Sabbatikos

Lawry’s The Prime Rib is a landmark restaurant in Beverly Hills known not only for serving sublime prime rib, but for having popularized valet parking!

You know Lawry’s for their famous seasoning salt. It was created in 1922 by Lawrence Frank (originally called Seazn-all) at his first restaurant the Tam O’Shanter where it was only served to customers. Coincidentally, we had visited the Tam O’Shanter earlier this year. Lawry’s Seasoned Salt became so popular that by 1938 it was available as a retail product. It has a long history of being bought and sold as a brand, first in 1979 to Lipton, and then to McCormick in 2008. The seasoning is prominently displayed at Lawry’s The Prime Rib Restaurant in Beverly Hills where a fresh set of Seasoned Salt and Seasoned Pepper are placed on each table upon seating.

Interestingly enough, Lawrence L. Frank had a significant role in the development and management of Musso & Frank Grill (where we also visited earlier this year) starting in 1919, before founding the Tam O’Shanter with his brother-in-law Walter Van de Kamp in 1922 and then eventually Lawry’s in 1938.

Having eaten at both Musso and Frank Grill, and the Tam O’Shanter, we had to try Lawry’s! And what better time of year than Christmas Eve, when our family tradition is Prime Rib and Yorkshire pudding, to experience Lawry’s? Why cook it (by the way, the best standing rib roast recipe is by Food Lab author J. Kenji López-Alt) when you can have it cooked for you, and visit the famous Lawry’s Prime Rib?

Our evening started with drinks, the Prime Old Fashioned served smoked, was a table pleaser.

This was quickly followed by the famous Original Spinning Bowl Salad served table-side.

And then came the main course: prime rib, carved and served table-side to your liking, from a gleaming 900lb vintage stainless steel cart designed by Lawrence Frank himself.

The prime rib is absolute perfection! Superbly cooked to your liking (we all ordered medium-rare). You have your choice of cuts. We all chose the California cut (6oz), whereas Ian got the Lawry’s cut (10oz), and there were options for the Diamond Jim Brady Cut (16oz) and a Beef Bowl Cut (24oz)!

What gluttonous dinner would be complete without a table-side red velvet cake Baked Alaska for dessert?

We left Lawry’s full, satisfied, and perhaps with a pocketed souvenir shaker of their signature seasoned pepper.

While we didn’t partake in Lawry’s famous valet service (we took an Uber), we did see our first autonomous Waymo turning off La Cienega Blvd into Lawry’s parking lot. Valet has come a long way since Lawry’s opening in 1938!

Christmas Eve dinner at Lawry’s could easily become a our new family tradition, but one thing is certain—we’ll be returning to Lawry’s The Prime Rib again and again for its delicious, hearty, timeless and classic experience.