The Flintridge Proper

I don’t get it it with this place. If this restaurant was anywhere with any competition from other restaurants, it would be shut down. Fast. The food is lackluster, the service is forgetful at best, dismissive at worst. The drinks are decent, I guess, but very sweet and not nuanced. It’s just not enough of a draw to warrant a return back.
The only redeeming quality about this restaurant is that it is, quite literally, the only restaurant in town (other than a bunch of Mexican restaurants and pIzzarias.)
This place is worth a shot, once. I’ve given it 4 shots now, and I should have stopped at one.
Tonight our server actually left a bottle of water at our table: they had refilled our glasses once, and we had had to walk to the bar and refill our glasses ourselves.
The glasses are always dirty and rimmed with old lipstick prints, and tonight we had the added pleasure of floaters in my water. I would have said something but our server was nowhere to be found.
Incidentally, you might notice some of the 5 star review writers look familiar in the restaurant. I think at least two of them have been our hostesses.

A proper good time.
Excessively service forward crew here at The Proper. Yannis is to craft cocktails what an executive chef is to a creative and gastronomic culinary experience.
We thoroughly enjoyed the charcuterie platter, the crab cakes, and the oysters.
Special shout out to Yannis’s specialty Gin cocktail; the Yannis (Gin, Campari, Punt e Mes, cocchi Americano, etc).
«May friendship, like wine, improve as time advances.
And may we always have old wine, old friends, and young cares» …Irish Toast

We have been coming to the bar here every week or two for the last couple months. The drinks are very good. Our bartender Yannis is a very talented mixologist who is always creating amazing concoctions for us that never disappoint. The vibe of the bar is good, and live music on Thursdays adds to the vibe without being too loud. Great place to come when you want to have conversation and enjoy quality drinks.

I had avoided this place for a couple of years after a very negative experience with their rude and condescending GM by the name of Tim. I went with some friends who wanted to try the place a couple of weeks ago, and I was immediately greeted by a new manager who was very polite and upbeat. He made a couple of really thoughtful suggestions about seating and was essentially the polar opposite of the last manager I had interacted with.
So, now that they have a kind and professional GM, I feel comfortable rating the place on food, ambience, service, and the like. I found the food, dessert options, and cocktails very well done. We ordered three desserts and shared — each one was really balanced with their different components. The ambience is uniquely La Canada, and the server was smart, friendly, and prompt. Overall, a great experience.

Great drinks. Great service. Definitely somewhere to go for dinner. Will be back to try brunch!

They have a new chef! He’ll keep the good stuff and add some great stuff too. Had some classics for our first time; smooshed potatoes with their chilli… Great! Deviled eggs, great! Steak with some of the best mash ever, great! Homemade and warm cookies for desert, amazing!
Friday nights are nuts! Service still great. Bartender Duke is amazing and made me moktinis since I’m not drinking alcohol at the moment. Great happy hour prices. Wish they had happy hour food, or I didn’t notice it. Drinks are in small cups so it can get pricey if your thirsty.
Can’t wait to try brunch.

This bar took over the location where Los Gringos Locos used to be located. Decided to check out the local bar scene for happy hour ($ 5 cocktails) with my brother, who just turned 21. Immediately walking in, I could tell we were on the younger side of the crowd, but that didn’t mean service was any different. The bartenders were incredibly friendly and gave us the down-​low about this venue. Did you know that they have one of the largest gin selections in the world before it was beaten by some UK bar?! The bartenders know their drinks, and sometimes, couple of free shots are given out. I haven’t tried their food yet, but I’ll be back.

I have been a regular at the Proper. I enjoy their burgers and especially their Gold Rush but these last few times they have imposed their La Cañada presence. Be advised these last few times we have ran bills over $ 600.00. They state our group had been loud and patrons were complaining. But if that was the case no warnings from staff and if they wanted to control our group where were the WATER refills? BUT THE DRINKS CAME COMING!!!
Sam the manager decided to cut us off completely with with no warning. Be advised if you do go to make sure to leave a tip if not Sam the manager will call you to complain that no tip was left!!!
Best of luck with your experience there!!!
#notsoproper #vermon

I’ve been here quite a few times. Haven’t had that much problem. But lately the service has been inconsistent. Waitress not tending and was waiting 30 mins for someone to at least introduce and ask for a drink. Had to go to the bartender to ask for drinks and food. They got confused 3 times on our drinks.
What kept the stars is good food and drinks. Other than that, the service was a let down.

