11/07/09

Highly entertaining scene at Sidebar

by ATLAX

Echoing comments from others, Sidebar is a great spot albeit only once in a while because it is overwhelming to the senses.

On my most recent foray to Sidebar, the staff members were great (i.e. very pleasant, attentive, no attitude), the drinks strong and the appetizers delicious.

As to the people watching - CLASSIC!!! Including several hookers, one porn star, Russian and New Jersey mafia, a transvestite, too many gold-diggers, several Cougars, plenty of the clueless, the bewildered and the surgically-enhanced.

• Pros: Great service/drink/food, crazy fun people watching
• Cons: Sensory overload

01/18/09

Overpriced Confusing Presentation

by bennie92

If you want to be swept up into the world of over-glamorizing steak, then this place is for you. The room is cold and noisy. The view is of the entry and exit ramp for cars coming and going from the hotel. It's a scene, not relaxing nor is the food worth the price. Try Dan Tana's or the Grill. They always have had good steak and you know what you will get. Also try the chains like Arnie Mortons and Ruth's Chris, the original shrines to a piece of meat.

• Pros: Great Variety But Confusing
• Cons: Price, Room, and Service

01/05/09

Great steak

by troywarkentin

Really enjoyed the flavor of the steak and it was cooked to perfection, would definitely send my friends there.

• Pros: Good cut of beef

12/17/08

Never so tender

by monica1234

OMG my steak was so tender it melted in my mouth. Really love this place. It is pricey and has some attitude at the door but all was forgiven once I tasted the food.

Will be back for sure.

• Pros: tender melts in your mouth
• Cons: pricey

11/09/08

Superb Steaks. Devine Service.

by martinaz

This is one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles. If you like steaks, ( and fish), want to see service at its best, and dont mind paying a lot for teh best this is the place for you.

• Pros: Simply Amazing

08/27/08

What a disappointment and rude service

by JohnSeieiei

Four of us went last night for dinner. The appetizers took 45 minutes to come out and were unimpressive. The waiter was rude when we inquired on how they were coming along after 35 minutes of waiting. The tempura soft shell crab was cold and the kobe sashimi was swimming in an overwhelming sauce. The steaks were horrible. One of the filets came out raw when we ordered it medium and the waiter proceeded to argue with me that maybe I wanted it well done then. The new york strip was a lousy cut from the end that was super thick and narrow. Not the type of steak I would expect to be served at $60 a pop. The sides were nothing special and the mushrooms with shishito peppers were nauseating. All in all a horrible meal but at least the manager was nice enough to say he was going to comp dessert for us and then forgot to take that off the bill as well. The only upside of the meal were the fries which were really good and the sliders were good too.

• Pros: French Fries & Sliders
• Cons: Steaks, Appetizers, Service- Trifecta!!!!

07/28/08

Great ambience but NOT very good steaks

by kdrouet

The ambience was great but I cannot say the same for our steaks. I ordered the Nebraska 35 day aged New York steak and my table mate ordered a American Wagyu Filet. The steaks were dry and charred on top. We both ordered the steaks medium rare and the steaks were anything but. The ends of the steak were medium well and middle was maybe medium. The bar tender offered to get us another steak but we passed. We didn't feel like waiting another 25 mins for our food. The manager of the restaurant was nice and invited us back to try Cut again. I doubt I would go back, MASTROS is my place for steaks.

• Pros: Great Appetizers and ambience
• Cons: Steaks are not very good.

07/11/08

not that impressed

by enticing1jen

I am a self proclaimed foodie and love a great steak. I have had Wagyu before (at the French Laundry) which was wonderful, so when I ordered it from CUT I expected excellence and was very disappointed. The 6 oz Wagyu filet mignon was requested to be cooked medium-rare, and came out more on the medium side, and in some parts of the steak almost medium well. The steak as a whole was not cooked evenly which was a surprising for a restaurant of that caliber.The appetizer on the other hand, was very unique and flavorful, but still did not make up for the fact that they ruined a great piece of steak by not cooking in right. My friend who I was with ordered the Rib-eye, and although they claim to have nicely "marbled" steaks, hers left something to be desired. More than 30% of her steak was fat. I do have to say though that the flavor on both of the steaks was very good.

The ambiance was not quite up to par with what I would expect for a high end steak house. When we arrived, and it was still light out, the inside of the restaurant looked like a museum cafe rather than the fine dining restaurant it was.

Overall I would say this about CUT, the service was great, the meal was below my expectations, and the aesthetics could have used some work.

• Pros: the service was outstanding
• Cons: the steak was not prepared properly

07/10/08

wasn't that impressed

by fionna561966

I have been to the CUT in Las Vegas. This one doesn't even compare.

Yes, I have to admit, we did see 2 celebrities, but that doesn't justify a great experience at a restaurant.

Their prices are ridiculously outrageous.

I asked the server for his suggestions for a juicy steak, and he recommended the bone in rib eye steak. I asked for it to be prepared medium. When I got it, not only was it very dry, and tasted a little bit of char burn on the surface of the steak, but I specifically told him I wanted juicy. There was no juicy in this steak.

Also...their side orders were the size of my palm, and averaged anywhere between $8-15.

I don?t want to say it was a bad experience, but I expected much more, especially since the Vegas one was a great experience all around.

05/22/08

Great location and people watching.

by msmerymac

My boyfriend and I decided to try CUT for his birthday dinner last night. Even booking three weeks in advance, all I got was a 9:00 reservation. We arrived at 8:15, and checked in with the hostess, who was nice. Perhaps it was because I was polite and didn?t demand ?a good table,? like some reviewers. We told her we would be at Sidebar. My boyfriend got the midsommer and Rosemary Collins; I had the Wilshire and bellissima. The drinks were pretty stiff, though $17 is steep.

Our table was in the middle of the restaurant, and there were two tables six inches to either side of us. The decor is odd: there are pictures of celebrities on the walls and on the backs of the menus. But I know a lot of big names come to CUT ? Avril Lavigne and her husband were near us (and we met Wolfgang Puck as well). With dinner, my boyfriend got red wine, and I got a classic martini. My boyfriend started with the oxtail soup with bone marrow dumplings, and I had the butter lettuce, avocado and blue cheese salad. All was great! My boyfriend got a 14 oz NY strip of the Nebraska beef, with spinach and garlic. I got the big eye tuna steak with wasabi butter and tempura battered onion rings with homemade ketchup. The butter could have used more kick. We also got a trio of mustards. My boyfriend ordered his steak medium-rare, but it was more on the medium side. It got a little tougher as it cooled, as his spinach wasn?t very hot. But overall, it was definitely edible and better than many meals we?ve had. Our waiter, Jean Paul, was great.

Our bill for two, including tax, tip, and our two cocktails, was $330. Was it worth it? I don?t know ? you can look at their menu for yourself, and if you?re willing to spend that much, try it. The drinks and the celebrity sightings probably made it worth the price for me. Would I go back? It depends who I was with, but I?ve said that about good restaurants before, as there are just a lot of good places to try in LA.

• Pros: starters, amuse bouche, service, mixed drinks, celebrity sightings
• Cons: some of the food could use more work, making the price steep for what you get.