My friend and I stopped in here for lunch after doing some shopping and it was pretty much the best.
First of all, $5 drinks for happy hour!! I got the Bijou which is grapefruit-infused vodka and sparkling wine. It was refreshing and delicious, the perfect drink for sitting outside on a sunny afternoon.
For our meal, we started with the grilled avocado salad. I love anything with avocado and this was no exception. We then split the ENORMOUS plate of fries (seriously, this is a mountain of fries for only $5 and they are amazingly good) and a burger with a (free!) fried egg on it. Everything was really fresh and tasted great. The sea salt chocolate chip cookies at the end of the meal are a great touch. Who doesn't love cookies?!
The ambiance is also really nice and the servers were all very friendly and helpful. This is definitely where I'll be stopping for lunch anytime I'm doing some shopping in the area!
Stumbled down to Misfit after a lazy Sunday afternoon spent with friends at Bungalow. We were in need of some solid bar food, and I can safely say that the sea salt+chocolate chip cookies served at the bar instead of cocktail peanuts are worth the trip alone.
Maybe it's the fact that I'm from the Midwest and miss cookies made with actual fat and sugar in lieu of agave honey and oats, but those cookies are damn good. In fact, I would order and entire side of them for my meal.
But I digress, let's get to the actual food. We quickly ordered and inhaled a plate of fries with blue cheese crumbles and bacon covered dates. Both were pretty mind-blowing--I would definitely recommend both.
For my "main course" (all plates are made to share so everything comes as a side) I had the burger with green peppers and an over-easy egg on top. This was the only miss of the evening.
The egg made everything extremely messy, to the point that it was too soggy to even lift the burger into my mouth. If I got this again I would do it sans egg--I'm sure it was great without it.
On a side, unrelated note. They may have one of the best happy hours in town. Happy hour is every day from when they open til 7 p.m. Even their specialty cocktails (which are normally $10) are included in the special at only $5 a pop. And that my friends, is a win in my book.
This is a really cool scene. Â They had a fair selection of beers and craft cocktails (and also wines). Â The food was spectacular - the gluten-free mac and cheese was solid. Â I found my peach salad very refreshing. Â I also recall enjoying an avocado plate. Â Although I had eaten hours and hours before, I knew that I needed to drink prior to getting the night's festivities underway. Â The small plates were perfect for such an occasion. Â You get a decent amount of privacy if you post up at a table, or you could mingle at the bar. Â The staff is very attentive and I have no qualms about the service. Â I just wish the bar was open later.
Review Source:This restaurant was amazing! My husband and I stumbled onto it (thanks to other Yelpers) while walking around the Promenade in Santa Monica.
First of all, the atmosphere is amazing! You are greeted by a Don Draper lookalike (at least, we were the two times we visited) who escorts you to your table. The bar takes up one full wall of the restaurant and we were surprised to discover that they have a full bar, lots of beer options, and Happy Hour [on a Saturday at 2pm? Yes!]. I tried the "Head in the Clouds" and the "KD Bee's Knees" and both were delicious. On to the food!
My husband ordered what I think is the best chicken sandwich I've had in my entire life - their "Fried Chicken Sandwich". It was amazing - so good that we went there a second time just to get this sandwich, and we each got the sandwich. Fried chicken + slaw + spicy sauce + pickles = a whole bunch of messy deliciousness! Now that I'm writing about it, I want another one.
So anyway, the first time we went my husband got the chicken sandwich and I got the baked mac + cheese. This was also delicious, and gluten-free! [It doesn't taste gluten-free and I mean that in the best way possible.] You can add chorizo or pancetta but I just left it as it normally comes and it was also delicious. It wasn't as life-changing as the chicken sandwich but delicious all the same.
At the end of our meal we were given complimentary sea salt chocolate chip cookies. The combination of salty and sweet hit a perfect balance for me, it was heaven!
And last but not least, the service at the restaurant has been amazing on both visits. Everyone has been really friendly, they were quick to refill drinks or bring us whatever we needed. I can't say enough good things and I can't wait to go back!! IF you're in the Santa Monica area, definitely check out The Misfit!
I came here a few weeks ago and had an ok experience. The place itself has a nice vibe  and was packed.  We had a table in the back for the three of us. The wait staff was trying to be attentive but the vibe f the service just felt off.  We had to work really hard to flag down our waiter throughout the meal.