My friends have been raving about this place for over year now and I finally had the opportunity to join them. Excellent food excellent service and a really good happy hour too! Get all of the appetizers they do not disappoint. They are very veggie friendly and will omit meat wherever they can for you. The Brussels sprouts were my favorite and the deviled eggs had so much flavor! It gets a little crowded on a Friday night get there early.

The Proper is pretty much a speakeasy style hipster joint. The interior is wooden and rustic, with a warm atmosphere. The staff was attentive.
Breakfast for 4 ran around $ 100. A bit pricy for what we ordered. The SIL and I both ordered the traditional Benedict. It was cooked well, with a fantastic hollandaise. The meat seemed like lunch meat instead of a Canadian bacon, and was shaved and mild. The smooshed potatoes were overcooked smashed and seaside fingerling potatoes.
The BIL ordered a breakfast sandwich with a side of cheese that didn’t make it to the table until a few more requests were made. The man orders ordered a crab hash that he did not enjoy. The crab was fishy, and like mine, the potatoes overcooked.
The biscuits and crème fraishe was nice, except that we were rationed to 2 biscuits for a party of 4. The water was very chlorinated, and came in a bottle like they do in Italy. My tea pot was never refilled.
I think that while ok, this place is highly overrated. A hipster place for sure, and that’s not me, so… eh.

This place has gotten a lot of hype, so I was eager to see what it was all about. The condiments and cheeses are homemade and they’re good, but you that alone is not a solid foundation for the mediocre appetizers and entrees we both had. I mean, totally just ordinary, unimaginative and bland. If you’re going to serve small portions, please make sure the meal packs in a lot of flavor. My husband has never seen me salt my food so often at a restaurant… I was just trying to bring out some flavor.
I have heard they make their own gin and my husband did enjoy his cocktail very much! That is until he received one with a FLY in it.
Also, the hostess was a snob every time I called… it was as if she was doing ME a favor by making a reservation for us.
The restaurant inside is nicely decorated, except for the Denny’s style advertisements on each table.
It was a big disappointment.

My girl and I were in the area for a function. We ditched early around dinner time so figured why not Unilocal something local. The pics and reviews looked like this is a place right up out alley. Sure enough, it was! With a family dining section and a bar/​adult section, this place is set up perfectly. No complaints at all of the service or drinks. We both very much liked the «feel» of the place. The drinks were well prepared! She had The Eastside and had some bubbly. Spot on. The food, could use a itty-​bit more attention. We ordered the mac and cheese, the star dish. The brussel sprouts; not bad, but served luke-​warm and lacked a dressing. I like veggies in the raw side, but some sort of saucing wouldn’t have hurt.
The Duck Wings. My girl loves wings, and oves duck even more. While we can both handle spicy, we weren’t ready for this! If anything, they should be called Scorching Habanero Duck Wings. Some sort of a heads up would have been nice. We both destroyed our napkins, chugged our waters and even ordered a glass of milk to tame our pallets.
All in all. A super great place! Just give us a warning guys!!!

I’ve been here now 3 times. I looove the décor. I myself am a FSHA alum so the little section for FSHA makes me smile. I’ve always seen someone I know too. Twice I’ve been here for breakfast and once for drinks. I’ve had the Benedict which was very yummy and the vegetable skillet. Also very good. It’s definitely historic La Canada with really good food, nice atmosphere and great service. Oh and major plus, they serve real maple syrup not the disgusting high fructose junk from other places.

Ugh I had a really gross meal here. We came in on a Thurs. night and sat a the bar. The ambiance was good and the service was a bit slow and disjointed. My friend had been here before and had great experiences but what we experienced was really pretty awful. We ordered two things and a veggie side. I haven’t sent back a dish in years and the pasta tasted so bad (almost rancid?) that we sent it back and the side of spinach we ordered tasted like burnt oil. I would not go back, the waitress was sweet and apologetic and sent us a dessert that was good but honestly I won’t go back. Much better options and really the food was just plain old bad.

