The Backhouse
3500 W. 6th St.,Suite 301, Los Angeles, CA, 90020
The Backhouse Menu
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Address :
3500 W. 6th St.,Suite 301
Los Angeles, CA, 90020 - Phone (213) 739-9205
- Website https://www.backhouserestaurant.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 12:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Late Night
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Yenny D.
Another location of The Backhouse, yay! I'm a fan of the west LA location and their HH menu. Came here on Labor Day Monday for their early HH because EMC was too crowded. Backhouse is owned by the same people who own EMC, so their menu is pretty awesome as well. FOOD: Note: Happy hour menu only! - $1 oysters - seriously can't be beat! We ordered a dozen and they were delicious - tebasaki chicken wings - this was a great deal! You get 10 wings on HH and they're saucy and sticky and pretty good - brussels sprouts - I LOVE the brussels sprouts here! Tastes as yummy as I remember from the west LA location - spicy tuna hand roll - this was not the best deal, value-wise - but yummy $3 Sapporo draft in HH! SERVICE: Our server was friendly and food came out fast. No complaints. VENUE/PARKING: I love this venue! Located on the 3rd floor in the same building as EMC, it's large with a great outdoor patio area. We sat outside and had such a nice view of LA and the sun setting. The restrooms can get super hot because the outer walls are glass and absorb the sun. You can park in the building and get validation or street park. HAPPY HOUR is daily 5-7pm and they have a late night HH as well - 10pm-close, but not every night.
(4)Steph C.
I'm a big fan of EMC, so when my mom suggested The Backhouse for an impromptu weeknight dinner, I was pretty stoked. We met up with Matt B. at around 7--just missing happy hour--and had a nice meal. One thing I will say--I don't think The Backhouse has the appeal or the staying power of its downstairs sister restaurant, EMC. It's located on the third floor of the Zion Market complex, which is much more desolate than the EMC's first-floor location. Its decor is hip but not as on point as EMC's, and it was pretty much empty when we went, though to be fair, it was a Monday night. The women's restroom is weird, with full window walls overlooking the streets of Koreatown--I think people must be able to see you walking in and out of the stalls and washing your hands. Regardless, The Backhouse is a fun place in its own right, with decent drinks and some good atmosphere. I hope it sticks around a while. We hung out for a good couple of hours. Since it wasn't busy, it felt pretty relaxing. Service was probably not as on point as it could've been given how empty the place was, but it wasn't egregious and our server was friendly. There was a solid drink selection, especially by Koreatown standards. We shared a pitcher of Golden Road Hefeweizen and added a couple Deschutes pale ales on top. The food was solid. The Backhouse is more or less a Korean-run izakaya, offering a mix of izakaya dishes, sushi, and robatayaki. We ordered some fried squid legs and chicken karaage, then a mix of sushi and skewers. The fried stuff was pretty tasty--the squid legs tender and pleasantly chewy, the chicken moist and well seasoned, both served up with some spicy mayo and some dressed, shredded cabbage. The sushi wasn't anything special, but it was a.o.k.--The Backhouse could hold its own as a middle-grade sushi spot. We got an assortment of albacore, red snapper, tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and salmon roe nigiri, and what I had was good enough. Definitely enjoyed the briny ikura and the snapper garnished with yuzu kosho. The robatayaki stuff was the strongest part of our meal. We ordered skewers of chicken meatball with cheese, chicken breast with green onion and soy, chicken thigh, ribeye, filet, pork belly, and braised pork belly, along with some miso corn, all fired up on the robata grill. The yakitori was all great, the chicken breast and thigh juicy and tender, the meatball succulent, tinged with a sweet and salty sauce. The ribeye and fillet were both excellent, cooked nice and medium rare--we ended up doubling up on both. The pork belly was good, both simply grilled and braised. I actually preferred the former--something about the sauce on the braised one was slightly cloying. The miso corn was tasty, a half cob painted with a miso glaze, split into long halves and grilled. Hard to go wrong with some sweet corn and miso. We tried to get the housemade black sesame ice cream for dessert, but they were out of it. (Now that I think of it, they were out of a few things. I guess that's a hazard of a large menu.) We didn't need it anyway--all that food and beer left us pretty full. I liked The Backhouse and would love to go back for the happy hour or another casual meal. It's a neat spot and I hope it prospers in its weird little upstairs corner.
(4)jet eye l.
I love their happy hour best beer and yakitori Kind of upgraded service version of hondaya Must try
(5)John Q.
Really good happy hour deals as the skewers are $1.50 each. Not the best but can't complain. We ordered the crab hand roll. Anyway, it sounds like I'm pretty down on the food but we actually had a pretty decent outing. The way to do it here is to come for happy hour and get beer, oysters, and items off the HH menu. You can drink and feed two people for like $30! The weather was perfect and we had a nice view of Ktown from the patio.
(4)Joe Y.
Izakaya style American bar located on top floor of City Center. They serve Izakaya style food with large selection of Yakitori (Skewers). The oysters were pretty fresh and tasty but the size was very small. I don't know if that's because I ordered house oysters. They had another type of oysters which was little more expensive. I'm not sure if I should've ordered that one instead. All of the Yakitori was pretty tasty except for the chicken gizzard. I don't think it was cooked well and had weird taste to it that I couldn't finish. They also don't have condiments that you usually get from the place like Shinsengumi for the Yakitori. No Yuzu pepper or Yakitori sauce but instead, you just get soy sauce and salt. Definitely not a fan of their Japanese draft beer either which was very watered down and warm. I admit that some of their fried dishes were good but I just couldn't like all the dishes that they serve. This place was very crowded and it seemed more like an American bar then traditional Izakaya place to me.
(3)Annie H.
We ended up at Backhouse as EMC happy hour overflow and I'm sorry to report there's a reason OpenTable always has so many tables available there. The food is not great! The $1 HH oysters were average, about what you expect from $1 oysters. Not great, not awful. We had the pork belly and the chicken thigh skewers off the HH menu and they both barely merited their $1.50 price tags. The pork belly was marginally better than the chicken, which tasted like it was cooked with no seasoning, no care. Just bland chicken. Do yourself a favor and don't order it. You're welcome. The non-HH selections of $3.50 ribeye was better, a tad on the chewy side but decently marinated and topped with fried garlic bits. The $4.60 bacon-wrapped scallops were underwhelming; you could barely taste either bacon or scallop. The $4 baked crab roll in a rice paper roll was nasty. The rice paper roll has an unpleasant consistency and the crab needed some kind of sauce. We got a pitcher of Golden Road Hefeweizen which was $15 for happy hour (normally $25) and came with a complimentary order of tebasaki chicken wings, normally $6. I wouldn't recommend purchasing them but for free wings they were aiight. The wings were watery and kinda small. We ordered pumpkin tempura but they accidentally brought us a shrimp tempura roll instead. I don't know what was going on in the kitchen but we literally waited 30 minutes for them to make pumpkin tempura and ended up canceling our order and asking for the check. How long does it take to deep fry pieces of pumpkin? They gave us a 10% discount on our bill for the inconvenience but I would have preferred getting what we ordered sans wait. Anyway, it sounds like I'm pretty down on the food but we actually had a pretty decent outing. The way to do it here is to come for happy hour and get beer, oysters, and items off the HH menu. You can drink and feed two people for like $30! The weather was perfect and we had a nice view of Ktown from the patio. I'd come back for HH only but I don't know how long Backhouse will be around. There were barely five occupied tables when we got there around 6pm on a Saturday, never a good sign. It barely got more crowded when we left an hour and a half later. Seven thirty on a Saturday night, it should be packed! Oh well.
(3)Vicki L.
Decent food.. But Service sucked. We had server Irene and she is one of the worst waitress I've ever had. Horrible service, angry attitude, missing food, etc. she pretty much looked like she hated serving and everyone at the table had a problem with her. Everyone ordered food but NO ONE got their full order. I get that we have a lot of people but still... If more than 5 people missed most of their food, there is a problem. Oh well, we still tipped her more than she deserved but we are definitely not having her again.
(1)Julie T.
