(310) 450-8600

1520 Olympic Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404 34.0206 -118.4794

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Neighborhoods: Pico, West LA

BUFFALOCLUB.ORG

Years in business

Established in 1994

Hours:

Monday To Friday From 12:00 PM To 02:30 PM Monday To Thursday From 06:30 PM To 10:30 PM Friday To Saturday From 06:30 PM To 11:00 PM

Last updated 6.23.11

Category:

Restaurants, Bars & Pubs

Restaurant Special Features:

People Watching, Business Dining, Celeb Hangout, Outdoor Dining

Cuisine:

Traditional American

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Buffalo Club

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Draw – Hang out at the rustic bar as long as you want, but don't miss the massive terrace outside. Drinks and meals are served there, so why not enjoy an evening under the stars and pretend you're in an Italian village? Later in the evening, the action really gets going: Whether there's a band playing or a DJ spinning, the patio is pulsing with the groovers and shakers. Watch your step, though. Since there's not much of a stage, the crowd is located merely inches away from the talent. One group in particular to keep an eye out for is Sticky Fingers, a Rolling Stones cover band that…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
On weekends, as the night rolls on, outdoor tables are removed to create a dance floor under the stars. The music ranges from DJs to disco cover bands--call ahead for schedules.
Look Good:
Can't afford dinner? Fashionable attire and $10 can usually get you in the door on weekends.
The Extras:
Reservations are essential, and prepare to wait for your table even if you have them.
ambiance
69.22999858856201% positive
  1. “All in all a nice atmosphere, although I'm not too sure about the food.”
  2. “GOOD: The decor of the place really nice.”
  3. “The drinks and food are super pricey but you pay for it in atmosphere.”
  4. “had such a great time just because of the atmosphere, the food was amazing, and to top it all off the service was great.”
  5. “Really fun DJ, lots of dancing and great cocktails--as overpriced as expected.”
  6. “wonderful romantic night OR night on the town”
  7. “The atmosphere was not pleasant, it was overcrowded, the drinks and food are over-priced and staff acted like they had a chip on their shoulder the whole evening.”
  8. “Buffalo Club is a great spot for romantic date out on the patio or in a cozy booth.”
  9. “For drinks alone, however, I would put this place near the top of my list, as it has a very classy atmosphere and is a good place to see and be seen.”
  10. “The ambiance is nice on the outdoor porch area and they always have the best live band playing 70s and 80s.”
  11. “For a romantic dinner, dine inside, it's quieter and candle-lit.”
  12. “The drinks are very expensive and the atmosphere just isn't worth shelling out all that cash.”
  13. “must say I really enjoyed the decor on the inside dining room.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “The hallmarks of our meal were the NY Steak with blue fromage sauce, pork rib wontons, and a delicious pecan dessert.”
drinks
53.33000183105469% positive
  1. “After dinner we had drinks at the bar and listened to some nice club music while watching the go-go dancers.”
  2. “Its a great place, but also very busy so I recommend reservations for dinner and staying for drinks.”
  3. “The food is excellent, the eye candy is always abundant, the wine list impresses, and the club is beautiful.”
  4. “If you are a non-drinker, beware of the expensive non-alcoholic drinks!”
  5. “We arrived early for our reservation at 8:00pm to enjoy your bar and have time to get a booth.”
  6. “had a really nice time, good wine, good food, simply lovely.”
  7. “For drinks alone, however, I would put this place near the top of my list, as it has a very classy atmosphere and is a good place to see and be seen.”
  8. “The drinks are very expensive and the atmosphere just isn't worth shelling out all that cash.”
  9. “The drinks and food are super pricey but you pay for it in atmosphere.”
  10. “We arrived for a friends birthday and were not only given attitude at the door, when we got to the "patio" bar it was cold so we stood by a heat lamp.”
  11. “The Idea of enjoying a meal, like the amazing mac and cheese, at a place that feels like a hideaway, and afterward meeting and hanging out with friends for drinks and music, is the perfect way to enjoy a night out in LA.”
  12. “commented immediately that I didn't like the wine because it was spoiled and he said thats what to be expected of cheaper wines because they are young.”
