Trader Vic’s Los Angeles

Food was ok but the drinks were fun… during lunch or before a game at staples center the service is super slow in the bar area.
Not going to miss you much! Later dude!

This place was great! Sad it closed…
ya like any place you go to, sometimes the service/​servers suck, sometimes they don’t. The food was pretty awesome! I miss the Tiki drinks, especially the regular and guava mai tai!
Sea bass and Filet were BOMB! Some of the servers were great! Some of the people, nice, some not!
But it was definitely a great «different» option in LA Live, in LA period!
Greatly missed!

First they came for the service, and I did not speak out– because I am cheap and the happy hour was great.
Then they came for the food, and I did not speak out– because, meh, it was ok enough.
Then, they came for the prices… so I stopped going.
Their newest menu brings higher prices and smaller portions, with the same aloof service this place has become known for.
Skip it and hit up the Yard House next door… or any restaurant in the area, really. You literally could not do any worse than Trader Vic’s.

It is a great place after the game with coziness and a nice service.
After the Lakers game at Staples Center, my daughter and i came here to sip some drink and mix. Unlike the Yard House nearby, this place is quite cozy decorated of Hawaiian feeling. The Yard House is very crowded but this restaurant is very good for me because it is not as crazy as the Yard House. The staffs are also very friendly and attentive. She frequently coming and asking what else do we needed.
However, the food is not delicious and even worse this is very pricy. And they do not get the point what they really serve. There is no main theme. They serve sushi, meat, fries… all together but anything gets the point. No accurate menu.
But i had a great night having a good talk with my daughter until midnight.

Came here for happy hour.
Parking: Structure for LA Live. Not sure cost since I didn’t park inside.
Food:
The food portions are tiny.
We ordered chicken wings. We asked for spicy but it was not spicy.
And, who sells chicken wings but does not have blue cheese dressing.
The sliders were a bit dry.
The fries were decent. They were hot and crispy. So at least something I could enjoy eating.
Drinks:
I ordered the pineapple margarita. Taste was terrible. Why you ask?
Apparently the bartender did not add pineapple juice. As a plain margarita, it was not good either.
My guest got the pina colanda. It was terrible. I asked them to switch for mango margarita. She liked the mango margarita.
Overall, I would not recommend. There are several other dining options @ LA Live.

I had all of the same problems as the other girl who posted on 2÷9÷14, I think we were there at the same time. I was with just my boyfriend. We bought the groupon for Ramen Burgers (two ramen burgers and fries, two beers each and mochi ice cream).
I was really upset when we sat down because we were waiting for a waiter for so long. Finally, my boyfriend went over to the bar tender so we could at least get drinks started. The groupon said 2 beers each but I don’t drink beer. The bar tender was kind enough to give me a cocktail instead of two beers. Personally, I did not like that the place had so many children… and all the tables were right next to the bar. I kind of expected it to be a slightly classier place, but there were so many kids.
The nice bar tender turned the lunch around for me right away. He sent the waiter over very quickly and we put our order in. The waiter gave me another cocktail since they messed up the order a little bit but fixed it immediately. I know things happen. The waiter and bar tender were extremely nice to us and the food was actually really good and this is why they get 2 stars.
As for the price… so terrible. We ordered egg rolls as an appetizer for $ 9. It only came with two very small spring rolls. Everything on the menu was really expensive. The food was good but it just didn’t seem like a nice enough place inside. They had big TVs playing the basketball game. We were also charged an 18% gratuity automatically. We didn’t check the fine print on the groupon to find that it doesn’t say they will automatically do that.
Although I really enjoyed the food and the bar tender and waiter were doing a good job trying to make it a better experience, I will not go back here.
The Ramen Burgers were just okay.

My favorite place to go to before going to a Clippers game. Before I’m seated they always ask me if I’m going to the game (my Clipper gear a dead give a way). They always make sure that I’m not late to the game. Super fast and really friendly service every time.
My favorites:
miso sea bass
7 spice chicken
The peanut butter spread that comes with the crackers before your meal.
Beef cho cho as an appetizer (only if the people you share it with know how not to over cook it and make it into beef jerky)
The only thing that I don’t like is that the menu at the bar isn’t the same as the dining in. Also, you don’t get the yummy peanut spread with crackers. Just make a reservation on open table so that you’re able to enjoy the entrees.

4 stars strictly for the Miso Sea Bass — you cannot order anything other than this dish. There have been many attempts to stray away and ‘try’ something different. Anything other than the Sea Bass option is not up to par and does not give the Trader Vic any justice. The fish is the best I’ve tasted, and it literally just melts in your mouth. Others that order something else, are blown away by one bite and saddened that that’s all I will share.
The ambience inside makes me think of hawaii or the inside of the tiki room. Drinks are tropical and tasty.

Great atmosphere in the bar area, had a quick lunch and got the combo appetizer plate. Very yummy, only comment is the ribs were a bit fatty.
Would come here again for a drink!

