Pete's Cafe & Bar

(213) 617-1000

400 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90013 34.0479 -118.2472

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Neighborhoods: Historic Core, Downtown, Central LA

PETESCAFE.COM

Hours:

Monday To Friday From 11:30 AM To 02:00 AM Saturday To Sunday From 11:00 AM To 02:00 AM

Price:

$$

Last updated 12.05.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Late Night Dining, Hidden Find, People Watching, Online Reservations, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Traditional American

What People Are Saying About Pete's Cafe & Bar

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Transformed from its original function as a bank, this massive dining room is a sight to behold with high ceilings, parquet floors, ornately decorated lamps, glossy wood tables and a gorgeous art deco bar. Businessmen, shoppers and local bohos are usually found having a relaxed drink or celebrating some festive occasion. As for the menu, think classic American with a modern twist: Macaroni and cheese is a mix of many cheeses, including white cheddar and goat, while a grilled cheese can be prepared with crab, Brie and avocado salsa. For brunch, there's smoked-salmon crepes and…

Editor's Tips

Parking:
Enter the lot on the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Main instead of taking your chances on the metered street parking.
When to Go:
Pete's Cafe is open late--a great place to grab a snack after a show at the Music Center or a game at the Staples Center.
ambiance
96.66999816894531% positive
  1. great prices, great ambience, easy parking.
  2. Wonderful food, great decor and setting, and Pete is often on premises, and is nice and welcoming!
  3. They have friendly service and a great atmosphere.
  4. nice decor, good atmosphere, very gracious hostess
  5. The location is a bit daunting in the evening (i'm sure this will change as they continue gentrification of this area) The food was EXCELLENT in taste (hat's off to the chef) but our server literally lacked any WARMTH or personality I was thinking maybe s
  6. Bustling atmosphere, great decor, good service.
  7. good location, too!
  8. They serve good food until 2, which is practically unheard of in LA and I recommend it for a great dinner or just a fun night out.
  9. The place has great ambience (except for the plasma TVs playing sports - kind of ruins the artsy vibe).
  10. have tried this place so many times and want to enjoy it considering the atmosphere is so inviting, but I always have the same experience.
  11. On weekends, we go late night for a final glass of wine and some appetizers before calling it a day Cool decor, spacious, good service, unbelievable prices.
  12. Great atmosphere, good wait staff, and great food.
  13. I've been here several times in the past and you can guarantee great service, great food, really great atmosphere.
  14. Despite its rather sketchy surroundings, Pete's is an incredibly nice-looking restaurant in the upscale vein of a romantic New York bistro rather than, say, the artful hominess of Silverlake's The Kitchen.
  15. This place has great food and a nice location.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. Our server showed up fairly quickly and the brunch was good, BUT then we asked for dessert!
  2. The helman burger and crab cakes are also very good.
drinks
93.33000183105469% positive
  1. Nice owner, nice wine list
  2. quick to bring our wine and offered some great suggestions from the menu and not too hard on the eyes!
  3. Wine was delicious we had a sweet white wine (almost as sweet as a gewurtztrimner) and a lovely red.
  4. Their food was fantastic and their drinks won me over.
  5. Draft beer, nachos, great music and vibe.
  6. sat down at the bar with a friend and had some great conversations with the other patrons, a drink or two, and an amazing burger.
  7. The food is perfect and one of the best wine list around for the level of dining you experience.
  8. Great drink menu (love the sidecar) and yummy appetizers like tuna tartare, beef carpaccio and wild mushroom ravioli.
  9. We sat at the bar that time and enjoyed fantastic service.
  10. On weekends, we go late night for a final glass of wine and some appetizers before calling it a day Cool decor, spacious, good service, unbelievable prices.
  11. The building is nice and the interior is cool, check out the bar.
  12. the patio is nice, and you can usually sit outside for just drinks once the food service has stopped or is slowing up.
  13. If you haven't been its a great place to just hang out with friends and drink a cup of coffee and a great place to have a first date.
  14. They have great wine list, food was good, server was nice.
  15. The eats and drinks are a bit overpriced so don't plan on an economical night.
food quality
83.66000175476074% positive
  1. The food is pretty tasty for the price.
  2. took my cousin to dinner for her birthday and we had the flat iron steak followed by the delicious bread pudding topped with strawberys.
  3. Great casual, friendly service and good selection of food.
  4. would recommend Pete's to anyone who wants good food and good service at a reasonable price.
  5. Our server was nice at first, but then she had some confusion with her runners, and after a couple attempts at bringing our side of fries, we finally got them.
  6. My first experience there was for lunch with some coworkers, I had the Ahi Tuna salad, which was delish!
  7. had a GREAT experiece at Pete's, the food was GREAT !
  8. This restaurant capitalizes on it's setting; an old Art-Deco building, to serve great food.
  9. The food, especially specials, is wonderful.
  10. recall the food was good.
  11. The food is way OVERPRICED and is barely a step above INSTITUTIONAL (and has a dangerous propensity to arrive undercooked).
  12. The restaurant has a cool air to it and the food is excellent.
