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    Blue Magpie

    4.1 (128 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

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    BLUE MAGPIE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Upscale

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    Stewart L.

    I stated in my previous review that I wanted to try Blue Magpie's Happy Hour in the future, so here I am again. To summarize some previously stated facts: the restaurant opened in June 2025. It's an upscale Taiwanese place; the name is Taiwan's national bird. The restaurant's exoskeleton is not at all "Asian", but there are lovely Asian design details in the decor, design, and serving-ware. They have a small parking lot, but street parking can be a challenge. Happy Hour is offered Tues- Fri 3-6 pm and Sat/Sun 3-5 pm (closed Mon). There are 12 dishes on the menu and they are half-off during HH. Non-alcoholic drinks are half-off the second drink. When I came at 3:00 on a weekday, the place was quiet. A young man who looked like a proprietor or manager remembered me, maybe because I take a lot of photos; it's the Yelp way! He answered all of my questions and was more proficient in English than the waitress. I ended up ordering 7 of the 12 dishes. Each dish was well-prepared, beautifully plated and presented. Niggles about particular dishes are based on my personal taste and preferences. First off, be aware many dishes are garnished/topped with greens, which usually was cilantro shoots/baby cilantro. Their appearance isn't as distinctive as mature cilantro leaves, but their taste is just as potent and can easily overpower any dish. I picked off all of these greens, because just like my idol Ina Garten, I can only withstand cilantro in small doses. Here are the HH dishes I tried: 1) Seared Scallop with Aiyu Jelly. The scallop was seared, but sliced and combined with the jelly, had a soft texture. The jelly is a Taiwanese dish made from the seeds of a type of creeping fig plant. 2) Silken Egg with Sakura Shrimp and Seafood. Basically a chawanmushi, a warm egg custard with seafood. The custard and seafood within were delish, but the dish was topped with petite whole shrimp that had the taste of dried shrimp that I recall, not fondly, from my childhood, plus cilantro. So the 2 toppings were no's for me, bad dreams from a Chinese-American childhood. 3) Scallion Pork with Crispy Scallion Pancake. This dish was on the DineLA lunch menu. It's a soft taco topped with pork, pickled onions, corn and other things, including cilantro. Very nice, sans cilantro. 4) Drunken Shaoxing Shrimp. Whole shrimp in a Shaoxing wine "broth". Tasty, but very messy to eat since you have to behead, de-shell, de-tail and de-vein each shrimp. Yes, cilantro. 5) Golden Shrimp Toast & Pineapple. A modern and delish take on traditional shrimp toast, it's basically an open-faced shrimp salad sandwich. Very similar to their lobster and pineapple salad sandwich that was on the DIneLA menu. The bread was thick toasted slices of brioche (I think) topped with the shrimp salad, a squiggle of a sriracha aioli and chives (no cilantro!). 6) Chicken Pate with Crispy Youtiao. Another delish dish. Squiggles of chicken liver pate atop traditional fried Chinese donuts, topped with something that looked like pork floss (?) and chives. Again, no cilantro! 7) Crispy Fried Tofu. The tofu cubes were indeed fried but still soft. They were topped with a pickled slaw (cabbage and carrots) and alas, cilantro. Tasty, but I wish the tofu had retained some crispiness. My drink of choice was a Sparkling Fruit Refresher, very refreshing. Overall an excellent Happy Hour, great service and ambiance. I must return to try the other 5 HH dishes. My top 2 dishes from this visit: the shrimp toast and chicken pate.

    Sausage
    May C.

    A beautiful restaurant with very nice and friendly staffs. Their foods is very excellent and very tasty. I didn't have a chance to try their drinks. But we will be back very soon to try their Happy hours and lunch specials. Very nice place to celebrate birthday, anniversary and more. I think our server's name is Sean? He is very good and helpful. We will be back.

    Half chicken
    Tina K.

    I gave it two stars because we like the service, the waitresses are very attentive, very polite and the atmosphere was nice. I'm actually very excited to try the restaurant but I'm actually quite disappointed. Now onto the food which is the main point, I'm sorry but the food here simply does not justify the price. Out of all the fish that we ordered, I would say only the fish taste ok, everything else was just either plain or not good. The two dishes that I like to point out, the bamboo shoots were extremely tough -- almost impossible to chew. We asked them to replace the dish, and although they did, the new one was still not very satisfactory. I think you can buy this from the supermarket and just get cheese to spread on there and it would taste better. For the chicken, I don't even know where to begin The chicken was very dry and lacked flavor. The soup that came with it was also bland. It's hard to believe this dish costs $50 -- honestly, even the one from Costco tastes better. The four of us spent over $300 on maybe 5 dishes. That's about $75 per person, we didn't order lobster or steak, just veggies, fish, chicken etc. What I'm saying isn't even about whether the food was worth the price -- it's simply that the food itself just wasn't very good.

