Diners' Choice: American restaurants in Westside

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall American cuisine in Westside? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Upper West

4.9

4.9 (2701)

$30 and under

American

Santa Monica

About the restaurant

**Contact us today to schedule your next event! We can accommodate parties of 10 to 150 guests**

Upper West's ever-changing menu draws inspiration from around the world while maintaining eclectic flavors unique to them. The bar offers Happy Hour Wednesday-Sunday from 4:30-7:00pm serving refreshing craft cocktails, handcrafted beer. The dinner menu is always evolving and includes ingredients sourced locally from the Santa Monica Farmers Market as well as local farmers such as Weiser Farms and Niman Ranch. Upper West is the perfect place to book large events for 20 or more guests and is an excellent private party venue for hosting corporate events, birthdays, anniversaries, holiday festivities, rehearsal dinners, and more.

Top review

Katelyn

Dined 5 days ago

Lovely lovely evening! Great food and ambience, Elad the owner was so sweet we had a great dinner. Thank you ❤️

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Popular dish

STEAK TACOS (16oz)

Popular dish

CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD

Popular dish

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Tar & Roses

4.8

4.8 (4268)

$31 to $50

American

Santa Monica

About the restaurant

Tar & Roses is a globally inspired culinary experience.
Chef Andrew Kirschner has transformed his kitchen into a local and welcoming home, focused on the element of the wood fired oven to bring out the best flavor in our dishes. Coming straight from the visionary mind of our award winning chef, our menu is created with only the highest quality ingredients and fresh, local products. This attention to detail helps makes our food a perfected craft which will inspire you to be adventurous, in the most approachable and delicious way possible.
When you step into Tar & Roses, you'll feel like you are coming home. Our entire staff awaits your arrival with warm smiles and thoughtful service ~ please, come share a meal with us!

Top review

MenderesVIP

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

Incredible food, everything we ordered was top notch.

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Popular dish

Whole Fried Snapper for Two

4.7

4.7 (2415)

$31 to $50

American

Venice

About the restaurant

Gjelina is a restaurant specializing in New American cuisine. Open every day from 8 a.m. until 11pm, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast, try 9 grain pancakes with butter and maple syrup or warm banana buckwheat loaf with butter and jam of the day. Brunch options include Moroccan baked eggs and 7 grain porridge. Gjelina offers a variety of oysters, crudo, charcuterie and salad options to start at lunch and dinner. Main courses include pizzas from our wood fired oven and entrees like duck confit, house made pastas and roasted organic half chicken.
*Only ADA certified animals are allowed in Gjelina
*A 20% Mandatory Service Charge is added to your check. Our belief is that every hourly Gjelina employee contributes to your service and 100% of the MSC will be distributed amongst them.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 3 days ago

Loved everything about this place! Will return and will tell Al my friends about it.

Charcoal Venice

4.6

4.6 (576)

$31 to $50

American

Venice

About the restaurant

Charcoal Venice is an inviting neighborhood restaurant from Michelin-starred Chef and Owner Josiah Citrin that was inspired by the backyard barbecues he hosts on weekends for his friends and family. As the name suggests, everything is cooked indoors over live fire – whether over charcoal or in the coals. Citrin and Chef de Cuisine Dani McNish prepare a seasonal menu of craveable comfort foods featuring locally-sourced proteins and vegetables ideal for sharing family-style. Whether diving into a platter of smoky grilled chicken wings with a beer or classic cocktail at the bar, or splitting a 48 oz. dry-aged Porterhouse and a bottle of Bandol with friends, Charcoal Venice is an everyday dining spot.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Apr 16, 2025

The food was Excellent!!!. We had the rack of lamb, chicken, pork chops. Kale salad, calamari, carrots and steak fries.

Back on the Beach

4.9

4.9 (192)

$30 and under

American

Santa Monica

About the restaurant

Back on the Beach Café is situated along a wide, sandy white beach that offers jaw-dropping views of the ocean waves, the pier, the mountain range and of course, Catalina Island. There is both indoor and outdoor seating which allows you to enjoy the sea-salt air and sandy toes while you dine.

The café takes reservations for 2-12 guest. Reservations are available one month in advance. To accommodate our reservations in a timely and orderly manner, the café has carefully designed time frames in which to dine. The café designates 25% of the restaurant for reservations, 75% is available for walkup service.

For reservations of 12 or more guest, please contact the restaurant directly. We don't take multiple group reservations. Please note that large group reservations requires a customizable menu. We only seat complete parties.

In consideration of all guest, we kindly remind you that tables are reserved for 1.5 hours.
We take a maximum of two credit cards payment per table.

Top review

LarryVIP

Dined on Apr 7, 2025

The PERFECT beach experience with delicious food and THE NICEST staff ever!! Thank you!!

