Flame Broiler — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Our auditors recently conducted an independent review of The Flame Broiler.

The visit began with several positives. There was plenty of free parking available, and the location was wheelchair accessible. The health score (Grade A) was visibly posted at the front entrance, which reflects compliance with required food safety standards. The exterior of the business was clean and inviting. Once inside, the dining area was picked up and orderly. Food arrived in a timely manner--approximately 15 minutes--and the order was correct and served as expected.

However, multiple concerns arose during the experience that warrant attention. There was only one employee working the register and cooking the food. The Employe was not wearing a visible name tag, making identification difficult. More critically, we observed the same employee taking orders at the register, handling food preparation, and moving between tasks without washing hands or wearing gloves. This presents a serious food safety concern. Additionally, the same employee drank from a personal cup while cooking our food.

From a customer service standpoint, the interaction was unwelcoming. Upon arrival, the employee did not greet us and only engaged after being prompted. Throughout the ordering process, the tone was passive and unprofessional, leaving both auditors feeling like they were inconveniencing the worker. Food was delivered in a rushed and dismissive manner, further contributing to the poor service impression.

There were also issues with beverage service. Multiple fountain drink options were flat, and when the concern was raised, the response from staff was dismissive and borderline confrontational, including testing sodas in front of the customer while implying dishonesty. A similar experience occurred when our auditors asked if their salad had dressing, to which he replied, it was up front in the containers. When I asked if I could grab one or two, he sarcastically replied that I could have them all.

The restroom inspection found the area to be generally clean but lacking key essentials--no toilet paper and no running hot water were available, both of which are required for basic hygiene and guest comfort.

While the food itself was satisfactory and the restaurant environment outwardly presentable, the lack of professionalism, inadequate hygiene practices, and poor customer service greatly overshadowed these positives.

Based on this experience, our assigned auditors have concluded they will not return to this location. However, to ensure fairness and accuracy, we will conduct follow-up audits at random intervals with different team members to provide a broader and more representative evaluation of this business's long-term performance.

When I asked the gentleman his name, he said it was Sim, S-I-M. However the receipt says "Sima." Upon looking further into reviews on this restaurant, I found the employees name is Simrahd.

Our mission is to uphold accountability in businesses that serve the public by conducting honest, thorough, and professional audits. We strive to ensure that restaurants, hotels, and service providers deliver excellence in quality, cleanliness, and customer care. By setting clear standards and providing transparent evaluations, we empower both businesses to improve and the public to trust the experiences they choose

Gold Seal Standards LLC. (G.S.S) "Where every...

Not sure what has been happening the last couple of months but there has clearly been a drastic change in management. I frequent here many times a month for my office! In my last 5 visits, I've called ahead, given an estimated time for pickup and get there to find out the order is never ready. Mind you, I've always given an extra 10-15 minutes before picking up to be safe. 3 times I had to wait a minimum of 20 minutes after already waiting 15 minutes from the time i placed my order. During my visits I have witnessed the cook yelling at the cashier for not taking the order correctly and not knowing who's order is who's during a busy time. Cashier was frustrated, chef was frustrated and we all (about 5 of us) waiting to get our order were frustrated. Today was the last straw. I called ahead for 1 bowl, was told 10 minutes, I waited 15 minutes (based on my past experience), get there and they have absolutely no record of my order. Again, chef being very short with both cashiers. Yep, two of them. (probably as frustrated as I was). As I told them I could not wait, I turn around to meet the faces of 2 other customers who have been waiting 20 minutes and more frustrated than I. I refuse to support them until they make some changes and actually make training all the new faces a priority. Once is an accident, twice maybe a fluke but three or more is simply neglect. Everytime I go in there, there is always a new face and clearly always in training mode that isn't going very well. Hope you can make a positive change and take my review with a...

I don't know if ownership changed but I have had the worst experience the last 2 trips here. The Hispanic woman with the pierced lip is horrible. First time she "helped" me I had to ask if she worked there because she was in the front watching TV. Then she was very unprofessional and ended up giving us the wrong order which I didn't discover til I got home. Second trip - she couldn't get the order right and was making excuses. This isn't rocket science. Then she tells me I ordered it wrong. If she is still there IF I go back that's it, I'm done with this location. I left there so angry and frustrated. And finally, I was told Melinda the manager is "never hardly here" so I can't even contact her. Add to that, the chicken was so chewy it was inedible.

Follow up: I wrote to FB corporate and they were very accommodating in following up with the store manager...