Really cute vibes right on the beach- food is really typical beach vibe, not the best thing you'll ever eat but has something for everyone, tastes fresh and service is attentive. You can't really beat the location and if you sit outside your toes are quite literally in the sand- not to mention the cappuccino with vanilla was quite nice. Would actually come again to bring some friends for a very casual brunch.
Steph C.
My toddler Wade B. and I had lunch at Back On the Beach last month with three grown-up friends and another baby buddy. It was a great place for this hangout, an easy, casual, kid-friendly restaurant, where we could strap the boys into high chairs then let them loose in the adjacent playground when we were all done. Reservations are available and highly recommended if you want to eat outside. Not surprisingly, those tables go first. We booked ours for a Monday at 11:30, and I don't think anyone without a reservation was getting a spot on the sand. The set-up was lovely, a cafe attached to the Annenberg Community Beach House (parking was easy on a Monday, but I've seen how hellish that lot gets on the weekend). We really were eating on the beach. Service was friendly and fast. I got the shrimp tacos, which were solid, with marinated "selva" shrimp, grilled corn pico, avocado crema, and sides of rice and beans. Wade got the breaded chicken tenders with fries and mostly ate the fries, always the story when the kid's meal comes with fries. I always feel like it's a hassle to go to the beach, but this was a truly pleasant way to spend a few hours with friends and babies. I'd recommend Back on the Beach for a relaxing lunch with a view, especially if you have kids to entertain.
Elizabeth K.
The service was polite, thorough, efficient and easy. The beach views are the reason to go, but I cannot complain about the service- they are as engaged or disengaged as you would like for the most part. The menu makes point to let you know they really try to source the best quality ingredients for everything they make- but they do upcharge for real maple syrup (vs the corn syrup kind). Stomach feels after were mostly positive- I would not equate it to a "greasy spoon" feel, but I did feel that kind of "hard" fullness in the gut that left me wanting fresh foods after the fact (even though we had a small side of fruit). The pancakes had a certain "stiffness" - not the fluffiest or lightest. It doesn't feel greasy...but it feels...processed? If that makes sense? Sometimes healthy sourced ingredients can be harder to digest- so I don't want to speak to the quality of the foods themselves- just a heads up for those who search for places to eat by "how my stomach will feel afterwards". It was kind of like a hard fullness that lacked the feeling of being "satisfied"- and I think that's just because my buttermilk pancakes were relatively plain (it costs extra for berries or chocolate chips- and I wanted real syrup so I paid extra for the syrup and not the toppings). It's a good place to stop if you're not sure where to go, but are in the area and looking for a brunch spot with a view. All in all a positive experience. I think the prices are a little much (just serve real maple syrup and don't charge extra for it!), but not a bad place to try if you're looking for a view!
Vianey L.
Such a lovely restaurant! I came here with my partner on our 2nd date and to celebrate valentines. Amazing food, service is excellent, and the ambiance is beautiful as you get the view of the beach.
Micki G.
We love Back on the Beach Cafe. It sits in front of the Annenberg Community Beach House on Santa Monica Beach. You can eat indoors, but who would want to when you can sit outside on the patio, which is a fancy way of saying "tables in the sand." Yep. Pull up a seat, kick you shoes off and dig your toes in the sand. Breakfast is our favorite, but their whole menu is delicious, definitely not your run of the mill menu. This morning I had the breakfast quesadilla- egg whites, spinach, jack cheese and chicken chorizo served with breakfast potatoes. Mmm!
Marceli Wac
Stunning view and brilliant breakfast! Best place to start your day or a visit to LA!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Huevos Rancheros
Joey B
A perfect date spot! The food is delicious. The fruit was perfectly ripe, the scones were delicious. We got the pasta papa and the California omelette. Sooo good. We ate outside and the view is lovely. A very chill vibe. Our server Jason was awesome, very attentive and friendly. He really brightened our morning and made us feel very welcome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Howard S.
Very good food and service with a great location on the beach. Do make a reservation. I usually order an omelette. One can park there at their lot or one closer to the 10 Freeway on PCH and walk. Use your navigation, it's easy to miss the entrance!
Andrea M.
This place was on my list for way too long. Well worth the drive!! The salmon was amazing. I was dining alone after a doctors appointment. The waitress was super friendly and I even wound up chatting with a group at the table behind me for a few moments. Beautiful patio seating, literally in the sand. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the veggies were seasoned to perfection. Hope to come back soon!!
Paul H.
