Hal's Bar & Grill

06/29/2008 Posted by 4frankie

I have been to Hal's several times after work- parking is usually a pain on abbot kinney at night. I like the atmosphere at Hals- especially when they have live music. Just to go there for a drink is fine, but if you are looking for a dining experience I would not recommend Hals. The food has nothing special to write about, it's just a blah experience.

Pros: single scene, live music

Cons: food

04/19/2008 Posted by unclemitch

I'm surprised by some recent reviews. My first time there was last week based on a friend's recommendation. I had a Thurs, 7:30 reservation. I arrived early and had a drink with my date at the bar. Crowded, but friendly. Bartenders were FANTASTIC - very friendly, whatever they are paid it's not enough! We were seated right on time. The waiter was just right - not pushy and he never rushed us. The food was terrific. We loved the sweat potatoe ravioli and the calimari was outstanding! We shared dessert over coffee and even though we held the table for 2 hrs, we never were rushed to finish. The place was crowded, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I don't always write reviews, but I had to in this case. I will return. I will recommend to others.

Pros: Great location, great service, great food, can't say enough great things

Cons: a bit loud when crowded

04/12/2008 Posted by nevereatalone

lazy table service, food is decent but not worth the wait, had reservation waited 40 min. can't hear yourself think. Long evening with no pony Nice bar

Pros: food

Cons: service

02/27/2008 Posted by DebbieDiner

Cocktails are good but if it is food you are after, avoid this place on Saturdays between 7 and 9pm. We have been twice in the past months and, despite a reservation, have had to wait an hour for a table and another hour for mediocre food.

Pros: Great bar

Cons: Terrible service

02/03/2008 Posted by brownbrownie

so went to meet some friends at Hals and was a little surprised. what i thought was going to be a snotty bar and uppity restaurant turned out to be a really great place. The burger was awesome and the staff was really cool. dont let the pricey art and atmosphere fool you. its hip and fun with alot of cool locals. i cant wait to make it one of my regular haunts.

Pros: everything was a pro

Cons: parking but there was valet

09/15/2007 Posted by phillyboy2431

Had dinner there a few nights ago and was shocked by how good it was. I'm new to the L.A. scene, but I come from a food town (yeah, philly's a work in progress, but it's got some world class restaurants). This is the second spot in Venice I went to and both were shockingly good. I guess I figured Venice for a surfer town, but I'm finding out quickly that it's got some things going on. Three of us ate at Hals. We had the steak with blue cheese butter, the salmon with a balssamic glaze and the halibut (I think). All three were great. And the service was great. And the martinis were great. I really can't find a negative about the place, maybe except for it's expensive. But I'm used to paying for a good meal, so I can't really thump my chest at that one. Worth the visit.

Pros: Pretty much everything

Cons: A bit expensive

02/07/2007 Posted by monkeyboyrit

This is a great place to eat or just wind down with some good friends. It has a positive atmosphere and the food is equally as good. However, I couldn't believe they didn't have filet mignon on their menu but the waiter said it changes often. The margaritas are good (but not as good as mine ;) and the food presentation is first-rate. It may be a little too noisy for those looking for a quiet dinner, but overall, I highly recommend this place.

11/30/2006 Posted by delidawg

This place has great food and good ambience. Their waitstaff is very attentive and doesn't overdo it on the up-selling. The crowd is down-to-earth, the music is good, and the prices are reasonable.

Pros: ambience, food

Cons: waitstaff sometimes slow

11/20/2006 Posted by tracee3d

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of food and service. Price was pretty good, too, considering the amount and the quality of the meals. I had lamb shank and my husband had duck, and they were both delicious. I highly recommend the bread pudding for dessert. The only complaint is that it was really loud, but it was Friday night after all. I can't wait to go back and try their black cod.

Pros: excellent food, service, value

Cons: Noisy

11/13/2006 Posted by jcharles1974

I've been going to Hal's off and on for a few years, and on Friday, we made a reservation for 9:30. We got there and were told our table had people on it that had just ordered dessert, thus inferring they would be done soon. We were told by the hostess to have a drink at the bar. No problem. An hour later, after we had asked the hostess several times what was going on, we were still not seated. An other group similar in size got seated before us! I have never been treated so rudely and inconsiderately on the west side, usually staff is l aid back and sometimes obtuse, but never so oblivious to a reservation. Bad Hal's!

Pros: fun

Cons: loud, bad hosts