Citizen Smith Hollywood Suite 1007

Even though my reservation was confirmed for a booth over the phone earlier, once we arrived and were seated and settled in, the hostess came and said we had been seated in the wrong spot. We told her we were quite settled in already, but felt obligated to move when she said the seat was meant for someone with a diability. Of course we wouldn't argue with this, we were moved into the noisy lounge area seating next to a giant, loud, wooden sliding door. Now, with horrible new seating arrangements we spent the next 15 minutes without a server. When I went out to meet a friend, I saw two girls just casually drinking drinks in our former booth. On our way out there was a party where no one in a wheelchair, like stated to us. Clearly they wanted to move us to accomadate someone else. Poor service and inconsiderate hosts ensure that no one in my party or business will be visiting again.

Posted 03/26/07

I have been reading all the crazy reviews on this place since they opened and finally decided to check it out for myself. To my surprise, everything was almost perfect. From the ambience to the food, this is one restaurant that will not disapoint even the most picky restaurant-goer.

I went there on a blind date last Thrusday night. When we got there, we were promptly seated (I had a reservation- highly recommended because this place gets packed). We sat in a gorgeous booth with beautiful cow-hide trim and cool lighting. It took a few minutes for our waitress to greet us but once she did it was on! The entire staff there is quite pleasant and easy on the eyes (as all Hollywood places are). We ordered 2 mixed green salads and the Citrus Glazed Shrimp as appetizers. Both came out within 15 minutes and were very tasty. For our dinner, we ate the Lemon Pepper Chicken and Salmon. Both were presented well and were flavorful. For desert, we shared the gargantuan Strawberry Shortcake that was unreal.

I am not sure why there are so many bad reviews on this place. Maybe it's jealousy from neighboring restaurants, but come one people this place is one of a kind with killer ambience. I have seen nothing like this in LA since I moved here 7 years ago. The place certainly beats going to one of the more "trendy" eateries aorund this city. Very cool vibe and great food- what more do you want people??

Pros: Decor and Service

Cons: Valets are idiots

Posted 03/25/07

I went to Citizen Smith last night with a group of friends. This was my third time there. I was last there 6 months ago and was not that impressed. The service and food stunk, however this time was incredible- boy what a difference! We got there around 9:45 and the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for table and had a round of martini's at the bar. The bartenders and the hostess were very hospitiable and nice. We were led to our table around 10:00 and on the way we bumped into none other than MB20 singer- Rob Thomas and his wife Marisol- very cool! We were seated on the outdoor patio and the vibe was killer. Our waiter was very nice and on top of his game. He immediately told us the specials and got us a round of drinks.

We ordered a wide variety of appetizers (they seem to have listened to everybody's complaints and doubled their menu size) including the mac n cheese, quesedilia, BBQ shrimp (delicious) and some bacon-wrapped shrimp dish that made our mouths water. For our entree's I ordered the Filet Mignon and my wife ordered their special -scallops- both were presented beautifully and tasted amazing. Two of our friends ordered the Ahi Tuna and one ordered the Salmon. They concur with us that something has happened at good old Smith and the food is absolutely to die for. I am not sure if there is new management or a new chef but the place is unbelievable now. I agree with all the reviews written in the past about the place. It was always noting more than a hyped-up Hollywood hypster hangout with 8,000 candles, but it actually now is a great restaurant with amazing people working there.

I would highly recommend this place to people. Even if you ate there before and did not have a great experience, the place recently did a 180 and everything is top notch. You won't be disapointed-trust me!