Then I ordered an old fashioned and it came back really wrong and watered down. Â I normally don't send drinks back, but had to send this one back. The replacement drink was basically just whiskey on the rocks.
 In terms of the food- the mac and cheese was good as were the ahi burger, french dip sliders, but none of them were extraordinary.  I was really disappointed in the fries, which were very bland.  It was average gastropub/bar food.
 I may have had an off experience, because the place is always packed whenever I walk by. Who knows, I may give it a try at some point in the future.
Me and my girlfriend was in Santa Monica for the weekend and wanted to eat at a nice burger joint. We found this restaurant and we are in love with it. The atmosphere is great and more importantly the service was awesome!
We ordered a few drinks from the happy hour menu (great prices), and the food was phenomenal. We started off with bacon wrapped dates and fries. The dates were mind blowing. For our main course we got the Misfit burger and Chile burger both very delicious.
Overall I feel this restaurant offered great service and recommendations. The waiters were very attentive and the atmosphere was wonderful. Will definitely come back when we are in Santa Monica again.
I ordered the misfit burger and a glass of the white sangria.
The sangria was excellent. The burger was good, but the meat was a little dry. I ordered it medium-well, so maybe that's my fault, but I still felt it was a little on the dry side for medium-well.
Service was a-ok. Not very quick, but decent enough. I'd go back if others wanted to try the place. It was a fun, trendy spot, but it didn't particularly stand out to me.
2.5 - Not awful, but left feeling really underwhelmed.
I'm always excited to find nicer bars and restaurants in downtown Santa Monica, because as someone mentioned, everything on the promenade is crap.
I got the misfit burger and was pretty disappointed. Our server asked if I wanted my burger medium rare (their standard, and the standard of most places serving gourmet burgers), and I said yes. Burger arrives, and it's medium well. My friend ordered the misfit burger medium, and hers arrived well done. The toppings were pretty bland also. Dijonnaise, soggy pickles, and caramelized onions that didn't seem present at all. Adding an egg didn't seem to help matters.
The big heap of fries that we ordered to share was a mix of crunchy potato shards and soggy limp fries, served up with honey mustard and ketchup.
The beer list was decent. I was happy with my Avery White Rascal.
At the end, they offer you complimentary salted chocolate chip cookies that are completely crunchy. Not even a little chewiness going on. Still, they're complimentary, which is nice.
The decor is the best thing about this place - it's almost like a mix of Baroque paintings, industrial equipment, and Tim Burton.
Service was fine.
SUPER LOUD. It's a bar, so what are you gonna do.
Maybe some of the other menu items have higher appeal, but I don't really see myself going out of the way to come back.
If you can get a seat at the bar, this is the second best bar in Santa Monica (the Daily Pint being the best). Â The atmosphere is classy 1930s art deco with modern amenities. Â The music is present, but tasteful, and never so loud that it interrupts good conversation with friends. Â Even the design of the bar itself seems to eat up crowd noise so that it is always pleasant to conversate here. Â
All bartenders where vests and ties. Â Even the liquor used in the well drinks is high quality. Â The mixed drinks are the best. Â My favorite is their signature Clock Tower Manhattan.
Aside from being the 2nd best bar in Santa Monica, The Misfit has the best happy hour in Santa Monica, hands down. Â Lasting from 12-7 pm, Monday to Friday, all signature drinks are half price. Â For high-quality mixed drinks, this is the best deal in town.
I don't eat the food much here, so I can't comment on that.
The only downside is that it gets crowded fast. Â And the bar area is narrow, so standing becomes an uncomfortable enterprise that makes the bar not worth being at. Â I suggest moving down to Copa D' Oro on Broadway is it its crowded when you arrive.
I've been here a few times and always had prompt and friendly service. Â Tends to be a really cool crowd too. Â
  I went in the other day with my girlfriend for a few drinks.  She likes whiskey so she had an old fashioned.  I've never seen someone light an orange peel on fire before, but our bartender did and it was pretty cool.  I can tell they take pride in their drinks.  I can't say that for many places we've been to aside from maybe Varnish or Tasting Kitchen.  I was in the mood for mixing it up so I asked the bartender to make me something special.  I figured this was as good a place as any to be daring.  He asked what I was into and continued to make one of the best cocktails I've ever had.  Damn was it good!  Something with Gin and Campari and cucumber.  I can't remember his name, but guy had a great portrait tattoo on his arm.
