The Surfing Fox

"Firstly, I must say the service and atmosphere is excellent. But, I must also admit that we went at a time when it was basically empty. We ordered Fritto misto, which was not so great. Not sure if the oil was old, or there was too much batter but the food was over cooked/the batter was dark. It didn't have flavor. We ate it cause we were starving. Next, we tried the Lobster roll, this was really good, but the portion was so small that it was not worth the $30. This felt more like an appetizer for 1 person. We left hungry."

"Loved this place! Our amazing server, Saint, really made us feel welcome and set the time for a fun and joyful meal. He went out of his way to make sure I didn’t eat any dairy (dairy intolerant here), and the food was DELICIOUS. I had the burger with no cheese. So good and the spicy fries were so savory. We’ll be back."

"Much like communism, the menu of The Surfing Fox looks great on paper but has some serious issues in execution. I've had over 60 different crispy chicken sandwiches in Los Angeles (and I have the arteries to prove it), and I'm sad to say that the Hot Chicken Sandwich falls in the bottom 5. First of all, it looks NOTHING like it does in the photos posted by the restaurant. I was served a piece of chicken so thin it could have come from a deli meat slicer. Parts of the "chicken breast" seemed to have disintegrated in the fryer, such that I was left with areas of fried breading that formed a shell around nothing but air. This leads to the second problem, which was that the sandwich ended up being a large amount of greasy fried material and very little substance. As you can see in the cross section photo, you actually can't identify where the chicken is for much of the sandwich, and I found myself eating a pickled carrot and purple cabbage sandwich about half the time (albeit with a sauce that was quite good). I honestly feel that both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes have better crispy chicken sandwiches than The Surfing Fox. Unfortunately the problems with the food didn't stop there. The cheeseburger was fine, but the beef patty was certainly not of the "short rib-brisket" quality that they advertise. You'll get a much better burger for $11 less if you go just a few blocks away to The Misfit. The fish tacos were also underwhelming. While the ingredients were fresh, they lacked adequate seasoning. The fish was overcooked and there was not enough flavor to offset its dry texture. The only redeeming quality of the tacos was the hand made tortillas. There were a few highlights of the meal: our server was fantastic. Funny, friendly, and fast-- he had the Three Fs of hospitality! The atmosphere is also quite nice, with fresh off the beach vibes, attractive wicker furniture (with some of the benches fashioned to look like swings), and great music. The cocktails were also impressive (except for the Coconut Foxtail which was sickly sweet), though difficult to justify paying $19 for. The two standouts were the Watermelon and the Prickly Pear. The fries were double fried and among the best I've had in LA, so that was definitely a positive. This brings me to my last point: the price. Given the fact that there are many nearby establishments with better food for less money, charging $27-28 for a burger or chicken sandwich represents some of the worst value in Los Angeles. The ~$20 cocktails with no happy hour is also a mistake I hope they fix. By comparison, The Misfit has a 50% off all cocktails until 7pm every day of the week just a few blocks away, and charges about 40% less for all their food. I really wanted this dining experience to go well, but they need to make some changes in the price and quality of their food, and ideally implement a happy hour. I'm hoping that many of these missteps are due to the fact they just opened in August 2023, and I hope to see improvements!"

"The decor here is both beachy and elegant. One of the better burgers I’ve had here in LA. The staff is great. Our waiter Saint was fun and accommodating for our large party. Great date spot or fun night outside near the Santa Monica Pier."

"New cool spot located just one block from Santa Monica Pier. Cool concept, great food and excellent costumer service. And the drinks are cool too. Love the coconut and the grain, and the watermelon, and the prickly pear."