Truxton’s American Bistro

Ancho shrimp was sweet, savory. Monkey bread was ok since I’m not a fan of bread. I like she spaghetti with meatball. It was well seasoned and meatballs were delicious! Service was great with my server Brandon during lunch. I will definitely be back to check out burgers and salads and those chicken wings.

Cheap and tasty happy hour. I can’t believe I stuffed my face AND got a cocktail for $ 10. I wanted everything on the menu! The shrimp tacos are the best I’ve ever had but kind of sweet so if that’s not your thing get the fish tacos instead. I think I ate an entire plate of garlic Parmesan fries by myself. And I had a really great bay breeze here for only $ 5!

Love this place, all the staff are amazing, the food is sooo good, some of the best American food I’ve ever had.
This is 1 of my best spots in Santa Monica, I highly recommend it.

Food: The pastrami sandwich was not bad, great portions. But everything else we ordered in the appetizers and dinner like monkey bread, flat bread, etc. were cold! Not happy at all. Drinks were very watered down.
Service: The reason I gave two stars and not one. Service was helpful and polite, but we waited so long we didn’t want to send the cold food back.
Spent over $ 100 for three people and don’t think I will be coming back.

Had the $ 6 unlimited mimosas. ⁵⁄₅ for that. The wait was about 10 minutes on a busy weekend. Not bad at all imo. The service was great and the food came out pretty fast. Ordered a veggie omelette. Loved it! ⁵⁄₅ on food. ⁵⁄₅ on service. ⁵⁄₅ on ambiance.

Yes, I’m a fan for this Truxton’s! They have the best kept secret in town… their weekend Brunch.
Delicious meal along with $ 4.95 bottomless mimosa’s!

Randomly dropped by this place for lunch after playing some tennis nearby.
The place is a bit cramped and we had to walk around like 4 sets of tables to get to our seat in the corner. On a bit of a health kick lately so I opted for a salad while my friend got a Portland burger. The Monkey Bread looked really really tempting, but I guess I’ll have to try it next time.
I got the taco salad which is kind of a refined tostada. The crispy wheat tortilla was actually a good, healthy substitute. The salad was fresh, not too large, and had all the Mexican flavors I love. There wasn’t too much dressing and it added a slight kick, but I added more tapatio and it was even better! (Cuz tapatio makes everything better)
Friend said the burger was pretty good. Good bread, juicy steak, with mushrooms and onions piled on high. He said the garlic parmesan fries were forgettable though.
Enjoyed the lunch but didn’t get to try their most popular dishes so excited to visit again!
Semi-​unrelated rant: The place offers valet for 2.5. Didn’t feel great about paying it since the surrounding blocks were completely empty of cars but you needed a permit to park there. LAME Santa Monica, LAME… (Also your parking signs confusing and suck).

The food here is terrible. It is also a seniors hangout. You don’t wanna take a date here unless both of you are on Medicare. The restaurant looks big from the street, but it is tiny inside. I can’t tell if they want to be a restaurant, a sports bar, or a glorified Denny’s?
The onion soup tasted like a bottle of salt. The American burger was bland.
Would not come back or suggest anyone under 65 to come here.

Not sure why I expected this place to be a lot more fancy than it was. Not gonna lie, the décor here is pretty bad and this place looks like a fast food chain. BUT, the food here is delicious.
My friend and I shared the Monkey Bread and the Portland Burger (per our server’s recommendation). The monkey bread was AMAZING. My friend and I are carb-​lovers, and this definitely hit the spot. The bread was warm and soft, and it came with some garlic butter sauce… yes. There are other sauce options available, but trust me, go with the garlic butter one. This monkey bread is a MUST GET! The Portland burger was also really delicious – the patty was thick and juicy. It comes with some fries and the fries were nice and crispy.
We came here by über so I’m not exactly sure about the parking situation. But from what I see there is not parking lot available and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of street parking available either.

