The Lobster
1602 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA
310-458-9294
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.
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Hours: Sun.-Thu., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
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.
|
