#40 Taylor's - La Cañada Flintridge
22 January 2016 
Rating: 2.50 cows
When we last visited Taylor’s Steakhouse in Koreatown, it was 2010 and we gave it 3.75 cows, a relatively decent rating considering how many steaks we’ve covered. This year we decided to give the other Taylor’s location in La Canada a visit to see how it measured up to the original. Well, nostalgia wasn’t as kind to Taylor’s as we had hoped. The restaurant itself had a rather confusing entry that wasn’t exactly welcoming, but once we sat down, the classic restaurant charm startled to settle in. The lighting wasn’t as dim as the Koreatown location, which is actually nice, but dim just enough for a nice evening out.
Service that evening was pleasant and friendly. The place wasn’t packed nor was it dead, but it was reasonably busy and we were taken care of well enough. If you’re looking for a good cocktail, you won’t find it here. Old Fashioneds are of the muddled fruit & soda water variety, so safer to go with a beer or wine. We began with a basket of onion rings to share and a few salads. Where the previous Taylor’s seemed as if they served us frozen rings, the ones here certainly looked and tasted fresher. There wasn’t anything particular about the salads to note, just what you’d expect from a restaurant.
There’s a rather large variety of steaks offered at Taylor’s, most within the ballpark of $25. They’ll come with your choice of two sides, so for the money, it’s still quite reasonable. The steaks were cooked decently overall, but not quite as well as we preferred (the oft-elusive medium rare). Seasoning might not be the strong suit as the steaks simply tasted okay. Sides were also fine, but the special side of the day was corn, and it was a rather disappointing dish of sliced corn in a sauce. It really was a complete waste of a side order.
Room for desserts is always in question, but none of the steaks here will set you back too much nor will they fill you up too much. We ordered a round of desserts for the table and all are about $8. To be honest, nothing memorable with these either. It was a decent meal overall, but it may be another six years before we feel the need to return. Outback is still our go-to for budget steak.
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