way through. The fries were meh, but not bad at all. If only the bun was sturdier and the burger saltier, it would have been perfect.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
After all that, somehow we convinced ourselves that we needed dessert. Since our server was allergic to chocolate (that poor girl!) she recommended the banana crepe thingy dessert. This thing was a monster of over indulgence! The crepes were filled with banana, cream cheese, chocolate peanut candy bar, all wrapped in the crepe, fried in butter, served with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and topped with chocolate and caramel sauces. It was intensely rich, and I could hear myself getting fatter with each bite.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
After 91 documented burgers, my run is nearing its end. This meal in particular was a grave reminder that food like this should not be enjoyed as often as we enjoy it.
4.13 Stars for the burger.
4 Stars for the free wine tasting.
This place tops the list as one of the the best fine dining experiences in the South Bay. The food is reasonably priced and delicious, and the wine is generous and well selected. The interior/Ambiance is rustic and authentic, yet contemporary - a true El Segundo gem. My girlfriend and I love to stop in every once in a while for dinner, and we always have a positive experience.
It's hard to find high quality fine dining in Manhattan/Hermosa/El Segundo and this place delivers seriously great food, when you're looking for a casually upscale place for dinner.
Just got back from lunch at SCBistro. It's the second time I've been here and if it were any closer to Culver City, I'd probably be here a lot for lunch.
Today I had some of the best fish and chips I've had in a while. Beer battered with some pretty good fries. Only downside was blueberry vinagrette on the side salad that came with. I tried to get some other dressing option but oil and balsamic was all that was available and I wish I had taken it. Didn't care for the blueberry dressing at all. Could have been a good salad with a decent dressing.
My friend had Thai Red curry pasta with mussels and said the sauce was pretty good.
All in all, someplace to go back to.
Hands down, best burger in town. I've been to the Counter, FO, etc... Don't be confused -- make sure you get the dinner burger. They offer a different one for lunch. If you do go for lunch, they will serve the dinner one upon request.
I've been on a weekday for lunch and weekend evening for dinner. They also offer wine tastings and fixed 7-8 course menus every once in awhile.
Service was spectacular. Street parking was easy. Nice decor. A bit pricey for a burger, but it was amazing from start the finish.
Monday night free wine tastings! This isn't going to be a very informative restaurant review, since I didn't eat there. Or pay for anything. But if that's your style too, then read on...
Okay, so yes, it gets a little busy, which is why they recommend you show up at 6pm. The wine tasting is at the back patio, if you can call it that. It's more like an outdoor space for entertaining, with wood beams and twinklelights. They usually put the wine tasting calendar up online so you know what winery or theme they'll be showcasing. And if you enjoy it that much, you can take home a few bottles, but you can't take home just one since they sell in increments, like 4 bottles or something, depending on the wine.
I definitely will be going back. And will definitely find someone to drive me there!
I'm a big fan. The food is great. Every plate has a fun, interesting twist that elevates the food above the ordinary. The prices are very reasonable. The wine list is good. (Just realized from the other reviewers that they have reasonable corkage rules for bringing your own too!) Parking is easy. The atmosphere is upscale, but laid back at the same time.
Second City Bistro is awesome because it has a city vibe as far as decor and menu but it's much more laid back and it's away from the usual LA crowds. A great place for a mellow yet more upscale date. We ordered scallops, salads and the burger, all of which were tasty and well portioned.
This was one of the best restaurants I've been to many months. The food and service here was just spectacular. We came here for our friend's graduation dinner and it was a great choice.
Kim our waitress was really helpful with helping me choose couple of bottles of wine for our dinner, she accommodated us really well, and service was great!
I had ordered the Filet Mignon stuffed with Lobster and Brie. WOW IT WAS HEAVEN! The filet mignon was cooked to perfection.. so tender, so flavorful and the brie went really well with lobster.
The bread they serve are so good, they are freshly baked, and served with a garlic rosemary butter! AH! ADDICTING! and the house salad I had before my entree was just delicious, served with blue cheese, walnuts, and a roasted pear!
This is probably one of my favorite restaurants now in Southern California.
Seems most Yelpers are boasting what they ordered at Second City before starting the review, so here goes: I had the lamb burger with beet chutney, mint aioli, and sweet potato fries. My friend had the baked tuscan chicken and vegetables finished with balsamic glaze on rice. To drink: water and raspberry iced tea.
The burger was ginormous and the sweet potato fries are as good as Father's Office. The chicken, however, was definitely overpriced at $14.50 for lunch. Tuscan chicken? More like Healthy Choice frozen chicken! My friend also told me that he had ordered the chicken and vegetable stir-fry with hoisin sauce on a previous visit ($8.50). El Segundo may not be a heavily-Asian community, but I hope to God that her residents are savy enough to avoid this dish. I wouldn't even order it at Panda Express.
I would still return to give the other menu items a try. I'm very curious about this filet migon stuffed with lobster and brie.
Homer: "I'll have your most expensive food, stuffed into your second most expensive food."
Waiter: "Very well sir. Lobster-stuffed tacos."
