FrontRunner

I would like to start off by saying I’m a waitress so my «perception» of time is actually accurate and I KNOW what it’s like to work in a high volume restaurant.
I came in yesterday for lunch and was sat promptly. Sat there for AT LEAST 15 minutes before being acknowledged. Another 10 minutes (at least) to place drink order, then another to place food order. Surprisingly the food came out quick, but very cold and underwhelming. It was ridiculous. No apology, no sense in urgency, just nonexistent service.
Yeah it was dollar day and Presidents day HOWEVER there was basically no turn over, just the same guests so why everything took so long blew my mind. If I hadn’t been on a date, I definitely would have said something to a manager. I won’t be coming back. It was a very disappointing way to start of the day on my first ever experience at the race track. Smh, sometimes an apology goes a long way, I’m a very understanding person Jorge. I even left you a good tip on that check that I shouldn’t have even had to pay for.

great views, nice people, nice restaurant but 3 out of 4 dishes were not to my liking. Maybe I hit them on a bad day, 1pm on New Years Eve. I heard there Crab cakes are the best but they discontinued them.

We got free Clubhouse entry from the Turf Club. Without Clubhouse entry, Frontrunner restaurant costs extra. We had no intention of coming today and it was super last minute. Reservations for frontrunner are STRONGLY recommended and need to be made pretty much the Thursday Morning prior. There are regulars here.
We came right when they opened and put our name on the wait list. Then we sat at the bar and had brunch. The bar is first come, first serve seating and no reservations are required. If you are a fan of bloody marys, they infuse their vodka with vegetables daily at the bar. They will set you back about $ 12 and aren’t huge.
My husband got the cheeseburger and I got a Caesar Salad. We found both to be amazing. Our bartender never let our coffees be empty, which is nice when they cost $ 5.50. After the first race, per their instruction, I joined the 25 or so people at the front podium to inquire about the wait list. We were 6^th on the list and were able to get an amazing table for two right on the window.
It was worth the wait. We can see everything. Here, I got a champagne and a cheesecake, and my husband got clam chowder. Both were great! The only thing was that the cheesecake is advertised to be served with blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and kiwi, but the oranges and kiwi were replaced with blackberries and raspberries.
Overall this place is fairly priced. You keep your table for the day and have freedom to roam about the restaurant without being pressured to keep ordering food. You can place your bets at kiosks and windows inside the restaurant, and watch the race up close on your table tv. Plan ahead and guarantee a nice comfy place to bet on the ponies.

Great place to eat and watch races in clean comfort. Overall staff is very good. Only gripe is that Management is cheap and understaffs janitorial and servers.

A windowside table here is a perfect way to spend an afternoon at the track.
It was my first time visiting the restaurant and I was impressed with the casual setting and of course, the amazing view. We reserved two tables directly in front of the windows by the finish line and were able to watch all of the races while enjoying some food and drinks in an air conditioned dining room. Definitely a better choice than sitting in the sun on a warm day, especially if you plan on staying for hours.
We ordered a bunch of different things to share but there wasn’t anything that really stood out food wise. The spinach pear salad was dressed nicely and came freshly prepared, and the shrimp gorgonzola flatbread had some good flavor despite being a bit soggy in the middle. The cured meats presented on the charcuterie board were not exactly impressive, but along with the hummus feta & pita, made for a good dish to share. But honestly, I don’t think too many people come here seeking a great meal. We came here looking for a casual way to enjoy a day of horse racing, and FrontRunner more than met our expectations.
A few things to note:
— Get clubhouse admission when entering the park, which costs $ 5 more.
— You can make reservations 3 days in advance starting from 10am, which is highly recommended if you want the best window seats.
— Each table has their own TV so you can watch the action from any table.
— Betting windows are conveniently located inside the restaurant, next to the bar.
— If you notify them of a special occasion, Jay the Hornblower will come visit your table.
— You reserve your table for the entire day, so you can stay however long you want.
If you’re coming to Santa Anita for a day of horse racing, there are not many options better than FrontRunner restaurant for all your eating, gambling and drinking needs. We came here with a large group of 12 and got some pretty good service as well. So considering that we all ended up having a pretty good time, I would definitely recommend this place.

Great place to take the family tons of fun and great food and DRINK a must do on any Sunday you need to call on Wednesday to make a reservation for Saturday or Sunday!

