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Cousin Vinny's Cafe
Category: Restaurants Diners Diners [Edit]
5148 W 190th StTorrance, CA 90503
Neighbourhood: Redondo Beach
(310) 542-3300
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for Cousin Vinny's Cafe
Review Highlights
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"Oh yeah, stop next door at the Anza Inn for a libation too." In 3 reviews -
"...Vinny's cheesesteak is different than any other place." In 2 reviews -
"Vinny's menu also boasts of "The Best French Dip." In 3 reviews
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Doug W.
Updated - 1/14/2012
We were originally heading to the Tomato Pie after we frequented Anza Hardware and discovered it was closed. At 1115am? Damn! I heard it was good eats, oh well.
My bride, being much observant than I than I pointed to Vinnie's across the street. Yes!
Bride had a egg salad with onion rings and I the french dip and they were great!
We'll be back again soon!
p.s. There is a full bar next door for those wishing to imbibe!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/11/2010
We found yourselves in the neighborhood again and enjoyed another great repast, I had a great… Read more »
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Review from Jimmy J.
Redondo Beach, CA
4/17/2012
Let's start with with the Wings - great size and flavor - I think you need to eat them there. Chicken Tenders, probably the best I've had, amazingly good. Fish & Chips, pretty darn good - got them as takeout, I think they would have been better if we ate them there, not their fault though... Steak & Cheese is awesome, however not your typical Steak & Cheese, more of a marinated steak and not thin as in "shaved", but it's excellent. All in all this is a great place and I would highly recommend it.
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Review from Dustin L.
Redondo Beach, CA
4/4/2012
The owner is from Buffalo. So you guessed it, great wings. Make that awesome wings. BW3, Hooters, etc, do not even compare. Super friendly, and great service as well!
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Review from Danial W.
Torrance, CA
11/14/2011
I've eaten here twice now and had chicken dishes both times:
Grilled chicken sandwich with macaroni salad
Chicken tenders.
Both times, chicken was cooked fresh to order and cooked well. Juicy and tender, awesome. The sandwich itself wasn't amazing as far as flavors, just fresh and lightly seasoned. The mac salad wasn't memorable.
But the chicken tenders... I'm a man who lives his breaded and fried boneless pieces of white meat chicken and these people are after my heart. The chicken is hand dipped in batter (just like Carl's Jr., OMG! .. ugh) which I would guess is the same they use for their Friday fish fry because it's an English fish n' chips style batter that puffs up, is crispy but not crunchy and gives a little chewiness. Quick hit of salt when they come out of the fryer and they're ready to go.. unless you're me and ask them to toss the tenders in their buffalo sauce. So so good, they didn't make it home before I plowed through them. Portion size was hefty, I'm guessing about a half pound.
Both times, service has been good and efficient, owner's always friendly and so was the new staff member.
Can't wait to go back and get more chicken strips. -
Review from Scott M.
Torrance, CA
8/13/2011 3 Check-ins Here
My friends and I ended up here for lunch on a recommendation for the Philly Cheesesteak. I had seen the place a couple of times while in the area but never had a reason to go there before today. We went and all 4 of us ordered the same thing. When the food arrived it was served fresh and very hot. I would definitely go back again for the Philly!! I definitely want to go back again to try some of the other offerings.
This is a husband and wife operation, and they have been open for about 1 year now. They recently won an award from The Daily Breeze for best burger but I have yet to try a burger from here. Seating is VERY limited as there are probably a total of no more than 10 chairs in the entire place.
SPECIALS:
Wednesdays - 2 for 1 Philly Cheesesteaks
Friday - Fish and Chips OR Fish Tacos
Saturday - $0.50 chicken wings -
Review from Lana H.
Redondo Beach, CA
5/22/2011
One star for the friendliness of the owners. Minus 4 for the overpriced meh food. Live really close to here so me n the bf ordered soon after they opened. Ordered the philly cheesesteak and the lava burger meals.
Tried some of the cheesesteak and it was super bland and there wasn't much meat either. My lava burger was also bland, lukewarm, and wasn't impressive at all. I could'vr made a better one at home. Bill was like $28 or something, not sure how that happened, but definitely didn't feel I got my money's worth.
Lastly, I was surprised to see how many people rated this place so highly. I was a bit suspicious so I leafed through the reviews and found almost all the people who rated them so highly have a very low amount of reviews. Some have 5 or less. Shady. So yeah, won't be back.Comment from christy J. of Cousin Vinny's Cafe 5/24/2011
Sorry for your bad experience. Perhaps as you state it was… More » -
Review from Don B.
