Buggy Whip Steak House

This place is closed. The new owners tried to change an old school steakhouse to a jazz club. What a blunder! There aren’t many of these types of places left. What a shame!

I would always make a point to always eat there when driving down from Bay area. The Green Goddess salad was awesome and the Chicken Picatta was the best. Just one more old school dinning spot gone. I never minded paying more for the great food and service. The new Mgt failed to see that.

Ugh! Please change your menu… again. Maybe change your chef. If you’re going charge these prices then you need to step it up a bit. Please!

The Buggy Whip has closed. See what happens when new management changes a good thing.
I am really sad.

Good bye old friend! Growing up in Westchester in the 50’s & 60’s, the Buggy Whip was one of our neighborhoods finest along with Kings X & The Cavalier. Remembing as a kid going there with my parents & brother for that special dinner. Even now some 50 years later & having moved back to the South Bay, we found ourselfs going to the BW every few months for the food as well as the nostaigia. Such a fixture and the last of its kind in the old neighborhood! Not sure as to why she closed, but I’ll miss yet another part of both my childhood gone forever, now being well into my 60’s.

We recently found out about a great gem in the middle of the city– blocks from my house– that provides one of the best buffets I have been to in a while. The Buggy Whip and their bottomless mimosa champagne buffet brunch!
I requested that my family have my 30^th birthday brunch there and we were SO not disappointed.
I was surprised that it wasn’t more busy than what it was, bottomless mimosas and a WONDERFUL buffet brunch at a local (LA historical restaurant) place.
The staff there were so attentive and courteous that we really couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Oh yeah, how could I forget the piano player that just crooned to my 85 yr old grandmother the entire time, making it not just a wonderful affair for me and my birthday– but something that my family really enjoyed as well.
Don’t sleep on the Buggy Whip people.

Very disappointing. The place has such great character, and used to be a fun place to go for a drink or dinner. But the new owners have made changes that are not for the better.
They now charge for parking, which is ridiculous.
The have valets which is completely unnecessary.
They have a jazz band playing in dining area while the pianist/​singer is playing in the bar area. Both suffer as a result.
They pulled out the seating booths in front of the bar area (yes, they were a little uncomfortable, but they had character). But instead of just leaving it open or replacing it with nicer seating booths, they put cheap card table’s up with cheap chairs. The bar was full so we tried sitting there, but it felt very awkward. So we sat in the bar dining area, where the more affordable bar menu is not available. So we’re now «forced» to eat off the more expensive restaurant menu. If the place was packed, I would get that, but there was literally only one other couple eating in that area.
One complement I’ll give is that the service was great, but unfortunately the food was sub-​par and not worth the price.

My husband and I have been to the Buggy Whip on many occasions, and have always had a good experience. We would sit in the bar area and listen to the piano guy and have a relaxing, tasty meal. This was our first time visiting since the new management took over. I’d read reviews on here about the negative changes, but we figured it deserved a try since we loved it so much before. We took our friends with us last night.
The service was the only bright spot. And I say that now even after finding out that my girlfriend and I were both charged twice for dinner. And there was a guy who kept coming around asking us if things were ok. Not once, not twice, but like 5 times. Kinda weird and slightly annoying, but at least they were attentive and friendly.
We ordered the crab cakes and sauteed mushrooms for an appetizer. The crab cakes were bland (and like $ 13!!!), and we had to send the mushrooms back because they were cold and a couple weren’t even cooked at all. They came back completely cooked to death, but at least they were hot.
After being informed that there was no shrimp available, it was clear that I would have to order a steak. Most cuts of meat have the ounce size displayed next to them. Some of the steaks were super big, and it was unappetizing to think about ordering a 2 pound piece of meat. The quality of the meat has changed, and there was no flavor whatsoever. My husband got a $ 35 steak which was tasteless and fatty. We never experienced that before. The green goddess dressing used to be delicious, but now just tastes like green mayo. The croutons on the salad were impossibly hard to eat. The chocolate cake desert was hard and served on a plate drizzled with chocolate and some other kind of sauce… An attempt to be extra fancy, but just looked like a mess.
We were told a band would come on at 9. They didn’t start until 10, and we didn’t hear them play because we had already been there for 2 hours, and we were over the wait anyway. There was a weird couple who was with the band I think, and they were clearly having relationship issues, and they felt they needed to work on them while standing by our table.
It’s sad to admit, but we’ll never be back.

