American Girl Café

Excellent service, the food is delicious and the staff make each little girl feel special. The Café offers a great birthday experience.

Much better food than I expected… Expensive but you pay for the experience, so worth it.

What a fun idea! What a shame the food is so BAD! The staff is friendly and prompt. The atmosphere is cute. The food is terrible!
The sandwiches are soggy. The pretzel rolls are dry. Everything tastes like it came out of a microwave. Just plain yuck!
What a missed opportunity for something that could be really great for families to enjoy together.
Note to management! You run a restaurant!!! That means people are going there to eat your food. Make food that actually tastes good. It’s kind of a no brainier.

love this location at the grove. So fun for little girls. Great menu selection and cute gift bags given for birthdays. Love the Hansen birthday dessert.

It takes a real man to dine at the American Girl Café. And even more of a man to Unilocal about it to the world.
Our visit here was to reward the young daughter for doing very well in school. Other than coming for a special occasion, there is really no reason to come here unless you just enjoy seeing lifeless dolls pretending to eat at the table.
The food is fine. It’s honestly not bad at all and, in fact, it’s better than average. We came for dinner which starts with a few small perfectly fine cinnamon rolls. Then your party shares an appetizer plate, the star of which is the spinach artichoke dip. It’s warm and gooey and very edible.
Fearing the worst, I went conservative on the entrée and got the cheeseburger. It’s topped with a few small, generally tasteless onion rings and comes with a good bun. Overall, it’s a safe but enjoyable dish.
Other Unilocalers have complained about the salmon entrée but the wife got it and it was a huge slab of very moist, very tasty fish. I wished I ordered it.
You get a vat of fries with the burger and they were crispy and delicious. The salmon sits on a mound of lukewarm, boring couscous.
For dessert, you get a little cup of perfectly fine chocolate mousse and a smallish but yummy cupcake.
I have to say, our service was great. Our waiter was Johnny on the spot and told corny jokes and generally entertained the daughter from start to finish. He was perfect.
It’s $ 24 a head (for both kids and adults) and that’s pre-​tip so the final tally is steep. Although the food was better than expected and the service was great, I have to dock them a star because of the high prices and questionable value.
Call it a strong 3 stars, if there is such a thing, but the café gets 10 stars from the lucky little girl.

We love taking our little girl here! We’ve come for lunch and always had a delicious meal and great service even when it’s packed. I wish the website would warn you that on weekends you can expect up to a 2 hour wait for the salon, but other than that it was a great experience!

This was our first time for American Girl Café. My friend and I were there celebrating our daughters’ birthdays. Made the reservation online and from the beginning to end was a wonderful experience. The girls brought their dolls, but they also provide loaner dolls and seats which is a bonus. Our server, Joel, was amazing and really went out of his way to make sure the girls had a great birthday celebration.
Each of their dolls was given a complimentary cup and saucer for the girls to keep, along with the pink hairband, which doubled as a napkin holder! We had the lunch and we shared the cinnamon rolls which came out first. Then the small appetizer platter of veggies, pretzel rolls and cheese with honey Dijon and ranch dip. The food was delicious. We had the chicken salad wedge, salmon and fettucine. All were good sizes and yummy! They then brought out dessert which was a delicious pink decorated cake for their birthdays! They were also given a nice goody bag to take home with them which was nice. A plus is they serve beer and wine for the grownups!
We ate outside on terrace and it was a beautiful day all around!

The café is horrible and overpriced!!! There aren’t very many ways you can screw up a cupcake but the chef at the café has somehow managed to screw that up as well. The food was horrible. Hospital food actually tastes better than this place. Make sure you eat real food before you come to the store!!!

Had my daughter’s 6 year birthday celebration here for 20 + little girls. Although a little pricey, the event was a success. We had the terrace to ourselves. The girl’s were treated like little princesses. Food choices were good and the presentation was impressive. The Dreyer’s cake was very nice. Best of all, the moms got a much better selection of lunch entrees than is typical at kid’s birthday parties. Some even enjoyed a little champagne :)

The service was great. The hostesses were so understanding. They put us on a wait list and managed to seat us. The hot chocolate with little red hearts made my granddaughter so happy!
The food was delicious. We cannot wait to do this again!