  13. “During the summer the Garden Courtyard becomes very popular as guests where enjoying drinks by the outdoor bar, which is beautiful and it reminded me of an old club from chicago or new york.”
  14. “The atmosphere was not pleasant, it was overcrowded, the drinks and food are over-priced and staff acted like they had a chip on their shoulder the whole evening.”
  15. “Really fun DJ, lots of dancing and great cocktails--as overpriced as expected.”
food quality
72.7299976348877% positive
  1. “Walking in this restaurant to the scent of incredible food and fragrant flowers can't be beat.”
  2. “Great food.”
  3. “We felt terrible that our friends took us out to a fine dinning establish, and we received such poor quality of food.”
  4. “am no stranger to paying good money for good food, I'll say first, but the exorbitant pricing at this restaurant is in no way congruent to the quality of service or food we received.”
  5. “The atmosphere was not pleasant, it was overcrowded, the drinks and food are over-priced and staff acted like they had a chip on their shoulder the whole evening.”
  6. “The hallmarks of our meal were the NY Steak with blue fromage sauce, pork rib wontons, and a delicious pecan dessert.”
  7. “Try Mastros (Beverly Hills), Ocean Ave (Santa Monica), or even Houston's (Santa Monica) if you're looking for a nice steakhouse with great food and service.”
  8. “love bread, and i was really excited when we were given hot bread for once.”
  9. “The food is excellent, the eye candy is always abundant, the wine list impresses, and the club is beautiful.”
  10. “Needless to say, we left & enjoyed a great meal at one of our fav's, the Library Ale House.”
  11. “soft shell crab wasn't bad, but nothing really different than we've tried anywhere.”
  12. “The food is good old fashioned, cooked to perfection and if you like fried chicken, it's to die for!”
  13. “Great food, but extremely overpriced.”
  14. “We ordered their famous mac-and-cheese, and it was one the most amazing dishes I have ever had.”
  15. “had a really nice time, good wine, good food, simply lovely.”
  16. “The portions were generous & the dishes though not innovative, were very good!”
  17. “The food was great - I highly recommend it if you haven't been.”
  18. “the food was mediocre for the prices they charge.”
  19. “The steak was of poor quality and overdone and tough (i ordered medium).”
  20. “The Idea of enjoying a meal, like the amazing mac and cheese, at a place that feels like a hideaway, and afterward meeting and hanging out with friends for drinks and music, is the perfect way to enjoy a night out in LA.”
  21. “The food is amazing (the pork chop is HUGE) but a bit pricey.”
  22. “had such a great time just because of the atmosphere, the food was amazing, and to top it all off the service was great.”
  23. “The more underperforming components were the rather bland porkchop, a lobster dish befitting of the same qualification, and a server that was less than attentive to our cause (he was, presumably, quite busy with other tables).”
  24. “usually love paying for a good dining experience, but one that is tacky and less than expected shouldn't be charging a $38 food minimum to begin with.”
  25. “The food was perfect.”
  26. “For the main course the two racks of lamb were almost inedible because they were so fatty, and lastly the halibut was VERY over cooked and dried out.”
  27. “The servers (bussboys) that brought us our food were very nice and helpfull (they need a raise)”
  28. “Forget the nasty hosts, the overpriced menu and the bad food.”
  29. “Great food, Poor Service!”
  30. “Sit outside (not inside in the dark dining room) on the patio and enjoy the nice Santa Monica evening with super comfort food by an obviously very skilled chef.”
  31. “The waiter provided poor service and lacked even a basic knowledge of the menu, the food was absolutely average (but expensive), the corkage fee was $25, and the crowd was FULL of cougars.”
  32. “All in all a nice atmosphere, although I'm not too sure about the food.”
  33. “The drinks and food are super pricey but you pay for it in atmosphere.”
menu variety
0.0% positive
  1. “The waiter provided poor service and lacked even a basic knowledge of the menu, the food was absolutely average (but expensive), the corkage fee was $25, and the crowd was FULL of cougars.”
  2. “Forget the nasty hosts, the overpriced menu and the bad food.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “The interior has a nice old school feel but unfortunately that was really all that was nice about the restaurant.”
  2. “Very nice place.”
  3. “This is a really really nice place.”
  4. “For drinks alone, however, I would put this place near the top of my list, as it has a very classy atmosphere and is a good place to see and be seen.”
