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It's in a strip mall, a pair of corn dogs will set you back $18 — and, at least on the recent weeknight that we visited, it was actually pretty crowded.
BuzzFeed Staff
BuzzFeed Staff
Disclaimer: we, as people, do not support the likes of Tom Sandoval or Tom Schwartz (see here). However, we do support going to get food and drinks on BuzzFeed's dime and letting readers know what this strip-mall bar is really like. And as much as you may hate to admit it, we know you're curious, too. So, think of this as us taking one for the team. You are welcome.
Now, rationally, we admit this is likely due to the intense backlash this place of business faced in the early days of Scandoval and they don't want people booking reservations that they will never show up for. BUT $40 PER PERSON WITH A 24-HOUR CANCELLATION POLICY? BE SERIOUS, PLEASE. YOU ARE NOT THAT IMPORTANT.
If you aren't familiar with this area, TBH it IS kind of easy to miss! Here's a list of the other businesses located in the strip mall, because we know you're all curious:
• An interior design store
• A pizza shop
• A dry cleaners
• A Mexican restaurant
• And finally, our personal favorite: Tailwaggers pet supply store (with grooming)
Also, for what it's worth for the out-of-towners, the location of Schwartz and Sandy's would be a minimum of 45 minutes (with light traffic) but probably more depending on the time of day if you're coming from LAX. And an Uber/Lyft ride from the location of Sur, Tom Tom, or Pump in West Hollywood would be around $14–$20 depending on the time of day.
Speaking to BravoTV.com ahead of their official opening, Tom Schwartz described Schwartz and Sandy's by saying, "It’s a funky, eclectic, playful cocktail lounge. I think people are going to love it. You’re gonna come, you’re gonna have a good time. The music’s gonna be on point.” TBH, he was right about the music. They played a GREAT mix while we were there.
We were obviously on the lookout for any Vanderpump cast members (because that's pretty much how we live our lives wherever we go in LA, not just restaurants from the show), but sadly, the only one we saw in the flesh was the general manager Brett (NOT Brett from Season 8), and sadly, we did not talk to him or get a picture together.
We were certainly not alone in taking photos, BTW. If we had to guess, without speaking to every single person in attendance, it definitely seemed like a good portion of the people in attendance were fans of the show. It felt like we were all eating subpar food (more on that later) with bated breath waiting to see if Tom Sandoval or Tom Schwartz would dare show their faces. (They didn't.)
***We asked someone at the restaurant about how we, too, could purchase a panther statue, and they informed us that "a designer lady who knows all the cool spots had helped out." Mystery solved...for now. We knew these men weren't capable of doing this on their own.
Note: we did our best to capture this menu in the low-light restaurant without using a camera flash like LOSERS. Thanks for understanding.
First off, they were a bit lukewarm, which is never a good sign. The Lobster Corndog's breading was really sugary and sweet, which we thought was kinda confusing. For $18, it really just tasted like a fancy fish stick with a side of mustard, and for $9 a stick, we were hoping for more than that!!
Our main complaint besides the taste for our specific palates was that these two apps are not exactly what you wanna munch on when you're getting drunk/tipsy. Which is, tbh, kind of the vibe of the place? We think??? This can't be the menu the Toms went through 87 tastings to create, sunk a million dollars into, and put Sandoval's mom's retirement savings on the line for, right??? RIGHT??
TBH, we may have ordered more food, but we're living on a BUDGET and knew we wanted to try their drinks as well.
Lara's verdict: Listen, it was a pretty good cocktail. It was light, fresh, but still felt like it had a decent amount of actual alcohol. I would order it again! Even for $15. Also, on another note, I desperately wanted to steal this glass. BUT I DIDN'T.
Shelby's verdict: I'm a huge mezcal fan (shoutout to Tequila Katie), so I was ready for the wonderfully smoky flavor to come through in this drink, and it did not. It tasted pretty weak, and a lot like fake watermelon if I'm being honest. I also tasted zero peppercorn. For 17 whole dollars, I was expecting a lot more and would not order this again. For his (many, MANY) faults, isn't Tom Sandoval supposed to be some kind of drink wizard or whatever??? I was not getting that here.
Lara's verdict: This was actually pretty damn good, it pains me to say. But if there is one thing that Schwartz and Sandy's does decently well, it's french fries and this drink. Like, as any Bravo viewer knows, drinking what is essentially an espresso martini is some sort of rite of passage, and this one did not disappoint. Quite frankly, I wanted to order another one, but by that time, I was both fully tipsy and had already somehow spent over $100. I would definitely order this one again, though I do think it should be max $10.
Shelby's verdict: Considering our track record so far, I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It was flavorful and chocolate-y, but again, $18? I know Los Angeles is expensive in general, but I would maybe cap this drink at $13, and that's only because it was the only thing on the menu I'd actually order again.
In total, our night out at S+S (three drinks and three appetizers) cost $120 with tip! That is not cheap, and we don't think the overall experience was worth this price. We certainly weren't miserable while there, but if our company was not paying, we both agree it would definitely not be on our list of places to go again for a night out. Honestly, the only reason we would return would be to witness some IRL drama from the show. And, after all, isn't that partially why these businesses have found success?