We have been going to the buggy whip off and on for over 30yrs… did’nt like the
menu change… I had the rack of lamb (small portion) not a rack at all!!! taste OK… my husband had salmon which was overcooked. We also had calimari sautee which was awful!!! Drinks are small… crown changes not for the better after 7:00pm. The worse thing of all, after paying the bill the waiter never came back to the table thanking us for coming, I had to ask for him (4) times before he came to the table Not happy!!! This was not a coffee shop… should have been treated better

Come ye to thine place of meat!
Let me first say that one of my favorite steakhouses growing up in Portland was Old Country Kitchen. I was one of those kids who could take down a full steak dinner and then want to stop for a sundae on the way home. I’m pretty sure I bypassed any/​all Kid’s Menus during my childhood. Aside from wonderful aged steaks, OCC was all about just bringing you food! Without asking! Bread, veggies with awesome dipping sauce of which I covet the recipe, soup or salad, your meal with yet another starch side item and then a free scoop of ice cream for dessert.
While not as well-​lit, Buggy Whip Steak House hangs on to the tradition. Yes, you’re eating a steak, but you definitely need all these side dishes. You are going to want that Lobster Bisque you can also use as grout on your kitchen tile (and yet is still delicious). You’ll want that green goddess salad dressing. You’ll want the garlic mashed potatoes that this garlic-​lover realized she could probably use it in place of minced garlic in any/​all of her home cooked recipes (Holy Garlic, Batman). And you’ll look at the petite fillet and then decide to get the big one.
Had we gone to Mastro’s or STK for Valentine’s Day, it probably would’ve been just as good or better. But there would be no awesome story behind it. You say, «I went to Mastro’s» and everyone knows what’s up. You say, «I went to Buggy Whip» and everyone thinks you went on an Oregon Trail reenactment. This place is as old school as it gets and definitely has its fans, but it’s not for everyone. You might not be down with the live music. In that case, ask for a table in the other room and you won’t hear it at all. This place was packed on Valentine’s Day, plus they had a private party going on. The wait staff was hustling and doing a great job.
If you want a great steak without needing a chef’s statement behind it, go to Buggy Whip. You’ll get your fix.

*** Under new management as of 6 months ago or so … ***
Now the thrill is gone. My filet mignon was overdone & lifeless.
The meatballs at happy hour were as hard as stones, and beer
selection boring. The crowd? Let’s just say, they all have AARP.
*** This was a sleepy chilled spot. Yet now it needs life support. ***

This was one of our obsessions for a long time. What is the Buggy Whip? A bar? A restaurant? A nightclub for senior citizens? I guess you could say it’s all of those! We finally tried, and… well, guess I got that out of my system!
We went on a Friday night, you know when it’s hoppin’. Except that by then the regulars were home watching reruns of Matlock. Good for us since we got the prime corner table, which gave us a view of the whole restaurant.
The space is oddly configured. The tables line the walls, with plenty of space for big groups. The centerpiece is a piano player, singing whatever you want! Lots of requests for classic Neil Diamond or any of the Rat Pack. He was really friendly, giving shout outs to the tables and announcing college football scores as they came along (that wasn’t normal, there just happened to be a big game that night).
We went with the big prime rib plate, and the rib eye. The price includes sides, so we went with mashed potatoes on one and french fries on the other. Also comes with soup or salad, so fiancé had the Green Goddess salad and I went with the lobster bisque. The salad was good, but had an odd, unnatural, off-​putting green tint to the dressing. They said it’s homemade; do they use plutonium in their recipe? My lobster bisque was more salty than I like but had more of a lobster character than other places. I also order a Manhattan, which came on the rocks (who does that?), even after I specifically asked for it up. Too much vermouth. I expected better.
The food came and all appeared well. The fries tasted frozen; if they’re fresh then they’re just not properly cooked. My mashed potatoes were a high point for me. I wasn’t too into the steaks. They were good, yes, but they are rib eyes. Of the two, I liked my rib eye better, but not much more than basic rib eye flavor; had to salt on my own. The prime rib was the opposite, way too salty on the outside! But then it was pretty bland in center.
No need for dessert, and in my opinion no need to come back. Have seen lots of complaints about management and something about a coupon online. They really bring it up too much, too many signs outside about it. Don’t need management yelling at me as I walk in. Maybe when my taste buds start to go I’ll appreciate this place more, but until then I’ll take my steaks at The Palm.

