Industry Cafe Jazz

by John F.

Come down to Industry Cafe Jazz for delicious Ethiopian and Soul Food.The owner could not be nicer.  If it's a slow night he'll walk you through the whole menu. And he'll even keep the kitchen open as late as you're there.Live music a couple nights a week (W-Sun, I think) rounds out the whole experience.Also, it's a great place to go with a large group, share a couple plates, and still expect to play under $20/person with alcohol.

by Adam B.

This is a really interesting place in the gallery area of CC. Very funky vibe even though it's a bit of a dive-y restaurant/club. Cool artwork on the walls with a small in the back. Various jazz bands play all night long. Food itself is an interesting hybrid of Ethiopian and Southern soul food. Weird tag team? Not really since they both involve lots of spice and heat. I originally wanted the fried chicken but the waitress told me they were out (at 6?) but they had the chicken wings which in some ways, makes no sense. But I ordered them anyway. They were fried but not really breaded. So it was a bit odd. Food took awhile to get to my table which I assume means they were preparing everything to order since we were only one of two parties in the place. Wings themselves were OK but nothing thrilling probably because there was no breading. Thus no spice. Red Beans and Rice were a cool idea but the rice was dry and tasteless. The beans were OK but I've had better. Collard Greens were excellent. The Lamb Tibisi was spicy and flavorful but the meat was on the chewy side. Place seems to specialize in veggie fare right down to a veggie friendly lunch buffet on weekdays. Great concept, cool music and decor but they need to get the food and service to be better for me to improve on this review. I might give it another shot sometime.

by Lowell H.

Cool jazz joint.  Very relaxed.  Went there for a birthday party, they had a 5 piece jazz group, good food.  That African coffee, super strong coffee with cinnamin in a small cup, will wake you right up.   Interesting food.  I have never had bread like that anywhere.

by Kina T.Jonathan T.Jenny S.Blu M.Hugh H.

Found this place on yelp, checked it out last night.Massive construction on Washington makes parking a bit of a challenge, gotta go into the neighborhood. but there was still plenty of it.Restaurant is really chill, only 2 other parties in the place but my party of 6. live jazz was well done, not overly loud or overpowering. very chill and enjoyable.drink service was prompt and frequent - we definitely appreciated our great server! the comfort food was a big hit, especially the fried chicken, steak, and mac and cheese. omg, you must have the mac and cheese when you come here. do not pass this up.ethiopian food choices included the vegetarian platter, the chicken and the beef. hands down, the beef was the tastiest. chicken came next, with "spicy" flavor really not that spicy at all. unfortunately, i have to take stars away from the place for the lackluster vegetarian presence. most ethiopian places i've been to, the vegetarian platter is the highlight of the evening. this place, the veggies were bland and tasteless. all of them. none of them stood out in any way shape or form. it was quite disappointing.if i go back, it will be for the ethiopian beef and the mac and cheese. hell yeah.other "notices" i saw while dining - apparently tuesday nights is live country music, and wednesday nights is live salsa dancing. that explains why the tables are sparse and the floor so open. noice.***4.5 Stars***Omelettes, Deli Sandwiches, and Soul Food....oh my!But huh? T'aint this joint a Jazz N Ethiopian hang?hold on there, captains and chicas!cuz 'Industry Cafe' (hmmmm, what industry we talkin' bout?---THE Industry? can i find an agent pleez for whatever it is i'm lookin' to be agented for?)....i dunno this place just confuses me in a great and eclectical way.like, in addition to the aforementioned omelettes, soul food, and deli sammiches, and the whole un-Industry feel of the place, if in fact that's the 'Industry' they're referring to....they got some killer Jazz and dare i say, even a little bit o' blues going on, AND you can get some amazingly delish and authentic Ethiopian/Eritrean grub despite the unassuming menu and somewhat limited selection vs. the folks over on Fairfax in Little Ethiopia....i was spoiled with amazing friends, some of whom drove down from SF, amazing food (our big table got the Combo Plate loaded down with like 10 different Ethie veggie and meat dishes), and of course, some righteous jazz and blues belting, as we celebrated a certain milestone b-day bash for my bud Cadillac Zack. Yep, Miss Love, Mississippi Bo and Dangerous Darryl even came up for a song or three with the capable 5 piece jazz band, and they fuckin' smoked it with tales of woe, heartache, infidelity, skullduggery, and malfeasance. BRILLIANT.Service was chill and non-obtrusive, so don't take that for lazy or bad service, you just gotta tell them what you want when you want it.Bonus fact was that, at least this particular Sat nite, they ratcheted up the speakeasy feel of the joint after the jazz died down at 10pm. There's a great little nook of a room behind the kitchen with fab lighting and a mack daddy pool table perfect for an intimate nite of billiarding, and behind that, they've got a back barroom cum dance floor which was light on the traffic but high on energy (tho i was not a huge fan of the relatively mainstreamy un-groovy hip hop)....TIP: Don't forget to let the Injera 'bread' at the bottom of your Combo Plate marinate with all the delicious juices of your 10 or so dishes, and then, mmmm....yea.....grab all that shit with your saucy drippy fingers and suck that shit down!!!!HA HA!Lotsa fun and....We're DONE!Stumbled upon this spot during the Culver City Art Walk. We were just looking for a quick place to grab a drink and a quick bite - what we found was live jazz, amazing Ethiopian and Soul food (killer mac 'n cheese!), and one of the friendliest restaurant owners in town.We must of had that "I have no idea what to order because I've never eaten Ethiopian food" look on our faces because shortly after we sat down the owner came over and explained the menu, ordering for us. We were not disappointed. This was an unexpectedly great hidden find.I come here for the open mic/spoken word/perform whatever u want without profanity here on Tuesday nights. 9pm-12am. I've only had the wings and fries. There's a pool table in the back. It's a pretty chill spot. Everyone's welcome to get on the mic, all ages, they also serve wine and beer. The lighting is moderately dim and the mood is mellow.Came here for lunch.  The waitress didn't seem to know what the menu items were and brought us dirty water glasses.  Service was slow.  We ordered the fried chicken.  It was overcooked to the point where it tasted like jerky.  Parking is a hassle on this stretch of the road. I won't be coming here ever again.

by casey k.