Came through to the Santa Monica location once I heard they had $ 4 bottomless mimosas– definitely the cheapest in LA, especially the Westside. Next best deal on bottomless is over at Overland in Culver City. I had some decent expectations that food would be good as well, but that did not turn out how it was.
Parking is easy to find– lots of street parking. No need to bother with valet, unless you’re extremely lazy.
Came here with friends, waited twenty minutes till we were seated. That’s fine, the place was crowded on a Sunday morning at twenty before noon. Lots of televisions, bar seating, some outdoor seating– definitely not a place to bring bigger groups. I would recommend sticking with a party of four. We were a party of six and that almost seemed like an issue because they only have so many tables to fit that capacity.
Service was all over the place. One of the waitresses was super on top of it, such a sweetheart. Another was in a daze, kept forgetting us, messed up an order, etc. She definitely forgot about us for a bit– maybe they’re understaffed? Who knows.
We started off with the bottomless, which I will have to let you know are probably 90% champagne and 10% orange juice from the nearest liquor store. Normally, I love a strong drink– but first thing in the morning, come on. It might as well have just been bottomless champagne if you were not going to pour in any orange juice. Not tasty at all– $ 4 bottomless is too good to be true, everyone. Just to give you an idea before you assume I am exaggerating, the caveat is filled with an entire bottle of champagne before this questionable orange juice is poured in. Don’t worry though, your glass will always be full here.
Now maybe I could excuse the 90 – 10 mimosas if the food was good. But at this point I am solidly buzzed and the eggs benedict were STILL meh. Typically, drunk me loves any type of food. So if I am having issues with food and I’ve got a solid buzz going on, then the food must really not be that tasty. Needless to say, I have definitely had better. I think the issue with eggs benedict at most places (here included) is the Hollandaise sauce is always different (for whatever reason) and most places seem to mess it up. Truxton’s was no exception to this, folks. Change the Hollandaise sauce, and we’ve got some decent eggs benedict most likely because the muffin beneath it was perfectly fine. I was a sad individual that day, forcing myself to finish the food (in an attempt to provide my body with something other than champagne). Luckily, I had my friend’s fruit next to me to supplement my appetite.
Overall, $ 4 bottomless was too good to be true. Spend a little more and go elsewhere.

Quick summary under 75 words: Oh hayyyyy bottomless mimosas (although overly sweet) for $ 4! But what did I expect for the low cost? Our waitress swung by often with the refills and the food was on point. Kale bowl was what I ordered but I was really eyeing the vegetarian «beef» tacos a friend of mine got. The vegetarian options of this place are great. We waited a bit for seating on a Saturday, but it wasn’t too terrible.
DONT PARK ON THE STREET WITHOUT A PERMIT! Just go for the $ 2.50 valet. You WILL get ticketed and it WILL be well over $ 60 ($ 64 to be exact).

This place gets pretty busy. About a 15 min wait on a Saturday afternoon and it was well worth it! The reason we picked this spot is because they catered to vegetarians & offered BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS! yesss!!!
Grilled Artichokes are not my favorite considering there isnt much to eat but everyone else enjoyed it.
The Pancakes are PHENOMENAL! This is a must order! There was so much we ended up sharing it with the table next to us :)
Southwest Quinoa Salad was Delicious! I loved it!
Vegetarian Steak Tacos were surprisingly good. I swear you can’t tell whether it was real or imitation meat. Flavoring was good too! Thumbs up!
We came here as a party of 5 & had the time of our lives! Our server Liz was so much fun! But then again with a bubbly personable personality like hers how could she not be?! We love you Liz! Sorry if we took FULL advantage of bottomless mimosas & took forever to leave ;)
Overall experience was a great time & if I’m ever back in Santa Monica this will be my go to brunch spot! :)

Came here for brunch on a Sunday morning around 10:30 with three other people. Decided to check this place out for their $ 4 bottomless mimosas. Yes. $ 4 BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS. I couldn’t believe either.
The place wasn’t busy when we got there, so we were seated immediately. It started picking up around 11:30−12. I ordered the Tex mex omelette with the potatoes, and it was really delicious. My entire party enjoyed their meals.
The service here was great. Our server Natasha gave us a bunch of recommendations and provided excellent service throughout the day. I’m definitely coming back here whenever I get the chance.