Simply the worst I have experienced in a long time.
Highlights of the bad experience include:
1.“miss?” «Yes I’ll be one second.» Waitress disappears. Twice. I walked along myself looking for a bartender to fix my drink instead of her. I had to go pretty far because no tenders were working on our side of the restaurant.
2. One bartender was amazing! He knew the ratio of a simple cherry coke and made mine to perfection. The next one threw a fit when I asked for more cherry. He tried to dump the whole canister in. Actually this is not abnormal. You get awesome bartenders or you get the guy who is soooo upset that you asked for more cherry they dump half a bottle in there. Thats actually common. But you are a bartender so… Isnt it part od the job to make unique drinks to your customers taste? Oh yes and I visited the tender three times because our waitress would pretend she was coming back and never did.
3. Soggy and cold. My cheeseburger was not edible. I ate half because of starvation. The bun was soggy, the fries were soggy, and there was nothing awesome about the burger despite its price and promises of it being an awesome burger. The meat was good but there was very little cheese and everything was lack luster.
4. If you order the crème brûlée understand despite it’d name it is just regular crème brûlée. It doesnt taste any different than any other I’ve ever tried. Same with the hummus. Store bought tastes about the same. You can put a line of sriracha on your own hummus and have a better experience because you didnt wait eons for your waitress to bring it.
5. View is nice and bread was great but this did not make up for the horrid service and soggy fries
:(imagine I had tried to send back the fries. Then they’d probably blacken them. Like the guy with the cherry. Cmon… Have a few servers for a large party. This girl was NOT ENOUGH and she was also rude to everyone. Not just me.

Highly disappointed after our first visit. I decided to bring my mother here for her birthday and I regret my decision. We waited over an hour for our food to arrive and once it did it was cold. The filet migion was terribly cooked and my family had ordered three! The best thing about the experience was the free bread they provide you with. All 7 of my family members were disappointed with there food.

Cool spot to watch the races. Becky Castro was more than helpful and patient when there were some mix ups with our reservations.

I ate at FrontRunner inside Santa Anita on 6÷12÷2014. I’ve eaten there many times before. It’s the best place to view the races. There were two of us so we tried their cheeseboard ($ 14.00) which was very good. The soup of the day was $ 7.25 while coffee was $ 5.50 (it comes in a pot). My Aunt Darlene had the Cuban Sandwich ($ 14.50) while I had the Cheeseburger ($ 14.50). A very pleasant way to spend the day at the races (plus she had a $ 2.00 bet pay $ 73.20). Our server, Jessica, did a fine job as well.

Get here early and sit in the front row. :)
So… when you pay to get into the park… pay for the Clubhouse Admission and it covers entrance into this restaurant. It’s an indoor restaurant that is seems like it is all windows so you have great views of the track all around.
You get a table for your party for the entire day which also has a TV on it so you can watch other races that happen to be running in other locations.
Sit back… Order a bottle of wine and some appetizers and Enjoy the day.
Remember… the table is yours all day so tip your server generously for pampering you all day long. This is not a let’s see how fast we can turn tables kind of restaurant.
They also have their own betting windows inside the restaurant so you don’t have to leave the restaurant to place your bets.
The food was ‘ok’… nothing really memorable… other than the basket of rolls they give you to start seem to be made of some addicting substance because I ate like 4 of them. Ugh… that was not the plan. Anyways…
We didn’t have dessert but the bread pudding looked exceptionally delicious and I overheard that it was their specialty.
Next time we are at Santa Anita… we’ll make sure to get here early and grab a table closer to the windows. :)

You pay $ 5 more for club house admission. You get:
1) great tables with awesome views of the race field
2) air-​conditioning
3) your own little TV
4) FREE WIFI !!
Super fun atmosphere with everyone cheering for their bets. I’m happily bonding with my friends and hubby while getting some work done, thanks to the wifi. Win-​win!
Minimum order $ 10/​person. We got iced tea ($ 5), ice cream and sorbet ($ 6.5) and mud pie (around $ 8). 3-​star quality. You are really paying for the view and betting services.
Make sure to reserve a table ahead of time! :) good luck!

