Review Santa Monica - Brisbane

Great ambience with live music! Waiting staff were attentive and friendly. Food was perfect. Portion of onion rings was large enough for our party of five to share, as we all have our own mains. My steak was nicely done too. However, I had to order it to be cooked to Rare although I usually take Medium Rare (I noticed steaks in Australia tend to be more cooked than other countries). Photo is showing Rare steak.

The service was great and the outside area was pleasant, although it was at capacity, I still enjoyed the atmosphere outside… Not overcrowded, and I could hear everyone at our table of twelve clearly. The food was priced as expected ($17 for my burger), and in my opinion it was not up to expectations. I ordered the chilli cheese burger, which comes with a side of chips. The burger, although tasty, wasn’t nearly spicy enough to earn its name, and the chips were textured as though they were cooked earlier in the day, and had been waiting specifically to be served up to me at lunchtime. I didn’t finish them. I would go here again, but given another option to eat and drink outdoors, I’d probably choose the alternative.

We had our wedding reception there. I could not fault them. The food was amazing and the service impeccable. Staff were super friendly and very attentive to all our needs. Highly recommend this place to anyone. We’ll definitely come back again. Thank you.

When Avocados have been at an all time low at around $1.50, I am befuddled as to why you raise the cost of one slice of Avo on Rye from $4.50 to $6.50 and your small coffee with an extra shot has now gone from $4.40 to $5.20 ?? Coffee loyalty card in the bin. On the positive the staff are brilliant and when I have gone for drinks and a meal with work mates the food is great.

All I have to say is wow! Everytime I come here with my work colleagues, the staff are friendly and welcoming. Any request we ask is met and the staff are always comfortable accomodating our needs. The ambience is nice. Love music I. Friday arvo. Order drinks from the comfort of your table. Thanks so much Santa Monica team!

Brekkie burger with hash browns and a long black coffee. Food was good for the price, coffee was ok (slightly bitter - I think they may have their machine about 3°C too hot). service was fine although it wasn't very busy.

Awesome food, super quick service, jug cocktails nice but not much alcohol in them. Kids loved the warm chocolate brownie. Antipasto platter was superb and very filling for 2 people.

Table service. Great drinks. Good vibes. Friendly staff. Simple menu with pub favorites, starters to share, and delicate desserts. Most of all, a fine mist is sprayed every few minutes to cool you off - which was enough for be refreshing yet not too much to make my hair frizz (HOW? Magic, I’m sure!)

Just love the casual laid-back dining experience this restaurant offers. Right in the heart of the city serving a variety of pizzas, american style burgers and a selection of beer. Do check out their daily specials.

When you pay $16 for a burger you expect it to meet some sort of burger standard.<br/>I made the mistake of ordering the barramundi burger today at lunch. The crumbed barramundi was inedible. It tasted like it had been crumbed then deep fried then frozen then defrosted and deep fried again. The crumb tasted like old cooking oil and the fish was so over cooked it had dried into thin stringy clump. I didn’t bother asking them to bring me something else as we had already waited 40 minutes for our food. Won’t be back.

Average meal. Honestly there are no wow factors here and the food is ok. Pet peeves- being told by the server to flag her down when we are ready to order and then getting the starters and mains all served at once. Both happened tonight :(

Catered really well for large groups and business bookings - we ordered one of each pizza plus other items and all the pizzas were delicious and simple.

*3.5/5<br/>Went on Friday night and atmosphere was very lively, with the restaurant bustling with customers and live music as well. However, I’m personally not a fan of spaces where you have to yell to be heard by the person sitting opposite you. It gets pretty exhausting after a while. <br/><br/>The chilli burger had a nicely cooked patty but pretty average in terms of flavour. I think it was kind of bland despite literally dripping in mayo. Something’s not quite right with the balance there. I enjoyed the jalapeños though. 3/5<br/><br/>However, the salt and pepper calamari was nicely seasoned and crunchy on the outside while being soft on the inside. Again, the salad had too much mayo but luckily the balsamic behaviour gave it that extra kick. 4/5<br/><br/>

Gorgeous set up and ideal location. Service was good. Very prompt. Coffee is ok. Also got their bacon and egg brioche. That was yum. They actually toasted it for us. Good value for money large coffee and brioche for $9. 50.

