Flipper's — Restaurant in West Hollywood

I was very disappointed by the service and food at flipper’s. I can count on one hand the amount of negative reviews I have given because I do not like giving them and believe everyone can improve/flukes happen. I also understand service expectations can be subjective, and I do consider myself someone with a lot of patience— but if you have been to flipper’s in Japan, this experience was just not the same. Went yesterday with my partner and enjoyed the (perceived) convenience of being able to join the yelp waitlist as we left home, about 20min from the restaurant. The waitlist at the time listed a 27-37min wait. Sounded perfect! We would arrive just in time to be seated. We parked and waited in our car for a few minutes to see if the waitlist was moving along as it was very hot outside and there was little to no shade in the lot where we would be checking in. We ended up staying at 4th position on the waitlist for about 10-15min so we decided to go to the host stand to check in with them. The waitress who came to check on us only confirmed that our name was on the waitlist and did not communicate at all roughly how much longer it might be before we would be sat. At this point it was over 45min that we were on the waitlist. I understand that the yelp waitlist only provided an estimated time and sometimes waits can be longer. This is fine— what is not fine is the lack of communication and general frantic/unorganized energy that was present at the check in podium. We proceeded to wait another 20min or so and were seated over an hour after joining the waitlist. Weird thing though is that at least two parties were sat prior to us without our position on the yelp waitlist advancing suggesting they do not honor consecutive order on the waitlist and they want you to check in once you arrive— which was not communicated whatsoever through any messaging online, on yelp or at the check in podium. Once seated, we proceeded to order our pancakes as the restaurant needed 20min to cook them, along with a side of fried chicken and truffle fries. We saw other people ordering fried chicken and waffles and thought the fried chicken looked really tasty so we figured we would order a side. When a side of battered (similar to fish and chips batter) chicken bites arrived at our table we were disappointed it was not communicated or listed on the menu that the side of fried chicken is actually a completely different item than the whole pieces of fried chicken you get with waffles. They were unseasoned and very fatty (maybe this was just our portion) but we had to send them back. The pancakes were good— compared to the real deal in Japan though they were nowhere close. A little deflated and not quite the picture perfect structure you see in viral videos online. Also the fact you can get a similar portion over there for maybe $8 USD at the most it seems like a crime charging $20 for two pancakes. Honestly, I would try other independently owned fluffy pancake spots in LA as there are a few others that look better than flipper’s. Or just wait until you’re in Japan for the real deal. I will not be returning and I do not...

The host said Flippers is a Japanese chain. It raised my brows, but sadly the Japanese magic isn’t here.

They actually have a host who has all the charm you’d expect from the average WeHo brat. It was a cold morning and I wanted to sit inside but he said it was probably as cold inside as outside. I insisted and as you may have guessed it was warmer inside.

The server was kind of robotic. She wasn’t all smiles until she stood in front of us. Like an actress, she has a server persona. I prefer people that deliver their own personality.

I ordered an omelette with cheese, spinach and mushrooms. It was actually very good. Not the best ever but enjoyable nevertheless. It also had ham inside and I like the way they prepare the ham very much. It was almost bacon like. The bread that came with the order was good but had very hard and thick crusts. The hash browns were meh. Shaped like a McDonald’s one and that isn’t a good thing. My coffee was just fine.

Strangely enough the server asked if we wanted more coffee, as she walked by with her coffee pitcher thingy, but we ordered lattes. Either she was still asleep or she didn’t remember we ordered lattes. Espresso shots are not the same as regular coffee. Or maybe it was a nice gesture for her to offer us more coffee when we ordered a latte which has no refills. Or maybe they use the same mugs for regular coffee and lattes? In this case it wouldn’t be her error.

Their famed soufflé pancakes take 20 minutes and the host let us know. We ordered the matcha ones. Uninspiring, boring and barely tasting like matcha. They’re tiny. The soufflé characteristics didn’t make me enjoy them any more than a regular pancake. The strawberry ones look better.

The bathroom is clean. You take a long hallway to get there. They play amazing WeHo club style dance music in there. I almost didn’t want to leave. Much better than the horrid 80s soft rock they were playing in the restaurant.

The restaurant is popular. People started coming in soon after we arrived. It was getting packed. I wonder why.

They have a mid sized...

Brunch Burrito / eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, salsa, cheese, tortilla with truffle fries - 5⭐!

My last review mentioned how a bright yellow storefront lured me in and the exact same thing happened with Flipper's. I had my eye on them for a while because they really stand out with their colorful and inviting bright yellow style. Recently, I had a chance to stop by and see if the menu matched the decor.

It is also worth noting that a keen and creative eye for design went into this lovely breakfast/brunch spot. Everything looked great, the seating, the menu, the kitchen - and the yellow theme was well thought out and inviting.

The menu is a blend of Japanese/American brunch. If you ever run across a souffle pancake, it started in Japan. I was torn between trying out the souffle pancakes but ultimately settled on their brunch burrito (breakfast burrito). One of my food kryptonites is a hearty breakfast burrito.

And wow, was this one spectacular! It was stuffed to the very limits of the tortilla and packed with flavor. Everything was cooked expertly. I had to slow myself down and savor it because as soon as I took my first bite, I was ready to scarf the entire thing. It came with three sauces that I forgot to ask what they are. One was a fancy ketchup and all three were excellent. It came with a side and I chose truffle fries. Their truffle fries were well balanced.

The server was great. Very friendly guy who talked me through my burrito versus pancake dilemma. I'm glad he encouraged me to try the burrito. It was awesome.

They have a small parking lot they share with a few other businesses but honestly, street parking in this area of Fairfax shouldn't be a problem. I'm going to head back and try out the pillow sized...