Torrance, CA
4/6/2011
My wife and I were looking for a quick burger type place in our neighborhood and stumbled on this place. I ordered a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich with fries. I was not disappointed. The sandwich was really good. They use the thin sliced rib-eye and give you plenty of onions and peppers on a good crusty roll. The fries were hot and crisp. Since it was Saturday night, they had a .50 wing night and they were also better than expected. The sauce had a definite mustard taste in addition to the usual hot sauce.
Don't let the appearance of the place fool you , it is really quite good! -
Review from louie b.
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
My wife and I were both getting hungry and neither of us had any idea what for, so we said, next place that catches our eyes, we look to the right noticed this lil hole in the wall.. I had the Philly and she ordered the BLT. The service was friendly, the food was pretty good, there is not a lot of space inside, worth the stop.
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Review from E. T.
Torrance, CA
6/19/2011
Food is ok, but the owners are not clean at all. We asked for burgers. The lady took out the beef patties from the fridge and put on some gloves to handle the meat. Right before she grabbed the meat to make patties, she went to the register, got some money to give to someone as change and without thinking about washing her hands, goes on to press the patties. Then, she notices that she has no tomatoes and sends the other cook out to buy some. He comes back and gives a tomato to the lady. She cuts it without washing it and puts it inside the burger. And of course the guy does not even think about washing his hands when he comes back from the store. Also, the lady handles food, pens, paper and money all at the same time while wiping her hands on her pants. Will not go back!!
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Review from Brian K.
Redondo Beach, CA
9/27/2011
Fantastic cheesesteak (or chicken) and crispfy fries. 2 for 1 cheeseteak on Wednesdays.
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Review from Dave S.
4/4/2011 2 photos
This place is located right next to the old Anza Inn bar. They have a pass-through window to serve patrons of that bar. There are only 3 deuces and a 4 seat counter inside. They do have a picnic table on the sidewalk out front. This place opened 6 months ago and this place already has the claim to having the best burger in the south bay for 2011. I had the cheeseburger and fries. I thought it was good, but not the best. You can't make that claim when you are serving krinkle cut fries that resemble ore-ida frozen fries and the burgers are probably frozen patties that are thawed before they go onto the grill. If Vinny's was in the category for using prepared products (frozen processed fries and patties), then I think they could win that category because they did make a killer burger under those circumstances. They definitely can't win the gourmet hand cut fries and hand formed patties category.
The burger is served with mayo, mustard and ketchup. I told the owner they should mention that on the menu because most people don't like mustard on a burger. I like it with Best Food's mayo and no ketchup or mustard. I want to be able to taste the beef and those two condiments tend to mask the beef flavor. The burger today was still good with all those condiments.
I asked for the meat to be medium and they did a great job making it medium. It was nice and pink in the middle. The meat is dense consistant with an over-formed patty. That's typical of a frozen patty that's thawed. The meat is over worked in the processing plant which results in a leaner texture. Not much fat oozing out of this patty. They built the burger perfectly. Most places don't realize the cheese should be against the top bun and the meat should be against the lettuce, tomato, onions and dressing on the bottom bun. Vinny's does make a good burger with processed ingredients. I would come back and have this burger again. I just can't call it the best of the best.Comment from christy J. of Cousin Vinny's Cafe 5/24/2011
Thanks for the 4 star review. Just one response to set the… More » -
Review from Janet K.
Torrance, CA
11/18/2011
Here is the deal when the owner's son is not working it is great, when he is forget about ordering food in the last hour! this kid does not want to work! We have called in twice about 45 minutes to close and 30 monutes to close and the kid won't take an order. I compained about the first time he pulled this crap and he did it again! I like the food but they need to fire the kid!!!!
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Review from Eddie C.
Where to go for a genuine Philly Cheese Steak and good service? Go to Cousin Vinny's.
