Beetle House LA — Restaurant in Los Angeles

This was our first time here. My girlfriend and I decided to check this place out after she discovered it on Instagram.

The drive was a little over an hour, no big deal considering how excited we were to dine in at a Tim Burton inspired themed restaurant.

Upon arrival, you're greeted with your choice of Vallet parking immediately next to the venue for $25 or you can drive down the ways, and park in a garge between $8-$15 (depending on your vehicle size)

We had 10pm reservations. We walked in at 9:45pm and upon walking in we were asked by security standing at the door if we were there for the beetle house experience, which confused us because why else would we be there (this will make sense later)

We then checked in outside with a host. Who said they were running a bit behind but we could hangout at the bar when we walk in until our table was ready.

Upon walking in, the ambience was pretty dope, the vibe, atmosphere was up our alley which made us even more excited for our reservation.

We were walking alongside the bar, which is the first bar you're greeted with at the entrance and the bar tender told us we couldn't walk anywhere and had to stand at the corner near the entrance, which caught us off guard because we were only standing at the bar to get a drink. So instead of asking if we wanted a drink she followed up with "your hostess will attend to you shortly"

Our hostess finally came and was overly apologetic exclaiming how sorry she was and they were running behind but we could walk across the ways to their other bar to grab drinks until they were ready to seat us.

For those who care about drink pricing. We Ordered 2 drinks while waiting, 1 mixed and 1 shot. Mixed drink was $18, the shot was $25

Our reservation was at 10pm, we didn't get seated until 10:35, show started around 10:40ish pm. It started off exciting! Music was awesome, first performance was amazing, our waitress was extremely sweet upon taking our order, making suggestions so we were completely captivated and excited for the rest of our night.

We were greeted with our appetizers quite quickly. I had a chicken appetizer while my girlfriend had fries. She said some fries tasted a bit stale and some were good. I didn't bother trying them and the chicken i ordered was dry, flavorful with their marinade but dry nonetheless. Then moments later our entrees were served which seemed odd because we were barely seeing our 2nd performance.

She ordered fish which she said was decent and I ordered their pasta dish. Can't recall the exact name. But it was Luke warm. The noodles weren't cooked long enough because they were still a bit hard in some areas. Everything felt rushed and we weren't understanding why.

As we're trying to eat our entrees we noticed them moving tables around, moving different types of seating around. We thought it was because they were setting up for another performance but nope. That was it. The end. It was around 11:15pm.

Our waitress came over and brought our dessert in a bag. 1 keylime pie or something of that sort. And 1 red velvet cake. The red velvet was overly dry. And the keylime or cheesecake was melted. Definitely not fresh. During the 2 performances we weren't ever greeted again by our waitress for additional drinks or checked up on for anything else after our initial order was placed.

We asked her what was going on because our reservation was advertised as a 1 hour 45 minute show, not a 25 minute show! She said it turns into a nightclub at 11pm. We were in disbelief because why advertise a 10pm reservation with a 1 hour and 45 minute show, knowing it'll turn into a club at 11pm. Which now makes sense as to why security at the door asked us why we were there.

There was no apology, we weren't expecting to get comped but at least a decent discount or voucher for a future show. But it just seems they care more about taking people's money rather than customer satisfaction. Drove over an hour to give them money for pretty much nothing. We would have had a better time next door at BWW for a fraction...

This place was really fun. If you love Tim Burton you will feel right at home.

Walking into the entry way you go up quite a few stairs where you pass the iconic logo for beetle house. Turning up the stairs you eventually land at the top.

Everywhere you look there is reference to a lot of Tim’s films. From the Nightmare Before Christmas to Betelgeuse you name it, it’s there.

The bar is the first thing you get to from the stairs.

The whole area is adorned with black lights and funky things on the walls.

To get to the dining room and where all the fun happens, you go off to the left and through a tunnel that’s been decorated to fit the theme.

Inside there is another bar much smaller than the one in front.

In the dining area, you sit facing a somewhat larger stage where they have scenes from various Tim Burton films being projected on the wall.

The best part of this whole experience was the characters who wander throughout the area and interact with the guests. There was Willy Wonka and Edward Scissor Hands. They nailed the characters down to a T. They embodied them and all their quirks very well.

