Cole's

08/15/10

This place is amazing

by hanna74 at Citysearch

I stopped in with friends after going to the X Games. I have to say that Coles is the most unique place I have been to. The owners definitely have vision. The french dip is no joke and they have the best selection of cocktails. We spent a little too much time enjoying the place!!!

03/07/10

Great bar, Mediocre food

by Lisa Lee2 at Citysearch

I decided to try this place out because I loovee french dip sandwiches...But, I was pretty disappointed because it was pretty dry & the french fries tasted kind of old, like they were sitting out for a while. The bar area is cute though and the beer was yum.

02/02/10

Great Happy Hour

by theminty at Citysearch

If you swing by Cole's for a french dip, please be sure to eat at the bar. The bartenders are great and know how to craft a well-made cocktail. If you sit in the restaurant, don't say I didn't warn you. Service can be extremely slow. I was even skipped once when our server went around the table and took everyone's order but mine.

That said, the lamb dip with or without cheese is great. I like the pork and beef as well. The turkey is a bit dry. I haven't tried the grilled cheese but aim to do so on some Meatless Monday.

They have all-night happy hour on Tuesday with $2 off cocktails.

• Pros: alcohol
• Cons: slow, bad service

01/17/10

Cole's = Good Grub!

by The Good Grub at Citysearch

The debate might just be one of the all time greats. On par with Crystal Pepsi or New Coke... Rocky II or Rocky III... Joanie or Chaci... and now ... Cole's or Philippe's? When it comes to these two icons, we're not just talking about who has a better french dip sandwich... we're talking about who invented the french dip sandwich. You'd think a sandwich so good, and so perfectly designed (who wouldn't want to dip crunchy french rolls into a savory pool-o-flavor?) would have been around since Alexander the Great... or at least Jesus. But no, it comes down to Cole or Philippe in the early 1900's. And I'd be damned to say I didn't think they'll go down as equally important historical figures when Good Grubers re-write the history books. And while the debate may rage on (and in the Good Grub's humble opinion Cole's is a definite distant second to Philippe's - Grubed on 12/9/09 - when it comes to the french dip) there's one thing you can't disagree with... Cole's got style. You can't miss the old-school neon lights guiding you into den of the grub. Cross the door and you swear you jumped back in time... Like you just entered a speakeasy and you should be calling the waitress "doll" and adding things like "you hear?" and "now scram!" to the end of each sentence. What better place to celebrate the birthday of Uncle Grub? Pull up to a table and glance over the menu... it shouldn't take you long. French dip or grilled cheese? Damn, I like my chances. While the french dip was good (again we'd hit up Philippe's instead), the grilled cheese with a side of tomato soup is worthy of putting Cole's on the map. Pull apart the gooey, melted-cheesy delight and dunk it in the soup like it was tomato au-jus. Don't mind the people passing by and knocking on the door in the back of the room... okay so, maybe it really is a speakeasy. Possibly Cole's is dishing out prohibition grub in the back? Whatever is going on back there, we really don't care... Just as long as Cole's keeps dishing out sandwiches and sweet potato fries for the next 100 years. So head on down to the heart of LA, maybe throw on a zoot suit or at least a fidora, and brace yourself for a french dip or grilled cheese worthy of being called Good Grub...... You hear? Now scram! See more Grub at www.GoodtoGrub. com

• Pros: Grubalicious
• Cons: Nada

01/11/09

Tasty Beef, Retro Cool

by phdforme at Citysearch

I love Seven Grand and the Golden Gopher, so I had to see what the owners did with this old dump. It looks great! The food was excellent, as was the service. I had the beef dip which came with a pickle spear. It was good, but not as good as Philippe's. Still, I would choose Cole's over Philippe's for the ambiance alone. Philippe's isn't a place you hang out in for very long. Cole's has a great vibe with retro-cool red leather booths and a bar in the front (which was filled with hipsters the night I was there). If you are driving, I recommend coming in the evening when all the meters are free.

• Pros: nice ambiance
• Cons: parking could be a hassle during the day