Note to self: never ever chose this place over EMC. We came in on Monday and it was pretty dead. The bartender told us it's open seating. We sat in the corner by the bar. No one came. Finally our waitress "Mclovin"(that was the name on the receipt) came by with some waters and told us our food is coming out. Wtf. I told her we didn't order? She never came back. So I got up and told another waitress that we needed menus. When we were ready to order there was no one that came by. I even eye signaled the waitress but she just kept walking and pulled out her phone! We finally ordered and the food came out fast! Everything was so small. We ordered the Tebasaki Chicken wings and they were the size of my pinky! The only thing that stuck out to me were the Parmesan risotto and Australian ribeye. The robata was okay and needed salt on everything. When we finished our food we were still hungry and wanted to order more. Of course no one came by at all to check up on us. I mean my waters empty, sakes empty, and there's a bunch dirty plates in front of us. We were literally nonexistent after we got our food. 20 minutes later.... Mclovin comes by and ask us if we're doing okay! Yeah we're doing okay! SIKE. We need our check now. This place sucked at doing their jobs. When we received our check she put two sakes when we only ordered one. Okay great. More waiting. I would rather wait a hour for EMC than eat here!
(1)Adrienne K.
I'm bummed out that I wasn't impressed with Backhouse very much. They're known for their robata (Japanese skewers), but I thought that all their other dishes were more tasty. We pretty much ordered every cut of meat on the skewer--heart, cartilage, liver, skin, tongue, belly, rib eye, and when there was the option, the "special" versions. Some of the meats were over cooked, but on the positive side none were overly salty. The best dishes were the tako wasabi (octopus and whole wasabi), chicken kara age (fried chicken nuggets), ramen (not too salty or fatty/greasy), and uni Parmesan risotto. These were definitely worth ordering, and all under $10. Service was a little odd, they kept getting our order wrong, bringing us things we didn't request, and when we added more items to order, we had to keep asking for it. Drinks are somewhat pricey and not too strong. All-in-all, including drinks and food, we spent $80 per person, and weren't completely full.
(3)Cherry L.
I like coming here for happy hour when I want to snack on some tapas and have some beer (or sake). They have inside and outside seating with tvs everywhere--even outside. I prefer patio seating when the weather isn't too hot because it just gives it a cuter feel :). They even have a smoking area at the way end which is nice if you smoke so you don't have to go allllllll the way down to the first floor and then outside. It's located in the zion market plaza (same plaza as emc) on the third floor. You can park in the building's garage parking (entrance on 6th&mariposa), and the restaurant bill receipt is your validation to get out for free :). Here are some of the hh items I tried: Raw wasabi marinated octopus: these are my fav here! It's the perfect beer/sake appetizer. Nice and cold, and the wasabi marinade isn't too overpowering. Blue crab handrolls: my other fav here. They're soft and warm and comes in soy paper (like at sushi restaurants), but it's kind of not worth it's price at $6. You can get way better quality and quantity at a real sushi restaurant but then again, this place is more like a bar. Oysters: they were always fresh when I had them. It comes with a tangy red sauce, and it tastes pretty good when you mix it in with the horseradish. Spicy tuna on crispy rice: good like any other spicy tuna crispy rice. The rice is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The spicy tuna is a bit too mushy in my opinion and not spicy at all. Tebasaki chicken wings: these were meh. You can skip these. The wings were tiny with no meat and just drenched in some soy/honey marinade. Skewers (shitake mushroom, chicken heart, chicken gizzard, prime rib, bacon wrapped asparagus, pork belly): all of them were pretty decent. The prime rib is dipped in some sweet sauce which I didn't like; I think it would be better just plain. The shitake mushroom one is super good!
(4)Jen R.
So I've been wanting to go here during their Happy Hour and finally made it on a weekday night. Their Happy hour is 5-7pm then 10-closing. We got there around 9 and stayed into the Happy Hour. We started with the salmon roll & soju, then ordered a 2nd round of food when the Happy hour started. Salmon Roll: Avocado and cucumber on the inside. salmon, chives and red onion on top. This was my favorite, but then again, its really hard to go wrong with a basic salmon roll. The salmon tasted fresh and light. Yakitori: 1) MEATBALLLSSSSS were my fav. they give you 3 chicken meatballs per yakitori - so juicy and tender mmmmm. 2) Pork Belly was also good - but nothing special. 3) Gizzard was mediocre. I recently started eating gizzard and I've definitely had better. 4) RIB EYE was disappointing, given that it's more expensive than the other yakitoris. It was too chewy and not tender enough. 5) Shitaki Mushroom - the mushrooms were so small and i found it a little too salty. We also got the seared salmon & spicy tuna roll - nothing super special. Alcohol: SOOOOOOO cheap during their HH. $5 for all well drinks?!?!?! omg that's unheard of. Two of us got through 2 soju's, stone IPA beer, and whisky & coke. Parking: Park in the garage downstairs of the plaza - valet is $2 with validation. AMBIANCE: this was the only thing that stood out to me. If you've ever been to EMC, it's exactly the same interior (almost), except much bigger, more private, and ALOT quieter. Service: was very attentive. Very friendly staff. Overall, maybeeeee I will come back here again just for the Happy Hour. Our total bill was a little over ~$60 before tip. This restaurant is a little on the pricey side, in my opinion, for the quality of their food. PS they don't offer the BYOB anymore since they got their liquor license now.
(3)Andrea S.
This is a great place for cheap eats and delicious food. My friends and I came here on a whim on a weeknight and it wasn't too busy. We sat at the bar and bartender was cool, he kept us laughing the whole night. He had extensive knowledge of all the alcohol at the bar (there were shelves of them, top to bottom). We ordered a variety of yakitori off a checklist as well as some sake. A perfect accompaniment to yakitori if I do say so myself. I think we ended up ordering chicken skin, chicken heart, Shiso pork, and a few vegetable dishes as well. Besides the yakitori checklist they also had their own menu with interesting options. One of my friends ordered a cheesy truffle risotto dish which was pretty delicious too. Overall we had a good time and the food was tasty. The price isn't bad either. Also, the view of Ktown from Backhouse is pretty amazing.
(5)Cathy K.
Mmm, I've been wanting to come check put this place for a long time and I finally made it. I heard the management of EMC and Backhouse was same so I was excited. I enjoy eating at EMC. Back house is located all the way up on 3rd floor in the corner. The interior of this restaurant is very gorgeous. Good for dates or just to hang out with your girlfriends. I was seated right away on Friday night and ordered Shabu and some Yakitoris. I honestly did not expect too much from this place. Their Yakitoris definitely took me by surprise. We ordered Bacon wrapped Scallops, Sausages, Pork Belly, and something else which I don't recall. But they were all cooked ON POINT. They weren't burnt, or over cooked. It was so soft and melted in my mouth. They just added Shabu to their menu, so I think they are still developing more ideas but it was still delicious. Marbling of meat was great and it was the good ones, not those cheap meat where its dry. I am coming back to this place to try more items on the menu for sure and to drink. Chris, our server was extremely attentive and generous. He was the best!
(4)Landy E.
I'd come here for three things especially, the cold beer, ambience, and foie gras sushi. It's located in a random, quiet mall (where the Zion market is located) in Koreatown, and all the way to the back. It gets pretty much no foot traffic, so you can count on a nice private meal. There are two other locations in Burbank and West LA. They specialize in yakitori, which is Japanese BBQ'd skewers, and sushi. Their happy hour is legit too. Prices go down, and you can get stuffed without breaking the bank as you would at an ordinary Japanese restaurant. With the recently relegalized foie gras, there's a huge craze for it in LA. The flavors go so well as sushi. Try it, and you'll be wanting more than just one. I would highly recommend this place.
(4)Nicole F.
We had Irene as our waitress and she had a horrible attitude. She was very rude and was impatient when we were ordering and asking simple questions about the food on the menu. We didn't get any refills even though there was a few pitchers of water on our table. The food was amazing! But half of us didn't even get some of our food, yet she still charged on the tab. We paid the full amount and tipped her 19% but she definitely doesn't deserve it.
(1)Chan G.
Good food. But bad service! Went in last call to meet some friends that's already in the restaurant.. Server was rushing to take orders. And didnt even get my order. Irene was the name of the server. As a server, I think they should specifically present the food that a specific person orders. I'm a server myself, and I would never treat my customers the way she did. She didn't even give one smile.
(1)Aileen K.