Let me first say that the food here is delicious. I knocked 1 star off because of the high prices and another star off because of the EXTREMELY slow service EVERY time I go there. I just discovered this place less than a month ago and have been there 4 times, so obviously I do like the food, but no matter who I get for my server — I can’t ever find them, they rarely come around, and they don’t check back at all to see if we need something.
I will say that each server was extremely NICE and helpful when they were at our table, it’s just that they were never there. I’m guessing the owners don’t hire enough wait staff to be able to handle the large volume of patrons, so managers/​owners, whomever you are — please hire more staff!
Very tasty food — large portions, which I’d rather not have because I just have to take it home. But I have no complaints about the food. Nice cocktail menu with fabulous gin specialties.

Was very disappointed in their Cobb salad. They doused it in dressing and it was so soggy, I couldn’t eat. It was overpriced as well. I could have had a better salad for a lot less at The Habit or Panara right down the street. However, their Moscow Mule was awesome. I’ll just go to their Happy Hour from now on.

Came here on a Monday night and the place was packed, the hostess seated me and my boyfriend quickly. Service was great! Good was super awesome, the food did come out a little bit late but it was all worth it. The Moscow mule is sooooo good!!! The best I’ve ever tried. Their chili is good and so is the proper burger. The cookies and banana milk! Super awesome. Mike was great.

Fantastic craft cocktails — Michelle is incredible! Her knowledge and recommendations were on point, if you need any suggestions, ask her! The food was great, we had several of the appetizers and sides which were great. The meat & cheese board, crab cakes and artichoke dip were outstanding. Try this little gem out, you won’t be disappointed.

I don’t leave Unilocal reviews but wow. Yannis and Michelle are amazing. I have never been treated so well. Check them out, I promise you won’t regret.

Great food, ambiance and excellent drinks! A great place to celebrate any milestone or just have dinner. Amazing things are being made in the bar by Michelle the bartender. A magician of a mixologist. Highly recommend this place.

BAR RATING — the food looked good and the place is very old fashioned in the low intimate style lighting which is a PLUS in today’s poor options for some quiet time, relaxing dinner… when I’m back in the area I’m definitely stopping in for a meal.
The bar is very nice, not too big, has just the right feeling to it. Great selection of Gin’s (not a gin drinker, just thought I’d toss that out) and some very fine selections of bourbons, which is my choice along with a good dark beer — porter, stout, etc., and thanks to BT Duke, he gave me a couple samples of some things I’d not tried before and his knowledge and suggestions were spot-​on. Hats off to Duke.
Like I said… I’ll be back…

Best local bar and dining spot in 91 011. They have a huge gin selection and are a proper watering hole. Food is superb. Wednesday’s they have half off bottles of wine. Scored a château montelena cab half off. Some items that I always get. Deviled eggs. DUCK WINGS. proper burger.
It’s a perfect spot for a date, business meeting, or somewhere to wind down. Viva LCF Proper.

That is proper! I think we said that about 10 times during our meal. Ive gone three times now and have gotten the burger every time so not much more I can say about this place except that freaking burger rules!!!
I believe its a gin bar so Im sure their gin offerings are great but not being a fan of Juniper, I have never tried anything from their long list of gins.
Brunch is only served till 2pm and dont be a second late. They pack everything away so although you might think you should be able to still get breakfast options at 2:05, you cant. Also, just know that If you do show up after 2:00 only the lunch menu is available. Something to note in case you had a hankering for some of the dinner items (i.e. oysters)
Enjoy!

Very sad to write this but I am extremely disappointed at this restaurant’s management and customer service as I have personally given them many chances to redeem their credibility in this community. I have left number of msgs for them personally and over the phone to set up an event dinner. No calls no emails no followups. Some employees are fantastic and they’re probably the ONLY reason why I visited them a few times for lunch; BUT, last time they really pushed me out the door by bringing me fries for the long wait for my order at lunch even though I never asked for it and charging me for it. Give me a break!
Add some customer service and quality to your venue.
NOT MY CUP OF TEA ANY MORE.

