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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
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Um, YUM.
Also, YAY.
Great food, organic, locally harvested, sustainably farmed, great beer.
It's one of my happy places.
Santa Monica, with all its beauty and grace, is home to some of the most pompous and soulless humans to reside in LA. A lot of 40s/50somes with botox -- faux-fashionistas, trying to recreate elle magazine covers walking a pack of small show dogs all barking like mad at anything that moves. the yupsters are even worse, filling up the whole foods parking lot with their bmws desperately searching for the last of the gluten-free-frozen-tofu burritos, complaining about how their 401ks took a hit last quarter. not my scene
the blue plate is a small eatery on montana, a cute little strip of shops and restaurants for the aforementioned patrons. generally there is a line, with a waiting time between 10-45 minutes (sat/sun being the most busy). The food is pretty good, with many healthy alternatives and unique entrees. A great place for brunch. My server wasnt the greatest, and i dont like going places with poor service. parking can be tough (with all the bmws hogging up all the spots).
5 stars for the food.
3.5 stars for the serious line outside. I feel like I'm back in NYC: small tables, not much separation in between tables (inches) and if you are next to a know-it-all loud mouth then you'll find yourself going crazy.
However........ amazing food and I recommend going M-F so you can enjoy the food... in peace.
Pros: The meal is good. The portion sizes are pretty decent, but it was basic diner food. I did not eat anything that made my face explode.
Cons: It's small. If you go there on a Saturday morning you might as well understand that you're about to suffer the same fate as canned sardines. The coffee is meh and you better pray that the people sitting next to you are friendly cause you are going to be so close that you'll inadvertently end up apart of the conversation. I honestly would have opted for Norms if I wasn't already on Montana.
We had fun. Three of us packed into a table by the kitchen. Tight? Yes. Loud? Definitely. Slow? Sure. Fun? Of course.
I enjoyed my brunch although one of my friends hated her soup. My other friend finished our plates. She nearly licked them clean. Personally, I was most grateful for the bottomless cup of coffee and when it was all said and done, I felt very satisfied.
Dear Blue Plate:
We love having you just around the corner. The staff is friendly and we come back all the time - whether to-go or eat-in. That said...
Please read your reviews on Yelp - I promise they can help you see some common themes:
-Sometimes inconsistent quality, preparation and portions. The menu is great and simple - someone just needs to check what is actually coming out of the kitchen. Suggestion: have one person run the food to every table - they can assess consistency, etc and give direction to the kitchen.
-Oh, the fruit kinda sucks lately. Maybe pick some up next door at Whole Foods?
-Start checking your to-go orders before they go out - you guys forget our drinks every single time.
p.s. Cynthia's closed, so you're gonna get even busier. And please, oh please, please, please bring back the carrot cake.
i like this place. ive been here a few times and haven't been disappointed yet. menu is unique with a good amount of healthy options. last time i was here, it was a saturday i think. i had the huevos rancheros...soooo goooooood, and not just because i was hungover and tired and hungry. surprisingly crispy tortillas layered with juicy salsa and eggs and black beans. coffee was ok. there's a bunch of stuff on the menu i still want to try. the only thing that concerns me is the consistency of the food. my friend didn't really like his dish (i think it was some sort of breakfast burrito). we waited about 10 mins, which gave us just enough time to roam around the whole foods next door and peruse through all the yummy wine and cheese. i found a great parking spot pretty easily, but im not sure if it was just cause i got lucky. inside is PACKED. literally a foot away from the next table over. i had to hand their food to them from their server because they were squeezed like sardines into the wall spot. if there was a fire inside, i think there would be some definite trampling black-friday style. decor (if you can call it that) is non-existent. i don't know exactly what it is about this blue plate, but i like it. maybe because it doesn't try too hard.
A nice little place on Montana with great coffee and very good service. I had the breakfast burrito with fresh fruit, which came with pomegranate seeds, grapes, mangos, and watermelon. Overall, great food and would easily come back.
I've been here for breakfast- twice. Granted the place is all the range round here, but if you cannot make a breakfast above two stars I cannot be tempted to try their other meals.
I find Blue Plate not so clean. It is teeny tiny and the bathroom is not only close enough to the kitchen that you see the cooks as you enter, but it is clearly not wiped down on a regular basis. In addition, the crammed space means that you end up with too many jeaned butts in your face while you are trying to drink your coffee.
