R+D kitchen is an upscale yet casual spot to grab drinks and classic America fare. The 3 of us came on a Thursday at 6pm and the place was packed. We waited 45 minutes for a table but once we sat down the service was great. They took our drink orders right away and brought them out very shortly. The food here is excellent. I've never had a bad dish here. The burger here is one of my favorite in the city and the beef ribs are so good too. This is definitely a must try spot in the westside. read more

R+D Kitchen - Burger and chicken sandwich - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Came in early evening on a Saturday and it was about a 30 min wait. Food was good, but pricey. Menu is limited. Waitress and hostess were very nice. Good location, lots of parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. Honestly, I prefer Hillstone, but I'm glad I tried it! read more

R+D Kitchen - Cheeseburger Hand - cut Fries - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

R+D Kitchen on Montana Ave is always a solid choice. The space is stylish, upbeat, and perfect for a casual yet classy dinner. I loved their Cheeseburgers and the fresh salads. Service was friendly and attentive without being pushy. Prices are a little high for the portions, and waits can be long at peak hours, but the overall quality and vibe make it worth it. read more

See all

Service was a 10+ The host hustled to get us a table on a busy lunch hour. Every seat taken. We got seated very fast. Luis our server was attentive and made and refreshed my wife's cocktail with a fresh chilled glass. Love it. Asian chicken salad was excellent and so were the deviled eggs. Gray hound cocktails are made with fresh squeezed grapefruits. Some parking available on the alley side. read more

Soo crowded, but got table w/son, the millennial who recommended. Must say--dinner was yummy--burgers, fries, etc., but quality was so good & had leftovers to bring the hubby! Wait staff kind 7 responsive, tho they were working so hard cause so busy. Will def. return & try different choice! read more

Summary: nice clean spot on a great street - good for people watching with above-average service. Food: everything is always good. Had the Little Bird (I think that's what it was called) for the first time and server told me it's their classic dish. Bit into the chicken and the spices were instantly good but then became overpowering and enjoyed it less with each bite, but the bed of polenta was amazing!!!! but filling... told it was a classic but I wouldn't order it again. Cocktails: old fashioned drinks were excellent but still don't understand why no solid ice cube. Ambiance: A+ Conclusion: can't go wrong here read more

R+D Kitchen - L - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

See all

To kill time before going to a movie at the theater across the street, we grabbed a few drinks and appetizers to munch on. Service was alright. Nothing good or bad to say. They did their job. Cute little restaurant. Food was pretty good. read more

See all

The ambiance is modern chic and pretty upscale. Its style is very similar to the Honor Bar restaurant, as it's under the same restaurant group. Food was mediocre and heavy. We ordered crispy chicken sandwich and chicken meatballs for appetizers, and salmon with mashed potatoes and broccoli for entrees. Although the chicken sandwich had good flavor, the buns were very buttery. Chicken meatballs had some grits with a lot of cheese, mashed potatoes was heavy with more cheese, and broccoli was mixed with cheese too. Salmon was simple, ordinary and lacked flavor. I had to ask for lemon to add more flavor and cut the heaviness from the butter. The overall taste of this place may suit a different clientele that enjoy lots of cheese and butter. For me, that's not my preference and overall just tasted way too heavy and rich. Service was very nice and attentive. It runs like a machine here. They were quick and orders came out on time. Wish I could've liked the food better. read more

See all

R&D is another one of Hillstone's restaurants and I was very excited to try it. The menu is VERY similar but some of my favorite items (like the spinach dip) was missing. The extra dirty martini hit just right. The new appetizers that we ordered were whatever - made me really miss the spinach dip. The warm kale salad was okay and the pimento cheese dip was not my favorite but my friends seemed to love it. I would definitely go back to R+D to sit at the bar and eat a burger, but if I'm dining in on a special night, I would prefer to go to Hillstone. read more