Thank you FrontRunner, for saving what would have been a horrible Valentine’s Weekend (see my review for Aquarium of the Pacific). This review is for our visit on Saturday, February 15^th.
FrontRunner exceeded all expectations. The 5 star experience started off with Sharri (Sharry? not sure of spelling). She took my reservations over the phone and was very helpful throughout. She delivered as promised, and reserved us the best available seats in the house (perfect window view of the finish line).
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Armond (again, not sure of spelling), who was very professional and courteous in directing us to our table. Once seated, Jonathon (pretty sure about the spelling this time), our server for the day, continued their pattern, and provided us with top notch service for the duration of our stay (from noon to 5pm-​ish).
Flawless service is hard to match, but the food did come close. My wife and I shared a caeser salad, cheeseburger, and clam chowder. The caeser salad was huge, and tasted great. I was more than happy with my portion even after splitting it in half, which is saying a lot. The cheeseburger (swiss) was juicy and delicious (cooked medium), and also sufficient in size. My wife did not share her clam chowder, so I assume she loved it. I also did not try their pizza this time, but plan to the next time we visit.
Another big positive about this place was their in-​restaurant betting section. FrontRunner customers have their own section to place bets, and do not have to walk to or deal with the other betting areas in Santa Anita.
I highly recommend FrontRunner for anyone looking for a fun, relaxing alternative to your typical day at the races. I will definitely be back.

I came on a weekday and got a table on the glass. The view was great, the betting window line was short, and the food and drinks were high quality. It was the best experience I’ve had at any racetrack (Del Mar, Laurel, Pimlico, Woodbine, Hollywood (CA), Hollywood (FL), Flagler, & Wonderland).
Worth a visit. Spend a weekday afternoon gambling with a waiter and full bar.

I have some mixed feelings about this place and here’s why:
First, we were waiting in the front of the restaurant to be seated for 15 minutes without anyone acknowledging us. Then a hostess saunters over and tells us she can’t seat us… ok, so then a waitress comes over and seats us. Cool. The waitress managed to put our orders in before they stopped serving and took really great care of us. So on the customer service front, it’s about 50 – 50.
The food: was ok. Not the best food in the world but by far the best at the track!
The great thing about this place is that you can have a nice sit down meal and still watch the races. If you sit by the window then you get a bird’s eye view of the track and if you’re father back, it doesn’t matter because you still have little TVs at your table so you can watch from there. You can also place your bets in the restaurant!
I kind of want to try the place again. The waitress was saying that you can make a reservation and spend the whole day there just chilling and watching the races in style.

Great day for the races. Spent the afternoon at the FrontRunner today with the family.
Things started great with a nice Bloody Mary. Then I started betting the horses. Santa Anita Park showed no mercy.
I got kicked in the head in the 1^st race.
Had my lunch money taken away in the 2^nd.
Received a wedgie in the 3^rd.
Got a bloody nose in the 4^th.
Punched in the stomach in the 5^th.
Got a MMA arm bar in the 6^th.
Made some really bad decisions in the 7^th.
Started drinking heavily in the 8^th.
9^th Race. I need the #1 horse to come in to get the late pick 4. If she comes in, it’s $ 850.00 to me, and my day will be avenged!
#1 Does not finish in the top four horses, and I get kicked in the bollocks in the 9^th! Oh Benecia, you broke my heart.
Food was pretty good and they keep the drinks flowing.
Mahi Mahi and Shrimp Tacos. I was told they were bland. $ 14.50
Chcken sandwich on Naan Bread with spicy mayo and swiss. This was very good. $ 14.50
Angus Burger with Cheddar. Good burger. $ 14.50.
Medium rare, of course.
I will return!

Nothing like a day at the races! I guess I am a fan of anything at the race track. Yes, the prices are a bit higher here for what seems to be more of a casual place to me. But its the RACES! And its nice for a treat now and then to get a table by the windows and enjoy the sleek horses running, rooting for your pick, while enjoying nice eat and drink at the same time.
I have been here for a few birthday and group occasions and for a couple of nice quiet lunches with a friend. I often get the California Wine and Cheese Pairing Platter
. It’s pretty generous with four cheeses, a couple of cured meats and several types of crackers, nuts and fruits with a choice of a glass of wine. I like nibbling, so this entertains me for a while. Sandwich combos can be had for around $ 13-​$ 15 and have always been pretty good. I hear the crab cakes are good here, but I never seem to try them.
Ooohh, the bread basket! Yes, the bread basket is awesome with not only nice chewy wholegrain buns, but flat bread and bread sticks. Great for absorbing all those cocktails your are consuming!
I think its a great place to take a friend for a birthday or a casual date. Well, it’s a great place to take ME for my birthday or a casual date…