I was excited to hear about this location opening up since the one in Culver is always so small and packed. It's on the third floor of the Zion market plaza so just find EMC's internal entrance and go up two flights of stairs. We got there at around 6:45 on a Thursday and it was fairly empty. Everyone sat outside on the patio, but fearing that it would get cold soon enough, we sat inside. We ordered A LOT of food. In fact, i think we got almost everything on the menu minus some give or take, and got a roll on the side. However, they ended up forgetting about our roll, which was a sigh of relief because we had difficulty finishing our food. Surprisingly, although I do not eat much pork, the pork ones were the best. Chicken, which is usually safe, ended up being pretty dry so I do not recommend you eat too many of the chicken ones minus gizzard and meatball(amazing). Also, unlike other reviewers, we were lucky by having decent service. Everything came out fairly quickly, but in succession, so that we were able to enjoy fairly warm meat throughout. One thing that I did not know until I saw someone else order it so I asked for-they give you ginger! And if you order lots of meat like I do, you definitely need some sort of refreshing side, so make sure you take advantage of this!
(3)Melanie Y.
After my first visit, the Backhouse is easily my favorite spot in K-town (right beside EMC of course). I was impressed by the food, but especially wowed by the environment and atmosphere. This place is gorgeous and clean, relaxing and inviting, modern and hip. Just the place I want to spend a Friday evening post-work. So that's what we came here for. After eating a couple oysters at EMC, we went up to the Backhouse for Yakatori and drinks for happy hour. We were immediately seated, allowed to sit where we want as the restaurant was not too packed on Friday 6pm. I assume because they are fairly new. We take a table out in their gorgeous patio that overlooks 6th street. The service was so nice and welcoming, they were so friendly. During HH select Yakatori is $1.50, hand rolls are $4.00, drinks are $4-5, and everything delicious. I ordered a couple skewer items that weren't on the HH menu unknowingly, whatever they were still delicious. I tried the chicken skin, rib eye, cartilage, meatball and gizzard. All were so good. Baked crab hand roll was also amazingly delicious and had fresh real crab which I loved. Overall, loved everything and loved the experience. The Backhouse is the newest hidden gem so don't miss it.
(5)Andrea H.
I came here because I originally tried to go to EMC for happy hour and was told that the wait would be at least 45 minutes and was given the suggestion to try their sister restaurant upstairs. Good suggestion. There is good happy hour menu with plenty of sushi and Yakitori options at very low prices. They also have $1 oysters like EMC. Quiet ambience with an outdoor terrace. Attentive staff.
(4)Kat M.
Came here for dinner last night. We had a little difficulty finding it, but it's on the third floor of the mall. It's really nice and they have a really nice outdoor patio that made me feel like I was in West Hollywood. The host and our server was very nice. So I called a couple in advanced to ask about happy hour and currently they don't have a happy hour menu yet because they don't have their liquor license yet so it's BYOB with no corkage until they get the liquor license, which they are hoping to get by the end of this week. Knowing this, we brought a couple bottles of wine. The food was good. It's the same owner as EMC, but over the years I've grown tired of the hype of EMC so I'm grateful for this alternative of more of a Japanese sushi and robata menu that I prefer. The sushi rolls we ordered were good-spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, eel and avocado. The yakitori was also good-the meatball had a little cheese on it and the chicken and onion. Th brussel sprouts appetizer was a little too rich for me swimming in bacon and garlic chips, I'm sure most other people would love this though. My faves were the rice bowl dish with ground chicken and ginger and a little green onions. The chicken was so flavorful and this a hearty dish for just $7. The duck breast was also really good and worth the $6. I don't know if I'll be a regular but I'll def come by once and awhile since I live closeby.
(4)Young Kyung K.
Had the chance to go eat here twice last week and both times were fantastic! It was definitely a plus that until they get their liquor license they are letting people bring their own drinks. On TOP OF THAT there's a market right below the restaurant so if you totally didn't know about the BYOB, don't sweat it ! I literally wanted to try everything on their menu, knowing that they are affiliated with EMC I knew it had to be good. Few of the items really stuck out more than the other ones. Toro: Both sashimi and the handrolls were impeccable. The first time I went they served it without green onions in the handroll but the next day they made some adjustments I believe but, either was it was amazing. Baked Crab handroll: didn't want to get too much rice but this also tasted delicious! It's a bit different from other sushi joints, the crab wasn't fishy but they could have cut down on the mayo. Uni: if you tried the uni at EMC then no one should question the quality of their uni. C'mon now.. haaha Ikura: OMG... amazing not too salty and their kukanmaki doesn't have too much rice so you'll be okay with a couple orders. Spicy Tuna on Crispy rice: this was our server Lisa's recommendation, and thank goodness she recommended it ! It quickly became a favorite dish at the table. Salmon Sashimi: it comes with ikura and yuzu sauce delicious. Skewers are a bit pricey but you get full surprisingly. I would have never though a few skewers can get me full. Once again I'll just list a few that were my favorite and trust me I think I tried everything on the menu. quail egg: The yolk isn't over cooked ant it actually oozes out a bit, maybe it's cooked differently all the time but it was delicious! bacon wrapped enoki mushrooms: this is just me but THIS RIGHT HERE I CAN EAT 200000 ORDERS! of course bacon wrapped anything is good but the unique texture of the enoki mushrooms really made it to the top for me. Chicken wings: I thought this was pretty good, although it wasn't a favorite to others at my table. Chicken skin: Sounds quite disgusting but it's actually really good, the salty and crispy skin is another unique experience for your mouth. The rib-eye: cooked perfectly to medium rare ... they can lose the sauce though it really took away the full beef taste. Brussel sprouts were a great appetizer and just something everyone enjoyed throughout the meal and also the calamari salad was refreshing. We were seated outside and served by Lisa with amazing service. She was honest and friendly, offered to get us glasses for the drinks we brought without making a face and went a step ahead and even brought us ice buckets to keep our drinks cold! I had an amazing experience here and will definitely come back... but I'm sure when they get their liquor license my bill will be a bit higher. 3rd FLOOR INSIDE THE CITY MARKET!!! don't get lost!!!!
(4)Bella L.
Oysters!! Their oysters were super fresh and Delicios! Love their happy hour selection. The items on the menu was a mix of sushi, seafood, and yakitori. Their hh drink selections were great too. ** friend ordered the uni risotto which was the best thing I have to say I had!! Would come again. Happy hour all night during nba finals!!
(5)Ankita A.
A great new spot! The Backhouse is located right above EMC Seafood and a little hard to find. It has a very trendy vibe to it and a nice open space, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Our server Richard was very friendly and helpful with choosing what to eat. Their menu centers on sushi, rolls, and yakitori (skewers), and we got a couple of each. Skewers: Pork belly Braised pork belly Beef tongue Ribeye Chicken breast w/green onion + sea salt Chicken skin Chicken meatballs w/cheese Bacon-wrapped zucchini Of these, the regular pork belly was definitely a favorite. Perfectly crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. The beef tongue, chicken meatballs, and chicken skin were also great! Try the chicken skin for something light and crunchy. The chicken breast didn't stand out too much for me. Sushi and rolls: Salmon carpaccio w/ikura Rainbow roll Baked crab tuna roll Blue crab hand roll Salmon hand roll Toro hand roll The hand rolls are all perfect, on psr with Sugarfish and KazuNori. Get the blue crab hand roll for a perfect mix of crisp nori, vinegared rice, and non-fishy crab. I'm not big on sushi rolls, but the baked crab tuna roll was quite good. The only thing about Backhouse is that I definitely can't afford to come here very often. All those small plates add up to a pretty hefty bill, but it's worth it for a special treat. I'd recommend coming here for appetizers or post-dinner drinks and snacks. They didn't have their liquor license yet when I went, but I'm pretty sure they do now. Overall, excellent service, food, and ambience.
(4)Olivia B.
This place is awesome. I planned my friends bday party here & was able to book a party of 14 with no problem. When I arrived the host immediately sat us down even though are whole party had not arrived. The staff was super friendly and the table was set us nicely. Throughout the night our server was super attentive and checked up on us. The food was yummy & great prices! I will definitely come again
(5)Vicky L.
