Prado
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
31 reviews
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
"The best comfort food in the city. Seriously. And yes, the fried chicken and meatloaf and cobbler really are that good. So are the crab…" read more »
32 Reviews for Prado
The food is excellent. I love Caribbean food and this place really impressed me. Cha-Cha-Cha's is also good but this place takes it to another level. Really authentic tasty menu. The baby empanadas with jerk dipping sauce is the perfect appetizer. I could dip anything in this jerk sauce. Just the right amount of sweet plus kick. The Jamaican tamales and Paella were also really really good. The food at this place is definitely 5 stars, no doubt. The mojitos were too sweet. I am a little bit jaded when it comes to mojito's. When you have had a mojito at Xiomara then its hard to compare. A nice quaint little place with good service. Great Caribbean food. If i lived closer I would eat here once a week.
I love this place. I've lived in the neighborhood for ten years, four of them divorced and they are the ONLY people who never approach me and say, "Are you ALONE?" when in fact I AM and I'm not too happy about it. It's always a very gentle "Table for one?" even though I always eat there by myself and I and the staff know it. Which leads to say that they could not be friendlier and the food more consistently good. My favorite is the warm chicken tostada salad. It never fails me although you can't go wrong with the corn tamales or the crab cakes for that matter.
The desserts, oh the desserts. Red Velvet Cake, Apple Tartin (served hot with vanilla ice-cream) chocolate cake, carrot cake, cheese cake...somebody stop me before I become diabetic!! . When it comes time for dessert, they wheel this lovely wooden cart over with samples of each one resting on a tray. It's always so hard for me to decide which one to get and I know that one day I'm going to tell them, "If you don't mind, leave the cart here and just bring a fork and a glass of milk."
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There are many restaurants on Larchmont but not many that have good food, good service, an interesting menu, and available seating any time I go....in fact I venture to say Prado is the only one that fits all of these. it's definitely a neighborhood treasure and a great place to take friends to show off your ability to find hidden gems.
They say its "carribean food"....but most people including myself have no idea what that means. Just know that you can get enchiladas, chicken, paella, and crab cakes along with a crazy idea for dish called Pasta and Salad which is delicious gnocchi on a bed of salad. Sounds strange but its delish.
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OK, the big 100th review. Why not Prado? In fact, why not Prado is a sorta appropriate mantra because Prado is good. It's just a little hard to explain. And this town likes a good log-line. Something to sink yr teeth into, sts. Well, Caribbean is the genre, according to the nice distinquished-lookin gent who had to be the owner or co-owner.
It's a little familiar with some dishes (crab cakes, paella, pastas), yet mixed up in a way that refreshes. Good quality food, reasonably priced. Got steered to some Spanish wine (I think), which tasted better than the local Chard. Nice server lady volunteered we taste a couple wines before choosing. Schweet.
And that note, dessert is worth it. Had been told the apple tart is soo me, so I went for that and loved it.
This place always seems like an afterthought. It doesn't look crowded, and proly could stand for a bit more traffic. But it's been thriving for the couple years I've been in LA. Glad to have finally visited, and hope to remember to come back again soon!
This is by far the best restaurant on the boulevard. I have been going here for years and have never had a meal that I didn't enjoy. The service is excellent and for lunch there is almost never a wait.
The food is always fresh and seasonal. The sweet corn tamales are delicious as are the grilled shrimp. The salads are excellent as well. My favorite thing to order is the Prado Sampler because it offers a little but of everything.
All the food here is fresh, flavorful, and consistent. It's great for either lunch or dinner. They also cater, which is something to keep in mind the next time you are throwing a party!
Lovely friends took me here for a bithday treat, but I'll try to be as objective as possible regarding the food.
Louisiana Crab Cakes - 4.5 star
Jamaican Tamales- 4 star
Caribbean Cobb Salad- 3 star
Carioca Chicken - 4 star
Grilled lime chicken - 2 star (was bland)
Seafood Paella (a special) - 2 star. Was good but more like seafood friedrice/ non creamy risotto, but then again I've only had paella in spain.
Free bread- 3 star
Sangria- I'm no pro with Sangria's, so can't compare to anything else but it was average.
Total: 3.5 star
I don't know how authentic this place is, but definitely worth trying, especially the Carioca Chicken (grilled chicken with mango, garlic and caribbean spices). I was definitely impressed with the infused flavors.
