Stellas Food & Cocktails

Food was mediocre, the waitress we had was extremely rude and did not have any people skills. Definetly will not be going back here

First and last visit to this place. I’ll admit, the grilled cheese wasn’t too bad… but you can’t really mess that up anyways. The thing that will stand out for me was the extremely slow service. I think they didn’t have enough wait staff which was ridiculous considering there was a huge convention going on across the street. I’ll wager that most of the people here were people who didn’t want to wait in line for the Hooters next door… that was us. We really just wanted a beer and quick bite to eat. Instead, it turned into more than an hour. Even after taking our orders for food and drinks, the waitress came back ten mins later and asked us if we ordered our drinks yet. I won’t say that the waitresses were bad, its not their fault that their management didn’t properly staff their place. During our meal, I also noticed many groups of people come in looking to be seated and then leave because no one went up to them to seat them. Overall the menu looked pretty basic… nothing stood out… sandwiches, burgers… no unique beers or anything like that… the only reason for anyone to come here is that its closer to the convention center than other places like those at LA Live. Next time I’m looking to take a break and grab a beer and some food from whatever convention I’m attending at the LA Convention Center… I’ll just make the short walk to LA Live and go to the Yard House maybe.

Went to this place before a Clippers game. Food was good and reasonably priced. Beers were 3 bucks during happy hour which is pretty good. I checked in with the Unilocal app and it said my table was entitled to a free appetizer I showed the waitress and she had no clue what to do and just brought us chip n salsa which seems cheap to me. So with that said I give it a 3. GO CLIPPERS.

Amazing place to go before a game at Staples. $ 3 beers and really really good appetizers. The fried mozzarella was the best I have ever had.

Stop by here to grab some food before the Clipper/​Rocket game. Happy Hour prices were pretty good. Service at the beginning was really quick but towards the end it took a while to get the check. Other than that the food was good and worth the price.

Great prices! good food, lots of beer, and most importantly great customer service. leave here with a smile every time I go.

good late night delivery but tonight I ordered my food 2 hours ago and it still hasn’t arrived. The estimated arrival time was an hour ago. This place takes forever, but they’re open late and the food is good.

Service is HORRIBLE. Went to this place during a big multi-​day event at the convention center. The first day, they were turning people away at lunch time. It’s as if they don’t want to make money.
The second day, we got seated and they told us the kitchen was backed up — we couldn’t order anything but drinks for the next 30 minutes. Then they ignored us for 30 minute. No water, no taking our drink order, nothing to do with the kitchen at all. By the time they finally took our drink order, we were allowed to order food. It came out so that only one person got served. That food got cold while we waited for the rest of the meals. Then the order was all screwed up and the brought the wrong food. What’s most frustrating is that the place wasn’t even full! I counted 10 empty tables while we waited.
The food is decent and reasonably priced but the service is a shit-​show and a massive, frustrating time-​suck.

Meh. I was excited to eat here, just because it was hip-​looking inside and was open to the sidewalk traffic outside. Right across the street from the convention center, it was also a convenient lunch stop for us.
We were seated promptly, and upon checking in, I saw a «Free Appetizer» from Unilocal’s check-​in offers! Wooo Hoooo!!! Even more excited! Then, I suddenly noticed a $ 15 for $ 20 deal, which I immediately purchased.
Our waitress took a while to take our drink order, and when asked specific questions about the food items, she wasn’t all that knowledgeable about the menu items. We ordered. I wanted the lasagna with meat sauce… they were out of meat sauce. My friend wanted one of the chicken dishes… they were out of chicken. Then we finally found something on the menu that they DID have. The waitress was not very attentive to our table, forgetting to ask if everything was ok, forgetting to ask if we needed drink refills…
Food was just ok; not the best lasagna with marinara sauce I’ve had. I probably won’t be coming here again. Ever.