Pros: Ambience, food and service

Cons: parking is too expensive, the place can get crowded

Posted 03/25/07

We stopped in on a Friday night without reservations and got sat about ten minutes later after grabbing a drink at the bar. The hostess was really friendly and quite beautiful, as is required for all hostesses in LA, right? We sat outside on the patio. Maybe I am biased because my friend and I are in the service industry, but it was obvious that the place was bumpin' and if our waiter took a couple extra seconds to come over, it was hardly noticed. I ordered the fried green tomatoes appetizer and my friend got the quesadilla. Both were excellent and very flavorful. For an entree I ordered the Flame Broiled Salmon - my friend got the shortribs. We ate every single delicious bite of both, even though we were pretty full from the appetizers - the portions are very generous. For dessert we got the truffle chocolate cake with creme fraiche and vanilla bean marshmallows...it was incredibly decadent and absolutely delicious. Service was quick, friendly and we didn't feel rushed. When I paid a compliment to the manager about our server, he was very gracious. And the bathroom attendants were nice. When you go out to eat with such good company you're bound to have a good time, but our experience at Citizen Smith was nothing short of fantastic. Thanks for the great meal.

Pros: Service, ambience, food

Cons: we walked, so I'm not sure if parking is bad...looked pretty crazy at the valet

Posted 03/04/07

Visited our aunt in L.A. and drove straight to Citizen Smith for a nightcap after an evening of flying from Reno-Tahoe. After getting back to her house, woke up the next morning and behold - noticed our luggage had been gone through and a Sony Playstation Portable inside a zipped bag, inside of a zipped suitcase was missing. After no calls back from the Valet service and one "courtesy" call from Citizen Smith, we ended up having to file a police report at the Hollywood station. Come to find out this isn't the first report they've received from the location. Valet parkers beware!

Pros: Ambience hip

Cons: Valets are theives!

Posted 03/04/07

um, I'm not a food critic or anything, but i went here after work and our waitress told us they had some new menu items and recommended the (ohmygod) PANKO CRUSTED TUNA. sorry. am i drooling? ok. it's heaven on a plate. little crunchy on the outside, rare on the inside, with some crazy good avocado vinaigrette (?) and this interesting little salad thingy, and some potatoes which i could take or leave...but... ohmygodpankocrustedtuna. so yeah. recommended, folks (although i'll definitely get a reservation next time...at least if i go on friday).

Pros: PANKOCRUSTEDTUNA, service, drinks

Cons: crowded

Posted 03/02/07

Went there on a Tuesday evening with some friends and saw the handsome Miles Mosely perform with his band. At first it was a little dark, but once we adjusted it was okay. The decor is beautiful, they have two bars, and our bartender Brad was amazing--remembered our names, our drinks and everyone else's while dancing up a storm to the live music. We had a great time and even ventured to try some of the tuna tartar & pizza...and mojitos. it was a little weird to eat in the middle of the jazz crowd but the vibe was really chill. Overall, I'd say I highly recommend for a night out.

Pros: Music, Service, Ambience, Food

Cons: Dark

Posted 02/06/07

Run from this place as fast as you can. First and foremost I'm FINALLY getting over my - what doctors called - food posioning from this place. I had heard about Citizen Smith from a few friends who had been and had OK (at best) experiences. They told me it was overpriced, food was bland and the drinks beyond overpriced. I'm one to try things myself - mistakenly. I went there with three friends, was totally hassled by this moronic, overweight black bouncer at the door. He questioned why we were there (umm, gee i duno sir - why would we be entering a restaurant!). We were seated after a little wait (even with reservations!) and then escprted to a too small table. Even having a name here doesn't help as my somewhat high profile friend's assistant was the one who made the reservation. After a round of drinks I was ready to take out a loan - overpriced and overwatered. Hey bartender - how about learning to mix properly if you are going to plan to pay off your condo with our bill! The food was - as suspected - bland bland bland. I'll spare you the rest of the night's experience as it was dull thanks to the attitude of the staff. Our mornic bouncer made an appearance again seemlingly causing some issues at the door - good to see it wasn't just us. Bottom line is that with in hours of returning to home I started to "expell" (and other fun stuff). Wound up going to the doctor on Wednesday AM - proclaiming it was food posioning. Rock on! LA CITIZENS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED - AVOID THIS PLACE!

Pros: Location

Cons: Everything else - and I mean it! I got sick from this place. Staff has attitude galore.

