Hinterland

Very quaint spot. Careful, though: You might not notice it, if you’re not looking.
All black everything (even the garlic!), the ambiance is minimalist gorg, as is the staff and the reDICulously expensive food.
After bitching about the price of four asparagus spears, complete with mushroom white truffle oil and mushroom deuxelle aioli, the lil’ prince reminded me that we’re «paying for the experience.» Mmhm. But keep in mind he has to tell himself that because his restaurant charges the same prices.
The cheese plate was delish, but we forgot to ask where they get their fruit bread… scrummmmmptious! Bonus: Stellar wine selection and a few choice beers on tap.
Going back for brunch.

I have been here a few times. I usually order the pork chip, which seems to be one of the popular items on the menu. Anyone ordering it won’t be disappointed. The pork chop is super tender and flavorful!

What’s a hinterland? I’ll probably never know. Came here early for brunch because I saw it recommended on thrillist. We didn’t need reservations but came right at open and got a table right away. They seated us in the front near the entrance. Warning: it gets a little cramped in that area, so I hope you like being nice and cozy with the people next to you.
For the food we got the cheese plate for an appetizer. It was okay, overpriced for what you get and I wasn’t blown away by any of the cheeses. I’d prob opt for the charcuterie next time and see how that is. Also got the quiche and that was great. Cooked well with something delicious in every bite.
All in all I enjoyed our experience and didn’t get that bad pretentious vibe like some reviews mentioned but be prepared to drop some $$…wait that’s not enough i mean $$$

This was a really perfect meal from start to finish. We dined on Reserve, the reservations app. Easy to get a table on there.
Started with Sauv Blanc and a the cheese board. Do yourself a favor and get this – the cheeses were all soo good and they don’t chins on bread. I know I live in LA but I also like to eat bread with my cheese. Thanks for bringing adequate amounts of it, Hinterland!
I got the shrimp and grits with shishito peppers which was really amazing. I could have kept eating it. It does only include 3 shrimp, but they are big and really well prepared. My friend got the burger, which looked and smelled amazing. For a side we got the cauliflower, which has a sweeter sauce than I was thinking it would have, but it was still really good. Local ice cream for dessert made this a really great meal.
They do still have a couple kinks to work through, but all in all this is a great spot on Main Street.

I first ate at Hinterland about two weeks ago, and have been back twice. That’s how much I liked it. It has the easy vibe (minimal but not slick décor) and farm/​market-​to-​table small plate comfort food vibe of a Brooklyn neighborhood spot (I miss living in Williamsburg only because of the neighborhood hipster restaurants like Diner & Walter Foods). There aren’t many restaurants like this on the Westside yet (well, there are a handful TRYING to do it, but not many of legit quality).
The first two visits we had the roast chicken, which was ON POINT. Tuesday we were encouraged to get the fried chicken (special) which I wasn’t thrilled about (my favorite fried chicken is Château Marmot on Sunday night). It was pretty good, but didn’t blow my mind, and didn’t come with the requisite sides that make fried chicken really bangin (fried chicken should be FUN, and come with a biscuit and honey!).
The shrimp and grits was a hit. Yes.
First 2 visits we got the octopus salad (beautiful presentation and flavors) and all three times I ordered the cauliflower, which is OUTSTANDING (oddly it came plated a bit differently each time, and the portion sizes were varied as well, with Tues night having a rather small portion). Twice I had the kale and beet salad (it’s good, but I’m really over kale salads, frankly — I find it tedious to see them on every menu these days; obviously this was chosen by my friends).
My last visit we tried the pickled vegetables, which were novel (including a red-​meat radish — not sure if it was colored by beet juice or actually had red meat — it looked like a cherry tomato). Not too different from A-Frame’s pickles but a more varied assortment of types of veggies. I wouldn’t get it again at $ 14 (pickled veggies feel more like a condiment than a dish, to me), but was worth a try.
The first two visits we ordered a moderately pricey bottle of wine (the Faust cab), but I decided to branch out and try some of their wines by the glass last time, and it turns out that may be the way to go. The Syrah ($ 12) is very good, but the Tempranillo ($ 14, I believe) is excellent.
The only dessert I tried (not big on dessert) was the bread pudding, which wasn’t super moist. Maybe it’s a personal preference thing, but I like my bread pudding to be SOAKING in boozy, brown-​sugary goo. This had some sauce, but not enough — more like an afterthought.
The servers are on the young side, nice to look at, and cheerful (not attitude-​y). There was different waitstaff each visit, so unfortunately i didn’t get to have that nice comfort of familiarity that you really want to have at a neighborhood spot.
My first two visits were on Sat & Wed nights, and the third was a Tues. I will probably avoid on Tuesdays because my guess is it was a different cook in the kitchen (unless I learn otherwise), and the food was just a touch less tasty than on my previous visits.
My criticisms are minor, and overall I find this to be a really wonderful neighborhood restaurant, and I will probably go back often (until it gets annoyingly trendy, but hopefully it will stay just enough under the radar to be successful but not impossible to get a table at). It is small and unpretentious, and the food is Gjelina-​level quality (but thank God it’s not Gjelina).

