I had been wanting to try this place for a while and was so excited when I finally got the chance! Â
I really enjoyed my experience here! Â The service was great, waiter was very nice and personable.
The food was excellent, loved that they had interesting salt options for your food. Had the mac n cheese which was delicious! Â Others at my table had the chicken and waffles and loved it. Â Apparently their desserts are pretty good too! (didn't get to try because I was so stuffed)
Given this restaurant location often has a revolving door of changing restaurants, I really hope that Salt stays for a long time!
Another fun evening at SALT..we go frequently. Â Calabasas has VERY few good restaurants and we are happy SALT is here. No it's not ENCINO or Beverly HILLS..it's local Calabasas..and we love the bar, the ambience and the menu. Our fave is the chicken and waffles as appetizer you can't beat it. Also the pot roast. Steak is awesome for the price, it can't be beat. Â The food "critics" who pan this place don't get it. That's OK. They might be better served at a Mexican place. This is comfort food with a twist. Bar is great, appetizers are worth pursuing and it's close! to us anyway..we can have a drink and not sweat the drive..
Lighten up! This place rocks! Â It is what it is and it is a great local spot!
From the moment we walked in I knew we'd be pleased. Cute decor, extremely friendly service (thank you Rachel) and good food to boot! We ordered the hamburger helper, flat iron steak and the kurobuta pork. All were excellent. I'm not a blue cheese fan but I put some on the steak and the taste definitely skyrocketed. We ordered the cauliflower with lemon and garlic plus the sugar snap peas. Loved the cauliflower. We would definitely return again.
Review Source:I really really wanted to like this place much better because I love and appreciate the concept of it but I found the food to be just mediocre and they forgot to bring me my appetizer! I went here with a couple of my girlfriends. The place had a modern design, was spacious and a nice ambiance. The chef was walking around. Our server was friendly and polite. It had all the makings of a great restaurant. I ordered a salad while me and my friend waited for our other friend to join us. I was pregnant and starving and ordered the goat cheese and beet salad. I waited and waited. Meanwhile our other friend arrived and our server told me my salad would be coming right out. Both my friends ordered the arugula salad and we chatted while waiting. Then their salads came out and mine was nowhere to be seen! I was so hungry and there wasn't even complimentary bread or crackers or anything on the table. The guy who brought the other salads had no idea about my salad so we had to flag down our waitress who had suddenly disappeared into thin air. And after what seemed like forever (probably like 5-10 minutes) she finally reappeared. She apologized profusely and I finally got what was supposed to be a goat cheese and beet salad drizzled with a balsamic syrup. I don't believe the cheese was goat. It should have been a white, creamy, tangy cheese. Instead this was an aged yellowish blue (I know cheese). I asked our server if this was goat and she didn't even know! She said, "Uh, whatever the menu says." I didn't want to argue at this point or send it back because I was so hungry so I just ate it. This supposedly "goat cheese" salad was very mediocre. And the arugula salad looked mediocre as well . No one raved about it. For our entrees, we all got the chicken and waffles. It is listed as an appetizer but it is an entree size appetizer. This was again just ok. Nothing to rave about and it lacked any kind of seasoning. I'm serious, the dish could have used some salt! I've had much better fried chicken (it was boneless chicken breasts breaded and fried) and the waffles? I make better waffles! I should have ordered something that required special salt, like the fries or chips, that's the whole point of this place, right? But I didn't know, so that was my bad. Our server told us the dessert was on them for messing up with my salad which was a nice gesture. We ordered the bread pudding with chocolate chips and topped off with vanilla ice cream. Again, just ok. In fact I thought it was too sweet.
So all in all, just a very mediocre meal unfortunately. If I did ever come back (which I doubt I will) I would definitely order something that required sampling all the salts. If you don't do that, you never get to experience the whole concept of the different salts which is a shame. I think there should at least been one complimentary item on the table (like potato chips, crackers or bread) with at least one variety of salt. I mean the restaurant is called Salt after all and you don't get any unless you specifically order it!
We had such a great evening at SALT. The atmosphere is very enjoyable-so much so you can actually talk and hear each other. This restaurant is located in a strip mall. The food we tried was fun to eat, very interesting and excellent . We ordered several appetizers and entrees and all four of us were very happy with what we ordered. The desserts were great too. The name may throw you off-but the salt is actually for tasting and testing along side your meal. The chef and owner came out to greet us which was very nice and the service was fabulous from a very attentive waitress. I've recommended this great find to serveral people now.
Review Source:This place has great ambiance (for being located in a Calabasas strip mall) and the food is ok. The friend chicken and waffles with balsamic glaze was really good. I really didn't enjoy my brisket- it was watery and not very flavorful. I ended up poking at it while staring longingly at my friend's flat iron steak (delish) and my boyfriend's mac and cheese (also delish). Dessert was amazing though! Salted chocolate ice cream?! What genius decided to create this dessert?! Mmm
The reason I docked an extra star is because the concept is kind of unique, but isn't executed so you can really enjoy it to the fullest. I would have loved to try all the different salts with my food, but I realize this would probably deplete their inventory a lot faster. Still, I felt like they didn't give enough of the three types of salt for the whole table to enjoy! Maybe it was because of the lame brisket.
And now I feel weird and self--conscious because I'm fussing over something so mundane and ordinary as salt. I guess it isn't so ordinary after all.