Buggy Whip is a red leather booth steak and potato «old school» neighborhood dinner house near the LAX airport. I’ve eaten here lots of time over a thirty year period. Recently, a new owner has taken over. Not much has changed.
Three of us guys met for dinner drinks at the bar, first, and then dinner. Two bone-​in prime ribs served medium rare and the large NY steak (medium rare requested, also) dinners (4 stars) were very good, although the medium rare order for the NY actually came only medium/​slightly pink in the middle; my only real criticism, other than the wonderful corn bread they used to serve in their bread basket has gone by the wayside with the new owners/​régime.
Dinners come with your choice of soup (tonight it was lobster bisque and something else???) or salad (they pimp their Green Goddess dressing… tonight we all had the bleu cheese which we all love), and your choice of potato and whatever veggies they have for the day (4 stars).
Tonight, the veggies were excellent… Steamed broccoli and green beans, finished with a very light coating of butter (4 stars).
Our gentleman server was attentive and efficient: 4 stars.
Wine: Limited choices, but OK: 3 stars.
Cocktails: Petite rock glasses and resultant demure pours, but not overpriced (3 stars).

Years and years of driving past this place that I finally make a stop to check it out. And it was a pleasant visit.
Parking plentiful. Easy on/​off access to the 405 Frwy.
Bar specials daily to 7 pm are a list of various dishes they serve priced at $ 5,$ 7,$ 9 per plate. No sure about their happy hour drink prices…
Tossed Green salad with their green goddess salad dressing is a must have.
BONE IN PRIME RIB… their house specialty.
I had their Rack of Lamb = New Zealand lamb lightly seasoned with their selection of herbs and grilled to perfection. I ordered «medium– more to the medium rare please». And that’s what I got. I like the meat to be medium rare and the fat grilled up crisp. And they did exactly that.
I was told they are also famous for the stone crab when in season. So I made a mental note for my next visit.
Jazz pianist in house.
This restaurant has been around for more than 50 years I’m told so that makes them one of LA’s icons of steak and seafood houses

3.5 Stars
I came here for my husband’s birthday on a Tuesday night and the place was empty with only 2 other tables taken. My first impression could be summarized with one word: old. The exterior of the building looked old, the booth we sat in looked old, the décor was old school style, and the crowd was old. No offense or anything, but we were the only couple under 30; everyone else was over 60. Buggy Whip looks like a ghost of a fancier time. (I have a feeling this was a hip, popular restaurant back in the day.)
The service was very warm and friendly though, I must say. My husband’s ground steak was just the right portion, chewy, and flavorful. My sole filet was creamy and intentionally fried — not bad! Because it was my husband’s birthday, two waitresses came out singing with a complimentary dessert. I wanted to like the place badly because they were trying so hard! Alas, I have to be honest. The food didn’t blow me away and the atmosphere was a bit dull (not my cup of tea). This is definitely a place my grandparents’ generation would adore. However, I’d like to come back and check out the piano night at the bar!

