Ingo’s Tasty Diner

I ordered the Maine lobster BLT and Bobby Love cocktail. Never had a lobster BLT before and it was really good. The cocktail was enjoyable too but I don’t think it complimented the BLT. A beer would’ve been better.
The place doesn’t have its own parking so you’ll have to find street parking. Unfortunately street parking is limited on space and time. I only had a hour before risking getting towed.

Don’t let the name fool you. It’s a far cry from the diner you’re imagining. It’s actually a pretty fancy joint and an upscale vibe. They even have valet in front. In any case, I came here to hang out with a few buddies and it was a great place to catch up with plush booths and dim lighting. Service was good.
Overall, I thought the food was just OK with most dishes being over salted. The sauces were pretty good though. Unfortunately nothing was memorable. We were joking that the best item we had was the guacamole. I mean, it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.
1. Guac and chips: really good. The chips were thick and strong, perfect for dipping into the fresh guac.
2. Mergez dip sampler: loved the dipping sauces including a yogurty one and one that tasted like a merguez sauce.
3. Spaghetti and meatballs: the spaghetti was a bit sparse and the meatballs were decent but nothing special.
4. Paris Texas burger: decent with the patty being cooked medium rare but again nothing memorable.
5. Jordan’s leg of lamb: this surprisingly came sliced and in a juicy base. Initially I thought this was the au jus dish, but realized it was not. This was also just ok. The dip was good but the meat was a bit bland.
6. Brussel sprouts: the sprouts were pretty tiny but they were crispy and the dipping sauce was yummy.
7. Gelato: we got 3 different flavors, including mint chocolate and vanilla. Can’t remember the third. Standard ice cream.
On the way out, they handed out sea salt cookies, which were a bit over baked but a nice touch. Just like the Misfit in Santa Monica.

cool restaurant. modern diner food. I really enjoyed the mezze platter. my burger was very tasty also. nice selection of cocktails and wine.

Creative and fun fresh & organic food that is a little out of the norm. Foodie paradise. Great décor, service, quick… love everything we got.

Some things Ingo’s does well, others NSW. We went on DineLA, and the place was packed (immediately after we arrived for our 7pm Sunday reservation, four other couples walked in behind us). We were seated reasonably promptly in a roomy, comfy booth which would probably would seat 4. We both ordered Jidori chicken soup with a side of Caesar salad, Jordan’s leg of lamb, and pistachio gelato.
Food:
The soup was tasty, with noticeably fresh and still crisp veggies. Still can’t figure out what flavored the brown clear broth, though (apparently, not just chicken and the vegetables). The menu listed preserved lemon (which we love) in it, but none was detectible. The romaine in the Caesar salad was literally collapsed under the weight of far too much dressing.
The lamb arrived in a generous pile and was quite tasty, as was the cabbage salad (but we doubt either was served at optimum temperature – see note below on «service»). We could’ve used more than the tiny dollop of provided yoghurt (and likely would’ve gotten more if we’d asked – not complaining).
The gelato: Don’t care that the pistachio wasn’t green, but there were no chunks of nuts, and no discernible pistachio or other flavor in particular (except cream, maybe). It was white with a somewhat gritty texture that likely came from an underwhelming amount of finely ground nuts (the lighting wasn’t bright enough to check if they were green). Wish it had had some vanilla or almond flavoring, at least. It isn’t made in-​house, but comes from an outside supplier. EDIT: the supplier is part of the company that owns Ingo’s.
Wine: Good deal– they offer a cost + $ 5 deal on bottles Sunday and Monday.
The complimentary cookie: Agree w/​other Unilocalers who’ve said they’re far too salty. Free cookies are a nice touch; just lose the salt.
Service:
Our waitress was very personable and did her best, but the kitchen botched the timing, sending out our entrees way too soon after our appetizers (I’m a fast eater and wasn’t even half done). She took them back to keep them warm, and that’s how they were served a while later, instead of hot (and maybe the cabbage salad on the same plate wasn’t meant to be served warm but cold?). Not only don’t we like being rushed, there wasn’t room on the table with the first set of plates still there.
Ambiance: very pleasant, high-​ceilinged room, with a blackboard to the ceiling above the bar that lists all the restaurant’s suppliers (of both food and drink) in impressively neat handwriting. Very energetic noise level.
Might try it again if we’re in the area (in case this experience was a temporary lapse), but consider this a mostly decent neighborhood restaurant, not a destination.