The energy of the place is frenetic; the waitstaff moves so fast that they miss things.
My food itself was a definite D both times. My egg fritata was pretty good, however the potatoes were undercooked. I have never heard of screwing up a breakfast potato. The second time, my blueberry pancakes were so the wrong texture, unless you love chomping on lukewarm tires that need to be replaced.
I don't understand why anyone would line up to eat here.
This place seems to be going downhill. While I love idea of having a brunch on Montana avenue on a lazy weekend morning, the reason why I returned the second time, I could do without the waiting and the attitude of the servers.
Average breakfast served with stale inedible fruit on the side. When told about the stale fruit, as mistakes can happen in any busy place, the waitress simply said their fruit is the best in the neighborhood and moved on.
Breakfast is awesome. The combo platters and scrambles give you lots of food for a reasonable price. Great for Brunch. Get there before 10.30 on Sunday or you will wait. Very cozy, not the place for 'sensitive' conversation but you may meet the people sitting next to you.
I find it a little funny that a place called Blue Plate does not even have blue plates. It had white plates. Regular plates. With blue trim.
And if your plates cannot even live up to your name, welp then the food is not something to write home about.
Though the food is fresh, it's your basic wrap, salad and sandwhich place. Nothing fancy schmancy. Again, like a plain white ceramic plate. The salads are pretty good, but just as good as California Pizza Kitchen. But CPK has way larger portions for the same price. Yes I said CPK. And I'll say it again. CPK has larger salads at the same price with the same quality of food as Blue Plate.
The place is small and interior is cute so expect a wait and it is full of your typical Brentwood moms and teenagers who have nothing to do but eat out at places after shopping at Blue Planet. Parking is street so of course those extra quarters are handy.
Other than that, expect nothing much but over priced basic food that's fresh. Like you bought a white Ikea plate for $20.
To the reviewer vexed over the color of the dishware at Blue Plate. Blue Plate is not about the color of the plates. It is a colloquial expression commonly used by American restaurants that refers to blue-plate specials and which came out of the Depression era. Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.or...
Sure Blue Plate is always crowded. That's because the food is great: both great tasting and -- this is huge for any restaurant -- consistent, and because of a price point that is a perfect recession-buster!
Some of my favorites: Mac and Cheese; Steak Frites; Matzoh Fried Chicken; and, their Cobb Salad. Save room for dessert, specifically the awesome Carrot Cake!
It's a small restaurant so be ready to be friendly with the table next to yours and don't expect a lot of leg room. Do expect, however, to really enjoy your meal and without sticker shock when the bill comes!
The food is good and healthy. The prices are cheap for Montana Ave. The staff is great, especially Janelle who is a hoot. I always look forward to dinner at the Blue Plate.
great staff, "cozy" and the largest breakfast quesadilla I have ever had! Once I try something else i'll give the full report.
Bring your stretchy pants
-s
The Blue Plate is absolutely one of my favorite spots in Santa Monica. I moved here about a year ago and was thrilled to happen upon this hopping little eatery one day. The tuna sandwich and fries is my fave--but i hear the falafel burger is great! As for service, I have always felt consistently taken care of and have gotten to know the wait staff quite well. Just a joy--i can come by myself or bring my whole family and either way, I leave happy:)
This is my main meeting place for friends to grab a bite and eat something on the healthy side. I find their portions BIG compared to ordering everything al a carte at the R and D down the street.
They are nice about splitting meals and even split a smoothie for my kids to share so we didn't have to order 2 that might go to waste:)
I think people can misunderstand servers in a place like this. The idea and energy is that there is NOT this big hurry. Just a go with the flow. I have yet to see someone NOT get their food or storm out in disgust...If you want someone to wait on your every beck and call, try the fancy shmancy places. If you want a cool, laid back experience where waiting a few extra minutes doesn't send you into a panic/crisis, and also gives you a chance to people watch--then come to Blue Plate. Lighten up, it's just lunch...
we love you Blue Plate!!!
Great brunch! Food is all really delicious and fresh. Portions are spot on -not too huge that I feel like a sloth afterwards, not too small that I am left wanting more. Great coffee and their fresh squeezed OJ is the best - even better when teamed with champagne for a mimosa.
It's a little place and it does def get a crowd on the weekend. I'd try and get here before 10 if you can.
I've never had sweet potato fries like this before. They're thinner than any I've seen, so you end up eating like 10 at a time. Darn tasty. The garlic aioli that comes alongside is delicious. We shared a half order but could've eaten a full one... each.
