Companion

Blown away by this place. Went to celebrate Valentines Day. We ordered: Cesar Salad (so flavorful, top salad in LA, beware there is straight up anchovies on it) Arratibata Pasta (spicy! So good, the pasta shape was so fun) Squash pizza (STAR OF THE SHOW! So flavorful and the crust was amazing) Chicken parm (solid but I would skip, it wasn't crispy) I want to come back here and try the normal red sauce pizza. The waiter, Aiden, was so so kind and kindly explained the menu. He gave us a dessert on the house, we chose the olive oil cake, and it was delicious. I would definitely recommend it, the cream is stellar. The service was all around amazing. The ambiance was very romantic and the music was a nice touch. Can't wait to come back.

Loud and overcrowded. The staff was pleasant.The pizza was burnt and unusual in not a good way! The Chicken Parmesan was excellent.The big complaint: I mentioned an item I'm severely allergic to on the reservation app. The app said my concern would be related to the chef. It wasn't. Spent the night in agony. Tried calling several times and leaving messages. No response.

I came here with three of my girlfriends last week and we had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere is cozy and sophisticated and the food was top notch.We enjoyed:- caesar salad - generous portion size, one of the better caesars Ive had in awhile- klaus pizza - the pizza was perfectly cooked and extremely flavorful, gives other LA pizza joints a run for their money- spaghetti arrabiata - simple, yet had a depth of flavor- chicken parmesan - this was my least favorite dish of the night, wasnt anything special in my opinionI cant wait to go back!

Great experience all around! From the very start, we were greeted by the host Mia who was so friendly. We quickly struck up a conversation with her as she took us to our seats and it already set the tone for the familial vibe that they're going for here. Now don't get me wrong, everything we had here was DELICIOUS, but surprisingly enough the star of the show was the focaccia. Seasoned properly and cooked to perfection with a soft doughy interior and crispy exterior. Rigatoni Bolognese was packed with flavor but the parmesan almost overpowered the mirepoix. Chicken parmesan was a heaping serving and love that they paired it uniquely with mashed potatoes, but it was just slightly overcooked/burnt. All in all had a wonderful time trying this place out and will definitely be back to try the menu again as it changes around!

Companion is an elegant yet welcoming spot where you'll find a limited menu (at least during lunch) done very well. Went on a Saturday for lunch and there was plenty of seating. Their menu was written on the glass by the register where there was a selection of 3 sandwiches for around $17-21. The chicken parm is highly recommended- moist, well cooked chicken with a hearty sauce and delicious cheese (wish there were a bit more). Bread was top notch as well and complemented the chicken well.Espresso had good rich flavor. Appreciate that they also accompanied it with a glass of sparking water. Service was nice and helpful. Street parking if you can find it

Such a cute little spot! The food was fantastic! I do think this place was a little over hyped but it was good and I would def recommend it to anyone! The service was exceptional as well and we felt very taken care of!

You know when you're at your desk fresh back from your Europe trip, your mind is sifting through an excel spreadsheet, but your heart & soul are daydreaming about that one meal you had in that small family run restaurant where everything is handmade and locally sourced? Well, Companion brings a slice of that stateside.I read that article Eater LA did on this place, and knew when I was back in LA it had to be my first stop.My girlfriend, my big homie, and I entered and were immediately transported from the parking lot that is Lincoln blvd to a small family run restaurant in the Tuscan countryside: Natural light trickles in, subtly dancing off the wine glasses and glowing the rustic wooden furniture, while a vinyl record faintly plays in the background. It makes you feel like you are in someone's living room.Nick and Dakota, the husband and wife owners who double as servers, both came and greeted us like lifelong friends. They gotta be up there for cutest couples of all time.The menu consists of 6 items, 3 pizzas, and 3 dessert options. I'm a SUCKER for a small menu, as you know everything will be fresh and they can actually drill down on the attention to detail.Right as I was set to order a glass of wine, I heard my big homie quote the Drake line "Wine by the glass? Your man a cheapskate, huh?" as he asked Nick for a bottle list.Nick comes back with a handwritten wine menu, and begins pitching us on this bottle of Caleb Leisure wine that they only had 6 more bottles of. I don't know wine like that but I nodded along and threw in a "No way...Fr?" to act like I'm a Sommelier.As we sat there vibing over the bottle of Caleb, we put in our food: Panzanella, Radiatore Arrabbiata, Rigatoni Bolognese, Chicken Milanese, and a Klaus pizza.Nick, draped in a war torn Bob Marley shirt and a white apron, would come every 20 minutes to change the vinyl and describe the record he was about to spin. There is so much passion in this man it's tough to articulate in the written form.The food started to roll in, and my god. Everything is made from scratch and it SHOWS. I normally highlight one dish, but everything was so good I can't even narrow it down.You know what, I do gotta talk about this pizza though. It was perfect. It kept its shape and hang time even with Italian Sausage and a bed of Arugula on top. Hangtime was oddly reminiscent of that Steph Curry jumper over Wemby in the 2024 Olympics...I asked Nick how they even do this, and he informed me it is "Jack Style" pizza, in a nod to Chef Jack Goode, who runs the show here. It's a blending Neapolitan dough with New York-style touches and a New Haven structure, which results in NO flop on the crust.Gun to my head on picking between the Radiatore and Bolognese pastas, I'd be dead. Both were that good.For dessert we got the Olive Oil Cake and affogato, both of which blew the doors off. My only critique would be that I love pouring my espresso over the ice cream for my affogato, but that's just a personal preference.I left here so inspired. Seeing Nick and Dakota living their dream while delivering one of the best meals I've had this year makes me want to beat the Matrix more than ever.One thing we lost with putting convenience at the forefront of American culture are these types of places. Pure Soul. THANK YOU COMPANION TEAM! KEEP GOING!IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