    Karen F.

    Have been wanting to try this place and decided Dine LA was the perfect time! Went on a Friday for a late lunch and the place was pretty full with folks also doing the Dine LA menu; small lot in the back was completely full, as were the immediate street spaces, so we ended up parking on Santa Anita, just before Huntington. Restaurant was very pretty and the bathrooms are quite lovely. The service was a mixed bag; the owner/manager guy was nice, the other waiter guy with the native level English was great, and the rest of the staff was friendly, but seemed frazzled. Food came out in a weird order, seems rhetorical kitchen was also frazzled, but we enjoyed what we ordered; portions were pretty big. We also added on a Taiwanese sausage, which was good, but a lot less sweet compared to traditional Taiwanese sausages. Won't say too much about the food since there are already a lot of reviews for the Dine LA menu, but I think the shrimp salad was better than the duck, and the wintermelon lemon drink is a lot less sweet than a traditional one. Also, some reviews saying the dessert was a bit bland, but we really enjoyed it. TBH, would probs not be back for a dinner if I was paying for myself, but would probs pop in for a lunch or take lunch. And, we do want to return and try happy hour.

    Exterior restaurant sign
    Miranda O.

    It was an amazing meal during DineLA week, tomorrow is the last day for this special menu. I might come back tomorrow to try the other selections! Today, the appetizer was a scallion pork taco made of scallion pancake, scallion oil, chipotle mayo, greens and pickled red onions. I had the tea-smoked duck breast salad, mandarin orange slices, pickles, delicately seasoned dressing with the smoked flavor on the duck, for the salad. The main course was a pineapple lobster salad brioche with a side of salad and French fries, quite tasty and with a crunchy brioche. The dessert was a boba tea panne cotta, nicely decorated with tiny boba pearls. Overall, a very nice menu for DineLA week.

    Exterior
    Ves S.

    Came for DineLA! We got the lunch DineLA menu, which comes with a mini pork taco, choice of crispy shrimp salad or tea-smoked duck salad, an entree of either chicken and waffles or lobster brioche, and a choice or specialty drink with panna cotta dessert. The inside is nice and upscale, though there was a bit of an open area near the bar that could use some blockers. Bathrooms are really nice, they're all-gender but have clean private stalls. We enjoyed our taco and salads! They were refreshing and just enough food and flavorful to get started. The lobster brioche was filling and hearty. The bread was nice and toasted on the outside and still soft. The lobster was tasty with some crunch (maybe pineapple?). It came with shoestring fries. The chicken and waffle was pretty substantial. It could be for two! The waffle was already sweet so no need for syrup. The chicken portion was huge! It had the same taste as Taiwanese popcorn chicken with the five-spice flavor and crispy outside. It also had a runny fried egg to put it all together. Parking is available in the rear lot or on the street. We enjoyed our lunch! Service was quick and they cleared our plates promptly and packed our leftovers in a neat package.

    Tiffany C.

    ​DINELA to try list: I finally visited Blue Magpie, Taiwanese modern fine dining, in Arcadia for Dine LA. The ambiance is a classy upscale modern. As soon as you walk in, the stunning wall of tea pots and sleek marble tables create such a gorgeous backdrop for photos. ​While the 45 dollar price tag is a bit of a splurge for lunch, the atmosphere makes it feel like a special treat. We enjoyed the Scallion Pork Taco and the Pineapple Lobster Salad Brioche, but the absolute best part was the Tea Smoked Duck Breast Salad. The duck was tender with a unique smoky flavor tea infused, that stole the spotlight. You also must try their drinks because they were fantastic! ​We finished with the silky Boba Tea Panna Cotta which was delightful. Service was wonderful and attentive. If you are looking for a fancy spot with great vibes to treat yourself, this is the place!

    Pi pa gao whiskey sour
    Ethan P.

    If you're looking for a quality spot with excellent service, this is the spot! I want to start off by saying the waiters were on top of their stuff the entire time. Not only were they fast, but very thoughtful and observant 10/10 service. Decor was nice. Personally I would replace the white light with warm light and lean in to the culture more by playing eastern music instead of western pop but that's just me. I had some extra time and got the pi pa gao cocktail which was a fun combo since the base is the Chinese herbal couch syrup Prices are on the higher end but justifiable with top notch ingredients and big portions. The Hakka style pork belly and salted pork jowl were our favorites. Def want to try the mala popcorn chicken, beef noodle soup, and lobster next time.

    Emi B.

