Where To Eat After Hitting The Beach

Neptune’s Net is a PCH classic. Which means it does get ransacked on the weekends, but somehow you’re always glad you stuck it out. This isn’t the best seafood on PCH, but it’s still pretty damn good (give us that clam chowder any day), and the people watching at this biker bar is second to none.

The best seafood on PCH is at Malibu Seafood, and it’s everything we want after a day at the beach. Swimsuits are more than acceptable, the fish and chips is excellent, and the squid and fries is even better. There will be a line, and there will be a wait for your food, but when things are this relaxed, you will not care.

Whether you snuck booze into your cooler or not, chances are you’re going to want another round after three hours straight of beach volleyball with strangers. And nothing beats posting up at Duke’s Barefoot Bar and watching the sun go down. Duke’s main restaurant can get pretty fancy, but their outdoor Barefoot bar is laid-back and casual, with swimsuits as the attire of choice.

Pier-adjacent restaurants are, let’s face it, normally terrible. Not so in the case of Malibu Farm Pier Cafe. The menu is pretty simple, and the order-at-the-counter setup is even more so. Stop off on your way to Zuma for scrambled eggs and salmon, and head back for the burger on your way home.

After a day at Santa Monica Beach witnessing tourists trying to get a tan on top of the burn they achieved yesterday, you could probably use a trip to Tallula’s. It’s a little out of the way, at the bottom of Entrada Drive near PCH, but that’s why we love this new-ish Santa Monica spot. It’s a fun, modern Mexican restaurant that is ideal for post-beach hangs full of margaritas, guacamole, and some very tasty fish tacos. You do want to come here with actual clothes on (not your bathing suit), and with your wallet full - it’s not exactly fancy here, but it’s also not exactly cheap.

Patrick’s is one of the places you crawl into after a day at Will Rogers and end up leaving your car at because you got too hammered. To say this roadside diner is kitschy would be doing it an injustice. Patrick’s is a full-on time warp, to an era we’re not exactly sure ever existed. The menu is massive, with every type of sandwich and burger, which means no matter how big the crew is, everyone will find something to eat. Patrick’s also does an excellent breakfast if you want sustenance before the sand.

Residents of LA (and anyone who regularly read this website) are already familiar with Plan Check and their excellent burger. It’s present at Plan Check Santa Monica, but you should really go deep on the seafood options, which are exclusive to this location. There’s everything from a giant seafood platter and a very good Korean-ish lobster roll, to chowder fries, crab dip, and a lobster pot pie. Expect a real inability to not order all of them.

We’re still wondering why LA hates BYOB so much, but at least we have Cha Cha Chicken. The Jamaican spot right off the sand is one of the few true BYOB joints in the entire city, and also just a great place to grab some lunch with friends. Their leafy patio is the ideal place to roll in with a couple of six-packs, get a plate of chicken, and soak up even more of the Santa Monica sun.

You’re ignoring the fact that you’re absolutely waking up tomorrow sunburned, and powering right through to the bars. While downtown Santa Monica has no lack of places to get a drink, The Craftsman remains one of our favorites. A fantastic craft beer list, solid bar food, and a great patio is the only way we want to wind down our day at the beach.

Blue Plate has a mini Santa Monica empire, but Blue Plate Taco is our favorite of the bunch. Colorful and casual, it’s kind of rowdy and definitely loud, which may or may not be due to the pitchers of cocktails available. These aren’t the best tacos you’ll ever have (you’re on the Westside, so no surprises there), but they’re also not the worst. In this tourist-swarmed part of Santa Monica, Blue Plate is definitely one of your better eating options.

One of our favorite things about Rose Cafe (we have many favorite things) is that it can be used in so many different ways. Run in and grab some pastries and a coffee before you hit the beach in the morning, or after you’ve had enough sand, sit inside (or better yet outside) and have a bowl of pasta with a glass of wine for dinner. Or maybe just do both.

It’s an obvious choice, but it’s also obviously a good one. Gjusta is the neighborhood joint we all wish we had, especially if it meant we could eat those brisket banh mis everyday. It’s also completely underused as a casual dinner place - the food is just as good and the crowds are much smaller. Also, get the burger.