Love this gem! Wonderful ambiance. Excellent service and delicious food! Everything you want!

I never write negative reviews. In fact, this is my first time writing a negative review for any restaurant, and it's especially disheartening that it's about Companion--a place I was SO excited to try. I had followed their journey on Instagram for several months and supported them because I thought their concept was cool, and the stretch of Lincoln where they are located needed some love.This place probably has decent food (which we will never try), but service starts at the top, and the owner of this place, Dakota, provided the worst and most shocking service experience I have ever had.Buckle up...Background & Arrival:As someone who closely follows the LA food scene and has spent 12 years on the Westside, I make a point to explore new restaurants. Although I've since recently moved to Pasadena, my husband and I decided to make the trek to meet friends and finally try Companion. This was no small effort, given the fires raging across LA. Our Pasadena community was reeling from the Eaton fire, and our friends were being evacuated due to the Palisades fire. Despite the circumstances, we were excited to support Companion and unwind after a really tough week.We arrived at 7:02 pm on 1/10 and checked in with Dakota. She let us know that they didn't have anything immediately but said she'd put us on the waitlist and that she would have something for us by 8:15 pm. Dakota also told us to ignore the wait time from the text message confirming our spot as she would be "able to get us in sooner."We were not in a rush, so we didn't mind waiting, and our friends were still on the way. We then asked if we could grab a glass of wine while we waited, but we were told we could only do so outside. Sitting outdoors wasn't safe due to the air quality (such a weird suggestion by her), so we decided to head to Zinque nearby while we waited for our table and our friends.The Disaster Unfolds:We returned to Companion by 8:20 pm. We never received any communication from them while we were waiting, but it was shortly after 8:15, so we figured they just needed a couple more minutes to get our table ready. When we approached the front, Dakota informed us that she couldn't seat us AT ALL. There was no apology, no explanation, no attempt to accommodate us--just a flat-out dismissal.Shocked, I reminded her of our previous conversation and how she even went as far as to tell us she'd be able to seat us sooner than the wait time listed in our text. Her response? Defensive gaslighting. Dakota snapped, "I know what I said," when I tried to show her the text. My friend then came over, trying to help, and Dakota snapped at her, "You weren't here."At this point, Dakota revealed herself as the owner of the restaurant. Her behavior was shockingly unprofessional and aggressive. Rather than apologizing for the mistake or attempting to make things right, she doubled down.From Bad to Worse:As we left, she had the audacity to say, "You know you shouldn't speak to me like that; it's a really hard time for us right now" (regarding the fires). This was both insulting and tone-deaf, especially our respective situations. For her to assume we weren't affected or to imply that we were somehow adding to her own hardship was beyond inappropriate.Final Thoughts:I have dined at countless restaurants and was a server myself. I understand how things get busy, new places have growing pains, and mistakes happen. But never in my life have I experienced such a blatant lack of respect and accountability.Great restaurants succeed on hospitality, and Companion utterly failed in this regard. Dakota's behavior set a tone of entitlement and disdain that trickled down to the entire experience. So,I say this with all sincerity: best of luck, Dakota--you're going to need it.Shoutout to Zinque for welcoming us back and making room for us (without a reservation) to have a wonderful dinner shortly thereafter. Anyone looking for good Italian in the area - save your money and go to: Scopa, Barrique, Felix, Opsi, Market or Tasting Kitchen all have a similar vibe with FANTASTIC food and ever better service.Note: I am currently in CT timezone, which is why the timestamp says 9:02 pm, not 7:02 pm, in the screenshot.

When a restaurant charges $45 for chicken parmigiana it should be exceptional, it wasn't, undersauced and dry. The pizza adequate but nothing special. Service while outwardly good was rushed, we just started our pizza when the entrees arrived. We hadn't finished our entrees when the server began to clear them. Considering the top dollar prices they are charging the service should be impeccable, it wasn't. Some restaurants get overhyped and this is one of those. The food while perfect adequate is nothing special