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Gardner Junction Is Hollywood's Blast to the City's Railroad Past

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Opening next month.

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

[This establishment is closed as of early 2016]

You’ve probably heard the name Gardner Junction once or twice before now. And if you live in Hollywood, it’s even more likely that you’ve been at least passively following along with the story, as the corner of Gardner and Sunset has been under construction for the better part of three years. Now, the long-awaited project is ready to make its debut.

Way back in 2012, word first leaked that a Spacecraft-designed property was going in near Meltdown Comics and across the street from Cheebo, with plans to trade on the area’s railroad past with a retro interior. Well that’s all finally come to pass as the aforementioned Gardner Junction plans a September 14 debut, pulling in the best details from the golden age of railroad travel to inform the redone space.

Inside, the seating options are numerous: relax in tall, wide booths with an air of Art Deco design as the ceiling overhead slopes at the edges, mimicking the shape of a rail car. Or grab a seat at the rustic bar, lit by hanging lanterns and wrapped in brass. There’s a patio space with communal seating, and small details like hand-lettered signboards and travel luggage help to round out the vibe.

Billing itself as a farm-driven modern American restaurant from chef/owner Steve Brown, the plan for Gardner Junction is to work a shared plates format within a constantly rotating menu. The kitchen says that they’ll completely turn over the menu every six weeks at the latest, with smaller options changing daily as the seasons command. That might mean a bush berry granita one day, cuttlefish fettuccine another, smoked lamb belly risotto the day after that, and a seared foie gras and black waffle option for the weekend.

Soft-opening for Gardner Junction begins September 14, with full service kicking off September 22. To start look for evening hours only (5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. most nights, extended on weekends), though eventually the Gardner Junction team plans to open a smaller cafe space across the street dedicated to breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch.

Gardner Junction
1451 N. Gardner St.
Los Angeles, CA 90046