Church & State

The food is mediocre, the service is horrible, and the patio is not a safe place to eat. I was invited here to celebrate my birthday. Our party of eight arrived at 5:30 and the service was consistently slow, especially considering it was Sunday night and they only had the limited Price Fixe menu (plus some A la carte items). We weren't served our appetizers until an hour after being seated and our last dish (dessert) was served about 2 1/2 hours after being seated. The dishes people liked included the Onion Tarte, Lamb Shoulder, and the Gratin de Macaronis et Fromages. The Pacific Cod was overcooked and the Steak Frites was tough. Desserts were the highlight and included the Chocolate Mousse, Lemon Tarte and the Passion Fruit Sorbet. Near the end of the meal, a delusional guy wandered from the street and into the restaurant. He was ushered out by an employee who then followed him as he walked onto the far end of the patio and walked alongside tables of patrons towards our table at the other end. He walked behind our table, muttering to himself, as the employee followed behind. He stopped behind me and stood there which made me quite uncomfortable. I felt unsafe and thought about getting up, but since there was only about three feet between me and the wall, and he was standing somewhere in the middle, I was trapped in my seat. The delusional guy then put both his hands on either side of my head. I was shocked and couldn't believe the employee stood there and allowed this to happen. I was so startled that I jumped up. At the same time, my husband (who is a very mild mannered, non confrontational guy) ran over to the guy and pushed him away from me and into the wall behind me. He told the guy to leave me alone and proceeded to usher him away from the restaurant. All the while, the employee just stood there. Another guy came out of the restaurant. I'm not sure whether he was another patron, or an employee, but he told my husband to take it easy. After my husband escorted the guy off the premises, my husband told the gentlemen that he owns a business a few blocks away and warned the employee that you can't allow someone like that to get close to your guests. That you don't know what a delusional guy like that is capable of and the priority should be the safety of the guests. (My husband has had a knife pulled on him, and many other things that I won't mention in this review.) All the employee said was that he didn't have that much experience dealing with this type of guy. Our table was stunned. After that, we had to flag down our waiter for our check and no manager ever stopped by our table to apologize, nor did anyone ask if I was okay. UNBELIEVABLE! Who hasn't had slow service or the occasional waiter that makes a mistake? It happens. But at a decent restaurant, isn't that always followed by an apology and a complimentary dessert or something? Not only was there no apology, but we also got to pay the check in full! My mother was so upset that after leaving, she called to speak to the manager and found out the employee that she called to complain about was the acting manager! UNBELIEVABLE! Needless to say, we will never return. Note to management: if you don't know how to protect your guests in this neighborhood that is in transition, perhaps you should consider hiring a security guard that can. At the very least, you should train your employees so they know what to do in this type of situation. Instead of telling my husband to take it easy on the guy, your employee should have helped my husband escort the guy off the premises, called the police, or called for additional help from within the restaurant. What if the guy pulled out a knife? more

One of the first places I can remember eating in Los Angeles. I feel like this place was here before it was hip to be here. The sandwiches are really good. I liked my grille chicken and avocado. My girlfriend had some open faced thing that I can't pronounce but she made mmmm sounds while eating. hot. more

We liked the ambaince but the food was imitation French brasserie and the service was really bad. \r \r We had to ask our waitress for beer/wine three times - was she in AA trying to dissuade us from alcohol? When the manager came by and asked ""how is everything"" we commented the duck was too salty and an awfully small portion to boot. He said sorry and offered nothing to make it better. \r \r When we left and my partner used the restroom, I went to the front of the restaurant and the very same manager asked ""May I seat you""? He did not recall we were the very same people with whom he had spoken. He said, ""Oh, I was going to send over a desert but forgot"". No need ever to come back. Pros: Nice vibe Cons: Over salted food, dreadful service, small portions more

It could have been any of the dishes I sampled at Church & State on Friday night -- the crusty warm French baguette with glossy butter, the escargots with puff pastry, the two-foot long charcuterie plate, the meaty duck breast with kumquats and Brussel Sprouts, or even the humble short rib. \r \r It could have been the impeccable service -- the waiters and wait staff that doted upon our four-top with an air that was decidely un-French. \r \r And it could have been the charm of dining in a polished, yet fast-moving bistro in what many might describe as ""the middle of nowhere"" Downtown LA. \r \r As it were, however, the memory that dominates the entire Chuch & State experience for me is the pigs ears -- fried gelatinous triangles that are kind of gross and kind of good at the same time. Pros: Charming atmosphere, prompt service, thoughtful food more

Awesome French food...slower pace, like a real restaurant should be, no one is trying to kick you out... more

Awesome French food...slower pace, like a real restaurant should be, no one is trying to kick you out here...if you're on a diet, you might have to... more

