The Wilkes Brentwood

UPDATE: not only are they a TERRIBLE restaurant, but they’re CRIMINALS!!!!!!!!! Our bill was $209, or $229 AFTER tax.. My fiance tipped 20% which should have been charged at $250, or $275 MAX at 20% if the 20% was covering after tax…… HIS CREDIT CARD WAS CHARGED $372.16 ??????????? How many people have they done this to & at their other locations!???????!!!!!!! CHECK YOUR BILLS PEOPLE! Original review: Wish I could give The Wilkes (sadly), 0 stars. This was one of my most anticipated restaurants.. However, it missed the mark on every single dish. I left extremely disappointed by one of the worst meals I’ve had in a long time. From the first step in, it smelt like I walked into somebody’s cabin airbnb in Big Bear.. It smelt so old, I didn’t even know the restaurant was new.. cries! We ordered the molasses bread & it came stale & cold in the middle with a weird grainy flavor. & When I used the “butter,” I actually forgot that it was butter. The texture & flavors were like apple sauce.. I had to go back to the menu to remember what it was.. I ALWAYS SAY, if the bread is good.. the food is good.. & The opposite was true here tonight. As a bone marrow lover, I was SOOOOO excited. I drove 45 minutes to come here- & the bone marrow was a huge motivator. However, yet, another let down.. I could physically SEE the bone on my plate, but I only got bacon & caramelized onions in my mouth.. If you’re a bone marrow lover, & you’re looking forward to a night out & ordering bone marrow, this will not itch the scratch. I might understand that MAYBE, they’re trying to appeal to people who don’t usually like bone marrow.. BUT, those people would not be ordering bone marrow. Who will be? People who LOVE bone marrow.. & This, this was just not bone marrow… It was bacon & caramelized onions. The bone marrow was totally reduced down to an oil.. There was no melty gelatinous yummy bone marrow goodness .. For the entrees we got the chicken schnitzel & flat iron steak.. The chicken schnitzel came out PIPING HOT- which, from watching Kitchen Nightmares.. Gordon Ramsay has said when something is THAT hot, it was probably microwaved.. I didn’t want to believe it.. but the outter breading was not crispy or crunchy AT ALL. It was soggy & soft. Honestly, now I do believe it was microwaved. The steak was bland on the inside (the meat) & the outside was over seasoned. On top of that, many pieces were so chewy & tendon-y, I had to spit it out because it started to chew like gum in my mouth. I couldn’t break it up. The side of carrots were very mid & undercooked. Likewise, the creamed spinach was also a huge let down. I’m also a huge creamed spinach fan, but there was nothing creamy about this dish. It tasted more like steamed spinach with garlic, which is fine but just not what I love or look forward to when I order creamed spinach. I didn’t even want dessert I was so turned off. I just wanted to go home & cry about the price I paid for one of the worst meals of my life. Service, however, was friendly.

As a big fan of Violet and the old Brentwood, I was excited to try Wilkes. (Owner of Violet opened in the old Brentwood space). They did a great job with the space. Kept all of charm of the space and did so with a huge overall upgrade and expansion. On top of a great space, the food is amazing, as expected. I had the Tweed Salad and the Latke Chicken Schnitzel, both of which were awesome and very filling. I also had the pub fries, which were good but I still love the ones at Violet more. I don't get how those are so good. TLDR: This will become the go to place in Brentwood so make a reservation early.

We looked forward to going to this place as reservations were hard to come by and I heard of this place on Instagram. It was underwhelming and honestly disappointing. I understand their policy on getting the whole order taken at once but I felt a little rushed with it. Seemingly a quiet night when we were there and the wait staff was just standing around, I felt like there wasn’t that sense of urgency that the whole order needed to be in. We got the bread and butter which tasted worse the more we had it. Steak was lacking flavor and any uniqueness. Mashed potato’s and mushrooms were just okay, honestly star of the show was the cappuccinos and there wasn’t even latte art. We decided to not come here again nor to recommend to anyone.

Thank you, Chloe and Dana, for letting us know about this wonderful place, near home. Our new favorite dining experience away from home. Happy new year!