What do you get when you mix live jazz, spoken word and hip-hop with delicious Ethiopian cuisine set in amongst dozens of art galleries? One of the best local food and music hang-outs in Culver City.The food is great, veggie-friendly and plentiful. But what makes Industry is the vibe, positive and live. Any night of the week you'll find live music. Jazz sets, local guys jamming. The occasional DJ spinning African beats or hip-hop. And if you really want to go somewhere, check out Organic Soul Movement on Tuesday nights, where LA's best spoken word artists, vocalists, and poets share their wares with the community at hand. Aron, Industry's owner, has made a place for himself in the Culver City art district. He'll be sure to greet you when you walk in. Local art adorn the walls and pictures of his family and friends adorn the menus.Check out Industry for nothing short of an "experience".Here's the website:http://www.industrycaf...

by Ben F.

This place is unassuming casual fun.  The food is great and the owner is super-friendly.  I highly recommend the sweet potato desert. The live music was pretty good (I don't remember the band's name) although it wasn't what I think of as jazz.

by Jonathan T.

***4.5 Stars***Omelettes, Deli Sandwiches, and Soul Food....oh my!But huh? T'aint this joint a Jazz N Ethiopian hang?hold on there, captains and chicas!cuz 'Industry Cafe' (hmmmm, what industry we talkin' bout?---THE Industry? can i find an agent pleez for whatever it is i'm lookin' to be agented for?)....i dunno this place just confuses me in a great and eclectical way.like, in addition to the aforementioned omelettes, soul food, and deli sammiches, and the whole un-Industry feel of the place, if in fact that's the 'Industry' they're referring to....they got some killer Jazz and dare i say, even a little bit o' blues going on, AND you can get some amazingly delish and authentic Ethiopian/Eritrean grub despite the unassuming menu and somewhat limited selection vs. the folks over on Fairfax in Little Ethiopia....i was spoiled with amazing friends, some of whom drove down from SF, amazing food (our big table got the Combo Plate loaded down with like 10 different Ethie veggie and meat dishes), and of course, some righteous jazz and blues belting, as we celebrated a certain milestone b-day bash for my bud Cadillac Zack. Yep, Miss Love, Mississippi Bo and Dangerous Darryl even came up for a song or three with the capable 5 piece jazz band, and they fuckin' smoked it with tales of woe, heartache, infidelity, skullduggery, and malfeasance. BRILLIANT.Service was chill and non-obtrusive, so don't take that for lazy or bad service, you just gotta tell them what you want when you want it.Bonus fact was that, at least this particular Sat nite, they ratcheted up the speakeasy feel of the joint after the jazz died down at 10pm. There's a great little nook of a room behind the kitchen with fab lighting and a mack daddy pool table perfect for an intimate nite of billiarding, and behind that, they've got a back barroom cum dance floor which was light on the traffic but high on energy (tho i was not a huge fan of the relatively mainstreamy un-groovy hip hop)....TIP: Don't forget to let the Injera 'bread' at the bottom of your Combo Plate marinate with all the delicious juices of your 10 or so dishes, and then, mmmm....yea.....grab all that shit with your saucy drippy fingers and suck that shit down!!!!HA HA!Lotsa fun and....We're DONE!

by Richard W.

Music Outshines Food at Ethiopian Eatery with Lackluster ServiceThe reason to visit Industry Cafe and Jazz, although I probably won't be back, would be to experience the delightful song stylings of local artists who make it their purpose to elevate your evening to heights unachievable by the restaurant alone.  The food is "just ok".  The service is "not ok".  The atmosphere is "ok this is scary, why are the lights blinking on and off".  There is a nice DIY, independent kind of vibe here- but the lack of service and questionable lighting make it feel a little too authentically third world.

by Johnathan J.

I had a very eloquently worded review started for this restaurant. Then my browser refreshed the page AND LOST IT!! {insert loud vulgar expletives here}.So now that I'm upset, I won't even try to be eloquent. To the point, the restaurant is an Ethiopian affair, with Jazz and other great music thrown in for good measure. Its your basic paper napkin establishment, with some very delicious food. If you have the chance to come, you should. Its a nice, quiet spot to have a conversation, listen to some good music and enjoy some good food. I feel like I said that already. I guess cause I did. Anyway, in closing, for what it is, its a bit expensive for my taste. Not extravagantly so, but still. I had red beans and rice, with cornbread, and why was the cornbread this little muffin for a $1 and change! They outta be ashamed.. knowing that WHOLE BOX of Jiffy mix didn't cost but about 75 cents!Anyway, sorry I had to take my upsetness out on Industry. It really is a nice place, and I will be back. With my own cornbread.

by claudia g.

This is a good spot for some inexpensive healthy food and live music.My friend ordered the lamb and loved it- I had collard greens, green salad and a corn muffin (the muffin was hard but still tasty) 3.5Service was friendly but not super prompt (every table was occupied and they did their best so it makes it ok- in my book!).I will definitely return to this "speakeasy vibe" spot.