My wife and I got out of there for somewhere around 80 bucks. The food was really quite good. I ordered a cranberry salad with poached pears on it that was about the best salad I've ever had. Their bread rolls are to die for. The place was very nice and elegant inside and the patio was really nice too. It's located in a quiet part of El Segundo so you don't get much foot traffic or much car traffic. It would have been 5 stars, but mine and my wife's entrees were a bit on the bland side.
4-Stars!
I took a client of mine to Second City Bistro for lunch as I had wanted to try this place out after passing by it a few times while cruising the newly renovated El Segundo downtown area. The outdoor patio out front caught my eye as it reminded me of a European cafe. Being as it was a tad muggy, we opted to dine indoors although I could see where the patio would be the choice on a cooler day or evening. They had a wall of wine bottles at the entrance and I've learned from reading the other Yelp reviews, it's due to the wine tasting events they have occasionally. They have a schedule posted on their website.
The other reviewers description of the place as being straight out of the lower east side is something I wouldn't know, since I've yet to visit New York. However, it does have that metro vibe with brick walls and exposed ceilings that most urban center eateries are sporting.
My client kept raving about the hamburger and deciding that I've been good this week in terms of eating mostly salads, I thought I might indulge in a little red meat this time.
It was a toss up between the following two items:
linguine pasta with artichokes, roasted red peppers, capers,
spinach, broccoli, roasted tomato, shallots, basil and olive oil... 8.50
with grilled chicken... 11.50 with grilled shrimp... 16.50
OR
grilled lamb burger with beet chutney, garlic-mint aioli, lettuce,
tomatoes, red onion and sweet potato fries... 14.75
Hmmm, decisions, decisions. I finally decided on the lamb burger since, one, I've never had one before, and two, I love lamb! Apparently the owner is from New Zealand which is why they have this dish. The lamb burger was definitely the right choice because it was outstanding! It comes with a generous sized lamb patty. The side of sweet potato fries was great dipped in a side of garlic-mint aioli sauce. I thought it was a tad pricey at $14.75 for the entree, but where else can you get a lamb burger? I thought it was pretty darn original.
The wait staff could have been a little more attentive though. Our server kept passing us by and I had to ask for a refill of iced tea. She had a slight attitude. After our meal, we asked to look at the dessert menu just for fun and the server just came back and plopped it on the table. Kinda rude.
Despite the sucky help, I like the menu's variety, the ambiance and the small town feel of El Segundo so I'd probably come back again to try some of the other dishes that I kept oohing and aahing about as the wait staff passed by from the kitchen! I would have given this place 5 stars but had to take one away for the waitress with the 'tude and the unsmiling hostess with the personality of sliced salami. However, this place has great potential serving original dishes in a very cool ambiance! As the governator says, "I'll Be Back!"
My bf took me here for our one year anniversary. We're pretty chill people who usually eat at the nearest In-N-Out so this place was a nice change!
The atmosphere is completely romantic since it was a bit dark with christmas tree lights hanging from the roof. It is intimate with indoor and patio seating.
The wait staff are friendly and helpful (checks up on your table a lot but not too much where it becomes annoying).
For an appetizer, we had the sear rare ahi tuna in 3 seed crust. VERY GOOD. I think the blend of 3 different seed crust really made a impression. For the main course, I had the the mahi mahi special with veggies and mashed potatoes and my bf had some salmon. Very good but nothing too out of the ordinary (as you can tell because I don't remember the details of it). However, desert was BOMB. We had the just plain vanilla bean ice cream with strawberries that came in a martini glass (how cute). Nothing new, right? FOR SOME REASON, IT WAS SO TASTY! Maybe I was PMSing but still... It was seriously delicious!
The bill came to about $70-80 bucks (that went on my bf's tab, shoot). Not too bad. I'd recommend this place for a nice dinner out to celebrate someone's birthday, anniversary, job promotion, and what not.
Another excellent Yelp find while traveling!
I really like restaurants like this: small and friendly, tucked away in a quaint downtown, open kitchen and a menu that shows they care about ingredient selection. And did I mention a separate wine list that was larger than the menu?
We were walk-ins and it took a little thought on the hostesses part if she was going to be able to seat us or not, but she was able to work us in and we got to sit and some high tables near the open kitchen, so we were able to watch the action in the kitchen.
I thought I had made a decision on what I wanted to eat, when we were presented with the night's specials. I went with the mushroom and goat cheese soup, both hearty and tangy at the same time. To make the meal "big enough" I had the seared tuna appetizer (I know I've mentioned before I am a sucker for seared tuna). The food was delicious.
The service was a little slow to start, but once it got going, it was very quick (I seem to recall some other reviewers mentioning inconsistent service). It was also raining so there was a slight drip from the skylights - sit in a booth if it is raining and under the skylights if it is clear. For these two reasons, I'll drop it a star, but the food and decor keep it up high.
Unfortunately, none of the desserts called to me - they had 6 or 7 varied choices (chocolate creme brulee, a limoncello tart are those that I recall). It was more about me not wanting dessert rather than not being able to find some thing I would have enjoyed eating.
After 6pm, the city parking lots are free, too.
If you are staying close to LAX, this is the place to go!