R+D Kitchen - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

See all

The general manager offered to give a full refund for our order due to be kept waiting for an hour for it to go meal. The charge was processed and no refund given follow up to Marissa manager, pending result. read more

There's almost always a wait which is annoying, but once you're in everything runs smoothly. Sometimes the bar is overwhelming when a line starts to get in. The food isn't anything groundbreaking, just consistently good (love all the sides - deviled eggs, fries, etc.). Burger is also great. Service is polished, prices are a little high, and the crowd can feel a bit scene-y, but overall it's one of those places you keep going back to because it never really misses. read more

Food service ambience all top notch. Very limited menu. All good. Very crowded. Seats at the bar usually available quickly if they're packed. read more

Food was honestly so bland, burger was so hard to eat and came cold and bun got soggy. Service was also lackluster.

I walked in for lunch between two appointments. Their menu is a bit limited and heavy on the gluten side. I ordered the rotisserie chicken, and substituted the side for broccoli. The chicken itself was very moist and tender while the skin was crispy with a nice flavorful glaze on it. The broccoli itself had cheese on it, which I was not aware of. The staff was very nice and attentionate, multiple waitresses came in to check on me to make sure the food was good and I didn't need anything. read more

R+D Kitchen - Broccoli - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

See all

I like to update my review on this restaurant. The food quality is definitely better, the staff paid more attention, and I was able to get a table faster than last time. I will visit this location soon. read more

Dear Diary .... Where do I begin? Oh yeah -- the abysmal customer service and subpar food. Was it always this way? Maybe. Did it come to head one evening? Yes. I begin by saying I used to like R+D. I took my friends there from out of town. I took my parents there when they visited. But then the rose colored glasses were ripped from my face and I saw the wretched establishment for what it was. A robotic money grab disguised as a prim and proper "bourgeois" tea party for the wannabe rich and famous. People go to the Hillstone group because it's reliable. But when it's not reliable, it's worse than the Third Street Promenade at 3am on a Thursday. I'd rather be patronized by a crackhead than by a beta in a bowtie. The service my party received was dumber than their dip duo (do NOT order by the way, it's three chips, a teaspoon of guac, and a disgusting chunk of pimento cheese). Upon declaring that we were getting drinks and apps, the waitress immediately abandoned all niceties and rudely slung our drinks and *forced entree* without so much as a smile. Not to mention, that forced entree was a DISGUSTING omelette made of eggs that were fake as R+D's refined facade. I would drop her name but I don't remember it. Oops. And I have a real talent for names and faces. After 6+ drinks, an app, and entree ordered from our table, the cowardly manager has the nerve to accost our table and try to kick us out for over staying our welcome. Sorry! I thought restaurants liked when you sat there and spent money. He blamed the mounting reservations (they don't take reservations) and their philosophy of "practicing the full dining experience". Mind you, there wasn't even a line at the door. Been there 10+ times and never heard this nonsense. Rightfully, we were mad. Needless to say, matters escalated and things got ugly. Said some things I regret (not really) and probably caused a scene. Would I take it back for one millisecond? Is R+D an upstanding establishment? I'd roll over in my grave before I'd say yes. When all of this was articulated to the manager, all he did was regurgitate some corporate BS and pack us a doggie bag with cookies. I'm not even a cookie person. Bottom line, R+D metaphorically kicked my party in the ribs and spat on our keeled over body. I'm done with this place. I know the lack of my patronage won't but this place out of business, but my god, I am going to scream and shout until the entirety of LA knows that R+D is a sham better than they know that Lebron is the goat. read more

This was a great dining experience. So convenient because I was attending an event nearby. The restaurant is very clean and the staff was very nice and accommodating. We were seated right away and were made to feel welcomed. I ordered the cheeseburger and my wife had ordered the warm kale salad. Both were delicious. The cheeseburger was seasoned and cooked to perfection. All the components of the burger were great. read more