This review is based solely on me going before a Kings game for pregame food and drinks. It has nothing to do about the décor or take out service. It is solely based on what Stella’s most likely opened their doors for-​serving the hungry and thirst masses before events at Staples, Nokia, and other area Venues.
We get to the area roughly around 6:30pm due to horrific traffic. Knowing we have under an hour before the game starts we park at a different lot and begin the walk to LA Live. Thinking we were going to roll the dice on a longshot at the Yardhouse we also considered the Luxe but as we walked on Figueroa we walked right by this place with all of its doors open to the street. My buddy walks up to someone sitting and enjoying themselves and asks if the food was good, they reply in the affirmative and mention that Happy Hour runs through 7 and they have good deals of draft beer. So far, so good… and those were the answers we were looking for.
There were no seats at the bar so we go and stand by a couple of big tables they have in the middle of the floor presumably for standing room only nights. Server comes up, says it still Happy Hour and all draft beers are $ 3 bucks and all appetizers $ 1 off. We order some beers and based on talking to the server order Cheese Sticks, Wings, and Stellas Fries.
Shortly after we get lucky and two seats at the bar open, we go sit down, order another round and not too long after get our food.
Hot Wings– Great Classic style serving. Wings are cooked thoroughly and have that nice spicy, vinegary classic sauce. Spicy but not off the charts. Overall, a very good classic style wing my only beef here being they served them with Ranch as opposed to Blue Cheese, which is a small qualm as I am sure they would have given the Blue had I asked.
Cheese Sticks– expecting the thin lady finger type cheese sticks you get at most places we were suprised to see 4 slabs of breaded cheese sitting on an entire plate from of marinara. And this was real marinara as well, which was literally good enough to eat on its own with huge chucks of tomato and essences of italian herbs. The quality of the cheese as well was impressive… no cheese grease at all to be found… had a nice creamy taste and the breading and frying time was perfect. Very good.
Stellas Fries– There version of nachos but served on fries. This was all about the Chili as it was a meat chili with no beans or other stuffings. Just savory chunks of ground beef that once again… it went the extra mile. For those of you familiar with Staples, the Chili was very similar to what used to be served at the Fox Sports Sky box back in the day. Another excellent dish. Next time we are going to try a Pizza for sure as they also looked fantastic.
So while we are sitting at the bar, we do happen to start talking with the owners and compliment a bit on the food and make some small talk. We started referring to one as Vic Diesel as he did bear some resemblance to Vin Diesel. They enjoyed our stories enough were they bough me and my buddy a shot of fireball as we paid the check.
From this 1 visit, I can say that with that Happy Hour and the quality of the food this should be the première pregame or pre-​event bar in the area. I generally like the Yard House but good look getting a seat on short notice. I thought the food was great, the beer prices were great, the servers nice, the owners chatty, and I could get in an hour before the game. What else could you want for that area?
I will say as I end Chapter 1 and prepare my footnotes and bibliography for this post, Not sure how you can dock a place points for their décor. We are in era were people will stand in a puddle of piss in an alley to get a Curried Lamb Slider from a food truck. It is not all about food quality and its relativity to price? Same with the beef about takeout, I understand how it probably sucks but I’ve never looked at a sports bar and wondered «I bet their takeout rocks!»
Maybe I got lucky and went on a good night, but from my observations it was a great place to go that was easy to get into, get out of, and gave everything I want before going to check out my beloved LA Kings at staples.

Stopped here for lunch because we’re in the area, the food is decent but really slow, especially considering that we’re one of the 2 tables here.
I understand it’s a bit slow during lunch on a weekend but I’d hate to see how backed up the kitchen would be if it got busier.

I’ve been to Stellas before and had an okay take-​out experience. Today was different though. I called 20 minutes beforehand to order take-​out. When I got there, my food was not ready yet. That was ok, I didn’t mind waiting. The waitress didn’t offer me water or anything for having to wait. She hands me my salad in a bag and the rest of my food was on a regular plate. She said, «I don’t know why they put this on a plate, is this okay?». She offers me take-​out packaging and basically has me package my own to-​go food. I couldn’t believe it. She didn’t even offer me a napkin or utensils to transfer the food into the to-​go box. Then I paid for my food. I was expecting some change, but the girl never came back. She just assumed that my change was her tip without even asking. I had planned on giving her a tip, but not a huge tip since I was getting take-​out. When I asked for the change, she had to go to the bartender, who looked back at me and rolled his eyes. Perhaps he thought I wasn’t going to tip — but I wasn’t going to tip all of my change when the food was not ready when I got there, nor was it even packaged. I had to do that myself. After waiting several minutes for «change», I told her to keep it. The food was also ok. I asked for medium-​well and my steak was well done. I was disappointed because last time I went there, the service was great. Too bad. I won’t be going back here again.

Stop here for a cold one on the way to and from the Staples Center. If you are traveling the Red line jump off for a minute.
When I went they had Firestone Union Jack on tap with happy hour pricing.
Nice.

Always leave this place fat and happy. Kenny the bartender is awesome and so is the food.

THe food was great … Had the burger when i first came by nice then a few weeks later came in hand the chicken breast sandwich superb. got a pizza for my group was one of the top 5 pizza I’ve ever had!!! The bartenders are super nice and on point with drinks. I will continue to come here before and after LA Kings games… GKG