Moving on the food:
Their kale salad is the best. Â I thought I hated kale, but I guess I was wrong! Â We also love to get the Nik Nik's and bacon wrapped dates. Â I still really want to try the Ahi Burger....next time for sure.
All in all a great experience. Â We even made friends with the couple sitting next to us. Â
Great bar. Â Great food. Â Great vibe. Â Enough said.
We will definitely be back. =)
Beer Stop 41
---
I came here and thought to myself, Misfit couldn't possibly offer good beer, can they?
I was wrong.
Misfit had a few good selections - Ballast Point Victory at Sea, St Bernandus, Old Rasputin, and Chimay. This really surprised me considering the beer was priced right - around $6-$8 bucks. They don't have crazy beer, but they do offer good craft beer to suit any beer snob.
The food has been reviewed time and time again, but yea, its good.
Hi5.
Came here for happy hour the other day and was lucky to snag two seats at the bar. Get there early. I came just after 5 and the bar was already filling up and it stayed that way all night. Although it didn't seem like people were coming in and hanging out for long periods of time. More like Promenade shoppers stopping in for a quick drink and leaving. But as it got later that tiny bar area got more and more packed, making me very thankful for our seats.
For $5, I can't complain at all about their drink menu. They make a solid vodka gimlet that wasn't too sweet or tart. I didn't order food, but many people around me did and it all looked good. Only issue was the random stragglers that are inevitable at the promenade coming in and making everyone a little uncomfortable. They had to ask one guy to leave because he was too drunk and he kept hovering over the girls at the bar. Â
Check out the display of cool martini shakers on the way to the restrooms!
Good for enjoying a drink while people watching in Santa Monica.
More bar than restaurant. I made the mistake of thinking the happy hour had discounted food, boy was I wrong. Most drinks are half off for happy hour, which does run into the weekend.
I had the ahi tuna burger, which I really enjoyed. Like most tapas places, you'll find that the portions are extremely small, so while the food types may be good for sharing, the amount that's on the plate isn't. Lobster sliders were just okay to me.
30 minute wait on a Saturday, not bad considering its prime location on 3rd street promenande. Their efficiency is stellar, with a text message system (similar to slater's 50/50s) for notification of when your table is ready (but all members of the party must be present!). The service was top-notch, every person, host, hostess, waitress, etc in that restaurant were so friendly!
My party of 5 ordered two plates of crunchy fries ($6 per plate) to share, white sangria ($21), and The Misfit burger ($14) times four, and one Ahi Tuna Burger ($14). The Misfit burger was delicious and portions were good. I enjoyed the pickled vegetables on the side. The meat is lean and less fatty than most restaurants (umami, father's office), lending way to a healthier conscious when endulging on their other dishes. I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect. The white sangria was soooo smooth and deliciousss. Loved it; its a must try!
The let-downs were that there was gratuity (18%) for a party of 5 which I found to be a tad odd. Also, I know, I'm being picky, but the restaurant lights were definitely too dim. I could barely read my menu and I was surprised at how the waitresses and waiters were able to move around at rapid speed without tripping over something. Additionally, the tables were uncomfortably close to your neighbors and it was extremely loud. But, these are all factors that come with a bar/restaurant, so I'm not complaining, just pointing out the facts. Regardless, the food is delicious and I would definitely return during their happy hour to try their kale salad and other enticing dishes!
Dear Misfit,
Where have you been all my life? I am ashamed to say that I am a Los Angeles native and have just found out about you. During my prime, I would frequent 3rd street promenade 5 times a week. It's true. I went to school there, I live close by there, it is a great place to hang out. But. . . I never saw you. You were being sneaky and hiding in a side street. Thankfully, my friends who happen to be not from LA took me here. Sure you are loud. My throat is still raspy from having to talk so loud to be heard. Your awesome menu, comfortable atmosphere that is a mixture of a pub/French restaurant, service, and DELICIOUS food make up for it. I had some of the best food ever from here.
-Misfit dip plate- a great variety of fresh veggies with some awesome dips. One is spicy one is creamy. My palate was satisfied.
