The Point

The Point is now open under new, wonderful ownership and is completely different. Don’t let the reviews on The Point’s page sway you. Please search Unilocal for The Point At Hayden Tract for reviews of the new restaurant. in the same location, which just opened on October 19, 2011. You won’t be sorry! And no, I am not one of the owners, nor an employee. Enjoy!

i think the place is going out of business? First time at The Point since the holidays and they don’t have anything. anything?!
They got rid of their deli counter and pretty much slashed the menu to almost nothing. I bought their skirt steak salad thinking that maybe it would be pretty awesome if it was only 1 of their 4 salads left … negative.
I’m a meat-​eater and this salad was repulsive. When I sat down to eat it, the meat was cold, raw and tasteless, the salad dressing was nothing but oil. Took 2 bites and threw it away because I couldn’t stand to look at the raw meat as I was trying to just eat the greens.
They have to be selling the last bits of food in order to close the place down cause what they’re selling people is downright foul.

I ate here years ago when it was operated by the original owner. At that time it was innovative, fresh, and fun.
Mark Peel bought this place a year or more ago and since then I’ve been working in the ‘hood for a few months. So, I became a regular.
The food has been good, not great. What was on the menu was thought out and used high quality ingredients. Staff was pleasant and accommodating. Value for the money? No. Very few things came with sides, so a ham sandwich was JUST a ham sandwich. $ 8 – 11 price range for lunch.
So it was OK.
But as of the New Year, the café has been drastically revamped. Menu size slashed by ²⁄₃. The ability to alter menu items (add chicken to any salad) now gone. Staff affability, nopes. Even the outdoor tables, see ya! Oh yea, tap water which was available for self serve before, sorry bud. Buy the non-​green bottled water instead.
And most items are now made in the morning, packaged, and sit in the cooler… waiting. Pay for freshly prepared meals, get packaging.
Colleague had the chicken special today…$ 11+. Dry small chicken half, fine spaghetti side. I had the Reuben, which was on the menu before but now is a «Special»…was OK… thinner and less carefully executed than before, but OK. That and a water (not even a pickle spear side for the sandwich) was $ 11.
I will no longer patronize this café. And I’m sad for the fact.

Overall experience — 3.5
Only food — 3.90
Ay mamsita… where the hell am I?!? Hidden in the middle of a commercial building forest is where you’ll find The Point. I have to say that the location alone turned me off just as fast as when a guy calls you by the wrong name. I mean honestly why is this in such a hideous location? To top it off parking is a mission impossible. Luckily, if you are up for a little exercise you can park a couple blocks before The Point in the residential neighborhood [2 hr free parking] instead of paying $ 1/​hour at the meters.
Once you have trekked thro the dirt and dust. you can find yourself in a quaint little restaurant. Although the whole parking situation gave me grief, I particularly like their food! Yay Top Chef! The only downside I see about the food is the price. I definitely think that paying an average of $ 8 on JUST a sandwich is a little steep. I’d at least like some fries with shake yannowaddamean?
On to the food!
**Note: I had groupons for this place which is why I sound like a pig and ordered like 10 things =)
— Grilled cheese sandwich & tomato soup combo: quite delicious! I reeally REALLLY REALLLY SUPPPERLY liked their grilled cheese sandwich. Don’t be a hater about how simple this sounds because it really is one of the best grilled cheeses I’ve had in awhile. Two words for you: gruyère & mustard. I don’t know what it is but this sandwich sings and the sourdough is just toasted to perfection! The soup on the other hand is not a must for me. It’s tasty and reminds me of the tomato soup I get at Trader Joes except with couscous. Not a big deal but I guess for $ 2 more it might be worth it.
— BLTA with turkey: I really enjoyed this sandwich. The thing about it is the roasted turkey [which is an additional cost]. It really brings up your typical BLT a couple notches up. I would definitely say this is a solid choice for those who are risk averse. Hehe
— The Reuben: You had me a gruyère. Love the cheese & LOVE the pastrami baby! Solid sandwich, definitely makes you happy
— The Grilled meatloaf sandwich: Probably my least favorite out of all of these sandwiches. I thought I would try it out bc it’s one of the more expensive ones and when you only paid $ 10 for $ 25 worth of food then why the hell not? Right? I could have used more seasoning in the meatloaf… I thought a little salt could bump up the flavors more. The veal really came out in every bite but I was truly missing my bff Mr. Piggy in the mix.
— Chicken Cobb Salad: Being that the cobb salad is one of my favorite salads I can’t really complain. This salad was on point and exactly what you would expect from a cobb salad. Nothing great but nothing horrid about it either. I could have used a couple more bites tho but that’s just bc it takes a lot for me to feel content off of lettuce… go figure.
A pretty solid place to eat. If this was in downtown Culver I would probably want to come here more often, but because it’s in the boonies of Culver City I probably won’t be visiting any time soon. But if by some coincidence I find myself in the neighborhood I would definitely considering stopping by and grabbing a sandwich. Ohhh Mark Peel, could you not afford a space next to Tender Greens?

