11/29/08

such a disappointment

by lusterous

My impressions of this evening could have made a great short story...I remember MacArthur Park as "the place" for dinner - the building literally pulsated when you walked in. It used to be standing room only at the bar and the waiters were sharp and quick witted. Tonight we were one of 3 tables seated by the fireplace because the heater was broken. It was if we had entered an old abandon restaurant in a small forgotten town, and the servers rattled around the floor attemping to wait on us. Despite the fact that there were only 3 tables, the service was mediocre at best. The food was worse than the ambiance and service. We ordered the ravioli and it came out of the kitchen a nearly flourencent green color and was sickenly heavy with cream. The seafood dishes at our table were equally heavy and filling -not lighly grilled and delicately seasoned as I had remembered. The pumpkin cheese cake tasted like wallpaper paste. The only redeeming item of the evening was the crab cake appetizers! My advice is to STAY AWAY - in this economy, you need to feel as if you are recieving value for your dollars and there is no value here!!

03/23/06

Used to be a great place

by jvandersluis4city

MacArthur Park is a beautiful place in a good location with a great history, but I was there on Tuesday 3/21 and it's clear the service and kitchen leave a lot to be desired. The service was slow, no one raved about their meal, and the bathrooms looked like they should have been at the train station, not a nice restaurant. I might not have noticed, but I remember when MacArthur Park used to be a great dining destination.

• Pros: ambiance, location
• Cons: service, food

06/29/05

Don't Eat Here

by m083

If you are looking for dose of bad attitude from the wait staff and mediocre food, then this is the place for you. Our waiter was one of the rudest that I've ever encountered in any restaurant. He talked down to us while we were ordering drinks, then made minimal efforts to see how we were doing once our food arrived. The ambience was nice, but the menu was limited in options. There is no self parking, so you are forced to valet. Granted, $3.50 isn't much - but it would have been nice to have the option to park your own vehicle. Overall, very underimpressed by the place. I wouldn't come back here if I could help it.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: terrible service, boring food, no free parking