06/03/09

THE 70's

by TriciaLondon

I find this site by accident. I see lots of mention of the 80's and the Rainbow. Well the 70's were a blast at the Rainbow. I moved to LA in 1974 and found the Rainbow and used to hang out there every weekend. I had worked in the music bus in London and would quite often see muso's from London visit ie Led Zep one night, we had a blast. Met the one time lust of my life there too lol!!!!!!!!!! I vaguely remember Rodney granting me honorary female membership for the upstairs part, is that still there? I hear Lemmy has moved quite near there now - maybe its cos you've got so old now Lemmy and can't manage a longer walk lol. I think its awesome that this place still exists. Such fab memories of extreme fun debauchery.

• Pros: best guys used to go there
• Cons: cant remember

04/19/09

Awesome !

by RetroBabe

I really didn't go to the Rainbow for the good service or good food.

I went there to have a blast !

And I did. It felt like I was in the 80s again.

Loved it ! My trip to L.A will never be forgotten.

• Pros: Good Vibe. Awesome Music, Great Drinks.

04/14/09

Great food and classic atmosphere

by RogerMidnight

You can skip the cover charges and the crowds by dining early. This is also the smart way to dine with kids. I'm often out of there by 8:00.

Of course, if you want to enjoy the late night weekend crowd, you'll have to endure the long waits for food.

Our waitresses always do a fine job, and they deserve medals for surviving insane working conditions as the evening progresses.

The stuffed mushrooms are to die for.

I'm giving it the full 5 stars because there is no other dining and drinking experience that can rival it. On weekend nights The Rainbow is still the quintessential Sunset Strip experience.

• Pros: Great food, and great people watching
• Cons: insanely crowded on weekends

04/13/09

Horrible Service!

by STaylor921

I can't believe we waited as long as we did for our food, and our waitress was so rude to us! Their Management is non existent! I've been here for just drinks before, and that's fine. But do not ever come here to eat!

• Pros: fun drinking atmosphere
• Cons: food takes an hour, rude servers

10/10/08

WOW. Back with a much more negative review

by MiscastDice

I love this place. As an 80s glam and visual kei rock and metal fan, there's no place better in town to see and be seen. I met someone I really like here ♥ you know who you are. The drinks and door price can't be beat, and it's seriously great atmosphere. I love it and would be a regular if not for the following:

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That said, I am not giving it the full five stars since the weeknight guard is (censored)!. This (censored!) has it in for either visual keis or entourage networkers (I don't know which of the two it is) and the last time I arrived on a weeknight, entirely sober, having shown my ID, and not bothering anyone, he told me to get out before I even could reach the bar.

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Note to Rainbow management: entourage people DO pay for food and drinks and dancing. We don't bother people unnecessarily (hey, if someone doesn't want me around all he/she has to do is tell me, since talking to someone who hates me and doesn't want my attention is wasting both our time). We are just as much customers as anyone else, and if you keep kicking us out just for existing, you need to realize you're only hurting your own business. Especially if the people who like having us around leave for where we are.

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EDIT: The weeknight guard has been moved to a seven-day schedule. Also, it turns out he's a DISCRIMINATORY (CENSORED!) AND WILL KICK OUT PEOPLE IN INTERRACIAL COUPLES IF HE CAN. If you're both rich, you're safe, if one of you is rich, the rich one stays, but if this dude can kick out and ban one or both of you and make it look like it's about something other than your races, he WILL.

This is not the 1940s Bar and Grill. Unfortunately this guard doesn't seem to get that.

Wow. I am too (censored) off for many more words. Just DON'T GO HERE if your companion or desired companion is another race/nationality than you and you're not the rich one. You WILL be kicked, banned, and lied about.

• Pros: great place to meet people, lots of cool people, good drinks, great ambience
• Cons: THAT GUARD. FIRE HIM, PLEASE! THIS IS NOT THE 1940S!!!!!!!

06/17/08

Give the poor waitresses a break!

by kisshug

I go to this place all the time! For years I go there at least twice a month. I just read a bad review about the service. This man said he was offended because the waitress asked for a larger tip and when I checked the other review he had written about another restaurant he said the same thing about that waiter...? Sounds to me like he needs to leave better tips. The preferred tip in LA is 20% but at the very least 15%. These servers depend on these tips to pay their bills. Also, the server sections are tiny (most of the time only 3 tables). So every tip counts. The Rainbow is a hard place to work. They have no computer so everything is done by hand. Because of this the servers are forced to wait in long bar lines. Also, the food orders are made in no particular order. It isn't uncommon to wait 45 minutes for hot wings. These time delays are not the servers fault. It is a fun atmosphere and the food is great! If you don't want a confrontation you shouldn't disrespect someone with a rude tip.

• Pros: Nice and easy on the eyes waitresses!
• Cons: Sometimes long wait for food.

01/03/08

BAD service!!!!

by nudeman

Food was pretty good and the service was FAIR until it came to the tip the waitress complained to me that the tip was NOT BIG enough and I should of given her a BIGGER tip....

She is lucky to have gotten what she got..

I will NOT be returning to the restaurant.....

I might return when and if they (the restaurant) get better wait staff until then NO...

• Pros: The food was just OK!!!
• Cons: The waitress wanted a BIGGER tip and compained about it to the customer!!!

11/24/07

Bad food for a bar

by jericsmall

I've come to expect bad-for-me food that tastes great from bars. Unfortunatley, the Rainbow Bar & Grill doesn't understand that magic formula. The Rainbow has all the common bar food items -- burgers, pizza, wings, etc. But it manages to mess up almost all of them. The wings are nasty. The burgers drab. And the pizza, just ok. They're open for lunch, but you're lucky if they give you any attention. All in all, a pass.

06/28/07

Forget about The Sunset Strip if there isn't a Rainbow Bar & Grill.

by intlfoods

I used to hang out at this place on ALMOST every weekends (this was actually back in the early to mid 90's - was too young in the 80's) and try to relive my "80's" youth for a while. The crowd was great, you get to meet alot of nice people and the food's delicious. The bartenders are always ready when you are, never a grudge on anything while at The Rainbow. There's always famous musicians there and they would mingle and talk to you like one of them. Lemmy's ALWAYS playing his video games by himself everytime I'm there, also, that was the last time I met "Dimebag" Darrell (RIP). The bar's always packed and the dining room's almost impossible to get seated, but again, the food is too great to pass. I need to at least go back there once more because I haven't been back in 9 years! I truly missed the pizza and the Jack & Coke.

• Pros: Down to earth place to hang out (for a guy with short hair)
• Cons: Parking, and very, very crowded on weekends!

04/28/07

Rock and Roll Heaven's Kitchen

by calexxia

35 years ago today, the Rainbow opened up and it is still going strong today--practically a miracle in Hollywood restaurants! Yes, there are the heavy "tourist" nights, the overdone poseurs, and drunkdrama galore, but that's part of the charm! If you want to people-watch, if you want good, inexpensive food and drink, or if you just want to make a private pilgrimage--then this IS the place. However, if you want to gawk at familiar (even if sometimes only vaguely) faces, if you want to bring the kiddies, or if you want to act as if you're above everyone else, find someplace else!

For all its reputation, the Rainbow is the music world's equivalent of Cheers. It's family, and you know quickly if you're in or out. If you aren't interested in that, then come during the week or the day to get some of the best (and least expensive) ribsticking food around.

Not to be missed are the steak sandwich, the pizza, and the cheese squares. Top that with something from the back bar and you, too, can be a golden God!

• Pros: inexpensive. large portions. ability to order off-menu
• Cons: insanely crowded on weekends.