$1 happy hour oyster from 4 to 7pm. Great deal. The oysters were not particularly impressive, but I got no complaints either. The oysters were semi fresh, most of them were good but salty had no other flavors.(I'm curving the grading scale because of the low price), a couple were questionable. You're definitely going quantity over quality here. Also they didn't have fries or something carby to accompany the oysters. Tried to order the uni risotto but they ran out. Had a couple yakitori skewers, they were okay. This is EMC's sister restaurant. If you don't want to wait downstairs for their $1 oyster, feel free to come up stairs, there's literally no wait at all. Ambiance was casual and chill. Overall, I think it's a solid three-star restaurant. However, there's nothing too impressive about this place. Even though the $1 oysters were cheap, I wasn't too impressed by the quality (I wasn't expecting either.) If you are a true oyster lover, then I think it's way better to spend your money at a nicer seafood restaurant and get the full oyster experience. I personally wouldn't come again, but I think it's a great place for parties and friends gatherings.
(3)Marie C.
My husband ditched me and went to watch the NBA Finals with our friends on Thursday while I was at Pilates. I demanded they make it up to me and let me try out this bar with them the following Sunday. My friend made reservations at the bar so that we could be close to the tv. But honestly my girlfriend and I weren't paying attention. We were busy trying out their menu. We ordered the: Shiso Pork Belly Wrapped with Shiso Leaf $1.5 - We didn't like it all too much. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus $1.5 - Good Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms $1.5 - Not Good. Spicy Tuna Hand Roll - Good but not worth $4 Kabocha Tempura Japanese Pumpkin with Creamy Curry Sauce - This was really good but the soy / ponzu sauce on the bottom is uncessary I wish they would have given it on the side and no underneath the tempura. Spicy Tuna Roll $4 - Not bad Dozen Oysters $12 - Are decent but dont include the jalapeno sauce from Emc. A bunch of other skewers. We also came during NBA Finals Happy Hour. The specials were: $1.50 Robata Skewers $4 Sushi Rolls $3 Sake Bombs $15 Pitcher of Beer + Wings - The pitchers were a good deal since the happy hour glasses are $4 and the pitcher has about 4 glasses in them so I guess you save a dollar and get a free plate of wings. $1 oysters from 4pm - 7pm. Overall seems like a good place to come for happy hour. The food was decent. The workers were very friendly. The four of us spent about $100 all together.
(4)Bobbie W.
I LOVE EMC so naturally, I LOVE Backhouse as well. It's a great spot for drinks, yakitori and other yummy apps. They have TVs all over and a great happy hour. They're good for groups and also take reservations. I've been here a few times now and the food has always been consistent and fresh. Service is always great. If EMC is too busy, definitely come give this place a try!
(5)Lauren Q.
Easy to forget about, tucked in the top corner of a mall. Happy hour is really reasonable. Filet is soooo good.
(4)Jane S.
Started my first visit with a lychee martini and was automatically a happy camper. Our party of 5 sampled almost every item on the yakitori list. We had multiple orders of the meatballs, pork belly, and bacon wrapped veggies. The blue crab handroll was on point with the soy paper making the few bites super soft. Even though we made numerous requests to our server, she was very accommodating. Only questionable issue was that we were charged for an item at regular price when we ordered right before the end of happy hour. The server argued that their clock is 2 minutes fast. Shouldn't they be on universal time if they have "happy hour"? We didn't make a big fuss out of this, but it should definitely be straightened out. My next visit was another happy hour session. We filled up with yakitori, handrolls, and saved room for the parmesan risotto topped with uni! Foie gras handroll and risotto were beyond my expectations (on regular menu). The server who prepared our risotto in front of our table was friendly so we didn't complain about the undercooked risotto. Their house sangria was tasty, but I had to stop after my 3rd one. We also had the peach jelly sparkling sake towards the end of our meal. That little bubbly glass was magical! Little improvements can be made, but I had a good experience both times so this will be one of my go-to happy hour spots for yakitori/sushi/sashimi!
(4)Jennifer J.
$2 valet. From the garage, take the elevator up to the 3rd floor and walk toward the left side of the mall toward the wooden exterior. Or walk up 2 flights of stairs in the mall behind EMC. The venue is easy on the eyes with tall ceilings, ash decor, but the food left me disappointed. I had higher hopes given my experiences dining at EMC downstairs and the other Backhouse location by Westside Pavilion. The menu consists of skewers, sushi, and miscellaneous Japanese food. Tried all of the meat skewers as well as some sushi. Would not willingly eat here unless it was happy hour pricing. The tongue skewer was the only skewer I halfway enjoyed only because the rest were so bad. The ribeye, pork, and various chicken skewers were all dry and flavorless. The hand rolls were also mediocre (the seaweed was not toasted), and the salmon sushi with truffle oil was also disappointing. I've had better kaiten (pre-made, revolving) sushi at cheaper prices.
(3)Kathy S.
I got to check this place out on Saturday night and everything from the food to the ambiance was spot on. Our group dined on the outdoor patio and the view is so pretty! I definitely want to come back for that in addition to the food. We tried a lot of the sushi and skewers. The sushi was super fresh and I was in love with the uni and salmon nigiri. The skewers were delicious...I even liked the chicken hearts and I typically do not! I was really impressed by the duck breast and beef tongue as they had great flavor and were cooked perfectly. The staff were great as well and made sure we were taken cared of, which is no small feat as we were a large group. I'll definitely be back!
(5)Ella B.
Our server was very sweet - it was very busy for a Warrior's game but she managed to get all of our orders in. She also took off some things b/c they didn't give us the happy hour pricing, so I ended up tipping her the difference. The food was pretty good. We mainly ordered off the happy hour menu. The drinks were a little watery, but I'm not sure if it was b/c it was warm and the ice melted... I recommend the agadashi tofu, fried to a nice crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. 2 hour validation with purchase/meal, so that's pretty nice.
(4)Andrea M.
OMFG!! Good bye honda-ya, hello BACKHOUSE!! I heard BACKHOUSE in west LA was good so I had high hopes, kinda (eternal critic). I'm here for the two week SOFT OPENING! This place is P H E N O M E N A L!!!!!! I can't get enough. Expect me everyday and in six months, 500 pounds heavier. This is skewer heaven. ***FAVES*** Amazing patio! The view is cool. My favorite table is the one by the open back window BY the patio because I'm a princess who doesn't like to be outside SERVICE-- my server Richard is so freaking nice and friendly and CUTE. He looks like a kpop star! and the managers Jimmy and Jeff walked by and made sure we were having a good experience. Jimmy may have put my experience over the top because you could see him hustling all night trying to do errthang and he STILL stopped by to say hi. That shit cray. Made me feel like I was back in Texas with all the hospitality. FOOD-- ***MUST GET (like three orders) spicy albacore rice crisps almost better than sex ( soft and rough at the same time, backhouse how do you do that ) **** baked lobster roll- OH MY F*CKING GOSH YES! ***Bacon wrapped asparagus- yum! Even though I know my pee with be GROSS, I will endure it to enjoy bits of heaven. **The rolls are refreshing; great rice choice ** albacore sashimi- nice slice proportions *Seaweed salad very typical. Nothing different Can't comment on any beef because I can't eat beef but my friends like both the filet and prime rib. **Chicken wings were good. Juice and not overly salted. You would think otherwise since they are so small but they pick a punch. My friend had shiitake mushrooms but I don't know how it tastes because they finished it all! **Pork belly!!!! Yum Braised pork belly was a bit dry for me Food came out so quickly!! I love it! Especially since I don't eat until I'm hangry and that's no bueno! Be back soon!!
(5)Sue N.
Happy hour $1 oyster!! and other goodies. I also like tofu dish. Very friendly service. I definitely recommend!
(5)sherry j.
Great Happy hour menu. Tasty stuff on the menu nothing to rave about, but staff is nice and attentive and food is good for a late nite bite with yiur girls or your beau. I have been here several times never left unsatisfied or angry. That's always a win with LA restaurants. Good eats folks
(3)Jack K.
