Lallapalooza Restaurant

I have only been here twice, having traveled over 100 miles to get there each time. But I have to count this as one of my very favorite restaurants ever! Could not have enjoyed everything I tasted any more than I did, it was perfection! I had calamari, salmon, grilled articoke, caprese salad. Don’t get me started on the drinks, just WOW.

My gf and I decided to stop by here for dinner on our short trip to Monterey. We decided to order from the happy hour menu, and were for the most part very happy with the experience.
I had a mini martini and my gf had a beer– both were good.
Salt and vinegar fries– not so good. They initially brought them out without any salt and vinegar flavor detectable at all. Our server took them away and 10 minutes later brought back soggy fries drenched with vinegar. Hmm. I think the idea of salt and vinegar fries sounds amazing, but I didn’t think it would be served as it was. Maybe a vinegar ketchup, or vinegar on the side to dip would have been much better.
Oysters– they were good. I would order again.
Half chicken– this was DELICIOUS. Moist chicken stuffed with mushrooms and crispy beets, potatoes and mushrooms on the side. SO good.
The space is nice, the service was good, I would come back.

Food was Amazing. Staff very friendly. All around good service. The chocolate cookie griddle was delicious. I would definitely come back and eat here.

We loved it and we never made it past the appetizers. My boyfriend and I made our way there on a late Sunday night «just to have oysters». Here’s what we ended up ordering and my star rating: Oysters (5 stars), Duck Fat Fries (4 stars), Grilled artichoke (4 Stars), Ahi Tuna Ceviche (5 stars) and Carpaccio (5 stars).
Ok we are piggies! I loved how they presented the Ahi Tuna on a Himalayan Salt block and served with fries wontons. I only ate a bite or two of the Carpaccio but it was good. My only complaint: we had major gas later (TMI?!). That’s what we get for eating so darn much. That is and isn’t the restaurants fault.
Pricing is good for the quality of food, service, location and ambience. We’d like to go back and actually try an entrée… Or two.

Serious service problems. I have only walked out of a restaurant three times in my life (this was the third). The waitress was completely absent (as well as absent minded). We ordered a bottle of white wine and it came out at room temperature. The waitress didn’t even know how to solve the problem. She then disappeared forever (after I asked her to please not abandon us again). At the twenty minute mark we still had not been able to order any food. When we decided to walk out the waitress came over and said «what do you expect me to do, I’m busy».
Unbelievable. The restaurant was not very busy and the bartender and bus boy were standing around doing absolutely nothing. We ended up walking down the street to Alvarado Street Brewery and Grill (which was packed) and got unbelievable team service. Sad as I have really enjoyed this restaurant in the past.

I have no reservations! The service was fabulous, the food was fabulous, the environment was busy, the bar was full, the music was great, (80’s) dessert was eaten on 2 over stuffed stomachs, I have no complaints!!! Lallapalooza was a great dinner dining experience for me!
Recently my husband and I have eaten at a quite a few steakhouses and I’m definitely feeling burnt out! Otherwise that’s what I was going to order. The waitress said their steaks were popular.
We saw the picture of the huge nacho’s on Unilocal photos, we decided to try…
Yum! Burnt edges on the chips from the fire roasting oven. The best way to heat the chips!!!
Carnitas (steak) Tacos with black beans doused in lime: perfect!
Pepperoni Pizza: it’s a fairly boring order however perfectly tasty!
Claim to their clam chowder is like everyone else, «it’s the best» Well not really. It’s ok like most everyone else. It’s not easy to make the best. Chowder House in Bodega Bay, they have the best!

Exactly what we wanted/​needed tonight. Huge thank you to the hostess for allowing us to order off the happy hour menu with 10 minutes to spare.
The food was great. Oysters well-​priced, artichoke meaty and nicely spiced. I got the brick chicken which was perfectly cooked and they let me sub spinach for potatoes which is a big bonus since I can’t eat potatoes (weird, I know). Beau got the hangar steak and it was also beautifully cooked.
We want to come back for cocktails next time.