I would have to give the café and store 5 stars! The service was excellent the décor was cute and girly. My grand daughters loved the tea cup and saucer they gave their dolls and was so excited to have them sitting next to them. The food was ok but good selection for pint size customers. Some people complained about the food but it wasn’t bad and I didn’t feel it was to pricy considering you are paying in part for the experience. Pretty sure we will be back!

Came to American Girl to celebrate my little sis birthday. Customer service was wonderful. Special thanks to Jeremy, Poonam, Moises, and Linsey for making this day magical. We love the girly ambiance, so many cute dolls. The food at the café was surprisingly good. We had a fabulous time here!

Of course this is a doll Lover’s paradise and taking my 11 year old granddaughter here for her birthday was very special! We asked for the patio and had an inspiring view of the shoppers below visiting Santa and browsing the fancy shops at the Grove. The only minus is parking at the grove and not getting validated unless you spend $ 250

The idea behind is great. Tea with your dolls for little girls. I love the store as I always loved dolls and everything in there is amazing, the dolls and accessories.
The café was so bad ! Really bad ! Just did it because my daughter turned 11. It costs $ 36 per child (kids get a little package with worthless junk in it) and it costs $ 26 per adults (we just get the dried mini mini sandwiches) and a drink such as cold tea (they could not get it hot if their life depended on it). It is not worth it. The little sandwiches are small, stale and not fun to eat. A cucumber cream cheese and a turkey one felt like there were from last week or recuperated from another tray of someone that did not eat it the day before. Our waiter barely left us time to take a picture when they brought the birthday cake because he wanted to go home. I still left him a tip but I should not have. He was not a good waiter.
Conclusion:Save your money ! Make a tea party at your house and buy something for the dolls at the store instead. Avoid the café !

Bad food and expensive cold and cheap. I expected better. Lovley place nothing special. Cucumber sandwiches yuck but good service. Coffe was burnt and cold. Food was not fresh. I noticed the cake when theu served the slices was not thr actual cake. The cake to go was not the actual cake its just probally slices from another cake. The cake was dry.

We booked the private room. Very expensive. The food was ok. The cake was really good. But really nothing that special. People go for the name. The server were ok. At the ending they charged my debit card wrong for more money and never even told me. After I looked at my bank acct I needed to go back and ask them, that it was when they told me they made a mistake. The party started late. I was vey very disappointed. Sorry. Not impressed. The employees are not that happy. After all I regret.

My daughter has Celiac disease and is on a strict gluten free diet. She asked for a birthday party at the American Girl Café in LA, and I was dubious about their ability to safely accommodate her. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Their kitchen manager took the time to consult with me prior to the party, and then during the party, our amazing server Jeremy was incredibly conscientious and making sure that my daughter’s meal was completely gluten free, and that all cross contamination was avoided. In addition to that, the 7 nine year old girls that joined us had the time of their lives.
Highly recommend for families with food allergies, as American Girl Café went above and beyond to make sure we were not only accommodated, but treasured.
Thank you!

Great service, good food and a magical experience for young ladies! Totally worth it! Love the view on the patio too! Not that expensive either! Make reservations WAY in advance! They are booked weeks ahead because it’s so special!

Called and was told I would be able to have lunch with my daughter. Walked into the store and asked customer service just to make sure, was told to head upstairs and check in, that I would be fine. Walked into the café, was told they only had one server, so we couldn’t eat there. There were only two tables being used! Two tables out of the entire room, yet we couldn’t eat there? After everyone telling me we would be able to? And after I just spent $ 800 in the store?! Yeah, never again.

My mother and I got food poisoning at the café on Saturday! We have no doubt that we became sick from the chicken… its the only thing she and I both had, that my daughters did not. I had the pasta with chicken and she had the chicken Caesar salad. We hadn’t eaten anything else that day, we attended the 12:30 lunch seating, and at 7:30 pm we became violently ill… at the same time!
This is an adorable establishment and my daughters had a wonderful time, but I’m very disappointed with how this situation has been handled. I understand that these things happen and mistakes are made, but considering the large amount of money that my mother and I spent both at the store and the restaurant, I expected better of the company.
I called customer service less than 24 hours after dining at the café, and was told I would be given a call back as soon as possible. It’s 4 days later and I’m still awaiting that call…
Unfortunately for my daughters, this is one customer who will not be returning.

