This is probably one of the best, original restaurants in Venice/Marina del Rey. Sure, there’s good Italian (Alejo’s) and Mexican (Lulu’s) and Sushi (Kifune)... but Uncle Darrow’s is something special. It’s not your run of the mill cookie-cutter restaurant. It’s a flavorful experience, a friendly atmosphere, and fresh ingredients.

I first visited Uncle Darrow’s when they were in the ground floor of a house in Vencie Boulevard down in Culver City. The food was good then and it’s even better now.

Their location on Lincoln Boulevard is a nice, “fast food-like” place. Clean. Comfortable. Friendly. But you’re not coming in for the dining room.

You will never have better cajun dish anywhere in Los Angeles. The seafood is fresh and corn-meal-batter fried to light perfection. The red beans and rice are meat-free and a fantastically delicious menu item. I’m a big fan of their catfish—in their supper and Po’ Boys.

If you are up for something new, and want to have a great dining experience that’s not your normal, run of the mill meal run over to Uncle Darrow’s ASAP.

...and it’s good. Cheap. Good food. Cold beer. Lots of parking. And TVs all over the place.

What more do you want?

Ok, this place is a dump. Eventhough, they just painted the outside ( see http://www.yovenice.com ) it’s still a hole in the wall.

And it’s awesome.

Great crowd. Amazing burgers.

Bring a friend, get a pitcher of beer and order 2 burgers.

Don’t ask questions. Just go and do it.

Now!

A nice place with great service that serves local farm-direct and organic foods. Most of the healthy or organic places you go to feature slow service or an icky dining room. But not Axe.

This place is great. An interesting menu with some good variety, a really nice wine list, in a very fun environment.

Be sure to make reservations. This place fills up fast.

Low key. Great wine. Very relaxed. Great menu.

This place is really very good. The menu is light. The dishes are all prepared with very fresh ingredients. On more than one occasion we got there a bit on the late side and they were out of the items that you’d hope were flown in fresh.. :-)

Ask the wait staff for suggestions on wine pairings.

The food here is pretty good. Nothing too crazy, extravagant, or out of the ordinary… pretty standard stuff.

I recommend coming by for Happy Hour. Large Kirin beers and lots of sushi for not a lot of $$. Great service. Always consistently good. And a perfect location around the corner from my office. :)

It can get a tad crowded on weekend nights… especially when the cool kids come down to eat and James Beach is packed.

This place is fantastic. The sushi dishes are amazing. I recommend the yellow tail with jalapeño. It’s very “Nobu”—but somehow better.

If you’re in the mood for more of an “authentic” Japanese dining experience, I’d recommend Shima. No scene. Very nice. And extremely good.

Not fancy. Not romantic. Not trendy.

But my favourite sushi spot in Venice. The food is great. Service is speedy. Wait staff is nice. The price is right.

I recommend eating at the sushi bar. Roll in after 8p on a week night and sit at the corner. Great way to meet your neighbors and have a good time with the chef.