Tonys Italian Steakhouse

I can't believe this place is still open. The food was awful and it was empty on a Friday night. Food portions are tiny and not all that cheap for what you get. One of the worst dining experiences in LA.

Pros: location

Cons: food, service, scene

Posted 10/23/09

On sunset - smack in the middle of 'cool' - great place for dates or to impress - and the kicker, it's not expensive.

Pros: atmosphere, food, friendly staff

Posted 10/08/09

I went with a friend last night. It wasn't crowded. We were impressed by the great location. There's a large patio in the front on Sunset. The front of the restaurant is also open, so people can also "experience" the patio in a good way. It's a great place to people watch.
The house music was good too and the food tasty. The portions aren't big, so don't expect an enormous piece of meat on your platter. I had the pear gorgonzola salad in the beginning, which was yummy. We were satisfied with this place, and we'll go again.

Pros: location, decor, food, drinks

Posted 08/08/09

A group of friends and i went to Tonys on saturday for a little birthday extravaganza and had a great time. although packed to capacity, we had a wonderful time. This dude Greg came to the table introduced himself as our server and it was 'game on' from then on. This man was on top of things. He got our orders correct and kept us well informed as to what was going on in the bar and the kitchen which was awesome. Great personality and a nice presence.

The drinks were good, the food was tasty, the patio was sultry. The only problem i had was seeing this man in a white shirt yell at the servers IN FRONT OF THE GUESTS. I'm sorry but there is a place for everything and in front of the guests isn't the place to yell "get your sh*t together" to your staff. i found out later that it was the owner. It's unfortunate but as someone in the business who used to be a waiter i can't support this establishment. i came with a celebrity client of mine and she was appalled at what she saw. i'm guessing this place is going to have some undercover labor board reps dining there in the near future...

Pros: service was fabulous

Cons: the disrespect shown to the staff

Posted 07/26/09

We couldn't tell you how this restaurant was tonight because we awaited a man who was serving and hitting on a woman at a table... after 27 minutes on the dot... we actually left because the girl who we had asked about getting seated was 'off the clock'... wow.. LA service is rubbish.. apparently I have to learn to go out to dinner at 6 p.m. and *wait for a table to have somewhat proper service.

Proper I mean.. recognizing that I am a human flagging a waiter down after waiting to put in drink order (tap water) before even putting in an order.....

God then wanting to even have him allow me the grace to order a bottle of Veuve Cliquot .....after nearly an hour.... still with no tap water.... we left... the table...

And I love people.

God I miss New York..

Berate that comment all you'd like...
and experience a 'Wonderful and NOT overrated establishment somewhere else... I'm here for the work. Not the play.. the weather is nice..but .. Who hires lazy people?

It just isn't right.. bc I hyped this place up to very important people of mine.... after the ratings I have read..

I suppose I've learned my lesson ...

Pros: nothing

Cons: never getting served

Posted 07/21/09

Tasty!

Posted 06/22/09

We had dinner at Tony's last night before going to a show. We sat in the new Patio area, right on Sunset Bl. and had fun sipping our $5 martinis and watching the Sunset action as we enjoyed our meal. I had the bone-in rib eye, cooked exactly as I requested. My husband had the Carbonara, which he loved! We shared the pear and gorgonzola salad - very tasty. The portions were great. Not huge - but frankly we didn't feel the need to mortgage the house on a huge hunk of meat. We were full, and didn't quite finish all of those wonderful truffled mashed potatoes. Our waiter was nice and friendly. He made sure that we made it to our show on time. . . . although we would have enjoyed sitting and enjoying the ambiance if we had time. Overall a very nice experience . . . and all for under $90 including tax and tip. We'll be back!

Pros: Loved sitting on the patio on Sunset. Nice meal.

Posted 04/18/09

Tony's is in a great location, in the heart of the Sunset Strip. It features an inviting atmosphere, food-packed menu, and very reasonable pricing.

This is a perfect place to take a date or your wife for that special occasion, or for just good food anytime.

I'm sure I'll be back again soon.

Pros: Great Bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Posted 03/16/09

Don't listen to the negative reviews, these people have no taste. I went to Tony's with 3 other people and all of us liked the food a lot..
I liked the openness of the room and the decor is very comfortable.
On Saturday night the piano player was very good and the sound was just right for a restaurant.

Pros: Taste of Food, Decor, openess

Cons: What are the drawbacks?