Posted 01/05/07

Was in Citizen Smith recently and after reading all the stupid reviews here all I can say is if you don't like the place then do the rest of us a favor and stay home! The mussels were spectacular, the service great and I was treated like royalty. My friends & I stayed for dinner & drinks & had a ball!

Pros: food, decor

Cons: valet

Posted 12/11/06

I have been there for dinner on "off" nights (like random Mondays when not crowded) and just drinks on "on" nights like the weekend- & all of my experiences have been great. The hostess did take a long time to seat us, but after reading the reviews, I don't take it personally. We were given a complimentary appetizer, & our waiter was great (& adorable) & more then made up for the hostess. I liked the food & ate all of it, but I am not a food snob. For drinking nights, it is crowded & fun & you can usually always just walk in. Drinks are priced for LA, & there is a good vibe. The atmosphere is a little more lax & comfortable than lounges or clubs in Hollywood, but still cool- & that's why I like this place.

Pros: Not pretentious

Cons: Some people like pretentious

Posted 11/17/06

Came here based upon a recommendation of a co-worker. Reservations were very easy to make, once there, the atmosphere and sceneary was great but too bad thats where the greatness stops.

We were sat at a two top that was super small. Our server must have been on his second day on the job. Couldn't remember the "daily specials". He had to bust out his pen light and look at his notes. The food was pricey but expected for "Hollywood" and a "nicer" restaurant. However what made it expensive and dissapointing was that the food was so mediocre and bland. The OVERSIZED salt and peper shakers on our tiny tables did not help either.

I had to drink my beer out of a cup made for drinking lemonade and the unprofessional staff made it very unplesant. Our server went MIA for a while and we had 4 different people not counting the water boy.

Pros: The decor, nice spot

Cons: The food, service & cost

Posted 11/09/06

the decor was beautiful ... but the service was average and the food was NOT good and a disappointment ... and the music was awful ... for a savvy place that it is, it needed to have some cool down tempo tunes, instead of the bad 80's music that belongs at a dive bar ... and the crowd was not impressive ... they were people trying to beautiful, but really weren't ... also sat next to the cool automatic door to the back outdoor area ... which sounded like we were on a roller coaster every time it opened, not so cool and ruined the dining experience ... there are so many better places in LA to dine with good service, excellent food, great tunes, and beautiful people who don't have to work so hard!

Pros: cool spot, fun decor

Cons: bad food, bad music, average service

Posted 10/20/06

After reading all the scathing reviews posted on this website, I was more than hesitant to go there for dinner. Thankfully, I stuck to my guns and gave it a try anyway. I was able to make reservations a few hours before I wanted to go there. The hostess and waitstaff were above courteous all night, even changing our table at our request. We didn't have to wait more than 30 seconds to be brought to our table when we arrived. The wine list wasn't as plentiful as I'd hoped, but when they were out of our selected wine, they let us try a glass for free of a recommended wine to see if we liked it before we bought the bottle. The NY strip steak was cooked to perfection. The mac and cheese and mashed potatoes were to die for. Fried chicken was pretty good, not the best I've had but not bad either. Creme Brulee was phenomenal. Service was very attentive, yet they knew when to leave us alone if we were talking, etc. We didn't feel rushed out of there at all. Music is awesome. Great atmostphere. A little dark inside so reading the wine list and menus was sometimes a struggle. We had two full meals with sides, a bottle of wine, 2 desserts and coffees and the bill was more than reasonable. I didn't find it overpriced at all. This place is definitely worth a try.

Pros: Great location, great food, great atmosphere

Cons: Very dark inside - hard to read menus.

