Reds Wine & Tapas Restaurant

Are you kidding me??? Our waiter came back at least 3 times to ask what we ordered. After an hour and a half, all we got was the infamous fries… and by the way, there is no zing to the catsup and mayo! Hello people!!! Wake up!!! This place should close down NOW!!!

My husband and I dined here a few months ago and If I could I’d give this place zero stars I would. I was gonna pass reviewing this «wine bar» but I know that a great many false reviews are going up for this place to keep it at 3 – 4 stars which is straight out whack. Who knows if mine will even get posted but the Unilocalers need to know what’s up.
We got tricked by the fake Unilocal reviews for this joint and foolishly purchased a Groupon to try it. Big mistake. When we first walked in the place it seemed fine enough. There was a small open kitchen, one owner/​cook and a waiter. But there was no way to tell this guy was a waiter because he was wearing a ratty t-​shirt and a pair of shorts which he had worn real low so you could see his underwear. It seemed really unprofessional but whatever. There were a few other patrons there so service was super slow as there was only one server.
The menu seemed promising enough so we pretty much ordered half the menu because that’s just what we do when we get tapas. Ok. I’ll give them this, they served pretty big portions for being tapas which was great because America loves BIG. Unfortunately, the food was horrible. The salad I ordered was swimming in vinaigrette. Like a ¼ inch of it. The bacon 4 ways was unappetizing which I find incredible because how can you f*ck anything up made with bacon? I could type and dissect every dish but it would just bore you. It seemed like the chef had some good ideas but had a really poor way of executing them. We kept looking around the restaurant at the other diners because we seriously thought we were on some MTV prank show. The dinner experience was UNREAL. And the wine? My husband tried ordering a few different ones but they seemed to be out of them all so he settled on Justin. The waiter came back with a glass of something warm but it certainly wasn’t Justin. We didn’t even want to send it back. We just wanted to get out. Anyone who gives this place anything more than a star has got to be smoking some bad crack but whatever. To each his own but seriously. Bad crack.
Try reading the responses the owner sends to other dissatisfied reviewers down below. It’s a bit sad and sometimes mean too. I wish him all the luck, man.

I can’t even begin to tell you how bad this is! Those of you who rated this above 1 star I respect your choice but this place was such a rip off. Like everyone else said, One man show most of the time. The guy was sweating so bad and we were worried it was going to get in our food. He played all the parts; chef, waiter, cashier, et al. He was dressed like he was working on a car or something. A tiny little TV on the wall was laughable. The food was OKAY… Just okay. The big surprise was the highway robbery at the end. I can see know what the deal was. Advertise through Groupon and then add what they lost via an 18% tip added on to the handwritten bill.
Seriously, I am embarrassed for anyone that goes in there. There were 2 other tables along with us and we all just looked at each other and rolled our eyes.
Pitiful.

I like Tapas, and wanted to try this place, so I went for lunch. There are no tapas for lunch, virtually nothing on the menu for vegetarians, and the only real seafood option was the Salmon Gravlax plate, which I ordered (and so did a coworker). The «Baby bagel» was basically a half slice of a bagel cut into quarters, and the worst part…
…THE SALMON, IN CHUNKS, WAS FROZEN!!!
I told the only person who appeared to be working there, who waited on us and prepared the food, and he just shrugged it off.
Sorry, this is completely unacceptable, and you should not be in the restaurant business. It was absolutely disgusting.

I wish I could give this place a ZERO STAR! I’m writing this review on behalf of my friend who recently came to this place with a Groupon. I couldn’t believe what she told me after her visit! But then I read some of the reviews on Unilocal!and everything she said was true! The owner/​chef/​server/​busboy/​thief who runs the place is ripping people off with the ridiculous 18% gratuity he gives himself for the crappy service he gives to his patrons! You should be ASHAMED for what you’re doing. If you’re going to offer a special on Groupon, you should follow the rules and not ADD ON 18% to make up for the loss in revenue! I’m surprised people still come here after reading the reviews. I’m surprised this place is still open. You need to change your business because it’s pretty obvious you’re too cheap to hire help and terrible when it comes to ripping off your customers!

