The Fat Cow

Nothing but a disappointment. TV’s behind the bar showing a kids movie while the world series was on. Ordered a glass of wine. Turned out to be $ 16. Instead of a well wine stiffed me with one of their most expensive. Hamburger small, tuna tartar uninspired. Won’t be back.

I ordered the burger with fries and it was good… nothing spectacular or memorable but it wasn’t bad. I had also ordered the sticky toffee pudding and it took over half an hour to come to the table. The dessert was ridiculously buttery and delicious. The waitress was nice and ended up comping the dessert and sending me off with a cookie.
Not sure if I’d come back here again because there are so many other restaurants to try.

I came here on NYE with a pretty big group. We didn’t make a reservation until the last minute so it was hard to find a place. The online menu here looked really good and they had an open table for out group of 9 so we came here.
I was pretty disappointed by this place. First of all, the menu they had was completely different from what they posted online. It didn’t sound particularly good and when we asked the waitress about the differences between the two menus, she just laughed and said that she had «noticed that but didn’t know why it was like that.» Umm update your menus or don’t sound so clueless.
On to the food and drinks. The drinks we ordered were pretty good. I tried a cocktail that had rumchata and a few other ingredients and it was a good balance of sweetness and booze.
The food though was overwhelmingly disappointing. The only good things were the shrimp and grits appetizer (which was actually quite tasty) and the sticky toffee pudding (which was delicious). All the other appetizers and the main courses were all forgettable. The sauces on the different meat dishes were all virtually the same and everything was just really one note.
Apparently this place is going to close soon; hopefully something better opens up in it’s location. If you are at The Grove, I would recommend leaving and having dinner at one of LA’s many awesome restaurants.

The Fat Cow, a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, I especially wanted to come here after having such a successful experience at BURGR in Vegas. Despite the poor reviews, I wanted to see for myself.
What use to be «The Farm», is a whole lot different inside. Still woodsy, but rustic and a little chicy, with little artifacts and mementos above each booth. A small bar, a small outside patio, it’s also intimate and hip.
See a movie next door at 8pm, it gave me plenty of time to kill — it was only 520pm. I pulled up a seat at the bar, and ordered a Moscow Mule. Now, I never had a «mule», but if it’s typically and predominantly vodka and lime, I’m sold — they made it good.
My friend showed up at 6pm, we chit-​chated a bit, and got down to business — the eating kind. On the agenda: brussels sprouts, burgers, and fries.
1. Brussels Sprouts ($ 10) — roasted til caramelized, creamy, and amazing. (5.0 stars)
2. Fat Cow Cheese Burger ($ 15) — short rib & kobe burger, butter lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomato. Branded with a cow insignia on the bun, this medium-​well cooked burger was tender, moist, and cooked to perfection. Personally, I think a half-​pounder is too much meat, I left a little… but boy was it good. It nearly breaks into the top 10 of the all-​time «Berger knows: Burgers» list
(4.5 stars)
3. Fries ($ 5) — Fresh, medium cut, and seasoned with salt & pepper — what can be bad? (4.5 stars)
The service was terrific and friendly. I don’t know what y’all had problems with. In fact, you should hurry on in here. In lights, the name FAT COW shines… but on March 28, 2014 it will be dim, as it’s shutting down the doors. See ya ol’ friend, the lights shine bright on the other side.

Hmm, I don’t actually understand the amount of 1 star reviews for this place on Unilocal,well yes, I’ve been to quite a few of Ramsay’s better creations but this one definitely deserves more than that I think, it’s still Ramsay, for food’s sake!
My friends and I were at the Grove and stopped by for a quick lunch. Well the lunch was not as quick as we expected (it took them over 30 minutes to bring out two salads and a burger, considering that the place was empty). The food was good, with Ramsay’s signature touch but unfortunately not good enough to compensate for the wait and the price.
Basically, Gordon, you should come check this place out with your Kitchen Nightmares. It’s obviously an exaggeration but if you’re setting your standards up that high, people will expect you to meet them.

