12/05/08

Worth Missing Your Plane For (We Did)

by dyslexia

Having just experienced the Buggy Whip for the first time, we're very impressed. We'd recommend it to anyone, but especially those who appreciate classic mid-20th century dining.

The quality and attention to detail in terms of atmosphere, decor, service and (last but not least) food was superb.

In terms of atmosphere and decor - The subdued lighting, the wood paneling, the high-back leather booths, and even the lack of tv screens (an unfortunate rarity these days) combine in evoking mid-century style, a time when dining was truly an event.

Our waiter for the evening was Fidel, a superbly professional, attentive, knowledgeable and funny server. Seats and butts hadn't had even a chance to get past hello before the drinks were on the table. He achieved the golden mean of service - high attentiveness without even a hint of invasiveness.

The food was classic without being staid; the range of dishes enjoyed by our table (prime rib, trout, chicken piccata) being uniformly excellent in flavor, freshness and presentation. Be warned however - portions are generous!

The highlight of the evening however, was the pianist, Peter Wagner. This guy defines the term "musical stylings" like nobody else, ever. Peter can play just about anything, and his arrangements and delivery are *amazing*. Manilow, Diamond, The Animals...he made every song fresh and delightful, camping up the lounge stuff, but with bang-on virtuosity. We were lucky enough to be late diners, so we got to sing along and clap like you might not want to do with a full dining room.

Regardless, be sure to pick up his CD's...We'd *especially* recommend his single of "House of the Rising Sun" - pure, pure gold.

• Pros: Peter Wagner!
• Cons: Location, but great if you're on the way to the airport

01/18/08

VERY GOOD DINNING EXPERIENCE!

by thumpertherott

Tuesday night my girlfriend and I had dinner at the Buggy Whip. We showed up after 9pm and the restaurant was very busy. We were seated promptly by the hostess in a nice table by the piano. Our waitress was very punctual and helpful to the menu suggestions. The waitress noticed a large party was seated minutes before us and wanted to make sure we were taken care of and not neglected. She immediately had drinks and bread brought to our table. She made it a point to make sure our order was in before the large parties order went in. The waitress was very knowledgeable with the menu and had very helpful suggestions to help our dinning experience. I haven?t been to the Buggy Whip in years just because we live too far from, but now I remember why this place has been around for so long. The excellent service, great food and more then fair pricing will allow this L.A. landmark to keep providing a quality dinning experience.

• Pros: GREAT FOOD GREAT PRICES GREAT SERVICE
• Cons: NONE

12/27/07

Buggy Whip deserves 100 lashes

by lisaluisa

I've given this place two chances and will not be back. During both visits the hostess -- Joy, a misnomer -- was rude while we waited for a table more than 30 minutes past the time of our reservation. The drinks are overpriced. The kitchen help needs more help. During both visits at least one member of our party received his entree more than 15 minutes after others were served. This kind of service is unacceptable. Although the waitress did her best to serve the party of six, there was little she could do when the kitchen did not provide her with the food. Ah, the food. On both visits the prime rib was delivered with glistening globs of fat that encouraged the diner to push away the plate. The waitress apologized, saying the cut of meat was not appetizing. Joy, on the other had, was snippy, saying, "Prime rib has fat on it!" One of our diners, a retired butcher, shook his head in disbelief. Steak and chop houses usually get higher grades of beef than grocery stores. The quality of this prime rib -- and the inexcusable attitude of the hostile hostess -- made us want to run to Carrows.

Save your money. Save your time. Save your sanity.

Don't even think about visiting the Buggy Whip unless you are slipping int othe bar to hear the Jazz musician.

• Pros: music
• Cons: food, service

06/13/07

Truly enjoyable experience

by sarah1259

This is my first review of a restaurant but we had such a good time that I felt the need to share our experience. The Buggy Whip is a first rate restaurant. The exterior of the building was covered with beautiful green vines and there were lights strung through that sparkled in the night. The interior decor was pleasant, comfortable and roomy with tables and booths available as well as seating in the bar to enjoy a beverage and the background music of the piano player.

Our waitress (Erin M) was quite a character. She was very friendly, with a great sense of humor and attentive without being overzealous. She offered suggestions on food selections which was great since the menu selection was varied and tantalizing. We started off with drinks, a salad with a side of the Green Goddess dressing because we just had to try it and although it was tasty we probably won't order it again, and the clam chowder which was thick, creamy and flavorful. Two of us ordered the filet with lobster tail while the third member of our party ordered the filet mignon. The steaks were tender and juicy; the lobster tail was mouthwateringly wonderful. The baked potato was large and cooked through topped with fresh butter, sour cream and chives, the garlic mashed potatos were creamy and full of flavor, the french fries were french fries and the fresh, steamed veggies were firm and not mushy - we don't like mushy veggies. Since we were quite full from the wonderful meal with some leftovers for later we ordered a slice of cheesecake to go and we were quite surprised over the size of the slice - it was the kind of slice you would serve at home, not the typical sliver one usually receives at a restaurant. At first glance the prices were a bit of a surprise but after savoring every mouthful of our meal it was well worth the price. We definitely intend to go back and highly recommend this restaurant.

