Lock & Key Social Drinkery and KiTCHEN

What can I say, I LOVE LKSD! Hands down my favorite bar in the area. The place is located in Downtown Downey (free parking out in front or the structure around the corner). The bar itself is pretty small, but it is really nice and clean. Bartenders and Servers are always friendly. It’s a nice place to go catch up with friends or have a drink on a date. There’s TVs and also music playing but not too loud– unfortunately, no dance floor.
They have a great selection in liquor, beer, and specialty drinks. I tried the Rose Gold last night and it was interesting in yet so good. The drink had egg whites! Yes I said it, egg whites! Haha I also had the Hot Cheetos Pie which is sooo good especially for those hot Cheetos lovers– nacho cheese, Sour cream, and chorizo. And I’ve had the tacos before which are pretty good. Oh and can’t forget their spicy ketchup!!!
Overall, great local bar with good drinks AND food.

4.5÷5 Stars
Wow. What can I say except that LKSD provides a breath of refined air in an unexpected place. I had to double take that I was in Downey for a second after taking a bite of my juicy and tender burger. My burger came with candied bacon, cooked in their secret house tradition and full of just the perfect amount of sweetness and smokiness. They also use USDA PRIME grade beef in all their burgers for all the meat-​lovers out there.
Along with homemade sauces and great fries, the restaurant offers a variety of unique and different dishes for your eating pleasure. Looking forward to coming back next time!

Coming here brings back moments from bars Ive been to in San Francisco. Though Ive been in socal for a little under 4 years now… ill admit I havent been to many bars around town. It was a breath of fresh air to try someplace new. The atmosphere felt lively and i loved it. Although Downey is a small city. it does have this hidden gem around the corner from portos.
After being seated. right away our server came by to give us a warm welcome. I came here just to try their hot cheetos pie since it was interestingly different… i didnt expect myself to have a drink as well but hey… why not right? I absolutely loveeee the décor inside. It felt like a 21+ restaurant with a bar. Though its not a place to bring your kids, great place to chill, hang out, have drinks. like a lounge with food.
I dont recall what my drink was but it was light with just enough alcohol in it to give u a warm fuzzy buzz but nothing more. Very refreshingly light and sweet with hints of watermelon.
Hot cheetos pie was a bit disappointing to be honest. It definitely was different and more then enough for me and hubs to share. But the chips werent as fresh. A bit on the stale side. Overall the rating comes from the service. Our TWO waitresses came by mulitple times to make sure we were good. Ill definitely come back again because of how welcomed i felt and how awesome the place inside it looks. Worth a trip out to this hole in the wall.

Love the food and atmosphere here waiters are super helpful and nice. One of the best burgers ever. Great mixed drinks and beer selection. Didn’t care for the chicken and waffles appetizer.

Pretty good whiskey bar /​gastro pub. Nice and chill atmosphere. Low key place not very many places like it in the area. Decent grub and staff is pretty friendly.

This is one of my favorite burgers in the area. The LKSD burger is good sized, tasty and always fresh. It is similar to a fancy In-​n-​out style burger compared to a larger sized burger. Comes with a brioche style bun. Other great sides we have tried is the mac and cheese, wings and the amazeballs brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts are excellent, crispy and mixed with chopped apples. The bar is also always very clean, we have seen them cleaning with actual clorox wipes! Andy at the bar is also friendly and helpful. We are looking to try the brunch and churros some time soon! Get the LKDS burger!!! They also have a great happy hour at 20% off that is not listed on the menu from 4−6pm!

My best friend and I went here on a recommendation of another friend of ours. The atmosphere was super chill and the food was really good. Their macaroni and cheese is a must try for everyone who comes here! And I’m not a big fan of chicken and waffles, the combination has always sounded weird to me, but the chicken and waffles at this place are so good!

I had been wanting to come to here. We came during lunch time. I got the pastrami sandwhich and it was good. It didnt come with pickles but they brought me some baby pickles. Portions are fairly small. I guess we are used to way bigger portions. We paid for quality and not quantity. I must say we may come back to try the different drinks.

Food is great. You have to try the meatballs.
I enjoy going for a late night dinner and drinks.

Went for the first time this past Saturday during dinner time. Had to wait for about 45 mins before we got a table and the wait was worth it. Lots of whiskeys to choose from, the staff was very knowledgeable and made good suggestions. Had a house burger and it was really good. They also have different items such as Cheetos with nacho cheese which were pretty good. Good place for a date or just a place to chill with friends.

