Influencers left in tears after Hollywood restaurant suddenly shutters

The Queen is dead. A popular West Hollywood restaurant and influencer mecca is closing its doors after five years in business. Queen Violet, an Asian fusion restaurant, announced the closure in a sign posted to its door this week. “To Our Queen Violet Family,” the sign reads. “Thank you for your love and support over … Read more

Woman wrangles ibis out of bustling Sydney restaurant in chaotic scene

Woman wrangles ibis out of bustling Sydney restaurant in chaotic scene

Diners at a busy restaurant in Sydney’s northwest were treated to a bit of a spectacle on the weekend when a woman stepped up to deal with a wayward bird that had made its way inside. In footage shared on social media, the woman, named Alice, can be seen calmly approaching the ibis, which is … Read more

Shake Shack customer alleges restaurant raised prices on food after selecting ‘no tip’ on a self-pay kiosk

Shake Shack customer alleges restaurant raised prices on food after selecting ‘no tip’ on a self-pay kiosk

They thought it was a real Shake-down. Just in case guilt tipping wasn’t already running amok. An incensed customer has accused Shake Shack of raising the prices on their order after they didn’t leave a gratuity at the self-checkout kiosk. “My wife says that if you don’t tip at Shake Shack, they make it more … Read more

Popular chain restaurant pisses off customers for going cashless: ‘I’ll never eat there again’

Popular chain restaurant pisses off customers for going cashless: ‘I’ll never eat there again’

Your wings are going digital. Another Wingstop location supposedly just took cash off its menu as the chain pushes for cashless stores — and customers are outraged over it. The move toward contactless payment started in 2022, when Wingstop rolled out its first “restaurant of the future.” The prototype was in Dallas, Texas and smaller … Read more

How a $675-per-meal Michelin-star restaurant earned the lowest score on food safety inspections

How a 5-per-meal Michelin-star restaurant earned the lowest score on food safety inspections

They’re cleaning up their act. A restaurant that has been awarded one of the culinary industry’s highest honors is fighting its way back from a one-star hygiene rating. In 2022, Ynyshir Restaurant near Machynlleth became the first restaurant in Wales to receive a two-Michelin-star rating. Ynyshir is famed for its 30-course tasting menu that highlights … Read more

 This revamp is the best restaurant in NYC for top floor dining — almost as good as Windows on the World

 This revamp is the best restaurant in NYC for top floor dining — almost as good as Windows on the World

Peak, the 101st-floor restaurant atop 30 Hudson Yards, has reached new heights. Opened by London-based Rhubarb Hospitality just before the pandemic, the eatery never quite hit its stride. Last fall, Tao Group took over as management. After a thoughtful redesign, it reopened as Peak With Priceless at the end of May. It’s now the city’s … Read more

LA’s biggest restaurant week is back with $15 meals and Michelin deals

LA’s biggest restaurant week is back with  meals and Michelin deals

California foodies are about to have 400-plus reasons to skip cooking. LA’s biggest restaurant week is back with $15 meals and Michelin deals, bringing two weeks of discounted prix-fixe menus to more than 400 restaurants across Los Angeles — from neighborhood classics and burger joints to exquisite, acclaimed dining destinations. Dine LA Restaurant Week returns … Read more

SoCal sushi restaurant offers 80-piece eating challenge — and the meal is free if you can pull it off

SoCal sushi restaurant offers 80-piece eating challenge — and the meal is free if you can pull it off

Think you’ve got an appetite big enough to sink a sushi boat? A Southern California restaurant is serving up a colossal 80-piece sushi challenge that has social media stars lining up for viral glory.  One competitive eater made it look ridiculously easy. Most food challenges are designed so the majority of participants fail. Instagram/sake2me_chino Illustration … Read more

LA restaurant carnage claims 8 beloved eateries — including a celeb hotspot

LA restaurant carnage claims 8 beloved eateries — including a celeb hotspot

Los Angeles’ restaurant scene is getting cooked. A brutal wave of closures has swept across the city this summer, knocking out everything from decades-old celebrity haunts and chef-driven institutions to buzzy newbies that barely survived a year. At least eight notable restaurants closed or temporarily shuttered between May and late July, with the latest casualty … Read more

Chicken wing prices are down —but your favorite restaurant may not cut costs

Chicken wing prices are down —but your favorite restaurant may not cut costs

It’s National Chicken Wing Day, and fans of one of America’s most iconic foods have reason to celebrate: Wing prices have fallen after years of soaring costs. Wholesale whole wing prices are down from a year ago. There’s also a steady supply available, according to a July market trend report published by Performance Foodservice. It’s likely chicken … Read more

