07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Dunsmoor — Restaurant Review
What were your first impressions when you arrived?
The space feels like someone took a hunting lodge and gave it just enough polish to make city folks comfortable. Chef Brian Dunsmoor's "American heritage cooking" philosophy is written all over the rustic-meets-refined interior; you can smell the wood smoke before you even sit down.
What's the crowd like?
You'll spot plenty of tattooed Eagle Rock locals who've been waiting their whole lives for a restaurant this good in their neighborhood, mixed with food nerds making the pilgrimage from across the city. It's earned recognition in the 2024 MICHELIN Guide, so expect serious eaters who know what they're looking for.
What should we be drinking?
Lots of natural wines and American bottles that actually make sense with wood-fired anything. The cocktails lean into whiskey and bourbon, as they should in a place that takes American cooking this seriously.
Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
The menu changes often, but signature dishes like the cornbread, pork chops, and ribeye are highly praised. Everything tastes like it was cooked over an actual fire because it was.
And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Attentive service that strikes the right balance: knowledgeable about the cooking techniques without lecturing you about them. They get that this is LA neighborhood dining with serious ambitions.
What's the real-real on why we're coming here?
The food is damn delicious and represents something rare: American cooking that honors tradition without getting trapped by it.