Got salad, pasta and ice cream… Everything is super tasty! The Summer Kale Salad is outstanding. Light, tasty and sooooo good. I also got gelato and french toast, both of which were excellent. I’ll definitely be coming back :)

Here is the deal about Truxtons that kind of rubbed me the wrong way and really put me off from coming here again. It is, no matter how hard they try, a casual café with high prices and… valet??? I’m all for paying to have someone valet my vehicle when I am doing fine dining and wearing 5 inch sky high high heels and will not walk more than a foot if you pay me. But I will not valet my car at Denny’s or Ihops or Carl’s Jr so I felt rather silly paying $ 2.50 plus tip to have a guy valet my car while I am wearing sweats and flip flops… I mean really??? I am having lunch in a casual setting yet you won’t allow me to self park. No matter how hard you try to pretend you are a wolf in sheep’s clothing you are still a wolf. You can charge me $ 2.50 for valeting my whip however you are still a casual café, no matter how high you bend your prices.
Now let me say… the service by Yumi was PHENOMENAL!!! She is what every waitress should aim to be. If there is ever a «how to be a good waitress class» Yumi should teach it. She is amazing, and helped me with picking out healthier option on the menu and checked on me every time I needed her (she actually sensed when I needed her, how awesome is that).
But alas besides the great service, paying for unneeded valet is not the only thing that annoyed me. I was the only dummy sitting outside because there was no place available to sit on the inside. No fault of the restaurant at this point, they are busy, good for them. But sitting outside rubbed me the wrong way even more. I usually love sitting outside basking in the sun, but this was far from relaxing. Their seating is literally right next to a very busy intersection and across the street from a car dealership. It was loud as all heck, with awful drivers constantly honking, I kept breathing in exhaust fumes which was killing my appetite and it was so windy my menu kept blowing away. Again; no fault of the restaurant, not like they can build sound proof walls around the outdoor seating, but this was my experience and even though the service was above average I sadly still had a lousy lunch and most likely won’t be back.

I really wanted to like this place more than I did. Perhaps it was because I went in expecting something else.
It touts itself as an american bistro, which I guess it is, sort of. They have valet parking ($ 2.50) in a lot that could easily just be used normally. Weird for this part of town. The waiters are all dressed in similar outfits which was helpful for understanding who might be able to bring you more water, but it also made the break schedule pretty obvious. At all times during our late afternoon visit there were no fewer than two employees eating at individual tables in the dining room. There was also one waiter who whistled intermittently through our visit. I have zero understanding of why a business owner or manager would let their employees whistle or sing or anything like that during their shifts. It’s just really unprofessional and makes it feel like why am I spending my money here?
To the food. We ordered salads and cups of soup. The soup was great. The salad I got was the bistro salad which is supposed to be vegetarian — no meat, no fish, no poultry is to be in the salad. However, about half way through eating my salad I noticed a cooked shrimp hiding under some of the greenery on my plate. What the eff Truxton’s?! What if I had a seafood allergy?!? What if I’m a conscientious objector to seafood?!
At this point I was kind of over the soft pretention of our waitress and didn’t feel like bringing it to her attention since I am not allergic to seafood. It grossed me out to think that something like that somehow accidentally slipped into my salad though. Ugh.

Truxton’s is so unassuming from the outside but take a step in and get ready to be wow’ed! The first thing you’ll notice is how big and varied the menu is here. They have everything from sandwiches and burgers to flatbreads and pasta to tacos and everything in between. There’s truly something for everyone! And trust me, it’s all delicious.
My favorites on the menu are actually some of the starters. Truxton’s is «famous» for its monkey bread, with cheese, garlic, herbs, and butter baked into homemade pull-​apart bread. Dip it in some marinara sauce for a great way to start your meal! For something a little more, the Hand Rolled Barbacoa Taquitos topped with cotija cheese, cilantro, and chipotle crema and served with guacamole are packed with flavor and have just enough crunch. But if you really want to make great decisions in the massive menu you’ll be navigating at Truxton’s, the Firecracker Chicken Skewers are a MUST. Yes, they’re on the Starter menu but I am guilty of ordering these as a meal more than a couple of times. They have a sweet chili sauce on them that I literally crave now and have to come here just to get again. No joke – it’s THAT good!
Beyond the starters, the flatbreads are pretty good and I really enjoyed the Kicked Up Mac and Cheese when I tried it, made with a blend of five cheeses, applewood bacon, and roasted tomatoes, and topped with crispy onions. The burgers and sandwiches always look delicious but after the strong starter game, I never have enough room for anything that big and filling. Truxton’s is perfect too because they also have a lot of gluten-​free offerings so I can come here with my girlfriend and she has plenty of options. And it doesn’t hurt that the waitstaff is always super friendly and attentive!
In case that didn’t convince you to give this place a try, Truxton’s also has brunch on the weekends and I think it’s safe to say that I could come here every single Saturday morning/​afternoon for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. Everything on the menu is great (dare I say even better than their lunch/​dinner menu?) but I especially love their breakfast burrito with marinated beef barbacoa, breakfast flatbread, and waffles topped with a mountain of fruit and whipped cream. AND they have $ 4 bottomless mimosas. You read that right. $ 4. Bottomless. Mimosas. Plus it’s not even that busy on the weekends so it’s totally reasonable to come here with a group since they don’t take reservations! This place is a SERIOUS game changer and deserves way more attention than it gets.
Reading back through this review, I feel like it’s a bad infomercial with a bunch of «BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!» in it but I can’t say enough about how good it is. At this point, you’ve probably driven by Truxton’s at least a dozen times and never given it a second look but it’s time to «wake up and smell the coffee,» as they say. Whether it’s lunch, dinner, or weekend brunch, stop by and make Truxton’s your new favorite restaurant already!