It seems like everyone on Yelp has an opinion on the dive bars, ramen, kalbi and tacos. The Philly Cheese Steak just doesn't seem to be able kick up much controversy on Yelp. It may just be changing trends but I still remember listening to a couple of guys from Philly lamenting that a good Philly Cheese Steak doesn't exist in LA. So, what's a good Philly Cheese Steak or the better question is what's a genuine Philly Cheese SteaK? This Satureday we mosied over the Cousin Vinny's Cafe to find out directly from Vinny. After all Vinny's, the Philly transplant, boasts the "Original Philly Cheese Steak"
Cousin Vinny's Cafe is a tiny joint with a tiny sign. The sign is so small that I must have drove by Cousin Vinny's for months without knowing that Vinny's was there. It was only after seeing a review on Yelp that I knew to stop in for lunch. That Saturday Vinny manned the cafe solo. That included cooking, cashiering and waiting on tables, the counter and the ordering window that connected Vinny's to the dive bar next door. Yet will all his responsibilites Vinny found time to banter a bit about what it means to be a real Philly Cheese Steak and still served up a great sandwich. As Vinny explained, they did not offer Cheese Whiz as an option for their Philly Cheese Steaks, provolone was their cheese of choice. Now, not being a Philly Cheese Steak afficianado I found it hard to imagine Cheese Whiz as the preferred choice over provolone... or for that matter any cheese other than maybe velveta. I happily took my Philly Cheese Steak with melted provolone. A cheese that , at least as applied by Vinny, highlighted the tasty steak and the fresh hoagie bun. The sandwich came with a side of fries for $8.50, not cheap but then again neither were the fresh and tasty ingredients that when into making it.
Next time? Vinny's menu also boasts of "The Best French Dip. Around" - how could I resist? -
Review from Andi Q.
Hermosa Beach, CA
7/23/2011
Cleaned the house all day; needed a break. Went to Cousin Vinny's for a Malt. Both husb and I got chocolate and they did not disappoint! Made with real ice cream, real malt - classicly served in a glass with the extras in the silver cup.
Have eaten here several times: it's all good, fresh, made to order. Have had the chicken speidies salad, the chicken BLT, the Phily Cheesesteak.
Friendly staff; family-run place. Will be back! -
Review from Mike N.
Redondo Beach, CA
6/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Went for a new place for the Birthday dinner...had seen it and really wanted to give it a go. The place is small...no it is really really small. No, think smaller. The taste though is big, no really really big...no think bigger. Great fresh salad, Philly Cheesesteak was good, my Chicken Philly was great. The staff was slammed but still friendly and helpful for us and the others there. If you want a burger they hand press the patties. They also flat iron toast the buns and rolls. It is quite wonderful. Only tough part...if you don't find a seat you will need to wait because the food is so good you don't rush. But they have takeout too.
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Review from Mandy M.
Canyon Country, CA
4/5/2011
I went here a couple weeks ago when my brother came into town for spring break. This place was the bomb! I live in a city with very few "hole in the wall" places so I am always happy to help the little guys and help my belly be happy :) anyway, I ordered the beef dip and my stepmom ordered the Philly cheesesteak and we split them. Both sandwiches were sooo delish! The bread was unbelievably fresh and the meat was good too. Plus they didn't skimp on the au jus like a lot if places. My brother got the lava burger or volcano burger (you get the idea) and this thing means business! The patty is stuffed with cheese and it will explode if your not careful. My brother didn't wait for the cheese to "settle" because he had just gotten off a 6 hour flight so all the cheese exploded. So be careful!
Aside from the food being fantabulous the owners are awesome! Kristy and vinny made sure we had all the ranch our hearts could desire and were just nice people. I highly suggest you try this place out! You will not be disappointed!
And did I mention they won best burger in the local newspaper?! Ya, you know you want to go now. -
Review from Kathy W.
12/5/2010
Stopped in here recently for an order to go. I liked the mozzarella sticks, but the marinara that came with it was stone-cold out of the refrigerator. The meatball sub would have been good if it weren't for the fact that there was a lot of fat and gristle in the meat, which I detest. I don't like to have to examine every bit of what I'm eating. After seeing what another reviewer wrote about the owner taking out the trash, handling raw chicken, then making food w/o washing his hands, I probably will not be back here. They are nice people but stuff like this drives me crazy.
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Review from Mike K.
Redondo Beach, CA
11/28/2011
OK, I was at my favorite Coffee place this morning and one of the regulars asked me if I ever tried Cousin Vinny's Cafe? I said no and he said try it. So what the heck I did. AMAZING, I went in for lunch and ordered a Lava Burger (1/2 lb. filled with Cheese i.e. Bleu Cheese, Swiss or Cheddar etc., served with outstanding fries and a buck canned soda. I think the bill came to $9 or $10 - Soooo worth it. Owner is delightful and friendly as a matter of fact everyone including the customers were cool. Anyway I told my 16 year old football playing son and my wife about it and they made me go and get them one. Well, here's the deal, They loved it and we found a great place to eat. I can't wait to try their Fish and Chips on Friday, and there 10 oz. Rib Eye steak deal. Don't quote me but I think it is $18 and includes potatoes, salad, roll, drink and dessert. And if you order 2 of these puppies they knock off $5. A little hard to find about 50 feet West of the 99 cent store. Totally worthwhile.. Let me know what you think.
