Summer House Santa Monica Review

Decent experience, but didn t quite live up to the hype.
Pros: ambiance, service, tomato soup, crab Rangoon (on the specials menu)
Cons: onion straws, price for quality, lack of vegan options

Took gluten free in-laws, had a wonderfully attentive server and enjoyed a nice brunch where everyone found something to enjoy. Love the airy atmosphere

This was the best way to top off our vacation. Sunday morning brunch was phenomenal. They texted us when our out door seating was ready so we were able to enjoy Old Town. Then we sat down to eat and experienced fresh organic flavors. The crowd was fun and it seemed like everyone was there to eat and have a good time. Definitely a cross between classy 5 star restaurant and happy hour.

Great atmosphere and food. Second visit there, and will be back soon.

Food was good but the service was slow with so many tables.

VERY poor service at the O'Hare Airport location. It's very unfortunate because the food is good. They also have the Impossible Burger here which is awesome!

Waitress ignored my friend and I after we said hello and told her we were ready to order. Because of the rudeness, I ordered my food at the counter. I assumed we could order at the counter and sit at a table since there is no sign indicating that. Also, I was never asked if I wanted my food to-go or sitting service. When I ordered 2 Impossible Burgers the girl says, "You know that's not meat right?" very rudely. I was thinking, "What the hell is up with this place?" It's all about how you deliver your message, she could have been nicer about vegetarian food. After a while the same waitress comes back and tells us we had to move because we ordered at the counter. She was extremely unfriendly from the very beginning and had no tact. I spoke to the manager and she completely defended the waitress saying, "Oh, you know how waitresses are if you take away their table." There is NO justification for rudeness. The place lacks customer service. We never got an apology! I saw many people, including airport employees, eating outside food while sitting down at the same tables. The manager explained sometimes they allowed that but since it was rush hour (3-4pm) they could not let us sit there. You cannot pick and choose, it is discrimination. The manager did tell us we could remain seated until our food was ready, but still, it was handled very unprofessionally. Just like the waitress, she lacked empathy. While we were waiting, the same waitress comes back and tells us we had to move NOW because a family of 4 was waiting for the table. We explained the manager said we could stay seated until our food was ready but she said, "No, you have to get up now. The family is waiting and I have tips to earn." I could not believe this kind of behavior is allowable at this nice restaurant. My friend and I were shocked!! We got no respect the entire time even though we were paying customers. The waitress even touched our things so we can move out of the table faster.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME COMING HERE! THEY DO NOT RESPECT PAYING CUSTOMERS!!

Great ambiance, fresh food, good service. Good healthy eating but was not WOWed by anything. Had Tuna Tar Tar App which was very good and Mahi Mahi Tacos, which was lack luster. Will return and try others...might of just NOT been my day.

Great atmosphere for a social brunch. Good spot to take your out of town guests.

Great place. Delicious appetizers. Loved porcini flatbread and Block Island sword fish steak!

Love the atmosphere-chill, bright, and airy. The cocktails were off the charts. The table shared some of the homemade chips and guac-they were perfect. The pasta I had was delicious. Good vibes-a good place to take out of town guests.

Easily a favorite restaurant in Chicago. AMAZING brunch.

I will NEVER step foot into this restaurant again. I went with a girlfriend to celebrate her birthday. We each ordered a glass of Cab off the menu which indicated it was $13 a glass. A bit stiff in my opinion for a glass of wine at lunch. The waiter said that they had another Cab available off menu that he thought we would like better so we went with his recommendation. It was good and later we each ordered another glass. We each ate avocado toasts and each had a dessert. I was shocked to see the bill when it came - $141. Turns out the wine was $22 a glass. A bit outrageous if you ask me and if you are selling wine off the menu, the waiter should have at least mentioned the price. I didn't ask as I was treating my friend and did not want to make her feel uncomfortable. This place is a total rip off!

We went here for lunch and sat near the bar. I think I would have liked to sit below the skylight which really makes this space different and cool. It really feels like you are in california and it has a cool overall concept. I had the chicken sandwich and the chicken was cooked perfectly. I've never noticed such a perfectly cooked chicken before actually. We thought it was a very good Lettuce restaurant.

The ambiance is great here! Probably the brightest indoor space in Chicago, really feels like a beach spot! The food is really good, and the bakery has awesome cookies.

Delicious food and the cookies are to die for. Especially the Krispy Chocolate chip. The staff are always friendly and the atmosphere is nice and cozy. Love the rotating selection of infused waters by the coffee bar!

Nice bar with nice decor with a constantly summer feel (as named). Food is great but do remember to book in advance as it is highly popular

Great service. Food was tasty, but a little pricey for the portion sizes.

Expensive for average tasting food. Service was great.

FOLLOWUP to my negative review (BELOW): Manager/owner reached out right away. He offered to have us back for another dinner and sent along some gift certificates. We went over with some friends last night and it was a completely different experience.

Once again had to wait 20 minutes past the reservation but were then seated at great table in the main dining room. Waitress was very attentive, overall excellent service.