I keep wanting to like this place, but they keep disappointing.
Met some friends here for drinks. First I asked the bar tender about the happy hour and if a certain drink was part of it, he said yes, I ordered it and sat down with my friends. Server brings me my drink and the price he gives me is the regular price. I tell him what the bartender said and he shrugs his shoulders and says, «he’s wrong,» and walks away. Thanks guys…
Finish my drink, want another and some water, try several times to flag down our server or any server at all, fail, finally go back to the bar to order.
Also, they told my friend her drink was on the house because she was ordering a bunch of food to take to go to an event she had after, and then they didn’t comp her drink.
Prices are on the higher side, but it is La Canada.
Cool looking spot, but sadly not anywhere I want to return to…

Very disappointed with the poor service. Our company called three times to try to reserve a table for our Holiday dinner. I followed up three more times as they keep saying the manager is not in and will call us back. We never got any call from them. It would have been nice and proper to call back and simply say that they cannot accommodate a large group for dinner so that we could make other plans and find another restaurant.
Not recommending this place to anyone!

A group of my coworkers and I swung by for a work lunch at The Flintridge Proper. It’s a nice looking restaurant with a bit of a library feel, but overall, the food was too heavy and a bit expensive for what you get. Two of us shared the brisket chili. Wow, the bowl was TINY. It was a very hearty chili that was big chunks of brisket but it wasn’t good, just meaty. It came with little cornbreads. We also shared a chicken salad sandwich. It would have been quite nice, with dried cranberries adding a bit of tartness, but the bread was so over-​buttered and grilled so the whole thing was heavy and oily. My other coworker ordered the turkey pesto sandwich and got stomach pains afterwards.

This place was a disappointment as far as food. The drinks here are not bad.
I came here with a co-​worker who grew up in this town. We decided on this place, as it was a few doors down from the UPS I used to ship out a package, and the exterior made it look promising.
We were sat down, and provided with glasses of water. I ordered a drink (whose name I forget), and that was pretty good. It had ginger, which gave it a spicy kick.
Unfortunately, the food was not as great. I ordered the New York steak, with veggies and mashed potatoes. The steak was mediocre, as it was not as tasty as NY steaks I’ve had in other places. The mashed potatoes were disgusting, over buttered and not tasty at all. The veggies were… veggies, but also saturated in too much butter.
I asked for some bread, as the mashed potatoes sucked. The bread was burnt, also had too much butter, and not good at all. It is pretty hard to screw up the bread, but this place managed to screw it up well.
Apparently the chefs here think using an overabundance of butter equals fine dining. They need to go back to culinary school and brush up their skills, or the management here needs to get on their case.
I would recommend this place for drinks, but head elsewhere for food.
As for the chefs here… get it together!

Saw the place on LA Weekly’s list of «10 Best New Burgers in Los Angeles». The list specifically tried to avoid «the usuals», like the oh-​so-​played-​out Father’s Office.
I’d probably rename that list to «10 Decent-​ISH New-​ISH Burgers in Los Angeles if You Take a Generous View of What You Refer to as Los Angeles».
The burger was just decent at Flintridge Proper, as were the other two on that list that I’ve tried. The meat was of good quality, and decently cooked. But it was lacking something oh-​so-​important: flavor. I figure the fix would be so easy: salt. Lots of salt. Or at least a little. Any at all. Just a dash. Meh, just opt to add bacon, I guess. By the way, the other things we ordered were lacking salt as well.
That said, it was a neat place overall, and an absolute gem considering it’s in a random strip mall in La Canada. We sat around for several hours chatting it up. Servers (several came by to check on us) were very friendly, not at all pushy, and gave great recommendations on drinks. Classy but still completely laid back (we were all in t-​shirts, and some guy was there in like a Verizon store uniform or something, so I wouldn’t stress the dress code). Cozy but not cramped. Great bar area.
Definitely worth a visit. Just make sure you don’t have any important going-​out plans in La Canada. Since, you know, what is there to do in La Canada?

