We were fortunate to be able to purchase a modest condo in K-town last year. Our realtor gave a gift card to Taylor’s Steakhouse as a closing gift.
Trying to use that gift card flung us into one of the worst restaurant experiences of our lives.
We eagerly anticipated our 5:30 pm reservation for Saturday night. Dressed up a little, put on a blazer. It’s close enough we can walk there.
They asked us to wait at the bar when we arrived. Lovely bar, wood paneling, plush red leather booths, dim lights, great ambiance. We’re excited.
A four top comes in 5 minutes later, seated immediately with their reservation. A man comes in to look for his lost credit card, help immediately. A couple comes in trying to find their friends, they’re escorted around the restaurant, then the host iterates list of all the names for reservations to try and help the find them. We’re still waiting patiently.
Finally, led us to table. Took us up two flights of stairs to what appeared to be a completely different restaurant. Bright lights. No red leather booths. Ambiance of Soup Plantation. We asked why we were up there, were informed that you have to specifically reserve a table in the main dining room. We said, no problem, we’ll just come back another time, we’re not interested in sitting up here.
They ushered us back down to the main dining room, seated us at a nice red leather booth. We’re a little dismayed, but glad to be seated.
Ordered salads and steaks. Warm bread came out, salads were fine, drinks refilled, everything going great until the steaks come out.
I ordered a dry aged New York strip, medium rare. It was the toughest steak I’ve ever had. After making little progress sawing through, I checked my knife, thinking I must have the knife upside down or something. Nope, just a terrible steak. Cut it open in the center and it’s raw, cold in the middle. I ate a bite, terrible, tough. Sent it back.
I’m fine with a rare steak, I actually prefer under medium rare, but this was blue at best. The fat’s not even rendered.
Wife ordered Taylor’s take on a ribeye medium to medium rare. It’s tough as leather and also very undercooked. Under rare, I would say (no photos though). Waiter agreed it was definitely under. She did manage to eat some of hers though.
Check comes, $89 for my wife’s steak and our salads and drinks. As a cherry on top, they won’t take the gift card we had. It’s apparently only valid at the La Canada location. (so we paid and tipped $25 make up for removal of my steak)
How on earth do they stay in business serving steaks like that? I can understand one kitchen mistake, but it seems unlikely to have two very undercooked steaks on the same table.
The most generous interpretation is that the host gave the kitchen a signal that we were troublemakers, and they dug our their worst cuts and served them to us nigh raw.
I checked the gift card balance when we got home and it’s $200. Generous gift from our realtor, but can’t imagine we’ll ever drive out to La Cañada Flintridge to darken their door again.
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by haydoselefantes
30 Comments
I like Taylor’s for the vibe and the food is generally good but I’ve had some bad experiences there for sure. Once, I was sat in a weird wine room that’s between the first and top floor dining rooms. They kept closing the door to the room so we felt like we were in a conference room. It was weird. I’ve never had a bad steak but I know people who have.
With that being said, I’m kiiiiind of ok with the chance of less than amazing food to have that main dining room experience. There are so few restaurants in LA that have a classic interior, no loud top 40 playing, a simple menu, etc. The food is higher quality than Musso & Frank, Polo Lounge, Tower Bar, etc.
just sounds like you went on a bad night. while I do feel the food is mediocre, the ambiance is rather fun.
I went once and the food was terrible. But my god were the drinks even worse. My wife sent her Manhattan back after it tasted like jack with flat coke and we watched the bartender get informed of his mistake. Instead of fixing it, he took a big *sip* of it and shrugged at the server like there was nothing wrong.
Yikes
I love Taylor’s but I’ve only been to the one in LaCanada-Flintridge. Almost 40 and my grandpa has taken us at least 2 times a year since I was a kid. I can’t ever remember having a bad experience or meal at that one.
I’ve been like 3 times, each time was okay. Not great, not bad. The only time I had a terrible time was when I got a burger, and it was a similar experience. Asked for medium rare and it was one of the toughest burgers I ever had, each bite had to be followed up with a swig of water otherwise I would choke. It was slathered with thousand island and still dry as fuck. I don’t get why people ask how I want my burger if its coming out extra dry no matter what.
like a lot of places it’s been hit or miss since the pandemic. but the last time i was there a few weeks ago i had a great time. delicious steak, perfect martinis, good service. of course it’s overpriced… all steakhouses are. but i like the vibe
Well, that sucks. Sorry to hear. Also sucks that your realtor got a GC for a restaurant that’s in ktown but valid in bumfuck.
I’ve been to Taylor’s quite a few times over the years. I agree that the quality has drop drastically since I first started going. Their food quality has been very inconsistent. The only times I go now is when my friends insist on going because it’s close, convenient and they’re buying.
I have only been there once, but steak was cooked properly, one rare, one med-rare. I don’t think its great and wouldn’t want to go back, but I think your experience is more of an exception than the norm. Maybe a bad night.