I came here after the Larsen’s bar area became too crowded and loud. I’m glad I did. I was hoping to experience some tasty tapas and have a glass or two of a decent wine. Check and check.
This place reminds me of the little train that could. It’s situated right next to Larsens which is the big fancy, powerful locomotive that blows past it on the parallel track, while this scrappy, lovable little train does what it does very well but on a much smaller scale. If I lived in Encino I could see myself coming here quite frequently as the dishes are tasty, made with affection, and the cozy atmosphere although a little frayed, is quaint and hip, in its own way.
Like a lot of previous Unilocalers have mentioned, it was not crowded at all and some of the wines weren’t available. I asked for the Viognier and they did not have it. I switched to a Chardonnay that the chef (and waiter — he was pulling double duty) recommended and it was lovely, fruity and something I could imagine drinking while sitting on a porch swing in the summer.
The truffle fries were plentiful, had a nice covering of what seemed like garlic, grated mozzarella and herbs. They had a hard to pin down dipping sauce that was creamy but had a little zing — maybe some horseradish? I also ordered the beef short rib with ricotta ravioli in marscapone cream sauce. The short ribs were flavorful, and tender. The ravioli was creamy goodness. Finished with the roasted eggplant with smoked mozzarella in roasted red pepper sauce. The eggplant and mozzarella combined well and there was gobs of red pepper sauce. (I’m a sauce-​aholic so the more sauce with which to dip, the better)

I have been wanting to try this place for a while and am very glad to finally check it out last night. A friend purchased a Groupon and there were three of us. The food really did blow us away. Chris, Multi-​Tasker of the Year, was our bartender, server, chef and bus boy. We were a bit concerned but he really outdid himself and he was so nice.
Albeit, we were the only ones there the entire time we were there, it was a nice experience and would like to get a group of our friends to join soon.
We tried seven of the tapas: scallion potato cake (delicious), polenta w/​duck confit (ran out of polenta, so he used jalapeño cornbread — delicious), truffle fries (so good), dried cured olives (do not put the anchovies on unless you are a TRUE fan of anchovies, is a bit overwhelming — I thought was great, the other two in our group did not), 4 ways bacon (how can it be bad? very good), and the spicy sausage on crostini (delicious). Our goal was to order all of the tapas but Chris advised us to start out with five. Taking down seven of the tapas between the three of us was our limit. I think the Truffle Fries may have been the filler!
Although I did not recognize the vintners for the Chardonnay, the one I had was very good and we have full glass pours! Very nice.
It seems worrisome that there is not enough marketing or foot traffic for this location. It is next door to the horrible Larsen’s…I don’t mind the $ 3 garage self-​parking. It all was a very pleasant experience and am looking forward to going back soon.

I was really torn on reviewing this place because I don’t want to slam it, but its very obvious that this restaurant needs help.
First of all, no one was there. No customers and only one guy who was our waiter and the chef (perhaps he was the owner?) We were excited to get the special attention and knew that our food would be fresh, but there were only 3 of us and he still managed to get my order completely wrong. And since it took forever to get the food, I told him I would eat what he prepared for me anyway, he came back and said he was so sorry he was out of what I ordered but again stated a different entrée which wasn’t what I ordered anyway.
BUT, I do have to say the food was delicious. All of us were thoroughly impressed with our dishes — even me, who was served something random. As we were paying the check (around 8PM), someone else showed up to bus tables. I must admit it was a little upsetting that he didn’t offer a free dessert or offer to comp my meal since it was something I didn’t want, but I didn’t complain about it because it was really good and he was so nice. So I truly believe that this man just needs help with his restaurant. If you go, you will like what you eat and hopefully that will translate into sales and he can get the help that he needs.
Try it out, you never know!

