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    Sidewalk Cafe

    3.2 (1.1k reviews)
    ModerateTacos, Sports Bars, Pizza
    Closed 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Sidewalk Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    SIDEWALK CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Touristy
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Sidewalk Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chicken Wings - Bikini Wings
    Edith P.

    This place has been here forever ... we stopped by to eat and it was a pleasant experience. The restaurant was full , we were seating promptly. Our waitress was really sweet and attentive. There's a lot of outdoor seating which is nice. You can see the ocean from your seat ... the food was good but not out of this world. I would definitely return

    White Russian
    Man R.

    Didn't try the food. But the bar service is good. Ambience is beach casual. I had a White Russian and was satisfied. I'll be coming back for another soon.

    Chicken Caprese sandwich
    Sharleen S.

    Was walking along the boardwalk with friends and decided to stop here for lunch/brunch. I got the chicken Caprese sandwich and we got a guac to share for the table. I did enjoy the sandwich but I also wish there was a little more flavor. I feel like there was not enough balsamic glaze - it just tasted like chicken and bread. The service was also a little bland. It took a while for her to check up on us, but when she did she was super sweet. She even brought a cup of water for the pup we had with us without us asking. She was really sweet. I did love the vibes and the location - we had someone on the boardwalk right across from us playing nice guitar music, so it didn't give us a headache. Will probably want to try something new if I come back here but overall a good experience.

    Having a nice lunch with friends at sidewalk cafe! Beautiful day!
    Jason B.

    Definitely a fun place to stop for lunch! Love the location, love the vibe. Come for the food, stay for the people watching! Oh, yes...you'll see it all, and from the comfort of a covered outdoor seating area right next to the boardwalk. But on to the business! Sidewalk Cafe is a pretty iconic place, with indoor and outdoor seating (but you'll definitely want outdoor). They have a respectable beer list (a must!), and some truly unique and tasty offerings on their menu. I had the smoked beef brisket sandwich. It grabbed me right off the bat when I first laid eyes on the menu, so much that I didn't even bother looking at the rest. And I wasn't disappointed. There was plenty of thin-sliced brisket on it, with a delightfully tangy chipotle sauce, and cole slaw packed in! I tell you, it was heaven. The cole slaw really made it. So plan your day at the beach. There's plenty to see and do between there and Santa Monica pier, which is just a short walk down the boardwalk. And then stop in to Sidewalk Cafe for a nice afternoon lunch. It's the perfect compliment to a full day on the beach. PRO TIP: Parking is an issue, but there are plenty of lots on the street right behind Sidewalk Cafe. You'll pay $20 for 3 hours, but it's well worth it for the convenience of being just a few steps from the action.

    Wet chicken burrito
    Pam H.

    Amber was our awesome server, great energy and smile. The wet burrito, is huge and tasty, the cheese burger was cooked exactly how I requested. The pasta, chef's kiss 10/10!!! The mango tango margarita gave me the lift off that I needed to finish my stroll down the boardwalk. I haven't been here in a while, everything was great as I remember. Loved it!!

    Victoria M.

    Right in the board walk at Venice Beach we decided to have lunch here! The waitress was so kind they are pet friendly. The first thing the waitress said when she took our order was that she was gonna bring water for our little doggy! She was good on recommending what was best on the menu, honestly they were friendly right from the start when you walked up, greeted you even though they were busy they had good seating and timing when food was done! Large meal sizes! If your hungry and want a good bite try this place out It's nice to die inside with open windows having the beach and walk right outside! It was clean and fast pace.

    Fish Tacos, they were delicious!
    Alma R.

    We've been coming here for years! It's such a staple at the boardwalk as it's great for people watching. We've always been lucky to score tables right at the edge where the sun hits you just eight. The food menu offers a great variety from burgers to pasta to salads and much more! The staff is always friendly even though they're super busy. A MUST when visiting Venice!

    margarita and martini
    Nes A.

    Amazing location right on the boardwalk of Venice Beach and have a patio with chairs and plenty of room! Also have an inside bar and restrooms. Staff is great even the hostess. I ate here 3 times on my 4 day stay in Venice Beach. I asked the waiter the best food to eat and he said spicy shrimp, good recommendation because it was tasty, good portion and seasoned well. I had to take some to go. margarita drink was great too. If you are visiting Venice Beach and need a place to sit down, relax, enjoy the view, this place is where you need to go. The smaller food places does not have a sit down area or restrooms. If you are lucky, you might get a good show in front of your table of a person singing, playing guitar or drums.

    Daiquiri maybe
    Oli G.

    Typical bar but with some games in the back. Drinks were okay. Tons of folks eating and the food looked decent, especially the cheese sticks. Burgers looked like the frozen ones from GFS, Sam's, Costco, or Sysco or wherever folks in Cali order their bulk frozen foods from. I could MOST DEFINITELY be wrong because again we didn't order food but drinks. Their food menu is huge tho. Check em out if you have the chance!

    Bellini and mimosa
    Katherine P.