Wow, what a great little find Salt is. Â Everytime I go, it seems to get better and better. Â
The owner is one of the nicest, most even mooded restaurant owners I have ever met. Â This makes for very good treatment to the guests. Â I bet he is a nice guy to work for too. Â
Service here is orderly, fine, and well displayed. Â Excellent ambiance. Â If you are a richy poo, you will like it. Â If you are a poor boy, you will like it. Â Very sexy
But the food... Something for everybody. Â The owner really seems to be taking his time in making the menu something unusual and tasty. Â I'm excited to experience more.
They might want to put a few different salts on the tables, or offer a fun salt menu. Â Recently, the Salt people at the farmers market hipped me to the different types & benefits of salts. Â
Thank you, SALT!
Go get 'em!
I took my gals group for lunch midweek and it was OK, but definitely could have been better.
First off it is quite hard to find as the restaurant name/sign does not face the road and it is situated in a nondescript strip mall in the Los Virgenes side of Calabasas. Â There is limited parking at lunchtime. Â The restaurant is trendy and nicely decorated in a contemporary chi chi way. Â Clean toilets which got them an extra star.
The lunch menu is very limited and the piece of paper it is printed on serves as a tablemat, that is until you order, when it is taken away. Â Which means if you want to look at the menu further you have to ask for it back. Â Drinks are served in mason jars which is cute but odd in a modern setting, it felt more BBQ picnic. Â Wines available by the glass but again a very limited wine menu.
Our table of 12 had 2 servers but they were very slow and didn't want to tell us the specials until everyone had arrived (2 of our group were still driving up and down Agoura Rd trying to find the restaurant as they couldn't see the name from the road - we had to guide them in using our cell phones!).
The food was a mish mash of acceptable and not, and it all came out at different times so not everyone was able to eat together. Â A steak sandwich was sent back as it had been ordered medium to well done and it came out really rare and bleeding. Â Everyone who ordered salad asked for extra salad dressing to be delivered as it tasted oddly bland. Â The truffle French fries were good, everyone loved them.
The restaurant had only a few people in it the entire time we were there. Â I have a feeling this is more of a dinner venue?
I don't think I will be back, which is a pity as we need some good restaurants in this area of Calabasas. Â They won't be able to complete with WLV restaurants which offer great service and a much nicer menu, with dressing on their salads.
We went here 6/12/13 after my daughters 8th grade graduation. I made a reservation for 8:15pm. The restaurant looked trendy and had nice decor compared to the previous restaurant that was in this space. Â I am assuming that they were under staffed because it took almost an hour for our waitress to take our order. Â My husband had to flag down someone to bring our drinks after 25 minutes of being seated. 1.5 hours after sitting down we were served our food. Â My two kids ordered the brisket with mashed potatoes and were very disappointed with how bland their dish was. Â The meat was rather fatty and overall it was a disappointment. Â My hubby enjoyed his beet salad and his main entree was the steak which was small but decent, nothing special. Â I had a mediocre salad that was not very memorable since I cannot even remember which one I had
Overall we were disappointed with this place and will not be coming back which is a shame since their are not any nice restaurants off this exit in Calabasas. :(
I've been to this very warmly decorated spot twice now with my fiancee' and each time has been a very good experience. Â The first thing you notice upon arrival is a 30 foot or so long bar that makes a statement. Â Soft lighting and warm colors make for a relaxing environment and the music playing in the background is classic rock, not techno, hip hop or otherwise.
We've tried the 'brick chicken', kurobuta pork chop, halibut fish special, and what I think was a hangar steak. Â Each one has been very flavorful and cooked and seasoned well. Â The special salts served are also a nice touch and fun to sprinkle on various items to see how the flavor profile changes.
We tried the Kale salad last night and I will definitely try that again; well dressed and the texture and crunch with pine nuts and dried apricots was quite appealing. Â Each of the sides we've tried have also been excellent and flavorful and simply prepared which I'm a big fan of. Â The food feels clean and naked if that makes sense but it has no lack of flavor. Â The chef is letting the quality ingredients speak for themselves and that is appreciated. Â My sugar snap peas 'popped' and had a spicy sauce accompanying them. Â The sweet potato fries with siraracha ketchup is great and the smashed potatoes and cauliflower and garden veggies were just what we wanted--comfort food!
It was a nice touch that the owner and chef is present later in the evening at the bar chatting with his guests and visiting tables. Â Our most recent server Veronica was kind and very knowledgeable of the menu and helpful with a suggestion or two. Â We look forward to trying more items again soon.
I came to this Salt-y heaven for my mom's birthday. Ama-ZING. First off, our server couldn't have been nicer, sweeter, or more knowledgeable. Erin was reason 3 of the 5 stars I gave Salt.
They begin your dining experience with various types of SALT to hence different flavor combinations in each of the items. We started with the roasted artichoke and calimari. The calimari was perfect. I would maybe suggest a spicy dipping sauce, but one of the best I have had. For the entree we had an upscale Hamburger Helper, The Short Rib Special (which is nothing "short" of a foodgasm), and a Chicken entree. If you don't get the Drumstick for dessert, you are missing out on the 5th star of SALT! Oh, and if you enjoy a spicy adult libation then the Refresher will do just that....
Excellent choice for a date, birthday, Tuesday night, or even a rehearsal dinner! I highly suggest trying it out. (Don't let the strip mall its in deter you from making your stomach smile!)