Park in the basement parking of the city center plaza (where zion market is) and take the elevator to the 3rd floor. You can get validation for parking and it'll be free. New place. Fairly empty and quiet the way I like it. Decor inside is nice but we sat outside on the patio cuz the weather was perfect. They now have their liquor license so no awesome bootlegging alcohol from the market for an awesome deal... Service was awesome. The food.. was really great and priced reasonably. You can always come for a few Japanese style robatayaki or some rolls. And have a beer. I tried... Chicken special heart 4/5 Ribeye 4/5 flavorful Filet mignon 2/5 as filet always tastes Pork belly 5/5 always awesome Cow tongue 5/5 love cow tongue. Texture. Flavor Peppers 2/5 not great but a good change from meat Chicken shio 2/5 chicken.. meh Chicken shoyu 2/5 couldn't taste the diff for shio Calimari salad 4/5 yay some greens Spicy salmon roll 3/5 average. Not bad. Duck 5/5 amazing. All in all was a satisfying first visit. Satisfied my yakitori craving as I used to eat a few daily in Japan on my daily train commute to middle school...
(5)Jessica P.
I come here often due to the location: in the heart of ktown + ample parking due to the designated underground parking structure, along with food: get my raw seafood while getting various barbecued skewers, and good deals for happy hour: wine and sake, wiiiiine and saaaake!!!! EMC already had a place in my list with their seafood and oysters. The Backhouse is a more spacious and laidback alternative that let me have my poultry and beef along with the raw fish I often crave. Service was pretty spotty in the beginning when they first opened, but I have been watching them steadily improve. My most recent visit was quite pleasant as the two servers that often stopped by our table provided great service with that right mix of unobtrusive humor and care to ensure everything was going well. Admittedly, their food isn't THAT great, I feel like they usually over-salt and over-sauce their skewers, and the seafood doesn't taste as fresh, but I don't expect as much coming here. I think the combination of decent food, drinks, cost, and general ease of the location leads to my continued patronage. I usually like sitting in the patio for the outside air and city view, but sitting inside is also great, because again it is spacious and has an easygoing vibe- just like a backhouse.
(4)Sydney L.
Small portions, but good food. I would give it 3.7 stars for overall score. More training on staff, cleaner bathroom, food consistency will definitely bring up the star scores and repeat customers. My favorite dishes: Baked crab handroll in soy paper, Beef tongue, Inoki mushroom wrapped in Bacon, Uni sushi, Wasabi octopus sushi, kabocha tempura with house special sauce, other cut rolls are good, too. Food DO NOT look like the pictures when they arrive on the table- for either presentation, garnishment, or sizewise. So lower your expectation. I will come back to try again to make sure if this place is a hit or miss.
(4)Tanya O.
My server ruined my experience and I won't ever come back to this establishment. I asked the server a question and she rolled her eyes stating that she pretty much didn't like working there and her usual shift is at EMC and this is a Chinese owned restaurant so pretty much deal with the bad/slow and inconsistent service. I'm a korean ktown native and used to not-so-great service, but the heck does a Chinese owned restaurant have to do with anything. Also, the food was coming out so randomly. When I told management about both the bad service and food, they said to bring it up with corporate! Food was under cooked, my chicken was pink and I felt embarrassed for bringing my Canadian friends here as their first experience in ktown. No wonder the place was empty even though they were offering happy hour all night. There are soooo many other, cheaper, better tasting yakatori places near by so don't waste ur time coming here if you want a good time.
(1)Daniela P.
I can't sufficiently express how underwhelmed I was by the food at The Backhouse. For a restaurant that puts itself out as a "Yakitori & Sushi Bar" one would reasonably expect to have great yakitori and sushi. Unfortunately, such is not the case. While the interior designer may have nailed the feel and ambience of this restaurant lounge with an outdoor patio, the kitchen and chefs definitely did not get the memo. They have a great yakitori selection to choose from, however flavor was overwhelmingly absent in the majority of the meat, veggie, and meatball skewers we tasted about two months ago. It was easy to detect a failure in both preparation (be it marinade, sauce, seasoning, etc.) and in the actual cooking itself. In fact the tastes were so bland for us, we couldn't even tell if this yakitori was prepared the traditional way (skewers over charcoal). For the sushi, we stuck to the happy hour handrolls. The pricing was decent enough, and the fish was noticeably fresh and savory, with rice and nori that had the appropriate texture and taste. While the sushi was fair, I'd prefer to head to a sushi or handroll dedicated joint with a larger selection. For us, the only food worth coming back for were the oysters. Of course they have a wonderful selection and flavor, because they are from the same purveyors of EMC! That said, there isn't much art to the preparation of an oyster other than shucking it, and I don't count preparing a garnish as real cooking. Finally, neither of us were impressed with the price point of food on the regular menu, and consequently we didn't order any of the larger dishes considering the lack of depth in the easier foods we tasted. Even though the restaurant gave us a discount card for a return trip, based on our experience here we will not be returning.
(1)Lisa M.
Soft opening of a cool new robata & sushi place in Koreatown. Outstanding all around: food quality, flavor, decor, service, pricepoint. Started w/ Hamachi w/ cilantro/lime/jalapeño/ponzu, albacore w/crispy onions, baked crab roll. Robata was perfect, delicious grilled flavor w/o being overcharred. Tried 12 including duck breast, bacon-wrapped scallops, shiitakes, pork belly, chicken/green onion/soy, ribeye. Was fully staffed even before the grand opening. Food was super quick, service was friendly & professional. Shocked that the bill was so cheap, all that food for under $85 which included tip.
(5)Aeri K.
Hopefully I'll update to better review. Sat at the bar. Asked few simple questions like what oysters do you have? Bartender doesn't know. Went and asked. What region are the oysters from? Answer: umm LA? I saw the bus boy walk by and asked him. He said they were from Seattle, which I thought. The skewers weren't anything special. Sake selections were very limited
(2)Philip L.
The skewers are definitely the best items on the menu - must try for yakitori lovers. The skewers that stood out to me: 1. Beef Tongue - Very tender and flavorful, juicy when you bite into it. 2. Chicken Wings - I didn't think they could make chicken wings that different, but these were awesome. Perfectly cooked, and seasoned just right. 3. Cartilage - Not too crunchy and a lot flavor, not bland at all. These exceeded my expectations as well. We also had pork belly, quail eggs, shiitake mushrooms, bacon-wrapped asparagus all of which were good. I tried the softshell crab sushi - which was decent but pretty average with any other spot. They still had the BYOB going on which was nice so we picked up some alcohol from the market below. Ambience: It felt trendy and like a lounge despite being inside the mall. It was very lively towards the end. Price: It definitely can get pretty pricey depending on how many skewers you order. It was around 27 / person without any drinks but that's pretty normal I think for yakitori restaurants. .
(5)Gabie L.
They have happy hours for 5-7pm and 10pm-close. Happy hours deals are pretty good; rolls for $4 and beer/wine for $4-5.
(4)Jenny K.
Ktown needed a solid yakitori/sushi restaurant so this place makes me very happy! Beer selection is pretty good and if you're feeling for a cocktail, a full bar is available, which is awesome. Some favs were yakitori corn, braised pork belly, ribeye, chicken skin, shishito peppers. Yumm The outdoor patio is perfect for warm spring/summer nights! Parking is easy in the underground structure.
(4)Ann C.
Love the atmosphere and the food was amazing! Great date or group dinner place! Gotta try their fried chicken cartilage n their foie gras sushi!
(5)Cynthia T.
The happy hour oysters were exactly I was craving. I was in DTLA yesterday with my boyfriend and we decided to try out EMC. We got there at 6:30 and happy hour ended at 7, so we decided to go up to the third floor to Backhouse. I looved the fact that there was absolutely no waitlist, unlike EMC, and we got our oysters quickly. The oysters were rather mouthwatering and there's a glass window into the kitchen where you can watch the chef actually cook the oysters and all the other meals. If I'm ever in the LA area again, i'd definitely come back just for their oysters
(4)Richard W.
Opened by the EMC group right downstairs, this place has TONS of hype. Totally different concept with grilled meat skewers and sushi - but food quality is amazing just like downstairs. Get - ribeye, porkbelly, baked crab tuna roll if adventurous try the special chicken heart. Fatty and amazing :) Still a bit slow since it just opened - but in time this place should be popping. Tons of potential. Yes it's on the third floor. Brave the stairs and you'll have yourself a beautiful outdoor patio table overlooking 6th street :)
(5)Nick K.