R+D Kitchen - The Cheeseburger. - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I like this R+D Kitchen. It was my first time here at this location and it was cute and definitely popular with so much incoming traffic. The wait was 45 minutes which was not too bad for St. Patrick's day. Since this place is sister to Houston's and Hillstone, it has the same vibes. Dark inside with a cool professional vibe. Our server Natondra was beyond amicable, caring, and knew her stuff so well. She put me on some new wines that I will now buy for myself. She was attentive professional and I'm so glad she served us. Honestly ask for Natondra if you go here, she knows her stuff and patient. I ordered salmon which comes with broccoli, and creamy polenta. Get it the way it comes, it is better that way. I had substituted the polenta for the creamed corn and that was not good. It had a acquired taste that was just not for my tasted buds. The polenta was so good and reminded me of grits actually. The devil eggs for the starter was really tasty as well, and perfect with my red wine. The menu is quite small but perfect! It has variety and good items to choose from. I even like how the restrooms are made out opened just a very unique idea and different. This place is very busy and the bar was very packed. This is the place to go to for some good quality food and service. The parking is not bad either. They have street and metered parking around the area, which is good no hard parking. I will definitely come back here for sure! It's good for date night, or just hanging with friends or family! read more

See all

I love this place! It's consistently delicious and the vibe is great. Service was a bit slow this time but you could see she was trying her hardest to keep up with the rush. The bartender's cell phone was ringing which was a bit intrusive during our meal at the bar. read more

Their burgers look amazing in pictures and their presentation is very nice, however, they all come with this overly salty and overly tart "hickory" sauce that is absolutely the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted in my life. Imagine a barbecue sauce mixed with white vinegar and excessive salt. They should list this sauce on their menu, but they don't. You get surprised by biting into a beautiful looking burger that tastes incredibly disgusting. The pine salad I had before the burger was delicious. But the burger itself, get it without their hickory sauce and instead some ketchup and maybe it will taste decent. Maybe. This "special" hickory sauce was outrageously disgusting. read more

My daughter got food poisoning last night from eating their chicken meatballs and spaghetti. First and last time there. Will never go back. Over $100 for mediocre food and one person ends up sick. read more

I was absolutely disgusted! My fiancé and I walked in and were informed that there would be a 20-30 minute wait to be seated. No problem--I've been here before and I like the place! However, something very troubling happened in the CITY OF SANTA MONICA. Forty minutes passed, and two parties who arrived after us--only about 30 seconds later--were seated before us. Both of them were white. How interesting. After waiting for 40 minutes, the host finally approached us and said they had no table for us and that our only option was to sit by the door. Huh?! After 40 minutes, this is the only option? Why didn't the other parties have to sit by the door? Is it because I'm a bearded brown person? This was absolutely unacceptable! I was disgusted. I confronted the host, asking why the other two parties had been seated before us, especially since I knew they had arrived after us--one of them only waited 5 minutes! Her reaction? She was stunned, speechless for about 30 seconds, just staring. I noticed. Then, she tried to come up with excuses, but I couldn't even look at her. The arrogant and degrading look on her face was beyond unacceptable. So, I walked out. No apology for the wait, no acknowledgment of the issue--nothing. This experience was incredibly upsetting. read more

R&D kitchen in Santa Monica is a must stop. The Burgers are first rate, but the Chicken Sandwich is the go to for me!

Don't waste your time. Go down a few blocks to the real thing , Hillstone. It's a Hillstone wannabe but greatly misses the mark. But, if you like arrogance from management, this is your place. But, if you want to hear wea can't do that , this is the place. read more

I've been coming to R&D ever since I was little. They have great food for a fair price, great interior and great service! There is plenty of seating but it gets busy because it's a pretty popular place. If you're looking for a fairly fancy place and good food, this is a great place for you. read more

Delivers a solid dining experience with consistently good food and a relaxed, upscale atmosphere. The menu has great variety, and everything we ordered was fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. Service was friendly and professional, though the pacing could've been a little smoother at times. Overall, a wonderful spot for a nice meal just shy of perfect, but definitely worth coming back to! read more

