Gray Tavern — Restaurant in Los Angeles

The Gray Tavern itself is a bit small. I'm guessing Covid is the reason no one was really sitting inside. I like how all the TVs are in Black & White. Apparently the owner is color blind 😉.

The outdoor seating is nice. Not very spacious but nice. Decor is nice with an undertone of basic/seen it before.

We moved seats because although they made an effort to socially distance us, the music was a bit too loud coupled with the conversations of multiple groups. To defeat this purpose they sat a party of 2 right next to us. Effort out the window.

For some reason there is a separate outdoor seating area that is adjacent to the alleyway and alley parking. So if someone leaves and fires up the ole AMG you might get a face full of exhaust while eating. 😋 Yum, 91 Octane.

We still preferred to stay. Worthy tradeoff. I believe where we were sitting was apart of the wine lounge and not apart of Grays but directly connected. They didn't care where we sat.

The food: I ordered the Lemon Chicken. It took a good 20min to come out so I'm assuming it was made fresh. The portion was very small so 20+ bucks at first sight I thought to myself quality over quantity. I was right. It was actually really good. I asked for the sauce on the side so I could get a good taste of the quality of the chicken by itself. It reminded me of the organic chicken I get from Belcampo. In the pic I had already started eating. I'm fat.

The sauce just sent it over the top. It was very rich. Not too tangy, not too sweet. I wasn't full but I was satisfied. I've definitely had better and they could have cooked the potatoes more but it was good.

The service was as attentive as you'd expect when a restaurant is busy and except for a simple lapse of memory by the waitress I have no complaints.

We ordered drinks. Jack and coke came in a tall glass. Maybe more coke than jack. Jameson on the rocks. Nice big singular rock. Doesn't taste watered down. Decent portion. Not sure of the price.

I never pay attention to the prices of drinks at places like this but in the end the bill came to just under 74 bucks. Not bad. I don't remember how many drinks we ordered. I was drinking.

All I know is this place was worth slapping a big face on the table and walking out no change. So obviously a moderate tip was warranted.

Overall. I...

So wanted to like this place as we live right down the street and what is better than a cool new spot in your neighborhood? The food was nice and we could tell they were thoughtful about menu and the aesthetic of the place (gorgeous bar made of marble). However, the staff is amateurish at best, which kills the vibe. My girlfriend and I were so excited to try this place and when we came in for brunch we told anyone who would listen that we lived in the neighborhood and couldn't wait to try this place. They couldn't care less, in fact the staff was a complete buzz kill. They just didn't get it, in fact one of the female bartenders who acted like the boss, but not a leader, just a boss, was a buzz kill for two people who were excited to be there - I wouldn't even say she was rude, you have to be present to be rude, she was just so monkey up about being in control and telling people what is what that rude was secondary. She should not be in the hospitality business, not a lot of genuine love of serving in that heart and def not hospitality, it's not her dna for sure. I know it's hard to find good help, but this place deserves better. Our server was sweet and helpful. She got it. She saw we were cool, excited and liked the place so she was hospitable, but that other bartender permeated the place with her uptight weird vibe. The other bartender who was new, wasn't great, but will give him a pass because he appeared hung over and was just trying to get through his shift, which I can understand. Anyhow, food was good and thoughtful. Staff bummed us out. We would like to try it for dinner but very hesitant that this is what the owners have out in front of the house representing them. I tried reaching out to the owner/s, no response from them trying them via...

Be forewarned, Gray Tavern does not honor active Groupon deals!

Having had a positive experience a few times prior, I enthusiastically ordered and paid in-full for four (4) Groupons to Gray Tavern in Studio City, CA. Two (2) of the Groupons expired this past Wednesday, 10/09/2019 (their promotional value was $30 each). The other two (2) Groupons expire this upcoming December (their promotional value is $20 each).

When I tried to enjoy the two older Groupons this past Tuesday night, 10/08/2019, our server refused to honor their still active and available promotional value. His explanation was that a former manager had arranged the "far too generous" deal and the new manager was no longer accepting the old Groupons. When I politely and calmly asked to speak to the manager, our server simply walked away and never returned, with or without a manager. They just plain refused to honor my still valid Groupons, so we left and we won't be back. I have since contacted Groupon for a full refund.

I have never, up until now, encountered such an utter lack of respect and reasonable customer service from any restaurant. I no longer want or need to give Gray Tavern any of my business, ever again. Lastly and in other news, their hours, particularly for happy hour, are...