    Great location since it's right on the Venice boardwalk and they have a large patio. Unfortunately although wait staff is friendly service is slow. We went for drinks so it hit the spot while we people watched. Only ordered fries and they were warm and not hot. About 5 minutes after we got our fries, another waitress came with an order of fries so maybe we got someone else's order that was sitting there and ours was not made fresh.

    Restaurant
    Amy B.

    The food was really good. I got the Caprese Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was moist and juicy. The mozzarella tasted fresh as did the basil. The balsamic was delicious. The waitress was nice enough. We had to find someone to get our check. Once they delivered the food they never checked back with us. For the prices I feel like the service should have been better and perhaps see if the customers need a drink refill. The ambiance was nice because there was a gentleman playing music across the sidewalk.

    Cheeseburger in paradise

    Okay so this burger was just fresh and delectable ! The onions were fierce and the pepper jack really melted on top of that meat !! The water was just cold and icy and really tasted refreshing !!! something about those red cups make the water just taste better ?! idk maybe it's the salt coming from the sea !!! The view was BEAUTIFUL!!!! The music from the live guitarist was stunning and ain't no sunshine when he's gone. The fries were classic Cali thin fries !! Our waiter David really checked in on us and made sure we were doin well

    Strawberry Pancakes
    Kenneth S.

    It's been about 5 years since visiting the Sidewalk Cafe and the place and food are still amazing. We came in on May 24th around 10am to start our morning since it was our anniversary! There was no waiting which was a nice surprise and immediately seated by the walkway. I ordered the strawberry pancakes which was very good along with the sausage links. Our server was Isidro and he was really nice and professional. The view is amazing with the ocean in the background. Looking forward to visiting this great place.

    Bacon Cheeseburger

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very friendly staff and the pricing was better than most other locations. Great place to sit and enjoy the view and people watch.

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    2 years ago

    We would have drank 3-4 drinks but the wait staff only came to take the order, bring the food & check. Don't expect attention staff.

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    1 year ago

    Worst experience I had at this place food was good but very very bad service especially manager attitude

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    Page 3 of 28

    Sidewalk Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sidewalk Cafe

    Where are prices?

    All of the prices are on their website at https://www.thesidewalkcafe.com/menu

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    Chulita - Vegan Mushroom Carnitas

    Chulita

    4.3(737 reviews)
    0.8 miVenice
    $$

    First of all, Chulita was by far my favourite restaurant I came across during my stay in LA. The…read moreamazing presentation from the street drew me in and the vibe was amazing from greetings at the entrance. I believe it was Daria (not sure if I spelt that correct) was my server who took the time to explain some of the amazing features. She suggested I sit at the bar as I was alone in business and introduced me to the bartenders. Being Canadian she made it a point to one of the bartenders that liked hockey and introduced me. I was impressed with her knowledge of the various entree's so I asked her to pick my main and whatever drink she thought would go great with it. I couldn't have had a better meal as I don't normally order fish but the pan seared sea bass. Pescado Zarandeado was amazing. Cooked perfectly and paired with a hibiscus margarita that was on par with the meal. Thank you to the kitchen and owners along with the 2 servers behind the bar and Daria for such a great experience. I liked it so much I came back a few days later for tacos which were also amazing. The service was great again even though it was a very busy evening. I will be back and I will suggest this as a must to any friends traveling to the Venice area.

    My friend and I came here on cinco de mayo, so it was very busy. We managed to get a seat at the…read morebar, which was in large part due to the hostess. Bar seating is first come, first served. Because it was a busy night, it was difficult to order. The bar staff was slammed which is understandable. We ordered the guacamole which came out in minutes. I love the chips that come with it. They're bigger, so you break them apart to eat. We also ordered the tacos, since it was taco Tuesday and cinco. I ordered the barbacoa and tinga tacos. They were messy. Literally juiced flowing down my wrist. But delicious at the same time. I hate messy food, so that was the only unpleasant part. I've come before and had less messy food, so I'll continue coming back to Chulita.

    Photos
    Chulita - Indoor outdoor patio

    Indoor outdoor patio

    Chulita - Vegan Nachos

    Vegan Nachos

    Chulita - Grilled Nopales

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    Grilled Nopales

    Tacos Por Favor - Carne Asada plate

    Tacos Por Favor

    3.8(1.8k reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    So classic, such a constant neighborhood food hub in the area…read more One of my first creative jobs (at $75 a day) was in a commercial production and motion design studio in a Frank Gehry loft on nearby 12th street. The work was tedious, the people often annoying, but the learning real. And I would duck out to grab a burrito at TPF at lunch because the walk there and back was almost meditative. TPF speaks to an earlier version of Santa Monica, before Silicon Beach happened. When Dogtown was still in transition, the commercial and industrial spaces still plentiful, and the creativity flowed. I usually get a chicken burrito. It's great. The space hasn't changed. And is never crowded. But you see people popping in, and you can tell that maybe they were having a slow day at home, and that a little homestyle Mexican comfort food is part of their ritual. Their salsas are incredible and I've never tasted similar ones elsewhere. If you're looking for a simple, satisfying, no-frills Mexican experience, this is it.