Posted 03/14/09

Tony's is well worth the visit. The interior design is very modern and attractive. The location is pretty much unbeatable with views of Sunset and the Hollywood Hills. This is the perfect restaurant for a date with your sweetheart or business clients. Come here and you will feel cool. In fact, coming here might actually make you cool. The owner Tony is seen making the rounds from table to table, introducing himself and making guests feel welcome and special. It is worth coming here just to meet Tony - he is an authentic New Yorker with all the charm and warmth you would expect. The steaks are cooked to perfection. They are flavorful and delicious. I had mine blackened and the blackening seasoning was remarkable. This restaurant will not let you down. Live piano was terrific.

Pros: quality, price, location, great service

Posted 03/05/09

Just got back from Tony's and had a great meal for a resonable price. It's a perfect amount of food, some might consider it small, but considering the price and our waistlines, maybe it's just what we need these days. Stick to the $5 martini menu or you might get surprised with your cockail prices, but otherwise no complaints. I hope Tony's does well in that cursed spot since it's a walk away from my house and won't break my pocketbook.

Pros: walk in without a res (now anyways)

Posted 03/05/09

I think I tried this restaurant soley based on my curiousity about the polar opposite reviews. The negative reviews were spot on. Food- generic, over priced, heavy but with small portions, Atmosphere - empty dining room, slow service, loud music. I hate to have nothing positive at all to say, but I don't. I give this place a month.

Pros: nada

Cons: soup to nuts

Posted 03/02/09

First off, I read all the reviews and this is amazing... TONY HIMSELF WROTE A BOGUS REVIEW OF HIS OWN RESTAURANT BEFORE IT EVEN OPENED! Enough said...

This place seems fairly priced on the surface, but when you take into account the tiny portions and mediocre food, it is not a value at all. I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed enough by the sleek decor to forget that the service was incredibly slow and the food was just not that good. If you take a look at the reviews, you will see you are taking a big chance by going to this place. you may get away with a decent meal, but it's a long shot. i recommend going to a real restaurant where you know you'll get a tasty meal and good service. Don't waste your money on this one.

Posted 03/02/09

I purposely signed up for Citysearch just so I could write a review of this restaurant, it is that bad. I read the reviews on Citysearch in regards to Tony's on Friday because I was looking for a fun new place to have dinner. From the strong reviews I decided to give this place a try, I must say I was more than disappointed. I am not sure who is writing these positive reviews, but they are truly false. While the menus is fairly priced, the food is not good. The first three things we tried to order from the menu were not available. The apps were decent but the main dishes were not good at all. The service was also extremely slow. The table next to us paid for their drinks and left without getting their food because the service was so bad. With so many good restaurants in Los Angeles, I'm not sure why anyone would waste their time at Tony's.

Posted 03/01/09

I don't know what the negative reviews on here are about. I ate at Tony's Friday night for my birthday and loved it. The filet mignon was perfect - I ordered it medium, that's what I got, and I could cut it with my fork it was so tender. And the prices are great. Some people have complained on here about small portions, but I can only guess that they're used to the huge platters you get at chain restaurants. I don't need to take home half my food in a doggie-bag, thanks! Not only did I have plenty on my plate, but my husband (who's a big guy) was stuffed. We each started out with a martini, he got potato soup and a pasta dish (don't remember what), I got the pear and gorgonzola salad and filet mignon (which came with three side veggies), we split a bottle of good red wine, split the flourless chocolate cake for dessert, and got out of there for $100. And it all tasted fantastic.

The decor feels like a New York loft, and feels very low key. My only complaint would be the music they had on that night - the piano player I've read about wasn't there on Friday night and they were playing bad 90's dance music. At least put on some jazz or something that matches the mood! But they didn't have it too loud, so it wasn't a dealbreaker for me.

Overall, I say try it - we really enjoyed it!

Pros: Great food, $5 martinis, friendly staff

Cons: The music, but hopefully they don't usually play 90's dance songs!

Posted 02/27/09

I work in an office on the Sunset Strip and Tony's has become my go-to spot for after work cocktails with friends. The selection of $5 martinis can't be beat, and happy hour lasts from 5-7, allowing plenty of time to throw a few back! The windows are usually open if the weather is nice, and I can't wait until the patio is complete so that we can enjoy our drinks outside!

Pros: parking in the garage can be pricey.....

Cons: patio not open yet.