Nothing special about this place. Only good thing about this place is that it's in Ktown n convenient. I'd rather go to Hondaya... Soft opening and no liquor license.... brought own beer! Tried pretty much everything here.. just an average place. Get parking validation !!! Service 9/10 Food 7.5/10
(3)Anu D.
Great food and Great service :) Fresh restaurant with sophisticated clean and beautiful interior And all the yakitoris are just good as the one in West LA Backhouse Waiter who helped us is Chris who is very attentive
(5)Annie L.
Sorry I have to change my review but Backhouse has definitely gone down the drain. The quality of food is horrible now. Been here the last few times and the skewers has always been WAY overcooked. It used to come out perfectly. The bartender was super busy when we first got there.. took him 10-13 minutes to even greet us due to being so busy. Why aren't the managers helping??? I see one asian manager just standing around. HELP YOUR WORKERS! You guys should be aware when your workers are struggling. Also, I asked the Mexican manager for lemons and he goes by the kitchen area and I see him use his HANDS to grab my lemons. Are you fucking serious!?!?!? You guys have a open kitchen/bar area!! You would think being sanitary would be a priority! Use a damn tong! Last but not least, my fiance bit into the chicken heart, the sharp end of the skewer was in there (don't know how) and punctured his gums. Showed it to the bartender and the asian manager took 10%off. The bartender was more apologetic than the manager himself. Honestly, this place has gone down hill and I will never be coming back. You guys need new management cause it looks like your managers don't know what the hell they're doing. By the way, the workers are the reflection of their management.
(1)Judy H.
I would rate 3.5 stars. I love the vibe of this place and the food is MUCH better than some of the yakitori spots in Little Tokyo but not amazeballs. Definitely worth checking out though. I would go to drink and hang out and snack. Handrolls were not bad but have not had any other sushi. Duck is the best thing I had there and the brussel sprouts are delicious too. Guys: take your lady on date night and sit out on the patio. K-town romance.
(3)Deidre M.
Went here two Friday's in a row, the 2nd visit being my birthday! Great for date night, or a birthday dinner with 10 friends like I had. Staff is friendly, located in the heart of KTown so if you don't live in the hood you can make a night of it, nice casual interior, love the outside deck w/ the heaters also. Something to please everyone on the menu. Fave robata: Eggplant Asparagus w/ bacon Scallops w/ bacon Duck Corn (wtf is the sauce, it's heavenly!!) Had the crispy rice, spicy tuna but not much other sushi. Friends enjoyed though! See you soon~
(4)Brian P.
Compared to similar places... This place is a complete miss. Awfully hidden on the 3rd floor of a mall... The location + food is a unfortunate 'miss'. Tried most things on the menu... Never order the gizzard... The skewers are under-seasoned and underwhelming. Again... Everything seems half-ass when compared to authentic yakitori houses. The children wings were puny... The mushrooms were tiny... The meatballs were tiny... Etc. The owners hit a homer with EMC but it appears they went 'too big' on something they know nothing about. I am never coming back again.
(1)Sika C.
First timer... Two girls ordered: Deluxe sashimi : yellowtail, albacore, and salmon 4 pieces and 2 pieces of toro, one seaweed salad, one miso soup but they gave us two seaweed salad and two miss-- $32 Dozen deluxe oyster: $35 Quail skewer: $2.75 Cartilage skewer: $2.85 Special heart skewer: $4.50 Ribeye: $3.50 Total: $136.90 Tipped originally: $15.10, waitress complained about too small of a tip and added $5 more. Normally I tip double tax. Whatever the tax is, just double if the service is good and the food is good. This time.. everything came out late. We had to ask for wasabi and ginger after our sashimi came out to another waitress. The other waitress forgot and we had to ask our waitress again. More important stuff... the food. If you had good sashimi in jtown you would not be happy with this place. Thinly cut... poor quality. If you had good skewers in jtown you would not be happy with this place. We ordered cartilage and got tiny pieces of fat, diced and skewered. Normally skewered cartilage is that triangular piece of cartilage, one in every chicken. The special heart was served cold and LOTS of fat around it. Also the hearts are HUGE. It's really disgusting. We asked for it to be taken back because we just could not eat it. The waitress asked the manager and said she would but the bill came with it anyway. When reminded, she took it off. Only thing good was oysters (which you can get better at EMC downstairs for cheaper during happy hour) and the rib eye skewer that once again... was really cold. I assumed it's been sitting on the counter top waiting to be delivered. During this whole time we were nothing but smiles since we know it happens but at the same time we really didn't feel they deserve a normal tip. But she literally asked us what the problem was for not tipping 15%. Me and friend was so shocked we placed a $5 bill and left, with all smiles, never wanting to return again.
(1)Christina K.
Stopped by on a friday happy hour expecting not so great service according to other yelp reviews. Was pleasantly greeted and served by a wonderful server. She was quick and made great recommendations. We kept to the happy hour menu and tried almost everything on it between 2 people. Favorite yakitoris: Pork belly Shitake Bacon wrapped mushroom (Chicken dishes were a bit too dry) The only rolls on HH were spicy tuna and shrimp tempura..both decent. Drinks: Lychee martini and sangria both got 2 thumbs up!
(5)Stephanie T.
Love love loved this place!! I wish I would have made my review right after we left so I could give more details but I must say our server was AWESOME! He was so nice & answered all our questions! We tried a little bit of everything. Skewers were so good. Sushi was great. Saki even better. We sat outside on the patio. Had a nice little view & great weather. Great music was playing. My husband & I had an amazing date night (we came here for dinner before heading to the Wiltern for a concert). I highly recommend trying this place!! & we will be back whenever we are back in the area!! :)
(5)Patrick S.
The oysters were killer. Th sushi was 2nd to none. The soy ramen was flavorful and rich with a thick Broth. Lisa our waitress was courteous and informative all evening long. She kept the drinks and food coming and made our evening classy with a graceful style. We'll be back for sure.
(5)Rose W.
The yakitori/robata here is perfect. My personal favorites were the Chicken Meatball and the Pork Belly. The prices are low enough where experimenting with different yakitori/robata won't be a hassle, plus who doesn't love low prices? The ambiance was great! Since I visited during the soft opening, there weren't that many people there, which was fine because I was able to talk to my boyfriend at a regular speaking volume (rather than talking over other people). I imagine it will get crowded later on. The decorations here are very hip and trendy. Also the music playlist was perfectly nostalgic. The waiters and waitresses were all wonderful people :) our table was checked often enough to make sure our needs were met, but not too often where it felt like they were intruding upon our dinner. Every one of them had heartfelt smiles and seeing them happy made me feel happy too :) The only (slight) downside was that we got a little bit lost coming here. There is parking validation, but only if you park in the Zion Market lot in the garage. The validation gives you 2 hours free. Also, the restaurant itself is located in a cozy corner on the 3rd floor of the mall, which can be a struggle to find because it was tucked away so comfortably. But it's definitely worth the find. I would come here again once the bar is up and running just so I can have a drink with my Pork Belly robata next time! :D
(5)Mark K.
They got their alcohol license !! I have been their west LA location many times , Been here in K town few times already , they were still waiting for their liquor license, today when I got here find out they finally got the license, cheers ! Jay the bartender is a cool guy , my favorites are salmon black truffle sushi and special beef tongue . High recommend
(5)William K.
One of our new favorite places in Koreatown for Yakitori! Both of our visits have been great.
(4)Scott M.