The chop salad was fine; nothing spectacular at $13. Is that the going rate nowadays for iceberg lettuce, garbanzo beans, chicken, and mozzarella? Maybe just in LA/Santa Monica.
The wraps I saw going by looked pretty appetizing. And they serve breakfast all day, so there's a lot of options. They even had a gluten-free pasta option, which was cool.
We visited really late on a Sunday night so their was zero wait and the staff was chill and relaxed.
They also have a blueberry cobbler with ice cream that I didn't try but plan to next time.
I have been several times - and clearly like most people I enjoyed the food and wanted to go back. This experience was less than satisfying. And not really capably handled by the manager.
You always have to expect a wait here ..and it usually varies in excess of 15 -20 minutes. We ordered 3 items. Beet salad with goat cheese, corn on the cob, and the signature burger and fries. We pretty much came here for the burger, which I've thought was always top notch. We ordered a coffee and soda - the coffee took 10 minutes to arrive. Sloppy.
The beet salad was okay. I tend to believe that goat cheese quality is in direct relation to it's age, thereby providing a more intense flavor. This did not provide flavor and intensity. The beets and salads, and dressing were great however. The corn arrived really fast even though the waitress noted it might take awhile. The reason - it was grill seared on the outside, but still cold and uncooked inside. Not cool - we told them to take it back and not replace it.
We asked for the burger medium rare. It arrived well done. Extremely well done. Why ask then? Obviously the kitchen decided how we "really" wanted it! Sorry - fail.
Don't ask me how I want it and deliver it incarcerated. The patty was big and thick..but tasteless and very dry. The coup de grace - was the piece of cooked chicken inside it. The waitress said - well the chicken is right next to our prep section ; so when they grabbed the lettuce etc, a piece of chicken must have fallen in. At Carl's Jr. - okay. Here for $11 - no - sorry - Fail!!. The Manager came by - more pleasant, but same excuse. Really ..what we she did admit was that the regular chef was away for the weekend, and this was a replacement. Two out three items were unacceptable. I hope the real chef gets back fast, because if I experienced a 30% success rate, my guess is that's what everyone else did as well. Real lack of supervision and quality control in the kitchen can sink any restaurant fast. I hope they fix it. I was not charged for the corn and burger. Actually - in my school of management - you waive the entire meal for the customer. But that's me. Oh - I won't be back again. Why leave the house for aggravation like this.....
This spot doesn't seem as bad as all the reviews here might say. My friend chose this spot and I had no idea what to get as a vegetarian that would be good. I chose the grilled veggie wrap. It was tasty and fine, not amazing but I did enjoy it. Unfortunately the veggies were really steamed so they lacked the grilled flavor and there wasn't as much avocado as I would have liked but it was still tasty. Included peppers, zuchinni etc. My friend who got the falafel wrap said hers was tasty too.
They have a much bigger menu than their website shows. I'd suggest asking what they think is the most popular/tastiest items.
It's a cute spot and the food seems good.
I really liked their simple survey at the end of the meal (I'm a marketing person I couldn't resist a comment on this).
Damn. $9 for a Chinese Chicken Wrap and I'm still hungry.
Next time, I'll just spend my money at the boutique stores nearby. Maybe I can get a pair of socks or something... scratch that, maybe I can just get ONE sock.
P.S- service, what service?
Arg, I knew it, I knew it.....I knew it !
Although my breakfast experience was decent, I have had lunch at Blue Plate before with mixed results. Today was one of those days that we did not want to jump in the car and decided on a local haunt. BP came to mind and with much trepidation we decided to give BP another try for lunch.
We ordered the grilled artichoke and chicken chow salad. The artichoke was undercooked, the salad was not as crisp as it should be and the waitress's attitude was over done.
Arg, I knew it, I knew it.....I knew it. Next time I am going to spend the few more bucks and just go to R&D
After having an average "Blue Plate Special" dinner experience, I boycotted this place for some… Read more »
Pro:
_Good food
_Great smoothies
_I hear the juices are great
_Small; Pro if you like the intimate-ness
Con:
_Small - long wait on the weekends
_Okay wait
I highly recommend it!
I can't believe it took me so long to go to Blue Plate!
I really like all the windows and the natural light. The menu was really great, so much so, that it took me forever to order because I couldn't decide what I wanted.
