08/28/09

Can't get enough!

by uclaangel

If you love garlic, then you'll love the stinking rose. They have their garlic mixture on the table to have with bread and I think our group of 4 ate it all! Everything was so good, but be warned, don't even think about going to a bar or club afterwards. Just go home :)

• Pros: Garlic, garlic, garlic
• Cons: Can't go out afterwards

06/28/09

Good Food Poor Service

by JoesWife

A group of us went for my husbands birthday and we had to ask for a second bottle of wine. The server did not follow-up after the food was delivered, and he never told us that we could not make separate checks.

• Pros: Yummy bread, bread dip, meat, veggies
• Cons: Service

05/02/09

The relish (garlic/pesto) is killer

by ddpaul

My wife and son loved their slab-o-prime rib. My 40 clove chicken was better then great. This is our third trip, 60 miles to Beverly Hills, just for the Stinking Rose and we'll do it again and we will take friends.

Since we have all worked at the Garlic Festival several times, we have a great affinity for garlic and the Stinking Rose.

Try the 40 clove chicken!!!

• Pros: Eclectic, quiet, felt like home
• Cons: To far from home!!

02/06/09

Do Not Order Fish

by catcity

Business lunch. 2 lasagna, 1 meatloaf, 1 halibut. Others at the table seemed to enjoy their food. Halibut was INEDIBLE. Couldn't cut it with a fork and had to saw it with a knife. Huh? Waiter never asked how the food was, nor did he inquire why it was basically untouched when he finally appeared at the end of lunch. Would definitely have sent it back but didn't want to make a fuss while dining with clients. $24.95 for the absolute WORST piece of fish I have ever been served.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Inedible food

09/15/08

Great service, great food, great experience!

by Michelledenardo

The stinking rose was awesome!! The atmosphere is wonderful, service is great and the food is yummy and full of garlic!! As you would assume, if you are a garlic fan you will LOVE the stinking rose. Prices are a little up there but you get what you pay for and everything about this place was great! Very much worth the buck!

• Pros: Everything!

07/27/08

Good food - Average service

by aurory13

The valet service was a bit annoying and I'm not sure they all know how to drive. There is a $4.50 valet service charge which I find ridiculous since we're eating at the restaurant, but I guess that's just the way it is. We were immediately sat in a quaint little table with curtains, which were great for some privacy. It definitely made the entire experience seem much more initimate when you are not staring at your neighboring table the whole time. The decor is kitchy and interesting to say the least and a definite conversational piece. The server took his time coming to our table and seemed annoyed when asked for suggestions. Needless to say, he looked miserable and I am fairly certain he hates his job. Our food was pretty good though, definitely better than expected. We split a ceaser salad to start, which came out quickly after we ordered. I had the vegetarian lasagna as my entree. Decent portion, good flavor, but a little too salty. I didn't find my food to be garlicky at all. I didn't mind this bc too much garlic can overkill any meal and would've ruined it. My date ordered the garlic encrusted baby back ribs which he really enjoyed. We skipped dessert for another round of drinks. I would recommend sticking to wine if you want to catch any sort of buzz since the cocktails are really week. Oh and a double is $17 so beware. Overall we had a nice time with good food, semi-private setting and average service. I'm not sure I would make it point to revisit the Stinking Rose, but I'm definitely glad I checked it out.

• Pros: Quick seating, semi-private dining, no waiting for food
• Cons: Service was lousy, valet drivers

05/13/08

Ok... Just Not All That Garlic-y

by ThaHandsomeAnthropologist

Went here on a date with my girl. (As it appeared 75% of the other patrons did on this Friday night... lots of couples.) Anywayz, the garlic bread to start off with was good, and the menu was ok (a little short with few options for me) but I could deal. The real problem I had with this place was two-fold. 1) The prime rib I ordered had nothing to do with garlic, and 2) my entire dinner took 30 minutes. If I'm paying $100 for dinner and drinks for two people the least an establishment could do is let me enjoy my meal. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a hot plate and a quickly cooked meal. But my appetizers came out 2 minutes after I ordered them, and were scooped up 10 seconds after I finished them... only to have my entree immediately following suit. As for the garlic... I was expecting tons of interesting things done with it. Instead, they had garlic bread, and a garlic fondu (which i had, and was pretty good.) But the calamari I could have eaten anywhere, and the prime rib was garlic-free.

Not a bad restaurant. Just a little rushed, and not what one might think in terms of Garlic.

• Pros: Quick Service, Good Food, Very Romantic
• Cons: Service is "too quick," not enough garlic throughout

04/21/08

Muy Bueno!!!

by RosiandNick

My fiancee and I missed our reservation at the Ivy... I've heard great things about " the Stinking Rose" so decided to go for lunch. The service was good - the complimentary bread was very tasty, Garlic fries were so yummy - My fiancee' loved them. We had the double shrimp & double crab legs, it was the right amount of garlic... it was very good. I'm pregnant and don't find taste in food right now... So I was very pleasantly surprised. I saw a lot of reviews about the saltiness... Good thing I read them after I went 'cause that would have definitely stopped me from going. I use very little salt and was very glad my food was NOT SALTY!!! All in all great experience!!! Loved it!!

• Pros: great fries, delicious food, good service, lunch time not crowded, great ambience
• Cons: no con's when I went

03/08/08

Not only does the garlic stink, but so does the service.

by foobah

Watch out for the crab cakes, or should I say the salt cakes; although I think I did detect a hint of a crab meat taste from the mess of crab meat loosely held together with what I can only hope was some kind of breading. We started with the roasted garlic special appetizer. I've roasted garlic myself, and hardly recognized the mushy, pre-digested stuff floating in a pan of hot olive oil that arrived at the table. I had the pork chop accompanied by what I think were intended to be mashed potatoes and a few, mushy, terribly sweet reminiscences of apple slices. My partner has jumbo prawns; they were large and even though quite dry, tasted like prawns. At the front desk we were met by someone's teenage daughters who didn't have a record of our reservation on the steno's pad page they were working from. but who kindly found us a forlorn little table nestled between two large tables of Asian teenagers celebrating birthdays. DON'T GO THERE IF YOU'RE OVER 23 OR LOOKING FOR GOOD FOOD OR NICE AMBIENCE OR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE. Do go if you have a perverse need to sample real garlic ice cream.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Everything else.

02/17/08

Avoid Saturday nights, food too salty, don't VALET park, see my notes

by 1cinda1

If you love garlic, which I do, this is a good place. But The food it toooo salty!, I had the Zuppa Di Pesce - fish soup and felt the salt was to hide the fishy fish. The worst part was the service, they were fine to get to the table, at least 4 different servers, one main waiter, but by the time to order desert- no one around, then the bill, same deal. very slow. prices are a bit high for what you get, and the worst part is their valet parking-took forever to bring the car, they don't help you in your car and watching them park other cars was unnerving, made me wonder if any of the valets even had drivers licenses.

• Cons: Valet Parking, salty food, expensive prices,