This place was pretty solid. Came here for a friend’s birthday with party of 8. Drinks took a LOOOONNGGG time to be served… like way too long. Our food was on the table way before our drinks. That was the worst part though. The drinks themselves were tasty and the selection of drinks was extensive. Prices were good even during regular dining and I’ve heard they have a happy hour that includes food and drink specials that is pretty impressive.
We ordered the «secret» appetizer platter… our waitress didn’t even know about it. It’s a sampler for $ 30 and you get the steak bites, dates/​bacon, coconut shrimp, calamari, cheese bread and spicy fries… about 4 of each thing and a handful of calamari and fries. You need to specifically ask them for this though, it is NOT on the menu, but worked well for our large party… we ordered 2.
I also ordered a burger which came with a choice of side. I got the onion rings since fries were on our appetizer platter. It was good and the bread was amazing!
Our server was nice and fairly attentive. She was able to split our check for everyone which was nice. Gratuity was added, which I understand, but also find a bit annoying thus I didn’t leave a cent more (which I would have otherwise). When the checks were «split» the gratuity was not so some people had 20% on their bill other people had 7% and one person had 35% gratuity! Wow… that was a mess, would have been easier to just figure out the amounts on our own I think.
For those that like to plan ahead, Costco does sell 2 — $ 50 gift cards to here for $ 80, so it saves you $ 20. Gift cards are also good at lala Grill in the Del Monte center and a few other related places (can’t remember where). It did say wasn’t good for tax or gratuity but they took mine just fine for it (maybe because gratuity was added to the bill??).
Anyhow, this place was nice, good selection of food… salad, pasta, pizza, tacos, entrees, burgers, nice location and nicely decorated. There is parking behind the building and a rear entrance so you don’t have to try to find parking on the street. There were lots of empty spots in the lot when we went at 6:30. There are meters there, but those end at 6… if you go for happy hour you may have to drop some quarters, but you’d have to on the street as well.

Steak bites! In fact entire tapas menu is delich. A classier feel than most bars, downtown in old Monterey.
Usually a singles or date night scene. Fun to people watch.
I like the Betty Paige Martini.
Stroll about downtown shops. See a show and grab a steak bite and a martini… then walk to Cibos for some music and dance.

Everything was delicious !! The Purple dragons were amazing. The steak bites melt in your mouth !!!

Passing through with my buddy we dropped in for some cocktails and then ordered some food. Definitely the food here is the highlight! Although the drinks are great too.
The steak bites are a tasty app, BUT the calamari was fantastic. It was the fatter calamari steak rather than the small version we are all used to eating.
The drink selection was great, and had a very extensive whiskey list. Outdoor seating has heating so on a cool night, you can enjoy the outdoors.

Great meal, really good food, fast service.
We enjoyed a great meal here tonight.
We had beacon wrapped steak, Kobe beacon cheese burger, Kobe steak and the so good chocolate banana cream pie.
Our waitress admitted it was only her 2 nd day but she still did a great job. We will return.

This review is for their happy hour. I believe it’s from 4−6pm everyday.
We ordered half a dozen oysters, firecracker fries, half a grilled artichoke, Lalla fredo, and brick chicken. Oysters were fresh and a good size! I would have ordered more but we had so much food already! I also liked the firecracker fries; they were thin fries with garlic and jalapenos (love spicy!!)! The artichoke was my least favorite (maybe I’m just not an artichoke kind of person?). Lastly, we ordered two early entrees. The Lalla fredo with blackened chicken was so good! The pasta was thick and the sauce wasn’t too creamy. The blacked chicken was lightly crispy on the outside and not too dry. The brick chicken was also very good! It came with mashed potatoes and beets. I usually don’t order chicken because most places make them very dry. Not at Lalapalooza though! The chicken was on point!
Happy Hour Food:
–Oysters $ 1.50
–Firecracker Fries $ 4
–Salt & Vinegar Fries $ 3
–Duck Fat Fries $ 4
–Steak Bites $ 2
–Caesar Salad $ 5
–Oak Grilled Artichoke $ 7 (whole) or $ 4 (half)
–Food Fire Pizza $ 10
Early Entrees (all $ 12.99):
–Brick Chicken
–Hanger Steak
–Lalla’s Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
–Lalla Fredo
I would definitely come back for Happy Hour!

Carbo loading in the bar… as it happens with our team.
Our other two choices were packed and did someone say Happy Hour? Surprisingly, the six of us were seated right away. Staff was very helpful and friendly. Food did take awhile… fortunately, there was plenty of wine.
Monkeys do HH:
CABS & CHARD — good
OYSTERS — good
DUCKFAT FRIES — forgettable
MEATLOAF WRAPPED in BACON — good
WOODFIRED BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA– sweet
LALLA FREDO– house-​made noodles w/​portobello & grilled chicken — delicious w/​sauce on the side! Guilt-​free. …until you add more wine.
A-​OK food.

I go here as it is 2 blocks from my house and they have decent early bird dinner for a very good price. they have a happy hour but as i drink gluten free vodka, i have to order top tier. service is great and ambience lovely especially since they turned the music down.
The space is nicely arranged. You can join the noisy bar crowd or find a very private intimate table or do as i do and sit near the dining area in front where I can see flowers out the window and they have several two top tables. so i get the lovely flowers, the dining room quiet and am near the jubilant bar.
Met a very nice tourist there recently. Good conversation between two women dining alone.
Oh, i must also say this is on Alvarado street smack dab downtown historic Monterey so there is much to explore. and do enjoy Lallapalloza or their sister, Lalla Grill in Del Monte Center. Both are great.