-Shredded kale and quinoa salad- delightfully light and filling
-Baked mac and cheese- couldn't believe it is gluten free!
-Chickpea wraps- so yummy! loved the additional smoked almonds that added extra flavor
-Lentil (something)- I don't even care for lentils, but this is my exception. It was awesome!
-Parsnip- the pesto sauce on this was divine
-
For dessert. . .olive oil and salt gelato with chocolate chip cookies. Where else are you going to find something like that? Obviously, we had to try it. Our minds shut off as we tasted it. Olive oily, salty, sweet, chocolatey. . . soooo weird. Yet, it was good. Share this one though. It is too intense for one person.
Amazing service, great ambiance, fun spot in an otherwise touristy part of the westside.
Food:
Roasted Brussel Sprouts (pretty standard...but good)
Parsnips (recommended by our server--these were amazing!)
Kale Salad (refreshing..love kale salads!)
Baked Mac and Cheese (super yummy! and its gluten free!)
Fried Chicken Sandwich (pretty good but we waited too long to eat it with everything else on our table so it was a bit cold...love the asian slaw they use though)
Happy hour is the BEST here! 2 for price of 1 cocktails! And they make mean cocktails! Bartenders are good eye candy for the ladies in cute attire.
I like the old vintage prohibition feel! High, decorative ceiling. The tall stacked bar with vintage mirror behind.
I have eaten here too and was rather impressed at the quality & tastiness.
Come back again & again. My kind of place. Although it can get crowded.
The Misfit has long been one of our favorite restaurants in LA. Â The experience is always fun, cute without being too "sceney", Â and we LOVE the food.
This made it a natural place to have my fiance's surprise birthday party and the staff and food did not disappoint.  Everything went so smoothly. The event coordinator Caitlin was very helpful, and let me come early to drop off balloons and made sure every request was met.  Our server Sofia could not have been  more accommodating and sweet  in dealing with our group of 13.  Food came out speedy and everyone was impressed with their meals!
The do not miss items: Â Misfit dip plate, the burger, the fries, and the dessert chocolate chip cookies with sea salt. Â Thanks to The Misfit for making our celebration an incredible night!
I absolutely love this place. The staff is incredibly friendly and fun, the crowd is a perfect combination of hip & cool without being pretentious, and the food and drink selection is phenomenal. This has become my go to spot to start out Friday and Saturday nights.
The wait can get pretty extensive if you go during peak hours, but I usually just go early, put my name in, and walk around the promenade if i have to wait. They text you when your table is ready which is also very convenient.
Both the Misfit Burger & Green Chile burgers are out of this world, the ahi tuna burger is amazing (spicy though, so don't order if you can't handle the heat), and DEFINITELY don't miss the salted chocolate chip cookies they bring around after your meal (free of charge). I usually grab 5 or 6. They always encourage it. 5 stars all the way through for this place.
Additional Bonus: very attractive waitresses. Gotta love LA.
Happy hour, happy hour, happy hour. and dates wrapped with bacon. I can't stress enough how much I quickly fell in love with this place.
Happy hour has wine, cocktails, and beer for $5. Beer - only about 2-3 choices. cocktails - about 6-7 choices which i would say is their highlight. Their cocktail choices are high end cocktails - awesome concoctions. it was a huge hit for the ladies to try so many tasty cocktails.
For food, we ordered snacked on some fries, artichoke, and DATES WRAPPED WITH BACON. These were orgasmic. we ended up ordering multiples of these because it just melted in your mouth.. the flavor mix was amazing. a MUST TRY!
We arrived with 1 hour left of happy hour and our waitress was very mindful that we were trying to get as many drinks in and was quick and prompt to take our orders.
Great service, great quality cocktails for an amazing price, and great tapas to share. this is a must try if you are in the area. I parked in the garage right around the corner for $6 bucks.
GO GO GO and GO!!!!
Since our last review we came back many many times, and still had great experiences!
One time though, we had a little situation, nothing major. But it had been taken care of so well, so quickly. I understand that mistakes happen to anyone. How you stand out is how you take care of it. And the staff at Misfit did a great job!
This is definitely our to go spot, whether we want a date night or a quick dinner after a day at the beach or on the 3rd.
