Restaurant L
“My only issue was several of us had the prix fix hanger steak, and I love my meat rare, but others wanted medium, and it all came out rare at best.”
“The valet parking is a bit stupid as it's a small parking lot and I can park my own car but that's my only negative remark.”
“Went tonight for dinner and was nervous given the negative reviews.”
Restaurant L
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
4 reviews
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I discovered Restaurant L on my way to the Waldwick dump to drop off some recyclables (we will come back to this random point), and I thought that it looked like an interesting spot to try one night. By chance we decided to go out that very same night, and made reservations through Yelp/Open Table for 9:00 PM. We arrived and there was a valet, which appears to be not optional. I can afford it, but I feel like it's very pretentious when places force valet onto you; it smells of money and gives the impression that the owners only want the elite of society there. It also gives me the impression that they must run a flawless ship and my expectations go up much higher, so you better be able to deliver.
Our table was immediately available when we walked in; points for having the reserved table ready. It was next to a window though, and I had the two distinct feelings of hot and cold. On one side I was being blasted with hot air on, and on the other I had the chilling effects of the window. I wasn't unhappy about it, but it was a very weird feeling that I haven't experienced before at a restaurant. My fiance moved from her original seat in preference for the side of the table getting the blast of hot air. Most women had cold air, so I suggest making a reservation away form the windows in the winter here.
The service was pretty good, but I would have liked our water glasses filled more quickly. With the exception of the temperature divide, the ambiance was also very nice. It has the atmosphere for a good date night place with low lighting and decent decors. It was later in the evening, so the place was filled with an older crowd; I didn't see any children and the median age was 50.
Some days are circular, with little innuendos that you never really pay attention to. That's where the Waldwick dump comes back into this review. The food was terrible and not worth the money, and I should have listened to the cosmic signs.
We had the Fried Calamari Chino as an appetizer, which as described on the menu is drizzled with ginger sauce, topped with diced tomatoes and scallions. It was a very unique way of presenting and dressing it, so thought why not try it. The calamari was an experiment that went horribly wrong though. The breading was the only bright spot, which I would describe as light and flaky. The ginger sauce was definitely different, but not well paired in my opinion to calamari. The meat fall on your face terrible. It was overdone and had the consistency of a pack of Wrigley's chew bubble gum. Someone either was lazy while cooking it or just wanted to get home. I figure we were one of the last plates for the night, so my original guess is that the cooks wanted to get home. The fact that it was missing both the scallions and tomatoes made me change my thinking that it was laziness.
I ordered one of the specials as an entree. I thought the T-Bone special would be a safe bet when Restaurant L dedicated a quarter of their menu entrees to steaks. If I could summarize the T-Bone in one word, it would be "FAIL"… two words would be "EPIC FAIL". I got a T-bone that I could have gotten prepared better at the local dinner; Mathews Dinner is just down the street and they make a great steak and eggs for about half the price. I asked for the T-bone medium rare, and it was more along the lines medium. It was thinner in proportion, and here's the mistake. For $27, you expect a T-Bone to be thicker than a 1/4 inch. The worst part was that there was no flavor. T-Bones naturally have great flavor, but this was lack of any. It was bland and in desperate need of some seasoning. Perhaps it was the cut I got, but regardless I was very disappointed.
I wouldn't recommend Restaurant L if you're a foodie, and will likely not be trying it in the future.
Stopped in with my mom and daughter one night and was suprised how cozy and nice it was inside. I have passed this place maybe a million times and have never once noticed it before. The ambiance is a bit romantic and a bit upscale. Not somewhere I would normally take my 3 year old, but she did well regardless.The service was great and we ordered a a few apps, including a bar pie, wedge salad and house salad. The pie was meant for my daughter who loves traditonal pizza. She was not a fan probably because of the onion and large tomato slices that were under the layer of cheese. I also wasn't a fan. Our salads were fine just like normal salads, nothing amazing, but good. My mother ordered the Tequila shrimp which was actually very good but for the price could of included several more shrimp. The spice of it mixed with the batter made me feel like I was eating bang bang shrimp from Bonefish Grill, which are amazing! I ordered the shrimp and lobster quesidilla and was kind of underwhelmed by it. I didn't have too many big chunks of lobster in it and also they had the tiniest shrimp in it I felt like I was eating the shrimp flavored cup of noodles. And to be honest it was just kind of bland. I really tried to like this place because my mom raves about it but I just wasnt convinced. Also for $90 I felt the quality of the food just wasnt there as well. Will I return, maybe, to give it another chance because the first experience just didn't do it for me at all. Also there wasn't too many choices on the menu it took me forever to basically settle on something I really wanted besides choosing a burger.
This is a cute little spot to come for dinner/ drinks. I came on a Monday night at 6pm for dinner, and there wasnt a lot of people there but it shortly filled up. The service was quite friendly and quick. For dinner, i had the salmon on the specials list. It was pretty good. The rice and green beans that it came with was a little hard (not cooked all the way). My friend got the organic chicken. The chicken itself was really good. Very moist and flavorful. However, the mashed potatoes that it came with was not good at all. They tasted watery and like corn. If you get the chicken, i would substitute the mash for something else. AFter dinner, we sat at the bar for a few hours. Tammy was very friendly and a great bartender. I had the house pinot noir and it was perfect.
Overall, it was A-OK
We came here for dinner last night after buying a living social deal. I was very pleased with our experience. It is a teeny tiny restaurant so you have to squeeze a little to get into your seat but it was still a pleasant time. I thought the food was definitely enjoyable. We got the mussels fra diavlo as an appetizer off their specials menu which were very good. They were very plump mussels and the sauce was just perfectly spicy and delicious. I had the pork shank over egg noodles and it was very well done-crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. My favorite part of the meal, though, was the creamy mushroom polenta that we ordered as a side. It was absolutely amazing. I couldn't get enough of it. I really love a well done polenta and this one topped the charts. It was out of this world. I could go on and on about it, but I won't. We had a very nice dinner all in all.
I do have to note that I wasn't very impressed with the service-our waitress was just a little too elusive for my liking. We ended up having the other waitress clear our plates and wrap our to-go items. It was a very busy Thursday night but like I mentioned, it is a very small restaurant so keeping up with your tables should be manageable.