    Tacos Por Favor is what people who don't know what good Mexican food is think is good Mexican food…read more I've been here like 30 times cause I lived close and I just think it's just perfectly mid. I don't think a burrito should cost more than $20 ever. If it does, it should rock my socks. Unfortunately this place checks neither box. I much prefer the nachos which is never the case at a truly legit spot. And also - why so many onions? I like onions as much as the next guy but I feel like they think I'm Stanley Yelnats from Holes when I go here. Absolute onion bomb in a tortilla. I don't get it.

    Photos
    Tacos Por Favor - Menu

    Menu

    Tacos Por Favor - Burrito Bowl

    Burrito Bowl

    Tacos Por Favor - Taco Pastor $4 and Taco Asada $4.15

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    Taco Pastor $4 and Taco Asada $4.15

    El Huarique - Breakfast 8am to 12pm

    El Huarique

    4.5(573 reviews)
    0.0 miVenice
    $$

    March 20, 2026 | Friday | Venice Beach Boardwalk | What a fun and continued adventure when I met up…read morewith my neighbor once again, as I randomly spotted a colorful looking exotic restaurant! The location turned out to be El Huarique Peruvian Kitchen! What a delicious find that turns up the flavor and definitely the heat! Be careful what you ask for! Haha! Fish Ceviche | Yes, please! Now, at first bite, for some odd reason, I thought the dish was going to be hot, but it was cold and absolutely delicious! Taking our server Mauricio's advice, I tried each item separately on my plate and then mixed it up... Yummy! New flavors had my taste buds doing a happy dance over and over again! Haha! I would absolutely 100% get this dish again! The flavors were electric once combined! Turn up the Heat | Our server Mauricio asked my spice level and I confidently said spicy! He asked if I was sure and I told him the story about me being in India, requesting a spicier version of a dish & the Chef coming out to take a look at me, because he couldn't believe I wanted spicier! Haha! Comedy Hour | I was enjoying every flavorful bite of the Fish Ceviche, when all of a sudden my body started to heat up! I was like, I can handle a bit of spice... And then suddenly my tongue got really warm and I could hardly feel it... Then my eyes started to water... And suddenly I lost focus in the conversation I was having with my friend & the traveler! I could hardly talk, because it was honestly that spicy! Haha! I bet it was also the sneaky little red onions, in addition to the other spices! Help, Please | I spotted Mauricio and asked him if he had any bread or yogurt, because my mouth was on fire! He didn't! He recommended water, which I had already tried! My friend, she recommended plantains, which I had also tried! The traveler ended up recommending the lettuce on my plate, which ended up helping for sure! After a while, my mouth started to cool down, thank goodness! Eye Spot Spice | Just when my mouth started to cool down, my friend accidentally touched her eye, which must have had spice on it! The girl at the next table, dining with her significant other, immediately came to her rescue! I asked our server Mauricio for a cup of water so she could flush out her eye! The girl at the next table told her to rub her eye with her hair... Which oddly helped! Plantains | I can always appreciate plantains, as I love them! They arrived at our table and quite plentiful! I appreciated that the flavor was just the right amount of sweet and savory... Perfect! As conversation flowed easily between me, my friend, and the traveler! I invited him to enjoy the plantains with us, which he did! Fried Rice | My friend, ordered this dish and invited me to share it with her! OMG! I highly recommend, so flavorful and definitely shareable! I happily enjoyed every bite that I put onto my plate! Customer Service | Mauricio was top-tier! He was patient, kind and so much fun to explore the menu with! He really wanted us to have the Peruvian experience, considering it was both me and my friends first time having Peruvian food... as far as I know! Seating | Both inside and outside! We sat on the outside patio! Happy Meeting | While waiting for my friend to arrive at the restaurant, a friendly worldwide traveler, who was currently in town, helped me with the menu! Though his meal included chicken, a dish he frequently orders when he's in town, he invited me to explore the veggie part of the menu and mentioned that the food was really good here! Something made me trust his recommendation and I'm glad I did! We had fun chatting with the friendly traveler! Overall | Oh my goodness! Hahaha! Between the flavorful Fish Ceviche that was too hot to handle, sweet and savory Plantains, the customer service via Mauricio, an extension of me and my friends spa day, & other friendly customers, made for a memorable evening! I'm excited to do it again, definitely turning down the spice level and exploring more of the menu! Thanks again, Mauricio & the friendly traveler! We shall all meet again! Let's go!!

    Amazing food!!! Highly recommend…read more The ceviche is so fresh and flavorful The lomo soltado in the plate or tacos is amazing Empanadas were not my fav but good as well. They have nice outdoor patio seating right on the boardwalk in Venice Love this place and have been back multiple times

    Photos
    El Huarique - Dining room

    Dining room

    El Huarique - Fried shrimp, calamari,white bass fish, served with tartar, sarza criolla and yucca fries

    Fried shrimp, calamari,white bass fish, served with tartar, sarza criolla and yucca fries

    El Huarique - New

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    New

    Sidewalk Cafe - tacos - Updated May 2026

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