Topanga Social: Taking Another Bite

By M.K.

Welcome back to our Topanga Social restaurant review update! We were invited back to try out the new food hall when it was open to the hungry public. During our latest visit, we saw that the place is still working out the kinks of the operation. We hope it goes more smoothly as the restaurants their learn that there's quite a demand for what they've got. It's still very busy, as it just opened.

Here's our first go of the place: Topanga Social: Downtown Eats Finally Come to The Valley

Topanga Social is located at 6600 Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Canoga Park, CA and will welcome guests seven days a week from 11am to 10pm with expanded weekend hours along with exciting community and family-friendly programming in the future. More information can be found at eatplaytopangasocial.com and @eatplaytopangasocial.

Just a reminder, you do order by kiosk tablet, not a cashier and we have heard and experienced restaurants closing early.

Read on as we share the details of our updated experiences with these establishments and see if they can make it onto your list of places worth checking out.

 

 

 

Our most recent visit to Shrimp Daddy showed significant improvement compared to our previous experience. The macaroni salad was surprisingly very pleasant with smoky flavors, which made it much more enjoyable than before.

While still served with shell-on shrimp that necessitated peeling and eating, the overall taste of the shrimp seems to have significantly improved as well - making for a much better dining experience than during our last visit.

It's excellent to see that Shrimp Daddy has listened and acted upon critiques as this latest visit marks a significant improvement in both their food offerings and quality. We hope they continue along this path of enhancement and look forward to visiting again soon!

Mini Kabob gave us something different. This time, we received a real kabob from the restaurant - cooked perfectly medium-rare with an excellent spicy and meaty flavor.

While still somewhat difficult to eat when piping hot, allowing it to cool down before trying helped significantly, and made biting into it much more pleasant as well.

Mini Kabob has elevated their cooking standards since our last visit and is now delivering an improved dining experience that is sure to exceed expectations. If you're in the area looking for some flavorful kabobs, then this restaurant is a definite try.

Amboy's burgers tasted much more in line with the reputation of the restaurant, featuring soft, delicious
buns and excellent grilled onions perfectly complemented by the melty cheese.

This time around, we found that these elements combined well together to create an overall exceptional burger experience that was a significant improvement over the lackluster offering we received during our previous dining experience.

Amboy has made some changes and adjustments since our last visit that is sure to satisfy all burger lovers out there!

Katsu Sando, pleasantly surprised us by a giant katsu sando that featured fresh tasting bread with authentic Japanese flavors. The overall flavor profile was much better than during our previous visit.

However, while the taste of the meat and breading were substantially improved, we did find that the meat slipped out from the breading somewhat - which could be seen as a minor issue for some diners.

If you're looking for Japanese comfort food with unique flavor combinations and don't mind a little messiness around your sandwich - then this stop comes highly recommended!

At Jaybirds, we were delighted with their crunchy, tender, and moist chicken tenders that lived up to the reputation of the restaurant. The sauces were provided in abundance - including pancake syrup, vinegary buffalo sauce, homemade ranch, homemade ketchup and thousand island.

The fries were also impressive with a nice spicy kick added to them which made them all the more enjoyable.

While there could have been a bit more spice for those looking for a hotter kick in their meal - the overall quality of flavors and ingredients definitely justified a second chance! We highly recommend checking out this spot if you're craving some deliciously saucy chicken tenders and crispy fries!

At Temaki, the restaurant served their spicy tuna crispy rice. This dish was good and well-made overall with a nice crunch from the rice. While there wasn't anything particularly special about it that would make it stand out from similar dishes, it also wasn't bad either! So if you're in the mood for some delightful fried sushi goodness - Temaki is worth checking out for this highly-enjoyable menu item alone!

 

At Rock & Reilly's, we tried their signature old fashioned and daiquiri cocktails. The old fashioned had a pleasant citrusy smell that was not harsh, making it easy to drink and quite enjoyable overall.

On the other hand, while the daiquiri did have a mild coconut flavor served with lime - we found that its flavors muted due to too much ice in the drink.

That being said, there is one notable highlight that elevated our experience during this busy Saturday - Kira, our waitress. She went above and beyond expectations to make sure we were well taken care of despite a hectic atmosphere which made all the difference in our overall enjoyment of the drinks.

While there may be minor issues like too much ice diluting flavors or semi-muted taste profiles - it's crucial to note that excellent service can go far in making up for any small shortcomings experienced during a dining establishment visit!

Through all of these experiences last Saturday, there is one thing we can say with confidence - the quality and diversity of offerings at Topanga Social are worth exploring. Although, we weren't able to review every establishment on our initial list due to operational constraints that day, the seven places we were able to visit more than make up for it in terms of flavorful dishes and memorable experiences.

We highly recommend checking out the fantastic food scene at Topanga Social if you're ever looking for something new and exciting in the valley!