Ok, ok… found something I liked here and I’ve come back a few times. the quiche was really yummy.

Was very excited to try Mark Peel’s new café and was underwhelmed. It must be meant for the surrounding businesses because there is no place to park anywhere near it. But it’s a cute place and the outside area is perfect on a nice day.
The food was good, not great. They seem to be working out the kinks with the menu — I ordered a salad specifically because it did not include cheese but it came to me with a semi soft white cheese grated over the top. Was shocked when I mentioned it to the person who brought it out to me and was told to just brush it off.

I will never ever go back here again.
9:00am. I get there and I’m hungry.
9:05 the doors finally unlocked. The lady doesn’t open the door, she just unlocks it and walks away.
Nothing is ready.
Nothing is available.
Nobody says, «Can I help you?»
So I leave, and I’m never going back.
WHY the hell would I ever spend $ 10.00 for scrambled eggs on toast and a cup of joe at a place that clearly doesn’t give a fuck?
Thanks but no thanks.

Get your Group-​on! I was off early from work and decided to use my groupon for this place. The Point is situated in the middle of a corporate building. There is no parking in front of the café, so we parked on the first cross street in front of the company Santauri.
I had the grilled cheese and tomato soup. The grilled cheese is a simple sourdough bread with mozzarella cheese and mustard (dijon). The tomato soup was good — tastes homemade not like Campbell’s soup. There are sandwiches and pastas (hot and cold), bottled beverages and cookies.
I wasn’t expecting ultra gourmet, but actually surprised how tasty my meal was. The hubs had the Friday pasta special. He thought it wasn’t bad for this small café. We sat outdoors which was nice, but the construction drilling was a bit annoying, since we couldn’t hear each other while having lunch.

We decided to buy the Groupon for this place since I“m a sucker for celebrity chefs and I like Mark Peel. Plus, it’s nearby– seemed convenient.
Well.
We placed an order for pick-​up today, and when my boyfriend went to get it he discovered that The Point is basically a cafeteria in an office building, with no signage for parking, so he parked a few blocks away. The sandwiches were all pre-​made (and pretty small), and they gave me the wrong one. We didn’t receive a receipt either.
Food-​wise, it’s ok. I asked for the caprese sandwich but ended up with the tuna salad. I didn’t even eat seafood until recently, and if I want tuna I’d much rather have Tender Greens’ seared tuna! This was ok, not bad but no flavors stood out or did anything interesting.
Roasted tomato soup is pretty good. once again, nothing special.
Same goes for the boyfriend’s BLTA, which barely had any avocado on it at all.
When Culver City is saturated with great soup/​salad/​sandwich spots, there’s no reason to ever go back here. Try Tender Greens, Jackson Market, Choppe Choppe, or Green Peas first.
I debated giving it 2 or 3 stars, but Unilocal’s caption for 2 stars, «Meh. I’ve experienced better» is exactly my impression of The Point.

