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The Lobster

Open Table


1602 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica
310-458-9294

Hours: Sun.-Thu., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.



Critic's rating:
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Readers' rating:
Reader reviews: Write a review  | Read other reviews

Photo: Glenn Koenig / LAT
The Lobster has an eager-to-please staff, an exuberant clientele and floor-to-ceiling windows that catch the sea breeze.

The Lobster, that boxy white seafood house set at the foot of the Santa Monica Pier, is so utterly likable that you can almost forgive the kitchen for not being able to properly cook a lobster.

There's nothing tricky about the technique: Boil salted water, drop in a lobster, set the timer for 12 minutes, and ding! Your 1½-pound lobster's ready to be pulled out and served. You can rely on the result: meat that's tender and moist. A squeeze of lemon, a dip of drawn butter and you're in business. Do it right, and your customer probably won't mind being charged $42.


 Reader Reviews

August 9, 2007
michael encinitas, CA

i was in santa monica and decided to have some lobster. even though the sauce was good, it was way overpriced, and i only got 3 little lobster pieces in a $43 dish. service was passable at best. wine list needs A LOT of work!

August 19, 2006
Cindy Long Beach, CA

Why on 1 1/2 stars, I don't know, but this place is great. Great service. Great Food. Great Atomosphere. After you travel around the globe you look for Great places locally and this is one gem. One negative we we arrived the host had us wait several minutes while he took care of internal affairs and other guest arrived. I thought this was rude, but I forgot about it until now.

January 1, 2006
robert santa monica, ca

Because of the closeness of the Santa Monica Pier and the name i thought that the restaurant was an other tourist trap that offers massive portions of mediocre food at a very high price. After a friend of mine took me there few years ago, I have become one of the many regulars that are charmed by the great and personal service, the simple and consistent high quality food and the spectacular view. As a bonus their wine list is not only very eclectic and interesting but also well priced.

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 Venue Details
Cuisine Seafood
Rating
Ambience Breezy, bustling, noisy seafood house at the beach.
Best dishes Sweet corn pancakes and lobster salad; Dungeness crab "Louis" cocktail; grilled chicken, tarragon and apple-wood-smoked bacon salad sandwich; jumbo lump crab cakes with sweet white corn salad and chili-citrus sour cream.
Best table Any table by the window. Make a request when you make a reservation, though it's not often granted.
Of Note Full bar. Valet parking.
Payment American Express , Discover , MasterCard , Visa
Prices Dinner appetizers, $8-$18; main courses $17-$47. Steamed lobsters, $28 per pound (from 1½ pounds); grilled lobster, $30 per pound (2½-pound minimum); desserts, $8.
Service Friendly, helpful and very professional.
Wine list Well-chosen list, not outrageously priced. Corkage fee, $15 per bottle.


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