Fun weird restaurants in LA?

[beefleef]

Hey, now I'm looking for any weird or unique restaurants. Places a la Lowenbrau Keller (that's now closed). Any suggestions? A place with good food would be a start, a place with great food too would be better, but I'm looking for crazy atmosphere (in a good way).

As far as the coast to Pasadena if it's good

Thanks :)

[hrhboo]

Food isn't good, but this place is certainly weird http://novaexpresscafe.com/

[fdb]

What a weird place!

[Diana]

OK, Nova Express is really funky fun looking.

[wutzizname]

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/453917

[SaltCod]

Wow. I guess I have driven past this place tens of thousands of times over the years and never seen it, never heard of it and never heard of someone going. I live right down the street and it's been there since 1993!!! Crazy.

[wutzizname]

Actually Nova Express finally shuttered about 2 years ago...probably just after this thread was first posted. It was in the space now occupied by The Golden State.

[SaltCod]

Ah ha! Thanks for the info. Golden State is great.

[burumun]

Noooo, I didn't finish reading the thread and went to the website. It looked so awesome. Now I'm sad.

[Obessed]

Dining in the dark sounds weird to me: http://www.opaque-events.jamic.com/

[ipsedixit]

Bahooka.

Let the islands come to you. Aloha.

www.bahooka.com

[Kevitivity]

Here is the CHOW link for the Bahooka (while I love).

[LaLa Eat]

A bar but, The Prince in Koreatown might fit your idea of fun, weird and good food. Weird for the incongruity of a distinctively Korean place set in English pub environs. Good fried chicken!

Edit- Fun? Was last there at beginning of year, just did a web search it looks like it has turned very hipster...maybe go early?

[Jerome]

the prince has that octopus dish where it is cut up recently alive and the tentacles are still moving.

you might have seen it on the amazing race (the dish, not the prince)

[will47]

Also Dan Sung Sa (don't think anyone has mentioned that one in this thread). Aside from the giant Kim Jong-Il painting on the facade, the decor and ambience inside is pretty awesome (don't go if cigarette smoke bothers you, though).

[pablosfather]

I second the Prince. I use to go there on a weekly basis when my son was taking Tae Kown Do classes nearby. If they see you enough times, they'll skip the chip and salsa (which they have at the bar) and give you a very good Kimchi Pancake with your beer. I took my girlfriend to The Prince on our second date. She tells me that's when she really fell for me. It's been five years now!

[omakase]

I remember going to this Sushi Bar in North Hollywood, somewhere on Lankershim Blvd., that was quite different. The food was okay, but the atmosphere was like an amusement park. I think it was called Tokyo Delve.

[Alx72]

I think you are talking about Tokyo Delve's and this place is really cool, you need to make reservations.

[ElJeffe]

Great post Beefleef,

'Weird' can be subjective and I can't think of anything totally off the wall in LA (best thing I can think of is Tonga Room in SF), but I would say Cicada downdown is good for its 'The Shining' vibe. And Don Antonio's with its over the top cavernous interior is my sleeper choice.

[Curt the Soi Hound]

No one's mentioned Clifton's?!

http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/

[GenevieveCa]

Oh lord, PLEASE DO NOT GO THERE!!!
I was So excited to find this place, i love cafeteria style food. Found it in NC and have been looking for it everywhere i go since.
I went with the kids and husband, it was...horrible to say the least. My HS lunch lady made nicer plates.
It wasn't all that reasonably priced for what you got.
We took a sampling of things and ALL were just overcooked, odd tasting, and just plain dissapointing.
Never again. Sure the decor is kitsch and cute and fun , but it smells like an old mess hall from summer camp and i got the feeling that if i touched some things on the walls they would just shatter into ashes.

[Diana]

I never found the food there horrible. It isn't fancy or the best, but it's not bad.

[Curt the Soi Hound]

"Oh lord, PLEASE DO NOT GO THERE!!!"

Great tip!

[alnyden]

Oh come on, it's not THAT bad. Their hot sauce is good so buy that and put it on whatever food you get and it'll taste ten times better. As for weird places in LA just based on atmosphere Clifton's is by far the weirdest and the best. Bahooka is a very close second, you can't beat a hundred fish tanks that surround every booth in the restaurant.

[avena]

Love Bahooka! The food is hit-or-miss, but the fish are awesome! I've taken a few different friends there this year, and they've all had a good time. Especially my friend that finished a whole flaming cocktail by herself.

[locopuff]

Their prices are entirely reasonable, but the food all tastes "brown".