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This place definitely has a romantic vibe to it
It is suitable for the following
-Europeans (saw two older French men enjoying dinner together - deep in conversation)
-Lovers/Couples
-People who like to Travel
-Small Groups of Friends/Family 5-6
The ambiance has an old world charm, rustic, quaint, & cozy.
It was not packed on a Friday night - needless to say, we were promptly seated. Restaurant is fairly small & quiet - if you want privacy, this is the restaurant to go to.
The service is efficient & attentive.
Now on to the food...
My server suggested the Latin Sampler
and my friend got the Pasta Prado with fusili pasta.
I did not enjoy the Latin Sampler - it was too salty.
The steak, the chicken, the shrimp - all of them were burnt, very citrusy and salty - and nothing really offset these strong flavors such as the rice - the rice was overcooked - too puffy- and salty as well?!
The pasta dish was the hit.
It was not oily at all and I liked that the dish came with grated parmesan cheese in a small dish for you to pour on the pasta yourself- it was loaded with fresh chopped veggies and a nice chargrilled chicken breast cut into thick slices. Yummers.
The merlot was good. The bread was fresh and warm.
I was feeling dissatisfied with my entree so I didn't want to have my dessert here so we left...
I can't say anything great about this place.
It was an okay restaurant with good service with pretty good food.
I don't think I'd come here again though. I had a pleasant time but nothing to write yelp (home) about.
Posted photos for y'all =)
this place is awesome. They have amazing Carribean food and the staff is attentive. Larchmont is such a hit or miss, and at times, can be super-pretentious (obviously less so than its mean cousin, Robertson Blvd), but Prado always leaves me satisfied. And full. And really reallyhappy.
Try their Polo Negro- their jerk sauce is to die for. Literally.
My first choice for lunch on Larchmont. I get the pasta with salad. It's actually gnocchi in cream sauce, and the salad has generous amounts of avocado.
Had dinner here tonight and I have to say it was good. It's always hard with a restaurant because so many things can affect your perception of the place. A lot of people seem to be commenting on ambiance. I had dinner with a friend here and I had a good time and the restaurant IS nice inside.
I have to say though, as objectively as I can, my meal was good. Real good. I think people get a little crazy with the five stars around here. They start handing them out like bread loaves at a soup kitchen. A five star hotel is a place you stay that makes you want to not go home to your wife and kids. A five star meal is a dinner that makes you want to cut out your tongue afterwards so you don't have to suffer a mediocre meal ever again.
This place is a solid four. You won't be amazed but you certainly won't be disappointed...unless you are a jerk off.
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I am so grateful to live close to Prado. I actually came here back-to-back nights. Once for dinner and once for appetizers and drinks. First of all, it's in the lovely Larchmont Village stretch of Los Angeles. Second of all, it's hands down one of the best Caribbean joints I have frequented. Third of all the servers and hostesses are super friendly. Fourth of all the wine list is quite nice. I have had empanades, the pollo negro, and the corn chowder (yeah, I said chowdah). If you like this unique fusion of food, you'll love the ambiance and the neighborhood. The prices are attractive, too. Plus, my waiter remembered me from the night before. But then again, I am a handsome devil.
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Eh.
That single word encapsulates my entire Prado experience. The food is just average in my book, and I respectfully offer my dissent to Amy S. about the crabcakes, which would be more appropriately named overfried-crab-flavored-breadstuff. (In reviewing my log of food photos, I had titled the picture "Bad Crabcakes, Good Tartar Sauce." It's true, I'm afraid.)
Though a beautiful feast for the eyes with their riot of colors, the entrees left much to be desired. My companion had the half chicken with curry while I sampled the special of the night, scallops with tropical fruit chutney. When our respective dinners arrived, I was taken aback to see some sort of stew-y gloop on my plate. Unfortunately it didn't taste any better than it looked.
The mango/pineapple "chutney" was saucey and tooth-achingly sweet. Scallops were a bit too well done, rendering them rubbery morsels which needed to be thoroughly chewed. Black beans and rice were standard issue, grilled vegetable confetti was at least palatable, and the red cabbage slaw was a pretty purple but entirely unremarkable. I had given up by the time I half-heartedly reached the nuggets of soggy fried plantain.
My partner's chicken did not win any raves either. The curry was a gelatinous mass atop the curiously burnt meat. After dubiously poking the quivering jelly, I tasted the underspiced curry and dry stringy chicken with reservations. Alas, no redemption here.