The only thing I can see that is worth it is if you have a window seat that overlook the entire race track. Definately a great view! If not, no biggy. It’s a very casual setting that is to be claim as a Classy setting. The food was good but nothing weee over the top for. And definately something the prices is a bit high for. I had the crab cake, which was scooped up like a big scoop of ice cream. I find the crab cake a bit too dry and definately overpriced. $ 30
The scallop was tasty. ⁵⁄₆ pieces of scallops with white rice and veggies. About $ 30
The steak was definately the best out of all. Very tender and marinated into great sauce.
The basket of bread, breadsticks, and flatbread crisps are defintaly one of the highlight. :-). and it’s free.

When I spend time with Laura D, I can always expect to be in the coolest spot — especially when it’s 90 degrees outside!
We had some time to kill, and empty tummies to fill since we arrived a couple hours before the first post. When we heard about Frontrunners, we went to check it out and were pleasantly surprised — with the food.
After our tickets were taken and our hands were stamped at the front desk, we walked the length of this HUGE restaurant that overlooks the entire track, noting the expansive bar, the TV screens at each of the the tables, the betting cages and machines, the open kitchen at one end, and the bakery case along the way.
As soon as we were seated, our server came over and recognized Laura from when she used to come in a couple years ago. I was impressed with his memory! At this time, it was still pretty early — and quiet in the restaurant.
After taking our drink orders and bringing an impressive bread basket of rolls, breadsticks and crisps with butter, more tables filled up with groups coming in for lunch. Bussers brought our food to the table and unfortunately nobody, even our server, ever came back to check on us.
We shared: Garden Salad — a simple yet fresh and crisp salad of field greens, cucumbers and tomatoes, tossed with the perfect amount of blue cheese dressing, and served with a few crisps on the side.
We both had: Grilled Angus NY Striploin ($ 29.75) — since I’m a ribeye fan, the NY usually doesn’t satisfy me. But this one did! It was fatty and juicy enough to make my fatty meat tooth happy, topped with sauteed mushroms and baby arugula, and not overly salted. It came with a tomato-​y eggplant ratatouille that was very good. Instead of the baked potato it came with, I requested grilled asparagus — which were smoky and slightly charred and very good.
While not great, the food here was very good — and it was a very comfortable way to watch the races in air conditioned comfort. When we were ready for the check however, it took some tracking down our server to get it — and we realized that as soon as he took our orders, our service declined to practically nil.
For an upscale restaurant, I have higher expectations for service. Were it better, I’d have given them one more star easily — but today, they didn’t win or place. I’d say they barely were able to show.

Lucy Y. and I were off to the races on Friday, April 1^st for a Unilocal Elite event.
We got there really early and so we decided to stop and have lunch at the Front Runner restaurant. After walking about 3 miles (seriously, you walk and walk and walk at Santa Anita to get from parking up to the various levels of bidding, seating and dining), we found the elevator that goes to the back entrance of the restaurant.
They were very welcoming and stamped our hands so we could come back if we wanted to. Then we were directed to walk the length of the restaurant (walked, and walked and walked) and we were seated on one of the levels of tables with our own TV so we could follow the races. «Course, you can also follow on the IMMENSE video screen that sits alongside the track, and can be easily viewed from the dining area, in addition to viewing the actual grass track.
We both had the sirloin strip steak, Lucy’s medium rare, mine medium, and she had all veggies (braised asparagus, yum, and ratatouille), and I also had the golden baked potato. We started with a mixed green salad with blue cheese dressing. The food was probably a 3.5, but the service was not. We were a little surprised that in a costly restaurant, in a place where people are obviously used to being treated well (horse owners, regulars, etc.), the service wasn’t more attentive. Well, maybe that’s the answer — we weren’t horse owners or regulars.
Anyway we enjoyed our meal, watched the past day’s race on the little TV, placed our bets at the betting machines, and then tootled on back to our box seats. Next time we go, we decided we would stay for a leisurely lunch in the Front Runner restaurant, and watch all the races from the air conditioned seats.