I've been here several times for drinks, but finally came for dinner recently and it definitely lives up to the rave reviews. It's a good place to go with a group so you can share plates. I tried the crispy lobster nik niks, brussels salad, mac & cheese, and tuna tataki. Everything was yummy, but I expected more out of the mac. Also, they gave us complementary sea salt choco chip cookies, but they were waaaaay salty, maybe we got bad ones because they were at the bottom of the bowl and it was the end of the night :/
Also, if you're looking for a quiet dinner/evening out this is not the place to go, at least on the the weekends. It gets really loud even on the dining side. Overall, its a great place to check out if you're in Santa Monica.
The Misfit is in my neighborhood and has gotten so many reviews on and off yelp that it was on my list of must go to places.
I had a couple friends in town and we were up for some day drinking. Knowing that Misfit has bottomless mimosas I decided we make that our first stop. We got there around 1pm and wanted to sit in their front patio. The inside looked really dark. Great for an evening but not for a beautiful Sunday brunch. We placed our name on the list and requested a table for 4. They said it would be a 45 minute wait for the 1st available table, patio would be longer. That blows but since we were already there we decided to wait and walk around the promenade.
Just about 45 minutes later they called us over. The table that was available was inside but right in front of a giant window that opened up to the patio. We decided that was a good medium and we would take it rather than wait who knows how much longer for a patio seat.
Everyone ordered bloody marys and I got the bottomless mimosa. I tasted the bloody mary and it was not amazing. A little watered down for my taste and in a small cup. I like my bloodys full of flavor, spice and in a nice big cup garnished with goodies. The bottomless mimosa was great for the price ($12). Pretty much anything bottomless is great. They brought them out one after another and I kept chugging ;)
My friends ordered & I tried:
- shredded kale + quinoa salad: it was ok, but not a huge kale or quinoa person so would never order this.
- lgo café brussels sprout salad: again, they were ok, but not something I would order myself.
- baked mac + cheese: this is a dish I would order on my own and it was horrible. The noodles were hard and the cheese had a weird powdery consistency. No one at the table really loved it.
- bbq salmon: I tried a little bite and was not a fan.
I ordered:
- wild mushroom omelet: the omelet was good, i loved the mushrooms BUT the dish didn't come with any sides. Who does that?! For an $11 omelet I would hope that it would come with some toast or potatoes or fruit or all of the above. It just made me angry that they had no sides with it.
- soup of the day (think it was tomato): liked it. would get the soup again.
Meanwhile as we were eating someone had brought their huge fuzzy dog into the patio and the dog was shedding his fur. The fur was flying through the window into our faces and food. We told our server and they closed the window and apologized.
After our meal they brought the check out and had discounted our meal. They also gave us a plate of their AMAZING chocolate chip cookies with sea salt. They were so so good. Then they gave us 2 little bags of cookies to go and a $25 gift card for the next time we come. It definitely showed that they truly care about their customers and their business. 5 stars for that!
Overall I wasn't that into the food and hate waiting for a seat but will definitely come back to use my gift card on some bottomless mimosas.
I've heard a million and one great things about Misfit. It's been bookmarked since... forever ago! I've been wanting to go for Sunday brunch, but because we were already in the area we couldn't resist heading there for dinner/drinks. Great location!... Park at one of the MANY meters on Ocean Blvd overlooking the beautiful coast. Enjoy the gorgeous, breathtaking view of Santa Monica Pier and walk across towards Misfit. Arrived at around 7:30-8pm and our host offered a table outside right away. There was a bit of a breeze but the heat lamps kept us nice and warm. Open windows with a view of inside the restaurant allow you to appreciate both scenes: the restaurant/bar AND Santa Monica Blvd. I hardly find myself in West LA so I definitely enjoyed that experience.
Prompt, patient, thoughtful, and attentive service. Our waitress was a sweetheart!
DRINKS:
Their bar menu consists of Specialty Cocktails ($10/each)
Punch/Sangria that you can order by the glass/pitcher/BOWL ($7/$21/$50)
Black Label Cocktails ($12/each)
Beer ($8-9)
Wine by the glass/bottle ($8-13/$30-$100+)
We were feeling vodka that night... so we went with 2 of the Specialty Cocktails.
Lucy's "Spiked" Lemonade - Vodka, lemon, rosemary. I don't like my drinks too sweet so I had my waitress put less lemon and more vodka. Even then, it was still a little too "lemoned" down for my liking. If you're into drinks that completely mask the vodka flavor I would highly recommend this cocktail for you.