If you’re a fan of tapas then you really should go elsewhere. The food wasn’t bad so I’ll give it 2 stars, but it wasn’t all that great either. The only thing really good was the 4 kinds of bacon thing and really, unless you burn it, bacon is hard to eff up. I’m not an expert on Spanish food or anything but the portion sizes are all wrong for tapas. The menu is all over the place, I guess its like American food tapas inspired-​ish? What they really should just call it Red’s Small to Medium sized plates.
The server we had for dinner was friendly but obviously not an experienced waiter as he didn’t know how to pour out the wine without spilling it and he never once refilled our water. He seemed like a homey they called in to fill in for the night, because honestly who doesn’t know that when you pour out wine you should either wrap a napkin around the bottle and/​or twist the bottle at the end so you don’t spill the stuff?
Another point down for the parking not being free and what’s the point of having tv screens near the bar when the screens are so freaking tiny you can barely watch the game… seriously I think those were only 15 inch flat screens they were so small.

If you have a hankering for a great burger for lunch, this is the place!
The chef at this intimate restaraunt makes a mean gorgonzala burger paired with truffle fries. At $ 10, it’s definitely a steal.

I never write reviews, but I wanted especially to write something good about this place because I don’t want it to go out of business. We went there on a Saturday night and I just thought it was great. Great service, great food, great wine. What more could you ask for? There weren’t many people there and for a Saturday night I thought it was odd.
So please go, support the owner who is also the chef. Spend your money there instead of eating at red lobster.

Great atmosphere, low key and friendly. Go with a date or with friends and family.
Fantastic wine selection, if you are a buttery Chardonnay lover try to the Crusher.

Great place to hang out and eat tapas! The eggplant and the dates were my favorites, and the truffle fries were excellent. Having lived and traveled extensively in Spain, this little place seemed to have the real feel of a family owned tapas bar you’d visit regularly in your provincial neighborhood outside of Madrid or the like. Yes they have TV’s and ceiling fans there too along with family members serving and making sure you are taken care of well. It’s not a super fancy fad bar with all the décor… There were no guitars playing flamenco tunes, and the décor was family photos, so some might think it’s not authentic. But the clean and simple layout, home cooked tapas, family pics and a friendly owner and staff ARE what tapas bars were meant to be — Spanish or from anywhere for that matter.
It’s a little place that we’ll come back to regularly!

I work in the area, and groupon had posted a good deal for this restaurant, so I thought I would give it a try. I’m exceedingly glad I did.
The tapas were exciting and fun, and the meal I split with my date was excellently prepared. The scallops were cooked to perfection, with none of the rubbery consistency I’ve found at other places. Our deal included a bottle of wine, and even though the groupon only mentioned 2 wines, we were offered a choice of 10 or so wines, which I appreciated.
I found the price to be very appropriate, not inexpensive but well within what one would expect for a tasty meal with so many options. Both myself and my date enjoyed the experience, and I am sure to return.

Love this place! I’ve been here a few times and I can’t believe I’ve never written a review.
They have Groupon deals pretty often, every few months. But even without it the price is great for what you get!
The food is super tasty and the ambiance is very casual and relaxing.
We always get the Salmon Gravlox Plate (it’s the Jew in me) and 3 Ways Bacon is really yummy. The Peachy Berries with Yummy Crumbles (it has YUMMY in the name!) is a great way to finish your meal.
Even though those are my favorites, I’ve never been disappointed in flavor or serving size of anything that I’ve ordered (so we always do a little adventure and try something new!).

PROS: tapas are pretty good. i had the short ribs, truffle fries, eggplant and salmon gravlax. the gravlax was particularly good.
CONS:
1. not a place for ambiance or high-​end customer service, which does not justify the pricing of this place. it needs to decide whether it wants to be a sports bar or a high end restaurant. if it’s the latter, get rid of the ceiling fans and 2 flat screen t.v.‘s playing sports.
2. our waiter was not so easy on the eyes, which is fine, but get him to cut those crazy long, jagged fingernails.
3. when did the state tax go up to 10%? i’ve attached my hand-​written, itemized receipt for your viewing pleasure.
4. beware of the added on gratuity. they didn’t add the gratuity to my bill, but they did to the other couple i dined with. super random and arbitrary.
IN SUM: go if you’re hungry and have money to burn.