[Will Owen]

Yes! Brown beef, brown gravy, brown dressing... Being a lifelong aficionado of brown food (otherwise known as Midwestern) I loved Clifton's, as did the rest of the family. Papa especially, as he is not only originally Midwestern but also very...let's say "thrifty". When he saw the tab for all four of us (he was paying) he was delighted; the food only increased his pleasure.

[Erika RollerGirl]

I haven't been, but I've heard Clifton's Cafeteria in Downtown LA is kinda weird, so I've heard. "Built in 1935 as a fantasy depiction of California’s giant redwood country, Clifton’s is a period piece of set design, gloriously tacky and fun. Surprisingly, the homestyle Americana food is really good and absurdly cheap."

Edit: Darnit, Curt and I were on the same page and he posted it 3 min. before me. Oops!

[wutzizname]

Magic Castle, if you can get in. It's members only and their guests. Though there are also guest passes to be had, so ask around.

Per the recent post, it's not about the food.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/455782

[Diana]

but the food isn't too hot. Go for drinks, though.

[artgalgenius]

The magic castle is more about the magic shows than the food. Some great magicians perform there.

[tahitiginger]

I am crestfallen that Lowenbrau Keller is no more! I just posted a Scottish restaurant rec- Tam O'Shanter. That's pretty old school weird w/the stuff all over the walls. I also can think of Damon's in the Glendale area. old tiki vibe steakhouse. But nothing compares to the Keller!

[gsw]

Is Lowenbrau Keller really gone? Damn, I never got there but it was on my list.

[ElJeffe]

Oh, and of course El Carmen. Although its a tequila bar, they have full sit-down Mexican meals and the entire ceiling is decorated with celebrated Luca Libre Mexican wrestlers.

[Jwsel]

You forgot to mention that the "wallpaper" ts mainly x-rated cartoons. That and the fact that the food is beyond awful,

[Emme]

Weird and crazy are different, so is unique.

You've got Moroccan or Middle Eastern eat-with-your-hands like Moun of Tunis or Dar Maghreb.

Somewhere crazy like Tokyo Delve's.

Urasawa isn't weird, but it's certainly a craziness in not knowing what's coming next? Maybe I'm just trying to justify a 275 dollar dinner :)

Korean BBQ... cook it yourself? Not weird to me, but maybe to some...

Of course, all the Hollywood scene-y places, like Geisha House, Koi, Katana, can all get pretty crazy.

[nick_r]

The weirdest Mexican places I know of, in terms of overall experience, would have to be Gardens of Taxco and El Coyote... for entirely different reasons, of course, since Taxco is an attempt at simulating dinner at a Mexican's house and El Coyote is an attempt at simulating a swanky Mexican joint in Indianapolis circa 1958 (seems that way to me, anyway). Both are a fun time, though.

[ipsedixit]

"...swanky Mexican joint in Indianapolis circa 1958 ..."

I don't whether to laugh out loud at that, or stare in befuddlement. Makes me want to go back in time to 1958 in Indy.

[nick_r]

If you do, and they serve spaghetti with their tacos, you owe me a Coke.

[CookieEater]

POLKA! http://www.polkacatering.com/
In Eagle Rock. First of all, the food is good. Yummy Polish comfort food, great on a cold evening.

But the decor is definitely bizarre. Looks like they pick up the cheesiest Big Lots stuff and hang it - everywhere! Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling and the shelves year-round, plastic fish stuck on the wall (which is covered with dentist's-office wallpaper depicting a river scene), all styles of lighting you can imagine, plastic fish floating in a lampstand. One time, my friends and I kept hearing birds chirping but we couldn't figure out where it was coming from since the walls are so busy. Eventually we stood on a chair (no one else was around) and determined it was coming from the lit framed photo of a waterfall, mounted high on one wall.
The owner's father(?) is a sweet little old man who still dresses in his blue and red checkered polyester pants from the 50's (60's?), plus a bow tie.

[SauceSupreme]

What about the various Moroccan joints with belly dancers and prix-fixe menu, like Moun of Tunis or Dar Maghreb? Also, I find Korean soon tofu places to be unique enough for the uninitiated, and also quite delicious (my current favorite is Sokongdong, which is probably my favorite Korean restaurant outright).

[ForenameSurname]

There's a Moroccan place in the Valley, Marrakesh. Most of the food is meh at best (lots of filler foods that are, frankly, quite bland), but the main course is pretty impressive. And the experience is amusing from beginning to end. Unless you get there on a night when the kid belly dancers are around... Then it's just annoying.

