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    Back On the Beach

    3.7 (805 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Back On the Beach Photos

    BACK ON THE BEACH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Back On the Beach

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    Bridget K.

    One of our favorite restaurants in Santa Monica! Right on the water and can walk right onto the beach--couldn't be more convenient! They have great brunch and lunch options, like their breakfast burritos and sandwiches. They also have unique items like the breakfast pasta (tasty!) and quesadilla. Their coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice is delightfully sip-worthy. Their outside seating area is dog friendly too. The staff is friendly, patient, and helpful; food and drinks come out quickly. And you can't beat the view! If you're in Santa Monica looking for a casual and reasonably priced restaurant on the water, go to Back on the Beach!

    Drink menu
    Christy R.

    Loved the vibe of this restaurant!!! We sat outside in the shade and enjoyed the random breezes that came through every once in awhile. We arrived right after they stopped serving breakfast so it was a little disappointing but we still enjoyed our meal. We got the chicken salad sandwich, fish tacos and a burger. Maybe it was eating by the ocean but we really enjoyed the meal as a family. The service was amazing, our waitress was attentive and funny.

    Arugula and beet salad
    Shae B.

    Very nice place with a lovely outside oven view! Great fast and friendly service. Food was also very good. I ordered the beet salad. I did not much care for the dressing but it was amazing with ranch. I did feel like they could have put more In the salad, it was mostly arugula. My daughter ordered the breakfast sandwich recommended by our server and it was absolutely amazing. Overall a lovely brunch.

    French Toast
    Steven I.

    You can't get a better view with your breakfast/lunch than Back on the Beach! It's definitely worth the wait for the outdoor view and the food is very good too! I enjoyed my French toast and fries. The staff is very friendly and wished my wife well with her pregnancy, which was very kind of them.

    Shakshuka
    Anna N.

    Can't beat being on the beach and this cafe is right on the sand! There is an indoor portion too, if that's not your vibe. I parked at palisades park and walked down here for cheap parking, but I'm not sure how the parking lot in front of this cafe works or if there's validation. The food was delicious! I loved the shakshuka. It was very flavorful and hit the spot. It was interesting having it in a bowl though, I had to eat it like soup. My waiter was great, kind, and observant. My bill was a bit pricey for what I got, but that was expected because of the cafe's location.

    Alex K.

    It's been years since I was last here for a meal. What could be better when the sun's out and it's a gorgeous day. Lunch on the beach. Location is perfect as it's right on the beach next to the bike path. A minute or so walk to the beach with a playground right around the side for the little ones. There's a paid parking lot right when you enter to the lot. We checked in around 12:15 hoping to get a table on the sand. Well, if we wanted that it would be a 40 minute wait time but could get seated right away inside. Oh well, inside it is. Seated towards the back area but once seated we noticed that there were loads of empty tables both on the sand and back patio area. I don't know if they were short staff working the beach area or they just wanted to have people wait. On well, we ended up inside for lunch. Menu wise, it was both breakfast and brunch. The drink options were quite nice as well. Loads to choose from. Started off with some espresso martini and a Bloody Mary. Both were actually quite nice. Hank, who took care of us for lunch was amazing. Very friendly and attentive as well as sweet. Made sure that we were well taken care of. Lunch, the Fred's salad and Spring pea salad were both quite nice. The dressing in both was great and the chicken added to the Fred salad was quite tasty. Also had the fish and chips. It was good but a little too much with the batter. And a side of fries to share. Lunch was nice and noticed that they had some chocolate chip cookies at the front counter which was needed. Ended up getting one to go as well. Service was nice. Would have loved to be on the sand for lunch but wait time was too long. Hostess was sweet, Hank was excellent. Drinks were quite tasty and lunch did the trick. Let's hope next visit we could actually have a table in the sand.

    My friends sweet potato fries. She got the fish tacos, she said it was good. I did try a fry, evert crunchy outside, soft inside 5/5
    Elizabeth W.

    So happy this place survived Covid. I used to come here in my 20s and the first time I ate a whites only omelette...the breakfast food was great then and now. Ordered the farmhouse omelette, 5/5 beautifully made tasty fluffy delicious. The scone 5/5 is yum I was so full I only tore off two small but my friend wanted it for her husband even though it was half eaten, it was that good!! Service was fast efficient friendly. Refills on coffee without asking. More napkins no problem. And of course it's the beach. We sat outside on an overcast Saturday. Parking a bit rough, but there are two adjacent lots. Your entire party has to be present in order to be seated. Lovely seating in doors, on a patio or on the sand. Highly recommend.

