The Stocking Frame

Had a great time at the Stocking Frame on Friday night.
This popular DTLA gastropub gets it right with food that tastes great and music that doesn’t overpower your conversation. The big crowd inside only proves my point.
Pastrami tacos: Yes, you read that right… pastrami tacos! Delicious.
Brussel Sprouts: Tasty… which means, they successfully masked the flavor of Brussel Sprouts.
Cheeseburger: Big and juicy, served on rectangular bread instead of a bun, with fries.
And of course, signature cocktails…
The Stocking Frame: Give it a shot by taking a shot.

I was in LA for 4 nights on biz and this was the best restaurant I went to. The ambience is casual with a youthful vibe. We shared five small plates of which the steak was probably the best. The fried cauliflower was standout as well. I recommend it unless you’re opposed to good food and fun.

I feel that this place is a little bit hyped up. I was excited to come here since I had heard good things from several friends. I don’t regret checking it out, but the stocking frame did not quite meet my expectations. Let’s start with the good things, the interior is well decorated with a predominantly rustic theme. The string lights add to the ambiance. There is a back room that has an extra bar. When I was there the extra bar was not in use, which made the room a little more private and quiet. There is also a shuffleboard in this back room as well that is fun to play. One of the dishes we tried was the pork belly. This was probably the most delicious dish we tried when it was there. Well seasoned, with a hot kick, it was delicious. When it comes to beer they have pints and steins. The steins are slightly larger (they are not Oktoberfest steins) and are only $ 1 more. The bartenders were courteous and attentive.
Now to the not so great parts: We were told the wait would be 30 – 40 minutes, but it ended being over an hour. We ended up finding seating at the bar, and cancelling the table we were waiting for. The drinks are pricey and full of ice. The actual liquid drink content is maybe only 25−30% of the entire glass volume. The beer selection is very limited. We had mac and cheese and Brussels sprouts, they were both just ok. Small portions and nothing special, have had better versions of both dishes at other restaurants. Lastly, I was given the wrong credit card back when I closed out my tap. Thank God, I checked the name on the card… otherwise, it would have been a truly frustrating mishap. I understand this was an honest mistake on behalf of the establishment, but it added to the overall average experience.
If I lived in a downtown LA loft I would probably return, walk over, and have a beer and the pork belly in the future. However, since I do not live close by and there are many better restaurants within the same mile radius of my location, I will most likely not be returning (unless I happen to be in downtown LA already for something else).

Couldn’t get a chance to eat here – we walked in around 6pm on a Saturday to a pretty open restaurant. I’m talking empty tables for days. The hostess was like, «Yeah, we’re really booked up right now.» ummm… okayyy… Then someone answered the phone and said «we’re completely full but I can check for later?» Um no, not really… They weren’t that friendly or apologetic. I guess my main criticism here is that they just don’t want to staff their restaurant appropriately for walk-​ins. Guess not, Stocking Frame!

Solid spot with a variety of menu options.
We had the kale salad, roasted cauliflower, avocado tacos and a pizza.
Every dish was extremely flavorful, without an excess of salt.
This spot is off the beaten path, in a much quieter area of busy/​bustling DTLA. My friends live next door and recommended highly.
I enjoyed everything, would def visit again.

LOVE, it is so yummy! My husband and I stopped by here because it was late and we were looking for a quick wine spot.
We tried pastrami tacos and they were great. We also has the crispy avocado tacos, and my poor hubby burned his tongue with the hot sauce (he cast hang lol), and the manger was nice and brought us a glass of Milk.
Make sure to try the kale salad, it was so tasty!
I will deff come back:)

«New American» décor with very high «A-​Frame» ceilings gives this place a comfortable, yet classy, feel. Came here on a weeknight and there was a decent number of patrons, probably a good sign. Seems liked many people were here for the mid-​day happy hour or working professionals grabbing a drink with co-​workers. In any event, the décor and ambiance is 5 stars.
In terms of food, I found it be more on the salty side, but maybe it was just one of those days (based on the all stellar reviews). Our group tried the bone marrow, pastrami tacos, and braised pork belly with cumin rice. The bone marrow itself was salty and a bit oily. However, the blackberry preserve was decadent to soften the saltiness, and the supporting toast was burnt nicely to give the dish an overall textural element.
The pastrami tacos was my favorite dish. With an ample amount of pastrami and a slaw topping, the tacos were elevated to another level. Each bite had hints of saltiness (good amount) from the pastrami yet softened from the sweetness from the slaw. Winner!
The pork belly and cumin rice was okay. I struggled with the rice cause it was overly peppery. It was difficult to finish. The pork belly, on the other hand, was savory, tender, and seasoned well. 3 star dish, IMHO.
Service was prompt, professional, and helpful. I also tried the IPA on draft (sorry, forgot the name), but it was okay. Parking is a pain, but no surprise given the DTLA location.