Posted 10/10/06

The hostess kindly moved us..after being swallowed up by the couch were she initially sat us at. We were seated at another table better suited for dining. But what we dined on is the main reason for this post. The food at Citizen Smith is by far the worst I have had in a long time. I left most of the Jalapeno Mac and Cheese on my plate. The cheese used to make it tasted of poor quality like an American type processed with oils and had a bland bitterness to it. I think they used a pepper jack cheese and then added sliced raw jalapeno to it. NOT the decadent dish oozing with cheese and spice that I was hoping for. My pork chop was listed on the menu as 10 ounces. It was closer to 6 but that was ok because I did not finish that either.. It was paired with apple and was just plain boring, like anyone could have made it not an "uber chef". The worst part of the food experience came when my dining partner arrived at the same conclusions about her Mac and Cheese. I felt strangely relieved when she commented how bad it was, and was glad that it wasn't just me being a food snob. I did feel bad for suggesting the place and believing the hype. She made the comment first saying the Mac and Cheese was dry and not worth the carbs. Then she asked me to try her Salmon with Lemon and Capers. She had a concerned look on her face. I took a taste and instinct told my brain to quickly remove it from my mouth. Yes, I refused to swallow. It was very mushy not fresh or flaky; it tasted overly fishy and decayed. I have never taken the time to write any comments or reviews of any kind but this dining experience has prompted me to warn others to avoid this bad food. Don't become a Second Class Citizen.

Posted 09/30/06

i went here last saturday night after watching a movie @ the arclight. as we approached the door, the person at the front asked what we were doing here. i told him we were here for drinks. i'm assuming if we asked for dinner it would have been a different situation.

anyways, the decor here is really really nice. very industrial w/ a lot of candles. my gfriend and i went to the back for drinks instead of the bar in the front (so crowded). towards the back, there was a sliding door for those eating outside. very interesting! at anyrate, the drinks were a little pricey and we didn't have dinner/appetizers. But still, good looking place, very good looking people, and definitely great music.

Pros: decor, eye candy, music

Posted 09/18/06

If you can get over the fact that the "hostess" does not make you feel welcomed, has a big attitude and is rude then this place is great. The ribeye was delicious and you have to try the jalapeno mac n cheese. Great beer selection, friendly staff. This place rocks..the vibe is lively and they play fabulous music.

Posted 09/11/06

Another Hollywood prime steakhouse (sigh). I arrived at 10pm on a Sunday night only to encounter a bouncer who insisted on knowing who I was there to see (How about the chef, you a-hole?). I mentioned dinner and was let in to the mostly empty dining room. Decor is very nice as is the ambience. I can only imagine "attempting" to get in on a Fri/Sat night. The staff was friendly and didn't sport a 'tude. My ribeye steak was very good, juicy, well-seasoned and a large cut at 20oz. The wine list here is a joke but I don't think that would affect the average customer of this place who is more into looking good than looking at what's on the menu. A great place for drinks and socializing.

Pros: Great atmosphere, eye candy

Cons: Very "Hollywood", pricey, embarrassing wine list

Posted 08/15/06

Friday night...our 2nd visit. Two members of my party stepped out for a cigarette, and upon return their 1/3 drank drinks had been cleared, and seats at the bar filled. When they questioned the bartender she blankly told them that they'd been CUT OFF . . . ONLY AFTER 3 DRINKS. She bluntly told us that her manager had cut them off. When we asked if we could speak with him to demonstrate that we weren't trashed and were there in fact, to have a good time, were asked to leave. In short, if you're into an establishment that has no regard for their clientele, and serves mediocre CHILIS/TGIFRIDAYS/APPLEBEES food...then come on down to Smiths. YOU'LL FIND ME AT OUTBACK!

Posted 08/14/06

It was Friday night and I didn't have anywhere to go. Then my friend invited me to this "cozy little place in hollywood". At first, I said no thanks but then she talked me into it. On the way there, I kept complainig about Hollywood and everything that comes with it. I'm not a big fan of that scene. Anyhow, as we arrived I parked valet then went inside. We didn't have a reservation but the hostess told us if we wanted to eat in a the lounge by the back bar. We agreed.
As we sat down, I started to relax and settle right in. We ordered and had a great meal. I was told last year when I went to Australia that Australian beef was the best in the world, but the New York Strip at Citizen Smith was the best steak ever. It was tender, juicy, and perfectly cut (the jalapeno mac was also great). At the end of dinner, I asked if the steak was Australian and the answer was a surprise to me. I was told that it was from Montana. WOW!
Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. However, I would say that you need to be prepared to dish out some cash.
P.S.- Don't forget to order the New York Strip and the jalapeno mac.

