Theyāre sort of saying that all the money goes to staff.
But if some of that is in the form of wages, then effectively itās going into the ownersā pockets. Who knows exactly where the service charge goes since despite all the verbiage they donāt really say.
Iād been waiting for them to bring back their brunchā¦ best wafflesā¦ best tres leches. Between those two (more the waffle), this is devastating to me.
Find out where that chef is now.
Never got to try them
I believe they had the same Tres Leches as Trois Familia. If thatās the case then itās closely based on Alton Brownās recipe if you want to try and make it.
feels like the end of an era of LA foodā¦
sad to see theyāre already paring back their menuā¦
I totally disagree with the characterizations Eater pulled from a few critics. Animal was the most inventive restaurant in LA in its heyday and the outrageous decadence was also coupled with deliciously inventive seasonal vegetable dishes. 
Eater.
the first time i tried the foie maple biscuit was at about 9:45pm at the end of a 5-meal day. didnāt feel physically capable of eating a single thing anymore, but that dish was so effing delicious i ended up finishing the whole thingā¦ not many dishes seared into memory so vividly as that one
I just snagged a reservation tonight at 8:30 PM from a cancelation. Iām tired and would rather stay home, but this may be my last shot before it closes. Iāve never been. Should I go?
Iām glad I went twice. Very memorable meals and lots of dishes not like anything Iāve had elsewhere.
I truly believe that ridiculous service charge that specifically said was not a tip is what closed this down. Itās bullshit like that that sours people on an experience that should end on a positive note.
I went twice and the last time despite it being good-ish did not make me inclined to go back given it was not spectacular and had the charge. Iām sure it was the same for most people
I believe Jon & Vinnyās has the same 18% service charge thatās specifically not a tip. So I donāt think thatās what closed this place down.
I have not been to Animal for many years, but back in the day we used to love the place and went frequently!
That Loco Moco dish with egg/foie/spam/beef/rice was so memorable!
Thereās no way, I just donāt think they recovered after the reopen and generating enough buzz to drive people back.
Has the place not been as packed as it used to be? If itās still been full then the service charge had nothing to do with it.
I canāt imagine a significant amount of diners over analyze and dissect a service charge as much as members of a food forum do. It was definitely not full, most times were avialble for resys during prime times/weekends.
Many restaurants have the automatic 18% service chargeā¦ I canāt think of another restaurant that goes out of their way to say it is in NO WAY a tip for the waiters etc
Most in fact say that the 18% goes to the waiters, kitchen staff, etc and there is no need to tip extra unless you think the service was exemplary. Animal did the exact opposite, a slap in the face to customers
the place was rarely full when I wentā¦ I do recall many reviews on everyoneās favorite site complaining about the service charge too.
Just with how human nature is, always want to leave the customer on a high at the end of a meal. Not sour and bitching and making us feel bad for not tipping 40% or whateverā¦
Tsubaki, Kato, Iām sure thereās more. Iām one and done for any such restaurant. Have not been back to Animal.