Another Groupon eatery and this one was pleasantly delicious. Ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup and it came out in less than 15min and it looked beautiful. It tasted yummy as well. The grilled cheese wasn’t a super greasy and had the soup was fresh and full of tomato flavor. I’m so glad I bought multiple groupons for this place cause I can’t wait to go back!
The only weird thing is the parking. It is within a corporate «compound» and there’s a 45min grace period for free parking and after that is maybe a dollar or two so it’s not the end of the world.

First, if you’re reading this review looking for a new place to try out in Culver City… then please, don’t consider this place… there’s better restaurants in the CC. If you’re like me, and work in the area and don’t want to eat Taco Bell or Carl’s Jr. You may want to read on…
I heard that there can be a wait here, so I called in my co-worker’s and my order. Not sure how long the walk would be, I decided to drive. BAD IDEA!
Where in the heck do you park?! It’s nice that they have a 15-​minute loading zone for us that take-​out, but if you’re coming to actually sit-​down and eat, good luck finding a place to park.
As for the restaurant itself, its kind of quirky. I like the grassy area and the cleanliness of the place. It has a cool, kitschy vibe. I don’t understand as to why they would sell wine without food to compliment some of the wine. As for the staff — the lady on the phone and at the counter was just straight up rude. And the wait to pick it up was long. I paid for the items (spotted my bag on the counter) and then the lady made me wait until she got through the line before she handed me the to go bag. Seriously!?! Power trip at The Point!?!
As for the food, it was ok. I’ve definitely had better. My co-​worker ordered the 3-​salad sampler, one of the salads being tuna… what she got was some cous-​cous chicken thing and her fennel salad had ONE olive and ONE small sliver of avocado. Let’s not break the bank here folks!
I ordered the BLTA and French Onion Soup. I was lucky and got a whole tablespoon of cheese in my soup! I know its a recession, but this place is killin’ me! It was definitely lack-​luster and a weird combo of sweet and salty. No, I don’t mean sweet and savory… definitely sweet and salty. In other words, forgo the French Onion (the best is at Doughboy’s in Hollywood). As for the sandwich it was OK — you can make it at home and it’ll taste the same, possibly better. Nothing glamorous here.
It has been decided the one great thing about this place are their cookie sandwiches. Oh yes, please!

What a pleasant surprise this was. The place was very opened and clean. You can see the kitchen and it was completely spotless. Also, the girl that took my order was so nice! I ordered a Patty Melt and a real Coke. By real Coke I mean the ones that still actually use sugar cane as a sweetener.
The Sandwich was great. The ground beef was seasoned perfectly and cooked to perfection. The Russian dressing complimented the gruyère and onions very well. I am so glad I found this place. I am going to make this spot a new regular.

Really good Turkey sandwich!
I really liked my Turkey Bacon Avo BLTT here. I must have gone after the «upgrade» seems like the staff are busy prepping and looks to be a place trying hard to prepare quality food. I wasn’t a fan of the latte I received but that I can forgive. The sandwich was nicely prepared and all the ingredients on it seems of quality. Décor is great and the staff were friendly. I will return. FYI don’t think you can really park here unless you park a block away and walk. Kind of designed for local businesses.

I ordered the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo, a small side of fruit salad, and a root beer, which added up to about $ 14.25. The portions and were decent, I ate most of my sandwich and the soup and was comfortably full. I’m not a big fan of the onions in the grilled cheese, which oddly enough, was only in one half of my sandwich.
The timing of the orders was a little off though, because we received our orders staggered, and by the time I got my grilled cheese and soup, my co-​worker was already done with his BLT. I should also note that it was not at all crowded when we came in.
As a whole, everyone seemed pleased with their meals, I just wasn’t blown away, it might be because they forgot my order of fruit salad, that I happened to remember as I was walking out the door. When I asked for it, they oh-​so-​meticulously weighed out, to the GRAPE, the $ 2.45/ ¼lb of fruit. To see the small pathetic pile of fruit in such a large bowl was sad, I couldn’t help but feel a little ripped off at that point.
I can’t comment on the parking as we walked there from our office, but I can see how people can get lost in the office suites as the hallways are a little overwhelming, especially with no sign of a restaurant in sight.

