Venice Room - Review - Monterey Park - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"If you’re not happy with how your steak turned out at Venice Room, blame yourself. That’s because this old-school bar just off the Pomona Freeway lets customers do something most steakhouses wouldn’t dream of: cook their own ribeye right in the dining room. Open since 1955, this Italian-themed bar—complete with gondola paintings on the walls and red leatherette booths—is foremost a great dive, with cheap drinks poured by bartenders in suit vests, a devoted set of regulars that features both ex-bikers and retired cops, and lighting that’s cave-level dim. But everyone who comes here is also familiar with the steaks. Order one and you’re handed a plate of uncooked meat (ribeye or NY strip), a foil-wrapped potato, and a few slices of frozen garlic bread, then directed to the big gas-powered grill in the back dining room, right next to a shelf with every seasoning imaginable and a big pair of metal tongs. The rest is up to you. No one pretends this is the best quality beef in town, but at around $25 for a full steak dinner, a meal at Venice Room is a fun night out that feels fancy and cheap at the same time. Just watch out for burned meat and burned fingers after a couple of whiskey sodas, though—there’s a grill-at-your-own-risk sign posted for a reason." - Garrett Snyder