Saltie Girl

Despite its small size and sheer distance, Boston has given LA a lot of things over the years: Uma Thurman, Mark Wahlberg in underwear, an uncanny sense that anyone inside Sonny McClean’s could punch you at any time, and a deep, abiding passion for lobster rolls and clam chowder. And though great New England seafood restaurants have become more prevalent here—Found Oyster, Broad Street Oyster Co, and Connie & Ted’s, to name a few—we’ll always happily accept more. That’s why when Saltie Girl, one of Boston’s most popular restaurants, landed in West Hollywood we were excited. 

For the most part, this upscale seafood spot on the Sunset Strip delivers on its Cape Cod promise. A meal at Saltie Girl has its ups and downs, but it succeeds where it matters most—serving excellent, classic New England-y dishes in a city hungry for more good versions.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Now, If you’re picturing some quaint seafood shack on a side street in West Hollywood, think again. Saltie Girl is bright, shiny, and for most purposes, exactly the kind of over-the-top scene most people expect from a restaurant on The Strip. Filthy rich tourists elbow their way to open bar seats, exhausted CAA agents pretend to eat bread on the patio, and a bunch of other people who listed “fashion” as a tax write-off this year happily let someone else pay for dinner. It’s all a bit ridiculous, but as long as you know that going in, you can have the kind of the splashy, glammed-up dinner that feels appropriate for this part of town, sans the chaotic valet line. That’s right, you can park completely for free (not a typo) directly behind the restaurant—a rare gift that should make the idea of driving to The Strip more palatable.

The menu at Saltie Girl is massive—too massive, in fact. The weakest parts tend to involve stereotypical LA dishes that you’ll find better versions of elsewhere in town, like sashimi, toasts, and salads. But our rule of thumb is that if a dish is something you’d eat during a long weekend in Nantucket, you should definitely get it here. The clam chowder is rich and buttery and the lobster roll overflows with tender chunks of meat. The thick, juicy bar burger comes topped with avocado, Thousand Island-ish house dressing, and a nugget of fried lobster for good measure. Oysters and shellfish are flown in daily. They even give you a tiny booklet detailing their massive tinned fish collection, which spans from smoked king salmon to grilled octopus to sardines in spicy tomato sauce. The full spread of options at Saltie Girl can be borderline overwhelming, but as long as you stick to the tried and true things that make Boston restaurants so alluring in the first place—and we aren’t talking about fist fights—you’re in for a very good meal.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Lobster Roll

Finding a good lobster roll in LA is not the chore it used to be, but finding a great one? Still a little tricky. Saltie Girl has changed that. Served warm or cold (you choose), this one emphasizes what matters most: fresh lobster meat. Sweet, plump, and overflowing out of the buttery bun like a fountain at Versailles, it’s exactly how a lobster roll should look and taste. Don’t bother eating here if you aren’t ordering one.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Tinned Fish Board

You might have heard that tinned fish is having a moment. Well, in the case of Saltie Girl, it might be several moments, considering the hundred-plus of varieties they have in stock. We’re partial to the salty sardines in hot oil, but just follow your heart (or whatever the server recommends). Each tin comes plated on a board with crusty french bread, pepper jam, butter, and three kinds of fancy salt.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Daily Oysters

We’ve had plumper, more flavorful oysters in LA, but these one are still very good. And are you really going to go to a Boston-based restaurant and not order oysters?

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Ora King Salmon

When sashimi is topped with this many ingredients (cucumber, jalapeño, lime, and pistachio), it might you make wonder if the quality of the fish is lacking. But that’s why this dish is confusing—the salmon itself is lovely. Unfortunately it’s doused with so many unnecessary elements you can hardly tell.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Clam Chowder

This is a tremendous New England clam chowder. Sure, you might find one packed with more clams and bacon, but there’s no beating this broth: it’s creamy, decadent, and preposterously rich. Yes, we did just use the word preposterously, and we’re sticking by it.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Lump Crab Toast

Topped with a bright green base of avocado and a two-inch-high mound of crab meat, this thing arrives looking like an absolute centerfold. But the taste doesn’t match the curb appeal. The flavor isn’t bad, there just isn’t much flavor to begin with. Considering all the bread you’ll get with other dishes here, skip this one.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Saltie Girl Burger

Eating this burger and sipping a martini alone at Saltie Girl’s bar (reservations not required) then quietly leaving is our favorite version of an Irish Goodbye. The thick, juicy beef patty is topped with gruyere, avocado, and a tangy, mayo-y dressing. It’s not rewriting the script, it’s just a classic bar burger executed very well. Does the tiny piece of fried lobster on top add much flavor? Not really, but we always appreciate a statement hat.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Fried Lobster & Waffle

This massive dish is only available at lunch, and yes, eating it is as much of an undertaking as it looks. If you don’t have much planned the rest of the day, get it. The fried lobster meat is crisp, with a sweet, succulent interior that matches well with the spicy maple syrup. The actual waffle, however, is the reason you’ll want to order this again. It’s soft, pillowy, and rises at least an inch off the plate. If we ever had to describe the perfect waffle to extraterrestrial beings, we’d probably use this one as reference.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Soft Serve

Between the dry olive oil cake and meagerly portioned cheese cart, we’ve been fairly underwhelmed by the desserts at Saltie Girl, but the soft serve (and the baked-to-order chocolate chip cookie) are clear highlights. Go for the chocolate/vanilla swirl—it tastes like something you’d get from a fast food drive-thru in the ‘90s, which real ones know is one of the best compliments in the book.