So, I have returned here for lunch several times since my last review, and I even invited my grown daughters to get together at Salt for lunch a few weeks ago. We all really love the ambiance--it's not upscale to the point where it's "froo froo" but you feel like you're in a nice place where you can dress comfortably and not get soaked when the check arrives. Â We ordered calamari (which was tender and tasty), artichokes (one of my faves), chicken and waffles (good but not amazing) and kale salad (loved it).
I was pleasantly surprised when my girls told me they'd made reservations for us for Mother's Day dinner there.
I had the rib-eye and it was really delicious and perfectly prepared.
This place is on my go-to list for a predictably delicious meal in nice surroundings for a reasonable price.
Don't let the exterior of this place (which is terrible and looks like it might house something as awful as a telemarketing company) fool you, this place was good! Â I stopped in for lunch while running errands and I wasn't disappointed. Â
The grilled artichoke was tasty (it's no Houston's, but no other place is) and the Organic Field greens salad with strawberries was a nice light lunch dish. Â
I think the best thing about this place may be the decor, mid century modern complete with serving your drinks in a glass ball jar. I will be back soon for dinner so hopefully it is equally as good.
I found this restaurant to be fantastic. My friend and I went there to celebrate a birthday and found everything to be delicious. Â I had the potato chip appetizer, steak sandwich and s'mores for dessert. All these items were distinctive and tasteful.
The other thing that was impressive was the decor of the restaurant. It was very apparent that there was a lot of time taken to make sure every detail was thought out to make this restaurant stand out  for its very hip but not over the top appearance.
One of the best restaurants I have been to in a long time.Highly recommend!
I have been here for times for dinner four times and have never been disappointed.
I'm very happy that every time I eat here there are more people in the restaurant. The chef/owner is real friendly and cares about your dining experience.
I love the tuna tartar, it is different then most tuna tartar, it's more like beef tartar but instead with tuna. Served with crackers, capers, egg, onion and a homemade mustard. It's very good.
The chicken and waffles are tasty.
Good salads.
I have the seafood stew, filled with seafood in a tasty red sauce.
There specials are fantastic, I recently had the short ribs, the sauce was so good I wanted to lick the plate.
The deserts are off the chart, homemade drumsticks is my favorite.
Service is always good.
As a different touch they serve taffy with bill.
I've been looking forward to going to Salt since it opened for several reasons. Â First of all, a place like this (trendy, upscale food/cocktails) is long overdue in the West Valley. Â Secondly, the Yelp reviews have been all over the board -so many "this place is the best" and "this place is the worst" it was difficult to take any of them seriously.
Having finally been, I feel Salt is a solid three stars. Â The cocktail menu looks great, and is the only place in the SFV (that I know of) west of the 405 where you can get a craft cocktail. Â Having said that, I didn't order any of them because a) I wanted bourbon and didn't feel like a Sour, and b) the act of ordering a $14 cocktail was much more difficult in the Valley than it is in Hollywood, for some reason. Â I did, however, order an Old-Fashioned and it was excellent; the bartender definitely knows what he's doing.
My companion and I ordered several apps - Kobe beef potstickers, beet salad, sweet potato fries, and chicken and waffles. Â I enjoyed the potstickers very much and she really liked the salad. Â The chicken and waffles looked amazing but was ultimately disappointing. Â The chicken was a little overdone and had very little flavor. Â Much to my dismay, I realized afterwards that we were not given the containers of various "salts", which certainly would have helped the dish. Â I'm not sure if this was an oversight or if they aren't doing this anymore.
Overall, drinks were great and food was promising enough I will go back and try other items.
This Saturday evening I decided to stopped at SALT for dinner, I walked in to a new restaurant I never knew about before. I really enjoyed the Ale Steamed Mussels and the delicious organic Kale salad. Â The guys at the bar are wonderful hosts, handsome and they have great customer service. Â I was pleased to have discover a place where I can eat fresh and appetizing good size Mussels and very affordable .
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Featatsalt.com%2F&s=4f071e36436b6e2a11c5c6078264c1d0318952197c2c39ea5fc457adecc265c5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://eatatsalt.com/</a>
Very underwhelmed by the food here. The menu looked great and I was really excited about most of the items, but the food did not live up to the hype I rightfully created for it. We got the halibut, chicken and waffles, Kobe beef potstickers, and the mushroom Mac and cheese. Halibut was undercooked, the waffle was stale and the chicken was extremely dry and hard to cut through, the Mac and cheese was bland and flavorless as was the Kobe beef potstickers. Only reason I am giving it a second star is because of the really good service and nice ambience
Review Source:I really wanted to like this place as it is a mile from our house. Â We have been maybe 6 or 7 times. Â The food is mediocre (nothing for kids at all BTW). Â The service is odd - strangely theatrical, and the owner/chef attempts to come round and charm the customers, the problem being he is clearly hating every moment.
Although I am ALL about supporting local establishments, we have stopped going.
I'll keep this short and sweet, SALT is AWESOME! Â The owner/chef knows what's going on and has great specials!
This is a place for those who want a great atmosphere to enjoy some great food. Â
I love the variety of salt and the changes it makes to the food. Â It makes it fun to "play with your food" which is often a turn off for others. Â
This place is CHEF APPROVED! Â If you ever wonder where chefs eat in LA, SALT is one of the spots.