  13. The food there is great.
  14. Lazy service, good food served late
  15. The Hellman burger is great.
  16. the patio is nice, and you can usually sit outside for just drinks once the food service has stopped or is slowing up.
  17. was always hesitant to try Pete's because of the reviews that say the food is good but the service is terrible.
  18. sat down at the bar with a friend and had some great conversations with the other patrons, a drink or two, and an amazing burger.
  19. The pear salad is great (a half order is a good appetizer, or full for a meal) and the blue cheese fries were much better "light on the cheese" so there wasn't a sea of molten cheese at the bottom of the plate.
  20. They serve good food until 2, which is practically unheard of in LA and I recommend it for a great dinner or just a fun night out.
  21. Wine was delicious we had a sweet white wine (almost as sweet as a gewurtztrimner) and a lovely red.
  22. fantastic blue cheese fries
  23. The food is perfect and one of the best wine list around for the level of dining you experience.
  24. Great drink menu (love the sidecar) and yummy appetizers like tuna tartare, beef carpaccio and wild mushroom ravioli.
  25. Their food was fantastic and their drinks won me over.
  26. Nice space but awful service with disappointing cuisine.
  27. The steak was tender and flavorful, and the blue cheese fries are an excellent spin on this standard meat-and-potatoes combination.
  28. We were both impressed with the delicious food and excellent service.
  29. Wonderful food, great decor and setting, and Pete is often on premises, and is nice and welcoming!
  30. The helman burger and crab cakes are also very good.
  31. The food I've had there (Burger, pasta, fries) is decent but the service is slow and the neighborhood is intimidating.
  32. Clearly Pete's Cafe's service is about as good as their food.
  33. BRUNCH, LUNCH, DINNER< OPEN LATE FOR MUSIC-- at the tune of some great vibes-- and incredible food, whether you wanna go all for the home cookin' mac and cheese, or something that doesn't put the Gold's Gym workout in holding pattern: and let's face it, w
  34. The bread pudding is very good, so we asked for two, one for my friend and one for me.
  35. This place serves good honest American Bistro food at excellent prices and the service gets better and better every time I go.
  36. The location is a bit daunting in the evening (i'm sure this will change as they continue gentrification of this area) The food was EXCELLENT in taste (hat's off to the chef) but our server literally lacked any WARMTH or personality I was thinking maybe s
  37. The food is great-
  38. unless you don't mind eating a $12 bread burger and deal with a pretentious staff.
  39. The food is always great.
  40. I'm generally not a fan of blue cheese, but the blue cheese fries are fantastic!
  41. All of this rude treatment, horrible runny old eggs and yesterdays melon spears for $12.00 and service charges and tax.
  42. Too bad we had already finished our meals, which by the way, were delicious!
  43. The velvet cosmo is great as well as the bread pudding.
  44. The burgers take 45 minutes (the place was empty) and when they arrive your bun is cold, hard and the burger is over cooked.
  45. They have great wine list, food was good, server was nice.
  46. This place has great food and a nice location.
  47. Arguably the best burger in LA.
  48. The service was great and friendly, able to ask questions about the history of the building, and the food was excellent.
  49. Great atmosphere, good wait staff, and great food.
  50. I've been here several times in the past and you can guarantee great service, great food, really great atmosphere.
  51. love their Chipotle fries, Veggie burger and Mac and Cheese along with most of their Sandwiches and I can't forget about their happy hour!
  52. good food, bad service
  53. this dish was really great!
  54. The Hellman burger has a great flavor and is filling.
  55. still love the food and the place, but the crowd's changed over the years and the servers are often too-cool-for-school.
  56. the Fries are soooooo yummy!
  57. the food is great, especially the blue cheese fries.
  58. Good food and average service
  59. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but I really like the grilled cheese sandwich.
  60. 20 minutes later extremely cold, soggy food, inedible food, which we'd originally ordered, arrived.
  61. The food and the service are HORRIBLE.
  62. can overlook food being overcooked or undercooked as was the case both times i have been to Petes but the bad service just sealed the fact that this is a bad place.
  63. 1/pint. My companion ordered the blue cheese fries, which were amazing, even with ketchup (I know it sounds like a disgusting duo in theory, but the ketchup complements the fries really well.)
  64. Even though it was cold that day the heat lamps made the meal more enjoyable.
  65. The bread pudding was delicious.
  66. poor table service, undercooked food
menu variety
92.8600025177002% positive
  1. Great Wine by the glass selections - great prices - FUN
  2. Great drink menu (love the sidecar) and yummy appetizers like tuna tartare, beef carpaccio and wild mushroom ravioli.
  3. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but I really like the grilled cheese sandwich.
  4. Wine list rocks with cool selections at great prices.
  5. Decent menu worst service ever
  6. Great casual, friendly service and good selection of food.
  7. quick to bring our wine and offered some great suggestions from the menu and not too hard on the eyes!
overall
100.0% positive
  1. If you haven't been its a great place to just hang out with friends and drink a cup of coffee and a great place to have a first date.
  2. Took a group of friends to artwalk last week and we has such a blast -- this is really a great place.