This place is great for Happy Hour and to enjoy fun cocktails and appetizers. Until 6pm you get discounts on special martinis, small bites, pizzas and entrees. Lallapalooza has one of the better menus I have seen in the Monterey area and it includes a little bit of everything, similar to its sister restaurant Lalla Grill. I recommend the Chicken Alfredo pasta. I thought the spiral noodles were fun and different and the sauce was perfectly flavored and not too rich so my stomach felt fine! The duck fat fries were addicting so make sure you have plenty of people to share them with.
If you are planning on going with a big group, there are plenty of tables and it is a great place to celebrate a special occasion. I heard their desserts are out of this world too so I will have to save room the next time I visit!

Fun restaurant with great ambiance. We sat in the bar to have drinks and appetizers.
Roasted beet and pear salad with a mango dressing was very flavorful and fresh.
Grilled artichoke could be a little bit less oily but it had great flavor none the less. And it was cooked well, not overly dry but not undercooked. Thumbs up.
Oysters were good too. They were $ 2.50 a pop. Not the best deal but they were very good.

Came here on a whim because I was craving steak. I didn’t want to go to an expensive steak house that would cost a fortune and I would have to pretend to be fancy, and also did not want to go to a loud bar or pub that would serve terrible steak.
We got here at 5pm on Sunday. It was mostly empty and we got the entire place to ourselves.
We got ceviche, pizza, Caesar salad, oysters, steak bites, meatloaf, and hanger steak. Nothing interesting about the salad or oyster. The steak bite is a nice appetizer that probably would’ve gone really well with wine if I drank. The hanger steak is nicely done, nothing fancy, but just a good piece of juicy meat — exactly what I wanted, that came with mashed potatoes (also nicely done) and grilled asparagus. Everyone else seemed happy with their foods.
Overall I would just say this is a solid restaurant that serves your typical American food at a very reasonable price. The place is spacious, well decorated, and has a good ambiance.

This place was so bad that I had to come out of my Unilocal hibernation and write a review.
Lallapalooza was one of the very few restaurants in the area that was open late. We didn’t expect much considering the name. For some reason I envisioned hippies and stoners and comfort food.
About the place — I was floored when I walked in. The place was beautiful! Very ‘high end’ looking. There was even a wine cellar! Now, you can’t be ‘high end without having a wine cellar.
My amazement went from 100 to 0 real quick. The club music came on and people were getting pretty loud. Not what I was expecting from a nice establishment. There goes the ambiance.
About the food — The food was creative but it tasted like it was created by a 5 year old. I ordered the calamari spaghetti with seared ahi — sounds good right? No. Have you ever gone to the grocery store to buy 16 oz of shrimp or scallops and it cost like $ 2? Do you know why it’s $ 2? Because it’s bottom of the barrel quality and it’s micro sized. That’s what the calamari tasted like. You would think that because it was so cheap that they would put in a lot. No. There was 3 pieces of calamari and a piece of squid. The ahi was just okay. The lobster bisque was bland and so was the lobster mac.
About the wine — I’m no wine snob but too bad for the waiter that night our buddy was. He is a wine maker from Italy. Apparently the bottle of vintage pinot grigio was not a true vintage. It was a 2008 bottle and the cork was plastic. After my buddy had a sip he gave me a try. I nodded my head saying «oh yeah this is shit,» when I was really thinking «I have no idea what I’m saying.»
Service was great. Everyone was so pleasant and professional. I’m digging the crisp white shirt and the napkin over the forearm. Very fancy.
It’s too bad that fancy, loud club music, young drunks at the bar, and crappy food do go together well.

How have I not reviewed this place yet?! One of my close friends lives in Monterey and we like to frequent this restaurant. We’ve been here for several birthdays, and there was even one time which we still laugh about where I may or may not have a little too much to drink. Who can blame me, with all those martini options?
Service is great, always friendly. Comfortable seating, and a large alcohol menu. I have had beer, wine, martinis, and margaritas here and all are good. Like I said, lots of martini options including dessert ones. I have had several of the meal options as well, and all are decent — I think the pizzas are probably my favorite, and my friend loves getting steak here. The bathrooms are clean and have lots of quotes written in them. Oh! You get lots of bread before your meal which is easy to fill up on. A couple of dessert options, the pizookie is really good; last time they were out of the dessert I wanted and didn’t tell me until after I had already read through the dessert menu and spent time picking what I wanted. Boo.
Overall, a nice place to linger and chat.