Can'ts say enough how great the staff is, the food quality, and the atmosphere. Â This place has it all. Â And without being so "stuffy" like other places in the area tend to get.
Keep it up SALT!
I liked, not loved, the flat iron steak. I wanted medium rare & half of it was too medium. The rare part was great with carmelized onions. Overall it was too salty. The kale salad was an interesting choice but it had pieces of dried apricot & I would have chosen pine nuts. Finally there is no bread. It's not an option. The wine selections were reasonable, the waitress knowledgeable. We didn't have dessert. Will I go back? Not sure.
Review Source:We try to never frequent our local Calabasas restaurants if at all possible. I have found in a town with such few choices you tend to dine in awful restaurants just because they are convenient. You know what they say about the only game in town. ....therefore I have found most restaurateurs don't even try.
This is NOT true of the chef/owner at Salt. As a matter of fact he may be over trying but I so appreciate that!
On the night we went we had an amazing server named Airen(?), and how often can you say that? Because she was so great she set the tone for the evening.
We of course started out with cocktails which were delicious, and Old Fashioned and the Red Basil Cocktail. We had been warned by friends that the servings were generous so we chose to share and we were more than satisfied with our serving sizes. We ordered the grilled artichoke that came with a delicious aioli, a baby arugula salad and their special which was  braised short ribs over ravioli in a white cream sauce. It was such a wonderful combination and the ribs were cooked to perfection. I wish it was always on the menu. I LOVE DESSERT, it's my favorite part of the meal! Thank-you Salt for not disappointing! I ordered the deconstructed s'more's and it was heaven in a dish!
Total for the meal was $76.30 before tip which considering we shared was probably on the high side but it was a really enjoyable experience and I will go back!
After reading 50+ reviews for a restaurant that had just opened, each one contradicting the prior, I (and 5 other neighbors) tried out Salt, but with such varying reviews, we honestly went with little expectation. Settle in for a lenghty review...
First impression - it has a beautiful makeover from the previous mediocre Italian restaurant in that location - very contemporary rustic. We were immediately told that our table would be about a 10 minute wait (we had reservations), so we decided to grab some drinks first. Â At the bar, we saw another neighbor, who, it turns out, was there with 17 OTHER neighbors at one table! We thought - how fun! A real locals hangout!
One friend let me try her drink before ordering - a tequila, cucumber concoction - VERY tasty and refreshing, however I opted for a red grapefruit and basil martini...which turned into three. They were very good, although a little skimply size-wise, hence the 3!
Once we were seated, the waiter was VERY attentive. A few minutes later another waiter came with some fried calamari and grilled artichokes. We told him he had the wrong table and he said they were compliments of the house for making us wait for our table! Then he came back a few minutes later with a plate of their bruschetta.
The calamari were amazing! They didn't have the usual light-colored anemic looking batter; it almost looked like a southern fried chicken type batter - darker, crispier, more seasoned. They came with a homemade chunky marinara sauce, but the calamari was so good solo, I didn't use it. Â The grilled artichokes were nearly as good, definite grilled flavor with a nice aioli sauce. The bruschetta I didn't care for - served on pita-type triangles (not toasted), the tomatoes were rather anemic AND they were almost hot. I personally prefer room temperature at best for my bruschetta, the heat made the tomatoes too mushy, but, hey. It was on the house.
For the table, we did have to order some french fries (one of our litmus tests for any restaurant) and their truffle potato chips. The fries were perfect and so good, we immediately ordered a 2nd batch. They were served with what I think was a rosemary aioli and it was fabulous with the saltiness of the fries. The truffle chips were very good, not too greasy and not too overwhelming with the truffle flavor.
Now that I've mentioned, for the first time, SALT, a few words about that. About the time the fries showed up, we asked our waiter about when we got the different salts/pairings (but weren't asking for anything special, just general information). He said he would have the chef come with the salts and the waiter didn't have access to the special salts. OK, didn't ask for anything special, but we'd go with the flow.
So Chef David (if memory serves) came out with a plate with an assortment of salts: curry, hibiscus, truffle, ghost chile, lemon, chocolate and sulphur (yes, sulphur!). I think that was all of them. He instructed us to break a fry in half and tap in the salt for a taste and told us what type of foods were best enhanced by each salt. Then the waiter came out with more plates of what I supposed are the regular salts they will bring to the table with the entrees - fleur de sel, Hawaiian lava, gray sea salt, smoked salt, etc. Â I was so fascinated with the flavored salts, I never bothered with the plain ones. Oddly enough, the sulphur salt was my favorite, kind of tasted like deviled eggs, although they were all great.
By now I've had my 3rd martini and lots of appetizers and not very hungry or critical any longer, so the rest will be more brief!
Someone ordered the Hamburger Helper for the table to share and that could have gone unordered. Very basic (albeit fresh and light) and bland. Pasta, tomatoes and ground beef, Â I believe. Most of us only had a bite at this point, saving room for our entrees.
I had their brick chicken w/a Meyer lemon broth. I Â was done just right - for me. There was crispy skin (I HATE a skinless piece of chicken!), the chicken was very moist (when often the bricked chickens are dry) and the sauce was very light - not fatty - and very delicately flavored. Flavor was enhanced by the various grains of salt I tried with each bite.