I have been living in Santa Monica for almost three years, and I still haven’t found my «place». The food at Blue Plate is fine, and R and D is always packed; aestus and rustic canyon feel a little fancy for dinner some nights. And now there is Ingo’s. This restaurant has a great bar — restaurant feel — almost like an old school New York restaurant. We happened to be there for happy hour — bonus. Service was really friendly and very efficient. We started with the guacamole and Brussels sprouts. Both were solidly executed. Next we had the fish, veal, salad, spaghetti and meatballs and some soup. Everything was delicious — like great home cooked food (but like your aunt went to culinary school). We had gelato for dessert and it was clearly made with quality ingredients.
I am so excited to have Ingos in the neighborhood. The food is better than any of the Montana spots, the atmosphere is moody and sophisticated without being pretentious or stuffy.

I’ve been meaning to try this place since it opened since I live a few blocks away, but finally got around to it this weekend. Their happy hour is awesome, everyday (!) until 7 and all drinks are $ 6. I got the Diego Rivera, which was perfectly sweet without being too sugary.
We split the brussels sprouts and deviled eggs, 2 of my favorite foods, so I had high expectations. The goat cheese sauce with the brussels sprouts was tasty enough to eat on its own. I’m not a huge beet person, but the beets really added to the eggs. My friend and I split the prime rib sandwich, was a perfect portion size with good flavor without being over salty. I had a bite of another friend’s burger, which was so juicy. The chocolate chip cookies were delicious, just like Misfit’s.
I forget our server’s name, but she was funny and great at her job.
Overall the meal and drinks were delicious at a great price. Can’t wait to come back!

My boyfriend and I live right nearby and come here often, and always have a wonderful experience. The food is simple yet unique, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the service is always fantastic. We had a particularly great experience with our server Neil the other night — he was knowledgable, personable, and was a complete delight!
Make sure to try the Brussel sprouts and don’t forget to grab a salted chocolate chip cookie on your way out. Five stars for Neil and the diner!

I’ve driven by Ingo’s many many times but have never stopped. Big mistake. This place is awesome.
Great ambiance. Great drinks. Great food. Great service. Great price.
Drinks to Get:
Bobby Love
Fresh Basil Gimlet
Food to get:
Crispy Brussel Sprouts (yes everyone serves this but these were great… These sprouts were not just an overpriced cheap veggie item on the menu).
Paris Texas Burger — with or without a bun this is a great burger. The BBQ sauce is incredible.
Rotisserie Jidori Chicken — amazing chicken over insane chickpeas.

If you like MissFit, and everyone does, you’ll like Ingos. Cool setting and décor, mostly excellent staff, and of course great food. You can get the bacon wrapped dates anytime even if it’s not on the current menu, just ask for them. All the burgers are great. Try it!

Bingo. Gonna go ahead and give Ingo five stars. It’s not the most amazing meal I’ve had, but the food was great, our server was particularly nice and the price is totally approachable relative to most other restos in Santa Monica. It’s not really a diner so I wouldn’t recommend if you’re expecting stale coffee and the retro 60’s lighting, but the food isn’t fussy either so it’s a general crowd pleaser. We stuck with two cocktails (both great) and shared a generous bowl of brussels sprouts, an even more generously sized radicchio salad and their cheeseburger. All were tasty — especially the burger which was not only juicy and perfectly cooked, but conveniently halved for us which was pretty cool.
This is the kind of place that you can rely on for that easy but lively neighborhood spot you sometimes crave. Will be back soon!

