What can I say about poor Mud Hen?

Poor, poor Mud Hen.

Never had I anticipated a meal this much and been let down this badly.

The menu looked so yummy.

The servers were friendly and efficient.

The place has been remodeled from Street’s former dark, cold space to a warm, inviting Ho Down in a chicken coop.

But the food is more like chicken poop (sorry, that was pedestrian).

LOWLIGHTS:

The Classic Cheeseburger had a ton of this sour aioli on it that ruined the whole thing and for a medium burger, was vastly undercooked. Nothing very impressive about the thing, even once you scraped off what tasted like sour cream (I would have preferred that, actually).

The Lamb Meatballs were a bit dry and the tzatziki sauce sparse and boring.

The Mac and Cheese was ok but the parsley and lemon flavors were a bit odd. There was something just not right about this dish even though I loved the textures and consistency.

The Vegetarian tostadas were good but too simple to be on this menu. Zero creativity.

The Marguerita Pizza was absolutely like a frozen cafeteria meal, completely blah.

The Green Eggs and Ham needed a lot more filling, all I tasted was slightly spicy egg whites. Boring! Cram that thing full of egg yolk deliciousness, please!

The Shaved Kale and Brussels Sprouts salad could have used a citrus element and some other fun ingredients. They could take a lesson from Hart and the Hunter’s amazing version of a similar dish.

HIGHLIGHTS:

I really liked the Tuna Carpaccio. Normally $10, it was on the happy hour menu for $4 and was well worth it. Very flavorful!

We all agreed the Spinach Potato Pierogis were the best thing on the menu. Topped with beets and sitting in a tangy horseradish sauce, they were a fun treat.

The Maple Whisky Ribs were very good, especially loved the little shepherd’s pie you get with it. Solid entrée.

I would highly recommend you only keep this place in mind for Happy Hour with a few sides and few beers or their signature cocktails (I did enjoy the two that I tried) and not even venture to the full menu.

Truth be told, we ate a ton of food and each had a cocktail or two and still didn’t spend more than $40 a person, so it also has some decent prices going for it.

742 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028