Lunch "like" Larchmont Bungalow

[dkeppler]

Need a place for lunch this Friday after USC graduation, we are already going to go to Larchmont for breakfast on Saturday but my daughter wants me to find a place "just like it" for lunch on Friday! I'm from DC so not that familiar with the area, don't want to be driving for an hr or waiting forever somewhere as we'll be eating late as it is. Will probably be 4 people, possibly 8. Any suggestions? Thx!

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Larchmont Bungalow
107 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004

[PomsMoms]

While the suggestions for Alcove, Blu Jam, et al., and Off Vine are good recommendations for the food, they are a bit of a distance from USC and may take nearly an hour to get to on a Friday afternoon (depending on the time and based on their distance from the 110/10 fwys). Perhaps some downtown/downtown adjacent suggestions for OP might be had?

While they are a downgrade (food-wise, in my opinion) from the other suggestions, for proximity's sake, Bottega Louie or The Farm at LA Live (which are still quite popular with many) may serve your purpose as they are only a few minutes' drive from USC and have salad/sandwich-heavy lunch menus while also carrying baked goods (like LB).

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Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017

The Farm of Beverly Hills at LA Live
800 W. Olympic Bl., Los Angeles, CA 90015

[globalgourmet]

Try Off Vine. Nice, laid back bungalow in Hollywood with good food and reasonable prices:

http://offvine.com/

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Off Vine
6263 Leland Way, Los Angeles, CA 90028

[William11]

Larchmont Bungalow is operating illegally, so it's not a good idea to be seen there. People who've made plans to go there and are informed at the last minute that the city has filed criminal charges... they go next door to Le Pain Quotidien.

For red velvet pancakes, try the Griddle Cafe on Sunset.

There are many other options nearby -- highly rated cafes and restaurants that are operating according to the city's guidelines:

Blu Jam Cafe on Melrose
Cafe Verona on La Brea
BLD on Beverly
Grub on Seward Street
King's Road Cafe on Beverly
Taste on Melrose
Square One Dining...
Salt's Cure...
Madame Matisse

Congratulations to the new graduate, and happy eating!

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BLD Restaurant
7450 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Square One Dining
4854 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Blu Jam Cafe
7371 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Griddle Cafe
7916 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Kings Road Cafe
8361 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Taste
8454 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Madame Matisse
3536 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Cafe Verona
1138 S Diamond Bar Blvd, Diamond Bar, CA 91765

Salt's Cure
7494 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

[rmb123]

I had the opposite reaction. I love that they put "for sale" tags on the chairs and tables, although it doesn't seem like it's working.

[PomsMoms]

Just an update: was there around noon today....no signs, business as usual (meaning packed to the gills).

[NorkoS]

Are you talking about Larchmont Bungalow? Isn't it another one of those Groupon-ed places? They give away 10,000 half-off coupons and have lines forming around the block, and ignoramuses think, oh it must serve great food because it's so popular.

Sorry for being hoity-toity, but I'd rather not rub elbows with hoi polloi -- ehem, bargain hunters -- who annoyingly gush "awesome" and "amazing" at crappy food just because it's served to them in ginormous American portions at "half price" (as if the markup wasn't ridiculously high to begin with).

Haven't we learned that Groupon lesson from 8-oz Burger Bar on Melrose?

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8 oz. Burger Bar
7661 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

[TailbackU]

Alcove in Los Feliz provides a very similar experience to the Larchmont Bungalow.