There is a place in Southern California that is the perfect destination for car lovers. The Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles opened in 2016 and is the ultimate driving playground for adults. Located in Carson, California the experience center offers driving experiences on test tracks, driving simulators, and an upscale restaurant where you can watch the cars while enjoying a meal.
The view from our table was fabulous!
On my parents most recent trip to California I decided to surprise my Dad with lunch at Restaurant 917 for his birthday. I never knew that the Porsche Experience Center existed until I saw a post on a Facebook page I follow called Hidden Los Angeles. They shared an article about the restaurant and referred to the it as LA’s coolest secret. I was immediately intrigued and began doing research. It took less than a few minutes for me to realize this would be the coolest place to bring my Dad.
Once you walk inside everyone in your party will need to sign in. You will be given a Porsche visitor badge which will need to be returned before you leave. Once everyone has signed in you will be directed to the restaurant or to wherever you are interested in going.
If you would like to dine here it is recommended that you make a reservation. Lunch is offered from 11:30am-3pm Tuesday through Saturday. Dinner is offered from 5:30pm-8:30pm Thursday through Saturday. I made a 1pm reservation which ended up being perfect. From 1pm-2:30pm there was a group of people driving Porsches around the track. We had the best view from our table. If a table by the window is unavailable when you arrive I would encourage you to wait for one to open up if you have time.
This fine dining experience is reflective of the quality of Porsche. The items on the menu can vary week by week. All of the food is purchased within 150 miles of the Porsche Experience Center. Some of the food is bought at farmers market. The food is fresh and looks as amazing as it tastes. How cute is the Porsche butter?
What We Ordered Off the Restaurant 917 Menu
Grilled Gem Salad – The charred avocado is the best part of this salad.
917 Burger – Three of the four of us ordered the burger the way it comes. For an extra $2 you can add an egg. My Dad said the egg was an excellent addition. I like to order my burgers medium, but in the future medium well or even well done is what I will need to order. Everyone really enjoyed the burger and the fries.
Chocolate Mousse with Sesame Seed Ice Cream & Apple Bread Pudding – Orginially, we asked if we could switch the ice cream because we didn’t think it sounded good. Our server encouraged us to try it and said we could switch it later if we ended up not liking it. We were shocked to find out that we liked it. Even though I love chocolate the real dessert winner was the Apple Bread Pudding.
It was so much fun watching different Porsche models being driven around the track. There are eight different driving modules on the four mile track. The experience is 90 minutes long. Costs vary from $375-$900 depending on which model you want to drive. Every driver is paired with a Porsche coach. A more affordable, though less exciting, option is the simulator experience which is $35 for 30 minutes.
There is one other dining option if you want a quick service meal at a lower price point. The Speedster Café is located on the bottom level near the gift shop. You can still watch the cars from the track from here though the view is not as great as what you can see from the second story. Before you leave be sure to check out the cars inside the main lobby as well as the cars in the parking lot.
Whether you are a Southern California local or a visitor be sure to impress your car loving family & friends by bringing them to the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles.