Had the most offensive, unpleasant, unkind, not classy, insulting and downright uncool experience at this establishment. First, the food was mediocre at best: undercooked salmon, overcooked ribs, cold mashed potatoes...disappointing at a so called high end place to get food not even worthy of a Denny's. But that was far from the worst of it. Now, we had interacted pleasantly with several fellow guests, were not at all loud or noisy, did not knock anything over...just patrons hanging out like everyone else. Yet, the bartender refused to serve us any further, giving no reason. The manager, a young lady with a condescending attitude and irritating smugness, spoke of being at the "point of caution," and so no more liquor would be served. "Point of caution"!!!Say what?????And then she cuts short the conversation because she "has to get back to work"...well, your job revolves around customer interaction and satisfaction, though, right? I do not drink, so my wife would not be driving; and, as said, our behavior was not out of line, as we even joked pleasantly with a fellow diner about how he had brought along an umbrella on one of the loveliest days in a long while; he even stopped by as he was leaving to say how much he enjoyed hanging out with us and having a few laughs. The behavior of the server and management was, in my humble view, out of line, truly insulting, and downright unkind...could it be that my wife's black skin was an issue? And, maybe a call to the Health Department about how dogs are allowed inside this eating establishment might not be a bad idea....their dander puts my food at a "point of caution!" In my view, your money is better spent with a business that isn't pretentious, snobbish, petty, insulting, and acting like they are doing you a favor. Skip R and D if you want truly good food, kind service, and fair treatment; but come here if you want a mediocre meal, insulting accusations, and substandard service. SHAME ON R and D! read more

Hubby and I stumbled upon R+D Kitchen by accident. The only reason why we decided to check them out was because of the name of the restaurant. It's my husband's and mine initials, so it was a must! R+D is nestled in Santa Monica on the block of Montana. Parking can be a bit tricky depending on when you arrive. Be prepared to feed the meter. Hubby and I had a reservation and was sat quickly. I loved the ambiance and the vibe of the place. It was pretty busy the night we went and was very lively. I wish I could say the same about the service. I'm not sure if the waitress was new or if she had too many tables to handle but man o man. It took about 10/15 mins to have any service approach our table. When out waitress finally arrived, we immediately ordered our drinks and appetizer. For our appetizer, we ordered the devil's eggs. The order comes with 3 and we ordered an extra one so it can be a total of 4. She said no problem! When the appetizer arrived, there were only 3. Ugh! That was just the start of our night. The saving grace was the food. My hubby absolutely loved his steak! My burger was very tasty as well. The drinks hit the spot as well. The banana cream pie wasn't the best. Banana cream pie is my absolute favorite dessert! It just wasn't it here at R+D unfortunately. I might come back for a beverage and a steak! read more

See all

Had lunch today at R&D and I've eaten here many many times. I was set to have the Mediterranean salad, but the server told us the specials and raved about the yellow chicken curry. It was so mediocre and such a bad choice. I think it's a mistake to have this mushy chicken, soggy cashew dish on such a good menu. Waste of money. I literally have been eating here from when it opened and this was the worst thing I have eaten here. Service was great, like always. read more

Pretty decent place for a light dinner after a long day. It can get crowded Thursdays through Saturdays in the evening so I suggest you make a reservation. Unless you are alone, in which case you can sit at the bar on a first come first serve basis. The place is dimly lit and can set the mood for a romantic vibe. I had the burger which was pretty good. It doesn't come with anything though so you would have to order the fries separately. Looking forward to trying other items on the menu. read more

R+D Kitchen - The bar - New American Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Came here for lunch with my daughter about 6 weeks ago. She had the crispy chicken sandwich. The waitress asked if she wanted any fries or corn dish. My daughter chose the corn dish. I got a salad. I didn't look at the bill until I got home. I couldn't believe they charged me $9.00 for the corn dish. We thought it came with the sandwich. The waitress never mentioned how much it was. Not coming here again. read more