Started with some of the signature cocktails - HINT, you can get the alcohol-free drinks with booze if you like. I got the cucumber-mint (forget the name) and had them add gin, which came out great.

For starters we got the ceviche and the spinach-artichoke dip. Ceviche was good but modest portion. Spinach dip was the better choice. Hot, gooey and very very good. I'm not even a fan of spinach dip and I would get this again.

For the main dishes most of the table got the short ribs, which they all enjoyed. I took a chance on the trout. I love fish but I'm often disappointed as it's hard to cook just right. Not this time though. The trout was two full filets over creamy mashed potatoes. It was perfectly cooked and just delicious.

As I noted before the space is very open and bright. It's busy but the skylight/glass ceiling is high so it's not too noisy. We had no trouble talking without having to shout.

You always worry about consistency after having a first bad experience, but kudos to the management for responding to my review. It seems like our second experience was more typical and I wouldn't hesitate at all to recommend Summer House.

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This place looked like a great option but was very disappointing. We had a 7:00 reservation and though we arrived on time we weren't seated for at least 20 minutes. The hostess initially implied our table would be ready shortly, but when we inquired 15 minutes later we were told we were next in line for a 4 top. Next in line? Did we have a reservation or not? It would have been less annoying if she seemed to care but the hostess flatly ignored us after telling us to wait. Clearly reservations are just a priority boarding pass.

We ordered glasses of wine while looking at the menu and after a few minutes the waitress came back to tell us they were out of one of the wines. No big deal. We ordered dinner and the waitress came back a while later to tell us they were out of the side dish we ordered. Sigh.

Dinner arrived fairly promptly. One person ordered the Tuna nigiri - too spicy. OK, not everyone has the same tolerance for spicy. I ordered the pasta carbonara and that's where I was done giving them the benefit of the doubt. I kid you not, it was so salty it was nearly inedible. I had to wash it down with two glasses of water and still couldn't finish the modest portion. The other two people in our party ordered the Cobb salad and the Quinoa. Those were OK. Nothing special.

We decided to have coffee and cookies, the latter coming form the market in the front. One person ordered decaffeinated tea. The waitress comes back 10 minutes later. Sorry, they're out of the tea. Geez, how many thing can you be out of? And we had to ask the busboy for spoons for our coffee. Cookies were so-so.

Tab was around $150 for four, so not overly expensive. The waitress was friendly and the space was very open and bright. But the food was very less than average - you can easily do better elsewhere.

Great brunch location. Amazing cookies and puffed rice treats

Solid restaurant. Service is always very good, it's a trendy place with sandwiches, burgers, and a nice variety of salads. Fun atmosphere, and pretty good prices.

I've been here many times, but have never had as great of service as last night! Levi was amazing!! Friendly from the start and made the whole experience beyond 5 star! Food is always fresh. My friend and I were splitting some items and chatting. Two thoughts come to mind: 1. We NEVER felt rushed. We don't get together often and when we do we like to sit and chat for a while. He didn't make us feel like we had to be in and out and we were taking up his space. 2. He split the items for us instead of bringing the items with small plates. While this may seem like a minor detail, this was the first time anyone has ever been considerate enough to split the items when plating them versus bringing them to the table for us to split. He gets 5 stars for that alone. But he was great- offered up suggestions, was funny, and made for an enjoyable experience. Can't wait to come back and I will ask for him! He definitely deserves a raise- best server!

The caramelized French toast is delicious. Would recommend for anybody to go with their family for a nice holiday or weekend brunch. The service is very friendly and very helpful.

Drew's cocktails were out of this world. Cannot wait to go back. He made my date and dinner super special. THANK YOU!

Came here for my birthday dinner. I was kind of worried about eating inside (not on the patio), but tables were very well spaced out. The food was delicious, I got the lemon pasta dish, but I wish they had more vegetarian options.

Loved the atmosphere here, they do a great job with the sunny California feel in the restaurant. Staff was super friendly and let me hang out at the bar while I waited for my friends to show up, and we didn't feel rushed to leave once we finished our meal. Only downside was it felt a bit overpriced, especially for drinks.

Summer house is such a fun space. It's even more enjoyable as summer is knocking on our door. (Finally!) There is a definite California vibe to this Lettuce space. I like that food is reflective of the season. When I was there in January, there were wonderful hearty dishes. On my recent visit, the menu started to lighten up. Either way, the food was delicious. Attentive service. Also, stop and grab a cookie for a dessert/snack the next day. They are massive and amazing.

Had a brunch date with my friends here a couple of weeks ago. It's super busy and crowded for a sunday. Really beautiful space, good service, and good food.

Very nice spot for breakfast and/or brunch. Nice terrace, good service and good food. The brussel sprouts, avocado toast and salmon were all great.

Love the atmosphere especially during the winter. It's a bit of summer in the middle of winter! Service was average. I was not impressed with the eggs Benedict. The Mexican hashbrowns were good. The breakfast tostadas were delicious. The bloody Mary's just ok, they could use more Worcestershire sauce, olive juice and horseradish sauce.