.:Customer Service:.
Great customer service! I can only speak for the bar, since it was where I was seated, but Cory really took care of us. He made a custom drink, upon the request of a fellow bartender I was with, and he made it like a pro without hesitation. Ernesto also made this gin fizz in front of me with great finesse and it really made me crave one — amazing and a great choice. Too bad it wasn’t on the happy hour menu though. Thank you Cory and Ernesto for the amazing service.
.:Ambiance & Seating:.
A legitimate classic craft with a modern twist cocktail location (Gin bar to be precise). All types of seating is available here, from the bar & comfortable couch seating to restaurant style seating and a more lit bar. This is definitely a classy place but inviting no matter what the occasion (so show up in a suit or t shirt and jeans). Social location too, but there is a divider between the sit down area and lively bar area, making it great for any occasion.
.:Food & Drink Quality:.
Only had drinks here and every drink was amazing. Happy hour recommendations — Gold Rush (like a whiskey sour) and the Moscow mule. The gin fizz was also great and Cory made an amazing custom drink upon the request of a fellow bartender I was with. Ernesto definitely broke a sweat preparing my gin fizz. Thanks guys for the conversation and drinks. Would definitely return for the cocktails.
.:Parking:.
Available and conveniently located outside the entrance.
.:Other Concerns & Final Comments:.
Would definitely return and worthy of bringing a date. Apparently they also have live music here and wine nights for you wine-​os!

Well, it seemed promising upon entering. Clubby décor, heavy on wood and book shelves– you feel like you’re in some wealthy person’s library. I loved the bar area, which was dark and romantic. We sat in the main room. We were a party of six– four adults and two kids. One of the reasons I chose Proper was because of the kids’ menu. Three of us (adults) were happy with the entrees and the Brussel sprout appetizer. The pot roast was a winner as was their version of Shepherd’s Pie.
Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. The salmon burger was declared to be, «tasteless» and the kids really disliked the spaghetti and Mac and cheese– both off the kids’ menu. I tasted everything, and I will say that the spaghetti sauce– with chunks of vegetables I think– was a turn off for the kiddie– not basic nor tomatoey enough. The Mac and cheese was way too sophisticated for a kids’ dish. The adults liked it fine, but it wasn’t a suitable taste sensation for the kids. So we had to order different kids’ items and were charged for the first round. The second round fared better, a hamburger (plain) and the chicken nuggets and fries.
The service was fine and atmosphere was comfortable and stylish. But that kids’ menu needs work…

Again! Amazing service!!! From the minute we walk in and greeted by Olivia and sat by her. Then hardly wait a minute and our server Alex stops by and asks if we would like any drinks. We were lost on what to try this time, she called over Ernie, who is the bar manager I believe… We told him the things we liked, less then 5 minutes later, we crafted something for us and I can tell you we had a couple of those this night. We didn’t even no the name. He just listened and created a yummy drink. We felt VIP all night. We were hungry and sorta wanted everything on the menu. The chef was in the bar area and our waiter called him over. He went over the specials and the prime rib he said was amazing. We told him the sides we like and he just made us a meal that was outstanding!!! We left with big smiles!
This is one restaurant that has not let me down! Some of the reviews on here sound crazy. They never been to a fine restaurant to know what fine dining is. Give this place a try yourself and you be the judge. Not these reviews.
If I could give The Proper more stars, I sure would! 100% Outstanding Restaurant

For some foolish reason, I gave you guys another chance, true to form though, another major letdown. Tip to your crew, appetizers are supposed to come before the meal, not several minutes after all of the entrees have been served. Also, make sure that when you screw up, you do something to make up for it. If you do not, we will notice, and it will not sit well with us.
We got the salmon burger and the jpl salad, both were bland. I’ve included a picture of the mess that the salmon burger leaves. If your food had any flavor whatsoever, then at least it wouldn’t be such a burn coming to your terrible place. I’m curious how management will react to this post.
People go to restaurants not just for food, but for a dining experience, when you fail to provide an exceptional dining experience, and you fail to do anything to make up for that failure, then people will stop coming to your establishment. When they start telling others about how poor the experience was, your establishment will close down. Either step up your game or close shop.

Happy hour review.
Happy hour is M-​F from 3−6PM in the bar area. This space is quite large, with ample bar seating and multiple tables
They have select cocktails, draft beer, wines, and well drinks for $ 5. Sadly, there is no happy hour food menu.
The cocktails are made well. Especially impressive is their Moscow Mule. It’s made with fresh ginger syrup. Surprisingly, this is a difficult drink ingredient to find, as most are made with bottled ginger beer, which just doesn’t taste the same. It ranks in the top 2 best I’ve tried. Spear Steakhouse has the best one. Bar staff is very friendly and accommodating.
parking — free. small lot or free street parking