Yesterday we had our post annual company golf tournament party here. After several hours of best ball golfing at the Lakes at El Segundo http://www.yelp.com/bi... we came here for our party and awards ceremony.
I had never been here before and it was quite nice. We had a patio area out back [see photos] with wine, beer and a buffet of salads, assorted meats, kabobs, and sausages.
The food was pretty good especially the kabobs but I am not sure it this is on their regular menu.
A great place for a party.
If you are looking for a classy place to have a good meal while still feeling comfortable in the LA uniform (jeans and flip flops), I highly recommend Second City Bistro.
As the photos show, the decor is exposed brick walls, soft lighting and white linens. The menu is fairly American influenced, but the presentation is appealing and the food itself is tasty. Not the best I've ever had (I'm the spoiled product of having been raised by a gourmet chef), but very good. I went for dinner, but I heard the lunch menu is just as good.
Our waitress was attentive without being overbearing and even convinced us to indulge in desert, which was an amazing Kahlua and toffee mouse cake.
Even though it was fairly crowded (and on a Thursday night no less!) we were given our choice of seating and were seated right away.
I'm torn between giving this place 3 stars or 4 stars, but I'm going to go with 3 stars and hope to be pleasantly surprised if I visit again.
I had an 8:30PM reservation and wasn't seated until 9:30PM. I feel like this automatically makes me unable to give four stars. Two other parties were in the same boat as us--waiting a veeeery long time for a reservation. When we were finally seated, they gave us an AMAZING platter of comped appetizers... really incredible. Five star appetizers. But then our entrees were just okay. Back down.
Nice location, nice ambiance, loved all the staff... but for an hour wait and so-so entrees... Hm. I think I'm interested enough to go back and try again, though.
If El Segundo didn't survive solely on the lunch crowd and/or if people actually knew the downtown area existed in the first place, Second City Bistro would get much more hype than it already does. Being there feels like you're in a restaurant in New York City's lower east side area, with its charming lights, exposed brick and leather-patterned walls. Sometimes the not-so-charming waiters make you feel like you're in NYC, too.
I've had good and bad experiences with the wait staff at Second City, but their food and wine list definitely earn it a solid 4 stars. Call ahead for reservations and even a day or two before the weekend you'll be able to get in without a hitch. The later you go, the nicer, calmer and quieter it is.. so keep that in mind. It's also available for lunch, but busy El Segundo foodies keep this place busy, so don't be surprised if they are especially slow during rush hour.
On to the food.. The cheese ravioli (hey.. don't knock it til you try it!) is one of the most surprising dishes on the menu, with the roasted marinated tomatoes and light vodka sauce bring flavors you'd never expect from such a plain dish. The steaks are especially good.. try the filet mignon with shrimp to be really impressed, as well as a bowl of the tomato Gorgonzola bisque (it's not your ordinary tomato soup). I've had some good salads and pastas here, so don't be afraid to try from all parts of the menu.
Order a bottle of the Barnwood Petite Syrah for a real treat. Even your closest non-red-wine drinking friends will like this fresh, fruit-forward wine.
For something different in the South Bay (and if you can find Richmond Street on a map!), try out Second City for a good meal in an unexpected place.
Thank you, fellow Yelpers, for leading me to victory!
If you live in or are visiting the L.A. area, then do yourself a favor and have dinner here. Tonight. It is a guaranteed win!
My friends and I had an overnight layover in L.A. on our way to La Paz, MX. After some careful research *cough-YELP-cough*, I made an executive decision on dinner at Second City Bistro.
I can say wholeheartedly that we set the bar high that night. The food was incredible from giant tempura shrimp to tender, lobster-stuffed filet mignon to the two bottles of pinot noir... Everything was perfection - service, ambiance, and, most importantly, food.
We ended the meal with the highly-praised, mystical banana cheesecake "Xango". I don't know what it was or what it is or if it even truly existed, but it stayed in our food-laden dreams all through the trip. I was actually hoping our layover on the way back would get cancelled so we could have another dinner here.
Kudos to the chefs and the entire staff. Keep up the great work!
You have to love a place that does free wine tastings every Monday night. It's never just a couple of wines or small pours, either. Second City is generous.
The wine tastings are appropriate, as this restaurant reminds me of a bistro I visited in Santa Barbara wine country once. The brick walls and exposed beams give a warm feeling we rarely get to experience in LA.
The food choices are hearty - steaks, seafoods, pastas. The stuffed filet mignon is delicious, as is the ahi appetizer. So far, out of the handful of dishes I've tried, they have all been great. A lamb order came out overcooked once, but that was quickly fixed.
I've been here twice for lunch and like it. LIKE it (as Pee Wee says into the phone booth to Dotty).
Anyway, I think I've had the burger both times. It's good - big with a great juicy patty, caramelized onions, L&T and a good bun. Comes with fries or a green salad for $9.75.
Other options include steak salad with brie for $16, other sandwiches, more salads and a fancy fish and chips that my friend didn't like last time we went.
Nice decor - a good "fancy" work lunch spot, a few tables out front, real cloth tablecloths (not cheap paper) and pretty good service.
Lots of street parking nearby.
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Category: Burgers
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