You can get a 3 course meal + glass of wine on their Chicago Restaurant week for $39 - but if you order a 9 oz. glass of wine (standard pour), that alone costs $39. Incredibly overpriced.

The food was great, the atmosphere was superb, and the service was solid. My wife and I really enjoyed brunch here and def plan on going back with friends.

We had a very good dinner here with a very good waiter. We both thought he was attentive in advise and making sure we had water and wine with our meal. My partner had a chicken breast that he very much enjoyed while I had the scallops that were very tender over a "just right" sauce. We finished up the meal with an ice cream sandwich made with their cookies and vanilla ice cream. I had a berry sorbet that was the best I've ever had! REALLY GOOD!

Their breakfasts and drinks are great. But the other food I tried is sib par. Last time I ordered their signature burger and the meat was RAW. I like my meat medium rare, but actually raw is just dangerous and unprofessional. Will stick to their weekend only brunch menu from now on (which we love).

Really nice steak. Tasted grilled like on an old wood or charcoal grill. Nice mixed drinks too

Interesting take on the Ivy in Santa Monica young feel with fresh flavors

Beautiful interior with lots of natural light. Both the bar and main dining area would be comfortable for a date or group outing. Looks like it tends to run more business casual but I think you could get away with near anything during on their patio. We were surprised by the food portions (fried chicken was huge) and would have liked a head's up that we we're ordering a meal for 2. Otherwise a great experience.

Worst experience ever. I showed management pictures of the rats under our table and they refused to do anything about. We spent about $150 and the manager only offered to give us free cookies. We did not even finish our food. I REFUSE TO EAT WITH RODENTS! Will never go back and I suggest you don't even bother.

Ambience is very California. food is fresh, true to the brand. Very insta friendly.

Great food. Good ambiance. Had the avocado toast. It was delicious.

I love the feel of this place. The food is excellent and they have a lot of gluten free options. Be careful of the bakery at the entrance. You can eat a cookie or two before your dinner comes.

I love the food and ambiance here. The main room, the "Vitamin D" room, is really pretty. Lots of natural light, hanging lights and plants. They have lots of vegetarian and fish options which is great too. We get the burrata appetizer every time!

Super loud. Uninspired menu. Pricey. Feels like a fancy chain restaurant. Food tasted fine....just fine. Overall it served it's purpose, but I won't ever have the thought to go back again.

Wish they would be a bit more plant base friendly but the food was good and they provide reservation which is a plus.

Very attentive and friendly staff, gluten free options available.
Wonderful gin and rose list. Food is fresh and flavorful. If you're going for brunch, make a reservation unless you don't mind eating at the bar.

Better for the pictures than the food. Expensive for what you eat.

As a California native I can say without a doubt that Summer House transports you to my former stomping grounds. We were sat in the Vitamin D room, a beautiful space filled with sunlight from the glass ceiling, and in the midst of winter immediately felt the therapeutic side affects. The brunch menu is extensive but I opted for an old standby: eggs benedict. Their version is served on hashbrowns and a choice of ham or bacon. It was delicious and I can't wait to take the short trip back to sunny Santa Monica.

This place has a nice atmosphere and delicious food. Our server was not that friendly but the food runners and bussers were very nice so that made up for the bad server.

Love Sunday Brunch and nearby shopping here!! It s a happy spot!!

Ordered the turkey club sandwich and it was pretty good except for a spicy sauce that I wasn t aware was in the ingredients. I liked the vine of the place, but menu items are a bit pricey.

5 Star food, 5 Star service, 5 Star ambience!
And this from a California visitor! Here's to So. Cal., Mates! Keep up the good work.

Beautiful restaurant, very bright and there are tables outdoors in the summer. Try the tacos and cauliflower. Drinks are a bit strong but delicious. Service was great and prices are fair

Nice, summery-fresh decor. Food is OK. Prices bit too much for the quality.

Summer house is such a fun space. It's even more enjoyable as summer is knocking on our door. (Finally!) There is a definite California vibe to this Lettuce space. I like that food is reflective of the season. When I was there in January, there were wonderful hearty dishes. On my recent visit, the menu started to lighten up. Either way, the food was delicious. Attentive service. Also, stop and grab a cookie for a dessert/snack the next day. They are massive and amazing.

Warm, welcoming atmosphere but slightly overpriced for what it is.

Fantastic food and service. Thanks for all you've done to create a safe enjoyable experience during COVID19.

Ambience is nice, food is good 4/5, rather pricey, service 3/5

Always great food and friendly staff. Loved the truffle fries

Excellent food, gorgeous decor and wonderful drinks.

Great service! But the menu is very limited and the food kind of overwhelming for all the hype this place has.

Have been multiple times- overall the food is solid.

Beware that if you choose to come here on a Tinder date, you will be able to see the other person quite well as the room is bright. The service is exceptional which is a common trend among LEYE restaurants. Do not pass up the homemade dessert - they will even warm your cookies and top them with ice cream