I don’t know if I was expecting too much out of it or what but my friends and I each had the Fat Cow Burger. It wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever had. It was a little drying. I ordered sweet potato fries which were good but my friends ordered truffle fries and they tasted just like REGULAR fries. That’s a no no.
I don’t know if it was because we were sitting outside near the fountains but the service was extremely slow that at the end we didn’t even bother for the waiter to come back, we just went up to pay.
I would much rather eat a burger elsewhere.

Location
Don’t let the outside fool you. The place looks small from the outside but the inside has a ton to offer. I loved the décor it was trendy and warm but didn’t leave much room for servers, busboys, and guests to move around.
Food/​Price
Everything we tried was pleasant to our taste buds! I had the sausage fennel pizza ($ 16). The crust was thin and crispy leaving me with a light feeling. The sauce was simple but delightful. The cheese was creamy and went well with the fennel sausage. We ordered a side of truffle fries ($ 5) to share which was the BEST idea of the night! The fries were beyond addicting.
Overall
A bit pricey but a good spot to grub at if you’re at the grove.

This is a great restaurant to eat/​drink at while visiting the Grove. My friend and I had a girls night out and I am so happy we chose to come here! I was starving and yearning for a delicious coacktail.
We sat at the bar and were very satisfied with our decision. Chris and August were so attentive and great servers.
We started off with cocktails called the Skeleton, which had a great spicy kick-​the rim of the glass had salt and spicy chili powder– so yummy!
My favs for food were the Fried Chicken Sandwich because it was perfectly fried and had a great cabbage slaw in it. The next were the Short Ribs– melt in your mouth and fall off the bone good!
We had a great experience here and think this restaurant should have 5 Stars! The manager was also very sweet and kept checking on us to see how things were tasting.

When out shopping or seeing a movie at The Grove, this is your new go-​to eating/​drinking spot! Now under new management and with a new menu, The Fat Cow will leave you fat and happy!
Ziva A. and I popped in here last night and had dinner at the bar and were blown away! We started with a couple of craft cocktails. I really like The Skeleton, their take on the spicy margarita. It wasn’t too sweet and the spicy stuff on the rim is to die for. I couldn’t stop licking it off.
What I had in order:
Tuna Tartare– the fish was cut well and it had a slightly Asian flair with a soy based sauce on the plate. The root vegetable chips were light and refreshing and was topped with avocado, so it’s a light California version and was very good. Chick food for sure, which is a compliment from me!
Chicken Sandwich– We split this as recommended by our bartender. I’m not even crazy about chicken but whoa, It was very crispy, had a nice sauce, an amazing slaw. We were reluctant but ate the entire thing. Chic-​fil-​a on crack in a good way.
Short Ribs– This are amazing and was my favorite thing. Really great cut of meat, piping hot and accompanied by fresh vegetables and a traditional sauce.
The Toffee Pudding– Oh my god. This is a must have. If you want to know what sex as a dessert tastes like, then try this. The butterscotch at Gjelina is my favorite dessert in LA, and this one is giving it a run for it’s money.
Our servers: They introduced themselves and got to know us without being overly attentive. August was our amazing bartender and Nick, the manager even came over to check on us and we exchanged pleasantries. Stellar service.
We be back to try brunch because cocktails and waffles!

Don’t let the name fool you. This is one great place to get your daily dose of real food. Just about everything they serve here is healthy, wholesome, and packed with flavor the likes of which you’ll only find in the more trendy, hipster restaurants of LA. And this cozy little place does have the hipster vibe to it. It’s my favorite place to have dinner before or after a cold Winter’s night of shopping at The Grove. The inside is nice and cozy, while the outside affords you a gorgeous view of the giant Christmas tree and the Holiday shoppers.
The menu offers something to satisfy most palates. The Butternut Squash soup is light, yet flavorful, and it’s served with a small focaccia loaf on the side. The soup is great, but what really makes it is that soft, airy, heavenly loaf of bread dipped into it.
The burgers are huge and filling, but without the guilt trip you might get after hitting McDonalds for a Bic Mac. You can really taste the freshness of the ingredients used in their cooking. The sweet potato fries, sprinkled with a bit of powdered sugar are a perfect side dish to go with them.
I was really blown away by their brussel sprouts. It might be one of their most popular menu items. Even if you’re not a fan of brussel sprouts, I highly recommend you give these a try.
And finally, what most people are interested in: The Alcohol Menu. They have an impressive one, with a little bit to please everybody. The staff is very friendly here, so if you’re unsure what to get, or what will go well with your food, simply ask them for a recommendation and they’ll be happy to please.
Bring some friends to soak up the atmosphere, have a good time, share a couple of plates of food, and the best part: Split the bill.
P. S. Watch out for those Truffle Fries. They’re so addicting, you’ll inhale them and then wonder where they went. And then probably order more.