[hpcat]

Yeah, I've had a fun time at Marrakesh, although it was many years ago. There's also a Thai restaurant on Van Nuys Blvd north of Ventura that has a swimming pool in the middle of the restaurant. It's called Lannathai and apparently it used to be a swimming pool showroom. The food is decent, too.

[fdb]

Typhoon, which overlooks the runways of SM Airport, is quite fun but not quite weird. One factor that adds to its craziness is the fried insects on its menu.

[ktm]

Palm Thai in Hollywood on Hollywood & Gower? or near there. The food is great authentic Thai and you sit at banquet tables listening to alternating sets of a Thai Elvis impersonator, Folk Singer and R&B singer. Also, there is or was a very campy Italian restaurant on Culver in Playa del Rey. Haven't been in 10 years so I'm not sure of it's still there, but the interior was layered with decades of every different kind of holiday decoration and lights & mechanized dolls. Totally wacky and over the top. A basic Italian American spaghetti & meatballs type of menu. Decent.

[erielthelion]

strange restaurants are always fun. here are two Frisco's car hop on Woodruff st. in Downey, also the velvet margarita in hollywood. also try looking in chinatown for something exotic or Pioneer st. in artesia is full of east indian restaurants visit on a sat or friday night. very friendly community, ------- you will stand out if you are not indian but the community is very very friendly!

[Shagg]

Frisco's in Downey is gone, the location is now a Pete's Burger.

[locopuff]

There's this weird old place called The Buggy Whip where none of the utensils or decor look like it was purchased after 1972: http://www.thebuggywhip.com/

Does anyone know if Burger Continental is gone forever?

[Will Owen]

"Does anyone know if Burger Continental is gone forever?" One could always hope... sorry, used to love that place, went there every time we were visiting, but by the time we moved here it just went to hell and stayed there.

I'm trying to figure why nobody's mentioned Clearman's North Woods. I've yet to go inside, much less eat anything, but to the uninitiated consciousness seeing a snow-covered building on a 100º day in SoCal can put you through some serious changes.

[Honeychan]

We went To North Woods Inn at Christmas '09. (the Clairmont one) I'd heard the Boathouse.Clearman's Galley had been torn-down, and yes..It's now the area for a parking lot to a Staples store. BUT! On the opposite side of North Woods, they've built a nice new and shiny boat facade. Didn't eat there (tho I used to love the old Galley for the greasy food-I liked the chili)

The dinner was really sad, food and service-wise.Per usual, it was PACKED on that Saturday night. A 30 minute wait, then to be placed in a corner that our server forgot about us for another 15 minutes (we flagged someone down, even) made my DH cranky.

I adore both salads they serve with a passion! The red cabbage salad I could eat the whole wooden bowl of. They were still fantastic, as was the garlic-cheese bread. I think NWI makes the blandest steak EVER, plus they seems to not cook it properly. A bit too pricey for what they serve, as well.

Fun and weird? It can be. It can also be very loud, inconsistant food-wise, and for me, quite a drive out to. I still will not say no to going there, and kick myself after, for expecting a different result than the last time!

[Will Owen]

I think we need to treat this place like we do Buca di Beppo or El Coyote, as a fun party with (mostly) okay food - get a gang of four or six together and go get silly. Red cabbage salad and cheese bread sounds like a good start; I think we can avoid the steaks. Thanks very much for the detailed overview.

[sgl]

do they still have peanut shells all over the floor? we used to go for birthdays (in the 1970's) but i was peanut allergic and had one of my birthday parties sort of ruined by a mild asthma attack- in true 1970s fashion, the party went on! suck it up little girl! ill never forget the place, tho!

[Honeychan]

Yup, still with the peanut shells all over the place. I agree totally with Will, it's kitchy like Bucca di Beppo is. I'll take the red cabbage salad a million times over anything BdB offers tho! The recipie I got for the salad comes close, but not perfect.

[Will Owen]

Weird though it may be, I actually found a lot to like at BdB. The chicken cacciatore served on garlic mashed red potatoes was good enough to stuff in your pants... which you could probably get away with doing there! What a zoo...

[robotfist]

This thread needs to be kept alive. It's a great question. Anybody have any updates?

[scoob]

I don't live in LA anymore but the Cactus taco & burrito shack on Vine in Hollywood always had the most random crowd. Industry people, construction workers, local teenagers, random people like me who wanted carne asada. Everyone checking each other out, shooting the shit, and eavesdropping. A little slice of life. Anyhoo, apparently the quality of the food has gone down so I don't know if it's worth a stop.

The Central Market downtown has an equally ultra-diverse atmosphere with good cheap food, especially with the sawdust and the weird lighting.