    1/2 Back on the Beach Burger, split with friend
    Jessie D.

    Yum! We went to the Getty villa and thought this was the perfect lunch stop afterwards. The burger was high quality and cooked exactly to our liking. The fries were hot and salty, but not my favorite. They were happy to split our food, which was nice. Our server was sweet and gave good recommendations. I did not love the fact that the chairs sunk into the sand, BUT the view was to die for!

    Menu as of 7/25/2025
    Jason G.

    This spot hits the sweet spot beachside breezy with unexpectedly stellar eats. We ordered a kids' grilled cheese, a kids' cheeseburger, and one grass-fed burger with cheese. Each came neatly packed with crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, ketchup, seasoned fries, and napkins tucked in with care nothing felt thrown together, everything felt thoughtful. Ordering was a breeze thanks to the friendly team at the counter. Payment and pickup were equally smooth, and the food was hot and ready exactly ten minutes later. Zero hassle, 100% satisfaction. The kids were thrilled with their meals, and I've got to say--the grass-fed burger? Hands-down the best quick-service burger I've had in ages. Juicy, flavorful, and cooked just right. Those fries weren't just filler either; they were seasoned perfectly and still had snap when we got back to our spot. Whether you're grabbing a bite after beach play or planning a casual lunch with the family, Back on the Beach Café delivers quality, kindness, and convenience with a splash of coastal charm. We'll be back.

    Back on the Beach Burger (medium rare).
    Angelique A.

    Back on the beach bigger is super yummy, perfectly cooked (medium rare), and involves both a generous amount melted white cheddar and avocado. This place had not the best reviews so I didn't expect much , but the burger is just what you want out of a burger on the beach. Service was super kind too and you can sit outside on the sand itself.

    Sustainable Tuna Salad Sandwich
    Robert D.

    After coming back for the second time, i love this place even more. Even on a cloudy day, this experience is so cool. Highly recommend. The bloody mary is a meal on its own!

    Salad

    We always loved coming here with the kids because of the playground, beach and pool next door. I usually enjoy getting a fresh salad and/or some seafood. You can't beat the location but this well kept gem has caught on which is great for business but made parking really hard this time around!! We could only park 1 hour at a time and had to keep returning to add more time. Also it slightly took away from the relaxed chill vibe because there was pressure to finish quickly since people were waiting to be seated. Our server was great and will definitely be back.

    Beautiful view from my table
    Adrian M.

    Always a nice place for an afternoon lunch especially with a date! It got a little cold and windy after 2:30 so bring a jacket.

    Salmon and mashed potatoes with grilled veggies

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    1 month ago

    Can't beat the view! The salmon à la plancha is my favorite, I highly recommend it. Kids love the chicken fingers and pasta.

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    15 days ago

    Good food, great vibe, right on beautiful beach along the boardwalk with adjacent t parking

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    Page 1 of 21

    Back On the Beach Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Back On the Beach

    Do they take reservations?

    Yes!

    How much is the parking lot on PCH @ the designated spot, Marion Davies Memorial?

    $3.00 per hour. My friend has a handicap sticker so we were free.

    Dog friendly outside?

    Yes, I seen small dogs hanging by their owners.

    Where do we park?

    There is a pay parking lot right next to them on PCH.

    Do they have bottomless mimosas?

    No.

    Do they have cocktails?

    Yes

    What deserts do you have?

    Chocolate raspberry cake, lemon pistachio cake and ice cream bars (NOT listed on menu). They have fresh seasonal fruit, vanilla fro-yo, granola fruit sundae (on breakfast menu).

    Does Back on the Beach allow laptop users? I'm a writer, and it seems like a nice place to spend a couple of hours to write.

    I don't know if they allow it, but keep in mind that parking there is pretty expensive. If you're going to spend a few hours, I'd ride a bike or take public transportation.

    Do they have high chairs?

    Of course they have high chairs. I think it's very limited.