This past weekend, my aunt and I went to a program they were hosting. We had very nice, tasty meals and great service. They gave us a plate and cup to take home for my dolls. Our waiter, Brent, was really nice! He helped us and told jokes (to all the people he was serving), he even brought us a piece of birthday cake for no charge– and it wasn’t even our birthday.

First off, I must say, we had an absolute fabulous experience and the Café exceeded my expectations in every single way. The whole thing from the moment we walked in till the moment we left was a positive experience. I feel that many places such as these (i.e. specialty stores) over charge for bad service and bad food and it doesn’t really matter because ultimately people will pay for it anyways… however this was not the case at all. The food was amazing and the portions were almost too big to finish.
Ok, so we shopped a little first and then we checked into the café. We were given a special birthday crown for my daughter and then were seated within the café. As we walked into the café we were transported to every little girls dream world. The décor was so cute. The walls were white and black stripped with pink flowers. The lamps where covered in flowers and the tables were set up perfectly (see the pics I posted, they do a much better showing what I am trying to describe). The girls each got a chair for their dolls that connected to the table. (and don’t worry if you have a little one who shows up to your party without a doll the café will provide her a doll to borrow). the dolls where given a place setting as well, and these place settings (little pink plates and little white cups) can be taken home. The dolls where also given little crowns.
I choose a birthday package that was $ 36 for each girl and $ 26 for each adult. The package included: «Warm Welcome» cinnamon buns, a «First Course» of cheese, strawberries, pretzel bread, honey mustard dipping sauce, baby carrots, celery and cucumbers with ranch dip. Then each guest got to choose their own entrees which included: Bitty Bites (a mini cheeseburger and mini hot dog) Tic-​Tac-​Toe Pizza, Chicken Tenders, Butterfly Pasta for the little ones. And the adults got to choose from: Pasta Pomodoro, Grilled Chicken Sandwhich, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, Herb Seared Salmon.
The package also included a very girly pink and white birthday cake that was brought out with candles while the waitresses sang Happy Birthday. They then sliced the cake and served it with ice cream… the ice cream was served in a flower pot with a flower in it.
Another fun bonus is that the package also included goody bags for the girls dolls: each girls doll received a birthday t-​shirt, a ballon for the doll, an activity book with stickers. Also the napkin ring holders where little bows attached to hair ties and the girls where also able to take those home… they where thrilled.
This is a must do if you have a little girl. My daughter absolutely loved it and do did her friend.

Came for a little girl’s birthday party, didn’t know what to expect for «adult» food. Seriously, the salmon. I was so pleasantly surprised! It was delish. I’ll post a pic. The birthday party details were awesome.

Wonderful day! The food and wait staff were wonderful! Kelly our waitress made it a very special Birthday for my granddaughter! The bitty bites & salmon was fabulous! The wine was yummy too!

3 Words–
THEY. SERVE. ALCOHOL.
Thank god for that! It is very expensive for what you actually get get. The food was decent. Service was wonderful. The girls had an amazing experience, and the parents were at least able to enjoy themselves a bit with a mimosa. Getting that liquor license was the best thing they ever did for themselves.

Yes it’s overpriced but this isn’t about saving money people, it’s about giving your girls a doll they will love for years to come and absolutely squeal w delight over shopping for the doll or dining at the café :).
Had Sunday lunch for my daughters bday here. All the courses were tasty & aesthetically pleasing. Our waiter Kevin was fantastic. The cake was adorable & very yummy. Total success of a party and worth every penny!

Whenever I’m at The Grove and walk by this place, I usually think about how I would never, ever take my child to this over-​priced doll store. Even if my child begged me.
But then my friend asked me to join her and her kids for lunch at the café for a birthday celebration with their cousins, and my perception changed. The food wasn’t amazing, but it was surprisingly a very nice experience, especially for the kids. The waiters were very attentive towards the children, the appetizers were all really cute, the salmon dish tasted fine, and the adorable desserts were pretty tasty. Everyone had fun, even my friend’s 9-​year-​old son who brought along his dog stuffed animal to sit in a highchair along with the girls’ dolls. I even enjoyed walking around the store afterward looking at all of the different types of doll displays, and I am definitely not a ‘doll’ person.
I still think this place is way over-​priced and ridiculous, but it isn’t a completely aversive atmosphere.