[cagey]

Farmers Market on 3rd and Fairfax. Not a "restaurant" per se but always a freakshow (tourists and locals) and there's a wide (and decent) selection of food stalls.

[rswenson]

Cha Cha Cha on Melrose. Brightly painted, uniquely decorated, great food and awesome sangria.

[wutzizname]

Technically on Virgil, just a couple blocks before Melrose deadends.

[Hershey Bomar]

It's fun but the food is gross.

[foodiemahoodie]

I'd go to Glendale- start at Palate Food & Wine - it's not weird, but it is different and the food is great. Then I'd go over to the Cha Cha Lounge - a latino tranvestite bar.

That would be a fun and quirky evening!

Now, there's also that Uzbekistan on - I think Sunset and La Brea - that's unusual. I've been to parties there.

If you want to have a lot of fun, go to Sushi Nozawa in Studio City. Take a bite of sushi and then spit it out on your plate and shout "YOU CALL THIS SUSHI?!!" Trust me - it will be an interesting evening. But you'll have to go someplace else to eat. And maybe the ER to get stitched up.

Downtown L.A at the Hotel Figueroa is also fun and different - very Moroccan.

[buttermarblepopcorn]

Uzbekistan is, very sadly, closed.

[J.L.]

Dang! And I wanted to see the Registan in Samarkand next year!

Oh, you mean the restaurant... :P

[Jerome]

there's a place with russian and uzbek food on the north side of santa monica blvd just west of curson.

lots of uzbek choices. can't remember thename.

[FranklinJefferson]

Traktir?

[Jerome]

not traktir it's closer to curson.

[Servorg]

Sounds like Kashtan.

7707 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046-6207
[phone]

[ElJeffe]

A friend went there last weekend and loved it. They must be re-opened.

[coffeebrownies]

Gardens of Taxco in WeHo? It seemed incredibly precious and old-fashioned in the 80s when we first went there--and nothing has changed (at least as of the last time we went, which was admittedly several years ago.)

[loreeLB]

We love the gardens of taxco! the chicken salsa verde YUM, the mac & cheese I know right, but YUM!

[judybird]

How is it that nobody has mentioned Damon's Steak House in Glendale? To quote from their web site: "Steak House meets Gilligan's Island". Food used to be pretty good, but that was ages ago, I havent been in years. Decor shouldn't be missed.

[Will Owen]

We've gone there three times, I *THINK* (wow, those martinis), and had a really good time and decent if not stunning food. You get an okay steak at a good price, everybody seems to like any seafood they get, and the staff is so old-fashioned nobody except the women seems to have gotten the memo that Hawaiian shirts don't get tucked in. That's okay, I'm pushin' 70 and most of these folks are still my elders. Last time was a friend's birthday and we had a room to ourselves to misbehave in. You really don't want to go here unaccompanied; it's like Buca di Beppo or El Coyote that way, though I think the food is a good bit better.

[happycat]

Indian Restaurant in San Gabriel (found it through another CH discussion--thanks, ipsedixit!). It's a Taiwanese beer parlor trying for a Native American theme--waitresses in skimpy Pocohontas outfits, log cabin-style room w/ lots of fake greenery, Native American knick-knacks. Very weird. Lots of fun, the food was fine (and plentiful) and the beer was cold. Good for people watching. We felt very far away from home, in a good way, as the only Caucasians there. I decided I really don't like stinky tofu, though, even though the stuff Indian serves is much tamer than what we tried from street vendors in Taiwan. But a LOT of people were ordering it. Loved the cold sliced pork heart. Go with lots of friends and prepare for a long wait. If cigarette smoke bothers you, hold your nose when you leave--tons of young people gathered by the front entrance smoking while they wait for their tables.

[Jacquelyn]

Thanks for posting this beefleef, I'm visiting in a few weeks, coming from NYC, and looking for pretty much the same thing! I've checked almost all of the rec's (some really good ones!) and a though a lot of places look fun, some of the food looks sort of gross/bland.

Out of the rec's so far, these seem appealing:

http://www.palmsthai.com/palm%20thai%20main2.html
http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/home.html
http://gardensoftaxco.com/
http://www.elcoyotecafe.com/index_lo.html?detectflash=false
http://polkacatering.com/
http://www.velvetmargarita.com/vmc.html
http://www.rahelveggiecuisine.com/ind...

I don't eat red meat so although the steak places looked cool, not my thing. Any other good affordable (ie under $20/entree) places with good kitsch/weirdo factor AND really tasty food? Any places with interesting dishes you don't find at your avg restaurant?