One of the worst meals I've I had in a while. Had such high hopes because of all of the hype of this place. The food was such a miss I don't understand how they charge such prices with food like this. I ordered the bread it came out hot on the outside and cold in the middle. They definitely have it in the fridge or frozen and heat it up per order it was not fresh. The butter tasted like an applesauce was very odd. I ordered two bone marrows this dish was the only thing that was decent but my guest had a bone that was so shallow and had only bacon and onions on it they melted all of the marrow off. For the entrees we ordered chicken schnitzel that was $40+ for a chicken that was soggy way too hot as if it was microwaved. Horrible. The skirt steak was over salted and tough with muscle fibers in it making inedible. I was disappointed in this I didn't get dessert. The server was good and the ambiance was very dark and smelled slightly like old clothes. I would never come back unfortunately. The server kept asking if everything was okay how do you tell them that the whole meal was bad? I don't know but hopefully this helps. If they don't make changes fast I don't see this place staying open for very long too many good steak houses in LA.

This is the Americana gem that Brentwood needed. Delicious food, impeccable service, and a great vibe. Will definitely be coming back soon!

I had the BEST experience at The Wilkes! The food, staff and atmosphere exceeded my expectations. Everything was phenomenal and it was the perfect night out. The best addition to Brentwood. Visit for a good time and excellent food!

Such an amazing addition to the Brentwood neighborhood! Impeccable ambiance and delicious/creative cocktails. Best Negroni we have had in a long time.

Glad to have Wilkes in the neighborhood! Had dinner last night for the first time. The short ribs were delicious. I also tried the chicken, which was also amazing. We are looking forward to returning! Welcome to Brentwood, Dana!

The hype was real, upscale Americana with old school vibes. Short Rib: stand-out favorite, falls apart at the touch of a fork and pairs perfectly with the mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. Chicken Schnitzel: close second to the short rib, with a latke breading and apple compote that takes it to the next level. Mushrooms: I don't even like mushrooms... or so I thought. Tried one bite and went back for more. Bone Marrow: I don't have words to describe how good this is. Smokey, sweet, and indulgent. Trust me, it's incredible. Shout out to Alison (our server) along with Chef Rigsby and the kitchen staff who all clearly know how to make a solid first impression.

This restaurant location is a longtime staple in Brentwood, so its wonderful to have this new superb restaurant arrive. Have been a longtime customer of Violet in Westwood. Service was great, atmosphere is old school classic and well done for Brentwood. They could use some more moderate priced items on the menu. Need healthier option of dishes! the chicken dish is fried, so hard to have a non-beef healthy dish. Fish and Chips are also fried. Who wants to eat in GMO seed oil? not me. Definitely needs a fish special option. Constructive feedback,the Mussels appetizer is too small a portion. They need to have a good tomato ketchup for fries, Black Ketchup?? umm seriously? cmon chef, please design a menu for normal people, not yourself. what they have isn't good for everyone. Also, confused why they do not have a good burger option. really? Hope people enjoy and it becomes a regular. restaurants need our support in this era. Also, a little later hours for thurs-Sat nights, keep bar open till midnight. On Scout T's review. 2 stars because of how a steak was not medium rare enough? for a brand new restaurant? Shaking my head. talk about being a bad yelper! he has no reviews. but now on a brand new spot that is in training and barely open he has to slam them. Go back to NYC.

Was back in LA for the holidays visiting family and we went out to eat here and let me tell you, this is one of the best restaurants I've eaten at in a long time. My family and I like to order across the menu to try as many dishes as possible, and everything was unreal. Additionally, the pics don't do the atmosphere justice - such a cool vibe in there. Bring a date, bring your friends, bring your family, bring your cousins teacher, just go. If you're debating going here, trust me.... just do it and thank me later.

Too expensive, really noisy, nothing inspiring on the menu,$90 for steak with no sides give me a break.

I had almost the exact same experience as Scout T., which makes me think the steak issues aren't a one-off. We ordered two steaks (about $90 each) with a table bill around $500. Both steaks arrived cold, never a great start at a steakhouse, and they came out five minutes apart with the cooking instructions mixed up. I get that this is a new restaurant and everyone wants to offer some grace while they find their footing. But when you're treating a friend for her birthday and paying premium prices, the basics really matter: hot food, correct temps, and dishes arriving at the same time. None of this is advanced theory. And poor Scout T. they expressed completely valid frustrations, yet another reviewer told them to "go back to NYC." So I sincerely hope that sharing my own honest concerns won't inspire someone to try to uproot me from California too. The space is beautiful and the concept has real potential, but the kitchen and service need to tighten up if the experience is going to reflect the price point. Since the restaurant says they welcome constructive feedback, here's mine: train the servers to deliver hospitality that is truly genuine, and serve food the way they would accept it at this price point or at any price point, for that matter. Nobody wants to pay $500 for a cold, sad meal.