Do we want dessert? No thanks, just the check and our sad, underwhelmed taste buds to go, please.
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Mmmmm...Gnocchi.
I've been here a couple times, and each time the food has been excellent. We always order a pitcher of the sangria, and I would highly recommend the special seafood jambalaya (off menu) or the gnocchi/salad combo. The dishes are a bit pricey, but it's a nice place to go to have a romantic dinner or to take a couple of close friends.
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Came here for lunch with my former boss and former co-worker. I heard a lot of good stuff about it so I was pretty excited.
I got the petite sampler which comes with Camarone Negros (black pepper shrimp, similiar to jamaican shrimp), Jamaican Tamale (sweet corn tamale) and Louisiana Crab Cake. It was a good sampler as I got to try a little of everything. I also ordered a side of plantains. The food was delicious. However, I didn't care too much for the crab cake since it was kinda dry and had a burnt flavor. The corn in the tamale was so sweet and fresh. The tomatillo sauce had the right amount of spice. The shrimp came on a bed of seasoned rice. The black pepper sauce was delicious and it had the right amount of spice. The starter bread was also very good.
Yum!
Good food + mediocre service. Nice selection of dishes, and sampler appetizer and plates that are wonderful for first timers. I had the Prado sampler and appetizer salad (hardly appetizer size. Big.) and shared with a friend, and we got so full- Had a glass of wine and got buzzed @_@
A good casual dining place for friends- Highly recommend-
Yummm!
I went to Prado's for the first time the other day after hearing raves from a bunch of my coworkers. They were right on the money, because everything I sampled here was deeeeelish! I am a whore for crab cakes, and theirs did NOT disappoint. Perfect seasoning and texture, and I'm picky about such things. The beans and rice were tasty as well, as was the brown-sugar-and-butter plantain I saved for last.
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came here with a couple of friends for dinner on a saturday night. all of the service staff was super nice and attentive, although it was raining that evening and the place was pretty quiet. the food was absolutely delicious, not at all greasy like my other forays into caribbean cuisine. we ordered the cajun shrimp pizza, the prado sampler plate, the corn chowder, the curry chicken salad and the apple dessert, shared among three people. all of the dishes were well seasoned, and not too heavy. also, we stayed at the restaurant FOR-EV-ER after our meal, just talking and the waitstaff didn't give us the evil eye.
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I love this place -- I almost always get the mango scallops special. Sometimes I splurge and get the lamb chops special. It's my favorite restaurant on Larchmont, if not in L.A. (in this price range). Service is decent, atmosphere is average, but the taste of the food really trumps everything else.
WOW! I have to say, i don't really know much about what's authentic when it comes to Caribbean cuisine, but this has never failed its test... This is located in the cute village of Larchmont, (thankfully, it is only 5 mins driving distance from me) with plenty of parking...and i mean PUH LENNNNNNNNTY! try to avoid rush hour, which is standard for any given time.. you can enjoy a fine meal and stroll down the cute street and stop by for coffee, or whatever to end your evening.. it's quite cozy...
The minute you get into this place, you are wowed by the artwork that surrounds it's environment... You will be awed with the mural of a blue sky with an angel on the ceiling, with a speck of peaceful classical music to enjoy your meal.. Yes, great date place. hahaha...
Great garlic bread (no need to order, it comes as soon as you make yourself at home).. i swear,i get 2 portions of it, enough to ruin my meal, but i still have room for more ... i haven't tried much, and i still order what i fell in love with. order the pasta and salad, yea, that's what it is called... the gnocchi cheese.. mm mmm!!! it's a bit cheesy but if you love cheese like i do, you can't go wrong...
ta~da!
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More jerk chicken, salmon salad and corn tamales please!!!!!!!
I have never been in the restaurant but I order it for delivery all the time. Probably 2-3 times per month. The food always hits the spot. I dont deviate much from my favorite items so I cant speak for the rest of the menu. They deliver it with rice and black beans.
Everyone I share the food with loves it and I have not heard anything negative from these folks just lots of good stuff.
Prado is an incredibly nice and easy restaurant. I have gone here for years and I always try something new. It's a nice place to go with those you love, and can be romantic. The food is always good, the service is always good and the prices are always good.