Thanks LA Hounders, looking forward to eating up your city ;)

[Servorg]

Typhoon at the Santa Monica airport has a pretty extensive cooked insect menu and the Korean Mr. Pizza Factory http://www.mrpizza.co.kr/Global/En/ in Koreatown has some pretty strange combinations.

[Servorg]

With the full acknowledgment that Mr. Pizza Factory's website is difficult to navigate I am linking some of the most popular pizza's menu here http://www.mrpizza.co.kr/Global/en/pr...

Just read the combination descriptions if you want a laugh (never mind even trying to eat one)...

[Deidre7]

Surprisingly, the pizzas at Mr Pizza Factory are amazing and the odd combinations of flavors meld together for one tasty treat. I suggest getting the "Grand Prix" which is 1/2 potato gold, 1/2 shrimp nude with a scone crust that comes with dipping sauce to eat as dessert!!!!

I also second Clifton's for atmosphere, people watching , location and overall weird with okay food or just stop in for pie after a yummy meal downtown at Drago :)

Also recommend Amagi on Gower & Hollywood (or is it sunset?) for sushi or thai (delicious thai and pretty good sushi for the price) that has a strange bar and karaoke room within it.

[wienermobile]

How about Papa Cristo's Thursday night "Big Fat Greek Dinner" It's a one of a kind evening.

[foodiemahoodie]

The Galley in Santa Monica on Main. Kitschy place with a little bit of a hole in the wall. Steak joint and decent clams. You can have a satisfying meal in a quirky, fun, Disney-Rat Pack kinda feel. It's more quirky than weird.

[Ken S.]

I would recommend Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks. Great atmosphere, food and drinks. Probably hasn't changed much since they opened in the 1950's. Dark and fun!

[mstinawu]

Not SUPER weird, but a little weird.. It's a Japanese cosplay cafe where all the waitress dress up like cosplay girls and it's also a boutique shop/art gallery. That being said, the food is actually quite good. If I was in the area, I'd go back again for tea and sandwiches.

[Honeychan]

Oh good god..I used to cosplay WAAAYYY back in the day, and this Maid Cafe trend just skeeves me out. When I went to Japan in 2001, it even weirded me out then!

[sillygoosedown]

Try La Golondrina. It's a popular Mexican restaurant on Olvera street with kitschy mariachi bands that play at your table, big pitchers of margarita, and a loud, festive atmosphere. Crazy? I wouldn't go that far, but I can't think of any truly crazy restaurant I've ever been to except this place in Atlanta.

Golondrina has always been a winner with groups. I've found the food at Golondrina consistently good. I really couldn't care less if it's authentic or not; the quality is solid.

Another pretty obvious choice that hasn't been mentioned is Red Lion. I'm not a huge fan, but it meets your criteria.

[CantRememberLogin]

The Stinking Rose in Beverly Hills has funky decor and the food is good.

[Emme]

this thread is a few years old, but i have to heartily disagree. the place is kitschy no doubt, but i would not call it good.

[redrover]

Folks probably know this, but Typhoon closed after it was found to be serving illegally caught whale meat.

[J.L.]

Redrover, I believe it was The Hump (the sushi bar upstairs from Typhoon), and not Typhoon, that closed recently.

[milkweed]

What??? Will investigate the use of whale meat now...

[Kevitivity]

A few more...

WurstKuche is different. I like the rattlesnake and rabbit sausage. They also have a lot of great German beer on tap that can be ordered by the liter.

And I haven't been there, but I've heard Saki House Miro is interesting. They have a Star Wars themed pachinko machine!

[lizanc]

Tokyo Delves in NoHo---costumed waiters, singing, skits, etc.
Hamburger Mary's in WeHo---drag queens, burlesque, fun stuff.

[Peripatetic]

Surprised Ogamdo Cafe hasn't been mentioned. It's a high-end Korean-style Chinese restaurant full of Adirondack hunting lodge bric-a-brac. The food is good, especially the jampong. Unfortunately they don't have traditional ja jang myun -- theirs contains seafood.

Ogamdo Cafe
842 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-936-1500

[hz1princess]

I haven't been yet but I heard Noho's Royal Garden Restaurant was really good. It's American-Persian-Armenian food and the atmosphere looks really different and fun. It has gardens and a waterfall, if you sit outside they pass out blankets if it's cold. ANYway...sounds interesting. My Birthday is in a few days so I was sort of looking for somewhere good to celebrate....still undecided. :-)

[BSW6490]

Chey Jay - funky steakhouse in Venice or the Galley - funky clams, sea food and steak also in Venice

[Servorg]

"funky clams"

Probably an unfortunate juxtaposition of words when it comes to clams (unless one is describing some new type of dance)... ;-D>