Basil Gimlet - Vodka, basil, kaffir lime cordial. Impeccable mix!!! You can really taste the vodka, basil, and lime; not one flavor overpowers the other. BEYOND refreshing. I had two, or maybe three of these. Lol.
DINNER:
Everything is served tapas style (small entrées) and great to share. We ordered 4 dishes to share between 2 which was more than enough!
Crispy lobster nik niks -Lobster sliders. Phenomenal. Perfect crunchy coat that didn't cover up the taste of the lobster. Served with pancetta, heirloom tomato and a creamy dipping sauce. Definitely recommend these if you're a fan of lobster!
Hamachi crudo - thinly sliced fresh hamachi topped with a thin slice of fresh/ripe avocado seasoned with chiles, cilantro, and ponzu. Really light, simple dish. Delicious!!!
Roasted artichoke - Artichoke perfectly roasted; pick pieces, dip it in the sauce, and nibble. Very simple. I would've liked it if the sauce was good. Overly creamy and not enough flavor especially because the artichoke was so simple. I probably wouldn't order this again.
Watermelon caprese - A play on the normal caprese salad. Watermelon, basil, and brie as opposed to the usual tomato, basil, and mozzarella. I think our waitress mentioned it was one of the newer items on their menu. The first few bites were amazing, but after that the thickness/flavor of the brie was too overwhelming and sort of overshadowed the rest of the dish.
All of the food is fairly simple, but delicious nonetheless. Misfit is obviously one of Santa Monica's treasures and I would highly recommend it. I will most definitely be back to enjoy brunch!!!
I've been here many times and always been happy with my experience until yesterday. Â My girlfriend and I went out to lunch with friends I had in town. Â We were seated next to the chefs, which even though it was very loud and hot, was alright. Â We had a great waitress, Casey, who took care of us for the majority of the time we were there, which was about 4 hours. Â She took the time to talk to us as well as recommend entries and drinks. Â When her shift was over, we got a new waitress, who's name slips my mind. Â This is when it all happened.
Everyone was having a good time. Â We were finishing up our last drinks when one of the managers or bouncers walked up, completely out of the blue, pointed at my girlfriend (the only girl at the table) and told her she is cut off. Â No one else was cut off, just her. Â We looked up at the guy, Derek, in complete surprise thinking it was a joke because no one in our group was close to drunk and no one was loud. Â A guy from another table heard what he said and looked over at me. Â I shrugged my shoulders because it seemed surreal. Â Derek then asked us to leave. Â We tried to pay the bill, (we already paid the bill with the first waitress when she left her shift and only had a round of drinks and apps on this bill) but he told us to just leave. Â At that point, two additional managers came up, one calling the cops, the other asking us to leave. Â They stated they would explain everything outside. Â
While outside, each manager gave us different stories, one said in accordance to the law, my girlfriend could not be served anymore (BS), the best was when they told us that THEY HAVE CONCERN FOR HER SAFETY SINCE SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE GROUP AND THEY DIDN'T WANT US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER. Â Thanks for the concern, but if you truly felt this way, why send us off on the street with her. Â No one actually told us what she did to make them cut her off. Â When one of the managers said to me that we were being aggressive, I responded that it's a normal reaction when you get unexpectedly singled out and no one wants to provide any consistent explanation. Â No response.
At this point the Santa Monica Police department came, only asking for us to pay our bill, no concern for safety, never saying anything about drinking too much, or disorderly conduct.
All in all, this is a terrible situation, Casey was an amazing waitress and I really enjoyed going to Misfits, but I will never go back or ever recommend this place. Â This was completely disrespectful and unacceptable. Â Management could have easily handled this in countless other ways. Â I get it, you need to turn the tables. Â Say that, don't single out and accuse the girl, who is the quietest of the group, that she is cut off.
If I could give them NO stars, I would.
It's truly sad how my friends and I were treated yesterday at Misfit. To begin the day, our server Casey was AMAZING. She made me think that maybe it's possible that GREAT service really does exist in LA. She was wonderful, attentive, sweet, and had other servers and runners stopping by to make sure our experience was great. And it was! Towards the end of our meal, we thought we would stay for one more round. We were very politely asked to move to a smaller table as a party of 10 needed ours. No problem. Our server then had to leave and passed us on to the next crew. That's when the problem started.
