Castaway has been Burbank's special occasion restaurant since 1963, and it has survived six decades of competition, trend cycles, and the general upheaval of the Southern California restaurant scene by doing one thing that turns out to be very difficult: consistently delivering an experience worth celebrating.
The location — a hilltop above Wildwood Canyon with panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley — is the first argument. On a clear evening, the lights of the valley spread below the terrace like a circuit board, and the mountains beyond Burbank catch the last of the light in shades that remind you why cinematographers have always loved this part of California. The dining room, designed to maximize that view, fills with the particular sound of a restaurant where people are marking occasions.
The food matches the ambition. The tomahawk ribeye — 32 ounces, dry-aged, served with bone marrow butter and roasted garlic — is the table centerpiece you order when the event warrants it. The tableside Caesar is prepared with proper anchovy paste and raw egg by a server who has done this enough times that it looks effortless. The lobster bisque is one of the better versions available at this price point in the San Fernando Valley.
The bar program has improved significantly in recent years. The Burbank Sunset cocktail — blood orange, vodka, a float of Campari — is named for the view it accompanies and is worth ordering at least once, even if you usually drink wine.
Castaway is not trying to be the most innovative restaurant in Los Angeles. It is trying to be the most reliably excellent restaurant in Burbank for the moments that require the best available. It succeeds.