Pros: Food and Service

Cons: Price

Posted 07/28/06

Bartenders S**ck and the drinks s**ck even more. I dont mind paying $13.00 for a drink Vodka/redbul as long as its not 95% some liquid they call redbul. Been there about 10 times and its a same story every time.

Posted 07/25/06

I had heard both good and bad things about Citizen Smith, and had read some reveiws on this site. Thursday last, myself and four friends had an impromptu going away celebration and decided we'd give it a try. We walked in and were told there would be a wait for a table, so we sat at the long black bar and had a drink. Amazing and design-heavy, the place is something to behold. A place where the important people want to feel important and the beautiful people want to be seen, or scene. After what I would call a reasonable time (about a drink and a half), we were shown outside to our booth. Not as pretty as inside, but nice, outdoors. Actually a bonus to get away from the Jack-FM inspired music that was being played far too loudly inside. By L.A. standards, our waiter was impressive. And then the food came. Mind you, in a place that is scene first, I had my fears. And I love comfort food. And I was blown away. BBQ shrimp, Jalepeno Mac, Nicoise, for starters, all amazing. And I had what was probably the best N.Y. Strip I can remember. I stole bits and bites off everyone's plate and must say I will be back for more. My date's lamb was also amazing.
I recommend this place highly, though I will say the music was off-putting, and if you do not have a reservation, be ready to wait. As the evening went on, the place was packed, so expect it to be when you are ready to go out. It is a scene. I disagree with most of the negative reveiws here, but there are always more negative than positive on sites like these; especially here in Hollywood, where everyone thinks they're a little more important than they really are.

-L.B.

Pros: food, scenery, smoking patio

Cons: jack-fm music, volume, pricey valet

Posted 07/11/06

I read many of the negative user reviews and was tempted to turn away from this restaurant. However, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. As reviewed, the service was slow and a bit lacking. However, the food was solid. I had the filet and really like it. The crowd and scene is out of control. I have not seen that many beautiful people in one room in a long time. Wow! I will certainly go back to this place and next time try to get one of the large booths in the front room.

Pros: beautiful people, ambience, music

Cons: service, a bit expensive

Posted 07/09/06

this spot is GORGEOUS, particularly the outside patio.. but it's overpriced, pretentious and not as cool as it thinks it is. i've been here three times, and the music is always annoying (bad 80's rock at loud volumes). the drinks are served in pretty mason jars, though, and on a hot summer night, its spectacular. valet is overpriced, though.. good place for a romantic rendezvous. that's it.

Posted 07/06/06

I really wanted to like this place. Really, I did. My friends have raved about it, and there's always a tantalizingly attractive crowd smoking out front, so heeded the siren call and had dinner there.

The room is gorgeous (sort of Shabby Chic meets Sanford and Son), and the staff are all incredibly nice - but none of them are going to be rocket scientists any time soon; they've all very clearly been hired for looks and not ability. When we asked for the wine special (A Soave - I LOVE Soave) which was written on the huge chalkboard on the wall, she said "Um, I don't know if we have that."

The bartender (also nice but not too bright) was unable to find a wine list, and made me a terrible martini (which is what I settled for when it became clear that I wasn't going to get any wine).

The food came out quickly enough - but my hamburger was overcooked and the french fries were tough (how does one make a french fry tough?). My companion's fried chicken was bland-tasting although not overcooked, and the mac and cheese was watery.

The portions, however, were gargantuan - you'll pay a lot for the terrible food, but you'll get a mountain of it.

Go for the scene (pretty people, nice room, friendly staff), but eat somewhere else.

Pros: Friendly staff, nice bar scene, pretty room

Cons: Incompetent staff, terrible food.