Outstanding service and meat options. Their smoked trout dip was flavorful. Burgers and fries were excellent. The salad was generous. Only con was their vegetarian selection. Their veggie burger was dried and flavorless. Would not recommend for vegans or vegetarians read more

Consistently delicious food at R + D Kitchen! I arrived on a weekend at 11:30 and was seated promptly- best time to go is early since they do not take reservations and the restaurant is pretty small. R + D is part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group and I love the Hillstone food! I ordered the Ding's Crispy Chicken Sandwich- it's fried to perfection and it's so large - cut into 3 pieces so it looks like fried chicken sliders with kale coleslaw - my favorite. Order the fries too! The prices on this meal has really skyrocketed/ $21 for Ding's and $8 for French fries is ridiculously expensive for a sandwich but oh well - I had that craving. Service - excellent. Ambiance- they keep the front door open and it was a little cold sitting by the window... read more

See all

Only tried the deviled eggs and dip duo...both delicious! Great drinks Friendly service Very comfortable atmosphere No outdoor seating but plenty inside, including booths and a welcoming bar One of my favorites in Santa Monica read more

Always consistently good. Can order anything and know what you are getting will be solid.

Totally average food & extremely rude management. it's a chain restaurant that serves low quality food & the management there talks down to people acting as if it's a privilege to eat their seed oil, gmo food. read more

Food is delicious but the best part in compare with so many famous restaurants, is the service. People who work at R&D restaurant , Santa Monica , are always so nice, friendly & respectful. Despite of no reservations rule , you are always received with kindness and respect. A true 5 stars restaurant. read more

R+D Kitchen -- Pretentious, Overpriced, and Not Worth Your Time or money!!! We were at R+D Kitchen last Saturday night and the experience was so off-putting, I left before ordering. We waited patiently for a table in what is clearly the bar area (where I've sat before), and when one finally opened, we took it. Moments later, a rude, pretentious hostess stormed over and told us the table was "reserved" and part of the restaurant, not the bar. That's completely inconsistent with past visits, and her condescending attitude made it clear this place takes itself way too seriously. And let's talk about the greed: the Ding's Crispy Chicken Sandwich is $23 -- and it doesn't come with fries. Want fries? That'll be another $9. So now you're paying $32 for a chicken sandwich and fries. Meanwhile, their sister restaurant Hillstone (less than a mile away!) serves the exact same sandwich with fries included for $24 total. It's insulting. Oh, and they don't accept cash either, because of course they don't. Another pretentious policy from a place that's full of itself and totally out of touch. There are plenty of great spots in the area where the staff is friendly and the pricing makes sense. Skip R+D Kitchen -- overpriced, overrated, and not worth the aggravation.!!! read more

Been coming since the day the opened and Houston's/Hillstone my whole life. They do everything well, service is exceptional, and bartenders are even classier. I always recommend the meatloaf , the burger, or even the dip duo. It's pricier but upscale and just can't be beat. Any negative reviews are just attention seekers or angry customers prior to the experience. They also have Reissdorf Kolsch for beer which can't be beat. On weekends you need to try their Bloody Mary and Picnic Tuna Sandwich which are my favorite. Enjoy. read more

Full disclaimer - I'm a huge fan of all the Hillstone group restaurants. R+D happens to be the closest to where I live so I like going here because I can walk to the location. The menu is a *bit more limited than Hillstone, Houston's, or South Beverly grill.. (All of which are amazing in their own ways!) R+D does have their amazing cheeseburger (so good, very consistent) I typically grab a glass of wine but was tempted by their unique cocktails (bees knees if I'm remembering correctly.) Very strong. Very good. I also want to mention- their staff. Sooo welcoming. I typically come alone, eat at the bar -- it was packed the last time I was there but the hostess eyed a couple about to finish and kept the spot for me as I used the restroom. Very kind and so appreciated. read more