    I've been coming here since the soft opening! Dinner is best for groups of 4+ (ideally 6+) so you can share everything family-style, so I prefer the lunch menu since I'm usually a 2-3 people group. The cold noodles with peanuts are amazing in this SoCal heat. The staff is really attentive, and even the takeout containers feel high-end.

    Chicken and waffles, enough said.
    Spencer Z.

    Had a scrumptious brunch of a day at the one and only Blue Magpie! Ordered a few items on the side, with the scallion pancakes unexpectedly taking the reins as the top dish. Table seating and indoor decor is a plus, with pretty good service thrown in. You can't sleep on the specialty drinks menu. Next time we come back for the duck when in stock!

    Ernest Y.

    I actually thought most of their food were pretty solid but it's honestly way too pricey. They also give a fried burdock root in the beginning which I was personally addicted to (coated in salt and pepper ). I tried all the drinks (except one) and they were all pretty good. Personally liked the moonlight blossom the most because of osmanthus but all of them were all on the lighter end. Food wise, I personally like the pork belly rice the most. This might not be the same thought on everybody because it reminds me more of the canto style pork belly than the taiwanese style(love both btw). The cabbage which I thought was ok but personally loved the dried shrimps on it. The duck was pretty solid and I liked the skin and overall it wasn't dry. The mapo Lobster was ok for me. The Lobster itself was fresh but I'm not sure if that's the combination I want on my lobster BUT I do like how they already deshell it. The chicken appetizer was ok...I personally wouldn't get it.... I honestly thought the food and drinks were pretty good but the price range of this place is prob the hard no for me. It's good to come try it once but I personally can't imagine myself coming back solely on the price range. The service was definitely on the better end. They were all pretty friendly and always there to clean plates and even open door for customers.

    Poached chicken
    Linda L.

    Service was excellent. My server was explaining the drinks and the thought process behind how much alcohol to use for their recipe. The drink that I ordered was delicious but I can't seem to remember the name. Decor was elegant. I ordered the poached chicken. I didn't expect it to be cold as the description in Chinese made it seem like traditional hand shredded chicken. The chicken was indeed poached like its English description. It's more like a cold cut deli sliced chicken as opposed to what I was expecting the Chinese description to read.

    Jessica W.

    人生的無常, 說穿了就是悲歡離合, 過日子無非就是心理的話,有人聽著就是溫暖,鬱悶的事,有人懂你就是幸福,人這一輩子呀, 入眼的是風景,真正入心的才是 人生呀~ 介紹完便宜的美寶會, 今天來介紹在 Arcadia 也算是新開沒太久,蠻受歡迎的新店, 藍鵲,這家一進門看到別有風格的裝潢就知道,菜單應該不便宜,走的是台式fusion 菜色,我們去時是中午。中午大部分都是簡餐, 麵啊、飯呀為主, 看他們yelp , 晚上有 很多的菜色, 可惜中午不能點 ,我點的東坡飯, 很好吃, 鹹中帶甜,有適合台灣人的口味,台式香腸, 非常道地, 兩個很台的呆丸人都很喜歡, 最後花了20 分鐘才上來的三杯雞麵, 個人覺得沒有香味,也沒有發揮三杯雞應有的特色, 這道我不推薦,去的早,一開始只有兩桌, 12 點多後就全滿, 而且年輕人居多, 環境高雅, 有包廂, 很少吃台菜有這麼有格調的餐廳,很適合請客的地方, 服務也不錯,價格稍貴兩個人出門一百出頭,晚上的菜色很多,有興趣的自己來試試!

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    1 month ago

    The service is AMAZING! Amor the bar tender is so sweet and we chatted all night. Would definitely come back again :D

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    Blush

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    UPDATE. We rescheduled our Vow Renewal from May-Dec, which seemed easy enough to do at first when…read morecommunicating with Chris, who was going to be onsite manager for our event. It proved more difficult when dealing with the owner Scott. I'll start by saying the end result was us rescheduling at the same rate that we booked & our event went well, however it wasn't without hiccups. When rescheduling, we were specifically instructed by Scott to cancel our booking in Peerspace & rebook the new date. That's when issues started. Before cancelling I mentioned how Peerspace won't refund our full amount & Scott replied that whatever isn't refunded will be credited toward the new date. That didn't happen without us constantly reaching out via text, email, & Peerspace. When you request a date on Peerspace it's pending review/approval from Blush, however it charges you immediately. 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    Mt. Lowe Brewing Co. - The Hills Are Alive Coffee IPA- 8.1 % ABV

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    This spot wasn't exactly my cup of tea for just hanging out with friends, but I can definitely see…read morewhy people like it. It seems more geared toward bigger groups and parents who want to relax with a beer while their kids run around. They have a massive outdoor area and a food truck outside, which makes grabbing food really easy. Inside, there's plenty of seating and the pricing is reasonable for the area. There are quite a few kids around, so it really just depends on what kind of atmosphere you're looking for. That said, what I got from the food truck was good and the beers were brewed well with a nice variety to choose from.