Posted 06/29/06

I second every complaint so far- rude and obnoxious staff, too long of a wait to get seated (30 minutes after my reservation time), too long of a wait to get served (50 minutes!), mostly bland food (except for the ahi, which was awesome), and an impotent managerial staff who did nothing to speed up the service or quell the attitude of the waitperson serving us. We told four people we were short one place setting- the host, the server, the busser, and the manager. Still, I had to share a fork with one of my party for half the meal. Wow. Couldn't pay me to go back.

Pros: Ahi tuna

Cons: Everything Else

Posted 06/12/06

I used to love this place I thought they had a great menu but I just went there again recently and apparently the chef changed and so did the menu so all my favorite dishes were replaced with something else. I thought I would give it a try anyway, my friend had the filet mignon and it wasn't good, I had the ahi tuna dish, it was disgusting and unflavorful. The drinks are still overpriced, the hostess was rude and abnoxious for no reason. We were seated right by the patio door, which makes this ridiculously loud and annoying sound throughout the whole evening and we tried to move but of couse the hostess would not let us. The desserts are bland and their menu is just pitiful.

Posted 06/02/06

Save yourself from the attitude and the hassle and just skip it. The hostess could not have had a worse attitude if she tried. We showed up on time for our reservation and she acted like she was doing us a favor by making us wait 40 minutes at the bar. The restaurant wasn't even that busy. We purposely tried to stay pleasant towards her so we could get seated, but nothing can quell an attitude problem that large. I don't need to spend my hard earned money in a place that treats its guests as if they're lucky to be there. You couldn't pay me to go back. YUCK.

Pros: Food

Cons: Host

Posted 05/30/06

In the mist of chatting and catching up with a group of friends, we suddenly noticed that ALL our shared food were gone. The bus boy was instructed to take away our food (so that the next group can take our table). Food was better than expected, and service was expectedly bad.

Pros: ambience, price

Cons: service, expensive valet

Posted 05/28/06

I was extremely disappointed with my night at Citizen Smith. Beside waiting for a half hour for our server to even acknowledge our table and charging us $10 for a couple of sides of salad dressing, we saw her eating our macaroni and cheese behind the DJ stand as we waited for 2 hours for ours to arrive. When it finally did, it was wrong. When we sent it back, instead of making a new one, the cooks added the additional ingredient to our picked at dish and mixed it around a bit. The service here was the worst that I have ever received in any restaurant.

Posted 05/27/06

We cannot even tell you what the food was like because we got to the restaurant and waited at the host stand for 5-10 minutes without being acknowledged. We even had a reservation! There were not too many people in the restaurant and the staff was not that busy.

Pros: NONE

Cons: NO Service

Posted 05/22/06

Would not recommend this pompuss place to any caring, hard working business people. Attitude plus and they don't give a damn about you as a person.I will never recommend this place to anyone! I give it two years if that much.

Pros: food, decor

Cons: attitude, host, no cares

Posted 05/22/06

We ate in Citizen Smith last month - it was amazing, with huge portions of
fantastic food, and great service. I see a pattern in all these reviews, that if there
are a lot of attractive young customers and wait staff in a restaurant, the place "sucks"
to a lot of reviewers, even if the food and service are teriffic. Sad.

Pros: huge portions, great looking crowd

Posted 05/20/06

This restaurant is nothing but hype! I went, expecting a great dining experience, and came out with a bad taste in my mouth. The hostess was rude and unbecoming a restaurant that obviously wants to be the next BIG thing, and the food was boring, the ambience uninspired and the service perfunctory at best. This restaurant is definitely riding a wave for the moment, but it's destined to go the way of all mediocre enterprises.

Posted 05/20/06

Had my birthday dinner there last night (supposedly Wednesdays are hot) with my girlfriends and was a little bit disappointed after having read & heard so much about it. The decor was not Thomas Schoos's best but I guess it was aiming for a swanky Texas ranchhouse kind of feel. We had some bland food (pasta, mushroom appetizer, spinach) that we couldn't finish, but we also had some decent stuff like the ahi (cooked how it should be) & the creamy mussels. Was surprised that the bill only came out to $115 pre-tip for 3. I expected a better crowd, though.