4.5 Stars for The Buggy Whip! Delicious steaks!
The Buggy Whip is located on La Tijera Blvd, close to the 405 entrance. It is a very non-​descript restaurant on the outside, but is packed with tons of history inside! When you come here, you have to be in the mindset of «I’m going to a good historical restaurant with great steaks and seafood!». Buggy Whip has been around since 1954 and has been serving some classic dishes with pride!
We were welcomed at the Buggy Whip by the glamerous hostess (beautiful like Linda Evans in her younger days on Dynasty), Wendy. As soon as we walked in, she flashed a smile and had a warm welcoming voice. You should know that the hostess oftentimes sets the mood for the rest of your experience in the restaurant. Wendy was very classy and we knew we were in for a good time!
There are about 20 big booths in the main dining area. The dining hall is decorated with dark browns and red vinyl seats — typical of the 1960’s-1970’s. We were greeted by a super professional and friendly wait staff, Tony. He was exactly what you would have expected from a classic steak joint. Tony shared some of the more popular items on the menu and made some suggestions for ordering.
Drinks was a Bombay Sapphire Martini ($ 11) and a Dirty Gin Martini made with Beefeater ($ 10.50). No complaints here. The drinks were classic and made well. HECK — if I had known that it was only a $ 0.50 difference between a higher grade gin, I would have upgraded! Drinks Grade: B+.
Our meal started off with a green salad with the famous «Green Goddess» salad dressing. The salad looked like a Cesar salad, made with crisp Romaine lettuce and topped with croutons. The Green Goddess dressing was a house secret, made with mayonaise, anchovies, and green food coloring (?). It was a plain and simple salad. I was not impressed by the salad, but I can see how many people like it. Grade: B.
I ordered the Roast Beef with full bone in ($ 38.95). There was an approximate 22 oz slab of roast beef put on my plate (see picture). The meat almost covered the entire plate! It was well aged, juicy, tender, and flavorful! The roast beef was well seasoned with salt and pepper with a nice crust. It was accompanied by red cabbage and a baked potato (complete with sour cream, butter & chives). I tore into my steak and made the restaurant proud! The hostess, Wendy, came by the table to check on us and said that there was no way I would have eaten the entire dish. Girlfriend was WRONG! I ate all of the steak, except for about a 3“x4″ piece of it. She came back at the end of the meal to once again check on us, and was amazed that I ate as much as I did. OF COURSE — the roast beef was outstanding! (I gnawed at the bone because that was the best part.). DELISH! Grade: A!
My tablemate ate the Fillet Mignon ($ 44.95). You should have seen the dish — the meat was bigger than your fist. It was super well cooked — very well cooked on the outside, and red tender on the inside! His dish came complete with red cabbage and french fries. I took a taste and it was super delicious. Very well aged meat with bursting flavors! Grade: A!
Dinner was closed with a glass of house Cab ($ 9.50) and a cup of Coffee ($ 2.75).
Why go to New York or Chicago for those old fashioned great steak restaurants, when you can go to the Buggy Whip here in Los Angeles?! Luckily I live within a 3 mile radius of this restaurant, so I’ll be coming back here again and again! Next time, I’m grabbing a drink on the bar side of the restaurant — where it looks like «Cheers» and they have a nightly piano player. Can I please sing a song?
Great Steaks and Seafood! Grab a
gift certificate if they are still available, and you’ll save some cash! I paid $ 25 for a $ 50 GC, and used it with a $ 100+ purchase. Sooo worth it! Next time, I’m ordering the two 1.25 lobsters for $ 39.95 or the crab claws with drawn butter!
Food Grade: A for steaks; B+ for everything else!
Service Grade: A!
Overall impressions: B+/A–
Thanks Buggy Whip for bringing great food to the neighborhood!

Whenever I travel with the family, I usually stay at the Hilton LAX and take advantage of their park and stay package. Whenever we do this, we usually eat at the Buggy Whip.
The Buggy Whip is a time warped 70’s steakhouse complete with red naugahyde booths. If you like it dark and cozy, sit in the main dining room. If you like music or maybe want to watch a game on TV, sit on the bar side. This side has a couple of small tables in the lounge and several additional tables in the adjacent 2^nd dining area.
The food here is pretty good in general and the portions are healthy. It’s a rare treat to have escargots for an appetizer these days as you can never find them on any menu anymore. The prime rib (roast beef on the menu) is excellent and their steaks are top notch. The ribeye comes with caramelized onions and some sort of demi glacé which is not that good and which I completely ignore. All the entrees come with soup or salad and a side which is plenty of food.
This place is somewhat famous for their stone crab, but I was not impressed. For $ 38, you get 4 or 5 good sized claws Even as a crab lover, these are just ok. I would rather feast on a whole dungeness crab. During certain parts of the year, they do a twin lobster special (2 1.5 lb maine lobsters) for under $ 30. That is a relative bargain these days.