I have been driving by this place for the past few months and finally was able to go for dinner a few days ago. If a diner and a Hillstone restaurant had a baby, it would be Truxton’s American Bistro.
There is so much variety at this place. It took us a good ten minutes to go through the whole menu — and even longer to make a decision.
The monkey bread with marinara was good but I would have preferred the bread to be a little warmer. The spinach dip was a special but there was way more spinach than cheese… especially for a five cheese spinach dip. Not sure how I feel about skimping out on that.
The fish and chips portion was huge. It was tasty but there was nothing stand out about the dish. The thai chicken flatbread was really good. The pickled cucumbers were the right taste and texture.
As for dessert, we got the cookie and passionfruit cheesecake. I really recommend the cheesecake. It’s different than most because you actually get a mini cheese cake AND it’s flipped upside down so the graham cracker crust is on the outside. The cookie was basic — I honestly prefer BJ’s pizookie.
Overall, it was a good balance of taste, quantity, and price. If you’re not sure what you’re up for, then I would recommend coming here. You’ll be able to find something.

I stopped in today for a birthday lunch with a friend of mine. The crowd was low, I’m sure due to the time of day so we were seated immediately. Our waiter was very friendly and offered suggestions since I’d never eaten there before.
I ended up with the beef chili and monkey bread with a side of garlic butter. Mind you there’s was delicious pieces of garlic, butter and olive oil. My friend had the mac and cheese. You could literally taste every spice in the chili and the monkey bread was fantastic.
The atmosphere is calm and intimate. I’ll definitely stop in for lunch soon.

Its Santa Monica week! My Cambodian wing gal lives in the area, and wanted to show me some places where locals hang. So we stopped by here for a snack after a b’ness gig. I have heard a lot about Truxton’s located on the corner of Santa Monica & 14^th in SM. BTW, this is their second location to accompany the original in Westchester. Truxton’s offers American Bistro fair w/​a twist.
For appetizers, Truxton’s offers items like sliders and ancho honey glazed shrimp. Secondarily, for entrees, they offer diverse items like carnitas and miso salmon. Of course, Truxton’s serves burgers & sandwiches, but they also serve pasta like Louisiana Blackened Shrimp & pizza.
We ordered the Vietnamese Chicken wings ($ 10.85 — 8 wings and a fish sauce laced w/​peppers), and Pat’s pastrami ($ 14.98 — Cheese roll, pastrami, lettuce and pickle w/​thousand island dressing). On the side, my wing gal ordered a bowl of rice ($ 4.25 — WTH?!).
The wings were OK, but the sauce is what put them over the top. They were nicely fried, and the sauce had a nice kick to it w/​all the peppers: 4 Stars. On the other hand, the pastrami sandwich was just OK. The pastrami tasted good. But it was overpriced, should not have contained lettuce, and would be better off served w/​a grainy mustard. The thousand island was overkill, because the roll already had cheese on it. In addition, we ordered a combo of parmesan & sweet potato fries. However, we received a small portion of the former as though it was meant to be a half portion, and they forgot the sweet potato fries: 3 Stars.
The ambiance is OK. There are a few booths, a number of tables, and a few seats at the bar: 3 Stars. Rachel, the bartender was very friendly and nice. Nonetheless, we had to ask her to refill our waters a few times: 3 Stars.
If I am in the area, I would come back for the wings. But, I would pass on the pastrami and try something else.