Not sure if any of you signed up for their 1921 club free membership, but if so you can go to either of the 2 locations (westlake or santa monica) to get their prime 6 ounce cheeseburger free. I went a few weeks ago and it being my first time at pdc, found the entire experience interesting to say the least.
First and foremost I think it’s awesome that LA even has a fine dining establishment open 24 hours. They have a late night menu with prices that aren’t as sky high as the rest of the menu. As for the burger, I’ll copy and paste their description from their website,
It’s now a 6 ounce burger, still made from our signature in-house grinding of Prime USDA beef, a unique blend of ribeye, New York sirloin and filet. Served on a house made Brioche bun with aged Tillamook cheddar, dill pickle, lettuce and Thousand Island dressing.
I’ve tried a ton of burgers and it was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had in LA, and not because it was free haha. Even though I came in at 11pm and the place was basically empty, the service couldn’t have been more friendly and the burger as mentioned was as tasty as a high end burger can be imo, and would easily justify a 15+ price point (I have no idea what it actually costs.) I decided to order some crab cakes and although the price was ridiculous for the amount (2 medium sized crab cakes) at around 38 dollars, they were some of the best crab cakes I’ve ever had, almost all crab meat and hardly any filler. Not sure how well they are doing in general as I’m assuming these types of promotions are a way for them to bring in new business, but as I was entering I saw a older crowd exiting and the valet bringing out their cars one by one, which were a Bentley and another rolls royce etc, so maybe they have affluent regulars who keep the place alive and well. Although I can’t justify the price points overall after looking at their menu, I would be upset if an establishment like this was to ever close since it’s definitely a unique dining experience and their always open status is such an anomaly for the type of restaurant they are especially in LA.
I’m a 1921 Club member, and semi-regular at PDC (like you said, there’s very few interesting options open at 3AM in L.A.). I thought the free burger at the original PDC location was quite small in size, and its taste was similarly underwhelming.
Free mediocre burger aside, more significant is that members of the 1921 Club get a 21% discount on the total food tab on visits!!!
BUT… As an Angeleno, PDC’s appeal is its “old school” L.A. charm, and again its 24-hour open policy. People watching gets very interesting there in the middle of the night.
No small business can open 24 hours a day with jacking up prices a bit. So for me, that’s understandable.
^PDC redux burger (special size for 1921 club members) I was served along with my order of sweet potato fries.
Verdict: Still an underwhelming burger — asked for medium rare and it came 90% well done. Beef patty was rough, tough and compressed. Tasted unintentionally wet aged.
Sweet potato fries on the other hand were great - melted in my mouth and tasted fresh.
Loved the ambience, especially the carpeted floors and leather booths — better than Lawry’s BH, but beef quality was poor on my 1st and probably last visit to this location.
Whoa, thanks for the review. Partner and I were going to try this (since we live very close to the SaMo location and are members), but perhaps we’ll skip this. Bleh.
Own a Piece of the Pacific Dining Car PDC’s Santa Monica location is a casualty of the coronavirus crisis.
We’re deeply grateful to our staff and customers for 30 years in business. The contents of the restaurant are available via our ONLINE AUCTION.