    View All 13 Questions

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    Edgemar Restaurant + Lounge

    4.3(219 reviews)
    2.1 mi
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    The customer service here really sold me. I'd probably give the food a 4.25, but the ambiance and…read morethe servers were truly so attentive and accommodating, this puts Edgemar above a lot of places. We came here for a birthday, plus they're in my red dining book, so I was hoping our little group would pick Edgemar, and thankfully they did! We started with the stracciatella and man, was that dish good. It was one of the two standouts. The bread is delectable and the cheese with the chili was absolutely divine. I actually think this was my very favorite dish. I will be back for this dish alone! We also shared the wontons, butter lettuce gem salad, and wonton spring rolls which were all very solid dishes. Next we had the salmon which was undoubtedly the other stand out dish. It was so good with the miso butter sauce! And the broccolini were cooked perfectly! We finished with the squid ink pasta. The shrimp on top was perfectly cooked and the pasta itself was the perfect texture with a great mouth feel. As mentioned earlier, everyone on the staff truly went above and beyond. We had an issue with our drinks, they made it right right away without any pushback. They made sure that the birthday girl felt extra special. And they even gave us a special treat at the end as well. The interior decorating is absolutely stunning. They've done a great job with furniture selection, and the wood throughout is impressive. I did have to swing around the block to look for parking, it you always have to do that in this part of Santa Monica.

    We had a reservation here for our 10th anniversary. A few days before our reservation, someone…read morereached out to let us know there would be loud music playing and it might not be the best environment for an anniversary dinner. We had been wanting to try this place for a while and couldn't move the date but music was completely fine with us. The music was actually great! It was a private event indoors so we sat outside on the patio. Unfortunately, the food was only ok and the service was not ideal. No one acknowledged our anniversary, throughout the entire evening even though it was in the open table reservation notes. The shrimp and chicken dumplings were amazing. The Hamachi sashimi was very fatty and there was a few pieces we couldn't eat. The fried chicken sandwich was OK although it tasted very simple for $26. At the end of the dinner we got the bill with a 2.5% service fee + 20% auto gratuity for "event". I normally tip this much but I found so I don't mind that it was automatically included, but it was odd we paid an auto 20% gratuity for an event we were not a part of - we weren't even seated inside where the private event was taking place. Unfortunately, the three stars comes down to the fact that even though it was our 10th anniversary, there was no acknowledgment of the special day and the food was sub-par.

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    Edgemar Restaurant + Lounge - Interior

    Interior

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    Edgemar Restaurant + Lounge - Interior

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    The Mulberry - Cheesecake

    The Mulberry

    4.0(140 reviews)
    4.1 mi•Sawtelle

    The moment I stepped into this restaurant, I immediately fell in love with the decor. We went…read morearound sunset, and the golden-hour lighting made the space even more beautiful. I was instantly so glad we chose this spot to celebrate our anniversary because it was the perfect setting for a romantic date night. Now, let's talk about the food! Everything we ordered was delicious, with the exception of the Korean aguachiles, which we probably could've skipped. We also tried the bluefin bibimbap, oysters, and the oh-so-tender short rib that practically melted in our mouths. But the most unforgettable dish was also the simplest: the Korean fried chicken. It wasn't necessarily something out of the ordinary, but it sure tasted like it. The perfect crisp, flavor, and seasoning had us eating every last piece right down to the bone. Our server also made the experience even better. She gave us some of the best recommendations and were incredibly attentive and friendly throughout the entire meal. We absolutely loved this restaurant and are already planning our next visit!

    I'd describe this as a hipster Korean restaurant…read more Came for an early dinner with a girlfriend, and we ordered the BLUEFIN TUNA BIBIMBAP, STEAK TARTARE IN A STONE POT, CRISPY KIMCHI PANCAKE, and ASSORTED LETTUCES, HERBS, and SSAMJANG. For dessert, we had the BINGSOO. We probably could have skipped either the tuna bibimbap or the steak tartare since both came with rice, which we didn't realize when ordering. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with the steak tartare--it was my favorite. The bingsoo was pretty much what I expected: a nice, refreshing way to end the meal. Wouldn't order it again.  ENJOY! PS: There is valet parking, but I was able to find street metered parking!

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    The Mulberry - Inside

    Inside

    The Mulberry - Salad, had too much white lettuce which was very bitter 7/10

    Salad, had too much white lettuce which was very bitter 7/10

    The Mulberry - Kimchi pancakes

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    Hillstone - Hawaiian Ribeye- such a sweet Teriyaki flavor so good.

