Musso & Frank Grill

Walking Into History

Enter through the rear entrance off Cherokee Boulevard and you bypass Hollywood Boulevard’s tourist chaos. The back hallway passes two vintage phone booths with rotary dial phones. Inside, servers in red jackets and bow ties move between packed tables with practiced precision. Some of these waiters have worked here 30, 40, even 50 years. They remember your order, your booth preference, your martini specification.

The restaurant splits into two rooms. The “Old Room” dates to 1934, lined with counter seating on one side where diners watch grill masters cook over mesquite charcoal. The opposite wall holds the famous red leather booths. The “New Room” opened in 1955 but preserved the original 1934 Back Room bar, chandeliers, and furnishings when that legendary literary hideaway closed. Dark wood paneling covers the walls. The faded wallpaper still holds Humphrey Bogart’s cigar smoke, according to fourth-generation owner Mark Echeverria.

The Menu That Never Changes

Chef Jean Rue created most of this menu between 1922 and 1925. The restaurant has had only three executive chefs in its entire history. Flannel cakes remain exactly as Rue designed them: a cross between crepe and pancake with a sweet, nutty flavor. Domingo Pule has been making them for over 30 years.

The Thursday chicken pot pie earned Gourmet Magazine’s description as “the quintessence of integrity.” Saturday brings the short rib special. Steaks cook over the original 1934 grill. Last year alone, the restaurant served 64,000 steaks. The fettuccine Alfredo follows the recipe Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks brought back from Rome in 1927. They convinced Alfredo to share it by presenting him with a golden fork and spoon.

Counter seats offer the best show. Watch the grill master handle 80 pieces of meat throughout the night. The counter also gets you faster seating since tables require reservations booked three weeks out.

The Martini Experience

Bartenders mix martinis that GQ declared the best in America in 2008. They serve them properly chilled with a small carafe on the side holding the extra cocktail. This sidecar keeps your drink ice-cold through the meal. In 2018, the restaurant served 55,272 martinis.

Literary and Hollywood Ghosts

The Screen Writers Guild sat across the street in the 1930s. Stanley Rose’s bookshop was next door. Writers escaped studio oversight by working at Musso & Frank. F. Scott Fitzgerald proofread novels in these booths. William Faulkner mixed his own mint juleps behind the bar. Raymond Chandler wrote chapters of “The Big Sleep” here. Nathanael West set scenes from “The Day of the Locust” in this dining room.

Charlie Chaplin claimed a corner booth. Greta Garbo and Gary Cooper ate flannel cakes for breakfast. Marilyn Monroe sat with Joe DiMaggio. The restaurant treats celebrity guests with discretion. You might spot Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but the staff and regulars maintain their privacy as they always have.

What To Expect

The restaurant seats about 200 people. It fills every night. Noise levels rise during busy dinner service but booths provide some acoustic shelter. Business casual dress works fine, though many diners dress up for the occasion. The vibe feels more Parisian brasserie than stuffy steakhouse.

Portions run large and sides are priced separately. Entrees range from $30 to $70. Expect to spend over $100 per person with drinks and sides. The restaurant accepts credit cards but watching bartenders use the ancient cash register provides entertainment.

Service follows old-school continental standards. Servers are professionals, not aspiring actors. They work efficiently without excessive friendliness or forced conversation. This style takes some adjustment but fits the restaurant’s character.

Making the Most of Your Visit

Book three weeks ahead for your preferred time slot. Request a booth for the full experience. Counter seating works for walk-ins and offers grill-watching entertainment. Early dinner on weekdays brings quieter meals. Weekend evenings deliver peak atmosphere.

Try the flannel cakes whether for dessert or breakfast (if you catch an early Sunday seating). The fettuccine Alfredo connects you directly to 1927 Hollywood glamour. Order a martini with a sidecar. Watch the grill masters work their stations.

Take a moment before leaving to look around. The worn leather, the faded wallpaper, the vintage fixtures all carry genuine history. This restaurant survived a century while Chasen’s, the Brown Derby, and dozens of other Hollywood institutions vanished. It remains exactly what it was: a place where people come to eat well, drink properly mixed cocktails, and sit in rooms where the ghosts of Hollywood’s golden age still linger.