The ladies on either side of me shared a kale salad which they seemed to thoroughly enjoy, but I personally find raw kale to taste like horse food. One had the flat iron steak - cooked to her very picky perfection, although she commented that she preferred her meats to arrive in one piece rather than sliced, just so it would stay warmer longer. The three gentlemen with us all ordered steaks and all seemed content and I know one of them at least is a VERY discerning steak eater.
Someone ordered a couple of desserts for the table and my husband raved about the S'Mores...but it never made it to our end of the table! I tried a tiny bite of the bread pudding, but I'm a purist when it comes to bread pudding & dont think it should be chocolatey, but it was good.
Great food, great experience here. Definitely will come back. Adding your own salt is pretty cool. Â For those reviewers complaining about lack of flavor... I did not have that problem. Â Maybe try adding some salt (they recommend this)! Â Variety of interesting salt options and menu choices. Â Saw Chef/Owner David Iino walking around doin' work inside and outside the kitchen. Â Arrived without a reservation for an early dinner for 2 on a Friday night and got seated right away.
Vibe: High end feel, modern decor, nice place for date night
Staff: Friendly, helpful, not pretentious or slow
Must Have: chicken and waffles (large portion for an appetizer... but why would you want to share??)
Best Dessert : banana wonton with salted caramel ice cream
Food is so blah that even Salt doesn't help it.
The service was nice and very kind, the decor has been restyled to a warm and comfortable dining room. Hard to believe cocktails are $14. A nice broad selection on the menu, however, no a broad selection of flavor. The meatloaf had no flavor and absolutely no texture. The salmon was so over salted that it burned our tongues. The waitress acknowledged the problem with the sauces and that guests were returning a lot of the food. Sad because we need a good place in Calabasas. Fix the food, start a new campaign and maybe our party of 6 would return.
This has been a really really long time coming and I almost feel guilty that I waited on giving my praise.
I went to Salt with my two friends a few weeks ago and we got the royal treatment. From the decor to the food quality this place is TOP NOTCH and the perfect dinner date location (it is worth the drive from anyone who lives further out). The menu is incredible with a variety of options from tuna tartare to chicken and waffles.
There are also a VARIETY of dipping salts to try with your food or french fries that give you a whole new appreciation for seasonings and flavors.
The evening tied up with after dinner TAFFY!!! What a unique, clever, and tasty after dinner treat to end a perfect evening. It's touches like this that set Salt apart from all the other uninspired restaurants in LA.
It is a fun experience all around and I'll definitely be back!
Men looking for a unique date-place this is your restaurant. It's also suitable for business meetings, ladies lunches, and a whole myriad of possibilities.
My husband and I dropped by with two friends for a post-valentines day bite to eat.
How does it look:
The decor was clean and really cool with that contemporary/industrial look. (Check out the bathroom doors. They were a hoot.) We sat at the bar but next time I want to sit outside on the patio with the fire pit. I can picture people proposing to their significant others here or using the patio for a girls night out get away.
Hows the grub:
Im pretty picky when it comes to calamari. They did not dissapoint. Delicious! We also split some fries and some other tasty dish that I never learned the name of but it had bread and carmelized onions I think. My husband enjoyed the beer (Avery I think). I was sold on the Captain and Cokes.
Hows the service:
Chef David was friendly and made us feel like we belong. We are mid-west types - not the typical Calabasas clientele yet we felt like the Kardashian family or something. So VIP. It was like there was nobody else in the place but us or something.
I recommend that you make a reservation especially for dinner. This place is new to Calabasas but I hope they open up a second location soon near Santa Monica so I dont have to drive so far.
I would go back in a heartbeat. Actually I should go back now to make sure I pushed my barseat in. See ya soon!
By LA standards, Salt isn't anything special, but by the admittedly sad standards of the western SFV, Salt would practically be a 5-star. Â Food is pretty good, drinks also were good, and the atmosphere was much more LA than Agoura Hills. Â All in all, a welcome addition to the area.
Strengths:
Flat Iron Steak - Very good, well cooked (which is to say rare to medium rare) and topped with caramelized onions and a bit of blue cheese. Â A definite high point of the meal, especially when paired with ...
Truffle potato chips - Are you kidding? Â Enough said.
Kale salad - Very nice salad of fresh kale with some chopped apricots, pine nuts and just the right amount of dressing.
The salt (as in the name) - we sampled 3 different salts, but the highlight was without question the smoked salt, especially when added to the grilled steak and the truffle fries. Â First time to experience smoked salt, but it was fantastic!
Weak spots:
Kobe beef pot stickers - Really unremarkable dish, probably the low point of the meal. Â Stuffing was on the dry side, and the wrappers were forgettable. Â Don't waste your time on this one.
Crispy calamari - nothing special, nothing was wrong with it, but also nothing to distinguish it from any other restaurant's fried calamari
Service was also good - we were there late (close to closing) but the staff remained attentive and polite, and we had a very nice experience at the restaurant.
I had a very delightful time here with some friends the other nights. Â Our waitress Shayna was really great and didn't mind our obnoxious selves and instead made us feel welcomed in a sea of cougars (it's Calabasas so I wasn't surprised).
The bar is well equipped with top shelf alcohol and beers on tap. Â The food was solid. Â I started with the fried calamari which I enjoyed. Â My friend had the brisket and had to send it back because she didn't like it. Â They were great about replacing it with something else quickly. Â The rest of the group enjoyed the food - items included the ribeye steak, pork chops, and mac and cheese. Â I got the mac and cheese and it was delicious and rich. Â
The dessert was a little disappointing for me. Â The selection looked delicious but my selection was not. Â I got the smores and there was barely any chocolate. Â Just crushed graham crackers and marshmallow goo on top. Â Not very good. Â I will have to get something else next time.