And I loved our server!!!! She was so nice and attentive. I didn't realize that there was chicken in the salad (not really a chicken fan) so when she came back to check on us she could tell I wasn't digging it. She said "no problem" and promptly brought me a new salad without the chicken.
They also have prime real-estate to go for a walk while you are waiting for a table or afterward. Only Hearts is just a couple doors down and has great lingerie!
One of the best casual dining spots on the west-side! Just go!
Stopped in for a salad and a latte while shopping the sales on Montana. Definitely my favorite place on the street. Food is tasty and healthy, and they are incredibly baby-friendly (including crayons and these rad high chairs that I covet).
Even though it gets really REALLY busy, the servers are very friendly and helpful, know me by name, and always seem to be doing their best.
A bit pricey, but the food is really great.
You should see what the Dessert Darling has to say! She has the best reviews on and all desserts!
http://www.DessertDarl...
Blue Plate is solid in any number of ways. Solidly ho-hum, simple food. Solidly middle-of-the-pack Yelp rating. And solidly overrated based on the hour wait for brunch on the weekend.
Food:
Blue Plate serves fresh and clean food, like pancakes and omelets for breakfast and wraps and salads for lunch. Everything tastes fine but there is nothing special about any of the dishes. The "world's best fish tacos" are certainly not. I was intrigued by the mac-and-cheese pancake but there is something missing (or maybe something too much already there!). Prices are a little on the high side for what you get and run around $15 per person. 2.5 stars.
Service:
The staff is generally pleasant but a little slow and aloof at times. My main issue with Blue Plate is the atrocious wait, which runs 30 minutes if you're lucky and an hour if you're not. 2 stars.
Decor:
Cleaner-than-normal diner but the tables are crowded together. BP is often overly loud and underly private. 2 stars.
Summary:
Food (60% weight for Overall): 2.5 stars.
Service (20% weight for Overall): 2 stars.
Decor (20% weight for Overall): 2 stars.
Overall: 2.3 stars.
Not a bad place for a meal but not worth the awful wait.
Food: simple but overpriced. Paid $9 for a grilled veggie wrap. The last time I checked, veggies weren't that expensive at the supermarkets! The wrap itself wasn't big at all. Food was okay but I believe I was pretty hungry that day. My friend had a grilled chicken Greek salad. He was not impressed claiming the chicken was "bland".
Service: Gawd awful. Never once did our server came back to check. Her excuse..my friend and I looked "too intimate" to be disturbed. What a bunch of crap! She just didn't bothered and gave us that excuse! I must admit it was quite original; I've never heard such an excuse for bad service before! My friend who relish on good service called her out on it. Then she hit on my friend!
Talk about being uncomfortable!
That sums it up..plain & simple.
Very fresh, breakfast all day, you can get veggie sausage which I loooove added to pretty much anything. You can add anything to anything, actually. Very flexible menu, delicious soups, and super friendly staff. Fresh squeezed juices, too. Generally big portions for everything as well.
The dinner- best salmon I've had in a really long time.
I am SO over this place! The service is horrible and the food isn't good enough to make up for it! It's super close to me and I love the lentil soup and tortilla salad - but I'll do without. I've waited too long on too many occasions and had a couple bad experiences - both involving the manager.
On one occasion, I was there with a friend and someone was complaining to the manager about the service. We happened to be sitting near the cash machine, so after the customer walked away, the manager proceeded to trash talk him to us and said she didn't care about any of the customers because she was having a bad day and received a negative phone call from home. Huh? Please keep your personal issues personal.
Recently, I called for a pickup order (soup and salad) and they told me it would be 15 minutes. I gave it 20 to be safe. When I got there, they said it wasn't ready and would be a few minutes. So I proceed to stand there like an idiot in my lay-around-the-house-should-never-see-the-light-of -day clothes for 30 minutes! The poor servers are apologizing and busy helping other tables. Meanwhile, I kid you not, the manager is sitting a foot away from me with her feet up in a chair! She actually sarcastically said to a passing server, 'guess I should be helping'!!!! I was in shock - she had a customer who was obviously annoyed and talking to her staff within earshot, and she doesn't do a damn thing!
I finally said something to her, and she proceeded to argue with me about when I called in the order. I literally had to bust out my cell phone and show her that it had taken 50 minutes for an order that was supposed to take 15! Her response was to blame her employees. Unbelievable. I will go elsewhere for soup and salad - can't take the attitude in that joint.
