Alta West Adams

Food and service are A1. I've loved this neighborhood staple since the first time I tried it and I love that it is equally loved by the community.

Great! Highly recommended.

Great food, and enjoyed our seat at the chef's counter getting to watch the action. The fish was superb, and everything we tried was delicious.

We had dinner reservations, and they were ready promptly when we arrived. While they finished getting things set up it was no issue to order our first drinks at the bar. The service was informative and friendly, and made us feel welcome. Would definitely come back again.

Great local spot to add to west Adams, and appreciate their vision and vibe.

I took a friend for a birthday dinner on Sunday! When I made the reservation, I was asked if it was a special occasion and I said yes! Thought she would've gotten a comp dessert! Wrong!

I ate at Alta a year ago and thought it was overpriced then, but wanted to give it another try! The first time I was there, sides were included with each entree! This time all sides were extra! The portions are laughable! My shrimp and grits was served in a shallow dinner salad side bowl! The collard greens side was served in a shallow bowl the size of a saucer!

I don't like to feel that I've been ripped off and will never return to Alta!

Instead, I'll cross the street and have a lovely, reasonably priced meal at Vick's All Day!

Also, this is the second time I had to wait to be seated after making a reservation for 5:30 ( opening time)!

I had been really excited to try this spot!!!

Vibes were immaculate and drinks are very good.

I liked the shrimp and grits and loved the cornbread and honey butter, but I do wish there was a little more soul in their sides.

Service was amazing tho! I was greeted right when I got inside and was immediately served a drink at the bar. Our servers at our table were all great and checked on us numerous of times. I would come back just for that!

Soul food for the soulful bunch! We rented the patio covered with a gorgeous pergola with lights. Perfect ambiance for the gathering of good friends and warm tidings! The restaurant accommodates a prefixed menu with an open bar.

Service was impeccably attentive and friendly. Down to earth locals vibe.

Be sure to check out the huge wall mural on the side of the building! Westside VV!

Alta serves Southern soul food alongside an intriguing drink menu, with many spirits made in-house. On a warm mid-December, we sat on Alta's back patio where heating lamps kept us (maybe a little too) toasty.

Though I would've loved to have tried their fried chicken, Alta doesn't serve the only piece I prefer, chicken breast! I ordered fried fish ($16) instead & was not disappointed. They coat three pieces of rock fish, firm & sufficiently flakey, in a thin layer of cornmeal. I dipped every bite in the accompanying spicy tartar sauce. Enjoyed my side of collard greens ($9) almost as much as the sweet & easy-to-drink Hello, Lemoncello martini ($17.) If I ever find myself back here, I'm going all in & ordering the Teeny Tini Flight which is three 1.5-ounce pours of various featured martinis.

Nice, sassy staff. Cozy digs. Solid comfort food. Or maybe I'm remembering my time at Alta so fondly because of my company at brunch that day.

I'm not a fan and I'll try not to be a hater. Just my opinion here. Everything I tried was just ok. Not terrible but certainly not delicious. The cornbread was good. That's it. Greens, fish, deviled eggs - all just ok. A big no for me was the vegetarian gumbo. My cousin likes it but I'm not a fan.

The ambiance was a bit loud for inside. Cold outside on a chilly LA night.

I will visit again if I'm with a group and they choose this spot, but I'm not choosing to go here again.

I grew up in North Mississippi/Memphis metropolitan area, so I tend to wait until I'm back home or somewhere else in the South to eat traditional Southern soul food. I primarily seek out more innovative interpretations of it in other regions of the country.

Alta West Adams incorporates inspiration from West African and California cuisines into their menu/dining concept, and I love their overall vibe (multiple dining areas on site along with a wine store and mini-bookstore). So, I try to stop by whenever I'm in LA.

On this particular visit, I ordered the fried chicken sandwich and black eyed pea fritters with spicy herb sauce to go, and I bought two cookbooks. The fritters were light and extremely flavorful when dipped in the spicy herb sauce, and the fried chicken sandwich was pure perfection! The restaurant was also closed for a private event at the time of my visit, but they were flexible and agreed to accept a takeout order from me when I told them I was visiting from Vegas. Now, that's truly five star customer service!