The location is a little weird considering that I went to middle school a couple blocks away and always knew the area to not be too exciting. Â Salt is definitely out of place but sometimes that's better because that means more free parking! Yay.
Dear Salt,
I loved the ambience. Â I really enjoyed your staff. Â But unfortunately, the food was lacking in oomph. Â I'm writing this because I really want things to improve because I'm a big supporter of family owned, new business eateries coming into this area.
What we ordered:
Appetizer: Chicken and Waffles
Pros: Good size portion and chicken was a katsu style crunch, looked pretty
Cons: Flavor. Â It looked pretty, but the balsamic (?) sauce lacked the punch and the syrup was too subtle. Â
Appetizer: Kobe Potstickers
Pros: Kobe beef in the potsticker perfectly cooked - med. rare
Cons: The potsticker wrapper. Â Fried, but it wasn't a true hot off the presses crisp. Â It ended up kinda chewy
Entree: Mushroom Mac and Cheese
Pros: Good portion size, good texture
Cons: Flavor. Â Again looked great, but lack of seasoning? Â
Entree: Pork chop
Pros: Good portion size and tasted very flavorful. This time the flavor popped - the sweetness of the apples really came through and the pork chop was juicy.
Cons:
Entree: Brisket
Pros:
Cons: It did not look pretty on the plate. Â Got cold quickly because pre-sliced. Â Lacking seasoning.
Side: Fries
Pros: Thin fries with good rosemary aioli sauce
Cons:
Overall, I really, really wanted to like this place. Â And the waitress was attentive and asked how things were and we said fine. Â We didn't want to say anything then.
The place is called SALT and they provide these amazing salts to go WITH the meal that YOU put on.  BUT I think what would work better is if they gave the chef the freedom to really add those special salts onto the food BEFORE and feature/sell them as part of that's what you get when you order, because otherwise, the food comes out flat and tastes underseasoned and I as the  layperson don't know how much to add of these special salts...Or if not use the special salts, chef should just season as it should be, not anticipating that the diner will salt.
:/ Not Quite What I Was Expecting, But Fabulous Ambiance. :D
Nice decor, but the food doesn't measure up. My coworkers and I decided to check this place out since the 101 going back to the valley was jammed.
DAY VISITED: 5:30 p.m. on a Friday
AMBIANCE: Very modern with vintage pieces. Awesome atmosphere feels high end.
APPETIZERS: The appetizers were large enough to be entrees. My coworkers got a kale salad and a mussel plate with garlic french fries. Kale salad - very light - not heavy like the kale you get in the grocery store. Mussels - my coworker said they were tasty. Garlic fries with rosemary mayo dip - I've had better at Prohibition.
I got the Chicken and Waffles - blah...no flavor. Chicken breast seemed to be over cooked and was really dry. The balsamic/maple syrup was good, but it didn't save the dish. There was no salt on the chicken. However, they do provide two table salts a pink one and a black one. They will give you the fancy stories behind them, but to me and my coworkers they tasted like any other table salt.
Wine list is limited, but they do have a full bar.
SERVICE: Great service. More servers than customers, your water cup will never go empty.
WHERE WE STAND: Not impressed - only by the decor and service - food didn't impress me.
I went here last night with a friend and my daughter and I have to say we were all VERY impressed! Â We arrived on a Saturday night with no reservation and were seated immediately. The decor is lovely and it's tastefully decorated for the holidays.
We ordered truffle potato chips, a grilled artichoke and Kobe beef pot stickers! Â All three were delicious and a perfect way to start our meal. Â Our server Rachel brought over an assortments of salts and explained each one, and on which food each would taste best! Â We took her advice, but also experimented on our own and had great results!
The Chef-Owner, David, stopped at our table several times asking how we were enjoying the food and also brought us more salt samples to try! Â It's amazing how many different kinds of salts are available and how different they really taste!
For dinner we had the mushroom mac & cheese, brick chicken and the beet-goat cheese salad! We loved it all! The goat cheese on the salad was unlike any other I have ever had! Â It was wonderfully different!
We were so impressed with everything we had eaten at this point that we opted to try dessert too! Â WOW! The drumstick was good, the banana with salted caramel ice cream was better but the s'mores dessert was fantastic!
There is more on the menu that I want to try so I will definitely be back! Â This place is a keeper! Â
I have to say this is one of the best restaurants I have been to in many years!
I can't wait to return!
This place is walking distance from my house so I REALLY want them to do well and appeal to locals. Â They're in the same place of the shopping center that has had multiple other failed businesses. Â It's important for them to make people WANT to come back.
It's not as bad some some people say but it's not as good as some people say. Â The food is just ok. Â The beer selection is good but the beer is $8 for about 12 ounces. Â I'll go back after a while and hope that the cooking staff is upgraded and they come back to Earth about prices.
Wolf Creek is better for beer because of prices. Â Wood Ranch has better food for the same prices.
What I find amazing with these reviews are, which are real and which are written by friends. None are in between... Makes you go hummmm
Salt has been open for 5 weeks as a " soft" opening and they STILL can't get it right, somethings very wrong. Â My guess is that someones not listening. Â
The owner/Cheif was there on the floor & never bothered to visit the tables. Â This is his house & we're guests but he doesn't seem to care about his customers.