Great pizza, great cocktails and great prices. Love the setting and the friendly waitstaff. Definitely a good spot for a quick bite and a drink after work.

I got takeaway breakfast from here 3 days a week for about 2 months. Usually went with toast which is a generous serving and a good price ($4 for 2 slices of sourdough with spread).  I dined inside one time for a team breakfast. There were plenty of tables available but it was a hot day so sat inside a high bar style table. I had the haloumi bruschetta with poached eggs and pesto sauce. The dish itself was quite nice, generous portion, flavoursome. Eggs were cooked well, runny on the inside. My criticism would be the time it took the food to come out. It was a weekday morning when we dined here and there weren't a lot of other diners there. We waited about 30 minutes to get our food. Besides the wait, I quite enjoyed the food and would be interested in trying other options off the dine in menu.

Great lunch spot but most importantly great great coffee spot. I've always had service coffee here. I love the lunch variety and it's vedy conveniently located for me.

We came here for a mid-week lunch and were seated quickly. Staff were abundant and always on hand so I thought the service for our whole meal was great. I ordered the vegetarian pizza. Roasted vegetables, pesto, feta, olives and rocket. It was delicious. Often vegetarian pizzas can be very bland or just a bit boring but this one was excellent, packed full of flavour and I really enjoyed it. Great crispy base too. My husband chose the chicken parmigiana which came with chips and salad. A generous size meal, he enjoyed the whole thing, especially the tasty parmigiana. I really liked Santa Monica, it had a fresh, relaxed vibe with excellent service, delicious flavoursome meals and terrific value as it's on the Entertainment Card. Great spot.

Rating: 2.5<br/>In yet another roll of the burger dice, mediocrity was the winner today. Cheeseburger was average *coughDRYcough* but thankfully the crunchy battered fries with super fluffy innards saved the day. The whole shebang was only $13 so no harm no foul I spose.<br/><br/>Appreciated the quick table service during our precious lunch break & no nonsense approach to happily splitting bills. <br/><br/>Better luck next time.

Santa Monica is a good spot to catch up with a small group of friends, share food and have a few drinks. There is full table service so no standing in bar lines and the nutella shots are delicious! They do a few cocktail jugs as well as your usual beers, ciders and spirits. The food is decent, not standout but good for what this place is - a casual dining restaurant and bar. I have only been on a Friday night and they have a duo singing rnb music . It's a good, fun, casual venue.

IG @nanakoot_culinary<br/><br/>Love the ambience ... place is super cute and homey. I only ordered a cappucino and a cookie for my daughter so can’t say much about the food. Service was good ... friendly and fast. <br/>Sorry, forgot to take picture of the coffee and cookie 🍪

Had the Santa Monica burger... Only one word needed: Good. Oh also, they let us change the fries for pulled pork fries!! Amazing, love the atmosphere there too.<br/><br/>Shame it's only open M-F though.

I've eaten here a multiple times, and ordered their food from uber eats more than plenty as well. The food is always good, but ofcourse there are days better than others (I've considered the time factor with delivery). Service is quick but some workers aren't so polite. The ambience is great for a casual get together with friends or even a relaxed chill date. Overall, I return to this place often because the burgers and chips are exceptional.

Came here late on a Monday night looking for a bite to eat. Ordered the Santa Monica burger and it was phenomenal, one of the best burgers I've had in a long time. Service was great, burger came quick and the staff were friendly and didn't rush us out the door even though they were about to close up. I also loved the decor here and the city surrounding the place looked awesome. Highly recommended.

