Really wanted to like this place, but I’d generally echo what some of the other reviews are saying.(+) Great atmosphere(+) Service was nice and attentive(-) Portions are small and it’s not clear what’s part of the sharing menu vs a full entree. So you sorta end up with mismatched meals for the table.(-) Sometimes the prep and presentation of items can be a bit puzzling. Friend had brunch and they summed it up as “eggs on potato chips” with nothing else. I had the mussels - which were good - but I was picking thyme sprigs, lemon rinds and bay leaves out it of the broth with mushy shoe string fries.(-) It’s pricey for the portion size.Hoping that these are just some kinks that get worked out, because this seems like a great place to have some wine and food on a summer evening.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
James Wan
Sometimes you can try too hard and lose sight of some important things. With a seasonal creative menu, Lingua Franca has a delicious selection of fresh ingredients with some great hits and misses warranting thoughts on whether there is any value. First impressions are the fine dining pricing. The decor is as creative as their menu, but our starters were eye-opening at least for a hungry party of four. The Caramelized Onion Dip came with exactly five sweet potato chips perched on top of the dollop. The House Made Ciabatta had a delicious salad of fennel and olives and two small and cute little breads. Our server made no effort to explain how thin these orders were as they were simply meagerly sized for a party of four. Further down the menu, you will find entree-sized portions. The burger is very fine and an order of fries will set you back $30, but it will be between a muffin. The Pork Belly is reasonable and delicious. The Beef Cheeks is rich and delectable. The half-roasted chicken is excellently prepared and certainly of very high quality, but it is listed at $40. Our waiter was the low point of the dining experience here as he was completely unfamiliar and apathetic to answering questions about food allergies. His apathetic attitude could have been attributed to external means by the way of a 420 break, but I could be just guessing. Frog Town is changing with its decor and some really good food. Unfortunately, there is a certain turn-off when you set prices that mirror what is happening to the neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Maddy Young
I absolutely love this local spot. The food is super tasty, the staff is always so nice, and the vibe is great! I also appreciate that they have a few nice non-alcoholic drinks ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fries with Cheese
Erica Allen
We had an 8:30 reservation but we’re seated after 9. My drink order was wrong but quickly corrected. Many items were sold out. Hated the drink (corrected one). Way too expensive for what was received. $28 for a small charred cauliflower. The main Chicken dish was divine. The Red Velvet cake was served right out of the fridge. Clearly not fresh. Rather dissatisfied and robbed of $200.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
William Jaquiss
Absolutely lovely
G. Christensen
Riverside. Delivering delicious fare with a smile. Very attentive. Love the pork and eggs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
SharonP
Love this place so much. Sitting at the bar with a friend is a delight, you get to see what's happening in the kitchen which is such a treat. Food and wine is outstanding and the ambience feels like home.
Ray L.
Over priced. Food was ok, not bad. I ordered the big salad. It was small and somewhat basic. Paid extra for chicken on the salad. It was the smallest piece of protein. They forgot to bring drinks to a couple of people in our party until we reminded them. Ambiance is great inside and out.
Morgan M.
I've been following the Chef Lemos' progress with development of this restaurant and after the success of Wax Paper I was really excited to try it. My wife and I stopped in for brunch on Sunday. Outdoor patio has a good deal of seating in the front and a lot in the back, but the front has a view of the river, which you can also hear occasionally when an obnoxious and pretentious woman isn't drowning everything else out (that's not a knock on the restaurant, just the hipster attitude of some people). The food and drink options are solid. I got the breakfast burrito which was excellent and my wife had the eggs 'n' curds which she enjoyed. The star of the meal was her brunch cocktail, the Superbloom which came at the suggestion of our server. My wife mentioned she could have enjoyed a pitcher of it, especially in the outstanding weather we had. Caution to driving in, however, the construction of several apartment buildings is a little potentially rough on your tires so be mindful. I look forward to returning for dinner in the future. Keep it up Pete!
Yula K.
I kind of thought this place had Portuguese food for whatever reason but what really got me here were the photos of the burgers and fries. I had left a note that they "looked heavenly" so when I was at the frogtown flea this past weekend and saw lingua franca right off the bike path I had to stop by.It was a bit crowded but not crowded enough to find 3 seats on the bar by the side of the building. Admittedly they could have made this area a little cuter but I was not complaining about it as much as my girlfriends. I was just happy to have a little semi-private spot. I was a little disappointed at first that they didn't have their burgers during happy hour. I would have paid full price and I feel like it is one of their hot button items -- why not have it all day while the business is full for the flea? I made up for it by ordering two orders of the fries, which were also not what I expected. The photos online make them look like shoestring fries, but in reality they're more waffle like. Somewhere between a French fry and a soft chip. Either way they were delicious, and the vinegary dill dip that came with them were even better. The best part of the happy hour "meal" hands downThe bread, jam, and cheese were pretty good too. The chili wings had a lot of flavor but were very tiny with hardly any meat on them. We all tried their frozen wine which was good. I probably would have gone with something else had they had a larger menu available. Only 4 stars because it wasn't the BEST service or atmosphere, but adding to my list of favorite spots so I'll have to come back one day soon during dinner time to try the burger
Saw the Lingua Franca on the Infatuation's best burger list and had to give it a try. The people at Lingua Franca are all very friendly. Love the vibe, good music and a nice warmth about the whole place. The food fell short for me- the burger and short rib both were lacking in flavor. My favorite part of the burger was the fries. The short rib was underwhelming for $52. Everything seemed to need more seasoning.. I'm bummed! I would still come back for happy hour, but focus less on a full meal.
