"Since having visited Argentina for the first time in 2010 and experienced the pure bliss that is Argentine cuisine, I'd all but given up on finding good, authentic Argentine meals in Los Angeles (how hard can it be to serve empanadas!!?? Luckily, with two locations, Lala's Argentine Grill does more than enough to satisfy any cravings for delicious Argentine dishes.<br/ <br/ Star 1 How was the service and atmosphere?<br/ <br/ Lala's combines a classy comfortable atmosphere with an authentic staff originally from Argentina, and it's pretty damn hard to go wrong with a combo like that. My party's server was brilliant, the staff attentive, and the food quick. Star Granted.<br/ <br/ Star 2 How were the portions relative to the cost?<br/ <br/ It seems as though less common cuisine in Los Angeles often suffers the curse of being grossly over priced, and while my meal was on a friend's dime for his birthday, I was dreading seeing $8 empanadas and $25 pasta dishes. Surprisingly, Lala's really impressed me with an extremely reasonably priced and balanced menu. With empanadas well under $5 each, basic pasta and meat dishes between $10 $12 and upscale steaks hovering around $30 per person, Lala's is affordable enough to be a weekly outing. Opting for a splurge sesh by getting the 29oz. Plata de Carnas, my $50 shared feast came with two sides and enough food to easily feed four.<br/ <br/ With one of the best balanced menus I've seen in some time, Lala's shines in the value department. Star Granted.<br/ <br/ Stars 3/4 How was the food?<br/ <br/ Wow. Ever had a steak that you could cut without even using a knife? Let me tell you, it's absolutely brilliant, as was my entire meal. While I was ever so slightly disappointment that the empanadas were Tucuman style (deep fried as opposed to Salta style (baked , nutrition tends to go right out the window when eating out, and in this case, I was absolutely fine with it. From my feast of steaks to the cutlets, chicken dishes and sandwiches ordered by others in my party, my meal was brilliant from top to bottom, and was only bettered by the brilliant sides (French Fries and Mashers with Mushroom Gravy YUM . This is a meal I won't forget for quite some time. Dual Stars Granted.<br/ <br/ Star 5 Would you eat it every day if you could?<br/ <br/ Empanadas? Dishes ranging from sandwiches to pasta to steak? Reasonable prices with authentic service? This is a no brainer, and even if you've never been to Argentina, or don't particularly crave Argentinian on a regular basis, you need to pay Lala's Argentine Grill a visit. STAT. Star Granted."