Ate here on my own on a work trip to BNE. Didn't feel uncomfy as a single female traveller. The decor resembled a franchise type place like Hogs Breath, minus the kids. I ordered the prawns linguine in chilli tomato sauce and a glass of Argentinian red. Pasta was slightly over cooked and prawns soft - I was wondering if they were frozen and reheated... upbeat music and friendly officious waitresses. I probably wouldn't come here with a date or on a gals night out, but good for the lone traveller and even families. I shoulda known from the large laminated menus not to expect gourmet food..!

Good burgers in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. If you're having a day where you don't care about the calories it's definitely worth a visit!

Had a friend's birthday here, left the place feeling "this is what A+ hospitality means". We had an issue at our table and the manager went above and beyond to make us feel that we would not regret coming. The food was outstanding, the shrimp baguette on particular. As a gesture of good will the manager arranged a special announcement for our friend's birthday. Could not be more impressed!! 😍😘

I did it! After months of walking past and peering at people's food - I finally gave in and went to Santa Monica for lunch. I was not disappointed.<br/><br/>Met a friend for lunch at about it 11.30am today and it was definitely the best time to go. We were only 2 of 5 patrons there so service was swift and quick. We were happy with water so no fancy drinks for us.<br/><br/>Food! I ordered the Beef Cheeks Pappardelle - and I'll be honest. My expectations weren't high - I had this pre-conceived notion that Santa Monica was better known for burgers than pasta. Boy, was I wrong. I ate my words and all of my amazing pappardelle.<br/><br/>The beef cheeks was so incredibly tender. I stabbed a piece of it with my fork to take a photo and it fell apart! The pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce the meat was cooked in, coated the pasta so well. What I particularly loved is the amount of pasta that was served and how much meat was on my plate. A lot of places serve heaps of pasta with not much sauce. Santa Monica was the opposite - a little less pasta and so much of everything else. Served with sundried tomatoes, onion, pine nuts and fresh basil and drizzled with a balsamic reduction- every bite was so flavourful. So much texture and depth to the dish - I was so impressed. <br/><br/>My only critique would be that it was a little oily - the sundried tomatoes added a little more oil to the dish that wasn't needed. I also found it quite interesting that both sundried tomatoes and a balsamic reduction was used on the same dish. Both elements are sweet so I would have appreciated something slightly acidic. I would have omitted the balsamic reduction from the dish too - with the beef cheeks served in such a rich tomato sauce, I found the balsamic quite out of place.<br/><br/>All in all, great experience and a definite go to for future catch ups!

Great restaurant/bar, perfect venue for after work dinner and drinks. Staff were lovely and the food was quite delicious. Serving sizes are quite big here, so come on an empty stomach. We ordered the classic cheeseburger and the sunset dog. Both items came with a large serving of fries. The fries are different to any other fries we've tried before, their seasoning and texture were quite moreish. The hotdog isn't your standard American hotdog, I quite like the fact that it had a German twist to it. I asked for mine with no sauerkraut. This was really great. The sausage was flavoursome and the crispy onions added a little extra something to the meal. The cheeseburger was great as well, the patty was moist and the bun was super fresh.<br/><br/>Overall, we quite enjoyed our experience here and are keen to come back to try the pizzas!

Had my first visit at Santa Monica on a Thursday night. Ordered the (enormous!!!) hot dog and some fries. Food was great and the staff were friendly. The only negative was that the music was very loud and we had to shout over it to chat. Apart from that - nice spot with decent food!

Very quick turn around. Yummy food. Friendly stuffs. Perfect location. Dessert was awesome. Nice place for party. Highly recommend for drinkers and food lovers.

What a disappointment. It's never a good sign when tables seated 15 mins after you, get their meal before you. I had the Chicken burger. The cheese slice was thicker than the crumbed chicken pease. The bun had no flavour and neither did the rest of it. Save your money.

