Dusty’s Bistro

What happened to Dusty’s??? Dusty’s is dust??? So sad my fave breakfast spot in El Echo Parque se fue.
I’m going all the way to Urth Caffe Arts District now, for what Dusty’s provided: immediate seating+easy parking+good prices+tasty menu items on an Eastside Saturday.
Echo Park/​Silverlake hit Critical Mass for sat-​sun brunch spots, kiddos.

This place was really cute. We went for dinner and sat right down and it wasn’t very busy at all. The beet salad was to die for but whats with a waitress not knowing the specials for the evening? Isn’t that in waiting tables 101!
Will try breakfast and get back to you.

I used to be a 3 times a week regular until this horrific change in design and menu happened. This USED to be a romantic, cosy, unique little spot with amazing food. Now, it looks like a starbucks threw up in an airport bar. I know at least 15 friends, who were regulars, that will never go back.
So upsetting… and boring

The re-​model was terribly executed, a huge fail. The menu is boring and much like everything else (mediocre) in the neighborhood and the décor is abhorrent. I was a regular and I won’t go back again.
The most surprising change was the TERRIBLE service. I saw familiar faces in the staff but for some reason the capability just wasn’t there. Came in as a couple, received one water glass and one menu, had to ask twice to get the rest of the set. didn’t receive silverware until we asked for it about 10 minutes after I food arrived. We ordered french fries to start, they took a full 35 minutes to arrive. Our eggs? a full 50 minutes to arrive. This would have been great in the quaint bistro where I could sit with wine for nice long dinner, but in t this loud, grating, cement-​block atmosphere? It felt interminable.

I thought this place was gonna be better! Decorations are vintage, but they had two televisions playing old school movies! Why? The menu was boring! I didn’t really like the food as much as I expected. Nothing stood out to me. There was only 2 people in the store when we got here and it must have taken them at least half hour to bring out our first two plates. Although the waiter was nice and answered all our questions politely, the wait was not worth it. I’m disappointed! Won’t be coming back.

Dusty’s has been a favorite of ours for the past few years. The ambiance, décor, vibe and character were the attraction. The food, menu and service were also exceptional. This equation added to a great dining experience. Yesterday we dined at the newly re-​modeled Dusty’s for the first time. I do realize change is good… but not this change. The restaurant has lost its character, and vibe. The feel was sterile, hollow, soulless (you hit it there Lacey W.) and absent of character.
The food… we ordered the Silver Lake Salad, Seafood Pasta and Bolognese Rigatoni. I would recommend all three dishes, they were excellent.
So the food didn’t take a hit. I can’t say the same about the most important element of what Dusty’s WAS, and that WAS the ambiance. It’s just another restaurant now. We are looking for a new favorite Sliver Lake Restaurant. Dusty’s isn’t it anymore.

Boo Hiss!!! Went to Dusty’s today after having not been in a few months only to be greeted by a grand re-​opening sign and and a newly remodeled space with a sports bar in the airport vibe.
The menu is changed, the prices are up, the quality is down. It’s now a horrible soulless restaurant that is indicative of the Hollywood like changes taking place is Silver Lake. I’m just glad to have so many options in Highland Park that I don’t need to go to Silver Lake for good food anymore. Good riddance.

