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I am still a loyal House of Prime Rib patron in SF, but when I’m in Los Angeles and looking for a quick prime rib fix, I head over to Tam O’Shanters.

What I like about this place is that the prime rib comes as a meal and you don’t have to order the sides a la carte (like at Lawry’s – their sister company).

When choosing the soup or the salad, I recommend the Pear and Candied Walnut Salad. The portion is not even half the size of the
House of Prime Rib mega salad, but the presentation is nice with good, quality ingredients.

Can’t lose with either the creamed corn or the creamed spinach. I’ve tried asking for half and half, but they just end up charging you for an extra portion.

As for the prime rib itself, the quality and portion size is the same as what you would find at either Lawry’s or House of Prime Rib. If either or these two requirements were sub-par, I wouldn’t even bother giving them a review. :P

Note: You can ask for more au jus sauce. It’s a little thicker (like gravy) but still tasty.

OK, the chicken here is so good that it’s in the lyrics of some song (I think it’s Beck). The skin is so crispy, the meat is tender and juicy, and it comes with some kind of tasty garlic butter that you can slather on a piece of pita bread to make a mini chicken sandwich.

This is just one of those places that you have to try and see for yourself. If there are at least two of you, then the best deal is to get an entire chicken to split. Chances are, there won’t be any leftovers.

BUT, if chicken is not your cup of tea, then the tri-tip shawerma wrap is an excellent alternative. There’s something in the special sauce that makes it addictive…

This aint the hot pot you went to with you parents back in the day. Not saying it isn’t tasty, but there’s a couple differences:

First off, the atmosphere is different. It looks more like a trendy boba milk tea cafe, than a hot pot restaurant. Which, I guess is fitting, since they also offer a variety of boba drinks with your meal.

Second, everyone gets their own hot pot. It’s not one giant bowl in the middle of the table for everyone to share. Of course, you could share if you wanted to, but I was able to polish off an entire bowl myself, and no one else in the party seemed to have a problem either.

Third, it’s not your standard chicken broth hot pot. Jazz Cat Cafe offers different soups you can choose from such as Spicy Thai, Curry, and Korean Kimchee, Lemon Grass and House Special. It’s kinda like fondue – but for hot pot. Each hot pot of choice comes with a plate of veggies, meats, an egg and a cane of fish paste to add to your soup. (All very tasty – but keep in mind, that means it’s not buffet).

Overall, it was a great experience because the food was good, the decor was nice and … the food was good. I’ll definitely be returning, just not every weekend since it’s a little pricey. Also, I heard there’s live jazz there certain nights, but unfortunately, it wasn’t when I was there.