Baby back booths: Chili’s brings back its iconic retro look in restaurant redesign

Baby back booths: Chili’s brings back its iconic retro look in restaurant redesign

Baby Back Ribs made Chili’s famous. Now, it’s the baby back booths making a comeback. The iconic casual dining chain is serving up a hefty side of nostalgia this year, rolling out a retro-inspired glow-up that revives the signature red booths, colorful décor and quirky details that made Chili’s a ’90s dining institution. The nationwide … Read more

Legendary Beverly Hills restaurant suddenly shutters after 30-year run — as celeb clients demand answers

Legendary Beverly Hills restaurant suddenly shutters after 30-year run — as celeb clients demand answers

Beverly Hills is losing one of its legendary celebrity hot spots in a few days — and fans on social media are completely heartbroken. Crustacean, the glitzy Asian fusion restaurant famous for its top secret garlic noodle recipe and a koi fish aquarium walkway, is leaving its longtime Santa Monica Boulevard and Bedford Drive location … Read more

Beloved SoCal restaurant serving iconic California cocktail to close after 50 years

Beloved SoCal restaurant serving iconic California cocktail to close after 50 years

An iconic harbor restaurant In Orange County has promised to share the recipe for its signature mai tai before closing their doors for good after a half century. Located in Dana Point Harbor, the Wind & Sea restaurant has been serving guests since Bob Mardian opened the doors in 1972 at just 24 years old, … Read more

Popular upscale Asian restaurant known for its dumplings to open inside OC mall

Popular upscale Asian restaurant known for its dumplings to open inside OC mall

One of the world’s most beloved Asian restaurant chains is expanding in Southern California, with a massive new Orange County location set to open next month — bringing hundreds of jobs with it. Din Tai Fung announced Friday that its newest restaurant will debut at 1401 Brea Mall Lane in Brea on Aug. 31, following … Read more

Health officials issue dire warning to unsuspecting restaurant guests possibly exposed to rabies

Health officials issue dire warning to unsuspecting restaurant guests possibly exposed to rabies

Lunch with a side of rabid bat. A rabid bat landed on a munching family’s table at a San Diego deli restaurant this past Sunday. San Diego public health officials are concerned, issuing a notice to anyone who may have touched the bat that they are at risk of contracting rabies and should call their … Read more

NYC’s new hardest-to-get restaurant reservations all have one thing in common

NYC’s new hardest-to-get restaurant reservations all have one thing in common

Forget Japanese omakase, haute Korean set menus and trendy steakhouses. The city’s hardest-to-get restaurant reservations all have one thing in common — they’re Indian. And they’re all terrific. The Subcontinent’s kaleidoscopic, spice-drenched flavors are here at higher quality and in greater variety — from the rich curries of the north to the delicate dosas of … Read more

Best fast food restaurant crowned in new national ranking — and it’s from California

Best fast food restaurant crowned in new national ranking — and it’s from California

They’re the leaders of the fast food nation. The best fast food in the US is not served at Burger King or other big-name chains. Instead, that high-octane honor goes to a Golden State grease depot many outsiders haven’t heard of — Tex-Mex chain Del Taco. At least, that’s the verdict rendered by USA Today’s … Read more

1975 Los Angeles restaurant guide is a trip down memory lane with prices from a bygone era

1975 Los Angeles restaurant guide is a trip down memory lane with prices from a bygone era

Forget $20 cocktails. In 1975 Los Angeles, that much cash could buy chateaubriand for two at the Brown Derby, two coffees — and still leave $2 in your pocket. Redditors ate it up this week when one user cracked open a vintage copy of “The Menu Guide of Los Angeles,” revealing the wildly cheap-looking prices once … Read more

Cracker Barrel closing remaining locations of sister restaurant as food chain restructures

Cracker Barrel closing remaining locations of sister restaurant as food chain restructures

Cracker Barrel is selling restaurant properties and exiting its Maple Street Biscuit Company business as it works to cut debt and improve profits. The Southern country-themed chain said Monday it sold the Maple Street brand and assets tied to 35 locations to Biscuit Belly LLC. Cracker Barrel will close the remaining 16 Maple Street restaurants. … Read more

Bat with rabies found near San Diego zoo’s restaurant sparks ‘extremely serious’ urgent warning

Bat with rabies found near San Diego zoo’s restaurant sparks ‘extremely serious’ urgent warning

Visitors to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are being urged to come forward if they had contact with a wild bat after the animal tested positive for rabies. A deceased wild bat was recovered outside the Oasis on the Rocks restaurant on July 11. It later tested positive for rabies, according to the San Diego Zoo … Read more