Pros: CHEAP, AHI

Cons: MOSTLY BLAND FOOD, $10 VALET, BARTENDER ATTITUDE

Posted 05/18/06

IF YOU WANT A COOL LOCAL ROCK AND ROLL SPOT WITHOUT THE PRETENTIOUS TYPES-THIS SPOT ROCKS. THE MAC AND CHEESE AND BLEU CHEESE BURGER WHERE AWESOME. AS FAR AS SERVICE GOES-THIS PLACE IS BUSY, THEY COULD USE A LITTLE MORE STAFF FOR A PACKED FRIDAY NIGHT. OUR SERVER ANGEL TOOK AWESOME CARE OF US-THEY AIM TO PLEASE AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

Pros: DECOR, ANGEL, MAC AND CHEESE

Cons: LINE AT THE DOOR

Posted 05/06/06

Atmosphere was terrific. I'll give 'em that. $10 drinks, cold mac & cheese that only had flavor of jalapeno's. Got the TASTELESS PORK CHOP. It was TASTELESS. It had chunks of apples, but really, NO APPLE FLAVOR. Mentioned it to the server who provided no solution. The candle centerpiece started smoking. Then a fire errupted. The bus boy dumped glasses of water over the flames then he took off. We were stuck damming the water with our napkins. Positive note, the creme brulee was really creamy and tasted fantastic.

Pros: atmosphere, creme brulee, hot mac & cheese

Cons: tasteless pork chop, common sence, prices vs. quality

Posted 05/02/06

These people need to get it together as far as service. I made a reservation 2 weeks in advance and got an email confirmation, but was told when I got there that it was only for 2 not 4 and they made us wait while they "searched the hills" for a table. Some place are worth putting up with that, but this is NOT one of those places. They are rude and snooty. The only reason I would go back is for the mac and cheese.

Pros: Mac and Cheese

Cons: Everything Else

Posted 04/30/06

the staff has a grand view of self importance. The act like they are splitting atoms over there. Give me a break, your a hostess. Also, drinks were ok. People having drinks at the bar were practically sitting on the laps of those eating. I get the impression that this place is poorly managed.

Posted 04/30/06

sure, if you want to go to the next trendy restaurant for the next six months go, but dont expect good service. This place is a joke. We ordered wine which took an hour to get, then the waitress took our order, the food came out 45 minutes later, which the order was wrong and then she never came back to the table. filled with tacky people, this is a total waste of time and money. Forget it!

Pros: decor is nice

Cons: everything else

Posted 04/21/06

We love this place! its so NY and really beautifully done. the food is so savory and simply delicious! we really love the vibe and people.

i am surprised about some of the other 'reviewers' comments about the service... the first 2 or 3 times we went there were minor delays in being seated or receiving the food but the staff was apologetic each time and kept the drinks coming. we chalked it up to it being a new place working out its very few kinks and have been going regularly since, having had great experiences each time.

to you nay-sayers I say give Smith another chance...

or maybe don't so that those who LOVE it won't have such a tough time getting a table :)

Pros: amazing patio, great 4 group or date, cool crowd

Posted 04/19/06

Long story short, we witnessed the manager catch on fire by the tiki lamps that were on outisde in the patio where we were seated. My friend was very near catching on fire as well. We were never asked once if we were OK, or if we wanted to be moved to a table inside.

We couldn't see sh*t! Much less even see our food that we were eating. The waitress had attitude every time we called her over (which was not many times). And the time it took to get our food and our waitresses attention was not acceptable.

The service sucks a big one. The ambience is cool but not worth the food and service that you have to deal with.

