Review: Shaquille's
By Peyton Schultze
On March 9th, Shaquille O’Neal was on hand as part of the grand opening of his brand-new restaurant across from the STAPLES Center at L.A. Live.
Throughout his illustrious Hall of Fame playing career and post-basketball appearances on TNT’s Emmy award-winning Inside the NBA, former Laker great Shaquille O’Neal has been called by some goofy and outrageous nicknames that have represented one of sports’ most unique figures.
The Big Aristotle. Shaq Daddy. Shaq Fu. Wilt Chamberneezy. The Big Diesel.
But now, can he be known as Chef Shaq?
Just a few days after the March 9th opening of Shaquille’s across from the STAPLES Center at L.A. Live, The Golden Angeleno was able visit Shaq’s brand-new upscale restaurant that is purely a superb symbol of the larger-than-life man himself. With an interesting and solid menu with a special Southern flair to go along with some great service, visiting Shaquille’s was a splendid experience overall. Without further ado, here’s our review of L.A. Live’s newest featured restaurant, Shaquille’s.
After a tough loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma was able to attend the grand opening alongside Shaq.
Environment
One of the first things you notice upon entering Shaquille’s is that it is not your typical sports bar featuring tons of sports memorabilia and collectibles from Shaq’s outstanding career. Instead, it’s an upscale and borderline fancy restaurant that seems to focus on fine dining that provides great food and service. This was never more clear than when we first sat down and read a coaster that said “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit.” This truly set the tone for the overall dining experience that provided a welcoming setting with a serious and focused emphasis on the connection between customer and service.
The décor itself the restaurant was also very neat and organized. With a large bar and a few screens to catch any nearby Laker or Clipper game, guests would be wise to stop by after or before a game across the street. In addition, there was also an outdoor shaded patio area that was very inviting, with a wide variety of small planets placed throughout the area.
While there were several cool and subtle features that we liked a lot, one that truly stood out was the simple color scheme of the restaurant. Combining a sharp gold with an elegant purple that looked clean and was not overwhelming by any means, Shaquille’s displayed a nice nod to the days of the center’s basketball glory days while a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Another interesting feature of the restaurant that was great was a large table with a gigantic chair situated next to it. We assumed it was built for the big man himself and was another nice nod to Shaquille O’Neal strong presence throughout the restaurant. This table was also a part of the “celebrity tables” that the restaurant’s website talks about, which harkens back to the days when celebrities could call ahead to reserve a spot at a restaurant on spot. With that being said, we even thought we spotted a celebrity at the restaurant in Bill Goldberg of the WWE (although we can not confirm), which adds to the LA star power vibe throughout the restaurant.
Another outstanding feature in the restaurant was the phenomenal music being played throughout the restaurant. Instead of typical elevator style music or even hits from today, Shaquille’s blasted some old hits over the past few decades that really added to the appeal of the restaurant. Throughout our visit, we heard a wide variety of songs that caught us off guard and provided a pleasant surprise such as:
Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back”
OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson”
Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”
Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”
2Pac’s “California Love”
Throughout our visit, we were certainly surprised by the effectiveness and class of Shaquille’s overall environment that really added to the complete experience that the new restaurant provided.
Shaq’s Famous Fried Chicken is the highlight of Shaquille’s menu.
Food
Heading into Shaquille’s, we had no idea what kind of food or menu that the restaurant provided. However, after a quick rundown of the menu, we were quickly able to notice the restaurant’s Southern roots due to O’Neal young days growing up in Georgia or attending college at LSU in Louisiana.
After scanning the menu, we noticed some intriguing food options that sounded delicious. However, in the end, we decided upon the Kobe Burger, the Shaq Burger (a nice nod to one of the game’s best duos), and a half order Shaq’s Famous Fried Chicken, which was the highlight of the menu in a large outlined box.
Served on a large vertical plate and fried to a crisp brown, the Fried Chicken was a delight and was quoted by one of our associates as “the best chicken I’ve ever had”. Although it was a tad expensive at $28 for a half order, the superb chicken was completely worth it and a great meal. The chicken does not come with any sides, although it is highly suggested that you order it with a $9 side of delicious mac n’ cheese.
As for the burgers, both were mildly-priced ($17 for the Shaq, $21 for the Kobe) and awesome to eat. Served with a side of fries, both burgers featured great meats, with the Kobe Burger obviously being made of Kobe beef. In addition, the Shaq Burger also featured a lot of a specialty “Shaq Sauce” that added some excellent flavor to the overall-great burger.
Although we were unable to drink any of the selects brews on tap and chose not to order any dessert after a stunning meal, the menu for both was long and piled on with some interesting choices that will certainly be a part of a second visit to the eatery.
The Hummingbird Cake is the highlight of Shaquille’s dessert menu.
Overall
In the end, Shaquille’s was a great find at L.A. Live that we certainly plan on returning to in the near future. With a laid back vibe served with great food, Shaquille’s is a solid new addition to the Los Angeles food landscape with its outstanding Southern dishes. This restaurant is the perfect place to visit before traveling to the STAPLES Center, and we highly suggest attending the restaurant the next time you are in downtown Los Angeles.
Score: 4.7 out of 5