In a city like Los Angeles, it can be difficult to find spaces that emphasize community and find ways to reconnect, especially among the nonstop commotion of urban life. But Neighborly, a mixed kitchen concept and marketplace, is working to amend that. Coming from their first establishment in Westlake Village, they have put their roots down in Brentwood, one of the city’s up-and-coming neighborhoods for rising businesses and viral hotspots.
Self-described as an “extension of your own kitchen,” Neighborly is composed of five different restaurants: Mixtape, What’s Gaby Cooking, Palermo Pizza Club, Social Monk and Mini Kabob, bringing together classic American, Italian, Asian and Mediterranean flavors under one roof. You order at a kiosk before choosing your seat between the brightly-lit, wood-furnished interior or the tables on the sidewalk, perfect for people watching. Before that, though, you can wander through their marketplace, which features a to-go pre-prepared cooler section with salads, a small Swedish candy station featuring treats from Sockerbit and an aisle with selections varying from organic to gluten-free. They definitely nail the Brentwood vibe.
Service was friendly and attentive. The hostess explained their concept to us when we first entered the door before directing us to the kiosks, and we were quickly brought water once we sat. While we waited for the food, a waiter came around offering samples of all of their gourmet cookies and encouraged us to try each one.
As an apology for the wait, which had only been about 15 minutes at this point, they brought out complimentary house hummus with a serving of lavash chips. Creamy hummus infused with olive oil took me back to dinner my grandma made, with a side of crisp, golden pita chips. Mini Kabob started our meal off incredibly. As we waited for our food to arrive, we all kept going back to the hummus and pita bread, crunch after crunch, our excitement grew on what this meal would be like if the starter was this good.
There it landed: the Mini Kabob Steak Plate, composed of steak, more of that hearty hummus, tzatziki sauce and white rice. This dish was impressive in both presentation and flavor. The steak was cooked to a well-done temperature, with a chewy bite, it was rich in Middle Eastern spices. From the smoky undertone to a bright garlic sauce smeared on top, the balance of bold and fresh make the steak a standout. The rice too was great to complement the steak, but the real star combination again was topping it off with their hummus.
Palermo Pizza Club’s alfredo pasta was our next order. It looked promising with large pasta shells and sprinkles of parsley, but the portion barely covered the bottom of the deep bowl, which at $17.50, was a little underwhelming — but definitely felt the Brentwood organic food essence seep in. The disappointment didn’t end there. We all agreed that the pasta had a strange texture that indicated something went wrong while cooking, as it was very doughy and had a mochi-like chew. The sauce, on the other hand, was flavorful and cheesy.
What’s Gaby Cooking was a place none of us had heard about before, but the Chicken Caesar wrap was definitely a must-try after seeing it on the menu order screen. Our excitement soon died down after the first bite. Although the chicken-to-lettuce ratio was good, the wrap quickly fell towards the soggier side. With that being said, it also misses that kick you get from a tangy, peppery, sort of acidic Caesar dressing. Despite the high hopes around this, it wouldn’t be worth reordering.
With their classic American offerings, Mixtape drew us in with their chicken tenders and waffle fries. The tenders were moist, as chicken tends to run dry and the spice in the breading came through well with a hint of paprika enhancing the flavors. The fries came lukewarm and a little soggy, but would have tasted better if hot from the fryer. The side of bread, on the other hand, was a nice touch to give the option of assembling a mini sandwich but was of average quality and forgettable. Carrying the meal were the sauces. Our server gave us two additional condiments. We had their mixtape sauce, which is their take on the Canes sauce, a honey mustard smoky blend, a pepperoni ranch and a spicy toum aioli. These all lived up to their flavor profiles, and the aioli led the race with its creamy texture and depth from the garlic and the spice.
Rounding out the meal was their chocolate chip cookie, sprinkled with flaky sea salt and spotted with high-quality chocolate chunks. The dough itself had a lot of flavor with notes of browned butter. The cookie is large but flatter than advertised, so it doesn’t have the thick texture seen in the picture. At $5.50 per treat, the choice is up to you — Reem described it as one of the best chocolate chip cookies in LA but Emily said she had better.
After months of anticipation for Neighborly, our final verdict was that it’s okay. It is a convenient spot to satisfy different cravings, with standout dishes from Mini Kabob, the other options were more traditional LA menu items that you could get from other places, with more for your buck. The space’s nice, open seating provided a great background for a quick, casual bite, with service being fast and really nice. However, this place unfortunately does not deliver that wow aspect.
