Surfas

Ever needed to get some weird ingredient like real wasabi or pork fat? Surfas is the place to go. It has a cafe which I didn't try but smelled good. What it does have is boba balls, industrial pots and pans, boar sausage, fancy cheese, baking everything, and things like decorating chocolate. If you have trouble finding that item/ingredient - hit Surfas. Worth the drive and has excellent free parking. more

I love shopping there. The staff and products are amazing. I had a chat with so many nice people. I had some yummy food at their cafe. And a great conversation with Frank Casares about some product and he blow my mind with all he knowlegde in restaurant history and gourmet food. What a great guy! They do have strict policy on returns on food. I understand and its noted everywhere. But they are very helpful with everything else. more

Surfas (Restaurant Supply, Gourmet Food, and Commercial Kitchen Design) is a true ?chef?s paradise?. Established in 1937 out of an abandoned garage, it once offered only commercial kitchen supplies. Surfas now caters to both industry and at-home chefs. To the left of the entrance, a marketplace offers fresh, frozen, and dry gourmet foods. Whether you?re looking for foie gras, tamarind soup mix, dried porcini mushrooms, or sage honey, Surfas probably sells it. Further back, you can find restaurant-quality pots, pans, and cooking utensils at a fraction of what they might cost at Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table. We found a sauce pan for $12! Aisles of baking supplies, including chocolates, flavor extracts, cookie-cutters, and baking pans fill the back quarter of the space. And, restaurant supplies both large and small ? chef outfits, fryers, bar stools, hot dog baskets, and dishware ? flank the right side of the store. Surfas really has everything you could ever need, whether you?re throwing a dinner party or opening a restaurant. Surfas also features a small cafe, which offers all-day breakfast items, ?redefined? sandwiches, ?reinvented? salads, pastries, and beverages. A part of its menu is even dedicated to cheese; included are Mac and Cheese, an Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and an Artisanal Cheese Plate. The cafe?s offerings are made from the same top-quality ingredients sold in the store. A shady outdoor patio with sleeping dog and cat figurines is the perfect spot to chow down and relax. Just don?t feed the fake animals, as many signs proclaim. @thelagourmet more

I have been a faithful customer since 1977. I love it, I love it, I love it...so there! I belong to the 200 club meaning that I can't get out of that place for a minimum of $200......or more! Yikes! Pros: Every I look for I can find Cons: Too popular more

If you cannot start the day without caffine or even if you a a coffee enthusiast you HAVE to check out surfas... It has a great selection! more

DANGER. BEWARE of this cheap version of Williams Sonoma. Surfas is filled with inventory that is not managed or kept up well. I walked in as the 2nd customer of the day to buy a stainless steel saucepan. When taking one down from their wire shelves, the saucepan top (not secured properly) flew around and whacked my eye causing an injury. I told their lame Manager Frank Casares who not only dismissed it as a joke (as my eye was swelling), was very rude and disrespectful. The Owner, Les Surfas was no better because he's ""so busy traveling"" and cared very little for a customer's well being. While waiting to talk with a ""boss"" I walked down one aisle and broken ceramic glass was all over the floor. Great managing of the store! Glad I wasn't there with my friend's 2 year old daughter. Their customer service is a big fat ZERO. It's shocking at how little they understand about the power of a happy or unhappy customer. I will not give them a penny of my hard earned money. There are much better deals and quality online and in other parts of Los Angeles for restaurant supply. Pros: Couldn't find anything Cons: Unstable inventory that is unsafe, BAD customer service, more

Very fun to wander the aisles and fill your shopping cart with gourmet sausages, ice creams, olive oils, interesting ethnic foods, etc. And of course there's everything you need and more to outfit a kitchen. The cafe has a good supply of decently priced sandwiches, baked goods, and fun things like basil and strawberry flavored soda. Whenever I shop here I see some kind of wine tasting or cooking class going on in the store's kitchen, but I've never participated. Go to Surfas with or without a shopping list, and be prepared to spend a little too much money on some fun luxury items! more

I was able to outfit almost an entire kitchen, cheaply, with only one stop. Cookware is cheap and meant to handle lots of abuse. They're also stocked with lots of hard-to-find items like curing salt and fish sauce, and - like most supply stores - carry items unavailable anywhere else, like aluminum half-sheet pans or especially large cutting boards. Name-brand items aren't any cheaper than other places, but they're no more expensive, either. Pros: Prices, selection, lots of obscure items Cons: Tough to find smaller items more

Good selection and great prices. Their hours have changed. They are open later and on Sundays. Call to get the exact times. more

This is truly an amazing store. With their recent expansion the store has even more unique and delightful goodies to choose from including an awesome selection of beer and wine. Plus, they just opened their cafe last week which serves delicious sandwiches and treats and also has a cut to order cheese and meats counter!! Talk to the Cheese Monger--Donald--he suggested some lovely cheese and paired really nice beers to go along with it. I will definetly be back here. Pros: Cheese, Meat, Beers more

Amazing. My first visit and I was asked by three of the staff if I needed help. I had to wander the entire store just to get some idea of how extensive their inventory is. And it is quite extensive. I love to cook so I'm familiar with quite a few kitchen utensils and other gadgets, but there were many items I had not seen or heard of before. Good solid cookware, at least three different brands of wok, so many brands of olive oil that I can't remember them all, specialty jellies and jams, coffee (ground and whole bean), espresso paraphernalia, it's an amazing place. And the prices were just as impressive. This is where I'm going from now on when I need something for my kitchen. Pros: Large Inventory, Good Prices, Great Selection. more

This place has the extra coolness of carrying lots of great food items. They even have a whole bar section and lots of gourmet food items some can be a little on the spendie side but cool to browse and splurge on every once in a while. more

This discount gourmet superstore is the perfect place to play chef--and you don't even have to deal with any pesky customers. Just stroll the aisles and marvel at the wide selection of olive oils and get gourmet treats like truffle oil, gold-leaf for pastry and even a toque. more