5 stars for customer service: the host was nice, server attentive and asked how we enjoyed our dishes and when I mentioned the tacos were a bit salty they took it off our bill. Very satisfied.
4.5 stars for the food: everything we had was pretty tasty.
Hamachi crudo: delicious yellowtail over warm vinegary rice. Large pieces of fish which I appreciated.
Roasted cauliflowers: beautiful array of different colored cauliflowers that had a good crunch. Served with a yummy aoili.
Pastrami tacos: this was too salty for us. I thought the generous portions of coleslaw would compliment the meat, unfortunately the slaw had a ton of cheese which overpowered the dish. The pastrami would probably be good with a big mug of beer but we were drinking Chardonnay and it just didn’t go well together.
Maple pork belly and rice with a runny yolk: great dish with lots of flavor. The pork was extremely moist and tender and the skin was crispy. Latin style rice flavor was ehh but the pork… the pork was legit.
Ambiance of the restaurant was chill and happy. Not too quiet but not so loud you have to yell.
Décor and dim lights were also aesthetically pleasing. Did I just write that? Lol. Well it was :)
Definitely worth the drive!

A spacious, rustic /​hipster-​esque spot in DTLA, the Stocking Frame provides a neat variety of family-​style dishes.
Came on a Friday night and was greeted by a nice hostess as well as high ceilings, wood walls, dim lighting provided by overhanging light bulbs, and a motley ensemble of décor which included a sailboat in the middle of a dining area. Given the size of the space, it did not feel crowded though there wasn’t much of a line when we went.
Saw some reviews about the poor service, but our waitress was super awesome and accommodating about allergies at the table.
Food here was good overall, but most dishes did not leave a deep impression.
Bone Marrow — Fairly tasty and light, but there’s better bone marrow to be had elsewhere
Pork Belly — A nice balance of the crisp/​burnt on one side and the soft fattyness on the other — though borderline too burnt. The accompanying rice has a strong spicy kick to it so be prepared.
Hamachi Crudo — The highlight of the night for me. The thick pieces of hamachi tasted great coupled with the mirin rice and ponzu sauce. Would come back for this.
Really liked that they served beer (small, decent collection of beers on tap) in steins. Bar area has a couple TVs as well.

This is one of my new favorite restaurants in Downtown. I’ve been here 2x in a month and can’t stop raving about it. Their drinks and food are delish and the menu changes almost weekly! Look at all the pictures I posted. I definitely recommend this place for a group of people as it’s meant to be enjoyed family style (sharing plates). Each person is advised to order around 2 – 3 dishes each. They also have a pretty extensive cocktail and wine list; pretty yummy drinks if you ask me. The bar area is also pretty big and there is a back room with a separate bar as well (never seen anyone out there but I think it’d be good for an event or private party). The Stocking Frame reminds me of a cute, warm, cozy cabin with a new American delight. If this place played live music or music later at night, I think the bar area would be totally popping!

I went to the stocking frame about 2 weeks before my husbands birthday because I wanted to have the party here. Despite the VERY slow bar service, I fell in love with the atmosphere of the place which I thought was a perfect sized venue for a big party.
Long story short, they have promised us to accommodate us at a certain time but they ended up not being able to accommodate us because 1. They have a very hard reservation process where I have to talk to a whole bunch of people 2. They seem to be very unorganized with their communications and 3. They took way to long to get back to me every time I contacted them. They pretty much try to move our reservation to a very early time… I was pretty upset because I found this out a day before the party.
We should’ve known when we didn’t get our drinks after 10 minutes… It wasn’t even that packed!

What a CUTE CUTE little bar in the midst of Downtown hussle and bussle! When you walk in you just feel like putting on those cozy sweat pants and cuddling up by the fire in what felt like a cute lodge.
I came here for happy hour with some friends recently and the ambiance just sold me. We ended up missing happy hour, but came for drinks anyways… We sat near the bar and the bartenders were all gracious, friendly, fun and upbeat! Everyone carried a smile and it really made the experience so much more hospitable.
The drink prices were a bit steep, but average for DTLA — coming in at around $ 13/​drink, you might not want to be that thirsty at this bar, unless your looking to splurge that night.
Overall very cute place, great service and fun drinks! Just be careful if you aren’t willing to have deep pockets that evening…

A fun vibe with interesting décor. The hostess and manager? at the door was very nice. Server was knowledgable and gave us helpful recommendations. Loved the selection of cocktails they had. We tried 4 and loved them all.
Tuna tartar was okay.
Bucatini pasta was pretty good.
Panna cotta was good.
The grilled octopus was TO DIE FOR. Yummy!