Underwhelmed.
They have a stellar list of wines and bourbons, and they work with a bunch of local farms to present a «farm-​to-​table» menu, but I was confused by the direction of the menu.
I’ll start with the cocktails. Green drink and vodka? I get it. We’re in LA. LA is so … LA. Maybe it sells well and my obsession with whiskey is out of control, but after advising our server that we had zero interest in green drink and/​or vodka, it was disturbing hearing him try and persuade us into the beverage even more. Maybe I am missing out. I’ll move on. My manhattan was OK, nothing to write home about.
I ordered the Berlin-​style sliced veal with crispy spaetzle, Brussels sprouts, chopped granny smith apples and warm gravy. The boy ordered the prime rib.
My dish was so bland. My veal tasted like warm roast beef. I ordered extra gravy because everything tasted the same, so why not throw more gravy on it. The spaetzle tasted like it had been fried 20 minutes before we had been seated. There were approximately seven Brussels sprouts leaves in the dish, leaving me to believe they were a garnish, not necessarily a vegetable accompaniment.
Speaking of the dish, the food’s supposed to be served all slopped together on these gorgeous plates? Are we doing restaurant name play with this whole diner thing, or is that the direction of this restaurant. So confused.
The boy’s prime rib was a flavorless slab of meat. It looked pretty. He still ate it; I mean, that’s what we were there for.
The prices were fairly decent, maybe because the food isn’t? Was that a low blow? I’m sorry.
Maybe I had expectations because I adore the Misfit (same owners) and this place is just not the Misfit at all.

Being a Philly /​Jersey boy originally, I know a few things about diners. The all day hours, the large portions, the stainless steel everything.
Ingo’s is not that type of diner.
It’s really a diner in name only. But it can be tasty.
The diner is small. Looks more like a dark, winter lodge you might in hipster Portland. The counter that’s really a bar. The chef in lumberjack overall with the enormous beard. Nothing like a Northeast Greek Diner to be sure.
And that’s OK, because it’s a very good spot and one that can be a very great spot if they’d just read these reviews.
The service is some of the finest I’ve seen in LA. And I lived in New Orleans for eight years where service rules. How good is it? Everyone is friendly. So much so, you think everyone is on Prozac or some other happy pill. But it’s attentive, it’s actually… nice. Rude is not a word here.
Here’s a great example. My girlfriend ordered the Vegan Black Bean Burger. It arrived cold. She mentioned it to our server. Took it back and seconds later the GM (I assume) came out, apologized, said they’d remake it and then asked if she wanted a salad or starter or something. She didn’t, but the gesture and so swift! They’ve got service down pat here. This is the reason we’ll return.
But the food has to improve. Her new burger wasn’t any warmer. The fries were, and they were fresh and good. If anything, they need to be slightly thicker. I also ordered a burger, but of the beef variety. Had the Paris Texas Burger which reminded me of the burger at Belcampo practically across the street with the thick burger and the heavily seeded bun. Which is probably why I didn’t like it as much as I should have. Too many seeds. I’d rather have seen a nice brioche or pretzel bun instead. The beef was good but the BBQ sauce didn’t provide much of a kick and while nowhere near as cold as my girlfriends burger, it wasn’t really hot enough either. Maybe it was resting a little too long.
Started with the rotisserie chicken jidori soup and thst was pretty good with a salsa verde broth and lots if veggies from the SM farmers market. If anything, I’d just like to see some starch added either in the form of rice, noodles or even some crackers or bread for dipping into the broth.
Surprised I wasn’t offered a dessert menu… because there isn’t one. Instead, you get offered to take some sea salt chocolate chip cookies from a dish in the front of the restaurant. The cookies are good but they are waaaayyyyy too salty! I might as well have been eating a chocolate chip pretzel instead. You might want to come back in for a drink because you’re going to need it after chomping on a couple of these. It makes the sea salt trend jump the proverbial shark as a result.
Seems nobody at the restaurant or over at LGO Hospitality is reading these reviews because I’m not the only who agrees that this is salt overkill. And that surprises me because I’ve been to a Unilocal Elite event at one of LGO’s restaurants in Pasadena!
So 100 star service and two star food equals middle of the road for Ingo’s. Still considering how many other restaurants don’t come close to getting service right is why we might end up back here again and again.

