In LA, the steakhouse game is kill or be killed. It's a gladiator pit of dry-aged beef and bone marrow, where the weak get gutted and tossed on the scrap heap of history. You cannot coast or live off your reputation. The Derby, Arcadia's grand old dame, is the sorry-ass proof of what happens when you try. Walking into The Derby is like stepping into a taxidermy museum where good food came to die sometime in the late '90s. They've got the horse-racing memorabilia, the dim lighting, the old-money wannabe charm--but none of that matters when the steak hits the table and tastes like something out of a roadside diner. And let's talk about that steak: rubbery, overcooked, under-seasoned, and soulless. You can slap a $100 price tag on it, you can tell me it's "prime," but you can't fake flavor--and there's no forgiveness when your main event is this lifeless. You could take the same money and eat at any modern joint in Pasadena or DTLA--places that still give a damn--and walk out blissfully satisfied. Here? You're paying big bucks for even bigger disappointment. The sides? Forget about it! Let's just say whoever's in charge of the potatoes should be brought up on charges of cooking under the influence. Mashed, baked, fried--every version comes out as a bland, soggy afterthought. The creamed spinach? A watery sludge. The mac and cheese? An insult to both macaroni and cheese. This isn't steakhouse fare--it's cafeteria food dressed up in a suit. Look, I get it. The Derby is old. It's got "history." People go there because their parents went there, because it's "classic," because it feels safe. But food isn't a museum piece. If you're not evolving, you're getting left behind. And The Derby? This place is definitely ancient history. You want me to say something nice? Fine: the service is... okay. The waiters are polite, and the room has charm if you're into the kind of nostalgia that smells like carpet cleaner and Ovaltine. But let me leave you with this: don't waste your time. Don't get suckered into believing that a century-old sign means anything if the kitchen's dead inside. For the money, Arcadia deserves better, and frankly you deserve better. Go somewhere else. The Derby should've hung up its towels years ago. read more

The Derby is a delicious experience using some of the basics of fine dining with a flair of innovation. The environment was very rustic with the theme of horse racing and other derby elements. There is definitely a cornerstone story to go with this restaurant. Overall, I enjoyed the ambiance and atmosphere. The service was fantastic... I believe our servers name was Baily she was great with suggestions. Had a wonderful personality and was just on top of everything for us. I asked between a few different dishes, and every dish she recommended was on point. So I can cook a steak at home... I cook a darn good steak at home. I got the prime rib, and they did such a good job... seasoned well, and had a delicious char on the right spots. The burbon butter was also delicious... I'm a big fan of infused butters. The garlic mash was good and had light seasoning. I added some of the Burbon butter to it, and it definitely added to it. Their lentil soup was very flavorful with the right amount of veggies. I finished it all off with their apple pie... it was fantastic.. homemade crust and all... we got the mac and cheese, but the flavor was kind of lacking, but I added some salt and pepper, and it was back in the game.. The overall experience was fantastic. The steak was fantastic, and the service topped it all to get you the 5 stars. read more

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The Derby has been open for 100 years. We love the steaks and service here but it's way too dark at dinner time to read the menus and the font is really small to read what sides are available. I have 20 20 vision. So I know I'm not blind. But back to the important part, the food is amazing. I was a bit disappointed with the cheesecake. Ours did not come with the sauce so we were definitely missing out on some flavors. But the whisky bread pudding is always amazing. So nice to get a good steak in this neighborhood. Garlic cheese bread taste like Clearman's Galley bread so you know it's amazing. read more

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Food was delicious the service was the best I've ever had ambiance was perfect Josh our waiter was great!! Thank you so much!!! read more

Great place to celebrate birthdays, food and service were superb! We ordered bone marrow and bacon dates for appetizers; rib eye, prime rib, NY steak dinners; baked Alaska (served on birthdays), crème brûlée and bread pudding for desserts! What a fun and delicious time at the Derby. Thanks! read more

What an evening! Driving through Arcadia & saw The Derby! 102 years in business & still going strong!! No reservations, but found a table in the bar area. Menu has a variety of dishes, all descriptions are specific & yummy. Service was excellent! Food was amazing! Definitely returning! read more

