Flame Wars, Bad Service & Some Love for The Phoenix

La Cienega's restaurant row is a little dated (Lawry's, Morton's, The Stinking Rose), except for the regular reinventions over at number 14. The current tenant, The Phoenix, took over after La Seine (Alex Reznik) shuttered this past summer. Sometime partners Adolfo Suaya and Lonnie Moore (Dolce Group) are running the new show. The drinks were done up by beer man Ryan Sweeney (Surly Goat), while the food... well, we'll get to the food, or lack thereof. With a couple of months under its belt, it seemed about time to check in with the masses on their take. Does The Phoenix rise to its location?

Elizabeth Daniels 11/12

"The Look" News: "I like the look. It's been done a lot lately, but I like the raw/reclaimed wood and the interesting ceiling angles." [Eater Comments]

The Good, Yet Limited, News: "Reasonably priced drinks, including cheap $3 happy hour well drinks and beers (though selection is pretty limited). Food is VERY limited, but the "frites" are good and the "steak frites" (steak with fries) looked delectable." [Yelp]

The Pretty Bad Service News: "Worst place I've been in a while. Only perk is $10 bottomless mimosas (which you have to go up to the bar everytime you want one since there are no servers). Only two items on the menu for brunch and they managed to get my husbands order wrong twice then when we decided to not even eat it, still charged us." [Yelp]

The Rude News: "...i can't even begin to describe how appalled i am by such an atrocious lack of manners and graciousness from someone in the service industry. if this is an example of the treatment i can expect from the phoenix i have zero plans to return. both my companion and i were SHOCKED at how rudely we were treated." [Yelp]

The Cocktail News: "I paid 11 dollars for the worst blood and sand of all time. 1oz Johnny black, 1oz cherry heering, 2oz simple syrup(wtf?), shaken! Terrible!" [Twitter]

The Menu News: "The Phoenix doesn't want to be a restaurant ... That explains why there is only one item on the menu... Suaya has been there done that multiple times and he is understandably over it after taking one too many body blows from the sour economy." [LAT]

The Down-to-Earth News: "The bar's name may conjure a bird taking flight from the ashes, but we see the Phoenix as decidedly, and refreshingly, down-to-earth." [WhereLA]

The Obvious Shill: "What a cool place and concept. I the former Lodge Steakhouse site on La Cienega just north of Wilshire, is one of the coolest bars to be found. Designed to induce people to hang out, there is a pool table, tons of games, air hockey, TVs and great happy hour and limited menu. Prices were real low and the vibe could not be mellower. No doubt its going to be a huge hit as there is nothing like it." [Chowhound]
·All Coverage of The Phoenix [~ELA~]