Great location and plenty of room to dine in both inside and out while going broke at The Grove.
Here’s how it went down:
Ordered the BLT with Avocado and basically it was OMFG delicious (see the pic I posted)! It had the right amount of everything including the caramelized onion spread.
Also had the Iced Tea…(standard tea, nothing magical).
Plus I was persuaded by my lovely server to order up some sweet potato fries. Hmmmmm :-/​
I should have read the menu on this one. They come seasoned with sugar. powdered sugar? Regardless they were too sweet for my palate and didn’t finish them. I honestly thought it was a mistake but it was confirmed with the Manager who was making the rounds and asking how everyone was doing (this I love this BTW. Shows that the business genuinely cares).
No worries though, you can request the fries be served without the sugar. Noted.
Sure Id come back.
As Ive said in previous reviews: «give me great service and you have a customer for life».
Or until something better comes along. :P
Ay los watcho Amigos.

I really like the buttermilk fried onion rings! Other than that, their burger was ok. The pizza also wasn’t memorable. I was really bummed out about the mac n cheese which our waiter raved as being one of their best dishes. It was salty as heck! They removed the lobster mac months ago apparently.
I didn’t get to try their famous bread pudding since they decided to close their restaurant early. Lame since the closing time wasn’t supposed to be for another hour or so.
Will be coming back to try the pudding, since it’s free/​comp when I check in there!

Neat bar connected to the movie theater! Want to chill and grab some drinks before your movie? Came here after a movie screening, employee after party!!!
Service: Really nice folks.
Food: Decent.
Would I come back? Um, only if convenient since its a rare occasion where a bar is connected to a movie theater. Located in The Grove.

From the other reviews (and it doesn’t match what’s on the site either), it looks like Fat Cow updated their menu. However, I’m still not very impressed. Came here for a weekday lunch and was able to sit on the patio which is nice.
Anyways, on to the food, we shared:
*Fried Squash Blossoms: Not bad. might be too much cheese filling for some people though.
*Truffle Fries: Eh. Standard
*Brussel Sprouts: Deep fried.bacon.standard.
I ordered the Cowlifornia Turkey burger but it was disappointing and very dry. My party’s salad orders looked great though especially the burrata + heirloom (downside.you have to pay extra to get a protein whether it be shrimp, chicken, beef, salmon).
Service was attentive though.
I think The Fat Cow is going to have to step it up in order to stay in business.

Fat Cow surprisingly did not make me feel like a fat cow. I was told to go here by the friendly staff of the Palazzo Apartments across the street. It is decorated super cute. It is farmhouse modern ;)
After I sat down and got my drink I checked in on Unilocal and could not beleive the low score reviews! I got a pit in my stomach but stayed anyway. It was lunch on Labor Day weekend and there were alot of people there. We were sat immedaitely by the host outside. The waiter was super friendly and patient. My turkey burger was perfect. The bun was soooo fresh — we all love fresh buns right?
My only complaint at all was the price, but we were at the Grove. Garage parking is free the first hour. I would def come back.

