Dominick’s

Now I’m sad. In my last review I was angry about the staff/​hostess working the front. They’re gone and Dominick’s became my home away from home. Great oysters, meatballs, artichokes, martinis, etc. But low and behold they are closing this month. This had been a great neighborhood restaurant for 67 years in total, a hang out for the rat pack in the day.

Old school restaurant since 1948. Great service and atmosphere, the food was very good but it was a little pricey for what you get. This restaurant will be closing its doors forever on the 20^th of December. A new restaurant company will take over and change its name and menu.

I am a huge fan of Dominick’s and the Sunday supper! The food is always good during the prefix menu for Sunday supper and you can’t beat the price for a bottle of house wine :) The patio is amazing and I can’t wait to come back

Dined here last night for a friend’s birthday. The atmosphere is great: Dim lighting, lots of candles and the back room is reminiscent of a garden even though you’re inside. So I love the look and feel of the place!
Our server Winston was a pro — attentive without hovering and with a great attitude at all times.
The food & drinks were just alright — hence the 3 stars. Most of our guests got the «Sunday Supper» which is a great $ 15 3-​course deal but since the main entrée was country fried pork I opted to order off the menu. Thanks to Unilocal I got the rice balls. Delish! They were big, cheesy and flavorful. I’d give those 4 stars. My entrée however, the bistro filet, wasn’t as flavorful and really wasn’t anything to write home about at all. It was tender though so I guess I’ll give them that, but it wasn’t the juicy tenderness that a medium-​done steak should be, so meh.
Apparently the place is closing at the end of the year so if you want to check it out just for sentimental value since it’s been in town for decades, do it now.

Why is this place closing?! One of my favorite LA restaurants. Solid food, reasonably priced, amazing atmosphere. Ugh, this sucks!

Why did the food go south? What happened? Sad.
Still adore the place though… probably will not return for dinner, but cocktails and wine and snack, sure.

Good food, but the food isn’t so good to warrant the snooty, slow, indifferent service. Our waiter took about 10 mins to get to us for drinks, then it took ages to give our order. Our appetizer plates weren’t cleared before our mains arrived; the delivery was terse and grumpy. It took us half an hour to pay.
And it wasn’t a busy night.
Save you money and go somewhere that isn’t banking on its past glories to excuse terrible service.
That said, the hostess on 11÷12÷15 was amazing and friendly and funny.

Can you say $ 4 – 6 HH cocktails 7 days a week? Yup, from 5 (when they open) until 7 pm daily. They call it «Five O’Clock Meeting»! And some great HH food options as well. Like what? How about $ 1.50 Baja oysters, $ 3 seasonal bruschetta, and a list of other items. *Disclaimer: the $ 4 drinks are referred to as «minis” — about 2 ½ oz maybe? So put 2 together and you have an $ 8 martini — still a good deal in this town.
I love this place for so many reasons, besides happy hour. Um, it’s 5 minutes from my home, it’s cool, there is street parking or $ 5 valet, and… wait for it… Frank Sinatra financed the place. Yes, the story goes something like Sinatra financed it for his childhood friend from the Bronx. And so the Rat Pack used to hang out here to help business, and probably also because it is a cool joint. Bonus — paintings of nude women are in the men’s room.
Bartenders, such as Jess, are pretty great. The patrons are a nice mix of normal people (from what I could tell). «Sunday Supper» looks pretty good! «Dominick’s Original Sunday Supper — Available every Sunday from 5 – 11 pm for $ 15 per person. Don’t miss out on a tradition that has spanned over decades at Dominick’s! «(Menu for that changes weekly.) The dinner entrée prices look pretty reasonable too.
I have been here a few times before I lived so close. But now I guess I better make this a regular stop. I’m kind of drawn to this place. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Cheers!

A perfect night to sit on their lovely outside patio for a mini family reunion. The white fish picata and grilled artichoke were mouth watering and heavenly. But the true champion was the impeccable 5 star service given to us by John… It’s because of him that we will be back.

ENVIRONMENT
Dark old Hollywood vibe, with an awesome large outdoor area, which is perfect for groups.
APPS
Avocado Toast — thick Texas toast style bread with avocado, balsamic and salt.
Meatballs — perfection and something we get every time we visit.
Peaches and burrata — Amazing combination and a must try.
SALAD
Black Tuscan Kale Salad — comes with a perfectly cooked egg, kale and Parmesan.
ENTREE
Whitefish — holy crap, this is good! Soaked in butter, topped with capers. Doesn’t come with a side, which is okay because this is rich.
Ribs — total meat and potatoes dish. The ribs are nice a smokey.