Well, for starters, I had been many times over the years, as it’s right down the street from me. So it was with much trepidation that I saw them remodeling. I hoped for the better.
Alas, not better. So way not better. It went from a casual pseudo-​Paris bistro to a corporate type place with no soul. Most of the quaint booths are gone. The comfy, romantic small tables are gone. The cute little wine bar in the back, replaced by a giant ugly bar with two wide screen TVs. I’m not going to Dusty’s to watch the game or a movie. It’s a cute, romantic place not like being in the center of LA. Not anymore. It’s wide open and cold. There are windows where there were none before. And they are streaky and dirty when the sun hits them. What a bummer.
Now, the food. It was always kind of hit or miss, but with some wine, and being a short bike ride, I was always happy. Especially the brunch. That was their winner. I went for dinner. And, not great. The burger, way too small for the giant bun. The giant dry bun. With a small dry burger. Felt like a waste. Of an entire dish. Just bland and dry. The pork loin, which as you know, I am a lover of the pig. It was OK. Again, a little dry. Some good flavors, could of used some more spice, and taken off the stove a few minutes earlier. Nothing special. I could of whipped up much better in less time. The garlic mashed potatoes were fine. Nothing I would crave or go back for.
The wine. Oh the wine. I don’t know if they are still going for the French Bistro thing, I’m kind of guessing not with the new remodel, but there were some nice wines on the list. And of course the first three I asked for, nice French guys, were not available. I settled on a nice Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Ynez. I’ve had before. And it was no Burgundian, that’s for sure.
The prices are all good. Nothing crazy expensive. Although the menu is way too large. There is a double sided menu for dinner, as well as a bar menu, and a small plates menu. Way too many things. Focus on half these. And figure out what the style is. Because this is no French Bistro. Not anymore…

So we were strolling around Silver Lake today doing some shopping and stumbled upon Dusty’s. From what we overheard and what I’m reading in these other reviews, they recently remodeled the restaurant and the menu. I had never dined in the previous version of Dusty’s so my review is based solely upon this new version.
Server was extremely sweet and attentive. We waited a bit for the check but she was on top of it besides that. Even offered my girlfriend her Iced Tea to go.
Food was very good. Three words: PULLED PORK NACHOS. Seriously one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. We ate every morsel. The girlfriend and I split a tasty chicken sandwich with apricot as well.
I liked the ambiance, the food, and the service. Definitely a place to check out if you’re in the neighborhood!

since the manager, Brandon, left, this place appears to be going down hill. I ordered a quiche, and it came out looking like it just ran a marathon, with a squadron of pooped potatoes. They ruined a good thing.

Brunch Review
This was my first time at Dusty’s…
Let’s talk about the good:
–They serve a nice, crusty bread when you are seated along with a tiny portion of butter and two spoonfuls of different jam/​marmelade. The jam was DELICIOUS as was the bread.
–Our waitress — she was a gem and was polite and welcoming throughout our entire experience.
–Coffee — delicious coffee and they dropped off the carafe so you could get your own refills. I really like that aspect. My dining companion said it reminded him of IHOP.
And now for everything else:
–Ambiance — it needs some updating. While it has potential, everything looks worn and torn (literally torn up ends on the booths!). To it’s credit — it’s large and spacious. The booth we were sitting in was very comfortable and had so much padding my guess is it was recently redone. But, the place had a funky odor. I thought it was an aged cheese — my dining partner thought it was bleach. It was just funky!
–Food — brunch was meh. The ham in the benedict reminded me of the discount ham slices you buy on sale at a random market. My omelet reminded me of something I’d get at an old-​folks home cafeteria. The side salad was fine, if not a bit wilted. Things were passable and edible but nothing I’d be running to try again.
–Busboy — he was offputting. He brought out the bread, I said ‘thank you’ he just walked off. Same thing with the coffee. Now — I get you are busy and dropping things off but is a ‘you’re welcome’ that hard to muster?
–Host — other than seating us, what IS he doing? When we left, he was so busy chatting with another employee, there was no acknowledgement. We ran into our waitress (who was outside waiting on tables on the sidewalk) and she warmly thanked us for coming.
Sorry, Dusty’s — I’d been curious about you for a long time but I will not be back.

Dusty’s Bistro was such a disappointment.
1. Food quality, not that great.
2. Overpriced, for what you get.
3. Service, ignored.
I was super excited that my little brother was visiting, and with all the hype about Silverlake food, I was more that happy to show him. I chose to take him to Dusty’s instead of the many great places around. I guess I felt since it was a nice occasion, I was willing to spend the money. I was wrong. I ordered my favorite breakfast/​brunch dish (which I pretty much get everywhere I go) the eggs benedict. First off, I dislike cold food, but for some reason (and mind you, there was only a few people in there) it was. He got the Kobe Burger of some sort, which came out bloodier than blood and looked kind of sad. I felt it was definitely not worth what we paid.
The place was probably just too cool for us.