The Venice West

4.9

4.9 (186)

$31 to $50

American

Venice

About the restaurant

The Venice West is an eclectic restaurant and live music venue located in Venice, California. TVW offers a supper club vibe serving “upscale comfort food” accompanied by a full bar featuring an array of tasty cocktails and a great selection of beers on tap.

Chef Diego’s mouth watering creations will delight you. From main dishes like the Crispy Chicken & Waffles to a savory selection of unique Neapolitan-style pizzas, salads, sandwiches, share plates, and desserts. The menu truly offers something for everyone.

The Venice West provides a true “dinner and a show” experience and will not disappoint. Our goal is simple: create a welcome place for music fans and artists alike to enjoy great food, music, and good times. Thank you and we hope you enjoy the show!

*Dinner served from 6-9pm. Show tickets must be purchased separately at www.thevenicewest.com, on Ticketweb, or at the door (if not sold out).

Top review

SusanY

Dined on Mar 8, 2025

Great place to hear live music Good food Good people

The Butcher's Daughter

4.5

4.5 (186)

$30 and under

American

Venice

About the restaurant

The Butcher’s Daughter Venice is a plant-forward restaurant, bar, juicery, and “vegetable slaughterhouse.” Located in the vibrant Venice neighborhood, we treat fruits and vegetables with the same care a butcher would meat: chopping, filleting, and carving fresh produce into healthy vegetarian dishes and pressing them into vibrant juices.

Under the guidance of our Culinary Director Richard Rea, our menu changes every season, offering 100% vegetarian dishes with many vegan and gluten-free options. We take pride in our great selection of wines, craft cocktails, and mocktails, ensuring there’s something for every taste. We also offer take-out and delivery for those who prefer to enjoy our meals at home.

Named one of the best supper spots in Venice by the LA Times, we serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, creating a celebrated dining experience with in-season ingredients that nourish both body and soul.

Top review

Ben

Dined on Mar 29, 2025

It’s way too loud. The music from the DJ on Fridays dinner service was great-except it was too loud. If the music was turned down a little, it would have been way more enjoyable to listen to. We loved the music choice.

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Experience

Mother's Day Pre-Fixe Brunch

Experience

Happy Hour Mon - Thurs 4pm - 6pm

True Food Kitchen - Santa Monica

4.5

4.5 (1536)

$30 and under

American

Santa Monica

About the restaurant

True Food Kitchen is a chef-driven restaurant and scratch bar that was founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, the pioneer of integrative medicine, to provide food that tastes great and is good for you. At our table, delicious dining and conscious nutrition go hand in hand, without sacrificing flavor, creativity or indulgence. Our expertly trained chefs craft flavor-forward dishes, handcrafted cocktails and freshly pressed refreshers so you can enjoy epic food experiences that aren’t just good for you, but good to you. Join us in Santa Monica for lunch, dinner, or weekend brunch. New flavors, new combinations, new obsessions. Come see us for something completely new and delicious.

Top review

Diane

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

Very good place with healthy food And lots of gluten free options

Dear Jane's

4.6

4.6 (321)

$31 to $50

American

Marina del Rey

About the restaurant

What Dear John’s is to steak, Dear Jane’s will be to seafood. Seasoned chefs and entrepreneurs Hans Röckenwagner and Josiah Citrin have teamed up again for Dear Jane's. Taking full advantage of the stunning marina view, the focus is on classic American seafood dishes prepared simply with the highest-quality ingredients by seasoned chefs. From Oysters Rockefeller to Shrimp Louie, Surf ‘n Turf and Crepes Zuzette, the menu hews to those of some of the most legendary seafood restaurants of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. It will feel familiar and upscale, yet updated and approachable.

This sensibility will be on full display with hand-mixed tartare, classic caviar service, and professionally fileted whole fish. The layout of the split-level room and spacing between booths and tables are ideal for this personalized service that is begging to come back in style in this dining room.

Top review

FrankVIP

Dined on Apr 11, 2025

It is a lovely restaurant overlooking the Marina. The service was outstanding, and the food was delicious.

Belles Beach House

4.6

4.6 (331)

$31 to $50

American

Venice

About the restaurant

Owned by seasoned restauranteur Nick Mathers and Wish You Were Here Group, Belles Beach House aims to transport guests from Los Angeles to a tropical destination whilst staying in the heart of Venice Beach. An ode to the retro Tiki Bar and legendary artist Larry Bell, Belles Beach House exudes the laid back, island vibes of the 1970s serving Hawaiian-inspired dishes with a touch of Japanese influence, vibrant craft cocktails and a thoughtful wine list.

Top review

SergioVIP

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

This is a very cool place located right in the heart of Venice Beach. We had a pleasure of enjoying breakfast on a Sunday afternoon. The environment is clean with a chill vibe.

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