Stopped here for lunch while on a bike ride. Was not a planned stop, so wasn't sure what to expect. Ordered the burger and fish and chips, both were good. Fish was hot and fresh, but a smidge too oily. Burger was great! Sat inside due to the hour wait for outside (inside wait was 15 min), but next to the window was nice. Pretty causal spot. Not sure I'd make an effort to go back, but did not disappoint for just randomly stopping in. Server was friendly and efficient, but disappeared for a few minutes once we asked for the check. So that wait was the only downside.
The server that works here is a douche. First time here and ordered at the front not knowing any better. Sat outside in the sand area and made me move to the inside even though there are plenty of empty sitting all because I didn't order with him. Essentially kicked me out because he's not going to get tipped even though I tipped the server at the front 20% it doesnt benefit him so I had to go.
Service: 1
Laura G.
My favorite beach eating! Great setting, on the beach right next to the Annenberg Beach House. They have a varied menu - breakfasts, salads, burgers, salmon - and the food is very fresh. Nice wait staff, too. Always delightful, and if you want a little old L.A. history, you can visit the Marion Davies house next door. It's our usual lunch spot on our beach bike rides. Our regular order is grilled cheese and sautéed spinach sandwich - very delicious. And the fries are great, too.
Mina L.
How lucky are we to have such a beautiful setting for breakfast at the beach. Yes it's paid parking. But it's truly worth it given the wonderful location and breakfast experience. We were seated immediately out doors under an umbrella and soaked up the Santa Monica beach view. There was a family having breakfast, while the kids played at a nearby swing set. What a great place to people watch....folks were jogging or riding by. Our coffee and drink orders came readily. We ordered Huevos Rancheros, breakfast burrito, and blueberry pancakes. All were delicious. Service was attentive and our drinks often replenished. They didn't rush us out... told that it was a quiet morning. It had been overcast and not too many people waiting to get in. I'm thinking on busy warm weekend they might rush people along. But not today, we enjoyed our breakfast and sights. Afterwords we took a nice stroll down to the water along the boardwalk... nice we didn't have to take off our shoes. All in all, awesome food and scenery. We'll be back.
Goodeats
As always, great for a beach lunch with friends. Love the breakfast and lunch menu too. Only wish the Back on the Beach Breakfast sandwich still came with thick Applewood smoked bacon. My recent one had skinny thin bacon strips that were tasteless.
Really cute vibes right on the beach- food is really typical beach vibe, not the best thing you'll ever eat but has something for everyone, tastes fresh and service is attentive. You can't really beat the location and if you sit outside your toes are quite literally in the sand- not to mention the cappuccino with vanilla was quite nice. Would actually come again to bring some friends for a very casual brunch.
My toddler Wade B. and I had lunch at Back On the Beach last month with three grown-up friends and another baby buddy. It was a great place for this hangout, an easy, casual, kid-friendly restaurant, where we could strap the boys into high chairs then let them loose in the adjacent playground when we were all done. Reservations are available and highly recommended if you want to eat outside. Not surprisingly, those tables go first. We booked ours for a Monday at 11:30, and I don't think anyone without a reservation was getting a spot on the sand. The set-up was lovely, a cafe attached to the Annenberg Community Beach House (parking was easy on a Monday, but I've seen how hellish that lot gets on the weekend). We really were eating on the beach. Service was friendly and fast. I got the shrimp tacos, which were solid, with marinated "selva" shrimp, grilled corn pico, avocado crema, and sides of rice and beans. Wade got the breaded chicken tenders with fries and mostly ate the fries, always the story when the kid's meal comes with fries. I always feel like it's a hassle to go to the beach, but this was a truly pleasant way to spend a few hours with friends and babies. I'd recommend Back on the Beach for a relaxing lunch with a view, especially if you have kids to entertain.
The service was polite, thorough, efficient and easy. The beach views are the reason to go, but I cannot complain about the service- they are as engaged or disengaged as you would like for the most part. The menu makes point to let you know they really try to source the best quality ingredients for everything they make- but they do upcharge for real maple syrup (vs the corn syrup kind). Stomach feels after were mostly positive- I would not equate it to a "greasy spoon" feel, but I did feel that kind of "hard" fullness in the gut that left me wanting fresh foods after the fact (even though we had a small side of fruit). The pancakes had a certain "stiffness" - not the fluffiest or lightest. It doesn't feel greasy...but it feels...processed? If that makes sense? Sometimes healthy sourced ingredients can be harder to digest- so I don't want to speak to the quality of the foods themselves- just a heads up for those who search for places to eat by "how my stomach will feel afterwards". It was kind of like a hard fullness that lacked the feeling of being "satisfied"- and I think that's just because my buttermilk pancakes were relatively plain (it costs extra for berries or chocolate chips- and I wanted real syrup so I paid extra for the syrup and not the toppings). It's a good place to stop if you're not sure where to go, but are in the area and looking for a brunch spot with a view. All in all a positive experience. I think the prices are a little much (just serve real maple syrup and don't charge extra for it!), but not a bad place to try if you're looking for a view!