On my second visit ...decided to give it one more try, I decided not to order the entre' first & had appetizers. Â
Flat bread with heirloom tomatoes flatbread was like out of a package, no olive oil, not toasted..cold and raw and very chewey... The heirloom tomatoes were all chopped up and tasteless...may have come from the chain grocery store across the street as you'd never know. Â I hate to compare this but the Starbucks across the street is serving wine and appitizers and they have a better flatbread, how sad is that?
Calamari ' was cooked OK but cold and the red sauce way to hot. Â The presentation was lovely but that doesn't make you less hungry ( see last suggestion).
The server never bother to explain the image or share what Salt was about... But just left the 2 Salts on the table.
The space was a beautiful transformation of the prior restaurants. My suggestion is they forget about food and have the designer open a home decor store.
Salt will not succeed, sorry to say. Â They don't know their customer and even worse...they don't seem to care....
There are other wonderful resturants in Agoura Hills & Calabasas .. Don't waste your time or money at Salt...
Overall, a massive disappointment. Â After living in this area for 20+ years and trying every new restaurant repeatedly I can honestly say that this was one of the worst experiences we've had - ever. Â
While the restaurant is nicely designed the entry experience is disrupted by the extra-bright (and design-dissonant) work lamp on the hostess desk. Â On the plus side, seating is reasonably well-spaced and there are some comfortable booths around the perimeter. Â The patio has some lovely seating, too.
But design doesn't make a restaurant work, food does, and the food here - bluntly - stinks.
We were a party of three and ordered the tuna tartare and artichoke appetizers to start. Â The tartare was tasteless, devoid of any effort in presentation and the artichoke overdone, making it taste burnt. Â The martinis - which cost $14 each - tasted as if the glasses were dirty or too much vermouth was added. Â The bartender graciously replaced one for us with a DIY kit of vodka, vermouth and olives all provided separately for a mix-it-yourself solution. Â They also use the oh-too-trendy glasses that narrow at the bottom making them easily tipped - which happened to one of our party (kudos to the server who replaced it at no charge).
Only one of the mains we ordered was above mediocre and that was the one that I concocted myself by requesting a plain pasta dish. The menu doesn't offer a single pasta dish and is heavy on the beef/meats, by the way. Â The chicken-and-waffles appetizer that my wife ordered as her main tasted like chicken nuggets served with frozen/boxed waffles. Â I can't recall what the final main dish was - I think we all blocked it out to stop the pain. Â
We didn't bother staying for dessert for fear of being further horrified. Â When the bill arrived, that was sufficiently horrifying - three appetizers, two mains, two martinis totaling $127. Â Add tip (our server made a good effort and kitchen problems weren't her fault) and we're at $150+. Â For this? Â Next time I'm up for this kind of experience I'll get a root canal. Â
To be clear, we dine out a *lot*, much of it locally in Calabasas, and I am perfectly fine dropping $100 on dinner for two if the food is at least decent. Â I'm also fairly tolerant of most places, especially new ones, when small mistakes are made (see my other reviews for verification). Â But the food here was so poorly prepared that I'm convinced the owner would fire everyone in the kitchen had they eaten the same dinner we did.
We live five minutes away and will not be going back.
If it wasn't for the big 'Salt' sign right near the intersection, I wouldn't have known that this restaurant was located in such a small plaza. Even the sign above the main entrance was hard to see because it doesn't get lit up in the evening. Something they should probably think about.
Anyways, tried this place after being open for just a week. I understand that they're taking things slow and feeling it out for now, but it was a pleasant experience. Appetizers were good, entrees weren't too bad, and dessert was delish. For now, I'd recommend the brisket. Really tender and didin't come off as being super greasy like some other restaurants. Just 'juicy' for lack of a better word. I don't know why, but I had this urge to try their hamburger helper. It wasn't bad, but I wish there was a bit more flavor. Maybe add tomatoes for some tang or possibly some spice to give it a kick. Aside from that, our waitress was very friendly and helpful and so was the rest of the staff.
I like the decor, the way they have the bar set up, and the fact that the menu is very simple. I remember reading another yelper's review about the lack of 'special' salts. Well they must've started bringing that out because when I went, our waitress brought out two types of exotic salts for us to try with our dishes. It was different and it tasted pretty good with our meal.
3.5 stars.
I sooo wanted to make Salt one of our our local restaurants-of-choice along with Calabasas area faves, Sushi Nishi and Cafe 14. Â Unfortunately, if our first visit is any indication, Salt must make some improvements to make that list.
Right off the 101 freeway on Las Virgenes, behind the Jack in the Box, is the recently renovated space where at least three other restaurant ventures have failed - and it's not about location. Â It's about the food. Â I am of the firm belief that this area is crying for a cool, trendy restaurant with exceptional food. Â Â With the area peppered with meh offerings, could Salt be the answer? Â Let's see.
Walking in the door you see that the bar, located to your right, is mostly unchanged from the previous owners. Â That's about where the similarities end. Â Floors have been upgraded. Â The ceiling has been deconstructed to expose heavy ceiling joists, and cool light bulbs are hanging in threes by their cords from the beams above. Â The space is dimly lit and industrial eclectic. Â Salt has enclosed the formerly outside patio, adding a sunroom that is both inside and kinda outside, too.
