Named after the government building less than a block away from it, Plan Check is just as hipster as it sounds, but don’t let that scare you away. In fact, this restaurant has become so popular that it is now a small chain, with four locations throughout Los Angeles. I went to the original location on Sawtelle.

Parking in West L.A. is never ideal, but there is a long row of free street parking on Beloit Ave., which is just a block away from the restaurant. Otherwise, if you can get it, there is metered street parking in front of the building on Sawtelle.

The restaurant itself has indoor and outdoor seating, with options indoors ranging from the bar, to booths and tables, to a few large communal high tables in the center.

With words like ‘ketchup leather’ and ‘crispy kale,’ the menu is intimidating, to say the least, but the food speaks for itself. I went with my dad and we shared the sweet potato waffle fries, the southern fry sandwich, and the rare grilled yellowfin tuna. Everything was delicious.

The southern fry sandwich was my favorite. With fried chicken, spicy green pimento cheese, duck breast hams, and pickles, it was, to quote my dad, “better than chick-fil-a.” But seriously, it was the best fried-chicken sandwich I’ve had. The only way it could be better is if there were more pickles. The yellowfin tuna was also delicious. It is very lightly grilled (practically raw) it is perfect for sushi-lovers. Served also with a citrus-tartar sauce and thinly sliced, grilled cucumbers, it is a very refreshing dish. Sweet potato’s are my favorite potato to fry, and waffle-style is my favorite cut, so sweet potato waffle fries were a must-try for me. They did not disappoint. Even my dad, who historically does not like sweet potato fries, liked these fries. They tasted less strongly of sweet potato than most sweet potato fries do, and they also felt softer (perhaps less heavily fried).

Plan Check also has an extensive bar menu. Unfortunately, I was there on a lunch break during a workday, so I didn’t get to try any of the signature cocktails. If I had been able to drink, I think I would’ve tried the Ginger Grant, made of pisco, blood orange, sake, aperol, and ginger, or the PCH float (under the dessert menu), which is a Santa Monica brew works porter with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Next time.

1800 Sawtelle Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90025-5516

plancheck.com