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Review from Roger B.
Redondo Beach, CA
10/24/2011
The food is decent but nothing exceptional. The Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches are NOT authentic and the chicken one was dried out (we tried both beef & chicken). Watch the bill, the owner overcharged me but I didn't catch it until after I left. About the owners, the husband was ok friendly, the wife was less than friendly.
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Review from James V.
Beverly Hills, CA
Awesome bacon cheeseburgers, french dip and cheese steaks. Def will be back. Ps loved the Lucy memorabilia :)
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Review from Mark M.
Torrance, CA
9/15/2010 8 photos
Great food, great menu, great prices. What more would you want? Classic dishes include original and chicken Philly cheese steaks, French dip, Marinated chicken "Speidies" and steak sandwiches are only a few of the ample menu selections and the Buffalo wings are authentic and the best around! Burgers, burritos, fish, shrimp, diet plates and much more. Great appetizers too. Dine in or pick-up, catering services and delivery available. Oh yeah, stop next door at the Anza Inn for a libation too!
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Review from R C.
Manhattan Beach, CA
5/13/2011
I have read here about how good the Philly Cheesesteak was. I went there on Thurs. night (5/12) and ordered it. I guess that some of you have never been to Philly. I should have went to Ralph's and got a pack of Steakums and went home and cooked them. The "Philly Cheesesteak I was served was LOUSY. The steak was made up of little cubes and it was tasteless !!. I forced myself to eat a half and then forced a little of the other half.
The waitress asked how it was and of course I had to lie and say it was good. I didn't finish it and she wanted to know if I wanted it wraped to go. I just couldn't do it.They say that they slice the ribeye thin but they didn't say they also must cut it in cubes. I paid $8.00 for some meat that was tasteless. Please think twice before you order that sandwich. The fries were good and crisp but don't order the cheesesteak unless you are looking for a tasteless sandwich. -
Review from Stu M.
Redondo Beach, CA
Updated - 11/12/2010 4 Check-ins Here
Ok, it occurs to me, after much consideration, that Cousin Vinny's gets my nomination for Best New Cheesesteak in the South Bay. I'm from central New Jersey - I've been eating cheesesteaks since I was in grade school and I first started to really learn the difference between a good cheesesteak and a great cheesesteak while still in high school. And I'll tell you something, there are some good cheesesteaks in the South Bay. But the usual places that folks recommend for a great cheesesteak have become a little stale. Their recipe's haven't changed and they've lost their specialness. Cousin Vinny's cheesesteak is different than any other place. There's a little less bread, a little more steak, a little less cheese. The steak is a better cut and it's seasoned differently. So it's a standout, even if the execution missed. But the taste, from start to finish, is what earns it my sincere vote as Best New Cheesesteak.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/8/2010
Vinny's philly cheesesteak is a revelation, pure and simple. Just about every South Bay place makes,… Read more »
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Review from Steve W.
Torrance, CA
6/21/2011
I don't write to many reviews of places, but the Lava Burger here is the best in town, if I wasn't on a diet it would be my stable food.
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Review from J W.
Torrance, CA
5/5/2011
Great Food...Wonderful People!
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Review from Shannon O.
Torrance, CA
11/5/2011
We tried this place because they were on http://restaurant.com. After receiving their "Signature Egg Rolls" (obviously frozen) that were still cold in the middle, the cook took them back and put them back in the fryer. We also tried the fried pickles they were pretty good but I have had better. We then ordered the Philly Cheesesteak ( chopped up chunks of meat NOT thinly sliced like their menu stated) and 2 French Dip Sandwiches. They only had one French Dip so my friend changed her order to a patty melt. The macaroni salad was DRY and looked and tasted like someone dumped half a container of paprika on it! The service was VERY unfriendly as well. The cook also wasn't very sanitary in his food handling as he was cooking, cleaning, handling money, answering the phone, and taking orders and never saw him wash his hands or wear gloves. On their menu it says they have Famous Wings- "Always fresh, never frozen" ....well..... while we were eating the cook took an order for 90 wings, turned around, went to the back, and brought out bags of frozen wings!!!! Store bought, frozen wings!!! False advertising, poor service, mediocre to gross food, and questionable food handling practices guarantee we won't be back.