The name of this restaurant really turned me off at first — Diner? Tasty? I figured my date must be nuts to ask me to go to what I expected to be a slightly better version of Denny’s.
Well, Ingo’s turned out to be flat out awesome. Nevermind the name. The dining room still feels like a diner with its layout and old fashioned seating but the drinks, food menu, and dimly lit vibe just scream hip gastropub. Right now it’s decked out with Christmas decorations which makes it feel even more cool.
The beers, wines and craft cocktails are only $ 6 during happy hour, which is until 7PM. I had the fresh basil gimlet which just burst with fresh grapefruit. The deviled eggs, served with either 3 or 6 and are topped with bacon and beets, were the best thing we ate during the whole meal. I highly recommend getting the half dozen; you won’t have any leftover.
There is a rotisserie section on the menu, and our server said that the roasted chicken is the most popular thing here. I decided to try the leg of lamb rotisserie, which was thinly sliced like gyro meat and served in au jus, with a vinaigrette cabbage salad and a harissa yogurt. I wasn’t too fond of it (too healthy, maybe?) but my companion loved his burger.
Our server was super cool and pleasant and checked on us frequently.
As you exit, the hostess invites you to take a sea salt chocolate chip cookie on your way out!
Even though I didn’t love my main entrée, I’ll definitely be back and order better next time!
TIP: Valet parking right outside for a fee.

What a great spot! For a while I thought it was actually a breakfast diner but of course I was wrong. Ingo’s has a great menu with reasonable prices (especially when I consider what I just paid at Border Grill for a totally mediocre meal).
Try the salad that had the pears and cheese, the deviled eggs, and the cocktails!
Great atmosphere, good for a night out or a date. The icing on the cake is the free cookies on your way out the door. I’m looking forward to trying this place again.

Seriously delicious.
Farm to table, locally sourced, perfectly prepared food is what you’ll get here.
The pan fried loup de mer was sooo good. Never have I cleaned my plate so fast. It was the kind of meal where the conversation stops because everyone at the table becomes so focused on the wonderful deliciousness in front of them.
If I lived near here, I would be a regular.

Ingo’s Tasty Diner is oh so tasty. Came here last night right before 7pm and there was no wait. We had the brussels sprouts, prime rib and the NY steak. The brussels sprouts were the most amazing brussels sprouts I’ve ever eaten and I’d come back just for those alone. The prime rib came with arugula salad and a baked potato. It was great, although on the smaller side. The NY steak came with fries and was delicious as well. Will definitely be back to try everything else on the menu.
P. S. Don’t forget to grab a salted chocolate chip cookie on your way out!

This diner has been sticking out like a sore thumb every time I come to my nail appointment right next door and see the «Ingo’s Tasty Diner» sign, that I finally gave in threw on some yoga pants & my Nikes, wrapped a scarf around my neck & we walked a few blocks from our house to have a quiet dinner at this relatively new diner that opened 4 month ago. As I walked in it was completely not what I expected. This Diner had music blasting, there was a full bar full of young hipsters sitting pretentiously sipping on their wine. I guess I remember the old beat up diner Callaghan’s that was here 4 month prior and so this completely caught me off guard. Not in a bad way, but off guard nevertheless.
The wait was pretty long, & you wait for a table by writing your own name on the list hanging on the wall. The bar was all full, so we awkwardly hovered over the entrance as more & more people came in. After about a 20 – 25 minute wait a hostess in a bright fluorescent yellow shirt took us to our booth so we can finally sit. Speaking of the seating, it was very awkward. The left side of the tables (where we sat) faces forward towards the street, however the tables on the right side of the restaurant faces to the front of the bar which is also facing the tables on the left. So basically, you are constantly being stared at by the people sitting on the right side. They don’t even try to look at you, but considering if you sit on the left side you fall right into their focal point it’s impossible not to. I guess this was done because the restaurant owner didn’t have enough space to put two rows of booths, so he put the first row in an awkward way facing the second row to have more seating.
Trying to ignore the seating issue we started ordering. I have heard a lot of good things about the Brussel sprouts so of course that was the first thing I wanted to try. We also ended up ordering the guac & chips, the deviled eggs & the fish sandwich for myself with a Paris Texas Burger for my guy. Not to take away credit where it’s due; the guacamole & chips were amazing. For those who follow my reviews know I love my avocado in any form & this guac spread did not disappoint. The Brussel sprouts were very uniquely cooked & were actually something I would expect at a pricier restaurant not a diner. Same with the deviled eggs. The presentation of the dishes looked nothing like diner food, & I was actually ok with that. The apps set my standards high & I was expecting to be blown away by the main entrees. And then the main entrees came out… three words: what the f$&@!!! This was worse than diner food. This was like microwaved cafeteria food in middle school, & that’s putting it nicely. The fish sandwich was so badly executed I wanted to personally fire the person who put this mess together. It was greasy as all heck which you can even tell by the pictures, the fish tasted like something you would expect from a fish sandwich at McDonalds, & it was such a catastrophe, I took a bite & didn’t know whether to forcefully swallow or spit it out. I shamefully spit out…& then I did something I hate doing & almost never ever do… I sent it back. I told the waitress straight up its the nastiest thing I’ve ever tasted & I am not digging it even slightly & I don’t care if I even have to pay for it, I just want it out of my sight, & out my sight it went.
Again, let’s give credit where it’s due. The service was very good. When I sent the sandwich back a few minutes later the manager Matt came over & told me he wants me to leave happy & full & if he can get me another entrée. I politely declined because quite Frankly my appetite dwindled after tasting something so nasty I had to spit it back out. Matt was very nice, and he seems to genuinely care and it wasn’t some sorry act to save the restaurant from a poor Unilocal review. They did remove the fish sandwich entrée from the tab as well as gave us a $ 25 gift card for *next* time. I doubt we would go back even with this incentive unless all I order is $ 25 worth of guacamole.
After Matt the manager coming over I was very stuck on how to rate this diner, but I cannot be a Faker because I am a Unilocaler and Unilocalers keep it real. This is certainly not a 4 star place, but I feel that they are still new and maybe don’t have everything down yet, so I feel 2 stars is too harsh, especially with them obviously caring and giving a hoot over the customer experience so I do feel it’s a 3 star experience for the time being.
After today’s dinner I think Ingo’s Tasty Diner is either a cool, hip place with a misleading name and not so much cheap diner prices, or it is actually a diner that’s trying too hard to be cool and hip to fit in with the big boys.