I was here last night and it was completely dead. I wouldn’t say it’s the most sanitary place ever (you get a view of the kitchen in the center of the tiny place) but it’s tasty. You get really yummy, fresh, crusty bread and this great oil/​vinegar dip with whole pieces of garlic cloves. The Oktoberfest beer on tap was yummy and so was the Riesling. I got the bacon four ways (a must have), the sardines and olives (too salty), the polenta (too potato-​y and sweet), the short ribs/​marscapone cheese ravioli (one ravioli, singular but very tasty if you mix the two), and the spam fried rice. There is a great selection on the menu and I’m glad we went.

I was meeting some of my mother’s friends for the first time, and I suggested we go to Reds for dinner. Wasn’t a fan of the location, but the interior was cute– small & has character. But I was so embarrassed when not only was the waiter wearing a dirty apron and a black t-​shirt that had a huge green marijuana leaf on it but also he couldn’t tell us anything about the wine on the menu. When we selected the bottle, he brought us the wrong one… and then again, another bottle that we did not choose. And I’m no wine expert but I could tell you that he wasn’t pouring it the right way when it started to splatter on my mom.
Nevertheless, it was a great tasting wine and the food was really good! We all (almost) forgot about the wine incident after tasting the tapas.
Moral of the story: If you’re trying to impress someone, Reds is not the choice. But I would definitely go with friends for a good meal.

I’ve never had tapas, but I’ve been meaning to try since a lot of people talk about it and small plates seem to be the big thing.
The place is small, about 8 tables inside, a bar seating area (think sushi bar) and a few tables outside. It is charming and quaint, with picture frames on the wall with random pictures and what seemed to be a couple of the owner/​chef.
There are a number of small plates, salads, and main courses to choose from. The big man in the oversized shirt that everyone mentions in their review brought us some plain tasting bread that went very well with a balsamic/​olive oil/​grilled garlic dip. My coworker had the BBQ chicken skewers which had peppers, chicken, and onion, garnished with chopped parsley, with a smokey bbq glaze. She also had the pear and apple endive salad which was bigger and more flavorful than I expected. The fruit was crisp and sweet, with the balsamic very subtle. Something I would really like on a hot day.
I ordered 3 plates (I was trying to keep my meal light ha ha) and it started with the short ribs with riccotta and marscapone sauce. This was an amazing way to start my meal! Only 1 ravioli, but the stars were the marscapone sauce and short rib. I sopped the sauce all up with the bread. Yes, I got ALL OF IT!!! The short rib meat (no bone) was tender, close your eyes, melt in your mouth and enjoy it good!
The caesar salad was crisp, tossed with plenty of dressing and house-​made croutons. At the same time came my potatoe cake egulfed with chorizo and cream sauce (tasted like dill). The chorizo sauce was rich, and had quite a kick. The potatoe cake itself was good, but not great, as the it was overwhelmed with the flavors from the chorizo sauce.
I enjoyed my meal, but I should have just stuck with 2 items. Service was nice, a little slow, but understandable for only one chef, as he took great care with our food. I recommend this if you haven’t had «real» tapas in Spain. I’m sure it’s hard to beat the real thing, but this would probably come close if I were to have it I guess.

This is a tapas place without all the frills. The service is extremely friendly and down to earth. The dish presentation would be considered plain by a lot of LA tapas standards, but I don’t really care much for presentation.
The food itself ranged from pretty good and unique, to delicious. We ordered the Beef Short Rib, 4 Ways Bacon, Tortilla Espanola and Truffle Fries. The 4 way bacon is a must for bacon fans, because it’s literally bacon in four different ways, all good. The beef short rib and tortilla were both ok, but probably not something I’d get again. They just seemed too plain and uninteresting to me. The fries were the best. They had actually been soaked in truffle oil, so the truffle flavor really comes strong. We polished the fries plate off.
They also have a pretty good wine selection, and are very good about giving affordable recommendations.