Our new server took drink orders, and we never saw her again. Suddenly a large Asian guy in a suit approached our table to inform us that my friend's girlfriend had been cut off, and she would no longer be served any drinks. I demanded to speak with a manager, and Derek, apparently a bouncer, refused. I got very upset until finally a 'manager' showed up and told us that by law she can no longer be served. A second 'manager' told us that they were concerned with her safety as she was the only woman at our table of 5. Uh, okay...Then Derek asked us to simply leave without paying the bill. As we exited the restaurant, we were met by two police offers with our bill in hand. I paid the remainder of the bill without a word, and we left.
My friends and I are incredibly respectful people. We're nice. I'm a bartender and have been and still am in the restaurant business after more than 10 years. NEVER in my life have I been treated so disrespectfully by a restaurant. Not to mention that there was not a single thing to trigger their sudden use of their right to stop serving someone. Believe me, I've had to cut off hundreds of people in my career. This was an unwarranted experience. My friend's girlfriend was in tears the rest of the day. Essentially she was bullied by a server who decided that she didn't want to inherit a table of people who were already having a good time. Perhaps they needed our table for another party. Maybe they truly thought that my four friends, who, by the way, I've known since I was six years old, were, in fact, planning horrible deeds.
This was a case of a management team lacking the training and common sense needed to handle a situation that should never have happened in the first place. This was a case of a bully of a server refusing to take over a table that she viewed as being 'tapped out.' She felt that she wouldn't make any money off us, so she singled out the only woman in our party to bully. And the management team lacked any ability to stand up to their own staff and see to it that the GUEST was taken care of first. I suppose I was right before. Good service in LA is truly dead.
The first thing you might notice about The Misfit is that it is always busy. Always. To be frank, it looks a bit pretentious and pompous from the outside, so I've always avoided the spot. But The Damsel has suggested in-between-stops drinks a few times here, and so we finally managed to find a random time where a table was open and we sat and had a few drinks.
I can't comment on the food, as we only had a pretty boring yellowtail appetizer dish, but the Misfit wins on every other level. The service was very, very friendly. I've worked at restaurants. I know how annoying it is when a table comes in, takes up a table, and only orders a couple drinks and one food item. Especially when the place is so fully-staffed and tables seem as contested as they seem at The Misfit. But our server did not ever make us feel rushed or unwelcome. The cocktails were also excellent. Their Manhattan was possibly one of the best I've ever had, aside from a "twist" on the normal formula served up at Roosevelt Hotel's Library Bar. The atmosphere was not nearly as pompous as I had imagined (admittedly, my pretentiousness-tolerance is very, very low).
We'll definitely be back for food sometime, as it is definitely my kind of spot. If only Santa Monica's traffic wasn't so horrendous!
After being traumatized at a nearby trapeze class at the SM Pier with the wife...she let me booze and food it up to console me. Â My shoulder hurt, I'm a baby, leave me alone.
KD'S BEES KNEES
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=kVyykbVfUYIEmZJsYONcQg#kVyykbVfUYIEmZJsYONcQg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
I don't care how girlie it looks or sounds...it was fantastic..and I drank it with my pinkie up just like any respectable lady would.
TOMATO N BASIL SOUP
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Not creamy enough for my tastes..but still pretty damn good.
ASPARAGUS
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#jfFK-fYSRK2Hw0JaOObXCA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
My pee hadn't smelled funny in a long time so I figured I'd order this....not bad....
PRIME RIB FRENCH DIP SLIDERS
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#DbEDj7rXTy97HWMSsNDcaw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Yup,they're pretty much as good as they sound....here's a closeup for my food porn pervs....
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#v86um4hgYq9fTMVd42MFAw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
You're welcome.
GREEN FLASH WEST COAST IPA
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#DauWq4F9-WX_nETliT1-_A">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
All that food was makin' me lose my buzz...so I did what any normal dude would do...order a tasty local IPA to bring it back. Â It worked.
MAC N CHEESE
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#yxl9URfka4DDmY9vBO5flA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Pretty hard to fu*k this up after two drinks. Â They did not. Â Good stuff.