Love walking around Silverlake so me and a friend decided to grab lunch @ Dusty’s Bistro. Yay for breakfast in the afternoon!
I ordered the Egg’s Benedict with Ham — but after one bite, I sent it back. Everything tasted really sour. I naturally assumed it was bad ham. They were gracious enough to change my order to the Egg’s Benedict with SPINACH, but it also took them forever to get me the replacement dish. By the time I received my food, my friend was done with her entire meal. BOO! She ordered scrambled eggs with a side of salad — and thought everything tasted OK.
Though the location on Sunset is great, and I love the outdoor seating — I was NOT impressed with the slow service and mediocre food.

The food was so-​so nothing outstanding.
The mimosas were great though. I’ll probably give the food another chance at some point.

Great diner that also has a French dinner menu that I need to try. But speaking for breakfast this place is AOK.
Great sidewalk patio for nice days or lazy nights. The food is very healthy and lite. A bit overpriced and they charge extra for fruits and healthy options raping the fit hipsters in Silver Lake.

My warmth for Dusty’s is very similar to my affection for a close girl friend. The whole experience is just fun and effortless and familiar, and I’m left at the end of the night looking forward to the next time.
Though Dusty’s is best known for brunch, with good reason (sit outside and order Dusty’s crêpe with sweet potato or regular fries and a side of dill mayo for dipping) – go for dinner. I like the dim, warm lights and plush banquettes and the kind of oldies you might recognize from the «Dirty Dancing» soundtrack.
The wine list includes old and new world options, and servers are great about describing them and offering a taste to those among us who can more blindly commit to a long-​distance relationship than a bottle of wine.
Warm homemade bread with a flavorful spread arrives quickly. Of the starters, I love anything tartare and the fried calamari, but I am IN love with their rigatoni Bolognese entrée, with a meaty ragu and the slightest essence of white truffle oil. At the time of writing this, it’s only on their lunch menu, but hopefully when the season changes it’ll return to the dinner menu. It’s among the most comforting foods I’ve ever had, especially in Dusty’s relaxing setting.
You’ll enjoy a final sigh of relief when the bill comes – Dusty’s is not expensive.
Be sure to ask your server how the bistro got its name. It’s a good story over a glass of wine with an old friend.

Went for dinner on a weekday. Nice and quiet. Good service. Had the salmon and really enjoyed it. Came out sizzling. Veggies were okay. Asparagus and carrots were great. Broccoli and beans okay. Good experience overall.

My friends and I came here for Saturday brunch recently. Crowded, but we lucked out getting a table. What I love most is their STARTER BREAD:
And the soft BUTTER (sprinkled with salt too) and PRESERVES:
I had the TWO EGGS with BACON and subbed in fruit for $ 2 extra. The bacon was just tragic. Tasteless and limp… wahhhhh! Failed bacon makes me really sad.
One friend ordered the HUEVOS RANCHEROS, which we liked, and another opted for a TUNA MELT. The cheese is melted on the outside! My friend also wanted a MIMOSA, but it took so long to come out that she changed it to an OJ when we stopped our server. He comped it on the bill. By the way, the OJ tasted totally freshly squeezed. I can see why people go gaga over the mimosas here.
Oh and this place is kind of a celebrity magnet. We saw Kirstie Alley when we were here. And when my friend went back again a week later, she spotted P! nk, plus her hubby and kid!

Finally…
Every single time I’ve driven by it’s always been too crowded or the wait to long, Finally on a mid Sunday afternoon close to 3pm there was no crowd and they still served breakfast.
It’s very lovely inside and not overly done with the french theme.
We where greeted, seated and gave our drink orders, not to soon after that some bread and jams (the orange marmalade) where so yummy.
Before I even finished making my coffee to my liking our order of food was there, my friend had the crepes with she enjoyed, but said the Alfredo sauce was a little too much.
You can’t really ruin eggs and bacon, so all in all a good breakfast.
I had my eye on some of the lunch menu and will return to tries those items but I spent roughly $ 20.00 on my meal including tip.
** The single ladies restroom was cute, and had a nice vanity table, it was clean and that’s always important to me, especially since it’s right next to the kitchen.

Great