jewels
We have been to Lingua Franca several times and it is always a wonderful dining experience. This time was no exception: attentive service, great food, and a comfortable patio. Truly an LA gem!
alexis c.
Where to begin! This is the cutest spot with the best ambiance in the neighborhood. It's beautiful at sunset or on summer evenings and during the day. Excited to try the brunch which looks amazing.The food here is incredible. Every dish I've had has been great. They have some staple items (the burger + the albacore dish, I hope!) but seem to update their menus seasonally which is nice. LA times wrote about this burger for a reason!I've been here 5+ times and always have had a great experience and wonderful service. I was surprised and confused to see some of the lower star reviews! The staff is always super attentive and knowledgeable about the food and beverage offerings.It's easy to park in the nearby streets/neighborhoods and walk down the bike path to this cute little spot. Or you can take a rideshare and have it drop you off right by the entrance. I can't say enough good things about this place. It's a wonderful restaurant and the people that run it really care about the food they're making and it shows! you can tell in the quality and the presentation of everything that you can order here it's really a beautiful experience.
Helene de flores
Food should be called « elevated fast-food »Too expensive for the quality. What a shame. The restaurant is nice but the food is awful unless you aren’t an average healthy eater. No lunch menu but instead, snacks/sandwichI took a mushroom toast to avoid all the worst and I couldn’t even touch this white industrial bread which was burnt. My husband took a burrito, he is not fussy but he just ate quarter.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
The burger is amazing, as well as the onion salad! The staff are very sweet and super attentive. I might also mention, for those who may not have an interest in alcohol, their root beer on tap (yes, on tap...one of four places in SoCal with it on tap) is not to be missed....even if you drink, you should have it....amazing!
Really wanted to like this place, but I’d generally echo what some of the other reviews are saying.(+) Great atmosphere(+) Service was nice and attentive(-) Portions are small and it’s not clear what’s part of the sharing menu vs a full entree. So you sorta end up with mismatched meals for the table.(-) Sometimes the prep and presentation of items can be a bit puzzling. Friend had brunch and they summed it up as “eggs on potato chips” with nothing else. I had the mussels - which were good - but I was picking thyme sprigs, lemon rinds and bay leaves out it of the broth with mushy shoe string fries.(-) It’s pricey for the portion size.Hoping that these are just some kinks that get worked out, because this seems like a great place to have some wine and food on a summer evening.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Sometimes you can try too hard and lose sight of some important things. With a seasonal creative menu, Lingua Franca has a delicious selection of fresh ingredients with some great hits and misses warranting thoughts on whether there is any value. First impressions are the fine dining pricing. The decor is as creative as their menu, but our starters were eye-opening at least for a hungry party of four. The Caramelized Onion Dip came with exactly five sweet potato chips perched on top of the dollop. The House Made Ciabatta had a delicious salad of fennel and olives and two small and cute little breads. Our server made no effort to explain how thin these orders were as they were simply meagerly sized for a party of four. Further down the menu, you will find entree-sized portions. The burger is very fine and an order of fries will set you back $30, but it will be between a muffin. The Pork Belly is reasonable and delicious. The Beef Cheeks is rich and delectable. The half-roasted chicken is excellently prepared and certainly of very high quality, but it is listed at $40. Our waiter was the low point of the dining experience here as he was completely unfamiliar and apathetic to answering questions about food allergies. His apathetic attitude could have been attributed to external means by the way of a 420 break, but I could be just guessing. Frog Town is changing with its decor and some really good food. Unfortunately, there is a certain turn-off when you set prices that mirror what is happening to the neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
I absolutely love this local spot. The food is super tasty, the staff is always so nice, and the vibe is great! I also appreciate that they have a few nice non-alcoholic drinks ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fries with Cheese
We had an 8:30 reservation but we’re seated after 9. My drink order was wrong but quickly corrected. Many items were sold out. Hated the drink (corrected one). Way too expensive for what was received. $28 for a small charred cauliflower. The main Chicken dish was divine. The Red Velvet cake was served right out of the fridge. Clearly not fresh. Rather dissatisfied and robbed of $200.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Absolutely lovely
Riverside. Delivering delicious fare with a smile. Very attentive. Love the pork and eggs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place so much. Sitting at the bar with a friend is a delight, you get to see what's happening in the kitchen which is such a treat. Food and wine is outstanding and the ambience feels like home.