We came back Sat to used our $ 25 gift cards and our waiter was a delight.
He made everything on the menu sound like something you must order because it was just that good!
We got complimentary peanutbutter and coconut spread with warm toasty bread and heart crackers! I liked that at Trader Vic’s there is 3 different sections, Outside patio area for some fresh air as well as people watching– an area just to watch the games and have some good ol happy hour drinks! The back area for a more intimate setting like a date or just a quiet time to enjoy your meal.
I had no idea that the quiet section had a huge fire pit where they toast their breads fresh and their pizzas!
anyways the room in the back was acutally quite cold so make sure to bring a jacket — air vents were incredibly generous that i was hoping they would just turn it all the way off!
i digress, I ordered the Vegetable curry with some sauces on the side (very good but don’t remember what it was called– mind you i was still sort of hung over from the night before in Vegas)
and a vegetable roll — the roll was blah but the curry was just the perfect thing to fix my hangover. nice and warm, (they need to add a vegetable soup of some sort that would of been PERFECT)!

Second visit to Trader Vic’s and first at the LA Live location. That should say something about my expectation yet it didn’t meet any of them. I should know better. The drinks, more specifically the Mai Tai… way too sweet. Felt like instead of using fresh ingredients, they used a mix in which case it would be too sweet. I’m sure that’s not the case though as a place that’s famous for it’s Mai Tai’s would never do something so hideous.
The food… well, it’s a step above Chinese take-​out. That’s what it tastes like. Is that a good thing, probably not. Then again, look at where this restaurant is located. This is a tourist destination, yet even I would think tourists would demand more authenticity than this. Trader Vic’s LA Live = FAIL.

«The drinks are strong, but the food is so-​so.»
Whenever I mention Trader Vic’s to anyone, they usually respond with, «Is that like Trader Joe’s?» No, no they are not associated. One is a Polynesian Tiki-​themed lounge/​restaurant and the other is a market.
I’ve been here twice for Happy Hour in the past couple months. The first time, the food was acceptable — the second time, it was horrendous. Both times, however, the drinks were strong.
— The «pulled pork» slider (s) looked like something you’d get out of an MRE in Afghanistan. It was basically an tablespoon or two of pulled pork on a King’s hawaiian roll. Dry… Bland… Sad.
— Both times, I ordered the calamari. The first time, it was fair. Second time… The calamari was greasy as all get out, completely unseasoned, and the marinara was watery. As a calamari-​lover, this was a total bummer.
OVERALL, it’s really about the reason you’re here: Food or Drink? If it’s the former, you might be a bit disappointed, at least in the Happy Hour bites. If you’re here for a fun, tasty, tiki drink, you’re bound to enjoy yourself. Atmosphere is fun (albeit a bit dark for some), nice for a date, or just an after-​work round of cocktails. Give Trader Vic’s a shot, and for the love of god, get yourself a shot, also… Or two. Or three.

Hard to rate a ‘meh’ location when I had great service but the food looked better than it tasted. I’d give it 3.5 stars.
Because the restaurant was so empty on a week night, 4 stars for service. Our server was attentive and polite and our food didn’t take forever.
Got a seafood platter, cream cheese ragoon and the famous beef choo choo. We also got 2 drinks, forgot what we ordered but damn they were stiff. I couldn’t finish mine because I’m such a light weight.
Seafood and cream cheese ragoon (wonton) weren’t so impressive. Not horrible, just not amazing enough for me to rave about it. Beef choo choo was the highlight of dinner. I enjoyed cooking the mini chunks of meat over a mini-​fire, too bad it tasted bland.
4 stars on the ambience of the place! Digging the tiki theme and the huge visible stove in the back where it seems like they get cook their meat (?).
Thumbs up on their drink menu and garnish/​accessory that comes with it.
I would recommend this place for people who wants a good strong drink.
Parking: find free street parking after 8pm, parking at LA Live is so pricey…

NOT IMPRESSED, AT ALL.
I really wasn’t expecting much. but it was still lacking in all areas.
The wait — arrived at 3:30pm (before a Kings game) and there was a 10 minutes wait, verus the 30−40min wait around the corner at Yardhouse. This place doesn’t take names, its a «first come, first serve» type thing and they make you stand in a line as if you were in a buffet…
The service — SO SLOWWWWW. This must have ticked me off because I apparently had a b*tch face that was unintentional. even the manager came by to make sure we’ve already been helped. It took forever to get menus, forever to get water, and no napkins or utensiles were given until I ASKED for them when the food finally arrived.
Now to the food — oh yea, the menu seems really limited. maybe because it was lunch.
TURKEY BURGER — hmm. it was ok.
BIG KAHUNA CHICKEN BURGER — it was better than the turkey.
TARO CHIPS — these were alright, tasted like chips you would find at an asian market or restaurant. could’ve been better if they made it fresh for every order. You can tell it was out for a while…
I probably would not come back here, ever, if it was my choice.