I have to keep this short and sweet, but as I’ve always understood it you go to Taylor’s specifically for the steak culotte cut only as that’s their specialty. I can’t speak to other cuts, but I was pleased with that specifically.
It’s kitschy, old school LA that got a better reputation than it deserved when there were fewer competitors and they put out a better product. Agree that now it is borderline terrible.
I’ve been there with my wife a few times and this sounds like a completely different restaurant.
I’m sorry you have a bad time, but my experience at Taylor’s is completely different.
I guess I’m the only one who couldn’t agree with you more. So disappointed with that place the first time that I won’t give it a second try
La Cañada is not “the valley”
p
You know, I have a lot of love for the k town spot cause the vibe is so true, but when I stop and think about it, the steaks aren’t particularly good, especially in a neighborhood with so many phenomenal Korean bbq joints that serve incredible beef. That said, I could see myself back at Taylor’s cause I just like being there. Is I suppose that’s the answer to your question up top.
ive been going there for years and never really had a terrible experience like that. i say put that gift card to use and give it another try. maybe avoid the weekends.
Something about Taylor’s that never drew me in. Ruth’s Chris was always phenomenal. But the best was always The Stinking Rose but unfortunately no longer exists here in LA.
The Yard House scratches that itch when you want a steak.
I haven’t been to Taylor’s since before the pandemic (currently I live in Japan). When I would go the food was always good for the price, but my husband and I only go for the higher end steaks (like filet) or sometimes we would get sandwiches during lunch. At that time the prices were fair. Of course if you go to Flemming’s or any other high end steak place it will be better. The drinks on the other hand were hit or miss, mostly dive bar quality.
As for the upstairs, it’s fine. I agree that the bottom floor is nicer, but the top floor is still acceptable. It’s bad that they didn’t seat you right away and seated others before you though. Service there was hit or miss. We’ve had some great servers and the occasional MIA servers. When you enter they don’t have a host there all the time and sometimes it would take a while for someone to show up. We usually didn’t have reservations, which then would cause a fluster if we went for dinner (it was fine for lunch), even though the place wasn’t full (even after we left) or a couple times they took upstairs where it was empty one time and nearly empty the second time.
This was all before the pandemic and I know that the pandemic has caused some business to suffer. I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. It’s also disappointing that the gift card couldn’t be used at that location. Hopefully you can find some use for it.
Damn. Taylor’s was highly recommended a few weeks ago as a go-to LA steakhouse. Was planning on going next special occasion, but perhaps not?
I’ve been to Taylor’s a bunch of times because my parents love it. In my experience they serve good, not amazing, but good steaks at lower prices than the high-end steakhouses, so the value for what you pay is its main appeal. I’d rather just go to a high-end place personally, but I’ve never had a bad experience at Taylor’s like what you had so I’m down to go when someone else wants to.
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>condo in K-town
>
>only valid at the La Canada location
Realtor dropped the ball on that one
You tipped an extra $25 due to you having to send the steak back? Seems excessive given that is an entirely reasonable request and the server was being asked to do their job, not anything extraordinary.
Just curious, why did you not have them make new steaks for you guys?
I had been going to Taylor’s for years pre-pandemic. It was great. Went for the first time post-pandemic Dec 2021 and it was bad, steaks had absolutely no flavor, fat not rendered, etc. haven’t been back since, was hoping it was a one-off but seems like they have issues in the kitchen.
Might have guessed they treated us badly because they knew we had a gift certificate. I’ve learned from past experience to never reveal a gift certificate or coupon until the last possible moment. (Seems like some restaurants assume you’re cheap if you’re using gift cert of coupon, or even just if you order a restaurant week menu)
Ironically, this time we would have been much better suited to ask about the gift cert as soon as we walked in – we might have been able to bail on the whole experience, saved $115 and a lot of grief.
Taylor’s K-Town was great in the 1990s even into the early ‘00s. The LaCañada locale had good food but blah ambience. The KT location was a place you walked into and said “Now THIS is a steakhouse!”
The owner of both is present at the LC location. It is basically Ruths-Chris prices for a step or two below RC quality. Ambience there is meh.
What caused the demise of Taylor’s? Too much attention. When the KT location was half-empty on a busy night, the food was perfect, the service impeccable. Getting listed as an undiscovered gem on every website gave them ten times the business they could handle and the intransigent ownership did not respond to the growth with competent management.
The food now is lower quality, always rushed, the service is anonymous unless you bark at them and the amazing ambiance doesn’t work when its filled to the gills with disappointed gawkers.
RIP but still coasting on the inertia of 20th century goodwill. A cautionary tale of what happens when mediocre people inherit accidental greatness and don’t comprehend what makes it great.
Been to the KTown one once, and I was actually impressed. Had a bone-in ribeye, medium rare, cooked perfectly. Very little seasoning, I think that was intentional.