EDIT: This Grand Lux is dead, but you can find others in different states serving the same old thang.
Sometimes you are so hungry you’ll eat anywhere. Well not just anywhere, but the place closest to you that seems to have good food. Such was the case when I found myself eating at the Grand Lux Cafe in Beverly Hills. This is not meant to knock the place, but simply to say that this place has never been on my to-eat list and I probably never would have sought it out. To tell you the truth, the name simply sounded like an overpriced fancy restaurant and not what it truly is – a Cheesecake Factory with a different name.
Seriously, the place is owned by Cheesecake and the menu is similarly vast. This meant it would be tough to pick a meal, but after much deliberation I found myself stuck in the sandwich section looking at their Short Rib Grilled Cheese. This thing had both the ribs and the cheese, but also two terrible onion varieties and arugula on “country” bread. I ordered without the veggies and chose fries as my side over a salad.
The veggie-free result was a delicious sandwich to behold. They definitely didn’t hold back on the meat, as to my delight I found short rib spilling out the sides. When I bit in, I found myself eating a greasy, meaty, cheesy mess of awesome. If you think greasy is unhealthy, then the Grand Lux Cafe is not for you. But if you are like me and disagree, then you will love this sandwich. The rib was juicy and flavorful, the cheese was great and the bread was simultaneously crispy and buttery. The fries were pretty average, but nothing to complain about.
While certainly not as good as the Cheesy Mac and Rib sandwich from the Grilled Cheese Truck, I certainly didn’t leave disappointed. Plus the wait was a whole lot shorter. Next time I’m craving such a sandwich, I just may find myself back at Grand Lux.