There was also Razors the clown who did a little card magic and also shoved pointy things into his sinus area.

Dakota the bearded lady was also there shoving pointy things into her sinus area too.

Now between the random wandering and the video clips on the wall, they also fit in a little show from Freak Show Deluxe. Razors the clown swallowed a 3-4 foot long balloon, and some razors. He also managed to stick a sharp pointy object through his arm. That was pretty impressive. The best part was when he put tic-tacs in his eyes that eventually came out his mouth.

Now Dakota was even more impressive. She managed to walk on a bunch of broken glass while not sustaining any bodily harm. I have to admit it would have been the perfect finisher if that happened while I was eating my medium rare flat iron steak.

Now we get to the reason I only gave this place 4 stars. Let’s be honest a place should only get 5 stars when it’s completely perfect and that really is never. There is always room for improvement.

Let’s talk about the food. It’s a prix fixe menu with two options. The “Recently Deceased” is $40 and the “Poltergeist” is $45. The only difference between the two is the main course options. With $40 you can choose from a burger, linguini with clams, or vegan linguini. The $45 option opens up the door to salmon or flat iron steak. Both options include a starter and dessert.

I chose the Mac and cheese and have to say it was delicious. It utilized the truffle very well. It was super cheesy and had really great flavor.

The flat iron steak was just okay. Cooked perfectly for my order it had a red wine reduction along with whipped potatoes which were more like just mashed potatoes. They weren’t as silky as I was expecting them to be. The overall flavor was good, not great.

For dessert I had the apple dish. It was pretty tasty and the custard was pretty firm.

But I would say that the Mac and cheese starter stole the show.

It wasn’t too busy when I was there but it is after Halloween so it can be expected.

Overall I would say this place is something to experience once. I don’t really feel a need to go back.

And you really are going for the experience. The food overall...

Beetlehouse LA offers an atmosphere that truly captures the essence of horror and macabre, with decor both inside and out paying homage to iconic characters and spooky themes. Our large group, ranging in ages from 27 to 81, had heard great things and was excited for an evening of food and a variety show.

Unfortunately, our experience was a mixed bag. We arrived 30 minutes before our reservation and waited in the outside bar, which only stocked liquor and beer. Those looking for non-alcoholic beverages were left thirsty as we waited. Even though we were early, we still weren’t seated until 15 minutes past our reservation time. Once seated, we noticed the floor was dirty and slippery, which I brought to the staff’s attention, but no action was taken.

The food, however, was a highlight. We tried the kababs and wings, both of which were delicious, full of flavor, and well-prepared. However, the fillet was a bit of a letdown, as it was completely lacking the sear it needed to bring out the flavor. A better sear would have made a big difference in the dish.

As for the show, we found it somewhat lacking. While the venue set the stage for what could have been an immersive performance, the actual entertainment fell short. Every 15 to 30 minutes, a thunder sound would cue one of three brief acts: the Sanderson sisters (who were the stars of the night), Jack and Sally, and a man who swallowed an extra-long, untwisted balloon animal balloon. His act, unfortunately timed right after dinner, made for an uncomfortable experience on many levels, especially for those of us with full stomachs. While the Sanderson sisters were engaging and graciously posed for pictures, the show felt more like a series of quick appearances rather than a cohesive, interactive performance. To fill the gaps, a looping montage of horror movie clips played, which wasn’t quite what we were expecting.

For $65 per ticket, plus drinks and tip, we spent about $125 each, and honestly, we expected more from the experience. Members of our group who had visited Beetlehouse previously mentioned that the experience used to be far more interactive and engaging, with around 12 actors compared to the five we saw. After reading other reviews and seeing pictures of Beetlejuice characters like Beetlejuice, Adam, Barbara, and Lydia, it became clear we didn’t get the full cast.

In conclusion, Beetlehouse LA needs to find its identity. The concept feels a bit confused, especially with some employees in costume while others are not. If Beetlehouse is thematically related to Beetlejuice, it didn’t come across fully during our visit. The atmosphere and food are a great start, but the venue would benefit from a clearer, more cohesive theme and a stronger entertainment experience to truly capture the magic of the macabre. I’d love to return when they’ve found...