Visited here so many times and turned into a casual get together place for small or large groups of friends. I like their changing menus, especially the dinner special. Ate duck confit once. Well seasoned juicy meat served with cooked spinach, which was so good with red wine– good wine prices by the way.
Also had 20 people birthday party here few weeks ago. Manager was very kind and helpful. They had family style menus with budget conscious recommendations for us. Everyone were professionals, dishes were great, and all the guests left happy.

Happy hour review.
Happy hour is M-​F from 5−7PM in the bar area only.
The restaurant itself is a bit dark and dated. It is apparent that this place has been around for quite a while. There are many photos on the wall of celebrities who have dined here over the years. The bartender was quite friendly and very skilled.
They have select wine and cocktails for $ 4 – 6. They serve a great Moscow Mule with fresh ginger in a copper cup. Also, they have ‘little’ martinis, which are about ²⁄₃ the size of their regular, non-​happy hour priced martinis for a very reasonable $ 4. Their happy hour food menu features several appetizers and dishes from $ 1.50−16. This includes Oysters on the Half Shell for $ 1.50 each.
parking — metered or valet

I just love this place! I come here whenever I am in the mood for some good comfort food (Italian food is my definition of comfort food).
The ambiance is fantastic. We usually start at the inside bar for a round of drinks or two. The bar tenders aren’t super polite, but I don’t sit there for long, so it doesn’t bother me. Then we move to the back patio to dine. It’s gorgeous and relaxing. 4 or 5 courses later, we roll out happy and full. Just a simple good meal. It’s fantastic.
The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that the menu is very limited. I would like to see either more options, or the menu to change seasonally. That way I could come more often and not get bored with the menu options.

This review may or may not be biased since I came here for a friend’s rehearsal dinner which offered a set course dinner, but I have to say I really enjoyed everything on the menu!
We sat outside in a private area, and the waitstaff was attentive and accommodating the entire time. The fireplace and string lights set a cozy, relaxed mood.
Starters:
Crispy burrata — I loved the duality of textures. The panko crusted outside gave way to the pillowy soft inside of the burrata, making it very hard to stop eating.
Fried calamari — Such a staple app but this one fell flat. Was a bit bland for me, even with the accompanying marinara sauce.
Charcuterie board with baked ricotta — Can’t go wrong with cured meats and cheese. There was also a generous dollop of lardo, which some people were afraid of trying, but in my opinion pork fat spread over crusty bread is always a good idea. Roasted red peppers and pickled carrots were a nice counterpoint to all the meat.
Mains:
Grilled baby back ribs & potatoes — Wonderfully smoky, meat falling off the bones, very good.
Spaghetti and meatballs — Meatballs were great but pasta was overcooked, like when you nuke a bowl of pasta on the second day.
Chicken parmesan — Yum! The roasted zucchini and squash on the side were so good and had a nice kick!
There were also sides of sautéed market vegetables and fried potatoes (I wish these came out earlier because they were so crispy and good! Like patatas bravas without the sauce). For dessert there was a trio of gelato and warm skillet cookies. Nothing to write home about there.
Again, I can’t speak to a normal dining experience here, but I would gladly come back for another meal.

Man, I’m so conflicted and confused about Dominick’s. The location and physical space is really amazing — beautiful atmosphere and steeped in history. I could have spent days drinking wine on that magical patio. The wine and appetizers were GREAT, which made my experience with my entrée all the more confounding – I had no indication of what was to come.
I ordered the special, a rigatoni ragu with pork shoulder. Can’t go wrong there, right? Wrong. The pasta was overcooked and unbelievably bland. Shockingly bland. To the point that I had the following thoughts while I chewed my first bites: «…this *is* California… maybe they cook much healthier here, which results in tastelessness?» I also legitimatley considered whether something might be malfunctioning with my tastebuds/​nervous system. That’s how weirdly, unacceptably tasteless my pasta was. The pork shoulder, which I expected to be soft and juicy and tender and shredded, was chunky, dry and tough.
I live in NYC so I am, admittedly, exposed to the best of the best when it comes to Italian food. But I’m also easy to please, and would almost never not finish something you put in front of me (definitely a psychological/​eating disorder). The fact that I couldn’t come close to finishing this dish says a lot. Weird, Dominick’s. Just weird.