• Pros: Two thumbs up
• Cons: Probably not the place for young children

06/07/07

I would NEVER recommend this place

by diner411

What was I THINKING to want to go to this place! I agree with the others here who complain about the service. You seriously have to be dwelling in the bowels of this gross neighborhood of westchester to get service at this low class truck stop they call a restaurant. There were 3 hostesses on staff when i arrived, and by the looks of them, THEY arrived to work here 60 years ago. The food was overpriced, the service was horrendous, and apparently you have to be old and fat and come here for the past century to get attention. They must have ties to the mob by the look of the "people" that were hanging out there. The owner has a Bentley parked out back, he can thank all these suckers for making him a fortune.

04/30/07

Feeling nostalgic? Head for the Buggy Whip!

by rebapate

After reading some of these reviews I was pretty worried about how things would go but my bfriend really wanted to go to the Buggy Whip for his bday, so we were going...

I am delighted to report none of those things were true for us. We made advance reservations in the piano lounge, and I found the hostess no nonsense when booking, but very helpful. The serving staff was all courteous and friendly, and timely.

I had the filet but I'd forgotten that in true steakhouses filets are about 2 inches thick and so best geared toward those who like their meat pretty rare. However, I just did what I always do with those giant steaks, eat around the outside and take the rest home! My bfriend had the "famous" rib-eye and really enjoyed it. Of course we both had the house salad with green goddess - yum! Oh and the veggies, were not canned peas as reported in other reviews, instead split Italian squash with a touch of marinara and parmesan.

The prices are a bit high, but they are not out of line with other traditional steakhouses. All in all a great meal, for about what I expected to spend and most importantly, a successful bday treat!

What I see as the true charm of a restaurant like the Buggy Whip is this is the kind of place that set our expectations as children, when going out to dinner was still a real event. Sometimes for me to get back in touch with that "special night out" feeling I need a leather booth and a formally dressed waiter. I need to get away from the "scene" where the evening often becomes about the people around you instead of the person/people you are with. We all eat out so often that it's easy to loose that sense of occasion. If you let it, the Buggy Whip will take you back to that feeling, and honestly, wasn't the excitement part of what made our dinner so good when we were 10 :-)

• Pros: Green goddess dressing, live piano, low key

10/26/06

variable food, but poor help and management

by bayemvay

We had prime rib and sand dabs. The prime rib was wonderful. As good as it gets. The sand dabs were soggy because they had dumped some canned peas and their juice on the plate. The one piece that was not soggy was excellent, though. The canned peas were very bad, and their juice ruined the taste and texture of the sand dabs. I think they have one good cook in the kitchen and a bunch of lazy unskilled help doing the rest. I can't imagine why such a high priced place would serve such a low quality vegetable in such a poor manner. Service was slow and poor. As an example, when we asked for a water refill, they just topped our glasses, leaving the stale ice cubes and lemon slices in the glasses. This is coffee shop service, not 90 dollar restaraunt service. The prices were higher than the menu on their web site. Their wines were a little higher than they should have been. The place is coasting on their reputation and needs a management change before they go under.

08/15/05

A 1950s treasure

by leonessa1

Do you remember going out with your parents to those dark restaurants with big red booths, and women with large hair? Well, enjoy your childhood -- it's still there. The food is good, not great, but really a good value, and large portions. There are no tables in the dining room, only booths. A few tables as well as booths in the bar (which is sometimes the only room open at lunch). The waiters are quirky, sometimes a little salty or cranky, but it's a fun experience over all. The early bird menu is an amazing value, if you want to eat with the seniors. Well, there's lots of seniors all the time. Later at night, a scattering of "hipsters," as the description says. This is one of those places that's a staple.

• Pros: Inexpensive, Good parking, Very casual
• Cons: Service can be slow

01/06/05

Old-time L.A. steakhouse celebrates red meat, martinis and creaky remnants of the Rat Pack era.

by Martha Burr

The Scene
The atmosphere is as thick and nostalgic as the steaks. Shady-looking suits rub elbows with ageless blond regulars, a spattering of martini-sipping hipsters and a relentless piano player ready for his close up. Red vinyl booths, old-time waiters and Currier and Ives lithographs round out this surreal, decades-old L.A. "coach house."

The Food
The classic American fare includes fantastically tender, plump and glistening shrimp cocktail. Equally celebrated is the Green Goddess dressing, the highlight of an exuberantly tableside-tossed salad--and remarkably addictive despite its unearthly hue. Prime rib is generous, fatty and running with juices, but the steak is the center of this universe. Filet comes thick and tender, outclassed only by the deep-flavored N.Y. sirloin, beautifully peppered and perfectly aged. A creamy, old-fashioned cheesecake adds the final cholesterol boost.

12/21/04

We were unwelcome guests.

by sparklesarah

We were shocked by how unfriendly and inattentive the service was. We were not acknowledged by the grumpy hostess when we walked in until finally she told us to just "sit down and wait." And that is pretty much all we did. Service was painfully slow. We waitied nearly an hour for our food and despite our requests for more bread and water refills, we got none. It wouldn't have been so bad if we were treated well, but we were made to feel like more of an inconvenience than anything else. What a disappointment.

• Pros: good soup
• Cons: , noisy kitchen, lots of waiting