Work lunch function......a bit on the wary side as being raised in America I have higher standards for American food here, pleasantly surprised. Food came out quick, decent portions, pleasant flavours, everyone was really happy with their orders. I had the crispy chicken burger and I don't like avocado but surprisingly I really liked the tomato guacamole on it. Fries were salty and delicious and hot. The portion sizes were perfect for a female but taller men like my partner would want larger. The staff are very friendly and pleasant and extremely well presented. Would only say they need to add some sort of fans for the humid weather that Brisbane always has. Will definitely come back. Next time we will try the shared cocktails menu.......well done Santa Monica!

If you've read any of my previous reviews, you'll know that I am a city worker. When I heard that Santa Monica had opened, and their specialty was burgers & pizza, I immediately had to visit... twice. I've had both takeaway and dined in at Santa Monica. The first thing you'll notice upon entry is the wait staff are absolutely fantastic. When you arrive, they swiftly seat you and seem to time the second approach to take your order perfectly, even when the restaurant is almost full.<br/><br/>The burgers are absolutely fantastic - especially when they're served with a free side of crispy chips. If you're not starving you can order a cheeseburger and chips for $11 - fantastic value for the city. Overall, I could not fault this restaurant. The quality of food vs. price exceeded my expectations, and the staff were simply brilliant.

The menu is casual and fun, very American, yet boasting a playful Italian touch. You’ll find burgers, pizzas, hearty pasta dishes such as the beef cheek pappardelle ($19) - with slow cooked Aceto Balsamico beef cheeks, sundried tomatoes, red onions, mushrooms, pine nuts & Parmesan cheese which we had recently. The burger choices are solid here, when in doubt, go for the Santa Monica burger which comes with two flame-grilled Black Angus beef patties, American cheddar cheese, special sauce, dill pickle, oak lettuce, red onion, tomato & smokey BBQ sauce ($18). I love the ricotta cannoli as well; for $12, you get three cannoli filled with homemade sweet ricotta cream, topped with chocolate flakes & candied orange zest, great for sharing or just indulging in them all by yourself…

I WAS NOT DONE WITH MY FOOD! The restaurant vibe was pleasant and the food was nice. NO is not an answer to every question. The lady came too often and there was insufficient wank facilities plus she took my fork. Food is yum. The collective noun for the employees in this so-called restaurant is 'cunce'. There were no toilets signs :(<br/><br/>Best night of my life <br/>11/10<br/><br/>Warmest regards<br/>Your friend CJ<br/>

I don't know where to start and I wished it was good. Can I please recommend, when a customer requests to sit at a booth and the response is "we usually reserve those for larger crowds" it's not a good start... especially when half your establishment is empty and it's 8pm on a Thursday night. Unfortunately I had been told and also read great things about this place. Tonight it was not up to the standard I had expected. <br/>It's ok to have a technical issue and not enter the tables drinks order, but please accept responsibility for it and not use the excuse "some cocktails take a little longer to make". Pimms is not a difficult drink. <br/>I do appreciate the delivery of on the house entrees to counter this oversight. Thank you for the thought.<br/>The food was ok, the stand out dish was the chips with cheese, bacon and jalepenos. When your side dish is the best dish you have to be a little concerned.<br/>The presentation and location of the restaurant are great! But please consider attention to detail as the brand stickers were still on the side of the new jugs that you served the Pimms in. They are pretty easy to remove and were already coming off. <br/>An o.k. night. I really want to say more but maybe next visit.

I have been here twice and have always had the cheeseburger. It's delicious! For $11 you get a tasty burger and fries! Perfect! I would recommend this place for dinner or even drinks. They have a great wine and cocktail list!

Came here with friends last night. Good atmosphere and great food. The Mrs had the salmon salad, which was okay. Our friends ordered a diavola pizza, which was average. I ordered the Santa Monica burger, which was gigantic and tasty. We also ordered from the entree some side dishes to share - calamari and the shared plate. But at the end did the night, it was the chicken wings and pork belly that stole the show. They were sensational and highly recommended.