    Hillstone

    4.0(1.6k reviews)
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    Had an early dinner reservation on Sunday night. It's always crowded even at 4:30 so plan on making…read morea reservation. The service was excellent. To drink we tried their version of a martini. I never order martinis, but this one is more of a cocktail and is surprisingly sweet. For an appetizer we tried the cheesy bread. So yummy and the perfect amount to not fill up on bread. For mains, we ordered the classics, Ding's crispy chicken sandwich and the prime rib. Ding's sandwich never misses it's always consistent. The prime rib was tasty, but very salty. The only item I didn't enjoy was the Tabbouleh. It was strange to me it contained corn and chickpea. Hard pass next time. We finished with the key lime pie which is exceptional. Very tangy and it is made fresh daily.

    Ten years after my original review, Hillstone is still remarkably consistent. That's an incredible…read morerun. The restaurant feels pretty much the same because, well, it basically is. Maybe the artwork gets rotated every few years? but otherwise, why fix what isn't broken? The food is as good as ever, and the service remains attentive and polished. There's something reassuring about walking into a restaurant knowing exactly what you're going to get, and having it live up to that expectation, year after year. Prices have certainly gone up over the past several years, but what hasn't? It's not quite the deal it once was, though I've never had a bad meal here. Ten years later, I'm still happy to come back.

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    The Misfit Restaurant + Bar

    The Misfit Restaurant + Bar

    4.2(4.7k reviews)
    1.1 mi
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    We had a very good experience here! Our waitress was friendly, fast, and gave great…read morerecommendations! We split two appetizers, which was plenty due to the portion size. Drinks were delicious and the vibe was fun!

    I finally made it to The Misfit in Santa Monica, and honestly, the interior is giving major…read moreBalthazar-meets-Parisian-speakeasy energy. It's located in the old Clock Tower building, and the Art Deco decor is absolutely stunning--dark enough to hide a bad day but vibrant enough for a girls' night. The Vibe: It's loud, lively, and perfectly "bohemian chic". If you're coming on a weekend, prepare for a crowd, but it's the good kind of crowded where everyone looks like they just came from a gallery opening. The Food: I'm still thinking about the Crispy Chicken Sandwich--it was juicy, perfectly seasoned, and came with a fennel-apple slaw that actually felt fresh. We also shared the Bacon Wrapped Dates (obviously) and the Hand Cut Kennebec Fries, which arrive in a bowl so huge it could basically be its own zip code. The Drinks: Their Happy Hour is arguably the best in the city. I had the Japanese Dream with matcha, and it was expertly crafted--not too sweet, which is my biggest pet peeve. The "Misfit" Moment: The service can be a tiny bit slow when it's "rammed," and there's a 4% kitchen fee that feels a bit unnecessary, but they make up for it with those complimentary sea salt chocolate chip cookies at the end. They are warm, gooey, and life-changing. One major heads-up: I heard a rumor they might be closing their doors on April 18th due to some landlord drama, so get there while you still can.

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    The Misfit Restaurant + Bar
    The Misfit Restaurant + Bar
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    Massilia

    Massilia

    4.3(1k reviews)
    1.2 mi
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    When mom is in town, she puts my love of LA restaurants to good use and has me book a trendy place…read morefor her and her sisters. Today, I got to join the fun and enjoy a lovely dinner at Massillia! Surprised the relatives for their 5:30 reservation. I was supposed to stay for just a drink, but I was having such a great time, I had to crash the entire dinner! 5:30 on a Friday night was the perfect time. It was chill and quiet. The restaurant itself is super relaxing and had a nice ambiance. To start, I asked the waitress to bring me a fruity cocktail and what she handed me was delicious. I totally forgot to snag the name, but it was refreshing and yummy. For food, my aunts ordered EVERYTHING! we are a vegetable loving family and definitely got lots of yum yum that reflected that: ratatouille, salad, mushrooms, calamari, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salmon flatbread, and so much more. Everything was so flavorful! I really enjoyed every dish we got! If I had to choose some absolute favorites it would be the salad and the ratatouille! Both were incredible ( along with everything else). Finished the meal off with the pear dessert and a glass of port. Yummy! Great meal with family! I'll happily be back in Massilia to have another lovely dinner.

    Food was alright, the pizza flavor was good but the crust was too hard…read more Ambiance is nice and the shop is a walkable distance to 3rd street promenade.

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    Massilia - Rolling fresh pita bread

    Rolling fresh pita bread

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    Back On the Beach - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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