An improvement over the «old» point, sort-​of. Prices are higher for less food, but I’d argue that the quality is higher. Friendly staff (though a bit awkward in throughput — seems like their order and fulfillment process is not well thought out). The timing on getting your food varies vastly and the cashier seems a bit overwhelmed (but extremely competent) each time I see her.
The best value always seems to be the lunch of the day. My favorites so far have been the eggplant parmesan with spaghetti and meatball sandwich with arugula salad. The pretzel sandwich is good from their standard menu, as is the kabocha squash soup (tip, order extra bread for the soup).
Overall — not a bad option walking distance from my office. Would never consider coming here otherwise, unless there were more accessible parking options (going through the guarded gate can be daunting — just for some food). I hear they are planning to build an open lot; I’ll update once I see that happen. I bet they’ll see a lot more business after they make the location more accessible to motor vehicles!

Ughghghg, I’m so saddened by this. They took forever to reopened and it’s just not the same… it’s worse! The décor is nice, and things are presented well, but I’m going for the food not the bottles of wine on my lunch break! No more custom-​made salads, which really bites. And their drinks are all bougie ass mineral or sparkling water. Can’t I just get a plain ‘ol Dasani or orange juice??? So I’ve gone 4 times since reopening and here’s my recap of each time:
1) FAR too crowded and chaotic. Walked right out without ordering.
2) Phoned my order in ahead of time. Came 15 minutes later and STILL had to wait in line 10 mins for my food! The tomato soup was oh so yummy! I’d highly recommend it — def an improvement from the soup they used to serve. But the salad was plain spinach with Parmesan shavings — boring! And the «lemon vinaigrette» was LITERALLY olive oil with a drop or two of lemon juice. So not a good dressing at all — VERY disappointing.
3) Called in eggs and toast. Went to pick in up. The girl that works the counter (think her name is Azzurra, or something like that???) was no where to be found! The cooks had to go back and get her out of the back office after I waited for 5 mins just to pick up my food. She was probably jerking around on Facebook not even paying attention to the store. Pricey too. +$ 6 for some plain ol eggs and buttered sourdough toast (which I had no choice over). I could have had 2 Grand Slams at Denny’s!
4) Walked over for breakfast another time. Again, the same girl was MIA — WTF??? Same cook had to go back to get her so I could place my order.
Seriously, I don’t know if this is Mark Peel’s niece or neighbor or what, but she is just not the one! Always rude, slow, not attentive at all, and she’s always the only one working the counter! Not very bright either… someone came in in the morning asking if the muffins were ready yet. She replied, «Oh the muffins aren’t ready yet because we bake them fresh here everyday and they haven’t been delivered yet.» — um, really??? DUH!!! Ugh, makes me not want to go back at all. I probably will cuz it’s 1 of 2 places walking distance from work, but I definitely think twice about packing my lunch the night before so I don’t feel like have no other choice but to walk over there.
Sorry Point — gotta be honest. Get some organization, and better girl to take orders, and bring back some of your old flair and good food!

CLOSED… but…
Mark Peel of Campanile and Top Chef Masters fame is taking over!
I believe this deserves a start-​over on the ratings. Cheers to a fresh start!