Finally got to try Gordon Ramsay’s Fat Cow at the Grove with a Gilt City deal.
Luckily we didn’t experience the horrible service that most complained about. We even had the manager check on us. Maybe we’re the exception or maybe they read the Unilocal reviews and have stepped it up since.
We sat just outside of the restaurant, not by the fountain. It’s easier to flag down a staff since there’s always a couple of them hanging out at the check in podium.
The food was good but VERY pricey for what it is.
$ 12 for THREE chicken wings? (
).
Mac & Cheese (
) — good but could be better. They need to jazz it up with some bacon pieces or something if they’re gonna charge $ 10 for it. Or at least add a green, leafy thing in the corner just for decoration which you’ve eaten before because you didn’t know it’s just decoration and it tasted bitter. Oh, I’m the only one? Anyway I digress, back to the review.
Short Ribs (
) — great flavor, and very tender… you can cut it with your fork. The cheddar polenta went really well with it.
Salmon (
) — delicious… nice, crispy skin but still moist on the inside.
Overall it’s a good, swanky spot to have dinner before a movie but I’ll only go back if I have a deal (ie. Groupon, Living Social, etc.). Otherwise it’s just too pricey for what the food is. You’re really paying for the name of the chef more than the food.

First off, I’m a huge fan of Gordon Ramsay. I love his restaurant at The London West Hollywood, TV shows, and cookbooks. You get it, I’m a fan!
I had no idea Gordon opened the Fat Cow (
) until a couple months ago. I’m usually on top of celebrity restaurants, but I don’t how I missed this one. I became aware of the Fat Cow through a Gilt City coupon. It was a three course menu and a bottle of house wine for $ 40. I thought what a deal! I quickly purchased it and then went to check out the reviews on this place… WHOA! Very mixed. Luckily, by the time I came here (this past weekend), I already forgot the complaints so I came here with a clean slate as it should be.
Collage of meal:
FOOD/​DRINKS — 4 Stars: We ordered these drinks/​appetizers:
— House Wine (
): No complaints considering we drank all the wine. It was good to the last drop… literally!
— Chicken Wings
): The glaze on the wings were really good… a nice and sweet flavor. I was sad it was only three pieces because I could’ve had 12 at least. LOL.
— Tempura Battered Squash Blossom Stuff with Ricotta (
): I wasn’t expecting much from this, but this was amazingly good and my favorite appetizer. I never thought I’d enjoy a blossom. The surprise of ricotta tucked inside the tempura wrapped blossom was like a dance of a flavor in your mouth.
— French Onion Soup (
): I love french onion soup so much that I ordered this as an extra to our meal even though this wasn’t part of the Gilt City deal. The onion flavor was rich, the cheese was gooey, and the side of bread that came with the soup was the icing on the cake so to speak. It side of bread was doughy, salty, and a prefect compliment to the soup.
Entrees:
— Short Ribs with Polenta (
): The short ribs were so tender that I only used my fork to eat it… no knife necessary! The polenta was delicious and a great combo to balance the heartiness of the short rib. The short rib portion size was massive! The picture probably doesn’t do it justice, but that piece was more than enough.
— Salmon (
): The salmon was fresh and delicious. The portion size was very hearty and completely worth it. It was a huge piece of salmon. It was probably larger than other places I’ve been to.
— French Fries with Truffle (
): I’m in love with french fries. So, marrying french fries and truffle? Hell yes! These were really good and the truffle was pungent with flavor in every bite.
Dessert:
— Pot de Cream with a Cookie (
): This was very rich, creamy, and chocolaty. I really liked it, but the star of the dessert was the cookie. It was like eating a chewy ginger snap… so good. I wish I had more!
SERVICE — 5 Stars: Our server was awesome! He provided input on what to order, gave an excellent description of our menu options, and was constantly checking on us. Not to mention, they cleared our plates quickly too. The service was excellent throughout the entire meal.
As a side note, they don’t take reservations on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I have no idea why, but that’s what I was told when I tried making a reservation. I came on a Friday at 5PM and was there until 7PM or so and it was semi-​packed.
ATMOSPHERE — 4.5 Stars: This place is tucked away right next to the Pacific Theater. There is an outside patio and a huge inside with tons of seating. The farm/​industry décor was modern and chic. It is a great atmosphere for a date, taking a break from shopping, hanging out with friends, or just grabbing a drink while you wait for your movie.
RECOMMENDATION: I really enjoyed my experience here and I recommend others to try the Fat Cow. If you’ve been here before, give it another chance. I’m guessing that they may have made improvements based on customer feedback.
I will add that prices here are not cheap. So, if you’re expecting a cheap meal, go somewhere else. You’re paying a premium for the Gordon’s name, unique food offerings, and higher quality of food. For me, it was totally worth it and I will be back!

