Lakewood Square, Lakewood Center, and now Lakewood Galleria? Shopping centers are a plenty in the…read moreCity of Lakewood, and in this case, all within or around the same city block. While Lakewood Center is vast and spacious, it can be confusing to tourists which business belongs to what shopping center. Let's see if I can help. Lakewood Galleria is the smallest of the three, perched on the northeast corner of Clark and Candlewood. Just on the other side of Clark is Outback Steakhouse, which is part of Lakewood Center. Lakewood Center is entirely east of Lakewood Blvd whereas Lakewood Square is entirely west of Lakewood Blvd. Got it? Good! Let's move on. Since Lakewood Galleria is significantly smaller than the other two, it wouldn't be fair for me to compare the two shopping centers; if I were to do that, I'd be comparing apples to avocados, both fruits, but certainly not of the same type! I also personally find it difficult to review a plaza like Lakewood Galleria as it'd be more expository compared to a business located within, but my Yelp friend, Lilah J, continues to encourage me to take on this FTR endeavor with an additional prod from another Yelp friend, Te-see B. If you're familiar with Lakewood Center, you should know about Restaurant Row, which spans as far west as IHOP/Chipotle to as far east as Outback Steakhouse. Since they're on the north side of Candlewood, I would argue that you can extend the row past Clark and add a few more eateries from Lakewood Galleria: Ohana Hawaiian BBQ, Corner Bakery Cafe, Pick Up Stix, Cold Stone Creamery, Rubio's Coastal Grill, and the most recently added Mlem Mlem Crab Cajun Seafood. For eats, my go tos are Corner Bakery Cafe and Rubio's Coastal Grill, sometimes on the same trip when I want to eat a nice, delicious meal from Rubio's, and then treat myself to a nice beverage afterwards from Corner Bakery. I personally think Corner Bakery Cafe is on the decline and do not see a bright future ahead for this cafe that has already closed its doors in nearby Long Beach and Whittier. Rubio's is a better choice, offering a wider variety of eats on their menu, though they're not open all three meals of the day. I reviewed three other Rubio's nearby, awarding each of them two stars. This one, however, is superior, and I always appreciate being welcomed by the recently promoted manager whenever he's there. My visits to this Rubio's have been consistently good, though with a few one-offs here and there. The spot occupied by Mlem Mlem Crab seems to be cursed. In a span of 15 years, it went from It's A Grind Coffee House to The Dog House, then to Dickey's Barbecue Pit, and now Mlem Mlem Crab Cajun Seafood. Besides Locks & Lather Hair Salon, which used to be a Fantastic Sam's, I don't recall any other spot in Lakewood Galleria having a changeover like that. I suppose that's why CityTV decided to do a feature on Mlem Mlem to encourage denizens of this city to try something different. They also have a location in nearby Hawaiian Gardens, so hopefully, they are here to stay. I have witnessed the same person in the parking lot of Lakewood Galleria multiple times offering to wash customers' car windows. I usually get wary of stuff like that, so I stay far from him, though I've seen him come inside, and he's never posed a threat to anyone. I generally feel safer here than at Carwood West Shopping Center, and I haven't heard any stories of the likes of what I mentioned in that review, which Lilah also encouraged me to write. While there's not really a doctor here, you can find The Joint, which can cater to your chiropractic needs. There is also Serene Dental Care that can cater to your dental needs. But like I said, no doctor, although I saw that MemorialCare is opening a location on Restaurant Row very soon where Men's Wearhouse used to be! No grocery stores here, but there is an Albertsons just one block south of Lakewood Galleria. The post office is about halfway in between, and there's not a whole lot of parking in front, so if you really can't find a spot to park, I'd suggest parking here instead. The parking lot is large enough that I've never had an issue finding an open spot. Similar to Lakewood Square, Lakewood Galleria serves as a good respite from the hustle and bustle of Lakewood Center. You won't find the best eats here, but there's a good variety for the size of this plaza that it shouldn't be difficult to agree upon a gathering place here. Corner Bakery comes to mind first only because of how empty the cafe has been on my recent visits, though do bear in mind the decline I mentioned earlier in this review. Also, Mayfair Park is a few hundred feet north, just south of South lol. It'd make for a good place to walk off your calories after your meal here.

This place used to be way better! There used to be lots of businesses in here that you'd actually…read morewant to go to. Unfortunately, life has become very busy and chaotic for me, so I haven't been frequenting this area as I used to. I was recently in the area, and saw where a lot of the old businesses that were here are now gone. I really don't see how this tiny strip mall will continue to stay open.