THE FOOD + SERVICE + HOSPITALITY we're intentionally superb! We will be enjoying weekly meals with friends and family for years to come for sure! Excellent Local Restaurant

Super disappointed. This restaurant is just trying to hard to be clever with their food. It's definitely not a steakhouse! 2 steak options, and neither is exceptional for the cost. The caesar salad and wedge salad were both disappointments. Again, moving away from the traditional to something not at all meeting expectations. The wedge had little blue cheese, and a very strong and overpowering vinegar flavor. The Molasses bread with date butter is a gimmick and would work well as a roll in a bread basket with other offerings like sourdough or pretzel bread. Please don't get me started on "black ketchup" for the pub fries. YUK! The rack of lamb was tasty, but unsubstantial in portion size. 4 thin bones for $50. Sodas and ice teas for the kids were very expensive and not refillable. Also, the ice tea is thyme flavored which is not good. Again, trying to be too clever. Total rip off. It was my mother's 79th birthday and they didn't even have the curtosy to comp a decent dessert with a candle, and instead brought a few mini chocolate bites for the table. So lame! The bill with 20% tip (pre-included for a party of 5) was over $600 with no desserts or coffee. The service was painfully slow, but i expected that having been open only 3 weeks. The ambiance is dark and sexy and very very LOUD! You'll likely see some celebs; we saw 3 last night. I'm going to have to take a hard pass on going back again. There are just too many great restaurants with fantastic food, cool vibe, and service/ hospitality that makes you feel like a king or queen. This place just doesn't do any of those things.

Beautifully designed and welcoming space--has a buzz without being too noisy. The big booths in the dining room make me want to have one at home! A wedge salad isn't something I usually pick, but it was impeccably assembled so that every bit seemed to have all of the flavors--particularly enjoyed the crispy prosciutto. We shared both the pork chop and the Wagyu strip steak and both came out perfectly to order. Sides were incredibly creamy mashed potatoes and the mushroom au poivre which so tasty and unique--I could have had two of them as a main. The latke chicken schnitzel looked amazing so we'll have to get back for that. It was a preview week, but you never would have known with the staff, in particular Butch who was very attentive without hovering.

We visited on Saturday and had an exceptional dinner. A huge part of that was thanks to our waitress, Shyer, who was not only knowledgeable but also truly thoughtful with her recommendations. She guided us to the wedge salad, the Wagyu steak, the short ribs, and the incredible lemon meringue pie--each one delicious. Her attentive service and great taste elevated our entire experience. We'll absolutely be returning and recommending this place to friends.

The Wilkes Brentwood has a great overall buzz. The main dining room is lively, and the back room, where we were seated, was quieter and more intimate while still feeling connected to the energy of the restaurant. Service was friendly and attentive, and even with a new menu, our server handled questions well. The Caesar salad, mussels, and sides were all strong. The chicken schnitzel was excellent. The issue was the steaks, and at a steakhouse, that's the part that has to be executed perfectly. We ordered two wagyu steaks: one rare and one medium rare. The medium rare steak was cooked correctly. The steak that was supposed to be rare arrived medium well/well done. When we asked about it, the server insisted the medium rare steak was the rare order and the medium well steak was the medium rare. This was clearly incorrect, especially because the accompaniments for the two orders were different, making it obvious the rare order was over cooked. It put us in a difficult position. Our guest didn't feel comfortable sending the steak back and didn't eat it. Unfortunate handling of the situation because rather than just one steak being messed up, shifting it made both steaks wrong. Excellent service and strong sides helped, but a steakhouse mishandling its steaks undermines the entire experience.

So happy to have this location open again! The decor is well thought out with two rooms giving diners both an intimate and lively feel. The food was so good! The pork chop was perfectly cooked and presented off the bone with apple and cabbage...yum! Sides were great...carrots, fried cauliflower to die for. Wine list is fantastic. We will definitely make this our neighborhood go to.