If you didn't know it was there, which I didn't, you'd probably just walk right by the wooden facade and single-door. We went there since I was the only newbie and we needed to grab a nice dinner before making the torturous middle-of-the-night drive back to LA, after having been in town for less than 24 hours.
I guess they were having a rough night, with us having to wait 20 minutes for a table when it wasn't full and the hostess having to wipe down tables. But she was extremely nice and so was our waiter who did the little things that matter. Like bringing us buttered up white bread, and a small sample of their other soup when someone at the table showed interest. I had the oysters on the half shell (half dozen) which were fresh, and then I got the lamb chops, which were surprisingly flavorful and cooked just right. The crab legs came in a huge pile and I think it says something when you're at a table with three guys and they couldn't finish the plate. Entrees ranged from $20 to $40 or so, but really good relative to the amount of food that you got. I would definitely eat there again next time I'm at the Cali.