What a great new spot in West Hollywood. It’s in a popular area, a well-known shopping area, West Hollywood Gateway. There are lots of retail stores as well as eateries, but this newcomer is stealing the show. Owner Robby Lee Christie has really struck gold here in West Hollywood. He’s new to the area, having had the very popular establishment Rob’s Place in Murphys California, with his partner Gabriel. He was there for 10 years. Wanting to bring his culinary excellence to a larger audience, he opted for a bigger city. The food served at Robby’s West Hollywood is quite the surprise. It’s got a little bit of Northern California charm with a fun Los Angeles take on rich culinary excellence. Robby’s covers all bases, with lots of fusion influences, but really American modern cuisine at its best. And he puts his wonderful signature Rob’s Love seasoning on many dishes! Rob takes the ordinary to extraordinary! There are so many options here to try – you too are going to love it.
The ambience Is super classy. You feel like you could be in New York City. The oval shaped main dining room has very high ceilings. Robby changed everything up from the previous owner, which was called Hot and Juicy Crawfish. That concept is gone now, instead Robby’s now has elegant colors of rust, green, white and black, which presents a very earthy interior. Robby is very creative. He figured out ways to highlight the beams and the very high ceilings. The industrial vents in the ceilings are all painted black. There are windows that surround the restaurant so during the day, the natural light is astounding. At night it’s a sensual vibe with beautiful subtle lighting, as well as lighting that highlights the cool industrial interior.
Robby’s in West Hollywood has an underlying sexy feel. This is because Robby and Gabriel are madly in love. They both are the heart and soul of Robby’s West Hollywood. Gabrielle is Latin, and he greets you at the door and makes you feel so at home. He is charming and movie star handsome, then Robby brings on his unique culinary talent that will make your taste buds dance – it’s really a win-win partnership.
Here’s what I tried:
Starters:
Tempura, avocado batter, dipped avocado, served with basil, horseradish, aioli, and chipotle ranch. This is such a unique concept; the avocado is still fresh and moist, and the crispy crust texture, makes for one amazing appetizer.
Rob’s Flatbread:
Curry, tofu, miso, garbanzo paste, caramelized onions, and sun-dried tomato, with capers and crispy fried onion. When it is delivered to your table the fragrance from the curry makes your taste buds soar, you just can’t wait to get it in your mouth.
Salads:
Caesar, Romaine hearts with house made, Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese, and fresh croutons. For me this salad is all about their home-made croutons, wow, is all I can say.
Burgers and Sandwiches:
The Perfect Tuna, grilled Aji tuna with wasabi basil, aioli, capers, pickle, ginger, pickled onion, and provolone cheese, on a ciabatta roll. The tuna is just cooked to perfection and the wasabi basil aioli adds such a nice flavor to the overall sandwich. The tuna is so fresh, you can taste the sea with every bite. It is really a delicious experience.
The Main Affair:
Grilled Ribeye 16 Ounce, with robust III IPA, Porter, rosemary, chocolate sauce, and French fries. Well, the chocolate sauce is so subtle but what a great idea. I paired this with the Barbera, and I was just in heaven. A gorgeous, beautiful perfectly cooked ribeye with chocolate sauce and an amazing Barbera – what more could you ask for?
Rob’s Baby Back Ribs, a secret recipe, braised pork ribs with whiskey barbecue sauce. The cut of these ribs is remarkable. There is so much meat on top of the bone. They are not your typical baby back ribs that you would order at a restaurant. Robby told me that the preparation is the day before but the secret to this dish is how much meat you get. It’s a lot of bang for your buck.
Rob’s Carbonara, with linguine, sautéed ground beef, chorizo, bacon, onion, garlic, glazed with wine, linguine, egg, red pepper, flake Parmesan cheese and cheese, with garlic bread. This is a very rich pasta with lots of meat, with the combination of the chorizo, the bacon and the ground beef. It’s got a little bit of a kick to it from the red pepper flakes, but all in all it’s an amazing pasta and very filling. You could share this with four people and be perfectly content.
Dessert:
Aged White Cheddar Fritter with Rob’s Ganache, deep-fried fritter dough with cheddar chunks, and nutmeg. Another super creative idea from Robby. Imagine cheddar cheese deep fried, you would never think of that as a dessert, and then it sits on top of a beautiful Ganache. It’s just the perfect way to end my amazing dinner.
Rob’s Ice Cream, with candied, bacon, pistachio chili paste, and balsamic reduction, with vanilla bean ice cream. Robbie would not let me go until I tried this dessert. So, what you’ve got here is a spicy, savory, soothing creamy, and sweet-and-sour. All of which combine beautifully in your pallet and make you want to keep eating until you scrape the bottom of the bowl. it’s just that good.
Wine:
Reserve Barbera – Villa Vallecito Vineyards – 2018 – Estate Grown – Sierra Foothills. Gabriel calls this wine God. This wine is so smooth, it is very drinkable. There’s no acidity in this wine. Of course, it paired perfectly with the steak and the ribs. It’s just an outstanding wine.
Pinot Grigio – La Folia – Sierra Foothills – 2022 – Estate Grown. Gabriel calls this wine Jesus. This wine is rich with fruity texture and did not disappoint. Both wines are from the Sierra Foothills near where they used to live. If you’ve been to God’s paradise in the Sierra Foothills whether it’s Murphy’s, California, or Sonora or Groveland, you know what I’m talking about. It’s all very close to Yosemite, and it’s just the most beautiful scenery that you’ve ever seen in your whole life.
Robby believes that each dish needs to hit all four flavors which include sweet, sour, savory, and bitter. The one thing that I love about Robby’s West Hollywood is every dish is unique, and they don’t repeat ingredients from dish to dish. It’s all very special.
My charming server Rocio, who is from Mexico has been with them since they opened, which was one week before Thanksgiving last year. Her children are upcoming music phenoms. She is most proud of them, and she loves her job. I could see anybody loving to work here because it is fun, and both Robby and Gabriel are exceptional human beings. Really, it just seems like the atmosphere is filled with love and laughter.
Robby had been looking for a spot in West Hollywood for a little while. There was another space in the shopping complex that became available, but he was not won over by it. He saw this space and he really liked it, but there were tenants inhabiting it already. Then, he got an offer, and he told the leasing agent that he wanted a 200,000-tenant improvement allowance and then he got approved. He was a bit gun shy at the time, but he knew with hard work and his pure imagination, he could make this business a huge success. They are well on their way.
Robby’s West Hollywood is a hidden gem amongst a Metropolis. It’s got old world charm and a little bit of country but it’s right there smack dab in the middle of West Hollywood, AKA “Boys Town”. Next time you’re looking for something new, exciting, and incredibly delicious, try Robby’s West Hollywood – like me you will be very glad you did.
Robby’s West Hollywood
The West Hollywood Gateway
7100 Santa Monica Blvd. #150
West Hollywood, CA 90046