When a group of friends proposed a Sunday dinner in DTLA and asked me to choose our venue, I decided on the Stalking Frame and could not have picked a better place to enjoy an amazing meal with friends who have a strong appreciation for well prepared and treated food.
On a late Sunday night, the place could have been very easy to miss. The lights inside appear very dim from the outside and the place does not draw much attention to itself. It appears a bit small from the outside but the interior is huge! They have a large private room, a couple bars and plenty of spacious seating areas. I took some time just looking around at the venue. Special attention was paid to the décor and there were interesting pieces of furniture, light fixtures and trinkets to look at.
When I arrived my friends had already been talking to our server who was educating them on where the restaurant gets its vegetables and meats. From the bits of the conversation I heard, the restaurant is very conscious about making sure the ingredients are of quality, are fresh and are locally grown.
The menu is definitely one that invites guests to share the dishes. Here’s our breakdown:
Drinks:
The Manhattan — one of the best I’ve ever had of its kind. The liquor was incredibly smooth.
The Zorro #1 — Jimador tequila marinated in strawberries and mixed with chillies, lime and agave. I highly recommend this drink. This place definitely knows how to work with tequila. It had depth and just a bit of a spicy kick.
Entrees:
Spicy mac n cheese — just a bit spicy, very cheesy but I would have liked it a bit creamier. Still very solid.
Arugula, manchego and pear salad — light and very tasty. It wasn’t overly dressed and the cheese and pear portions were generous.
Grilled broccolini — this was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The greens were still crispy and weren’t overly soaked in salt or vinegar. The light garlic, chilli and vinegar dressing paired perfectly with the vegetables.
Rustica pizza — the goat cheese and mushrooms were a winning combo. This pizza held plenty of flavor without any meat on it. The portions were very reasonable and the crust was thick.
Handmade gnocchi — the chunks of gnocchi were giant and perfectly soft and doughy. The cheese and sauce were great for dipping our pizza crust into.
Pork belly and grits — not on the menu but we all wanted something pork belly so we were brought this dish. The grits were thick and rich in taste and paired very nicely with the large chunks of pork belly
Duck breast tacos — we were served a plate of slices duck breast with some fermented vegetables and given a stack small, wrapped tortillas and a side of salsa so that we could make our own tacos. The salsa could have held ambit more and the duck could have been juicer but was still enjoyed by all.
The State Fair burger — loved the fries! They were giant and looked and tasted homemade. The burger was just ok and paled in comparison to everything else we were eating. We could’ve done without it.
The bucatini pasta affumicata — huge chunks of crab and shrimp mixed with a creamy pasta. The flavor combination was unique and the dish was a lot richer than I was imagining but still very tasty.
Dessert:
Panna cotta — I usually don’t order panna cotta as it doesn’t satisfy my need for a mixed flavor combo but this dessert was very well executed. The custard held a solid shape and mixed well with the blackberry preserves it was served with.
Espresso over salted caramel gelato and hazelnut — this was devoured within minutes. The hazelnut, caramel and coffee combo very well executed.
We were all very pleased and stuffed after this dining experience. Each dish was so carefully prepared and presented. Some dishes were rolled over in a cart, others were presented on cutting boards. The place was spacious and made us feel like we had the place to ourselves at times. The service was very fast and our server was friendly, very knowledgeable and helpful with dish selections. I’m looking forward to trying more of their drinks and finishing off the rest of the menu!

I am a sucker for character, and this place delivers that in many ways!
The atmosphere is awesome. I especially like the décor, very rustic and laid back yet it’s got a lot of trendiness to it. Dim lighting makes it a great spot for dates.
What brought me in here was the drink menu, they’ve got a lot of very unique drinks and I was very intrigued by their honey ice cubes. I ordered the «Two Fingers» which is Scotch served over a large honey ice cube, however, I swapped the Scotch for Bourbon. It was a fun drink and I enjoyed it for the most part, but it as the ice cube melts your whiskey will get very, very sweet, so just make sure you drink it quickly lol.
I was also impressed by their food, although the menu is not very large, there is lots of variety and creativity. We weren’t very hungry so we ordered a few small plates. The bone marrow was great, the nachos were pretty good, but nothing out of the ordinary, and lastly we had a grilled cheese with a Spanish flare to it which was also pretty good.
I do have to say service was not all that great. Our server was fine, but the food and drinks took very, very long to come out, but I don’t think this was the server’s fault. It was a Friday night and the place was very busy.
I do think this place is a tiny bit overpriced. For example, the aforementioned drink was $ 14, which I would definitely consider overpriced since that could get much a much higher quality whiskey elsewhere. Same applies to the food. But I guess you are paying for novelty, and the character. I don’t necessarily regret any of my choices haha.
Definitely check it out at least once.