I dropped by last Friday for lunch. It's not the sort of place to go if you have a strict lunch hour. They treated our lunch like dinner service. There was no rush on anything. Our server didn't take our order for probably 20 minutes and then the bread arrived shortly after that. The food is very good with somewhat average prices for a restaurant of this caliber. Prices are only shocking when you think the restaurant is in the middle of nowhere downtown. My picks are for the sides including the brussel sprouts with dates and chili as well as the creamy mac and cheese. Street parking is available but there is also a nearby lot. Pros: interesting dishes Cons: slow service more

There is no reason for me to dislike downtown. Really. I mean aside from the fact that I came from cities with far superior downtowns such as San Francisco, Hong Kong, and yes even Fort Worth, TX (oh burn.) While I understand that downtown is going through major renovation and quickly becoming the hub for the younger It crowd, isn't it like 20 years too late? The buildings are gorgeous, the Church and State space is magnificent. But what are they going to do about the walkability factor? The stretches of spaces where there's..nothing? Yea, go ahead call me a cynical snob. (lols. I initially typed cuntical which would have been appropriate too) So back to C & S, the space as I mentioned is really impressive. Huge open kitchen. Décor = Industrial + Old Money + Kitchsy/Gorgeously Antiquated. The restaurant was ridiculously packed for a weekday so we snagged two chairs at the bar. For appetizers, we ordered the Moelle de Boeuf (roasted bone marrow) and fried pigs ears. Fat alert. The bone marrow came with bread and radishes to cut the fat but omg it was ridiculously rich and fatty. To the point where you can't have more than a couple bites (and I eat all kinds of fatty unhealthy crap.) The pigs ears was pretty good. Still fatty tho. Here's where I fail. You would think that after two rich courses I'd go with something light like...fish. Or something veggie based but no.....I decided to go with pork belly as my main. Oh you fatty whore. The pork belly luckily was very good - crisp but melt in your mouth. The corn accompaniment paired well and the pork belly was well cooked. Kudos. I tried some of my friend's duck leg and potatoes and it was really good. Probably the better choice between the two. Note: Considering that this is still considered a bistro with a limited menu, prices are decently cheap so it's definitely a good option for downtown folks to come have a beer or some wine after work. I actually came on recommendation from a friend who had lauded this as one of his favorite places to eat with 'orgasmic' food, but I have to say... He eats MY food all the time and touts it equally amazing also, so to be fair he probably doesn't have the most discerning palette. Did you see how I totally shatted on his tastebuds, gave myself a backhanded compliment, AND insulted the restaurant all at once. Cuntastic I know. Pros: Great space. Open kitchen. Cons: Food is average. Must have a reservation. more

Some friends and I went to Church and State for their 'Church Dinner' special: $39 for 3 courses plus a dessert tray for the table. Every course was better than the last. We started with fresh bread topped by bacon butter, followed by squash soup, salad, and alternately the fried chicken, steak and bouillabaisse. From tasty surprises (the cauliflower with cream sauce was amazing and unexpected) to the great ambiance you really can't go wrong with this gem downtown. Pros: Sunday price fixed menu, fantastic food, great atmosphere Cons: inexperienced server more

OVER ALL: C&S was pretty good and I'll go there again. Most of the food was flavorful and carefully prepared. THE STAFF: Mixed. Good sommelier, terrible bartender and strange waiter. We were the first to arrive so we sat at the bar for a drink. The bartender was MIA, then when she finally got there she managed to ignore us for a good ten minutes, even though we were the only ones without a drink at the bar. When we finally got her attention she was rude for no reason and mixed us a couple of extremely sub-par mojitos. This was particularly strange since the bar wasn't even that busy and it was or first interaction at the place. Really set up a bad mood for the evening. Our waiter was a bit goofy which would have been fine except we were having a serious dinner with the in-laws and it was a bit inappropriate. Luckily the food made up for that a bit. THE FOOD: The charcuterie, made in house, was a real highlight. We tried 4 dishes: Duck Confit, also made in house, was to die for. Steak Frites was equally delicious and cooked medium rare just like we wanted. A pork dish that I didn't try, looked good and our friend ate it all. The Bouillabaisse sadly was a major let down. Bland soup base, overcooked shrimp, and a very unpleasant fishy odor. normally I love love the smell of a fish dish coming to the table, but this was awful. WE had to send it back and we just ended up share the three first dishes. we ended the meal with a cheese plate that was fresh and yummy. Tried and full we head out to the adjacent parking lot, just to find ourselves ( and another couple) LOCKED OUT. A small sign indicated that we should go back to the restaurant and get a key. 10 minutes later the manager showed up and buzzed us in. Very unpleasant and seemingly unnecessary. Just hire the garage guy to stay open a few more hours how much could that possibly cost? Pros: NYCish atmosphere, charcuterie and most of food Cons: Bartender, parking lot closes before restaurant more