I’ve only ever gone here to sit down at a table for a drink on a week night.
Servers were always great.
Once, the server went as far as fetching cute tiny glasses of beer samples that he’d recommend we get according to what beers we told him we each liked.
Another time, we fetched the server to change our drink orders after ordering it and it was no problem.
The beer has always been good. They have a peanut butter stout on tap that’s almost like a dessert treat all on its own just because it tastes so full and rich. Décor and vibe was bougie which is something different in Downey compared to the surrounding divey sports bars and ghetto fabulous bars and «lounges».

I went with 4 other people to try out their Hot Cheeto Pie. When entering the restaurant, the ambiance was pretty relaxed (dim lighting included) but there was a weird scent in the beginning.
Food wise: My friend and I tried the Hot Cheeto Pie and it was great but definitely not for one person. My friend commented, «I paid $ 10 for a hot cheetos bag with cheese». But it was really good! I got a bit of a stomach ache afterward though but that could’ve been just me.
However, my other friend tried the Amazeballs Brussels and it left him with nausea right after. That dish is not meant for one person either, perhaps 2 – 3 people.
I tried one of my friends Hawaiian sliders and they were quite good as well! They come in a plate with 3 on them but she finished 1 & ½.
Everything there was really savory which would be great if it didn’t leave you with all that flavor in our pallet after the first 3 bites.
It’s was an alright experience for the ³⁄₅ of us that tried it out. Not really planning on going back on my part.

We had our network group Christmas lunch here so I had no idea what to expect.
I have been on a salad craze lately so I tried the salmon salad and boy what a treat .
The salmon was cooked just right, and tasted delicious. Was served with spinach some berries and very small white chocolate wow
Flavor just worked, It also had two small frozen watermelon cubes that Tasted amazing.
It came with a dressing that was kind of ranch but had more flavorful it. just brought the salad together. I most definitely will be coming back and trying the other plates. Great feel at the place, staff was really friendly.

Great place in Downey for happy hour!
They have a wide selection of unique beers (pumpkin, peanut butter, etc.,), specialty cocktails, and an amusing menu full of tasty small plates (names like FML burger, what the feta?). I tried their pork belly taco, which is a nice, fatty slab of pork belly mixed with some BBQ sauce and their pork belly sliders! Both were savory, sweet, and delicious! Add that with a cold beer and good company = great night!

This is Downey’s best American modern bar/​gastropub trendy with a fabulous ambiance. Distinctive menu not your typical restaurant bar food or drink selection.
I order the the lock and key burger with the sweet smoked bacon very delicious! Top quality. I forgot the name of the drink that I had it was like a champagne that was also good! I recommend this place to any 562 local.

What a great experience here. Came by to originally watch a football game but fell in love with their food!
This place is a hit in downtown for bar food. I am loving the classy looking feel to this pub accentuated with dim lights & a modern touch. Service is superb here but the food was memorable mostly! I got to try the waffle patty burger for the first time here called the FML — salty, sweet, & soo amazing! Chicken wings here are full of flavor, not overwhelming or dry either. If you’re into craft beers & whisky this is what they specialize in & they don’t shy from their option of drinks, it was extensive.
Parking was a breeze for a Sunday afternoon, being located on a main street of downtown it’s more on the mellow side, not busy & overly crowded — score right here!

My wife and I went to Lock & Key Social Drinkery on Sunday watch the football games and drink the variety of drinks they serve and tryout the food. My wife and I like the Lock & Social Drinkery it’s dark very cool pirate skull & cross bone. They have a beer and wine menu that’s so awesome they have my favorite beer.
They have nice Sunday breakfast menu we decided I order the chicken & waffle with bacon and egg that’s extra $ and my wife order the Hello protein. My chicken and waffle was really good I enjoy it my wife Hello protein it’s egg and bacon.
My wife and I enjoy Lock & Key Social Drinkery we would be back soon.

While visiting my parents in B-​Town, I decided to make the trip over to one of the newer restaurants that have popped up in the area. When I went to high school down the street, there was NOTHING in this area, so it’s really nice that many bars and restaurants are starting to make it a little more exciting.
Lock and Key has a really great ambiance, but because it’s all concrete and modern, there’s nothing to dampen the sound. It gets a little loud in there considering there weren’t actually that many people in the place.
They have a fairly nice beer list, but I felt it ran a little too heavy on high ABV beers that are served in small glasses for large prices. Their whisky list, though, is quite impressive.
I got the Sweet Thang Chicken Sandwich, which despite taking thirty minutes to come out, was good. I’m always a little disconcerted when I ask about food that’s taking awhile and then it is miraculously done instantly after I ask. The egg was really well cooked, but the chicken and bun were slightly burned. You’d think they might have tossed me a free beer after waiting so long for my food, but you’d be wrong. It also drives me a little crazy that their sandwiches don’t just come with fries-​you have to pay extra for them.
I’m sure it’s a decent place normally, but this was just an off night.