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Came for Dine LA and were able to make same day reservations on a Sunday. We came for our anniversary , wanting to find a steakhouse with an old time feel. The Derby was the perfect place. The servers were well dressed, knowledgeable and very professional. We loved the vibe inside , classy , yet comfortable and seeping with history. We ordered the French onion soup which was very cheesy and delicious and the green goddess salad, the prime rib and the bacon wrapped filet . We each got the potatoes romanoff - this is a must get . We loved all our food choices but the cheesecake may have stolen the show. It was amazing - the almond crust adds a perfect balance to the dense cheesecake. I wish I could just buy the cheesecake alone. The regular prices outside of Dine LA are a bit steep , but it's not unlike any other fancy steakhouse . We will not hesitate to come back to The Derby when we are celebrating another special occasion. read more

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We celebrate special occasions throughout the year at The Derby, and Always entertain guests at The Derby! The restaurant's exterior and interiors are breathtaking, and takes you back to a bygone era of grace and civility that are timeless, and ageless...part of a great dining experience! The Cocktails, Appetizers...oh! and the Bacon Wrapped Dates are Fabulous! From the Aged Beef, Seafood and all Antre's are the Best...Michelin Standard in our book...and the Baked Alaska as with all the Desserts are Delightful! All the Staff from the Hostesses and Hosts to the Servers and Valets are Spot On, and all perform with Fun and Professional Precision. What a Dinning Experience, Tom & Debbie Borgatta Arcadia, CA read more

Extremely busy which led me to believe that their food must be phenomenal. But I was slightly disappointed. With the line to get into the place and find a seat and reservations unavailable I expected the food to be five star and that Best it was three star. What made this a 4 Star Pl. was the service. We said at the bar, which is uncomfortable to eat at, but it was the only two seats available. I'll go back but most likely for happy hour. read more

Had Thanksgiving at the Derby and James was our server. What an incredible meal and James took such great care of us! They have it decorated so beautifully! read more

Came here for DineLA. A little disappointed. First time testing out the Derby Despite having reservations, took them a really long time to get us seated. Then it took a very long time for staff to come and even say hi. The excuse was they were using some new POS system but that's for payment so not sure why. Gave just unlimited garlic bread but the bread is a little soggy. Ordered the clam chowder - on the salty side Derby delight - the steak was actually pretty good but the sauce kind of overwhelmed the whole steak taste. Better to have the sauce on the side or have some light sauce like red wine. Amoretto cheesecake - the crust is very nice but the top part didn't have a lot of taste. Overall experience was a little underwhelmed despite hearing this is a long time establishment. Private lot. read more

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What a great brunch!! Excellent food the best service made our Easter special A must go to for anyone who hasn't been to the Derby yet !!! read more

The Derby - The best drinks in So CA - Steakhouses Near Me - Arcadia, California

The service was great. Our server was Bailey. She helped us pick out our main course and sides. Was beautiful night. Definitely coming back. read more

The Derby - Steakhouses Near Me - Arcadia, California

We had our monthly luncheon at the derby. Service was excellent. Food was excellent. It was easy on the pocketbook. And all that free entertainment. You can place wagers if you like. read more

Steak tastes very good. My friends and I we love our steak. Medium perfect cook. Definitely would come back next time. read more

The Derby - My friends love this cake. - Steakhouses Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Great place for a great meal! It is always nice to come to The Derby, especially with friends for special occasions. We celebrated a birthday and our server was gracious and conscientious about the timeline for some of our group members. We had the table side baked Alaska which was very tasty and I had the bacon wrapped filet with veggies. Everything was tasty and perfect. read more

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Love this place. Tonight was our second visit to celebrate my friend's birthday. Everything was delicious and our waiter Ruben was phenomenal. It was extremely crowded however at 4:30 so a short wait for our reservation. Also the valet staff was friendly and speedy despite the cars backed up. Will visit again after the holidays. read more

We just celebrated our anniversary And it was a wonderful experience. James, our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and provided great service. We did the outdoor dining, however, it did not feel like we were outdoor. They made it a really nice ambience and it felt very comfortable. We had the crispy brussels sprouts as an appetizer, and they were absolutely amazing. I had the Gary Stevens, a filet mignon and it just melted in your mouth. my wife had the Chilean Seabass and she really enjoyed that as well. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. read more