Pros: Ambiance

Cons: Service

Posted 04/17/06

From the second my friends and I arrived and were greeted by the friendliest doorman (Austin) in LA, everything was unbelievable. The decor is the best I have seen in LA and the food and staff were extremely friendl and knowledgeable. The owner, Andrew Belchic, actually took the time to cook all of my friends Philly cheesesteaks at 3 AM - who does this? Amazing experience!!!

Pros: Candlelight, Food/service, Outside Patio

Cons: hard get reservation

Posted 04/16/06

in the middle of our dinner, our party of 4 were moved, not once but twice because of "reservation issues."
there was no gesture of apology.
when i suggested to the manager that she should comp our one $10 desert, i was told that i was being "presumptuous."
she went to confer with "the chef" and returned to say that she will not comp anything and that in all of her years of restaurant experience, she had never heard of such a gesture for inconveniencing customers.
this is outrageously pathetic service!
it shows a complete disregard for the dining experience of the customer. the attitude may be in line with the "too cool for school" hollywood schtick, but it won't fly in the real world.

Pros: none

Cons: service

Posted 04/12/06

Excellent food & drinks! A little pricey, but not in comparison to alot of L.A. eateries. It was great to see where Dino Vavalioutis went, the former Personality of Melrose! Great staff & service. I recommended it to friends & bring company here from out-of-town every chance I get!

Posted 04/07/06

The decor in this hip, chic, very New York feeling establishment is amazing. Spot on! I am not sure if there is a more lovely bar in LA. The service (except the bartender who had a lot of attitude and was unfriendly) was wonderful. However, the food was uninspired and lacked any real taste. We had chicken, burgers and salads... none of which were worth returning for or really worth the price tag. There are much better places to eat in the same area!

Pros: Atmosphere, Table Service

Cons: Food, Price, Parking (expensive)

Posted 04/03/06

I recently dined at a new place near my house called Citizen Smith. The decor was really cool and the service extremely friendly. I had the burger which was SO good!! Just down home food that is tasty and filling. The dessert God, Chef Will Gotay came out to see if the Pecan Pie was ok. OK!!?? I have been dreaming about it since the other night. Awesome. A fun cool place to chill with friends. And its stumbling distance from my place - another benefit ;)

Pros: FOOD, VIBE, SERVICE

Cons: n/a, n/a, n/a

Posted 03/08/06

So, the food is not amazing, but you won't pay through the nose, either. The decor is fantastic, the service was great(when I was there), and the staff was totally down to Earth. In fact, the last bartender that served us was, arguably, the best I've seen in LA - instead of dealing with a model wannabe, we actually got killer drinks - and that speaks well of the folks behind the Citizen Smith.

I live nearby, and most Cahuenga joints are slanted towards the obnoxious, weekend Orange County crowd. Citizen Smith, for all its flash, is quite the opposite. I hope it can maintain its friendly vibe under the club glare. Maybe not, but, for now, it's great.

Pros: ambience, staff, value

Cons: lousy wine list, parking

Posted 03/05/06

Visited Citizen Smith last night and everything was wonderful. Except for the M'aitre D skank who needed an attitude adjustment, everything else was great. Excellent service and the food was amazing and surprisingly affordable.

Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere

Cons: Crowded

Posted 03/01/06

Our experience was terrific. The place is absolutely stunning and a total surprise. While the hostess was a bit distracted when we entered, we were seated quickly--although note that we did have a 10 pm reservation. The food was better and less expensive than we expected, and our only complaints were the banquette seats which are so low you end up feeling like a child sitting at the table, and the music was earsplittingly loud. It was turned down a few decibles for us, so that was appreciated. It had a very New York feel to it and we've already recommended it to friends.

Posted 03/01/06

We were disappointed with all the food. Pork chops cooked nicely, but lacked any distinct flavor. onion soup was too sweet. Caesar salad acceptable. Filet mignon lacked flavor, and ordered medium rare and delivered, ugh, RARE! Mac and cheese below average. Mushroom side dish nothing to write home about. Cab and sparkling wine were good. We won't be returning.

Pros: decor

Cons: food, service, food

Posted 02/25/06