  3. Great late nice place
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. When I didn't hear back from any of the 3 employees, I sent a e-mail to Pete requesting a good look around and either a phone call or return e-mail.
service
78.57999801635742% positive
  1. Clearly Pete's Cafe's service is about as good as their food.
  2. This place serves good honest American Bistro food at excellent prices and the service gets better and better every time I go.
  3. Great casual, friendly service and good selection of food.
  4. We were both impressed with the delicious food and excellent service.
  5. The service was wonderful, I was a little confuse about who was my waiter but the person who serve us was GREAT!
  6. Other than that ROMAN gave us GREAT service and I Loved it!
  7. friendly neighborhood crowd.
  8. On weekends, we go late night for a final glass of wine and some appetizers before calling it a day Cool decor, spacious, good service, unbelievable prices.
  9. Oh, and our server was attentive and sweet.
  10. Our waiter was great.
  11. Decent menu worst service ever
  12. Lazy service, good food served late
  13. I've been here several times in the past and you can guarantee great service, great food, really great atmosphere.
  14. have always been seated promptly and haven't had bad service, but haven't been there prime time.
  15. The service was great and friendly, able to ask questions about the history of the building, and the food was excellent.
  16. would recommend Pete's to anyone who wants good food and good service at a reasonable price.
  17. unless you don't mind eating a $12 bread burger and deal with a pretentious staff.
  18. They have friendly service and a great atmosphere.
  19. The prices are reasonable and the service is awesome!
  20. Good food and average service
  21. Nice space but awful service with disappointing cuisine.
  22. We sat at the bar that time and enjoyed fantastic service.
  23. The food I've had there (Burger, pasta, fries) is decent but the service is slow and the neighborhood is intimidating.
  24. still love the food and the place, but the crowd's changed over the years and the servers are often too-cool-for-school.
  25. They have great wine list, food was good, server was nice.
  26. can overlook food being overcooked or undercooked as was the case both times i have been to Petes but the bad service just sealed the fact that this is a bad place.
  27. nice decor, good atmosphere, very gracious hostess
  28. The staff is always so great.
  29. HOWEVER, two out of the three times that I have been there, the waitress was HORRIBLE and rude.
  30. good food, bad service
  31. Our server was nice at first, but then she had some confusion with her runners, and after a couple attempts at bringing our side of fries, we finally got them.
  32. It was a great dinner, the hostess gives you the OPTION of eating inside or outside.
  33. was always hesitant to try Pete's because of the reviews that say the food is good but the service is terrible.
  34. Bustling atmosphere, great decor, good service.
  35. The staff at this place is as lame as the clientele.
  36. the patio is nice, and you can usually sit outside for just drinks once the food service has stopped or is slowing up.
  37. poor table service, undercooked food
  38. Our server showed up fairly quickly and the brunch was good, BUT then we asked for dessert!
  39. just a bunch of cool people who want to relax and unwind.
  40. Our server, Owen W., was extremely attentive.
  41. All of this rude treatment, horrible runny old eggs and yesterdays melon spears for $12.00 and service charges and tax.
  42. Great atmosphere, good wait staff, and great food.
  43. When I didn't hear back from any of the 3 employees, I sent a e-mail to Pete requesting a good look around and either a phone call or return e-mail.
  44. The location is a bit daunting in the evening (i'm sure this will change as they continue gentrification of this area) The food was EXCELLENT in taste (hat's off to the chef) but our server literally lacked any WARMTH or personality I was thinking maybe s
  45. I'm always glad to turn new people on to how cool Downtown has become!
  46. We had a reservation and were seated immediately by the friendly hostess (so refreshing in LA).
  47. The food and the service are HORRIBLE.
  48. The bartenders are rude and complained about how much they hated their jobs as they took their shots while i still was waiting to order.
value
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. Wine list rocks with cool selections at great prices.
  2. Great Wine by the glass selections - great prices - FUN
  3. This place serves good honest American Bistro food at excellent prices and the service gets better and better every time I go.
  4. great prices, great ambience, easy parking.
  5. The food is pretty tasty for the price.
  6. The eats and drinks are a bit overpriced so don't plan on an economical night.
  7. would recommend Pete's to anyone who wants good food and good service at a reasonable price.
  8. The prices are reasonable and the service is awesome!
  9. On weekends, we go late night for a final glass of wine and some appetizers before calling it a day Cool decor, spacious, good service, unbelievable prices.
wait time
41.66999816894531% positive
  1. 20 minutes later extremely cold, soggy food, inedible food, which we'd originally ordered, arrived.
  2. The burgers take 45 minutes (the place was empty) and when they arrive your bun is cold, hard and the burger is over cooked.
  3. quick to bring our wine and offered some great suggestions from the menu and not too hard on the eyes!
  4. The food I've had there (Burger, pasta, fries) is decent but the service is slow and the neighborhood is intimidating.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/11/11