We went to celebrate my daughter's birthday and ordered off the LA Diner 3 course dinner. I had the bacon wrapped filet ( 8oz ) with calamari and shrimp scampi. I like my steak med rare but this steak was still breathing. Very rare so you could hardly cut through it. The calamari looked like fried zucchini. What's weird is my wife's dinner had calamari and was normal. I don't know what I ate. The dessert was " cheesecake ". However, it was some kind of blob that appeared to be cut out of a sheet pan. It tasted nothing like cheesecake. I'm not sure what it actually was . Oh the drinks, Long Island Ice Tea. They must be using bottom shelf booze because it was terrible. I'll never go back to this place. If you ever want steak and lobster go the Eddie V's in Costa Mesa. It blows The Derby away, I'm giving it a 2 star only because the waiter was great. read more

I was able to make a last-minute reservation, which they were very accommodating. Our waitress was above and beyond perfect. We ordered the salmon which was the best I have ever had, and the surprise of a flaming baked Alaska for my birthday was above and beyond my expectations. I highly recommend this restaurant for any in all occasions. read more

We had a 7 p.m. reservation at The Derby to celebrate my wife's birthday. Barb was introduced as our server, assisted by Jameson. However, Barb never helped us -- not once. Jameson, despite being introduced as her assistant, did everything to salvage what could have been a disaster. After we sat down, we waited over 15 minutes for Barb to take our order. When we flagged her down, she said she needed to take care of something else and never returned. Jameson stepped in, took our order, brought bread and wine, and continued to check on us. Meanwhile, Barb blatantly ignored us, walking past our table at least 20 times without acknowledging us. Barb spent the evening chatting and laughing with every other table in her section. She lit baked Alaskas, sang happy birthday to others, and made everyone else feel welcome. My wife and I were left feeling invisible on what was supposed to be a joyful celebration. Jameson, in contrast, was attentive and professional. When he brought out our steaks, he thoughtfully brought three types of steak sauce, explaining each one. It was a small gesture that demonstrated his care and attention to detail. After nearly 90 minutes of being ignored, I went to the host stand to speak with a manager. Cameron and a female manager whose name I didn't get apologized but initially didn't offer any solutions. About five minutes later, the female manager came to our table, listened to our concerns, and apologized sincerely. However, she claimed Barb and Jameson worked as a team and were both servers. This was odd, as Jameson had told us, "I'm here to support Barb -- she's the boss." The manager said she would speak with both Barb and Jameson. I insisted Jameson wasn't part of the problem -- he was the hero of the night. He saved what was shaping up to be a complete disaster. I even told Jameson in front of the manager how much we appreciated his service. When Barb finally came over -- 25 minutes after we had been waiting for her to light the baked Alaska -- she didn't ask how dinner was or if we enjoyed the evening. She simply asked, "Whose birthday is it?" This was information she should have known from the reservation or asked when we arrived. Her lack of acknowledgment for over an hour and a half was inexcusable. The food, as usual for The Derby, was quite good. The calamari and Brussels sprouts were fine, the bacon-wrapped filets were flavorful, and my cheesecake was enjoyable. My wife didn't care for her chocolate cake, but Jameson immediately offered to replace it. We declined, but his effort reflected his genuine care. While the female manager comped our wine, which saved $36, it didn't fully address the discomfort of being ignored and made to feel unwelcome. Barb's dismissive and unprofessional behavior was unacceptable. If not for Jameson, this would have been a one-star review, and we wouldn't consider returning. It's worth noting that while I had previously been to The Derby only once, my wife has been there 25-30 times over the past decade. She knows they typically do an exceptional job of caring for their customers and providing good service. Unfortunately, our experience Saturday night missed the mark entirely. If we return, we will not sit in Barb's section. I will not subject my wife to that sort of rudeness and indifference again. At this price point, service matters. It's inexcusable to ignore paying customers for an hour and a half. read more

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Finally checked out this restaurant as they're part of DineLA. The menu looked really good. For $65 per person we got: Crispy Brussels sprouts Tortilla soup The derby delight 8oz sliced filet mignon Prime rib (additional $10) Bread pudding Amaretto cheesecake We enjoyed the bread a lot. Overall, it was an okay dining experience. The food was okay but came out cold. read more

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Best Prime Rib on the planet and creamed spinach. Service is always impeccable and love the racing atmosphere. We come almost every time we come through the area. read more

Best restaurant around LA for prime rib and/or filet mignon....delicious and generous portions! Service was superb, great deserts, and excellent coffee! Don't have to drive to Beverly Hills anymore for this type of meal...a real icon! read more

we had a wonderful Anniversary Dinner at the Derby. we made reservations and the experience was fabulous. they kindly acknowledged our anniversary and the service was outstanding from start to finish. Our waiter "Johnny" was excellent and very engaging and attentive. He had great suggestions (food was excellent) and was very accommodating to our tastes and requests!!! read more

