Topanga Social

Kelsey Phillip '25

Sports Editor

Over the summer, Topanga Social opened in the Westfield Topanga Mall. It is a new addition to the mall that features 27 unique restaurants. These restaurants range in cuisine from Italian to Armenian to Japanese. There is truly something for everyone, with many restaurants offering vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options.

“I think the highlight is the katsu sandwich at Katsu Sando, and I've heard from a friend that the musubi at ManEatingPlant is pretty good, considering that it's plant-based. I think it's an awesome addition to the mall and has a cute sound to it, instead of calling it a ‘food court.’ It's a cool place to hang out after watching a movie at AMC!” said Elyse Filomena Ramirez ’27.

In a survey completed by 58 Louisville students and faculty, there was a range of opinions on this new addition to the mall.

One of the lovely resturant options at the Topanga Social.

Some, like Isabelle Balderama ’24, stated that the food was “overpriced for the portion size.”

Though most reviews were positive, there was some criticism for not only the food but also the Topanga Social as a whole. The venue itself is cashless and most of the restaurants do not have cashiers but instead have kiosks where you can order from all of the restaurants at once under the same transaction. However, restaurants where you have to be more specific for your order, like Wanderlust and Primo’s Donuts, do have their own cashiers and are not featured on the tablets.

According to the data from my survey, there were two restaurants no one had tried, Tail o’ the Pup and Rock & Reilly's. I went and tried both of these places' most standard meals.

Tail o’ the Pup is similar to Pink’s that serves hot dogs, corn dogs, an assortment of fries and funnel cake. I got their most basic hot dog, the 1976 Pup, which was a classic hot dog topped with homemade mustard and ketchup as well as a side of fries,coming out to $16.20 which is kind of pricey for a hot dog and some fries.

The hot dog itself was quite simple, but the mustard made it stand out. It was similar to Dijon Mustard, but was smoother and had more spice that paired nicely with the recognizable Heinz Ketchup. The fries were crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and wonderfully seasoned. They also had a variety of toppings for their hotdogs if you dont like yours too plain, including onions, bacon, jalapenos, cheese, relish, pickles, peppers and chili.

The other place that I tried was Rock & Reilly's. This place was primarily a bar but also served wings that could be ordered through the kiosks. I tried their wings with the House Rub and a side of ranch. For eight wings, the price came out to $18.27, which I will admit, is a little overpriced. The rub was a mix of salty and sweet and paired phenomenally with the ranch, but when it comes to the food, the restaurant was a one trick pony.

Overall, the atmosphere and the environment at the Topanga Social are incredible. There is a variety of seating areas depending on the size of your group and even some great photo opportunities, a photo booth and a couple of great sculptures.