  5. “Its a great place, but also very busy so I recommend reservations for dinner and staying for drinks.”
  6. “nice place”
return potential
0.0% positive
  1. “will NEVER go back- horrible service”
service
42.36000061035156% positive
  1. “The servers (bussboys) that brought us our food were very nice and helpfull (they need a raise)”
  2. “The staff was horrible, the music was horrible, the entire place was awful.”
  3. “Good service, helpful, friendly, knowledgeable waiters.”
  4. “The more underperforming components were the rather bland porkchop, a lobster dish befitting of the same qualification, and a server that was less than attentive to our cause (he was, presumably, quite busy with other tables).”
  5. “You know that a place is bad when the bouncers are more service minded than the waiters!”
  6. “Yes, the staff can sometimes be rude and slow; but it's nowhere near as bad as some of these reviews make it out to be.”
  7. “The wait staff and the bouncers were insulting, condescending, and had terrible attitudes.”
  8. “The atmosphere was not pleasant, it was overcrowded, the drinks and food are over-priced and staff acted like they had a chip on their shoulder the whole evening.”
  9. “The service is slow, but its never to the point where it becomes uncomfortable.”
  10. “had such a great time just because of the atmosphere, the food was amazing, and to top it all off the service was great.”
  11. “Our waiter Ian was very gracious & extremely attentive, as was the sommelier, helpful, friendly & informative without being overbearing.”
  12. “We had such a great time, the staff was great and responsive.”
  13. “Don't believe the good reviews you read on here, which were obviously written by either the staff or the few weird yuppie-zombies that seemed to be enjoying themselves the night I was there.”
  14. “This place has the WORST service and ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE attitudes.”
  15. “am no stranger to paying good money for good food, I'll say first, but the exorbitant pricing at this restaurant is in no way congruent to the quality of service or food we received.”
  16. “Try Mastros (Beverly Hills), Ocean Ave (Santa Monica), or even Houston's (Santa Monica) if you're looking for a nice steakhouse with great food and service.”
  17. “Went there on a Saturday night, there were about 10 people there and the crowd was horrible.”
  18. “It's a shame that such a beautiful place with such amazing dining would have such horrible service!”
  19. “Our waiter (scott, i think) was very rude.”
  20. “Cool people who want to have a good time should.”
  21. “The waiter provided poor service and lacked even a basic knowledge of the menu, the food was absolutely average (but expensive), the corkage fee was $25, and the crowd was FULL of cougars.”
  22. “The staff here is really bad.”
  23. “will NEVER go back- horrible service”
  24. “If you like the all the hollywood places where you have to wait outside and deal with a rude doorman, this is the place for you.”
value
38.23999881744385% positive
  1. “Forget the nasty hosts, the overpriced menu and the bad food.”
  2. “am no stranger to paying good money for good food, I'll say first, but the exorbitant pricing at this restaurant is in no way congruent to the quality of service or food we received.”
  3. “The drinks are very expensive and the atmosphere just isn't worth shelling out all that cash.”
  4. “The food is amazing (the pork chop is HUGE) but a bit pricey.”
  5. “The waiter provided poor service and lacked even a basic knowledge of the menu, the food was absolutely average (but expensive), the corkage fee was $25, and the crowd was FULL of cougars.”
  6. “Great food, but extremely overpriced.”
  7. “If you are a non-drinker, beware of the expensive non-alcoholic drinks!”
  8. “too bad: overpriced w/ an attitude”
  9. “Food is decent: not bad, but certainly not up to the price.”
  10. “The drinks and food are super pricey but you pay for it in atmosphere.”
  11. “the food was mediocre for the prices they charge.”
  12. “The portions were generous & the dishes though not innovative, were very good!”
  13. “Avoid this overpriced dinner experience and spend your $$$ else where”
  14. “am a huge fan of literature, and sat in a booth for a really great dinner.”
  15. “Food was a bit pricey.”
  16. “Huge portions and worth the hefty price.”
  17. “Really fun DJ, lots of dancing and great cocktails--as overpriced as expected.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “Yes, the staff can sometimes be rude and slow; but it's nowhere near as bad as some of these reviews make it out to be.”
  2. “The service is slow, but its never to the point where it becomes uncomfortable.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