I’ve been here two more times now and I have to say that this place has really grown on me.
My most recent visit was this past Saturday around 1pm… their brunch is ongoing until 3pm on weekends and they offer $ 5 mimosas! I am always a little wary of discount drinks because sometimes they contain very little alcohol but these mimosas were good and strong.
My friend had a bloody mary though, and he hated it. So… there’s that.
Their food, however, is really quite good. My friend had the grilled chicken brunch option (which is really more of a lunch — a grilled chicken that comes on a bed of quinoa and veggies… really good!) and I had the market salad with chicken. The market salad is delicious! Nice big chunks of chicken on top, and the salad has hazelnuts which add a really tasty crunch to the salad.
This is one of the better food options at the Grove IMO for a casual meal.

Can’t you just totally picture Gordon Ramsay calling one of his chefs a fat cow? Sad, but true. The workers here even wear shirts– boys say «fat cow» and girls say «skinny cow.» Love it!
The place isn’t ginormous, but it’s tucked away in a nice corner next to the movie theater at the Grove. I hadn’t even heard about this place, so I was glad that when I looked up a place for dinner, it came up. I called earlier in the day to make a reservation, and was told that they were all booked. However, we walked up and were seated right away, and there were plenty of empty tables. Very odd. There are tables along the walls, but we were seated at a picnic-​style table with benches. The décor is kinda cool– made to look old and farmsy, but it was obvious that it’s all specially designed furniture.
The menu isn’t terribly diverse or long, and it’s a bit pricey, but it IS Gordon Ramsay. I was still coming off the flu and my appetite wasn’t fully there, so I shared the mushroom pizza and mac & cheese with my sister. I liked the crust of the pizza, and the cheese was pretty rich. Loved the tons of mushrooms on top too. The mac & cheese was superrrr rich and cheesey, not bad though.
Hubby ordered the flat iron steak that came with a massive pile of thinly cut fries. They weren’t kidding when they called them «haystack fries!» The fries were crispy and soo crunchy. My dad and stepmom shared the bone-​in ribeye and a side of brussell sprouts. The sprouts were cooked with SO much flavor! You could definitely taste the balsamic vinegar, but I liked them a lot.
For dessert, we had the sticky toffee pudding and the blackberry tart. Both were extremely sweet, and the sticky toffee pudding tasted simply like a bran muffin to us. It also took 20 minutes for our coffee to come out.
Service was friendly but kind of slow. Not sure why so many people are knocking the food here, everyone really liked it.

After hearing the awful reviews of this Gordon Ramsay establishment I wanted to see for myself what all the hoop-​la was about.
First, locating the eatery was not easy. I was looking for it by the two restaurants that flank the entrance to the mall from the parking structure. It turns out it is located next to the Pacific Theater to the left — tiny little place.
Walking right up to the maitre d, I requested a table for two — No wait. She asked indoor or out, I said in and we were seated.
Our server came, showed us the menu and offered us drinks. Having previewed the menu online before the visit we knew what we were going to order and relayed this to the server before he went off for our drinks.
While we waited, we looked around the eatery noticing that there were not that many patrons. I noticed two parties outdoors and indoors was about 25% at capacity. Perhaps the bad reviews kept people away.
Our food did take a bit to get to the table about 20 minutes. But, in taking the place in, the wait did not seem that long. The dishes we ordered were the burger w/​fries ($ 15) and the wild mushroom pizza ($ 15)
Burger:
Presentation — Great! Fat Cow logo seared on to the top bun. Patty cooked medium as ordered. Overall a good burger. Would I order again — yes.
Mushroom Pizza:
Presentation — Great! Taste, spectacular! The pizza was loaded with mushrooms and onions. Next time I’m just going to order a bowl of mushrooms and onion — they were so good.
I cannot speak to how things were prior to my visit. But I had a pleasant experience and I would eat here again when at the Grove.