I like the atmosphere and the house wine.
The food however was not so good.
Got 2 dinner specials
Gumbo soup was super salty
Salad was ok
Wine was good
Pudding was nice and light
Also got the bb back ribs which where dry and bland. Barely edible
The spaghetti and meatballs where good
Service was mediocre at best
Had to flag down waiters to get water.
When we complained about the gumbo they replaced it with meatballs and gnocchi which was ok again… Not great.
Would prob not come back for the food.

Popped in here for drinks with a girlfriend one evening. The place looked promising and I was expecting it to be quaint and posh. It had a rustic feel, a dimly lit, romantic Italian charm. It was a weeknight so there were a handful of people and to my surprise we had a couple of star siting’s. I didn’t get star struck but it was interesting to recognize actors in a dimly lit restaurant just enjoying a night out with their dates.
Anyhoo, we grabbed a couple of glasses of wine (I had a really good Sangiovese but sadly, I cannot remember the name nor did I care to take a picture of the bottle). My girlfriend had a chardonnay she seemed to like. The female bartender was not really engaging and walked away after pouring our drinks. She didn’t bother to check on us and stood at the end of the bar talking to another server. Since drinks and food were pretty pricey and we had already eaten, we left after finishing our glass of wine and felt no need to linger. It was a nice place to get a drink and I might have enjoyed it more if I was out in the patio and enjoying the delicious food I hear Dominick’s serves.
Parking: Valet is offered but because we came from shopping and visiting friends at Cedar Sinai, we parked at the Beverly Center.

Came here last night with my coworkers for a Sunday night family dinner. Got there a little early so we stopped off at the bar and I had my first moscow mule. SO GOOD. I want to go back just for another one of those! It felt like a snow cone for an adult.
And the food. I think if it was any other dish, I would have been the happiest camper in the world, but it was cod and I can’t do fish… I tried, and it seemed bland, but after I squeezed a bunch of lemon on it I could take a few more bites. Ha! Anyways, ignore me. I’m not the person’s opinion that matters since I didn’t have a choice in that matter.
The good things though! The appetizers were amazing! I especially loved the calamari. The bread was delicious, but they only bring you a little bag with a slice of bread cut into two, MAYBE three slices and we had about ten of us, so we had to keep asking cause it was just so good.
Wine was delish! Both the house red and white.
Had a cappuccino at the end which was the perfect ending the night.

The food here is only average and is extremely overpriced. The service is even worse.
I am usually a very patient customer but the lack of service here was unacceptable. It was hard to get a waiter/​waitress and it took a VERY long time (35 minutes to be exact) for our orders to be taken. It wasn’t busy…
We also asked for bread to start with but were told that there was no bread left, since it was «REALLY late on a Sunday night.» Were we being guilt tripped for walking in an hour and 15 minutes before closing time? I then asked another waitress if there was anything that could replace bread as a starter, and then they brought out a basket of bread…(???)
Overall, it wasn’t a good experience and I won’t be coming back, unfortunately.

During our visit to LA, my traveling companion developed a craving for spaghetti and meatballs. A quick Unilocal search led us to Dominick’s
We could tell just from the outside of the building it was an iconic location. From what we read about the location, it was a place the Rat Pack frequented. We could totally see why and actually felt the presence of Hollywood greatness — not just in the many autographed headshots on the wall, but it seems their spirit is in each and every floorboard, rafter and wall in the restaurant. Even the restrooms carried that spirit — using the ladies’ room, I could picture Marilyn Monroe applying her lipstick at the antique mirror or Audrey Hepburn smiling and saying hello as she washes her hands.
So, the interior is amazing and the atmosphere is conducive to hanging out and savoring your beverage; it would be completely remiss to not talk about the food.
I ordered the rice balls as an appetizer, because I’d read so many raving reviews. Oh my word, they were balls of amazeness. With a perfectly breaded and fried (not at all greasy) outside, seasoned rice surrounds the surprise middle of mozzarella that just bursts into flavor with every bite. So heavenly.
Oh yes, before I forget, we MUST talk about the bread — it was perfectly squishy and warm with an awesome sesame crust. The only thing that could make it better is real butter! Oh yes, that butter was real and presented in the coolest little porcelain cup. I wanted to eat the butter all by itself — it was so fresh and delicious.
For an entrée, I chose the gnocchi — and it was unlike any other. Very obviously homemade and hand cut, the texture was extraordinary and the sauce made me want to do a jig in the middle of the aisle! So very good!
People, do yourself a favor and try this semi-​hidden gem!

