December 14, 2016

Try the Little Beast Burger in Eagle Rock at Little Beast Restaurant

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eagle Rock’s Little Beast Restaurant.

How did you end up in the restaurant business?
Little Beast Restaurant is the realization of years of culinary training, family dreams and determination by husband and wife team Deborah Schwartz-Lowenthal and Chef Sean Lowenthal. Little Beast came to be because of our desire to have a restaurant on the East Side that rivals the great “foodie” spots in an intimate and inviting space that so easily populates Silverlake and the West Side. Offering a menu of progressive American comfort food, Chef Lowenthal’s menus speak to the seasons, the availability of pristine, local produce and to the talents of his team. We strive to be the best dining experience to hit the East Side of LA. A culinary graduate of the Art Institute in Colorado, Lowenthal served as the Chef at Greenbriar in Boulder, Colorado before relocating to Los Angeles in 2010 where he then became the sous chef at LA’s iconic Chateau Marmont.

We’d love to learn more about the struggles you’ve had along the way.
The restaurant business is one of the toughest businesses to be a part of for so many reasons – from the high levels of stress, to the long hours, working holidays/nights/weekends, small profit margins, and high failure rates. These all scare most people from going into and staying in the restaurant business. Every aspect of this business, from dishwashing t0 managing the finance, is a réal challenge, but taking the risks that we took by opening a restaurant has been one of our most rewarding expériences. As I have never done anything else, I have been in this business for 23 years, and I feel that my determination and perseverance are what gave me the knowledge and understanding that I have today. No success comes without some level of risk and without consistent hard work and dedication to make you appreciate that success.

Tell us something interesting or unique about Little Beast Restaurant.
Little Beast is a neighborhood restaurant that is many different things to many different people. It is a place for date nights, a place for families to gather, a place for a girl’s night out, a place for guys to catch up over burgers and beers, a place for younger families with children to dine, and a place for friends to share an evening. Our space is unique because of its homey vibe and for the fact that two-thirds of our restaurant is outdoors. Little Beast is situated in a one-bedroom 1911 Craftsman House on Colorado Boulevard and the backyard has been converted into a covered patio. It undeniably feels like a home, but it also feels like a casual fine dining restaurant.