Came here for a friends birthday. Parking can be tricky but I got lucky with a spot. They also offer valet. The valet was a bit disorganized as some of the party guests had slight issues with their cars.
We sat in the back patio area which was quite lovely. I was expecting it to be cold but they had enough heaters to make it comfortable. The service was good - they checked in on us enough but not too much were it was annoying. They don't let you get starters without ordering the the entire meal, but they came out really quick. We waited a while for our main entrees after we received the starters. one of our entrees came out a little cold - they kitchen was trying to time everything to come out at the same time.

"If you want to be real technical on the subject, while all soul food is southern food, not all southern food is 'soul.' "-- Bob Jeffries, Chef and Author of Soul Food Cook Book, 1969.

Our visit with relatives was punctuated with an eating experience outside of Asian cuisine at Alta West Adams. I heard about this new and popular soul food restaurant in Los Angeles' West Adams neighborhood and nudged my husband and brother-in-law to join my exploration. Because of this restaurant's popularity and the Holiday timing of the visit, I booked a lunch reservation through the Resy reservation system.

I noticed there wasn't an attached parking lot for this business, so I worried about finding street parking and asked my brother-in-law to do "reconnaissance" since we happened to be at nearby Koreatown the day before our reservation. But, since traffic was already building, we returned home and saved our "Parking 'aumākua" for the next day. On the day of our lunch reservation, we quickly located the restaurant and drove a block away before spotting several open street parking spaces and took the first one closest to the restaurant.

Upon entry, we were met by a tall, welcoming, and well-spoken host, and I think his name was either Richard or Robert, who checked in and seated us with menus in hand right away. We purposely made our reservation after 1 PM but before their 3 PM split shift to avoid the lunch crowd and allow for more street parking availability. Within moments, a cheery yet professional male server, Daniel, stopped to answer our questions about the food and beverage menu items. It took us a few more minutes to decide on our cocktails but not our food items because we had previewed their menu the night before.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE:
-Blackmary Roseberry: I was attracted to this cocktail by its ingredients and its bright, refreshing, and fruity description. Of interest was its Oaxacan Mal Bien Zacate-Limón Mezcal, which I heard was distilled with lemongrass, blackberry, rosemary, lime, blackberry liqueur, ginger-honey syrup. Unfortunately, the mixologist reported that the blackberries hadn't been delivered and asked if I would accept the substitute of cranberries. I didn't hesitate to approve of the substitution because, in my mind, I imagined the flavor combination would evoke the smoked turkey and cranberry sauce that we had on Thanksgiving Day. $17
-Harland Japanese Lager: My husband prefers drinking lagers and pilsners, so this beer's floral, light, and crisp notes were what he ordered. $10
-Deviled Eggs: I think what made this soul food was its creamy and smooth yolk filling seasoned with Dijon mustard(?) instead of horseradish. Well, my taste buds tasted Dijon mustard as the eggs weren't "devilishly" hot when using horseradish. $12
-Black Eyed Pea Fritters with Spicy Herb Sauce: I wasn't sure what these fritters would taste like as my tastebuds and mind wandered off to the Nigerian spicy Accara or Akara tastes or Cuban Bollitos de Carita. I was surprised with the crunchy, deep-fried exterior, which exposed a mildly seasoned and light mashed bean mixture. The spicy herb sauce added a fresh, herbaceous, and fiery punch. $11
-Alta Fried Chicken with Fresno Hot Sauce: Fried chicken... What can I say other than my husband and brother-in-law inhaled these flavorful, tender, and juicy chicken thighs with their crisp, lightly coated crust? The house-made hot sauce was the perfect compliment, although the thighs were so tasty and probably didn't need any condiments. 6/$29
-Oxtails and Rice: I drooled at the mere thought of this dish... more than that, I wanted to compare the flavors and textures with previous experiences at Atlanta's (GA) Twisted Soul Cookhouse and iconic Mary Mac's Tea Room. Here, the oxtails and rice were fantastic, but I'd still say the two Atlanta restaurants' flavors remain firmly in my mind and taste buds. $37
-Mac and Cheese: Ooey gooey and creamy Mac and Cheese! Daniel shared that the "secret ingredient" was cream of mushroom soup. Also, the elbow macaroni had a good texture without being soggy or mushy. $12
-Red Beans and Rice: No comment for this side dish as I didn't taste it. However, my brother-in-law thoroughly enjoyed it as he cleaned the bowl! $8
-Homemade Ice Cream: Banana/coconut ice cream and Chocolate ice cream. Both flavors were refreshing, and the creamy density was similar to gelato--$ 5/scoop.

We'd gladly return for dinner now that we've experienced the comforting flavors and welcoming hospitality of Alta West Adams.