    My favorite local brewery!…read more First introduced here by my bf, who wanted to share his love for trivia Wednesdays. Have since stayed for weekly trivia, as well as their bingo Sundays, specially themed trivia Fridays, Super Bowl watch parties (really any football, baseball and basketball games), holiday and birthday gatherings, up close magic shows, to name a few of all their happenings! Moreover, it's not easy for me to make new friends, but it is here! The people working here and the people drinking here are so friendly and inviting! We've been having such a blast getting to know everyone here! Additionally, thanks to Mt Lowe's collabs, my belly has met some of the most incredible food trucks/vendors who frequent here. which pairs so, so well with their beer selection! And they're all so friendly too! My favorites include Thai Pasta Lab (their pad kra pow is insane!), Spicy Cuban Cuisine (with the best potato balls!), Something Good (love their tots and wings!), to name a few. I've also had some of the most flavorful fusion BBQ from Brody's and Shourai's, and the taco lady there on Tuesdays serves one incredible (and huge) carnitas quesadilla. So, come for the great beers, and stay for the conversation, laughs, yummiest grub, and all the fun happenings! Also dog and kid friendly! Highly recommend!

    The State - Cheese burger

    The State

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    I visited the State for the first time on 05/01/2026 at lunchtime with a party of three…read more Parking is easy to find, all around Monrovia downtown. The restaurant was kind of empty during our visit today; however, it is a small place -- and it was kind of nice. Every other time I have passed it (usually in the evening) it is packed. So, it was nice to be quiet today. Our service was friendly. I had the spicy chicken sandwich, which is a huge sandwich and it was delicious. It was not really spicy; however, I know -- for the masses. It was still absolutely delicious though. I did upgrade my salad to the side Cesar salad and it also was delicious. Overall, it was a nice win for lunch today. I even was able to wrap up half of my sandwich to bring home later. Dessert -- not this time -- but I'll be back!

    We've been here a few times and really wanted to like this place. The food and drinks feel more…read moreelevated than most spots nearby, and as locals in Monrovia, we were hoping it could become a regular for us. This last visit was frustrating enough that we won't be rushing back. We came in just before 6:00 PM with a babysitter and a limited window. The restaurant wasn't busy, maybe five tables, but service was completely off. Our entrée took about 45 minutes. It was comped, but no one acknowledged the delay. No apology, no explanation, nothing. We also got the wrong side (fries instead of onion rings), and while it was corrected quickly, it added to the overall feeling that no one was really paying attention. The bigger issue was how absent the service felt. Our server never came back for a second round of drinks, and I had to go to the bar myself. When I mentioned it, the response was basically that the server was busy with another table, which felt dismissive given how long we had already been waiting. No one was busy. By the time food arrived, it was around 6:45 PM. The problem wasn't just the wait, it was the lack of communication or basic hospitality the entire time. I actually emailed the restaurant directly after our visit and never heard back, which is disappointing and honestly says a lot. At this point, it's hard not to feel like they just don't really care about the customer experience or about keeping people coming back. It's a shame, because the place has potential, but right now it doesn't feel like it's being taken seriously.

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    $$

    I found this spot when looking for breweries in the area…read more This spot looks like it's by the metro station. Theres ample parking in the back entrance. Which was the confusing part since there's another entrance. The gps sent me to the back of the brewery lol. Once we entered we realized that lol. The spot is decorated with lots of videogame merch which was aesthetic. The menu includes seltzers, lagers, & ipa. We tried the lager & seltzer which were both 10/10. There's also snacks such as chips/popcorn. What's pretty fun are the TV's mounted at tables where you can play some of the games. Smash bros to Mario cart. They also have sega games which was pretty cool to see. The staff was friendly and open to questions. The day we went was pretty quiet, I'm hoping to visit with a bigger group so we can play some of their game selection.

    Came back here after a few years. Still a great little spot. Every table has a Nintendo or Sega so…read morethere's plenty to do. I do appreciate that you don't have to pay to play the games. It makes the place that much friendlier to be at. Jackie was especially nice. I like that they do the "buy your buddy a beer" and we cashed in on the veterans one. Thanks and cheers to the kind person that bought our drink. Sometimes I like to save it for another veteran but today I was thinking... no you know what.. this one's for me this time. So thank you. Last time I came here, I enjoyed their stout. Today, I enjoyed the El cachorro. Solid Mexican lager. Glad we found our way back here.

    Blue Magpie - bars - Updated May 2026

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