Alright, I know we’re in a recession. Cutbacks everywhere. But if you want to start serving less soup, use smaller containers. I bought a soup to go here last week, and when I got back to the office, the container was less than ²⁄₃ full.
Also, whenever I bring my salad back because they forgot to put something on it that I ordered, the woman working the register makes it a point to pull up my order and double check that I actually ordered it. From my point of view, that’s bad customer service. At least check discretely behind the corner or after I leave.
I really won’t go back here again.

really a 3.5, but my gut tells me to choose 3 instead of 4. i think it’s because i’m so anti-​health foods.
i don’t think i’ll ever order the salads here. i think the salad ends up being like $ 12 once you add the proteins and the good toppings. i’ve never been a salad gal. the bowl it comes with sure is pretty though!
most of my food experiences from here come from the «other half of the sandwich» from coworkers. i’ve also spent a few friday afternoons here with coworkers just chillin with a beer. the sandwiches here are good, but not big enough to warrant those prices i think.
but the reason why i think i can write this now, is that i finally ordered my own thing today. this week’s prix fixe lunch menu is the point burger + fries, soup, and the carrot cake. the total came out to $ 16.18 after tax, which is very reasonable, given that i had fries and a BOWL of soup with my huge burger. i can’t even eat the cake right now.
the burger looked so good and smelled good. and i like the freshness and abundance of the veggies on it. the burger itself would be 4.5 if it wasn’t for the FATAL FLAW that is literally making me rate the burger a 2.5… it tasted burnt the whole time! when you bite into the burger, it had good initial flavor and the meat was perfectly juicy, esp for not being red on the inside. but after you swallow the meat, you taste the lingering taste of burnt in your mouth. that was prevalent throughout the entire burger. i took a little piece of meat from the center of the burger that didn’t look burnt at all, and i ate it. same thing! good flavor, then burnt taste.
i ate the whole thing regardless. just tried to use more ketchup. i think it was the burger that made me give it 3 instead of 4. too bad that this meal is only available this week. i think it could have been really good. cuz it was a full meal for a reasonable price, but if they fix their burger, it woulda been awesome.

For what this place is, it is excellent… except for the PARKING HELL… not exactly a destination place (I had business to attend to in the area so it was worth it each time).
The Point is such a cute, clean place with places to sit outside that kindly ask that you keep the area non-​smoking. Just from that, I was already in love!
It was bizarre walking through the door cuz there is one of those really loud, over-​head-​fan-​things that sound like you’re gonna have a Silkwood moment and are being sent to the decontamination chamber.
Take your time when you go… there are so many choices and they all look good.
I tried not to get distracted because I had already planned on doing the «custom crafted salad» (great idea!). There are really great chices to choose from for your salad-goodness…then, I was blinded by the butterschotch pudding smiling at me from behind the little glass door… then the bottles of beer and wine demanded that I take a peek at them… ugg, trying to focus, I then found all the «Prepared Meals to Take Home» they looked incredible!!! Fresh, Hearty, even Healthy without looking all granola-​tree-​huggin’.
(been for the prepared meals 3 x and they traveled all the way to the east side just fine).
So many choices, I get my salad with a simple «Country Mix» of Red Oak and Green Leaf lettuces, Cheddar Cheese, Hard boiled egg, and dried cranberries.
BEAUTIFUL!
Then I grab this great little treat:
Three Grain Salad
AMAZINGLY refrshing and delicious… it has quinoa, Faro, Basmati Rice, Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sherry Vinegar, Raisins (golden), and dried cranberries.
Golly, it is so good.
The Pudding… too much of a good thing… I ate the whole thing before driving home, really good. Between the flufffy whipped topping, the super-​rich butterscotch, its super-​smooth texture, and the fabulous spoon (I have a thing for really great plastic spoons and this one rocks!) I’ve fallen in love with the cute and simple little place.
The service is very friendly. The place is super organized and clean and they have great waters, beers, splits of red and white wine, Naked Juices and Naked Juice Protein drinks and all kins of other goodies.
All the savories, salads, to go items and beverages were so great that I ignored all the other sweet treats (and there are tons of ‘em) except for that pudding… I haven’t had puddin’ in years and this one makes up for all the years I’ve gone without.
The most memorable thing about The Point is the combination of quality and simplicity.
I love this place.