We dined here on a Saturday afternoon for a special event. There were a large number of guests to accommodate. We filled most of the restaurant! It was handled expertly. Beverages were served as guests arrived and we chose from a three course menu. This historic restaurant showcases Horseracing and Famous Jockey memorabilia. It has been there for over 100 years! As you enter the restaurant, there is a small museum like area to view all the trophies, photos, and historical artifacts. Upon entering the darkened interior with its huge comfortable red leather booths, it feels like a throwback to those nostalgic classic steakhouses and times. I ordered the Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon with green beans, wedge salad with blue cheese, and cheesecake with fresh berries. The steak was served perfectly prepared medium rare as I ordered it. The cheesecake was excellent. read more

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The Derby is a culinary experience that starts the minute you walk through the door. The front desk host & hostess are cheerful in a very respectful way. The wait staff & support team are one you expect from a top rated steak house. This was our first and definitely not our last. We would consider a trip to Pasadena just for the opportunity to have dinner at Derby! read more

It was a great night there and the Prime Rib was unbelievable! Our waiter was a young man named Joshua who also was unbelievable, ask for him when you there, just a fantastic place. read more

A fun, well-decorated steakhouse. Clearly a classic in the Arcadia community. The steak was a little disappointing. I ordered medium rare, but it came out as medium, leaning medium well. While the garlic mashed potatoes was amazing, the star of the show disappointed a bit. Dessert was redeeming. The warm bread pudding was soul warming with a strong whisky flavor. Great for families with an old fashion, cozy ambiance. read more

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This is a really nice place with great service and exellant steaks. Price range was as expected for a good meal that hit the spot. However they have courtesy valet parking and the attendant was extremely rude since I parked myself. I was there for dinner and great service. Not to be hustled by a rude valet dude. Two stars removed for that. read more

The Derby - Prime rib end cut - Steakhouses Near Me - Arcadia, California

Valet, food and service were 5 stars. I would suggest more table and restaurant lighting. I'm always impressed with the courtesy by all of the employees. read more

Excellent food, great service and love the feel everytime after the track we hit up this place and never disappointed Thank you Mikey V. read more

The Derby - Mikey V and Jojie Vasquez - Steakhouses Near Me - Arcadia, California

Been a regular for some time. It'a the last great steakhouse East of LA until Las Vegas. Great service, historic ambience. read more

Prime rib was delicious! Dinner service was outstanding!! We will definitely be back again.

A restaurant staple in the residential area and it stands the test of time. Great place for steak with great ambiance and service! The food is always great and you can expect high quality ingredients and a high quality cook on your steaks. A good way to try their food at an affordable price is via DineLA and their prix fixe menu, however, it's definitely worth it for a nice occassion or business meal. read more

Best meal around, the service is amazing and the environment is perfect. Definably feels like your stepping back in time!

Our party was handled by no less than 9 staff, all working harder than the next, providing an excellent dinner experience, from a drink at the bar to appetizer, to entrees, wine, etc.. Everyone was friendly and the food quality exemplary. I would recommend The Derby for any occasion. read more

Once again, the Derby delivers a delightful evening out. We split the bacon wrapped filet, and had the grilled broccoli and the creamed spinach as our sides. All were good, but the thing that really made the evening special was the attitude, and the attentiveness of our server Brandon. Thank you Brandon. read more

Excellent food! The sea bass was delicious. My husband love his prime rib. My cousin's filet mignon was perfect! Our son was highly pleased with his crab legs. The drinks were excellent. Our waiter was perfect! We will come again! read more

I wish I could give The Derby more than five stars. They are a restaurant in a class of their own. The decor is beautiful, vintage in the best of ways and well maintained. I had two cosmos. Perfect. Then I ordered the Cesar salad. I always feel that even though this is a simple salad, most people, including restaurants, have no idea how to make it. The Derby's Cesar salad was delectable! Pan seared scallop pasta. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the spinach pesto pasta had great flavor and was not overly salty. I also want to commend the staff. They are all helpful, genuinely friendly, hard-working, and obviously love working there. The Derby is a special place with a well-earned reputation. read more

The Derby - Steakhouses Near Me - Arcadia, California