K start me off here, where can I begin?
Service is great here. Everyone seems to really like working here. Eagle was very good to us. I spilt something on my shirt and he brought me club soda right away. Also no one complained about us coming in 30 minutes before closed. That’s always refreshing. Although we knew what we wanted because we looked at the menu before coming. BUT things had changed from the online menu, like no more hobo wine and no more salmon and the filet was gone! Ah! But that’s okay they lowered the lamb price and had other delicious options.
I have to say Wow to the lamb– the cabbage and the red mujamarra type stuff was fantastical. I ignored the loup de mer for at least 10 minutes while I nom’ed on this. But when I did get to the Loup, awesome. Crispy outside soft flakey inside. Broccolini cooked perfectly. Unimposing caper sauce I almost licked off the plate. Okay I licked it off.
They buy local! The menu changes because of that which is awesome, the chef goes at least twice a week to scope it out and bring stuff in. I forgive them for not having the up to date menu, I’d rather have fresh food than fresh paper print.
I meant to have a cookie that they provide upon departure and I totally forgot, darn!
They have valet. There’s easy street parking too though.
Again, Eagle the bartender. Fabulous. We’ll be coming back.

Ingo’s Tasty Diner is newly opened… tasty. The newly renovated space looks great, and with high ceilings, there is little chance it will feel cluster phobic. The booths are comfortable too. It isn’t a diner in the «old school» sense, but one that has been taken upscale, with a full bar. But onto the food…
Brussel sprouts are amazing. They can be boring, but the kitchen does something with simple syrup, almonds, and apple cider (amongst other ingredients) that takes a simple vegetable and elevates it. Guacamole was solid, and at only $ 5, a bit of a deal.
Burger was delicious, and the fries that came with it were too. But the Raddichio was a bit of a miss. Just a lot of salad. It really needed another element to brighten up the «purple». There’s only so much of the leaf one can eat. We added rotisserie chicken to this, which was quite tender and delicious… but there was still too much salad. More than half was left over after sharing.
Drinks were good… or should I say tasty too. We came during happy hour so many of the mixed drinks were only $ 6. They made a great Old Fashioned.
We didn’t try the desserts (cookie basket and gelato) but every «diner» needs a variety of desserts. I think a chocolate cake wouldn’t have gone amiss. In fact we went to nearby Krispy Kreme to pick up some cake-​like desserts.
Prices were reasonable. Service was attentive, and friendly. We will be back! More desserts please!