Steps away from Venice Beach (but not the Boardwalk, because no thanks), James’ Beach is a choose your own adventure. Turn right and you’re in a sea of tablecloths and dates, turn left and you’ve ended up on an indoor patio that’s an all-out party. Post-beach, you should be turning left, ordering some fish tacos, and fully immersing yourself in the weirdness that is the Venice drinking scene.

The kind of dive bar that we presume Venice was once full of, Hinano Cafe is the perfect place to end a beach day. Order beers and burgers, snag a pool table, and settle in for the evening. If it was good enough for Jim Morrison, then, well, it may not be good enough for us, but it will probably be fun.

One of LA’s best beaches is next to one of its best beach neighborhoods - Playa Del Rey. And at the heart of this sleepy area is The Tripel, where you’ll drink some IPA’s and eat one of the most underrated burgers in town.

An outdoor mall in Playa Vista might not be the same as the beach in Hawaii, but the poke at Da Kikokiko might be enough to convince you otherwise. A short drive from Dockweiler, this casual order-at-the-counter spot is one of our favorite places for raw fish and rice in LA. You can go for one of their set combos, or build your own bowl, but either way, you’re going to need some shaved ice afterwards.

So the Everclear watermelon slice was a terrible idea. Time to get sustenance. Tucked in the back of a no-name convenience store, ASAP Phorage is a small walk-up counter that happens to be serving banh mi’s and pho better than almost anybody. You can take it to-go or sit on the few tables provided. Either way, grab a gatorade on the way out - you’ll still need it.

After four hours of complete relaxation and not thinking about that work project you’re unprepared for next week, the only thing you need is a few glasses of wine. Bacari is a casual wine bar in the heart of PDR with a great wine list and excellent small plates. There’s also a 90-minute open bar for $25 if you’re looking to relocate to the moon.

There are several reasons why Dockweiler is LA’s best beach, but none are more important than the fact that there are fire pits. The only beach in LA county that allows open flame, the real party doesn’t get started till after the sun sets at Dockweiler. And there’s no better way to get things going then ordering the best pizza in the area right to the beach - which would be The Good Pizza. Party on.

If you’re the type to set up a resort-like camp of umbrellas, throw pillows, and a turntable on your beach day, then Little Sister is your MB post-sand spot. It’s a nice change from the burgers and beers you’ll get at a lot of the places nearby, but casual enough that you can wear your bathing suit under your clothes and no one will mind. It’s definitely an attractive spot, but if you just care about dinner, the Vietnamese food here is fantastic.

In all of Manhattan Beach’s increasing opulence, FishBar remains one of the few places you can roll in with friends after the beach, grab a few beers and some fresh fish, and not empty your entire bank account. A divey spot north of the downtown chaos, FishBar has extremely affordable prices, a fantastic happy hour, and the laid-back beach vibes we’re finding less and less of in the South Bay. Get the lobster mac.

The true embodiment of everything Manhattan Beach, - beautiful people, good food, and everybody getting day-hammered on mimosas - Simmzy’s is a must-stop brunch spot prior to almost any MB outing. Head over early to beat the crowds, then get yourself to the beach.

After three hours in the sun, the only thing you actually want is an ice cold beer. Steps from the beach is one of the best places to grab one in the entire South Bay. BrewCo not only has a fantastic stock of local craft beer, but also great bar food to soak it all up with. You’re not leaving without getting the nachos.

MB has always had a solid offering of low-key Mexican joints, but for us, nothing beats El Sombrero. The 40-year-old staple only a five minute walk from the beach has dirt cheap prices, a nice little dining room, and the kind of old-school Cali/Mexican food you want after throwing your body against waves all afternoon. We’re talking enchiladas, chile rellenos, and all the wet burritos your surfer soul can handle.

Tower 12 on Hermosa Pier feels like walking into your tzotchke-loving aunt’s beach house, if your tzotchke-loving aunt was cool with having a lot of former fraternity brothers hanging out there all the time. It is certainly not low-key here - there’s a big drinking scene on weekends - but you don’t always need relaxing resort vibes. Deal with the crowds, find a table, and order a beer and the burger. It’s cheesy, meaty, and the only vegetables present are pickles. Just the way god intended.