wanted to take my friend out for a nice, but not tooo expensive dinner. and wanted to go to a place that ive heard of, but never been. we decided on church & state. im not mad at the location. i actually enjoy the fact that our downtown is actually looking like a downtown should. the addition of C&S definately adds to the potential of what downtown LA could hopefully be one day. anyway. the food here is really great. i highly recommend the sea bass. very tasty, and melts in your mouth. we made a reservation for 8pm on a friday night, and were seated by 8:01pm. the service was really good. our waiter was friendly, and always let his presence be known, without over doing it. we had a great time. the noise levels are fine. we were able to have a great conversation, with some great wine and food. although the desrt looked good, we were too full to try. our total bill was $85, and that was with a $32 bottle of wine. the ONLY negative, if any, would be the parking situation. on a busy night you could find yourself in a dark alley in the industrial part of downtown. but we were fine. and there are enough people in that area to feel safe. hope this review is helpfull. and go try C&S! Pros: food, service, location, wine selection, atmosphere. Cons: parking. but not so much. more

Don't get thrown off by the surrounding neighborhood; Church and State is a hidden gem in the industrial part of downtown Los Angeles. Great vibe, great decor, great service. Our group enjoyed everything we ordered: marinated olives, mac 'n cheese, green beans, French onion soup, grilled cheese, lamb, sea bass, vegetarian casserole, apple crumble, and pistachio/cherry tart. All highly recommended. There were options for vegetarians as well, and the waitress was very helpful in pointing them out. We'll definitely be back! Pros: food, service, ambiance Cons: surrounding neighborhood more

We were really excited to go here for my friends birthday, but were all a bit underwhelmed. The food was lacking in flavor (except the bacon wrapped fish - which I fully concede was delicious). Our waiter, nor the menu, told us that the sides were a la carte, so we didn't know to order anything else. Unfortunately, being a party of 7, we were seated right next to the open kitchen. By the end of the night my eyes were burning from the fumes and we all smelled like we had sat IN the kitchen. The atmosphere of the place was great, but I think I'd rather check out the enligh pub across the street before I head back here. Pros: Great interior ambiance, close parking Cons: Open kitchen, Uninformative Waiter more

I went here Saturday night after seeing a play at the Hayworth...Lovelace which btw is AWESOME!!!!! We had 10:15 reservations and when we got there a little early the place was jumpin!!! We had to wait a few minutes to be seated but we were early and the hostess was very nice. The cocktail list looked really yummy but I had brought a special bottle of wine so I abstained. We ordered some oysters to start and they were absolutely perfect!!! I ordered the trout based on the reviews and it was VERY good. My date ordered the steak frites and I should have listened to the neg reviews I've read about the steak. It was just ok and the frites came out completely raw! I was actually shocked that the waiter put the dish down like that but we sent them back and they brought out a whole bowl of frites that were cooked. They didn't have any good dessert choices so that was pretty much our night. Definitely a place to try. Pros: great atmosphere, cocktail list and only $15 corkage Cons: bad desserts more

We dined at Church and State last night. We had a fabulous experience. it's an architectual gem in the historic Nabisco lofts. Prompt service with personable staff. The steak frites is a must. Also the best chicken dish in town. Big wine list. We sat outside and felt like we were in NY city. Can't wait to go back. \r \r Pros: Food, Ambiance, Decor, Staff, Location more

I had dinner here on Friday night (same week it opened), and everything was flawless - an impressive feat, considering most restaurants are still working out their kinks during week 1. I suppose that's a testament to Steven Arroyo's restauranteur experience. Wine was reasonable - a 2001 Bordeaux for $50 (other places charge that for a 2007 California wine you can by for $10 at Ralph's). We had the mussels as an appetizer and they were delicious and fresh; the broth was flavorful but not greasy or overly tangy - truly perfect melding of flavors. I ordered the bacon-wrapped trout as my entree with a side of green bean, and my date had the steak frites. Everything was amazing, though I have to recommend the trout - even my date admitted his steak was great but the trout was top notch in comparison. I was hesitant that the bacon would make it greasy or overly heavy, but it was just the right amount to lend it flavor and not overpower the fish. Finally, for dessert we ordered the donuts - again, perfectly cooked, not overly greasy or sweet. They are nicely balanced with a lemon cream sauce you for dipping.\r Overall, highly recommended - everything was tasty, service was great and the atmosphere is very cool - casual, cozy, open and a true dining treat. The wanna-be chef in me loved the open kitchen and rustic butcher block used for the bread. Enjoy! Pros: Delicious food, atmosphere and service Cons: None I can think of more