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We met up with a friend for brunch and went to a spot in Lincoln Park that we’ve been many times before. Summer House Santa Monica opened in Chicago in 2013. There is another location in North Bethesda, MD and one soon to open at Disney Springs in Orlando, FL. The restaurant has over 200 seats and is meant to look like a California beach house. The food is a mix of Asian, Latin, and California cuisine. Think everything from Yellowfin Tuna Poke Nachos to Breakfast Burritos at brunch.
Anthony’s Take: Summer House Santa Monica offers a tasty brunch menu with lots to choose from. The restaurant is always buzzing and it was packed when we went for brunch. The food and service are both good, overall. Make sure you save some room or take home one of the delicious cookies sold from the bakery found in the restaurant’s lobby. If you happen to be traveling through Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), you can find an outpost of the restaurant (with cookies) in Terminal 2.
Decor & Vibe
The restaurant has a white and tan theme throughout with tons of plants and light wood. It’s meant to be evocative of a California beach house and it succeeds in its mission. This is a big restaurant and when filled it’s bustling. Don’t expect a quiet chat here, but it’s also not overpowering to the point where you can’t hear your companions. There are two large dining rooms. One has a bar and the other contains an open kitchen and huge skylights to make the room feel bright (pictured above).
We were seated in the room closer to the host stand and bar.
There is a countdown to summer found on one of the walls. Staff update it daily.
Food
A QR code on the table provides the menu.
Here is a PDF-version. For brunch there is a great selection of egg dishes, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and more.
I had the Egg Sandwich with sausage. It came with a side salad. The portion size was good and I was satisfied with my choice.
My husband had the Breakfast Burrito. He liked the flavors, but complained it wasn’t very warm.
Our friend chose Crispy Chicken sandwich. He didn’t think it had much flavor, but was crispy.
On the way out, we got an Oatmeal Scotchie and an M&M cookie to go. All of the cookies are great here (and huge). The bakery case also has muffins and other treats to take home.
Drinks
Summer House Santa Monica offers wine, beer, and a full bar. I had an Arnold Palmer, my husband had a mimosa, and our friend tried one of the cocktails (I can’t remember the name or find any drinks on the menu with rosemary. All of the drinks were good and pours were generous.
Overall Impression:
Summer House Santa Monica is a light and breezy place to grab brunch or dinner. The food is good overall and the bakery up front offers great treats to take home. I’m sure we’ll be back again.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