Wanted to try something new for brunch and somewhere in the Main Street or Venice area that we could ride our bikes to. There is a social bike hub directly across the street, which was quite convenient.
I’ve had Hinterland book marked for a while. They take reservations on Opentable, which makes things nice and easy.
We shared the octopus salad to start, followed by the Spanish omelette. The octopus was tender and served on a bed of hummus with cucumbers and olives. I’ve never had octopus in a salad before and it worked well.
The Spanish omelette (or frittata) came with mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheddar and potatoes. Good flavor and a lovely breakfast item. We added a side of avocado and bacon.
Service was very friendly and the space was cute. Prices were higher than I would have thought as this meal ended up being over $ 50.

Perfection! Ambiance, food, and wine selection are all superb. Can not wait to come back with more friends!

We tried Hinterland again and the service was exemplary. Kristen and Chris made our night a memorable one. The pork chops were so tender, a must try. Shrimp and grits were tasty — grits were well refined and smooth. Chris came by at the right times to check on us and ask us if we needed anything. Kristen was very warm and welcoming, with a family touch to the atmosphere. We will be back to try brunch soon.

We came here for my sister in laws birthday dinner after hearing great things about this place and we were very disappointed. We all believe that our waitress, Kristen, was drunk. She was mumbling, couldn’t fully produce a sentence or think of the right words to say, plus she looked like she was drunk (glazed eyes, swaying and teetering). The biggest disappointment of the evening was she forgot to bring my sister in laws chicken. We all decided to start eating our food anyways and my sister in law was eating off our plates in the meantime. We FINISHED our meals and the table was cleared and THEN her chicken came. It was very embarrassing and obvious she forgot to put the order in. She kindly offered 2 comped desserts for us. The desserts came about 2 min after the chicken.
Clearly we expected the chicken meal to be taken off the bill, but it wasn’t. She gave us the check and watched us look at it seeing if she could get away with it. We complained to her and she took it back to the manager. Surprisingly and thankfully they comped about half of the bill which was very generous of them.
I’m also surprised that the manager never came over to us to apologize or anything. We never met him/​her. I think the owner of this establishment should know how their restaurant is being run. It really made me never want to go back ever again. It was literally the worst service I have ever received.
The reason I gave this place even 2 stars is because I liked the ambiance and their menu was interesting. I also appreciated the fact that they comped us so well.

The food here was just OK — really doesn’t live up the hype and pretentiousness of their Main Street location and attitude.
Made a reservation here through OpenTable just a few days prior (there were LOTS of available seating for a Saturday night, easy peasy). Often, busy restaurants will call to confirm their reservations, so I wasn’t surprised to get a message from them the night before. «You better be here on time, or we will give your table away after 15 minutes.» Uh, thanks… Yes, I think that’s usually understood, but to actually threaten that, when you had a LOT of openings??? Really rubbed me the wrong way.
When we actually got there that night, surprise!, the place empty… come on! Our party of 4 (including me, a waddling preggers) was squeezed into the smallest booth — like the table was pressing up against my belly. Even though there were other, more spacious tables available. We had to ask to be moved, and again, squeezed into another small (though a little more breathable) booth.
By this point, the food better be worth it — which it just wasn’t.
The only saving grace was being about to walk around Main Street after dinner — it was a nice night with some shops to peruse. I really wouldn’t recommend this place — maybe for a drink. And if you like checking out guys with well quaffed facial hair…

Went to Hinterland last Monday with a group of 10. We sat down, and no one came to take our order for drinks for about 20 minutes. I had to ask multiple times if a server was going to help us. The staff seemed very confused and unorganized. The restaurant wasn’t even busy!!! Service was pretty horrible. I always had to flag somebody down to refill drinks, order desserts… nobody ever came by…
the food on the other hand was good! the meat and cheese boards were delicious, pork chop, shrimp and grits were tasty, all desserts were on point.
In summary, food is good but service is not.

My sister and I had a really wonderful experience here for dinner. I take away one star just because I wasn’t blown away by the scallop dish that I ordered, but everything else was sublime. Not to mention all of the servers were attentive, friendly, and probably models… but, I digress.
I had a beautiful salad with beets (which I normally hate), lettuce and the most DELICIOUS dressing that I’ve ever had in my life. I think that I could have eaten a mixing bowl full of the salad and be a happy camper. My sister started with the octopus greek salad and had the shrimp in grits. Oh my goodness, oh my damn… Highly recommend it! It seems that the menu changes, so can’t speak to the other dishes but had a lovely time.

