clearman's north woods inn of la mirada

hohum. have gone here for 35 years. haven't been in a while because the food is so overpriced. the cheese toast is no longer the same, more like cheesy margarine. the table had a thick coating of gunk! the scallops as always were great but my husbands new york steak was small and tough. the potato shrank and who wants to pay $24.00 for a chicken dinner? no wine list, but have goblets of dark beer my husband likes.

you have probably passed by it a million times. the snow covered restaurant off of the 5 freeway going towards la. it's right where the traffic always seems to start backing up entering norwalk and all points beyond. why is this section of the freeway only three lanes wide, when it should be about six lanes across? okay, that's the end of my traffic rant for now, but if any of you work for caltrans, can you please put in my request for more lanes on the 5 freeway? anyways, back to the snow covered restaurant at the valley view exit of the freeway. clearman's north woods inn seems to have been around forever. the truth is, it has only been in this location for 25 years now. yes, that's a long time in the restaurant business, but it really does seem like i have seen this restaurant since i was a kid. in those 25 years, my family and i have celebrated numerous birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations here. the reason f

great lobster, steak, and side dishes!. my husband and i love their lobster and steak combination, as well as their two salads, both are delicious and the cabbage salad is unique and great! they come with the meal, as do their enormous delicious baked potatoes with mushroom gravy, rice pilaf and cheese bread. my husband also likes their shrimp cocktail with large shrimp. the peanuts in shells are a nice touch. we have dined in some of the best restaurants in southern california and their food is great!

great food and service in a unique and fun environment. i'd only gotten steaks there until recently, but their other food is really great, too! the bread is definitely a must!

find this place!. this place is outstanding!
right out of twin peaks.
portions are massive. i'm wrestling with a flagon of coffee and a half gallon of ice cream.
the only thing missing is a good slice of pie.
but - the stuffed wolverine over the bar...
i'm serious.
find this place

do not go here!!!. we had never been to this restaurant and decided to give is a try the other week. the food was fairly expensive and just ok and the service was fine until we looked at our credit card!

our bill for two, with no alcohol was $80, and we gave the waitress a $16 tip. when we checked our credit card statement a couple of days later we had a charge for $1,680!! the waitress had changed the tip from $16 to $1600.00!

we contacted the restaurant manager right away and he said that he would look into it and get back to us. he called us back a half an hour later and said that he would fix it in an overnight batch to our credit card. he did not apologize.

the next day we checked our statement and nothing had changed. we called the manager back, and he said there was nothing he could do to fix the charge, because he did not receive the funds. he agreed that he charged us the $1,680; but that we should just call the #800 number on the back of the card, he could not help us.

he never apologized for the inconvenience or anything; and was not willing to help us.

we did contact the credit card company and issued a complaint and after a couple weeks they credit us back $1584.

way down now!. this proves that most of the times you just can't go back. 15-20 years ago we used to go the clearman's north woods inn in long beach, ca. the place was outstanding! the quality of the place was never in question and for some reason everything tasted better than the experience we had today at the clearman's north woods inn in la mirada, ca. note that i said 15 to 20 years since we visited, but we truly thought the outing was going to be memorable. not to be.
3 of us paid around $220 (tip included) for fried calamari, 2 beers, seafood plate that consisted of shrimp (3 medium, overcooked, totally dried) scallops (medium size, deep fried and completely tasteless, and fried cod (very small serving), accompanied with the traditional baked potato (like it was cooked hours ago with sides of butter, sour cream, cheese cream, etc. these sides all from a bottle of some kind i am sure), and two orders of their very expensive rock lobster and lumberjack, the lobster weighing at no more than 6 oz and the same for the top sirloin). the lobster is from australia and it is a delight and the meat is acceptable, not incredible). finally a blackberry sundae that used to be a staple in this place. the newer version a shadow of its former glory, bad ice cream, terrible topping and half the size. which proves that sometimes you can not go back, this place is overpriced and seriously lacking value. 3 stars.

did appreciate the combination of the 2 salads and the large portions, but very regular, basic food. at least i can say i have eaten there, but would not go back.

steaks & ambiance. great food & service, and you have to get the cabbage salad! you'll be craving it weeks later.

dinner at north woods. filet mignon ($30) was overcooked and tough. do not recommend restaurant.

my favorite restaurant in the whole world! great atmosphere, great food. like going to the mountains and having dinner, but you're right here in socali! thanks mr. clearman for making a special place for my friends and family to eat good food and make some good memories!

yes, everything here is excellent. i go back just for the cheese toast. be sure to have some!

great family dinners. this also has been a favorite family spot for us. agree on the coleslaw and cheese bread as highlights to any meal here. cassie, i doubt your mother went to this clearman's as a child. i believe this location dates from the 80s as i used to work a block a way from it and remember it being built. your mother probably went to one of the older locations, just as i did as a child.

a long time family favorite. my mother is in her mid fifties and she remembers going to the north woods inn when she was little. i too have memories of going here as a child. long before anything and everything was required to be pocitically correct, the waitresses at the north woods wore the cutest costumes. to a young girl their frontier barmaid costumes, complete with red-plaid shrugs and mini hoopskirts short enough to show off their frilly underpants were the ultimate dress-up fantasy. i wanted to work there when i grew up. too bad they wear slacks, a shirt and a plaid vest now...
their cheese bread, salads, steaks and shrimp are always a safe choice. the purple cabbage salad is my personal favorite. certian items such as the salad can be bought to go. don't leave without a tub of the cheese spread!

great food! the best all you can eat salads and garlic cheese toast ever! and you throw the peanut shells on the floor! the atmosphere is also top notch!!