Very good... I was looking for a new delivery place around where I live in Hancock Park. After reading a new reviews, I ordered and everything was great. They were quick and everything tasted great. Nice flavors.
I've got to eat in sometime. I'm sure it's better.
I pretty much live on Larchmont. Been to every restaurant on this street at least 3 times. Prado is kinda like an upscale Cha Cha Cha. Food is pretty good here but the service isn't so great. They wouldn't let my wine buddy and I in for dessert and wine because they didn't want us bringing in our own wine. So we decided to go to Louise's instead. Got happy after drinking 3 bottles of wine and forgot about the mean Prado people.
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I don't go to Larchmont nearly as often as I'd like; everytime I drive past it, I'm reminded of how much I like it, but I never remember it when thinking of places to go. Which is unfortunate, because this is such a great, unassuming restaurant with the best grilled vegetable salad - no, the best salad EVER - with potatoes, corn, peppers, and squash, and grill marks (critical). I think there's also very good meaty Caribbean food and you can get salads with meat if you're feeling carnivoral, but I always get the grilled vegetable salad. Mmm, salad...
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Nice ambience.
My cousin and I decided to try it out when all the other restos were deserted on a Sunday night. (Question, why is that the case in Larchmont? They close really early.)
I ordered the Argentina beef steak and my cousin ordered the capellini with red sauce. The steak was a bit tough although it was flavorful. The pasta was so-so.
The bread that they served though was nice and warm.
Great place to people watch. When we were there, the other table was occupied by that guy from Numb3rs, Charlie and Caroline Rea was holding court outside.
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Yummy, yummy in my tummy, tummy!!!
Please come here for Caribbean food. I went here for lunch today for the first time, and I am definitely going to come back. I don't know if you have the same options on the dinner menu, but they have these sampler items, which allow you to try a combination of different dishes off their menu. I literally wanted to try each of them, but on this visit I finally decided to go with the Latin Sampler, which had a negro shrimp, cariaco chicken, and some steak something or other. It was really tasty and just soooo much food. I mean, I really shouldn't have eaten dinner tonight because it got me so full, but dinner was so good tonight too I had to eat it. Remember my profile says, "I love to eat," and it is simply the truth.
Anyhow, come here. If not for the food, then at least come for a drink. They are good also. They have a mojito, which they make with sake instead of rum, and it's excellent. Their sangria is also pitcher-worthy, so make sure you come with many friends and order one of those also or just have it all to yourself ;)
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I tried out this Carribean restaurant on Larchmont for the first time last weekend. My goal is to try all the restaurants on Larchmont. hehe.
anyways, they have sangria here....yay! For food, I had the Latin sampler with the black shrimps, cariaco chicken, and steak. The shrimps were the best...a black spicy sauce. Too bad there were only like 3 of them. The steak came in a tasty sauce, but was a little too cooked for me ( and i ordered medium rare). Oh, and they also give you this garlicky spread with bread at the beginning. I believe it's chimichurri sauce?
The place is cute and cozy. and prices not bad...i think most entress less than $20. I give it 3 stars because although it was good, it wasn't spectacular and I'm not dying to go back.
I always go to Prado's whenever I wanna go out and have a nice dinner but don't want to make a reservation. They have this Caribbean Cobb that has something like 20 ingredients. Okay, maybe 10. I never counted, but it adds up to delicious. My husband likes their pizzas. Our dog likes the rosemary bushes that are planted right outside.
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Actually....5 stars for the atmosphere, 4 stars for food, and 1 star for the young bratty hostess. My pharma rep hubby caters here all the time and the owner Javier is really really really nice. The father and son business is quite a dig. They deliver themselves a lot of times. When we catered for the Christmas party we even got a free chocolate cake. The restaurant's atmosphere: romantic, artistic, and happy at the same time. The ceiling has an interesting art. Our waiter last night was quite friendly although it couldn't have been better when we walked in. The hostness was kind of rude when I asked her to put the cake in the fridge. We ordered the BBQ salad which turned out to be my least favorite at Prado. Its sangria is the best! Do order and refresh your afternoon! Overall I think it's great that the owner is still down to earth even after making a bank and establishing a great reputation.
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Last summer we ritualistically indulged in Prado's margaritas, chicken curry and other salads, mango chicken breast, banana boats, blackened shrimp and plantains. Lunch for two cost $50-$60.
Tiny spot, carib food done well for veggies. Great apple pie, vegie curry, and salads.
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