Well, I’m not sure where to begin this review, for I left Stella’s Food & Cocktails (abbreviated «SFC» hereafter) with admittedly mixed feelings this afternoon. I suppose an introduction to the establishment’s recent history would be a proper starting point. Back in April, SFC replaced Urban X Tavern as the business in residence at a prime location across from the Los Angeles Convention Center. The past two months, according to my inside sources, has seen a healthy flow of customers checking in for both lunch and dinner. Weekends, of course, being peak business days. The restaurant’s apparently post-​modern, nouveau-​hipster interior tries its best to score returning customers. My own fashion sensibilities, though not the chicest by any means, gave the sense that SFC is still in search of its own marketable identity. It wasn’t exactly a «When Harry Met Sally» mesh of decorative inspiration, but more of a «When BJ’s Met Chipotle» kind of feel.
Going for a solitary lunch, I hoped to satisfy a craving for reinterpreted American versions of international eats and imported beer. Needless to say, I got both. HUMMUS AND PITA BREAD ($ 6) served warm proved a welcoming appetizer. Hummus and I are bound for eternity; I just can’t get enough of the tahini, chickpeas, paprika, and olive oil combo. All in all, I loved it and would highly recommend that you try it too! As for my main course, my primed taste buds met with the deep savoriness of SFC’s MEATBALL SANDWICH ($ 9). I honestly expected better. Here’s the breakdown: 1) The French bread, though flavorful, was a bit too soggy. So, texturally, I give the sandwich a 3 out of 5. 2) Too much marinara sauce not only contributed to the unfortunate sogginess, but also the masking of other subtle flavors. 3) The meatballs themselves were somewhat lacking in flavor. Individually, they tasted like garden-​variety morsels, desperately in need of more seasoning. 4) The mozzarella was fresh, but more of it would have been better. In terms of flavor, therefore, I give this dish a 2 out of 5. Overall, on a five-​point scale, SFC’s meatball sandwich gets a 3 out of 5 from me. Some of you math geniuses out there may be saying, «Wait, doesn’t that average out to a 2.5 out of 5»? Well, hey, the side salad with balsamic vinegar dressing was good, so I rounded up. Lastly, I paired my meal with my all-​time favorite beer: Guinness ($ 6 a glass). That’s all I need to say about that.
Yes, all right, my meal did start well with a very delicious hummus and pita dish, but the lackluster main course left me wanting. And, wanting isn’t necessarily a positive feeling, is it? I would have ordered dessert, but I was too stuffed to even consider. Know this, SFC offers generous portions and a wide selection of alcoholic and non-​alcoholic drinks. This confluence of good and bad impressions leaves me at middle ground, yet not exactly ambivalent to my dining experience at Stella’s Food and Cocktails. What I see is room for improvement upon already solid aesthetic and culinary foundations. If nothing else, service is great and comes with a smile. It’s a good place to go for a drink or two and a quick bite, but keen-​tongued foodies like myself may expect too much. I would go again to try other dishes, perhaps they’ll be tastily redemptive. Essentially, then, my 3-​star rating is potentially temporary. I hope, I really do hope, to bump that up in the near future.

Burgers and appetizers are pretty good. Pizza is nothing special. Service was slow. Had to ask about our order since other people at our table had already received their entrees and were almost done. Had to ask for the bill twice. Servers didn’t refill my beverage the entire time I was there. Will not be returning here.

To start things off, Stella’s doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. It looks to have been «decorated» at 3 different times or by 3 different people and joined together with a few common art pieces and light fixtures. Visually a mix of Downtown loft, Contemporary Bistro and NY Stock Broker bar. The menu has moderately priced variety of typical bistro fair presented on a wrinkled paper menu.
Although we were seated quickly drinks took an (2 draught beers) took 10 min and we were waiting on our food 55min after ordering and when it came out it was incorrect. I was sure as heck not going to send it back considering our entrees came out 10 min before the appetizer. I was expecting a much better experience than this when I came in for a late lunch (2pm) on a Saturday.
To be fair we were warned, by the waitress, that we should order quickly because the kitchen was getting backed up. So we had set our expectations lowered a bit. Then the comedy of errors ensued. We had «free» appetizer for the Unilocal check in and the waitress recommended Stella Fries. Because of the warning we ordered items we figured would be less complicated. A bacon burger with avocado and a turkey burger. We got side salads one with balsamic vinaigrette the other with blue cheese. After having a nice conversation and finishing up our beers we inquired on the food (35min after ordering) Waitress went to check. 10 min later came back asked if we wanted another round (on the house for the wait) we asked if there was any bread or chips to go with it because we were starving. We took as a bad sign that the kitchen staff (which you can see through the trendy opening to the kitchen) seemed to be arguing and the wait staff was standing around waiting on food. Finally Our burgers come out and the iceberg salad both came with vinaigrette. After almost an hour we were willing to eat anything but showed lack of attention with simple things. The burgers were prepared fine but nothing special. And then we finally got our second round of drinks.
Oh and we still did not have our appetizer the STELLA fries! The fries were soggy and buried under cheap bar version of Nachos toppings. Definitely not worth the hour+ wait! The waitress apologized and said she would do whatever to make us happy. (this must be a common phrase for the staff here because it came off as lip service) Our glasses were empty and she could have earned her stripes (and tips) regardless of the kitchen issues.
The Waitress offered a discount on the food for waiting so long. When our bill came we did get the one round of beers comp’d but the «discount» was the $ 8. for the «free» appetizer I was supposed to get from the Unilocal Check-​in. We never saw a recognizable Manager and the staff was busy dealing with the CF in the kitchen.
There is a lot of competition for this kind of place in LA and this place (at least on this day) fell waaay short of expectation.

Great bar/​restaurant and awesome atmosphere! Great for games before and after or just to watch them with all of their TV’s. Had the Pizza and Stella Fries and both were fantastic! Will definitely be coming here again and again as our new Happy Hour Downtown spot!

Really nicely done place had the bacon wrapped shrimp they were amazing. Pizza was really good too. Great place to eat drink and watch the game. My waitress was really nice too. Jessica maybe? Can’t remember.