TORTILLA SOUP
For some reason this was free. Â Delicious free soup.
Did I mention the NEKKID LADIES!?!
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-misfit-restaurant-bar-santa-monica?select=ZAXVUJFgA7Pm7Vh4PzHFKg#ZobswivB2bkjONTg40ZXJA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
WHAT!? Â I'm a 12 yr old at heart. Â Accept it.
YELP DELIVERS.....AGAIN!
It is Sunday night close to 10pm....visitors were in town..where do we go eat? Thank god for yelp and thank god for yelpers! After a quick search, the Misfit was for us! they closed at 11pm....off we went!
Service
Top quality! Â For a busy night, we got 5 people seated quick and fast! Â Our out of state visitors were hungry so we got right to business
Starters
Tuna Tataki
Shredded kale salad
Fries
brussel sprouts
main plates
bbq salmon
the misfit burger
peel and eat shrimp
baked mac and cheese
sm farmers market picks!
Quickly....
everything was top quality! Â the seafood was beautiful...so fresh and cooked to perfection. Â The burger is light and airy (coarse grind)!! Â the veggies were crisp and cooked to order!
I cannot say enough about the waitstaff and the speed at which the food came out....
All in all it was an amazing experience!! Â So glad we came out, our out of state guest were very impressed!
We'll be back !
It's Lunch time!
Food:
The food was delicious. I had the fried chicken sandwich and fries and both were oh so good. The spicy mayo really makes this sandwich, its not too spicy but there is a kick. The fries were nice and thin and came with two different dipping sauces. My friend had their crispy lobster nik niks and said she really enjoyed them. Hers came in burger slider form and had two. We both enjoyed lunch and definitely want to come back.
Drinks:
We both had the Bijou (house infused grapefruit vodka,sparkling wine and a sugar cube at the bottom) It's a light refreshing drink and yes you definitely taste the grapefruit, its not bitter (the slow melting sugar cube takes care of this) but if you don't really like grapefruit you might not like this drink. We liked it but we didn't love it. I will say that they make some good mixed cocktails.
Place/service:
The place is pretty big, we didn't sit inside so I don't know much about it but it looked nice and like they have plenty of seating. They have a couple tables outside good for small parties and this is were we enjoyed our lunch.
The service was pretty good, the girl was friendly but you do have to be a little patient because it took her a while to sometimes come back and check on us or give us refills. I did notice she sat a party of two and they got fed up with waiting so they left. We were outside though, so I kind of expected for our service to be a little slower vs. being seated inside.
Parking:
Its right next to 3rd street promenade so, there's parking lots located all around. Plenty of parking.
Enjoy!
They had the best presentation I've seen for an Irish Whiskey. It was served in a wine glass with a side of french press! This is probably my favorite bar near 3rd st promenade, especially because they spoil you with their famous complimentary sea salt cookies :)
A bit crowded at the narrow lightly-dimmed bar on a Sunday night. We got lucky and found a good spot to sit. I ordered white sangria which was refreshing, nothing crazy amazing.
I liked their 1920-ish ambience a lot and the service was great.
::FOOD::
we ordered random stuff, all of them were pretty sweet...I couldn't taste the sweetness from my sangria because of that.
- bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese, nuts and topped with parmesan: delicious and rich, share it with people
- $3 pistachio gelato: not sure what the hype is all about, still yummy and rich
- complimentary sea salt cookie: the reason why people love them = BUTTER
A gastropub is a gastropub is a gastropub. Â
They certainly do it right here for gastropub fare, but the service is definitely spotty. Â
They try to make an effort but still somehow, our incessant requests for mustard fell on deaf ears. Â Only after we flagged down 4 different servers did we finally get our mustard, which by then was pointless because the burgers were totally cold by that point.
The service really does affect your experience, especially if you are to dine alone or you come with 1 other person. Luckily, I came in a small group so we ended up chatting the whole time and patiently awaited for our mustard. Â
Overall, I wasn't excited about any of the menu items so I don't think II will be back anytime soon on my own. Â
If you are a drinker, there is a good variety of alcoholic beverages for you lushes.
Restrooms - cool, spacious restrooms with little privacy because you can hear the person next to you (you will see what I mean). Â It's annoying though because they are located on the second floor.
Location: right off of the promenade
Parking: street metered or find a parking structure
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