OK… SO much hype here. The service is slow and the hosts here are fumbling around at the door mostly socializing. Made a reservation for indoors in a booth and when we got there, we had 3 booths open but the host insisted on sitting us outside. Super crowded front patio and not a comfortable place trying to be something special but missing the mark. Dinner for 2 was decent but grossly over priced for what it was. The only saving grace was the cheese tray but honestly, if a cheese plate is the best thing about a restaurant, then well… probably not a place that is going to be around for a while. Too much hype and way better alternatives on main street. NOT recommended.

TLDR: Caution: Eating here may cause you to grunt like Rick Ross.
Everyone elks: Hinterland proved to be better than expected. The pictures on Unilocal really don’t do the food and ambiance justice. Only downside is their draft list is pretty dismal and practically just IPA’s, which if you drink, makes you a good candidate to tag along on a desert episode of Man vs. Wild.
Parking:
Parking on Main Street, Santa Monica can be hit-​or-​miss depending on what time you go. Lunch time isn’t too swell for the whole street-​parking thing and you’ll usually be forced to just park in one of the many lots in the area. If you’re determined to eat here for supper and find street parking, you won’t have too much trouble between 5 p.m. and 8:30 or 9:00 p.m.
Le Ambiance:
The interior is really charming. Some people may even say it’s cherubic. I’m not really sure what «cherubic» means, because I’m a dude, and dude’s don’t use that word. There’s actually tea-​light candles everywhere and some subway tile stuff. Dark furniture. Nothing feels cheap.
Special note on Le Ambiance***: My wife and I noticed that nearly every couple eating here consisted of a white guy and a non-​white girl. This means if you’re down with the whole IR relationship thing, this is a good place to go, i guess. It really is a good place for anyone to go but just something I noticed. #progress
Service:
Service was nothing extraordinary. That doesn’t mean it was bad though, I just mean they weren’t exactly rushing over to give me a bj or anything (Which they wouldn’t do anyway because this isn’t a brothel or gay bath house, it’s a restaurant. If that’s what you’re looking for, I suggest you stop reading right now because you’re sure to be disappointed with the rest of this review.). If my water needed to be filled up, it was filled before it was empty. If my beer was a quarter empty, I was asked if I wanted another. We didn’t wait too long to order and food came out fast. At 8:15 on Friday night, I called to see how long the wait for two was they got me a seat 20 minutes later. I live 20 minutes away, so I was able to drive there, park, and sit down.
Food:
The food is amazing. With each dish that I ordered, I thought to myself, «I can’t imagine this tasting any better.» I ordered the Neiman Ranch pork chop and mushroom grits, and my wife ordered the fries and Charred Octopus Greek Salad thing.
Pork Chop — Like I said above, I can’t imagine a pork chop tasting any better. It was cooked very well and was very tender as well.
Mushroom Grits — A ton of mushrooms cooked very well and very tasty. The grits were parmesan grits. The problem with parmesan anything, is that sometimes you can’t really tell it has parmesan in it. These grits didn’t have this problem as each bite had a very pronounced taste of parmesan. (How many times did I just write «parmesan?»)
Fries — Big AF. Each fry is a quarter of a huge potato. Aioli and barbeque sauce came with them. Each was solid.
Charred Octopus Salad Thing — Octopus was good, but wife wasn’t super impressed with it. The taste and quality was comparable to the octopus on the octopus tacos at Petty Cash, if you’ve ever been there.
Price:
It’s got $$$ so use good judgement when planning to eat here. We got 3 beer, 2 sides, and 2 entrees for under $ 100 and thought I was going to explode from how full I was, so I guess you can say it’s a fair price. I definitely didn’t think «God damn it, I’m ruined.» when the check came out.
Overall:
Definitely a must-​try if you live in Los Angeles. Only regret is not getting the Bread Pudding. If you go there, get it for me. I don’t mean get it and eat it in my honor, I mean like bring me some. That ish looks good son.

I was excited to check this place out but left feeling disappointed.
The space was cramped and rather loud. The service was slow.
Smoked salmon avocado toast– pretty tasty. I appreciated the generous amount of smoked salmon although found it to be a little too salty
Persimmon burrata– good but nothing to write home about. The persimmons were sliced paper thin and were overshadowed by the burrata.
Mussels– meh. The mussels were tiny, dry, and did not taste fresh, and the broth was overly sweet.
Shrimp with grits– The shrimp had good flavor but were sadly overcooked.