I came here after work for dinner and drinks with a coworker. The best thing about this restaurant I’d say is the ambiance. It is a really cool looking restaurant with a rustic but still modern feel. The place is pretty dimly lit which was fine by me.
The service was pretty quick as the waitress was very attentive in taking and bringing out our orders. Here’s the run down:
Hamachi Crudo — The amount of fish you actually get was smaller than I expected (maybe 4 – 5 pieces?) and it’s sitting on top of some very interesting, sour rice. This dish was decent but I think we should have tried the tuna tartar instead.
Spice rubbed duck breast tacos– This dish actually was more generous with their portions. There was a decent amount of duck and accouterments but I felt that the duck was just alright in how it was cooked (little bit chewy).
Bucatini Pasta Affumicata– This was probably the best dish of the night. The pasta was nicely cooked with a decent bite to it and the sauce was very creamy but not heavy. I also appreciated that there was a decent amount of crab in the pasta as well as shrimp. I would definitely get this dish again.
Overall I would return (when I have money to spend). This is a nice restaurant to go out on a date (there isn’t a happy hour btw) with a wide variety of seafood dishes.

The restaurant’s atmosphere is very rustic-​like & has this cabin-​vibe going on.
For a meal of four. this is what we ordered:
*Smoked brisket pastrami tacos: four tacos for $ 21 (4 out of 5 stars)
*Charred broccoli: $ 9 (4 out of 5 stars) — a burst of flavor. enjoyed it. plus, I love my veggies
*Wood oven butcher nachos $ 12 (3.5 stars)
*Aspen ridge skirt steak bermaze sauce $ 25. — presentation (culinary aesthetic. Can work on)
*Burrato and melon $ 12 — (2 out of 5 stars) the size of the prosciutto pieces were ridiculous. the size was comparable to XS bandaids. totally need to give more. felt like I got gypped.
*Spice rubbed duck breast for tacos $ 20 — the dish comes wiht all the ingredients for us to create the taco ourselves. this was OK (4 stars)
*Espresso poured over salted caramel gelato hazelnut crunch 7– (5/​5stars really good)
*Port wipeout IPA in a Steiner cup! $ 8

Ahhh what a nice place to come to for a good dinner and nice relaxing atmosphere. I almost missed this place driving by as it is nestled in the middle of two residential and commercial buildings.
The food was great. I had duck tacos and the duck was cooked to perfection. Very tender, succulent, seasoned just right, and just enough served to fill you up. The service was awesome and the atmosphere was dim, quaint, and relaxing. Make sure that you try the old fashioned cocktail.
I give this place 2 thumbs up and I am very confident that you will enjoy this place to for the menu, cocktails, and atmosphere.

My friends and I came here tonight for a friend’s birthday dinner. There were strings of lights above and the seating is pretty cool. It was dimly lit with a hipster touch to it. You might find yourself sharing a table with another party, but it’s really not that big of a deal. It’s a casual restaurant so no need to get all fancy unless you want to!
Our server (who I didn’t get the name of) was great. Attentive and nice. He recommended a couple items, and decided to order a few of his choices.
It’s a good idea to order family style. So just order a couple items and share. The portions aren’t very big, so this way your group can get a taste of everything.
We had the cod, which was just ok. It was good, but nothing special. Then there was the octopus which was surprisingly good considering I’m not the biggest octopus fan. It came with a side of stacked potatoes which I really liked. Lastly, my favorite. The pot roast. WOW. Super tender. Like fall of the bone melt in your mouth tender. It was just so good I don’t have anything else to say about that haha. Next time I come back I’ll be trying the yellowfin tuna and pastrami tacos!
My friend ordered the old fashioned and another ordered a cider that I enjoyed. I ordered a sangria for myself. Perfect.
I think this place is definitely a $$$. I would still come back.

Returned after a year and although the menu has changed (not surprising as it changes often), the food is still as good as I remember it to be.
HOWEVER, service was atrocious. My boyfriend and I walked in late (~10:45pm) on a Saturday night, and the security guard (?) at the door let us know the lounge area was open seating. We sat down at one of the tables but were completely IGNORED by both waitresses serving the lounge. Seriously? No greeting, no menus, NOT EVEN EYE CONTACT. We may have been wearing dark colors and the lighting was dim, BUT SURELY WE WERE STILL VISIBLE? Very apparent that they were ignoring us because they were tending to tables right next to ours. My boyfriend ended up having to go up to the bar and get menus/​order/​etc. The bartender ended up fetching us glasses of water… lol.
Very disappointing, especially since the waiters were awesome during my first few visits to The Stocking Frame. I also noticed that the prices have increased, so it does NOT make sense that the service has declined.

