"To address the first thing everyone says about this place: yes, we know it used to be an actual hardware store. Somehow though, Laurel Hardware makes that factoid feel glamorous. Dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows take up an entire wall, and the giant patio is packed with trees loaded with almost too many twinkly lights. This reliably sceney West Hollywood spot is not a place to mind your own business—people here peek over their shoulders every time they take a sip of their prickly pear margarita, trying to make eye contact with someone at the bar or secretly hoping someone recognizes them from their TikTok video that went viral in 2022. The food generally hovers around decent, but even if none of it rises to the level of impressive, Laurel Hardware does work well for impressing someone who wants to look hot while eating salad and pasta, ideally surrounded by other hot people eating salad and pasta, too. Just know that by the time 10pm rolls around, it’s a full-on social hour in here, so if you’re not looking to make new friends, wrap up dinner before then. Food Rundown photo credit: Cathy Park Crispy Rice Salad Almost everything in this salad is crispy—the toasted cashews, cabbage, and bell peppers—which means there’s a bit too much going on, and the crispy rice is buried in it all. But it has just the right amount of dressing, so that’s a win. photo credit: Cathy Park Corn Agnolotti This pasta reads more like a summer dish, but the last time we had it was during the dead of winter. Maybe that’s why it tasted kind of like corn pops. Truffle Fries If you’re at Laurel Hardware for drinks and want something to munch on, this is a non-offensive pick. You will definitely taste the truffle oil. photo credit: Cathy Park Duck Fried Rice A flavor bomb, but we’re not mad about it. The duck has a nice char to it, and we like the tangy pops of kimchi mixed throughout. photo credit: Cathy Park Sticky Toffee Pudding This is like a warm, moist mug cake we want to try recreating in our microwave. It’s sticky and delicious on its own, but even better once the vanilla ice cream melts into all that toffee sauce." - Cathy Park