Sorry but I have to say it, The Buggy Whip served up the worst steakhouse meal of my life.
This place is old school, dark wood, no windows, and old people, lots of old people. First sign of trouble came with the salad. It was served as a large, not chopped head of greens with some dressing on the side. It was ridiculous! Why are you making us cut it up and toss it on a flat plate?! It also came with no other veggies, just the lettuce.
Then the wife’s mussels came, sandy and raw. Just about every mussels had a grain of grit in it and maybe half of those were under cooked. Now don’t try to tell me that it’s normal to find sand in your shellfish, we’ve eaten plenty of mussels at many restaurants and this was only the second out of dozens that had this much sand. Plus, having raw shellfish instantly made her lose her appetite.
And lastly my steak, that poor poor piece of meat didn’t know what was coming. It was over cooked, under seasoned, and very very chewy. I could tell they didn’t have a hot enough pan/​oven to sear and cook it in, as the amount of med-​rare meat was kept to a minimum deep in the center and the steak itself had little crust. It was a chore to eat to say the least.
But at least I finally tried the last local steakhouse in my hood, no need to go back to any of them.

Ok, I can’t say that this is 5-​star food. But my friends brought me here for an early birthday dinner because they know I’m nostalgic about this place — my parents used to take me here when I was a kid.
It’s that old type place, big red leather booths, low lighting, waiters who have probably been there for 30 years. My friends had prime rib and chicken parmesan. The prime rib and steaks are great here. The other dishes are sort of so-​so. I had the mahi mahi and scraped off the pineapple sauce. The fish was fresh and tasty. What bugged me was that there was a teeny tiny little piece of broccoli — I guess they figure most people don’t eat their veggies. But the salad with green goddess was just like I remember it! Yummy and caloric.
The Buggy Whip makes their own cheesecake and it’s pretty fabulous. Thick graham cracker crust and — most important — the layer of sour cream on the top.
A nice dinner with nice friends on a nice occasion. Your grandparents would love this place.

I have driven by this place and always wanted to go there just for the name. It makes me giggle. I am 12, sue me.
Anyway, there was a discount certificate thing on
and I HAD to go and drag my friend with me in the process (she is also 12 and just as intrigue with a place called «The Buggy Whip» as I.
We head over last Sat night and the first thing I love about this place is… ready? A PARKING LOT. God how I love restaurants that have an actual place to park the car. No circling like buzzards hoping to snag a spot. It is bliss, I tell you.
We head in and it was like walking into a time warp. To the right is the ego wall with many pictures of what I am assuming is the owner posing with various people. A woman was standing at the front and said «They’ll be right with you.» as she picked up her to-​go order. interesting.
Then a server walks by and asks if we’ve been helped. «no» we reply and she says «someone will be right with you.» We waited for this «someone» who then sat us at a red booth against the wall. Cornbread and rolls were brought and we perused the menu. Our waiter was a mix of graciousness and dry sarcasm. I kinda liked him.
Steaks were decent. Mine was the largest filet mignon I think I have ever been served and my friend’s «gentlemen’s cut» of the prime rib was for a big olé meat loving gentleman, apparently. Her garlic mash was tasty, though my baked tater could have used some more time in the oven. Also, when they asked if I wanted chives, they did not really put chives on the potato, it was a pile-​o-​green onions.
The green goddess dressing was an impressive shade of green, kind of like a grasshopper (the drink, not the insect) and was really garlicky. I am used to more herb tasting GG, the garlic kind of took over. I also had the clam chowder. This was not bad, but not many clams and some herbs and/​or spices that I normally don’t taste in clam chowder. I’d pass and get something different (a salad or a different soup) were I to do this again.
Since our guy forgot to bring our shrimp cocktail out, he gave us a dessert, which was sweet of him. We chose (against my better judgement, I will NEVER learn) red velvet cake. I will refrain from my diatribe on how red velvet cake has been bastardized by becoming a trend and no one understands what it is — this cake was no exception to that. It tasted like birthday cake, but it was red. Not bad, but don’t go thinking you are getting the most traditional of odd Southern culinary contributions.
We left satisfied and the dinner was decent. I am really wanting to head back to people watch at the bar, I am thinking that might be a fun night.