Such a lovely restaurant! I came here with my partner on our 2nd date and to celebrate valentines. Amazing food, service is excellent, and the ambiance is beautiful as you get the view of the beach.
We love Back on the Beach Cafe. It sits in front of the Annenberg Community Beach House on Santa Monica Beach. You can eat indoors, but who would want to when you can sit outside on the patio, which is a fancy way of saying "tables in the sand." Yep. Pull up a seat, kick you shoes off and dig your toes in the sand. Breakfast is our favorite, but their whole menu is delicious, definitely not your run of the mill menu. This morning I had the breakfast quesadilla- egg whites, spinach, jack cheese and chicken chorizo served with breakfast potatoes. Mmm!
Stunning view and brilliant breakfast! Best place to start your day or a visit to LA!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Huevos Rancheros
A perfect date spot! The food is delicious. The fruit was perfectly ripe, the scones were delicious. We got the pasta papa and the California omelette. Sooo good. We ate outside and the view is lovely. A very chill vibe. Our server Jason was awesome, very attentive and friendly. He really brightened our morning and made us feel very welcome!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good food and service with a great location on the beach. Do make a reservation. I usually order an omelette. One can park there at their lot or one closer to the 10 Freeway on PCH and walk. Use your navigation, it's easy to miss the entrance!
This place was on my list for way too long. Well worth the drive!! The salmon was amazing. I was dining alone after a doctors appointment. The waitress was super friendly and I even wound up chatting with a group at the table behind me for a few moments. Beautiful patio seating, literally in the sand. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the veggies were seasoned to perfection. Hope to come back soon!!
Stopped here for lunch while on a bike ride. Was not a planned stop, so wasn't sure what to expect. Ordered the burger and fish and chips, both were good. Fish was hot and fresh, but a smidge too oily. Burger was great! Sat inside due to the hour wait for outside (inside wait was 15 min), but next to the window was nice. Pretty causal spot. Not sure I'd make an effort to go back, but did not disappoint for just randomly stopping in. Server was friendly and efficient, but disappeared for a few minutes once we asked for the check. So that wait was the only downside.
Restaurantji Recommends
Good service good foodNo
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The server that works here is a douche. First time here and ordered at the front not knowing any better. Sat outside in the sand area and made me move to the inside even though there are plenty of empty sitting all because I didn't order with him. Essentially kicked me out because he's not going to get tipped even though I tipped the server at the front 20% it doesnt benefit him so I had to go.
Service: 1
My favorite beach eating! Great setting, on the beach right next to the Annenberg Beach House. They have a varied menu - breakfasts, salads, burgers, salmon - and the food is very fresh. Nice wait staff, too. Always delightful, and if you want a little old L.A. history, you can visit the Marion Davies house next door. It's our usual lunch spot on our beach bike rides. Our regular order is grilled cheese and sautéed spinach sandwich - very delicious. And the fries are great, too.
How lucky are we to have such a beautiful setting for breakfast at the beach. Yes it's paid parking. But it's truly worth it given the wonderful location and breakfast experience. We were seated immediately out doors under an umbrella and soaked up the Santa Monica beach view. There was a family having breakfast, while the kids played at a nearby swing set. What a great place to people watch....folks were jogging or riding by. Our coffee and drink orders came readily. We ordered Huevos Rancheros, breakfast burrito, and blueberry pancakes. All were delicious. Service was attentive and our drinks often replenished. They didn't rush us out... told that it was a quiet morning. It had been overcast and not too many people waiting to get in. I'm thinking on busy warm weekend they might rush people along. But not today, we enjoyed our breakfast and sights. Afterwords we took a nice stroll down to the water along the boardwalk... nice we didn't have to take off our shoes. All in all, awesome food and scenery. We'll be back.
As always, great for a beach lunch with friends. Love the breakfast and lunch menu too. Only wish the Back on the Beach Breakfast sandwich still came with thick Applewood smoked bacon. My recent one had skinny thin bacon strips that were tasteless.