Posted 02/25/09

I went to Tonys the other night and must say the kinks have been ironed out. Our server Greg orchestrated an exquisite evening from the salads to the pasta to the steaks. Any night starting out with $5 martinis and excellent wine at a phenomenal wine price is a night to remember. The music playing was amazing. The piano player was good and when he took a break and the restaurant music came in i felt hollywood pulse through my veins. The pachutto & fig salad was refreshing, the truffle shrimp was outstanding and the blackened prime rib made me wanna lick my plate. Greg our server was FANTASTIC once again, well worth an awesome tip. Tony made us feel like VIPs and was genuinely interested in us and our dining experience. it was a bit warm in there which is the worst thing i can say about this place. let's get some more people in there so it doesn't look super dead all the time and i can feel like i'm with the "in crowd"

Pros: $5 martinis & our server Greg

Cons: it was a bit warm in there.

Posted 02/25/09

It is clear someone involved in Tony's has written all the positive reviews. They said they have a patio. There is one but it has no tables and no chairs so we couldn't dine there.. While we were there the place was empty, freezing cold, and the lights kept flickering. The service was nice and the staff friendly, but the owner was in the kitchen screaming at everyone. I would hate to see how he behaves when there are more than two tables in the place. They brought us bread with oil and tones of salt. Obviously not a health conscious place. The pasta is awful. It is chewy and undercooked. My wife didn't take more than three bites. EVERYTHING IS COVERED IN SALT. My steak was so tiny but cost $25. That is ridiculously expensive for the sad pathetic piece of meat I received. So much for fair prices. The only positive is that the drinks and dessert were both nice and well made. If I am ever forced to go back to this awful place, that is all I will have. Be warned

Pros: drinks and dessert

Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE

Posted 02/24/09

I went to Tony's on opening night and at first was confused how to get in, no menu in window was strange. The layout is really good and it was nice to have a drink first at the bar. The place wasn't crowded which was strange for opening night but it was pouring with rain which may have put off some LA locals. The waitress didn't know much about the menu and they didnt have the wine we asked for, which we overlooked as it was opening night. We shared the beet salad which I must say was fantastic! I love beetroot and this was delicious as were the arancini. There were a few problems with the main course, 3 of us ordered steaks and they all came cooked the wrong way, we did a swicth around and one was send back as it was really overcooked. They were lucky that we didn't kick up a fuss. Tony came over and apologised which was nice and the interaction with customers is great. The mash that comes with the steak is delicious and the side of polenta was great also. However considering this is a steak restaurant they need to get the meat right! I would go there again however I feel it needs more promotion especially in the current financial times, would be a shame to see it close as I feel it has potential. Perhaps half price wine or food on sundays to keep up with Ketchup which is always busy.

Pros: Go for the beetroot!

Cons: Need to work on steak!

Posted 02/22/09

Beautiful eatery and a great location. Fantastic, friendly staff. The food was delicious....high end meals at reasonable prices. The short rib pasta is a must. Can't wait to go back!!

Pros: Food, Location, Price, service

Posted 02/18/09

Nice lookin place and the menu doesn't look bad either. I will have to eat their someday. I do hope the service is good.

Posted 02/16/09

I've dined here twice now, both times the dinner was fabulous, nothing disappointing! Service was great, friendly staff. I tried a chop one night, mashed potatoes with white truffles, brocollini everything was scrumptous. I had pasta, meatballs, along with a delicious malbec the next time. Excellent dining experience both nights. Design of restaurant is very open, with a great view of Sunset Blvd. Tony's Steakhouse is rapidly becoming one of LA's premier dining spots, I'll be back again real soon.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Service - Everything about it!

Cons: None

Posted 02/13/09

$25 for a 6 ounce steak at Tony's Steakhouse is NOT cheap, it is just a small portion. Comes out to $50 for 12 ounces or $67 per pound which is way too high. If it were decent steak I could temporarily forgive the miniscule portions, but my 6 year old could make a better steak and Ralph's has better pasta in their freezer. The only positive reviews on this must come from the desperate owner himself.

Pros: that they will probably close soon

Cons: food

Posted 02/12/09

I went to Tonys on Saturday night, right after they opened last week with a party of 4 girlfriends. I had the steak, which was outstanding, seared to perfection and done just right. The white truffle mashed potatoes that came with it were amazing!! My friends ordered a variety of salads, chicken, and pasta dishes - all of which were outstanding. I am so excited that we finally have a Sunset Strip restaurant with great food and service, minus the price gouging of some of the other spots!!!!!

Pros: Location, Valet, live Piano music

Cons: Not open for lunch yet?

Posted 02/11/09

I went to TONYS last friday night after following the restaurants progress for the last few months on all of the foodie blogs. The vibe was very sultry, I was very impressed with the design, the lighting and the music. The food was awesome too! I had a pasta with shrimp in a white truffle sauce, which was amazing! My date had a Chicken Marsala, which was done just right, with lots of tasty marsala mushroom sauce. We also had a side of wild mushroom polenta, the best side item on the menu I am sure. We split a bottle of wine which was very reasonably priced at just about 30 bucks, and finished the night with a very tasty butterscotch pudding! I will be back soon!!!!!!!!