Love Dominicks. Can’t go wrong here. Rice balls 100%. Do it. You’ll thank me later. And the meatballs? Done and DONE!!! However… one star revoked for the idiot manager taking the best dessert off the menu. RIP skillet chocolate chip cookie. Man. What a shame that is. Dominicks– find your brain and put your best selling dessert back on the menu. Seriously???
UPDATE: so I wrote the above 5 mins ago. Since then, I asked why they took it off the menu. They’re making us a skillet cookie made specially for us even though it’s off the menu. THERE IS A GOD! and that’s what you call good service. Back to 5 stars Dominicks, you earned it!

Came here twice for big group dinner. One time is for a friend’s bday party, second time I was the host.
Both time we were seated at the backyard garden which is quite pleasant on a summer night. Food wise we had the preset menu and the price is very affordable. The fried rice ball was delicious and the cauliflower risotto was a special one that I liked.
Pretty friendly staff and easy to work with.

My biz associates and I came by here after a biz gig next door at Hooray Henry’s. Domenick’s offers Italian fare, w/​o too much fanfare. I was starving so I ordered the fried calamari ($ 10) and meatball sandwich ($ 16). The meatball sandwich came w/​a ton of roasted new potatoes & bacon, so I ordered way too much food. On the other hand, my friend ordered the octopus salad ($ 14 — not pictured).
The calamari was a decent sized portion, but other than that, it was nothing special: 3 Stars. Secondly, the meatball sandwich looked massive, but it was primarily bread (focaccia) & potatoes. Despite the foregoing, the potatoes were very good. They were crisped nicely, and everything is better w/​bacon: 3 Stars for the sandwich, but 4 Stars for the potatoes. Lastly, the octopus salad looked very appetizing (sorry, but my friend dove in before I snapped a pic). There was a large amount of octopus, he said it was tender, and I believe they used ink in the dressing: 4 Stars.
The ambiance is pretty nice. The main bar at the entrance is old skool, and there is a large mirror as you exit so you can check yourself out (which every woman did — LOL!): 4 Stars. Service was just OK though. We could not obtain the bartender’s attention where we originally sat, so we moved next to a blonde and brunette on the other side of the bar (more on that later). The food came out quickly, but the bartenders were slow on refills: 3 Stars.
I would not go out of my way to return for the food, but the scenery was pretty good. The ladies next to us were very nice and we struck up a convo. The blonde, Elise is a foodie and we started comparing notes on restaurants in the area. Turns out she hasn’t spent much time in DTLA, its her birthday soon, and she wanted to try Bestia (Hmmm, what a coincidence… So do I — hahaha!). So if she doesn’t flake and you see me check in to Bestia, you will know that Domenick’s might not have the best Italian food, but as opposed to Henry’s next door, he does know how to hook a brother up! — LMAO!!!

My mind works in the strangest of ways, and when I walked into Dominick’s my first question was: When were Sharpies invented? You know, the permanent markers?
The answer: «Sharpie» was originally a name designating a permanent marker launched in 1964 by the Mason Sargent Ink Company. The Sharpie also became the first pen-​style permanent marker.
Why: Well, I was in complete awe of all the famous faces that kept a watchful eye over us in the bar while waiting for our table to open up. It was mind blowing! So mind blowing that I had to question if all of these Hollywood somebodies were actually ever there. How do I debunk that? By finding out what year Sharpies were invented. Turns out the rich and famous truly loved this place as much as I did.
We stuck to the basics when it came to food. Calamari, rice balls, spaghetti and meat balls, braised short ribs, potato croquets and panna cotta, which were all delicious and served family style. I particularly enjoyed the short ribs — tender and didn’t sit in your belly like a brick. My recommendation when it comes to the drinks? Well, wine is always good but if you are looking for a little adventure, order the penicillin. It is famous grouse scotch, fresh lemon, honey and ginger syrup finished with a touch of Laphroaig 10 year served on big ol’ ice cube.
Good enough for Emma Roberts, good enough for me.