My review is for my visit on June 21st. It was my first time at The Backhouse and I have mixed feelings about the whole experience some of which was out of their control so I didn't hold the other circumstance against them. When I looked up the address I was familiar with the Zion Market Plaza so I knew exactly where I was headed. I chose to park on the street so I entered on 6th Street and upon opening the doors to the mall was exposed to what felt like a steam sauna, the air conditioning was either out or had been turned off. If it was turned off I can only speculate that the mall turns it off after the normal business hours of the majority of shops there in the mall which probably closed at 5 or 6pm on that Sunday. I didn't write down the floor it was on but I thought I remembered it was on the 3rd floor but was going to check the directory before heading up the escalators but there was no directory that I could find so I took my chances and went up to the 3rd floor up along with the hot air...ugh. So I get to the 3rd floor and it's deserted, a ghost town, the businesses are all locked up and dark but then I spotted a body sitting on a bench so I headed that direction only to find it was the spa so I turned and that's when saw The Backhouse sign nestled in the far corner. When I arrived the doors to the restaurant were wide open and the hostess greeted me upon entering. I was by myself so she suggested sitting at the bar to eat since that is what a one person party (my paraphrasing) usually does but she added that if there wasn't a spot at the bar they'd seat me at a table. Granted the smallest table they seemed to have was for four people but it was not busy when I went in so there were plenty of empty tables they could have sat me at. I'm not one to push so I reluctantly found a seat at the bar. I should add that with the doors wide open the restaurant was as hot inside as it was in the mall which made it uncomfortably hot inside the restaurant. After seating myself at the bar I was promptly greeted by the bartender even though he had other customers he was already helping with a to-go order and he was equally as responsive when I asked if I could order food at the bar at which point he immediately produced two different menus. I was set on ramen since I'm not a fish or seafood lover so it was easy to narrow their 3 ramen choices down to one but I also wanted to try one of their signature drinks so I asked the bartender if he could recommend one and without missing a beat said the Moscow Mule. Now I was very appreciative that he didn't do the obnoxious bartender thing and go into some spiel about the different drinks or pull the indifference thing and start with the "well it depends on what you like" and then not even bother to ask you what your tastes are. I placed my order and got my drink first which was definitely a great recommendation and I gave it two thumbs up! Now the ramen arrives, it was delivered by a very nice and attentive waitress who noticed I didn't have utensils, etc... but since there were chopsticks on the bar I said all I really needed was a napkin so she went and got me one, a very classy cloth napkin, and brought it to me. Now for the ramen... The ramen itself was stuck together in a ball and the advertised pork was about the size of a strip of bacon, it was more garnishment than anything. The half of a hard boiled egg in the broth was more substantial than the slivers of pork. I could get over the lack of pork for a bowl of noodles for under $10 but the ball of noodles pissed me off, even I can cook better than that but I persevered and pulled them apart...eventually. I will say the broth was tasty which the bartender attributed to the inclusion of butter in it but I couldn't get past that the ramen was served stuck together in a ball. Since the bartender was the most redeeming aspect of my visit and it was still awfully hot in the restaurant, although about this time I finally felt cool air starting to circulate from their vents, I ordered a second Moscow Mule. After finishing the second drink I paid my bill and left. I will definitely return and try their food again since they may just be going through opening pains. Regardless, the bartender that night rocked!
(3)Johanna S.
Had dinner with a girlfriend this past Thursday, and we were craving authentic Yakitori Style Japanese food, and this place was a hit!!!!! Tried everything from the Ribeye, Duck Breast, to the Pork Belly, Chicken Skin and even the sushi was AMAZING!! Not to mention, the service was bar none. Our waitress came by the table every 10 minutes or so to make sure we were pleased with the food, and answered any questions we had regarding the menu. The ambiance, outdoor patio, and overall vibe was inviting. I will definitely be coming back.
(5)Paula S.
One of my favorite happy hr places now!!! Cheap and fresh oysters and very good bbqs!!!
(5)Xo_ K.
Came here last week during their Happy Hour and really enjoyed the sushi and yakitori. For those of you wondering what yakitori is, it's basically small portions of food grilled on skewers. One of the other comments mentioned the portions were small, but this is yakitori we're talking about so I'm not sure what that yelper was expecting. I thought the portions were fair. My favorites among the items I ordered were the: pork belly, gizzards, cartilage, chicken thigh, spicy tuna on rice crisps, and baked lobster roll. Like the other yelpers mentioned, this place is located on the top floor of an indoor mall (right above EMC). Don't make any judgments based on this alone, whether you grab a spot inside or out on the patio, the ambiance is great for everything from date nights to social gatherings. I would definitely go back to try the other items on menu.
(4)Liz M.
I went here for dinner with high hopes, but left extremely unsatisfied. The first thing I noticed was the surly and inattentive waitstaff. We sat at our table waiting to order and watched five of the waiters stand in a circle and socialize with their backs to us, making it impossible to get their attention. They did this for at least five minutes at a time, multiple times throughout our dinner. One of our two waitresses was nice and knowledgeable, but the other was standoffish and didn't know the menu. The food was disappointing (2/5 stars). It was bland, smaller than expected, and expensive for the portions. For example. our order of chicken wings came with only two wings, whereas across town at the West LA location it comes with four wings for the same price. We had to send an order of meat back because the middle was completely raw, although they brought us a new order. The prices seem cheap, except that each order is only 2-4 bites of food. The overall bill was about $30, and we left just as hungry as when we got there. We had to get a pizza afterward because it felt like we hadn't eaten. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone, and if you go, expect to dramatically overpay for food that is mediocre at best.
(1)Christopher C.
Food was great. Service was bit slow due to the large order and busy place but over experience was great. Also supplied us with drinks and had a great time.
(5)Royal K.
Great new sushi place in k-town. Beautiful decor and great sushi selection. The uni sushi was amaaaazing and our favorite skewer was the bacon wrapped enoki mushroom. Same ownership as EMC and the staff were really cool.
(5)Andrew O.
I love the Backhouse. I went there last week and got to try most of the stuff on their menu and I was really impressed with how amazing the food was. Not only was the quality of their ingredients top notch, they have some very creative chefs there coming up with innovative dishes like their new foie gras sushi. It was amazing. But unlike other Yakitori places that serve everything and aren't a master of none, Backhouse is very solid all across the board. You can tell they source their Sushi from top suppliers and you can taste it. On top of that, the vibe there is great and their upper terrace dining area should definitely be experienced. If you're in Koreatown, make sure you give Backhouse a try!
(5)Chantelle T.
First time here, love it! Came for happy hour, and the dollar oysters were bomb as well as everything else on the happy hour menu. Love the atmosphere and our waiter Chris was super awesome! Definitely going to come back.
(5)Chris S.
Not happy with the manager here. My oyster never came out and it was still on my bill!! I asked him to remove it, instead they sent out oyster last minute. Hello we were done eating already.... Boo! Just remove the bill. And he was rude and swore at the staff.
(1)Olga G.
This is a nice place with quiet relaxing atmosphere. Good for a date, reasonable pricing for food & drinks. Staff is very attentive to your needs. The only bad thing that they don't serve anything to eat a little bit after 9pm on weekdays which was very frustrating when we came last time, had to leave cuz we were hungry. Either way I think it's worth of checking it out. Best of luck!
(4)David P.
Had a great time eating here tonight! The skewers were delicious, I ordered the ribeye, pork belly, chicken meatballs, and chicken thigh. The ribeye was so good I ordered seconds on it. There was also a nice variety of sushi rolls and sashimi. The restaurant is very cool and clean and has a nice heated outdoor patio. It's a little difficult to locate (3rd floor of the Zion Market), but it's worth it! Make sure to park in the Zion Market garage (not the one right next to it with the ticketed entrance) and get your parking validated afterwards.
(5)Candy L.
I went to the Backhouse not knowing what to expect. The location is in Koreatown, but The food is Japanese, which I think is awesome because I love Japanese food. I had the sushi, yakitori and drinks. I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh fish, the perfect seasoning of the yakitori meats and the great service. But, what really did it for me was their foie gras sushi. Never had this anywhere else (not even in Tokyo) and It is an explosion of yummy heaven. I totally recommend this sushi piece (get it while you can!) and the Backhouse.
(5)Sarah L.
i went there few days ago after i heard that the menu changed and i had a great time. Our server, Lisa was very attentive and made us feel very comfortable while dining there. I WILL DEFINITELY GO BACK for the food and Lisa! If anyone is planning to dine at Backhouse, look for Lisa! She's awesome!!!
(5)Hyun K.
Happy hour. Most dishes are below 4 dollars. The portions are small but very tasty. I like the blue crab roll which is not included in the happy hour menu. Great bartender service..
(5)J J.