Beautiful fresh flowers did not go unnoticed on each table.
You walk along the bar to a hostess station that has a worklight that is overly bright - like a spotlight - and totally out of place considering the otherwise well thought out interior design.
The staff is very nice and very accommodating on this early Sunday evening, but with only two servers in the dining room and food delivery, bus and water service woefully unhelpful to the servers, execution was slightly askew.
The food: Â the Chicken and Waffles are a hit. Â Panko coated slices of chicken breast are nicely browned and sit astride a homemade waffle. Â Mmmmmm. Â Maple syrup and a balsamic drizzle top the presentation perfectly. Â Nice job. Â 4+ stars.
The Caesar Salad with Chicken is nothing special. Â The same goes for the Baby Field Greens with Candied Walnuts. Â Home made dressings. Â Good, but nothing you'll remember after you've gotten home. Â The best news is that all ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, and organic is prominent on the menu. Â Solidly 3+ stars.
N had the Poached Red Snapper in lemon grass broth with baby vegetables. Â Presentation is pretty with the colorful baby veggies making a lovely bed for the fish. Â N says 3.5 stars.
M opted for the Kurobuta Pork Chop, rubbed in chipotle and topped by thin Fiji Apple Slices. Â Again, a pretty dish that delivers modestly. Â 3.5 stars.
The Hamburger Helper is ground Kobe beef and mushrooms in a red sauce with Orrechiette. Â I couldn't help but think of our previous night's Orrechette with Italian Sausage and Kale at Osteria Mozza - truly a great dish and it's tough to compare a neighborhood place to Mario Batali, I know, but Salt's Orrechiette pales in comparison: Â very simply prepared, tasty, yet with little depth in seasoning. Â 3.5 stars.
Our server brought several gourmet salt choices to accompany our dishes. Â The portions are a little small, but nice touch! Â I agree with another reviewer that Salt has a unique opportunity to take the "salt" concept to another level by highlighting the ubiquitous spice even more...
An interesting thought when I got home was that no bread was ever brought to the table. Â We didn't think about it at the time, but Hmmm. Â Oversight? Â Maybe. Â The support staff was "off" just a bit all night, so I wouldn't be surprised if they simply forgot the bread...
Desserts were very good. Â Salted caramel ice cream is M's favorite. Â 4 stars. Â A s'mores dish brought graham cracker crumbs lining a square bowl with chocolate syrup-topped vanilla ice cream, flanked by two toasted marshmallows. Â That's good eating! Â 3.75 stars. Â J loved her Salted Banana with salted caramel ice cream. Â
Salt has only been open about two weeks, so I will be looking forward to a more coordinated service and a maturing of the menu as time goes by. Â We are excited to have a great, cool place nearby, and we secretly hope that Salt can change the space's previously bad Karma to good. Â Stay tuned for updates...
So glad to have a new local spot to try! But c'mon Salt let's do this! Â Where's the salt? There was no salt to be found anywhere - not even a salt shaker on tables (which our waffle & chicken appetizer really needed). Â A basket of warm crusty bread with french butter served with a sampling of exotic salts (gris, truffle, black, smoked, etc) would go a long way to establishing the theme of this restaurant. And it's fun and memorable. How about salt parings for each entree? Exotic salts rimming flavored margaritas? Himalayan salt votives on the tables to warm up the joint?
Food was tasty. Still working out temps. as some of the food arrived lukewarm, but for the most part the food was tasty. Flat Iron steak was done well. Brisket was tasty, but cut too thin. Bread pudding was delicious, but the "Classic Drumstick" was not special with store bought ice cream and was missing the classic chocolate plug in the cone.
Looking forward to returning when the kinks are worked out and they can show me some SALT!
We were here for the Friday opening. It was delicious!! We were a big party with two 5 years old in tow. We were seated quickly and also greeted by the manager!
Loved all the food, I think we sampled half the menu. My favorite was the Pork Chop with apples and onions, the grilled artichoke appetizer and bread pudding dessert.
Our server was very familiar with the menu, and quick to have answers for us. The beers were tasty and cold. There is also a bar in the restaurant, but it doesn't overpower the rest of the atmosphere. A wonderful experience, we are already thinking about our next visit.
Bring your whole family, you will not be disappointed.
This is a truly deserved 5 stars. Came here for the soft opening and I can say I was impressed!!!! Â :)
Absolutely incredible ! I loved everything!
My friend and I split this food for 2 people and we were stuffed! We had the Wild Mushroom Mac & Cheese, the Arugula Salad and the Garlic Fries for dinner. The salt comes from the 2 adorable salt toppings they bring to you to season the fries. One is smoked and the other is spicy. The smoked salt was my favorite! Â The food was seriously perfect. I hope they keep up the good work and the food quality stays this great!
The staff is super awesome! The hostesses were extremely welcoming, our server was attentive, and the manager walked around and made sure the guests were satisfied. The atmosphere is very cool - upscale yet relaxed. Another important thing is, they have good beers on tap. I think they should get a drink menu but I'm sure it's in the works. They have Allagash White Beer on tap which is one of my favorites!
Oh and I should mention that the Bread Pudding (with chocolate chips) with Vanilla Ice Cream is one of the best desserts I've ever had in my life.
LOVE IT!!!!!!
Can I live here?!!!!
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