Alex T.'s Profile

Since when does making a reservation for 7:30 mean showing up on time and waiting 45 minutes to get seated? It wouldn't have been so bad if the host had simply been straightforward about the wait time despite us calling ahead. We could have easily ordered from the bar and hung out until our table was ready. Instead we were told the table was almost ready, frequently ignored thereafter and then given a weak apology.

Perhaps the host was just new, but the servers seemed in disarray as we also got mixed signals from different waitstaff. Once we finally figured out who our waitress was she was fantastic.

The food is great, and the value is great. I want to say that it just gets busy at times, but I can't ignore the utter lack of attention and service.

Ate here with friends, a big group of 10 people. There's not much space inside so we pretty much took up a quarter of the restaurant. That being said, there is a bit of a wait during busy hours. There's not a whole lot of room, even with the small tables, and it was difficult to find a place to even set down your glass.

Worth it? Yeah. The food was overall really well prepared. The Bacaro burger was my personal fav. We had two orders of the hangar steak and both tasty different, which was a little strange. Pizzas were top notch, although the roasted eggplant was a bit strange with goat cheese and fairly spicy. Even though I didn't like some things, the different tastes offered on the menu were very distinct. It just comes down to a matter of opinion. Portions small, but this makes it very easy to get a whole bunch of different items and share family style.

So my advice would be definitely try it as there's bound to be something up your alley! And also, try to make reservations or get there early otherwise you might starve to death watching other people eat while you wait.

My first encounter with Ichikawa's menu was certainly a memorable one. Having heard great things from a friend she finally convinced me to go on one occasion. Turned out we didn't have time to eat in, so we called in a couple sushi rolls ahead of time for take-out so we could hit the road.

While driving, it was getting pretty late and I was hungry so I asked her to help feed me pieces of sushi as I was on the freeway. After several delicious pieces of sushi I was feeling pretty good. On the 5th or 6th roll I got a sudden blast of wasabi flavor. I was accidentally fed the entire ball of wasabi that they put to go with the sushi. This is not meant to be eaten all at once! After immediately spitting out the sushi, several gag reflexes, watery eyes, and painfully using my tongue to wipe off the wasabi off my upper front teeth it was surprising that I was still on the road at 75mph.

While this was one of the more unpleasant experiences I've ever had with food, it was no fault to the restaurant- rather to my careless passenger grrr. Several bites of properly served sushi later I was happy again, especially to be alive.

Just recently I was able to eat at Ichikawa for Shabu and got the full experience- appetizers, shabu and dessert for 2, which I might add was reasonably priced. I have yet to try the last of the three specialties, Yakitori (it's part of their restaurant name, so it's a specialty right?), but based on the two I have tried I expect it to be more than satisfactory.

Initial observations: Interesting decor- not really sure what the designer was thinking. Very different ambiance- in a good way. Friendly service, kind of soft-spoken.

Food: Smaller than your average burger, but wayyyy more attention to detail. High flavor content. Super greasy. All of the burgers on the menu are very different, so really I would probably pick whatever goes along the lines of your tastes.

Conclusion: Higher price burger suggests higher quality burger, and it seems to hold true based on Truffle (liked alot) and Umami Burger (not my type, tastes like Italian- maybe like a fancy meatball sub).

Afterthought: Would probably not eat here often in the interest of living longer, but it was worth the day or two of shortening of my life. Go workout after this one if you can resist the food coma. If I went back I'd probably want to try the bacon cheddar.

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The main selling points are drinks and appetizers, especially during happy hour. They have a ridiculous selection of beers on tap as well as a very healthy variety of different happy hour appetizers to choose from (healthy not in a nutritious way, in fact quite the opposite).

The longgg table booths can be kind of awkward because for small parties its just too much space making you feel dwarfed, and for large parties if you sit window you're never gonna get out. Stick to the table and chairs.

Awesome place for watching the game or the bar-type outing with friends. Plus its right in LA Live so there's always something interesting going on.

I always go with the Eclipse (half Guinness half Blue Moon) and sliders.

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A friend introduced me to this hidden place. I don't think I would have ever discovered it otherwise. It's in an area where there are a lot of USC students and I've seen some regulars frequent there, but other than that its quite concealed.

The general feel of the place is very relaxed. Free wi-fi, student-friendly prices, sometimes music playing, semi-self-serve style, and a nice patio area out back. In addition there are just slight touches to things that make it feel almost home-y. I have definitely suggested this place more than once as a meeting place for talking over student org. stuff etc.

The food can be slightly inconsistent, but if you know what's good on the menu, its generally not a problem. My personal favorite is the breakfast sandwich with the breakfast burrito coming in a close second. You definitely get good portions too.

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Unfortunately I can't speak for their pho yet, but #132 on the menu was bommbbbbb. It's basically beef cutlets (almost like steak) and fried rice. Add in some pretty decent appetizers, and the cost is tiny ($10-12). And I ended up saving half my entree because it was so much food.

While I've only eaten there once, for what it's worth I would eat there again. That's for sure.

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As a Trojan, I have endured many a post-party Chano's food run. My favorites include Carne Asada Nachos, Onion Rings, and more recently their Carne Asada Tacos. Good service, reasonable prices.

The drive-thru experience goes as follows: Get in the long late-night car line. Eventually pull up to the huge menu billboard with overwhelming amount of  options. Order through awkward intercom system that isn't quite clear, but still kind of audible. Next, 75% chance close encounter with homeless person (Give change or apologize). Pull up to drive-thru window hoping that they got your order right. Unbuckle seat belt and lean over console because the drive-thru window is on the passenger side. Lean over and complete transaction. Check food, everything's there. "I guess the intercom works after all." and "Remind self, next time bring someone to ride shotgun." Return to original destination. Consume food. Pass out satisfied.

Good food? Yes, awesome food. Good for you? That's a different story. You will have a food coma, or as I've heard it referred to as a Chano's hangover. It's totally worth it.

During college McCormick & Schmick's was a frequent spot. Of course we only came exclusively for their happy hour. I cannot speak for their normal menu (expensive), but you can't go wrong with a Blue Moon and happy hour cheeseburger, which is actually really filling esp with fries.

I usually stick to the burger but if you can spare a couple more bucks the fish sandwich is superb. While those are my preferred items, there's definitely something for everyone: wings, potato skins, calamari...

What I find hilarious is that they sometimes change the names of the food on their happy hour menu to theme current events. For example during the olympics, instead of "Fish Sandwich" it would be "Michael Phelps Gold Medal Fish Sandwich" or something equally ridiculous and laughable.

Service is great, crowd tends towards downtown after work folks but can get fairly mixed, and there are a lot of TVs.

If you want to catch a game and throw a couple beers back, or treat yourself to a great dinner on a college budget. This is the place. Oh, and free parking with validation.

And the parking attendants are fancy and wear suits. I like to wave at them as I leave.

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This place is awesome.

You walk in and order Chicken and Fries, pay, and almost immediately you get your food. Quick and Easy. Well priced and most importantly delicious.

If you're in need of a quick spicy food fix and don't mind eating messy, I would highly recommend you stop by Dino's.

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