10/13/09

8:15 Reservation, Never Seated

by bromjohn1013

My husband & I decided to try the Buffalo Club for our 2nd wedding anniversary. Booked our rez on opentable 3 days in advance & mentioned the reason we were dining that evening. We arrived on time (evening of 10/9/09) & told to asked to have a cocktail... I should have known. For the next HOUR & A HALF the maitre'd checked on us 3 times, even asking if we were HUNGRY YET and then said 5 more minutes. At 9:30, we had spent $58 on cocktails, 2 for each of us, and we STILL weren't seated, although a bunch of douchebags who'd wandered in were being seated. Needless to say, we left & enjoyed a great meal at one of our fav's, the Library Ale House. Thanks for a memorable anniversary, Buffalo Club!

  • Pros: Bartender
  • Cons: Maitre'd
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/31/09

Taste of the Good Life

by eatforever

I finally had the opportunity to visit The Buffalo Club after hearing so much about it, the food, atmosphere and all the classic sophistication. I finally made reservations with some friends to finally visit the Club, and with our luck we went on the right day. Wednesdays they have wine tasting night. During the summer the Garden Courtyard becomes very popular as guests where enjoying drinks by the outdoor bar, which is beautiful and it reminded me of an old club from chicago or new york. Or something out of a movie. There are lounge sofas, arm chairs, so people can relax. It was so much fun!!! I was very excited about finally trying the food. I love bread, and i was really excited when we were given hot bread for once. We ordered their famous mac-and-cheese, and it was one the most amazing dishes I have ever had. It was perfect!! We wanted to try everything so we where all sharing from each others plate, but I ordered the potroast, my friend ordered the chicken pie. Not only was the presentation It was so filling, and tasty, I think I can live off that dish forever. We had such a great time, the staff was great and responsive. They took care of us without really bothering us when we were eating. As soon as we would look around to request more water or wine, right away our waiter would be there.

For once, while dining at The Buffalo Club I felt like I was apart of an elite group of people, and it was nice to feel like I was apart something exclusive. The atmosphere and the service together made you feel like a celebrity. They treat you very special. We found out on Friday's and Saturday's there is a live Dj playing music in the Garden Courtyard. The Idea of enjoying a meal, like the amazing mac and cheese, at a place that feels like a hideaway, and afterward meeting and hanging out with friends for drinks and music, is the perfect way to enjoy a night out in LA.

I am definitely going back there, probably on Saturday. I had such a great time just because of the atmosphere, the food was amazing, and to top it all off the service was great. I would of never known this place existed because from outside it does not look any special, you would never know it was there. But once you enter the dining room or the Garden Courtyard, its like you have been transported to another decade. Its nice to remember older times.

  • Pros: Special Experience
  • Cons: none
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/26/09

Smart Decor, fun place

by CandyD

I must say I really enjoyed the decor on the inside dining room. I am a huge fan of literature, and sat in a booth for a really great dinner. I noticed above me a tribute to some writers in some really neat frames - the whole place is classic, I must say, and the tribute to classic lit is a great touch.

The food was great - I highly recommend it if you haven't been.

I hear they have a great night on Saturdays - especially in summer. Unfortunately I had to catch a flight so I couldn't stay - but it was getting to be quite the scene out on the courtyard.

Highly recommended! I had a really nice time, good wine, good food, simply lovely.

  • Pros: like the vibe
  • Cons: ... none really
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/22/09

Hidden Gem

by MaeveMcIrvin

I just discovered this place recently. I have an industry friend who recommended the Buffalo Club to me on my visit to Los Angeles. I wanted a place to have fun amidst all my meetings and business in LA that wasn't Hollywood, but also that wasn't going to be flip flops and stinky, and a flop of a night out.

This place was great. I'll be back. We went for dinner (wow, I didn't want to get that full but I couldn't help myself) and then stayed for the entertainment... I had a surprisingly good time. The DJ was very, very good. I was dressed well, but by the time I really had gotten into it I wished I'd had another hour to get ready! It was fabulous. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

  • Pros: Romantic, fun, great atmosphere, really delicious food!
  • Cons: kind of spendy
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/19/08

Presently surprised!

by cansmak

I was hesitant about booking here after reading the negative reviews but it was husband's birthday and he'd been wanting to go for a while since it's in our 'hood (we live 5 blocks away!). I made early reservations (6:30 pm 10/17/08) to avoid the go-go dancing thing & just wanted a quiet dinner. Our waiter Ian was very gracious & extremely attentive, as was the sommelier, helpful, friendly & informative without being overbearing. The outdoor patio is gorgeous though I would have been just as happy inside in one of the sumptuous looking booths (maybe next time). The portions were generous & the dishes though not innovative, were very good! For dessert, we requested a cheese plate (there wasn't one on the menu) and they put a lovely and generous one together on the spot, no questions asked. The prices were typically high end Santa Monica (Melisse, Michael's)...what do people expect?? My advice, go early, but go!

The Details on Buffalo Club

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great place
  • really bad staff
  • mediocre great food
  • overpriced dinner experience
  • nice dinner
  • nice djs
  • great poor service
  • helpful sommelier
  • expensive nonalcoholic drinks
  • not recommend entire place
  • very nice servers
  • enjoy many restaurants
  • very nice bussboys
  • really different soft shell crab
  • amazing first time dining
  • full crowd
  • amazing mac
  • beautiful buffalo club
  • romantic night or
  • nice club music
  • nice decor
  • great meal
  • horrible service
  • good dining experience
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