cool spot

by makoy731

I had my birthday lunch here yesterday and my friends and I loved the place. The ambiance was very urban and the food was very good. I ordered the ham and mushroom omelet and it was good. I also ordered the cheddar bacon fries and that was just amazing. A friend ordered the much talked about blue cheese fries and that was very good as well but i preferred the cheddar bacon fries. Another friend ordered hellman burger and he said it was wonderful. Overall a great experience and I'll be back for sure.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/28/10

Blue Chees Fries

by BeaLuce

I love Pete's for it's great food, low key surroundings, and great prices! This is my boyfriends and my go to spot when we are in DTLA. We know it wont be crowded with those downtown LA visitors that just want to be seen. There always seem to be a lot of locals here. But seriously even if it was one of those places I would still love it because their food really is delicous.

Start with the Wasabi Oysters..AMAZING! I wish there were more on the plate but then there wouldn't be room for the Beef Short Ribs and creamy polenta. They serve just the right amount. I leave feeling comfortably fool but not that disgusting feeling I have after eating at Claimjumpers. But really the best thing there and what everyone needs to try are the blue cheese fries. It comes with the NY Strip Steak which is what the BF gets so I get to try two amazing sides!!

We <3 Pete's!!!!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/25/10

Loved by Locals

by rldavis36

I <3 Pete’s! I live down the street from Petes and go there with other people from my building about once or twice a week. I would go more if I could afford it. The bar and patio is filled by mostly locals. They have friendly service and a great atmosphere. I love their Chipotle fries, Veggie burger and Mac and Cheese along with most of their Sandwiches and I can’t forget about their happy hour!! $3 Stella how could you not love it! And occasionally you will dine with celebrity or two.

Locals <3 Pete’s!!

  • Pros: Everything
  • Cons: Small Patio
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/09/09

My favorite place downtown

by ktowngamer

I have been going to Pete's for some time now. The staff is always so great. The food is perfect and one of the best wine list around for the level of dining you experience. And I just have two things left to say "Bread Pudding and Blue Cheese Fries". If you haven't been its a great place to just hang out with friends and drink a cup of coffee and a great place to have a first date.

  • Pros: Great location Great food
  • Cons: Can't think of one
1 Star Rating: Poor

08/23/09

Apparently the food is as bad as their customer service

by marab88

I know of two people who ate here on the same night, ordered two entirely different dishes and both became very ill that same night. When one of the people called to notify them, the woman who identified herself as the general manager immediately went on the defensive and told them that since no one else complained that it couldn't be true (the dumb twit didn't even consider that perhaps they were the first to call!).

The person told the GM that she wasn't looking for anything (e.g., free meal, etc.), but rather just wanted to let them know so that no one else gets sick - and that she called them vs. calling the health dept, the GM hung up on her.

These people are both elderly and not very web savvy - although extremely intelligent and coherent individuals - which is why I'm writing this for them.

Clearly Pete's Cafe's service is about as good as their food. I would avoid altogether. I know I am.

The Details on Pete's Cafe & Bar

Place Categories:

  • good honest american bistro food
  • friendly fantastic service
  • bad worse service
  • great place
  • great unbelievable prices
  • gem pete
  • bad undercooked food
  • nice server
  • very good helman burger
  • delicious bread pudding
  • great decor
  • fantastic blue cheese fries
  • overpriced drink
  • more enjoyable meal
  • nice location
  • rude however
  • very interesting historical building
  • great mac n cheese
  • good ole mac
  • delicious wine
  • cool downtown
  • great ambience
  • good appetizer
  • great atmosphere
  • recommended highly
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