Yum!
1. Squid salad with hummus– divine!
2. Salmon– cooked perfectly!
3. Pork chop– tender and juicy
4. Shrimp and grits– tasty
5. Bread pudding with ice-​cream– perfect way to end the evening.
Was super impressed with this place and enjoyed the wine selection also. Would definitely come back!

New clean, intimate restaurant in Santa Monica serving modern American cuisine. Find wonderful seafood offerings such as the Charred Octopus Greek Salad with Hummus, Red Onion, Olives and Tomato Purée. Or the Oysters served with Ginger Mignonette, Mandarin Granita & Salsa Verde — so refreshing to the palate.
For something more hearty I’d recommend a comforting bowl of Shrimp & Creamy Grits with chorizo and shishito pepper. Or the Fried Egg & Pastrami Sandwich with Cheddar, Arugula, Pickled Onions and Spicy Mayo served on a Brioche Bun available for brunch.
Amongst all the Charcuterie Boards I have tried theirs happens to be a favorite. The board comes with Chicken Liver-​Bourbon Pâté, Fra’ Mani Salami, Applewood Smoked Duck Breast, Pickled Veggies, Hot Mustard, Apricot Mustard, and Charred Italian Bread. Available for both Brunch & Dinner.
I believe one of the Jonas brothers might be an owner or whatnot. If you’re a teeny bopper — run! Go see if he’s there! haha… Space is limited though which means you might wanna book in advance.

Four of us made a res for 9:15 Saturday night. We got there an hour early, checked in then went next door to drink beers at Library Ale House. We returned on time and were seated promptly by the hostess. Our waiter, who seemed kind of manager-​esque, did a good sales job on the appetizers.
The charcuterrie plate was exotic and good– the toast was especially good. The clams were ok but my wife thought they tasted a little funky. They forgot our salmon avocado toast and I forgot we ordered it until we were in the car going home– not sure if we got charged for it since my friend picked up the check. I had the chicken entrée which was really really good. My friends had the shrimp & grits and pork chop and their plates ended up bare so I’m assuming they enjoyed it. Wine was good too. The vibe and people watching is great. I’d go back there again.

Cute place with beautiful brick wall and a skylight that casts a gorgeous natural glow to the restaurant. I want to go on a date here please, thanks future bf/​husband!
We stopped by for brunch on a whim as we shopped down Main. There was no hint of the name of the restaurant but it was so cute we stopped anyway to look at the menu. I got the baked eggs and my friend got the pastrami sandwich. My eggs needed a little bit of salt fot my taste and was a little overcooked, but I really enjoyed the combination with the charred rustic bread. My friend’s sandwich looked awesome and if I still ate meat, would have loved to indulge.

Suzie Q’s Fun Facts:
Joe Jonas is one of the owners of Hinterland.
This restaurant’s name, meaning «the land behind a coastline» in German, is an oblique reference to its location: Santa Monica.
=≅≅≅≅≅≅~
I was born in a generation too old to appreciate the music of the Jonas Brothers. In fact, my dining companions and I (a decade younger than me, even) couldn’t name a single song released by the group.
I admire Joe Jonas’ desire to branch out into «the hinterland» beyond what he, in his young life, has known — beyond music, beyond screaming prepubescent girls, beyond ephemeral fame — and into the unknown: Sophisticated, restrained upscale-​casual dining.
Mostly, his early efforts can be deemed a success. This is not a «cash in on the fame of the owner» kind of exercise (like the awful Beso is for Eva Longoria). I don’t think Jonas has even done much, if any publicity at all for Hinterland.
And there’s some real finesse and skill at work here: The service is restrained but friendly, the design of the dining room is sophisticated and understated, and all our food was reasonably priced and satisfying. We especially loved the bacon and egg salad («breakfast salad,» I joked).
That doesn’t mean I loved everything about Hinterland. The space is unbelievably slender, resulting in a cramped feeling, despite the outdoor-​indoor design. And the menu was less seasonally-​inspired as I’d like; last night’s options included not one, but two dishes (mushrooms, and shrimp) featuring a large pool of grits, and both — while delicious — were rather heavy, more appropriate for a late Fall meal than a late Spring one. So was the huge grilled pork chop: delicious, but kind of intense.
Nor was my party impressed with the $ 5 bread rolls (these weren’t delicious or unique enough to merit a charge, e.g. should have been offered «on the house»), or the texture of our dessert, the grilled peach panna cotta (the «panna» was not that creamy or silky, with a broken, odd consistency).
In all fairness, Hinterland’s only been open a couple of months, and understandably is still finding its footing. I look forward to returning later this year, at which point I hope to add another star to my rating.
Side note: This is my 400^th Unilocal review. Rock on!