Baja Beach Bar-Closed

Baja Beach Bar
6613 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-378-6151

I was near Hollywood and Highland, and started walking east on Hollywood Blvd.  I came up to Baja Beach Bar, and while it is really a tourist trap, stopped in here for a late lunch.

As the name suggests, it's a beach themed bar.  The bar is on the left side of the space.  Booths and hi top tables are spread out throughout the restaurant.  They blast the music in here, so much so, that you need to speak loudly with the person at your table.

Fish tacos- basa fish, $9.79.  The fish tacos come with some chips.  Most places beans and rice are included, but here those are about $3.50 more.  The fish was grilled, and was ok.  The portions could be bigger.  The cabbage was fresh.  But, there was nothing outstanding about this fish taco.

Service was good.

I wasn't expecting much from Baja Beach Bar, and it met my expectations.  I won't go back.

Rock House Sliders-Closed

Rock House Sliders
7950 W Sunset Blvd Ste 103
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-952-6016

Rock House Sliders- RHS for short, opened up about two weeks ago in the space that used to be Luca on Sunset-which was a nice restaurant with a good vegetarian menu.

It's a big space with the right part of the building the kitchen and the order counter.  The left part has tables spread throughout. 

Veggie Burger-$4.89- Imposssible burger patty, lettuce pickles, and American cheese.  This is bigger than what most people would call a slider, but not as big as a regular sized burger.  It was fine, but for the portion and price, not a good value at all.  You can get a full sized Impossible burger at Fat Burger for about $10 and the portion would be double this.

Cheesy fries, $2.89.  The fries were cold, and the cheese sauce had a weird texture, as if too much flour was put into the roux, or at worse this is a powdered cheese sauce.

Service was ok.  The guy, who maybe the owner or manager was nice, helpful and friendly.  The cashier who was next to the guy, was just going through the motions.  Not friendly, not helpful-I asked if that Veggie burger was vegan.  She said yes.  I said what about the American cheese.  That's when the manager stepped in and told me they are working on a 100% vegan burger.  You get a pager and when it rings you pick up your food.  When I picked up my food nobody said thank you, or even acknowledged I was there.  Then there was a worker in the dining room and the entire time he was mopping the floor.  Must have been 45 minutes.  The room isn't that big.

Maybe they need time to work out the kinks, but this is a very pricey, small portion place and their claim to fame-being halal, isn't true for this franchise!  There is The Counter maybe 100 yards east and I doubt this was last too long.  But, I wish them the best.

Cocobella

Cocobella
1253 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-848-4672 

In the same shopping center as Doomies Home Cookin, home of the vegan Big Mac, Cocobella is a vegan ice cream place.  The space used to be an Eastern European restaurant that closed, matter of fact, I never saw one customer in there, while I was at Doomies.  One great thing I found out, Doomies has opened their Next Mex restaurant, right next door.  It's vegan Mexican!! 

Anyways a bright, airy place with the ice cream along the back wall, and some tables in the front.

Toasted smores, $5.50.  This is made out of coconut milk and soy.  It was very tasty, but the texture threw me off.  It was very grainy!  I really don't know what causes this to be grainy.  If this wasn't grainy, I would have liked it much more.

Service is good.  The lady was very nice and helpful!

I would go back to Cocobella.  They gave samples and I tried the salted caramel, and it was good, but wasn't as grainy. They have different flavors at different times of the year.  The strawberry lemonade looked really good! That will be my choice when I come back for Doomies Next Mex!

Natalie Peruvian Seafood Restaurant

Natalie Peruvian Seafood Restaurant
5759 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-463-8340

Natalie Peruvian Seafood Restaurant has been on my list of places to try for a few years.  I'm not usually in the area, but when a friend wanted to try Peruvian for her birthday, I remembered Natalie.  Located in a small shopping center with a 7-11, a Thai restaurant, and another California Donut, Natalie is a a small restaurant with about 8-10 tables.  It wasn't that crowded when we were there.

SALTADO DE CAMARONES-shrimp sauteed with onions, tomatoes, french fries and served with steamed rice $14.25.

I've reviewed a few Peruvian restaurants, and I usually order the Tallarin Saltado which is noodles with usually, shrimp.  So, I decided to change it up and order the saltado de camarones.  This was an interesting combo with carbs and more carbs.  There were about 8-10 small sized shrimp, decent flavor, but nothing great.  The fries became soggy in all the juice.  The rice was well cooked.

Service was ok.  Our server wasn't the friendliest, she just went through the motions.  Drinks weren't refilled.  And she asked how things were right after she dropped off the food!  I mean give us a few minutes before asking.

As with most Peruvian restaurants, I think this is overpriced for what you get.  I won't return.

Doomie’s Home Cookin’

Doomie’s Home Cookin’
1253 N Vine St Ste 9
Hollywood, CA 90038
323-469-4897

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun! Yes, that is the line to the Big Mac theme song.  I read that Doomie's Home Cookin' serves up a vegan Big Mac that tastes just like the real thing!  Now, it has been over 5 years since I had a Big Mac. I remember always having a headache after eating a Big Mac, maybe for the special sauce.

Anyways I figured I would try Doomie's.  I talked to two vegetarian friends; one liked Doomies and another doesn't like the concept of vegetarian restaurants trying make making vegetarians items taste like meat!  I'm much more to the center when it comes to vegetarian food.  While I loved the chicken wings at Bulan, I don't always seek out or order vegetarian meat items!

Doomie's is in a shopping center that has the address of Vine, but the store front is on Fountain!  The shopping center has an Eastern European restaurant, which are are in LA.  But, the restaurant had a C grade from the health department!  The best part of the shopping center is that they have free parking!  At least, it was free the Monday night I was there.  No valets or paid parking.  But, it is stacked parking, so make sure you don't get pull to the front parking space!  Doomie's is a good sized restaurant with about 15-20 tables.  It was busy the night I was there.

Vegetarian Big Mac, $14.50.  This is not on their regular menu.  Like In N Out Doomie's has a special menu, and you have to ask for it.  The vegetarian Big Mac was huge!  The patties were Quarter Pounder sized patties, not the small patties from McDonald's.  It had everything a regular Big Mac has-special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions and a sesame seed bun!  Now the important thing- it tastes exactly like a Big Mac!  This version is filled with MSG, and it hit me right away.  I got a headache too!  This was good, but greasy and very heavy!  I think the $14.50 price tag is high too. 

The fries were frozen, which is disappointing!  I expected home made fries!

Service is OK.  The server wasn't the most friendly and even though they were busy it took them awhile for them to take my order, and bring my water.

I may go back to Doomies, but I won't make a special trip.  Other menu items have a better price, but the vegetarian Big Mac is overpriced.