This is yet another gem in Koreatown. I'm a serious foodie and I rarely leave K-Town at this point because it's so amazing and endlessly cool and filled with the best food ever. Of course true to the K-town spirit this place is only for the people who like expeditions into the unknown and are the ones to dive down the rabbit hole. To get here you have to either enter a weird mall and walk through a Korean grocery store to find your self going up three flights of escalators to the back part of the top floor of the mall or you can enter by walking up the stairs of EQUITABLE the building on Wilshire that walked out of 1960, this is my preferred way of entering: walk through EQUITABLE, into a mall that hides behind it, through the crazy food court, past the grocery store with live eel splashing around, past the best hat kiosk ever, past the bed store that doesn't sell beds (only sells concentrate magic fruit that will help you liver forever, up three flights of stairs, passing a spa, a magic Karaoke place filled with black lights, and finally head to the last spot on the top floor! Yum!! Once you're finally there it's a sprawling romantically lit spot filled with cool foreigners that probably know five more languages that us lazy dumb American snobs. The Yakitori is great... Honestly this place is second best to the king of all LA Yakitori spots Nanbankan (located outside of k-town - in Santa Monica). This place is cool, fun, has great Japanese food, in K-town, owned ironically by the lovely Chinese, who honor seafood (hence EMC Seafood on the lower floor. Love this spot! Sit on the patio and order lots of Yakitori and drink up. Cheers and see you there Xoxo
(5)Jessica N.
Had my son's HS graduation party and they were VERY Accommodating with me. I spoke to Jimmy, who is the manager a few days before and let him know that I would have about 20 people and he emailed me pictures of the patio along with their menu's. I was able to decorate and bring in the big 2015 balloons, have a gift table that I decorated, as well as a cake (didn't charge me a cake cutting fee either!). I didn't have to put any money up front like at other places and was able to have an enjoyable evening, worry free. The waiters were also very attentive bringing water and making sure the food was distributed evenly among everybody as it came out. The FOOD was DELICIOUS!!! We had both types of chicken skewers, gyoza, shitaki mushrooms which were all tasty and ok but not the crowd favorite. We had a few orders of the California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and the unagi rolls which were good but pretty small. Had I known they were that small, I would have ordered more of the crowd favorites instead but I wanted to have a variety of food. The crowd favorites were the pork belly skewers were very tasty which melted in your mouth! The meatballs were also a big hit as they were full of flavor and moist! But the rib-eye was MY personal favorite as the meat was soft, juicy, and two weeks later...I'm still craving it!! Will definitely be going back soon! The only thing is that the food didn't come in all at once and did come in as it cooked which I guess was ok as people would chit chat as the food came out and we probably wouldn't have had enough room on the table for everything all at once anyway. I didn't think I was going to have enough food to fill everybody up but we actually had more than enough food and I had to take some home...YAY for Leftovers!!! Price was pretty reasonable for all that food and 20 people! I will have to come back for happy hour! one last thing....try the lychee martini, it's not too strong, goes down smooth, and has the right amount of alcohol which will help you enjoy all the tasty little plates.
(5)Mario Q.
Awesome find in Korea town! We walked into this place after trying to head over to EMC for some oysters. We were so fortunate to check this place out before it becomes super busy. It's only been open for a month and a half! I really recommend anything from their robata menu. We tried the wings, rib eye, braised pork belly, and asparagus. For the sushi we tried the jalapeño yellowtail. Chris was our bar tender and all the drinks that he made us where great. They aren't overly strong they were perfect you could taste all the fresh ingredients. I would recommend the Far East side. It was refreshing. The decor was nice and atmosphere even better. Everyone was super friendly and tentative I would recommend this spot to anyone who is looking for some good eats and amazing cocktails. Their patio bar is really nice and this place would make a nice spot for anyone who wants to relax and have a great meal. Oh and they have oysters too! Good job guys!
(5)Sean K.
We stopped by EMC for some oysters but the wait was 2 hrs so we decided to try the new place upstairs. It wasn't quite as busy but we didn't want to wait for the tables so we sat at the bar which wasn't too busy. The seats were empty but there was dirty dishes and food spilled on the table so we politely waited for it to be cleaned. We waited 5 minutes and the bartender asks us "what do you guys want to order." I asked him to clean the table first. He pushes the dirty dishes aside and hands us a dirty menu. Without even attempting to wipe the table he stands there and he wants to take our order. I just gave him a look of disbelief and left.
(1)Bradford J.
Wanted some Yakitori over the weekend so decided to try the Backhouse. Restaurant is new, trendy, and has a great patio with awesome views - you can even see the Griffith Park Observatory! There were so many items I wanted to try so I ordered away. My top picks are the special best tongue, the best I've had anywhere in LA, the chicken meatballs, the chicken thigh and wings, shishito peppers, and duck breast. I also ordered several sushi items, sushi was fresh, and melted in my mouth. The blue crab roll is a must as well as the salmon. This is a great date spot for sure, ask for the patio and also great for large groups. They have a nice bar inside and great scotch bar outside, which includes some high end scotches. I will be coming back for sure, hopefully with a date next time!
(4)Robert B.
I normally don't write reviews because I think they're silly, but this business, tucked away on the top floor of City Center on 6th, deserves my recommendation to you. So let's keep it short and sweet. The sushi was excellent, very fresh fish and great flavors. The rolls were equally as good. Beer selection was impressive and the Sake pour was generous. While dinner did not come with edamame as is usual standard practice in many places, the edamame with sea salt was very tasty and refreshing at a very reasonable price. Service was excellent with frequent check ins and the decor was dark and romantic, with window seats available overlooking 6th street. In an area ripe with many sushi options, I encourage you to give this restaurant a try. It was a nice surprise. It can be deceiving because of the city center mall location but there is available parking for $2 with validation, which beats searching for parking on any night. Enjoy.
(5)Brandon S.
Ok so I have been here a couple times now, and let me tell you, it is pretty great. Service is quick, with food constantly coming to your table, the food always reaching you at the peak of freshness. We started with the edamame with truffle garlic sauce, kabocha tempura(Japanese pumpkin with creamy curry sauce), seaweed salad, and crispy garlic Brussels sprouts. The edamame was the best edamame I've ever had. I even held on to the sauce to use on other dishes that came out. The kabocha tempura was really interesting, the curry isn't too strong but lends a really nice flavor that works with the tempura fried pumpkin. The Brussels sprouts are very tasty, almost exactly like the Brussel sprouts served at the downstairs restaurant EMC. The seaweed salad is good, tastes as good as any other seaweed salad I've ever had. It's no reinvention of the wheel, but is certainly a solid appetizer option. I didn't try the sashimi or sushi cuts, but other friends of mine did. They gave a thumbs up to everything they tried( salmon, albacore, yellowtail). I did have the opportunity to try the different sushi rolls. I enjoyed the salmon hand roll, but I would recommend getting it cut in half, someone at your table will want to give it a try. The rainbow roll was tasty as well. All of the fish tasted fresh. Their spicy yellowtail jalapeño speciality roll is worth checking out as well. The baked lobster and crab roll are also both worth giving a shot. There is nothing to be disappointed by. There are also some great items to be tried on the robata menu as well. I would recommend the back house wing, the duck breast, the fillet(I would ask for the wasabi sauce on the side, it tends to over power the taste of the meat when it is served on it. ), the pork belly, shisho pork, bacon wrapped asparagus & enoki mushroom, and the shiitake mushrooms. Overall I had a great time and enjoyed some great food, the flow of service provides a great environment to host large groups or have an intimate date. The food provokes great conversation and the the atmosphere of the restaurant lends itself to some chill times. I'd recommend checking the place out. Over the multiple times I went in Sabrina, Richard, and Chris took wonderful care of me.
(5)Ricky C.
I'm sorry. I had a fly in my drink (seriously), and All they did was offer 15% off my tab. Ain't coming here again.
(1)Jennifer L.
Came here on a whim thanks to some of the servers handing out coupons. Glad I went. Food was very well seasoned and spot on. The server, Richard, was very friendly and gave some great service as well as recommendations. Definitely coming back again when they get their liquor license! Expect me back soon guys! -jenny. Ps: those skewers though...mmmm
(5)Matt K.
well...the service sucked. They try really hard, but they aren't good at what they do. The bar tender had a limited selection of cocktails and not enough creativity to make something off of his cocktail menu. The kitchen messed up multiple orders. The waiter, messed up multiple orders. Getting water for a part of 10 was a 20 minute ordeal. They messed up the check.
(2)Stella C.
excellent patio area. fire towers kept us warm. smoking area away from diners. everything was set up with customers in mind. I love this place
(5)Andy K.
The food and ambiance are great, especially now that they have a fully stocked bar!
(5)