Theme Restaurant Reservations

I grew up in Playa Del Rey. Our house was directly under the takeoff path for LAX. My tenth birthday was in 1965 (To put that date into perspective that’s back when the Boeing 707 was the premier luxury airliner of the day, the Theme building restaurant had only been open four years while being considered very futuristic, and LAX was a single story airport.). According to family tradition, I got to decide what mom would prepare for my birthday dinner. This year, however, the family had a little more money, so I was offered the option of eating out. I choose, what else, the restaurant in the Theme building at LAX. I have always loved watching airplanes. Even today when flying, I arrive early at the airport just to watch them come and go. After all these years, I finally returned in October 2013. Yes, it’s true. The 70s motif is cheesy and the food is O.K. while expensive. Accompanied by my girlfriend I went there not for these things, but to reminisce and remember while watching the planes. It was a great place to be a kid and teenager. So many fond and wonderful memories of family and how surfing at the D&W (Dockweiler beach) breakwater kept me out of most trouble. LOL After LAX expanded in the late 1960s and 70s, the family had to move. The neighborhood streets are still there but the houses have long since been torn down or moved. A brother, parents, and grandparents have also long since passed. I miss them. So, Theme building restaurant as the song goes, «Thanks for the memories.»

The LAX Theme Restaurant would actually score a bit lower were it not for the setting, the food is not worth the money not the calories, go for drinks before dinner or go after dinner for a night cap.
FOOD: I had the Blackened Halibut on Polenta. Though the fish was tasty, the polenta was akin to a hockey puck — yuck. The veggies were sparse and the food was plated upon tablespoons of drizzled oil — yuck. I could have used a few sheets of Brawny paper towels to soak up the mess.
Desert was not worth the calories. Don’t bother with the apple crisp. They drowned it in carmel sauce and by the time it arrived at the table, half of the ice cream was sloshing about the plate, melted.
The drinks are pretty good, but there are few wines to choose from.
The chairs are rather uncomfortable and the interior has evidently not been maintained nor upgraded since the structure was closed for a 2+ year exterior renovation.
It is the setting — center of LAX with a great view, plus the lava lamps and mood lighting that make this a cool experience.
Were the food inspired and attractive we’d have to get on a long waiting list to eat there!