Solid 4 stars! Definitely a safe choice if you’re looking for a cool place in DTLA to have dinner with friends. I absolutely love the ambience here and how they decorated the whole place! Think wood, brick walls, plants, bulb string lights a.k.a HIPSTER, spacious yet intimate, casual yet romantic, overall a great place for a date. You can make reservations easily beforehand using OpenTable.
I came here with my husband and we started out with cocktails. He had the Two Fingers and I had the Sweet Nothing. The cocktails were okay, not particularly memorable. But I did like how the Two Fingers came with one large honey-​ginger ice cube that slowly melted and added a subtle sweetness to the scotch.
The menu is made up of New-​American tapas, dishes meant to be shared. We had the following:
— Hamachi Crudo w/​white soy ponzu, thai chili, steamed mirin rice: I know, right? What a cliché. Hamachi crudo at a trendy new American restaurant. Been there, done that. But before you pass on this, give it a chance! I’m sure glad I did! It was DELICIOUS!!! One of my favorite dishes of the night. The Thai chili gives it a nice kick.
— Smoked Brisket Pastrami Tacos w/​white cheddar slaw — pretty pricey given that it’s 2 tacos for $ 12. It was tasty but it didn’t blow my mind. I would pass on these.
— Wood Roasted Cauliflower with strained dill yogurt and spices: I’m glad we got this! It was the perfect veggie side. Loved the flavors and spices.
— Wood Fired Sea Scallops w/​coconut ginger rice in a spicy oxtail broth: YUM! We devoured this! The scallops were cooked perfectly! I’d get this again.
— Dessert: Affogato — espresso poured over salted caramel gelato and hazelnut crunch: They only have 2 desserts on the menu. I think the other choice was panna cotta and I was in the mood for something more rich and chocolatey so we chose this. It was pretty much what you’d expect from an affogato. Creamy with the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. It was a delicious to end the meal but nothing out of the ordinary… I hope they add more items to their dessert menu one day!
Service: friendly and overall fantastic! I also liked how they paced the entire meal so perfectly, one dish after another without too much waiting in between.
Parking: street/​meter or public lots across the street ranging from $ 5 – 8.

The first time I ate here I thought the food was pretty good and they have a unique variety of comfort food inspired choices. It’s tapas style, so not surprisingly, a full meal ends up being a bit overpriced. The servers also encourage you to order more food than you likely need, and that is coming from a human that likes to eat a lot. The most notable thing about the restaurant is not the food, but the gorgeous décor and ambiance.
Living around the corner, I thought I would drop in again on a random Saturday evening (7 pm), without a reservation, for dinner. When the boyfriend and I arrived, we were told it would be a 30-​minute wait and the hostess told us we could hang out at the bar until the table is ready. I know they have reservations and such, but I really can’t help but roll my eyes when a hostess talks about a 30-​minute wait at a half empty restaurant. There were no seats available at the bar, so we grabbed a menu and briefly stood at an empty, bar adjacent high-​top table to decide what to order once a seat opened. We were almost immediately scolded by same not-​so-​eager to please hostess that we couldn’t sit there either and we could go to the «back» bar. I was still completely ready to wait around and chill for a table, besides, the back bar sounds like the type of place cool people hang out. At the back bar, 20 or 30 feet away from the main room bar, the first thing they tell us is they can’t accommodate regular menu drink orders and only had Coors Light and Olympia on draft. We were told we couldn’t order any other beers off the main menu and you know homegirl drinks too many craft beers to be sippin’ on Coors Light before a $ 100+ dinner on Saturday night. At that point, we gave up and went to Umami Burger.
I’m so disappointed, the employees at the Stocking Frame were so pretentious (Coors Light notwithstanding), and so unaccommodating at every interaction the last time I came. I guess I could make a reservation or try back on a weeknight, but with the abundant choices with equally good food and better service, I’m not terribly motivated to come back.
Good Options with Better Service Nearby:
Bar+Kitchen at the O Hotel (8^th and Flower, similar vibe, not Tapas style)
Umami Burger (9^th and Broadway, much better service, more casual)
Shekarchi (casual, across the street)
LA Chaper @ the Ace Hotel
Bar Ama (5^th and Main, also busy, plan accordingly)