Over priced. Food was ok, not bad. I ordered the big salad. It was small and somewhat basic. Paid extra for chicken on the salad. It was the smallest piece of protein. They forgot to bring drinks to a couple of people in our party until we reminded them. Ambiance is great inside and out.
I've been following the Chef Lemos' progress with development of this restaurant and after the success of Wax Paper I was really excited to try it. My wife and I stopped in for brunch on Sunday. Outdoor patio has a good deal of seating in the front and a lot in the back, but the front has a view of the river, which you can also hear occasionally when an obnoxious and pretentious woman isn't drowning everything else out (that's not a knock on the restaurant, just the hipster attitude of some people). The food and drink options are solid. I got the breakfast burrito which was excellent and my wife had the eggs 'n' curds which she enjoyed. The star of the meal was her brunch cocktail, the Superbloom which came at the suggestion of our server. My wife mentioned she could have enjoyed a pitcher of it, especially in the outstanding weather we had. Caution to driving in, however, the construction of several apartment buildings is a little potentially rough on your tires so be mindful. I look forward to returning for dinner in the future. Keep it up Pete!
I kind of thought this place had Portuguese food for whatever reason but what really got me here were the photos of the burgers and fries. I had left a note that they "looked heavenly" so when I was at the frogtown flea this past weekend and saw lingua franca right off the bike path I had to stop by.It was a bit crowded but not crowded enough to find 3 seats on the bar by the side of the building. Admittedly they could have made this area a little cuter but I was not complaining about it as much as my girlfriends. I was just happy to have a little semi-private spot. I was a little disappointed at first that they didn't have their burgers during happy hour. I would have paid full price and I feel like it is one of their hot button items -- why not have it all day while the business is full for the flea? I made up for it by ordering two orders of the fries, which were also not what I expected. The photos online make them look like shoestring fries, but in reality they're more waffle like. Somewhere between a French fry and a soft chip. Either way they were delicious, and the vinegary dill dip that came with them were even better. The best part of the happy hour "meal" hands downThe bread, jam, and cheese were pretty good too. The chili wings had a lot of flavor but were very tiny with hardly any meat on them. We all tried their frozen wine which was good. I probably would have gone with something else had they had a larger menu available. Only 4 stars because it wasn't the BEST service or atmosphere, but adding to my list of favorite spots so I'll have to come back one day soon during dinner time to try the burger
Restaurantji Recommends
Saw the Lingua Franca on the Infatuation's best burger list and had to give it a try. The people at Lingua Franca are all very friendly. Love the vibe, good music and a nice warmth about the whole place. The food fell short for me- the burger and short rib both were lacking in flavor. My favorite part of the burger was the fries. The short rib was underwhelming for $52. Everything seemed to need more seasoning.. I'm bummed! I would still come back for happy hour, but focus less on a full meal.
We have been to Lingua Franca several times and it is always a wonderful dining experience. This time was no exception: attentive service, great food, and a comfortable patio. Truly an LA gem!
Where to begin! This is the cutest spot with the best ambiance in the neighborhood. It's beautiful at sunset or on summer evenings and during the day. Excited to try the brunch which looks amazing.The food here is incredible. Every dish I've had has been great. They have some staple items (the burger + the albacore dish, I hope!) but seem to update their menus seasonally which is nice. LA times wrote about this burger for a reason!I've been here 5+ times and always have had a great experience and wonderful service. I was surprised and confused to see some of the lower star reviews! The staff is always super attentive and knowledgeable about the food and beverage offerings.It's easy to park in the nearby streets/neighborhoods and walk down the bike path to this cute little spot. Or you can take a rideshare and have it drop you off right by the entrance. I can't say enough good things about this place. It's a wonderful restaurant and the people that run it really care about the food they're making and it shows! you can tell in the quality and the presentation of everything that you can order here it's really a beautiful experience.
Food should be called « elevated fast-food »Too expensive for the quality. What a shame. The restaurant is nice but the food is awful unless you aren’t an average healthy eater. No lunch menu but instead, snacks/sandwichI took a mushroom toast to avoid all the worst and I couldn’t even touch this white industrial bread which was burnt. My husband took a burrito, he is not fussy but he just ate quarter.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
The burger is amazing, as well as the onion salad! The staff are very sweet and super attentive. I might also mention, for those who may not have an interest in alcohol, their root beer on tap (yes, on tap...one of four places in SoCal with it on tap) is not to be missed....even if you drink, you should have it....amazing!