Some people call it the West Coast Times Square! During the daytime it's congested and noisy but at…read morenight it's spectacular. Full of animated, multi story, billboards that light up the night sky. It's really something to see at night.

Horrible Parking Management - Dishonest and Disrespectful…read more I had an awful experience with the Sunset Plaza Parking Management that I feel obligated to share. On 08/01/25, I parked in their lot for my 11:30 AM lunch reservation at The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker, followed by shopping at Ron Dorff, both located within Sunset Plaza. I stayed on the premises the entire time and have all the receipts and reservation confirmations to prove it. Despite this, I was wrongfully issued a parking citation. When I approached the parking staff with my documentation and tried to calmly explain the situation, they refused to listen. Instead, they accused me of "leaving the premises" because the order time on my restaurant receipt said 11:49 AM. I explained, clearly, that's simply the time our server took our order, not when I entered the restaurant. Anyone who has ever dined out knows there's often a wait to be seated and served, especially at a busy restaurant. But they ignored logic, dismissed my proof, and essentially called me a liar--despite my offer to have the restaurant and my friend confirm everything. Worse, they offered no solution and told me to just deal with the ticket myself. No apology. No responsibility. Just gaslighting and blame-shifting. This is unacceptable. If you're parking here, beware, they are more interested in trapping customers than helping them. I genuinely feel scammed, and I don't want others to go through the same experience.

tl,dr: decent plaza for dining, dessert, and groceries…read more Likes: + Large shopping plaza. Mixed variety of restaurants and desserts. My friend and I had our fill at Heybings Desserts. + I bought good, well-priced snow chains at the O'Reilly Auto Parts here. + I also enjoyed dinner at Eat's Sushi, along with their Yelp check-in for a free drink. + Huge parking lot. + Numerous entrances/exits. Makes for smooth traffic flow. Non-likes: - As my friend and I walked around this plaza at night, we crossed a couple homeless people just sleeping on the ground near store entrances. - This plaza doesn't have outdoor seating areas. Not a great hangout place for a group of friends to just chill outside.

Went to the Lowe's store here. This shopping center has many businesses and restaurants. I'd…read morerecommend coming here early, as the parking lot can get filled up later in the day and on the weekends. It is located next to the 405 and right on Bellflower.

02/13/2018 This little part tucked away behind a car…read moredealership. You will surely miss it if you don't look around and think it all belongs to this dealership. There are businesses here such as Tim's Appliances. A few bars and a handful of restaurants. I first learned about this little area when one of my friends invited me to have dinner at one of the best Mexican restaurants ever existed. Today, I was invited once again to the very same restaurant by a few other friends. There's a parking lot directly across from the shop length-wise. If you are so lucky to find street parking, take it. Spaces anywhere are big enough unless there is someone that's going to pull up to or over the line. I gotta come back and try the other places too.

- Contains the slowest service In-N-Out I've ever seen. +…read moreAmple free parking. + Various types of stores here. Eat and shop to your heart's content. + Conveniently located right by the 405.

Although it's a small mall it has what I need…read more With Aldi, Target, JC Penney, Ross, Burlington, Old Navy and IKEA I get the majority of my weekly/monthly shopping done. I can always find a bargain at one of the stores to fit my budget. I love that they added JD Sports in the place of Big 5. I get all my hubby's Vapormax shoes from JD. Great choice mall management. I appreciate that the mall grounds inside and out are kept clean. It's so convenient when you need an item asap and can't wait for delivery. The lots are pretty well lit and mall security is visible. I even saw mall security give a citation to someone who was double parked. I didn't know that could happen. Overall I give our little mall an A+! In a time when malls are closing I'm glad we still have ours! #southbaypavillion aka Carson Mall

It's convenient. There is no parking problem. I live nearby and use the nail salon, eateries and…read morethe liquor store has many things if you don't have time to go to the market. A great auto parts store for many years! There's nothing to complain about. It's just an older shopping center!

This is a terrible shopping center! The parking is horrible. All compact size parking spaces with…read morezero room to move around the lot. There's definitely not enough room or parking spaces for the amount of people coming in and out of this lot. I'd avoid if you care about your car in any way.

It's a small plaza with few stores and there is enough parking spots to park outside. The selection…read moreof stores are Cat Care, Dentist office, acupuncture, UPS store and etc. I went to a store and they were so friendly. Value Wise the post office has a rate that they are same in the other location in OC so I cant give an opinion or judgement about value or their pricing system. But about the Plaza parking is free.