Pros: Great location, awesome food, cheap prices

Cons: none so far

Posted 02/11/09

I was at the Grand Opening of TONYS last week which benefited the local childrens hospital and must say I am shocked at how this restaurant handled their opening night. It was hilarious, they were putting the sign up outside when I arrived. The room had lots of celebrities and VIPS all of whom were beyond ticked off at how horrible the service was and that we waited almost 4 hours to get our entrees. You know the place is destined for failure when it takes a half hour to get menus, over 2 hours for the salad to come and then a very unimpressive entree hits your table at midnight and my table was considered lucky because the table next to us of almost a dozen recognizable actors and musicians didn't even get their salads and all walked out angry and starving after 12am. What cracks me up is that the grand opening hosted a room full of very important and influential people who the owners should have been bending over backwards to impress and just the opposite happened, everyone can't stop talking about the horrendous service and below average food, well at least those that actually got their food. No one actually got to personally meet the owner but we did hear him screaming in the kitchen from across the room at his staff, another mark of a really professional dining institution. I feel horrible that the childrens hospital got overshadowed by the fact that what the grand opening promised its guests, a 5 course meal and first class service, was really a nightmarish experience and something out of a comedy of errors. Save yourself a night of misery and go to the drive through at McDonalds and make it a Blockbuster night, at least you'll get what you expect.

Pros: are you joking me? EVERYTHING was horrible!

Cons: see above! EVERYTHING! horrible service, invisible food and a screaming owner!

Posted 02/10/09

I ignored my friends warnings and took a date to Tony's expecting a decent meal and nice atmosphere. Man, was I disappointed. I had the pasta, which the waiter recommended by the way. Seriously, I've had better pasta from low rent Pizza places in mini malls. It was dry, overcooked, bland and the sauce was practically non-existent. But the worst part was Tony himself. All night, he was yelling at the guys in the kitchen like he was Chef Ramsey from Hell's kitchen, except without the good food and witty banter. So much for the nice atmosphere...It's not like I can really blame him - if I was him I guess I would be pretty upset at the terrible food too! The only good thing that came out of it was a really funny story, because my date and I were laughing the whole time. Of course, as soon as we left, we went across the street to Mel's diner to eat. By the way, the food there was a lot better there.

Pros: I guess we should be happy we didn't get sick from the food.

Cons: Terrible food, obnoxious and loud owner yelling at the kitchen, slow service.

Posted 02/10/09

Went to Tony's on Saturday night at 7 PM. The place was empty which was not what I expected for the new spot, especially since I called and asked to move my reservation to 8 PM and was told they were booked. When we left at 8:30 the dining room was about 50% full.

The food was average. Both my husband and I started out with caesar salads which were really bland. First of all, what kid of a caesar has cherry tomatoes in it? The dressing tasted like it came out of a Kraft bottle. Main courses were better. I had a pretty decent pasta dish, penne arrabbiata and my husband had chicken marsala with vegetables. He said that the veggies were bitter and likely previously frozen but that the chicken was good. The standout dish was the side order of polenta with wild mushrooms. MMMM! Cooked perfectly and for $5 a great value! Dessert was not memorable, I have already forgotten what we ordered and its only Monday.

Service was also just average. The hostess seemed to be having a great time with each other but they did pull themselves together in time to give us a decent table. The waitress offered no suggestions and was very vague about answering our questions. The worst part of the whole experience is that the place was so quiet we could hear the chef or maybe the owner (Tony Rivera was there supervising and greeting guests) yelling at the kitchen staff. That just felt wrong.

You get what you pay for. its not bad, but to be honest, the food is no better than the Cheesecake Factory, Woodranch BBQ or CPK. You can spend less and have the same quality food elsewhere. You could also spend about 25% more and have a great meal not to far away.

Next time I will stick with Primo.

Pros: Location, Piano

Cons: Average in every way

Posted 02/08/09

We ate there this weekend for my girlfriends birthday. Walked in with high expectations. The martini was worth about what it cost. I would rather have a good $12 martini than a bad $5 martini. The salad tasted about as good as one of the pre packaged salads from the grocery store. The pasta was OK (didn't taste home made), but decent none the less. The steak had good flavor, but there was some sort of herb rub all over it that masked the flavor of the meat. The potatoes were cold and too chunky...and for some god forsaken reason they put a gravy on them. I felt like I was being served mashed potatoes from a cafeteria. The service was good and the restaurant was beautiful. The host/maiter'd was very nice...had a chilled out vibe to him. The kitchen seemed unorganized and a lot of spanish was being yelled. I would have expected a more professional kitchen staff. Too bad we were being served 1/2 star food in a 3 star setting. I fear the worst for this restaurant. First Normans, then crudo...chalk another victim up to 8570 w sunset.

