After many repeat visits to the original Sawtelle location, we finally ventured outside of our comfort zone and made a reservation for the Santa Monica location. The determining factor was our ability to make an actual reservation. At some point in the past, I was able to make a reservation on Resy for the Sawtelle branch but that’s not true anymore so Open Table was able to facilitate a movable reservation to the beachside location.
Despite the address being on Ocean Drive which is parallel to Pacific Ocean, the restaurant is actually located on Broadway behind Sushi Roku. In any case, it was still beachside with an exposed restaurant to the ocean breeze. We opted for a deuce on the patio right by the sidewalk so that we could people watch. 

Our server, Brayden seemed super nice and was as helpful as he could be. Our orders came out incredibly quick but there were a few hiccups. My vodka martini up no vermouth with a lemon twist had a strong vermouth aftertaste so I sent that back. Our water glasses weren’t refilled. I had to get up and pour myself a glass.

Our baby back ribs and cole slaw appetizer was quite tangy and savory. The ribs were doused in BBQ sauce. They were definitely very rich and we both realized that we needed to refrain from indulging if we wanted to eat our main courses.

My husband’s patty melt came out nicely. Everything was just as he ordered. However, my dish had some challenges. I ordered a salmon BLT with only lettuce, crispy bacon, salmon and mustard. The salmon, mustard and fries came out but no bacon. I kept trying to beckon our server who was at the bar but to no avail. I tried 4 times. I finally asked the hostess and though the strips came out quickly, they were not crispy.

Our server finally came back to check on us and I returned the unacceptable bacon. Round 2 brought 2 strips which also weren’t crispy but clearly had just come off the pan or griddle. *Note to all cooks: Stop frying your bacon. They are greasy, soggy and not crispy. No need to fry a bacon when you just need to crisp them up in the microwave. For each strip of bacon, get a layer of paper towels on the bottom and the top of a paper plate to cover. For example, 2 strips of bacon = 2 layers of paper towels on the bottom and 2 layers on the top, to soak up the grease and crisp them up. Microwave them 1 minute longer than the number of strips on the paper plate so 2 strips = 3 minutes in the microwave, maybe 3 1/2. I learned that from my Food teacher high school in 1993 so not new news. 

But I digress. Aside from that, our dining experience was fast, efficient and overall the food was delicious. Since Sawtelle and Santa Monica are equidistant to us, we both love being by the water and we’re able to make online reservations for Santa Monica, it will likely become our regular relatively inexpensive treat for a nice relaxing evening out. 

Plan Check & Bar

1401 Ocean Blvd., #104

Santa Monica, CA 90401

SANTA MONICA