Hollywood Seafood Favorite the Hungry Cat Is Closing After 15 Years

Hollywood restaurant staple the Hungry Cat will close at the end of the month, ending a 15 year run for the seafood-focused option on Vine.

David Lentz, long considered one of the city’s culinary talents, tells Eater that the lease for the restaurant is up on July 1, and that he’ll be vacating the property in a matter of weeks. Lentz previously had two other locations of the restaurant, one in Santa Monica and a third in Santa Barbara, but he closed both back in 2016. Hollywood was always seen as the anchor of the three, and the restaurant helped to lead in a new generation of diners to the touristy neighborhood. Newer Hollywood restaurants that have piggybacked off that success include Gwen and APL, with others from Tao to Mama Shelter on down also adding their culinary voices to the area in recent years.

Before the closure on July 1, Lentz and the Hungry Cat crew will host one final crab fest, a nod to Lentz’s Maryland upbringing, and one of the signature events of the year for the restaurant. That’s likely to happen on June 23, with the last day of service to come the following week. As for what’s next for Lentz, he tells the LA Times he’ll likely be spending some time with his kids for now.

The Hungry Cat. 1535 N. Vine St., Los Angeles, CA.

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