Hubs and I were stuck in this area with a few hours to kill and we tried a nearby mall which was a total disaster so we found this place. It’s in a seemingly «hip» area of Downey, and we got lucky and found some street parking.
Sat at the bar and it was pretty empty, considering it was like 4pm on a weekend. They have a pretty extensive alcohol menu, especially with the beers on tap. Memorably, they had belching beaver beers on tap and a bunch of other local craft brews that we hadn’t heard of so we went with that. Hubs remembered the nitro milk stout was good. Their cocktails looked well made too and those reminded me of lock & key bar in Los Angeles.
Definitely solid. Is it special enough for me to drive from Los Angeles to grab a drink here? Not really but would come again if in the area.

I gotta admit, it was alright/​good. Food was super creative. Ambience chill. Super causal/​dressy. Pretty much. Dim lights.
Had pork sliders & waffle chicken appetizer with Mac n cheese. Pork sliders good & moist along w/​waffle chicken app. With cinnamon & maple syrup, basically chicken & waffles.
Waitress was nice.
Glad I went once.

After my first review, I’ve been here plenty of times. This is one spot where I can literally try everything on the menu and still be amazed.
Because I always sit at the bar, the bartender Josh always takes good care of me. He’s very knowledgeable when it comes to beer selection as well as food recommendations .
This is my first time in for taco Tuesday… The ‘Don’t give a duck’ taco was the sh*t (excuse my language). I’m guessing I’ll be back every Tuesday? I think so
Pro #LKSD

First of all why is it so dark and barely noticeable from the outside? No actually, FIRST-​first of all the name is weird. This place seems like it’s getting ready to be on Bar Rescue LOL.
Anyways, I ordered the Sweet Thang Chicken Sandwich, and Stay Golden Mac & Cheese. On the website it said $ 13/​fries, but I was charged $ 15. Actually I was first charged $ 17 because some idiot pressed the add bacon button when I specifically said no bacon. Glad that got edited out when I brought it to their attention. So already there’s a lack of communication and organization.
The bartender tried to say that it was supposed to be the right price despite the bacon mishap. I told him the website does say $ 13 for the sandwich and fries. But also, I was charged $ 7 for the mac & cheese instead of $ 8. So I’m guessing prices changed but if so, the website needs to be updated, and fast. It’s not about the money it’s about the principal.
I took off the fried egg too, and I expected some veggies on it at least in place of the bacon and egg but nope. all it had was sauce. So that was a bit of a disappointment however the chicken tasted really good, as well as the fries, and THAT’S the only reason 4 stars is being given. The mac & cheese was overpriced about 4 dollars. Horribly pathetic and not golden whatsoever. Why don’t these «fancy» restaurants know how to make actual mac and cheese anymore??? Btw spirals are not mac n cheese lol.

Love random gems like these tucked in unexpected locations.
I was coordinating with a buddy to set up my hubby’s birthday with us and his buddies. Whenever we do dinner with the goons, certain criteria needs to be met: spacious enough for a bunch of big dudes, fatty food and booze, booze and more booze.
Lock & Key came up on my radar as I was trying to find something that would be convenient for all of us to get to. Upon reaching this little downtown area, right by Portos no less, we were pleasantly surprised by all bars in the immediate vicinity. Never realized this part of Downey was pretty poppin.
Staff is great here and we were able to make a large reservation last minute. The setup and ambiance inside is very trendy, dark, large bar with an even larger menu/​drink list. The menu was quite the sight for sore eyes. Everything looked indulgently delicious, with equally naughty names to boot.
Drinks were decent. I liked my watermelon cooler, though it was odd they didn’t serve some standard liquors like henney (they did have one for $ 65 a shot) and grey goose, but either way, we were able to make alternate choices easiily.
In my corner of the table, we got:
chicken and waffle sliders — absolutely deeeeelish. i really, i mean really enjoyed this
duck fries — interesting, succulent pieces of duck atop sauce drenched fries
hot cheeto pie — this was OK but this wasn’t as novel as it sounded.
brussels sprouts — sweet and savory all in one [un] healthy bite.
FML burger — this was quite impressive on paper, harder to eat in person, but nonetheless great combo of beef, bacon, egg, waffle bun etc.
the mess burger — this was basically the hot cheeto pie, meshed onto a burger
Sweet thang chicken sammy — this was OK, a bit dry
Service was good. Odd they didn’t have normal ketchup or ranch, but I’ve experienced that with many of the gastropubs/​hipster spots so I think that bugs my husband more than it does me.
Overall, we had a great experience here. Lots of boozin, chatting and pigging.
Oh one thing though, for larger parties, they only take a limited number of credit cards so be sure to have cash handy!