This place has become a regular choice for me and my friends. The appeal seems to be their simple and healthy menu with something for everyone in our group. Lots of great sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups (the seasonal tomato is the best...wish they offered it year-round!), as well as guilty pleasures like mac and cheese (highly recommended to share on the side). They serve breakfast all day too. Everything I have had has been really enjoyable.
I have to agree that the service is hit and miss. There is one waitress and one waiter that we love, but otherwise they aren't really great. When we get a bad server we just brush it off and continue stuffing our faces with our falafel sandwiches and ignore the service (or lack thereof).
The restaurant is tiny and with small tables close together. I wouldn't recommend trying to go for breakfast during peak times. It's better for a late lunch or late night meal.
The food is the definite draw. Great seasonal selections and fair prices for quality healthy food.
Always busy. Always good.
This is a great little place to grab a bite if you live in the area. It's tiny and fills up so quickly! All of the stuff I've had there have been good, but I have to say that my favorite is the locks and onions (spelling accurate on that?).
I really like how open and breezy the place is.
Don't have step. Put your name on the list and go grab a coffee from Peets on the corner so you'll have a better time waiting out front of Blue Plate.
ok..... may have to wait (good sign) always busy! has great energy....is clean....has friendly staff and food is so good. In a hurry - sometimes me too, I probably take out once a week...I order on cell and by the time I park car, tons of parking behind/they validate...order is ready - the best tuna (either sandwich or scoop) to go and they have excellent ice T!
I had the worst service ever. They gave my friend her meal free because basically the waiter forgot about hers, but there were so many things that went wrong even before that. I think we waiting at least 45 minutes for our food - awful.
I think the food was okay, but overpriced. All I remember is how awful the service was though.
I ended up here two days in a row on my visit to Santa Monica. First one cousin took me here Friday. Then Saturday my other cousin tried to take me somewhere else but he couldn't find it. So we decided to go here. It's not that big so you may be sitting in close quarters. When you get up, you'll have to decide whether to give someone the crotch or the butt to their face.
The food here is great. I had the breakfast quesadilla one day and a club sandwich the next. Portions here are fairly big. I should not have eaten all of the quesadilla.
I'm confused about the reviews with bad service. I didn't have a bad experience either time.
tiny little place right on montana. i arrived with a group of 5 and we were seated immediately. score! everything here seems to be local and fresh. there are a slew of daily specials-soup, farmers market veggies, sandwich, etc. i ordered the mussels, which were in a thyme cream sauce. pretty solid. my only complaint is that i wasnt given toasted bread with it. i like to soak up all the cream sauce. oh and they serve breakfast all day.
Bananas in the pancake, not on the pancake. Hence this 5 star review.
This place is blah. I had a some decent meals (nothing spectacular) here years ago. Then my mom chipped her tooth on something in her food and the staff was completely rude to her about it. She really did break her tooth on something that was in her meal and they called her a liar and wouldn't even remove the cost of her meal from our bill. Seriously bad customer service. For that Blue Plate will never see any more money from me or my family and friends.
be careful where you bite.
I have been to this place probably over 100 times. Everything is almost horrible about it except the food. I love the food. It's always LOUD, crowded (so much that you might have to ask another patron to stand up so you can get out of your chair when you leave!!) The staff is ok but they forget any type of special order you put in. (ie. can I have a wedge of lemon? can you chop this? can you leave out ______?) The price is right though and although the waiters aren't great they are very friendly. The place is so small they really can't hire more people. I think they should take out a table or 2 and everyone would be a lot happier.
Three and a half stars, although all I've had so far is breakfast and I was under the impression this place is famous for their homemade soups. So perhaps I will add a star or two after a couple more visits.
On New Year's Day I ended up at Blue Plate because it was one of the few places even open! I had the combo of 2 eggs & pancakes, which included an additional side (I had cottage cheese). Although not piping hot, as breakfast should be, the meal was decent. They cooked the eggs exactly as I requested. The highlight of this visit was the coffee! Excellent! And just the right temp for consumption. Hell, I'm adding a star.....raising from 3 to 4. That was good coffee.
I sat at one of two outdoor tables and got a front-row view of the Montana Ave. daily "dog parade", always a pleasure.
Blue Plate is a bit pricey: the tab for my simple breakfast added up to $14 without tip. But that's normal for the area. I enjoyed the warm sun, hot at times, on a January day. No room for complaints.
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