Host With the Most - Interview with Alex Cobo

If you’ve ever been to The Griddle Café on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you’ve surely noticed Alex Cobo. Known as the best host in town, Alex is the king of the corner of Fairfax and Sunset, and he runs a tight ship.

The weekend is the craziest time at the restaurant, but it's also Alex’s shift, who makes the wait for a table much more bearable. Maybe its because you know you are getting it fair from this humble, glasses wearing man who is the end all be all authority over the swarms of people waiting for a plate.

Gentle and scrappy at the same time, this New York transplant doesn’t take shit from anyone -- a former bouncer, pre-school gym teacher, stand up comic and one of the countless New York homeless, Alex has seen it all. I myself used to be a terrible hostess at a bar in Westwood and am fascinated by Alex’s attitude. So, after weeks of trying, I finally had that highly anticipated sit down with this host with the most.

Read on after the jump to find out what makes Alex tick and how he reached the top of the weekend brunch food chain.

Photo by Corey Podell

How long have you worked at The Griddle? And how did you come across this job?Four years now. My friend is the general manager, Darryl, and he said “hey we need someone to be the host, it’s a really tough job, people yell at you, screw with you, do you mind doing it two days a week?” So I said yeah, cause at the time I was working with kids during the weekdays.

What do you do during the weekdays?
Now I’m just trying to full time act.

What were you doing working with kids?
I was coaching, it was pre-school kids so I was coaching like basketball, baseball, football. Little kids like two to four years old.

So you act and you host at The Griddle?
Well, I’m in the process of writing a book too- I was homeless in New York City for six months and I told someone about the things that happened to me during that time and they suggested I write a book about it, I’m about eighty pages in. It was some weird stuff, I lost a girlfriend to crack, I found her dead actually, and that’s when I was like no more, and I moved to Los Angeles, thirteen years ago.

So you’re happy you moved to LA?
Yes and no, there are some tough times, LA is tough you’re either achieving a dream or waiting for that dream to catch up to you. Sometimes I feel like I’m waiting for the phone to ring and not living here really. But overall it’s been good to me.

Whats the hardest part of your job?
The hardest part of my job is just trying to get the people seated on time. They wait so long to sit down, and when they finally sit down you can tell in their faces they’re so hungry. And I feel bad. That’s the hardest part of my job cause I take everything personal. I really take this job personally, I try to make sure everyone who comes in this restaurant is as happy as they can be, I mean I literally picked up an old lady and carried her to her car, I’ve made a lot of friends here and that’s the hardest part- when people aren’t having fun.

So the hardest part isn’t when people get in your face?
Yeah, that’s hard, but that stuff I don’t take personally, a lot of people come here and wait for twenty minutes and think they’ve been waiting forever, and they want to sit right away. I just tell them “Look, there is plenty of people here waiting, you’re welcome to leave.”

How often does that happen?
Like once or twice a week.

What are some things you do to calm the crowd?
I talk to them honestly, I tell them I’m doing my best, I use humor, I’ve passed out chocolates before.

Why do you think people wait so long here?
The food here- the kitchen is amazing, I would put this kitchen against any kitchen in Hollywood, and I’ve worked at a lot of restaurants in Hollywood. People think I do a good job, but not compared to them. And the owner is really good- she goes above and beyond what most owners do, best owner I’ve ever worked for.

Whats the best part of your job?
Meeting people- I’ve met some really cool people here. It’s interesting.

Do celebrities get special treatment? Does ANYONE get special treatment?
Yeah, the owners friends get special treatment and sometimes celebrities do, but a lot of them are really cool people, most don’t mind waiting. I’ve been working here four years and only four times has anyone pulled the “Do you know who I am?” thing. Usually, it’s the rappers or the young ones. Paris Hilton does not mind waiting.

Has Britney Spears ever come here?
Yeah, twice- both times it wasn’t busy so she just sat down. She’s as nice as can be. A really sweet lady.

Whats the craziest thing that’s ever happened during one of your shifts?
There was a guy who got mad, got into a fight with one of my busboys, so I grabbed him from behind, I was a bouncer for awhile, I just told him to relax and calm down and then he came back with a gun. I wasn’t scared though, I’ve had guns pulled on me, I’ve been shot before. I had been shot at and stabbed in New York, hard living, you know.

How long have you lived in LA?
Thirteen years, I’m forty-three.

Whats your favorite moment that’s happened here at The Griddle?
There have been a lot but one moment was when Drew Barrymore came in by herself, and she had just broke up with Tom Green, we just started talking, and she was so nice and approachable, it was one of those moments when you realize you can’t trust what anyone writes in magazines.

How did you get so good at this?
I think I hide my insecurity by showing the opposite, I was a stand up comic, a bouncer, and homeless- when you’re homeless you’re not afraid of anything. You know that feeling when you’re cold and you can cozy up in three or four blankets? When you’re homeless you never have that cozy feeling, just that your neck hurts. I’ve seen it all, so when someone gets in my face about not getting a table, its like, not that big of a deal.

Photo by sudama