Have been twice now, both times via Groupon Deals and both times I had an enjoyable time, good service, good selection of tropical drinks and good food. If you go at dinner time be prepared to wait 30 – 60 minutes and on game day it’s best to get there right after the game and you should get seated almost immediately (if its an afternoon game).
Had the same waitress both times and while she was very nice she would get distracted by the crowds and we’d have to ask for items twice, but we were in no rush so wasn’t a big problem. Although, patio seating service appears to be slower than inside.
Check it out; especially if you can land a daily groupon type deal.

This place sucks ass… I don’t even think they deserve my time because even though they may think time is not of value or essence… IT IS!!! Maybe if they could instill this logical sort of workforce into the waitstaff and bartender, (or lack-​there-​of) this place may be able to one day not be such a waste of time, breath, effort and money.
Place is slow, we get seated pretty quickly, our party has about ten of us. We sit around… and sit around, and twiddle our thumbs and look around at nothing for a solid 20 minutes, no seriously, 20 minutes! «waitress» chick finally takes our drink order, half order soda, water etc, half order beer, yes just beer from the bar. Well, she comes back, with not even the waters to take our. order, bartender is standing there not pouring beer, waitress is just flat out dumb
Our food came out, we STILL have no drinks! None of us, at this point I have realized that in the world of foodchains these idiots are on the bottom and I am not, therefore I am better and cannot be pissed but instead decide to laugh coyly at the idea that people this idiotic really do exist in human nature. we did not get any drinks… not even water til we were done eating. The best part is that the moron at the bar working, was the ONLY person at the bar, no customers, no tickets being pumped out, just a douchebag in a tight t shirt.
Way to go Trader Vic;s good job on adding to the already «wonderful» downtown LA dining experience fails :)

Love Trader Vics…
Their atmosphere
The service
The food (sea bass!)
Their drink selection (drunk off one drink ya)
The coffee crème brûlée… (If I could marry a dessert, this one would be it. Sorry tiramisu)

I would have loved more tiki atmosphere! (My husband and I came here to reminisce our honeymoon in Hawaii.)
Once we found the place (we had a bit of trouble navigating the LA Live directory/​map and wandered the whole center), we were seated promptly for our 7:00 p.m. reservation. I opted for one of their fun, non-​alcoholic coccktails (something like a piña colada). Delicious! Just wish there was more beverage and not a huge cup of ice… six sips and poof — all gone!
I’m quite terrible at remembering creative named foods, but we had the beef skewer thingies for an appetizer (you know, the ones where they bring out the little fire hoorah for you to cook them on). Yum! And quite good fun! But it is a problem that the appetizer was my favourite part of the meal?
I had their chicken dish — like a sweet and sour chicken. I don’t eat fish, and am quite a picky eater, so pickings were slim. Chicken itself was good; even had a bit for leftovers. But nothing «wow.» My fault for ordering a typical dish? Perhaps… but there are way to make an even ordinary dish stand out.
Might come back if I’m feeling in an island mood…

Hey you around the corner at The Yard House waiting to get seated: you don’t have to stand outside with everyone else. You can walk right inside here instead.
When you’re a restaurant at LA Live and you’re not even crowded on a Friday night during happy hour, they call you Trader Vic’s.
We stopped here after a late afternoon event at the Staples Center to give it a shot. I had been to a Trader Vic’s in Portland (which was always super packed) for drinks but never anywhere else nor had I tried any of their food. We were here from about 5 to 6:30 which coincided well with HH.
The drink menu is fruity and fulfilling. In addition to millions of mai tais (mainly $ 6) the beer on tap ($ 4) is varied enough to include Hefeweizen. I don’t think someone could come here and not be happy with the drink options. Definitely an extensive menu but it makes sense to have a mai tai, so I had a vodka one.
For food we had kung pao buffalo wings and pork tacos as appetizers (each were $ 5). The wings didn’t have much zing considering they were kung pao, but they sure gave us a lot more wings than I expected. I went ahead and got a shrimp chow mein entrée too, which was $ 16. It was better than many basic chow meins elsewhere, it seemed sort of hot at first but that was more based on it being warm as after it cooled down it didn’t really have spice. I’d probably come back for dinner sometime as they had moo shu duck and a few other things that seemed intriguing.
Service was standard but I liked the setting here. We sat on these cool comfy chairs right next to their ginormous TV screen which is away from some of the other tables that are packed more closely together. Definitely relaxing which is exactly what I needed after starting my day at 4am and being all over the road from OC to SD to LA.
I’m not going to pump up this experience as being the greatest place at LA Live, but there was nothing wrong with it and I find it to be a totally acceptable alternative to the other offerings there.

So I like Trader Vic’s. If you are able to get past the tiki-​theme décor, it’s pretty good.
I stopped by here for lunch while working a convention at the LA convention center and it was pretty empty in the bar area, which I liked. I just wanted to have a quiet lunch. I ordered a Valencia roll and a California roll. Both rolls were well-​portioned and I was totally full. The quality was also good too. The Valencia roll was the better of the two.
I would definitely come here again.