Pros: service, beautiful setting

Cons: food

Posted 02/08/09

I loved it. The food was absolutely delicious and the portions were perfect (i'm tired of huge amount's going to waste) 6 oz is the perfect size steak along with a great selection of vegetables - broccolini, Brussels sprouts, Italian spinach etc..Tables are far enough away from each other so you feel a sense of privacy and spaciousness. Staff is extremely attentive and friendly but not bothersome. Food was delivered in an appropriate time line. I had Souffle for desert - magnificent. Finally an unpretentious fine dining experience.

Posted 02/07/09

Prices are not as low as all the hype, but considering you are getting only 6 ounces of steak (less meat than a Big Mac) with all the carbs you can squeeze out of a potato to fill you up, this is not the best deal or anywhere close to the best steak in town. Piano guy is cheesy too. $5 Martinis could be stronger. The only thing positive about this place are the friendly waiters but if you think you are going to get value or a delicious meal, think elsewhere. In the end you are getting a stingy portion of bland meat with a whole lotta starch trimmings to fill you up. NEXT!

Pros: Friendly waiters

Cons: poor value, stingy portions, below average preparation

Posted 02/05/09

My wife and I had dinner at Tony?s Wednesday night. They were doing a trial run in preparation for a celebrity event and the opening on Friday. The food was nothing short of fantastic. My wife is critical of most restaurants and she raved about the food. The pasta was spectacular, the salad was great, the steaks were fantastic and the vegetables and sides were among the best we?ve ever had. Polenta with mushrooms in what appeared to be a wine reduction was spectacular and for $5 there was enough for 3 people. The ambience of the restaurant is outstanding and there was live piano music through the evening. The food is very reasonably priced, the service is excellent and this should be one of the best and most popular restaurants in L.A.

Posted 02/05/09

it doesn't really count when the review of this place is done by owner himself. I was shopping nearby and my friend and I checked it out. On the surface it's very nice but substance lacking. Service awkward. Food inconsistent. It's this "pretend" side of LA life/food scene that I hate. This place won't last long.

Pros: Nicely decorated

Cons: Inconsistent in every way

Posted 12/17/08

This place is so cool. The hole vibe screams, NY, NY. Piano bar, $5.00 Martini's, Amazing Steaks,Classic Italian food and Sinatra singing about the good life! Beautiful booths, hardwood floors, an exhibition kitchen to die for.... You will be challenged to find better Italian food in this city. GREAT VALUE, GREAT VALUE!

Pros: everything

Cons: it will be the hottest restaurant in 2009

Posted 12/11/08

I must be honest, I'm not one to usually go to a fine dining restaurant. This place has the feel, taste, look and ambiance of a fine dining restaurant, but when we got the tab, I was pleasantly surprised. The staff is very friendly, the food was AMAZING!!!!! No kidding. You will be thankful you went. When I went, it was a little slow, I guess they just opened and word hadn't spread yet. It's something else... I didn't eat there for Happy Hour yet, but I looked at the menu, it's something I may have to do this week..... You really need to go.

Pros: The Taste.

Cons: it was very slow when I went, felt slightly awkward.

Posted 07/26/08

This place just opened a couple of weeks ago and i have to say i was pretty impressed. For one, Tony the owner is great. He was there and really knows his stuff. Second, the restaurant itself is really cool--sort of conjures up those swishy Ra t Pack-era dinner clubs with white tablecloths and flickering candles and Sinatra coming thru the speakers. AND finally, the FOOD IS PHENOM! now i've only been here once so far, but i had the truffle shrimp pasta dish and it was In-cred-i-ble! and the portions were huge. Also, the burratta and tomato was to live for! Gotta order that. And if that weren't enough, the prices were super cheap by LA standards--nothing over $25. I hope this place lasts cos that portion of Sunset really needs a viable alternative to the fried nightmare of Ketchup and the long waits of Primmo (although, yes, they do have the best salads). the place was kinda empty, but that's to be expected w/a location that has JUST opened. I recommend giving this place a shot -- I'll be back again.

Pros: Great prices (prices are around $8 for apps) & AWESOME COCKTAILS made just to order

Cons: Still sort of empty

Posted 07/13/08