Blue Plate

Nice setting. Bright and small. But the brunch food was just standard in terms of quality. I would revisit.... more

Through the recommendation of a friend, on Sunday I visited a restaurant I?ve never been to called Blue Plate, located on Montana Avenue and 14th Street in Santa Monica. I?m always slightly apprehensive to try a new restaurant, particularly because we all have our go-to spots- especially for pancakes! However, it is important for me, as a pancake-reviewer, to try new places in unfamiliar territory. Well, this little spot in the heart of Santa Monica is certainly a prize! Now, when a restaurant only offers basic pancakes (i.e. no specialty pancakes), it puts tremendous pressure on the quality of the pancakes available. After ordering the Strawberry Banana Pancakes, fortunately for Blue Plate, they succeeded in creating an incredibly tasty, yet basic, pancake breakfast. My biggest compliment about the Strawberry Banana Pancakes is that, to my surprise, the bananas were baked into the batter, and decorated atop with fresh & juicy strawberries. The glisten alone on the strawberries is a key visual indicator of the freshness of the fruit. After seeing this breakfast option on the menu, I figured both the bananas and strawberries would rest on top of the pancakes. Kudos to Blue Plate for creating such a small, yet important, switch in the norm of pancake breakfasts. While the pancakes themselves were fresh and tasty, the only comment I had about the pancakes was they were a bit dry. Typically, I barely put syrup on my pancakes; in fact, the true barometer of a tasty pancake is one that?s delicious enough by itself- without needing any syrup at all. Think of steak and steak sauce (see my Doughboy?s Review for reference). With my pancakes at Blue Plate, however, I found myself pouring way more syrup than usual. All in all, the compromise of the bananas in the batter and the strawberries on top is what made this basic pancake dish special. Thank you Jillian for this great pancake-breakfast recommendation in Santa Monica! FOLLOW MY PANCAKE BLOG ON FB, TWITTER, AND TUMBLR: maamcakes(dot)tumblr(dot)com more

if you are tired and need something to take home - this is the place. Fresh and easy. more

a special experience Pros: price, taste more

This tiny spot on Montana Ave is always brimming with people. Once inside, tables are just as overcrowded and crammed. The service is a bit hasty. Don't think about individualized attention here. Eat and get out. The draw here then is obviously the health craze taking over Los Angeles. The food is pretty good considering most healthy foods out there, but nothing that you can't make at home. Let's be honest here. And I guess the prices aren't half bad. But mediocity never got this much attention before! I'm confused! Pros: the buzz, staying alive one day longer Cons: the wait, the haste, the mediocrity more

I loved this place the 1st time I went- they have a great variety of fresh and yummy options, with some more unique twists that you don't see just anywhere (grilled artichokes!). I decided to go back with 2 friends just to find the WORST service I have had in months. After waiting 45 minutes for our food, and noting that every other table in the restaurant had been served, we asked to see the manager. The manager proceeded to offer us a 10% discount, which I find rather insulting considering that that just covers tax. When we asked about this, the manager proceeded to be incredibly rude. Overall, the food we finally got after waiting for an hour was average, if that, and I doubt that I'll find a reason to go back. Pros: good variety Cons: service more

This is probably my favorite breakfast/lunch place on Montana. It's really laid-back and has a much more neighborhood feel than most of the other restaurants on the Montana stretch, while still maintaining that upper-eschelon feel that all of Montana has. I've never had a bad experience there, but definitely try to get there early and expect to be crammed. more

I loved this place before I stepped inside. I have lots of food allergies and eating out is so hard for me. This place wins my heart and stomach. I had there dairy free tomatoe hearb soup and some sweet potato fries. Just these two things alone is having me come back . I am excited to try the dinner. It's eccectic in their manu and has a seet environment. If I lived around the corner from it, Iwould go everyday and wekend. good menu and specials, decently priced and the clean beachy feeling goes down right with a carrot ginger juice too. Pros: food, overall feeling, location Cons: little tight more

i've only had the breakfast. i think i only ever will have the breakfast. anyone who loves this meal will love blue plate - from the perfect pancakes to the good egg dishes, i loved the relaxed feeling of this cozy place. also, i loved how my nephew could order things he was familiar with (he's so picky too). they even offered baby mash..wow! i've only tried my friend's lunch things - a couple of yummy sandwiches. they use la brea bakery bread, which is amazing. more

Been here four times now and it's been hitt or miss (mostly hits for me, fortunately; not so much for my various guests). OK, so this is what to order: Blueberry smoothie (creamy, thick, delish!); Turkey chili (out of control flavor & spice - niiiice!); Ridiculoulsy addictive yam fries (so thin and crispy, and served with a side of garlic aioli - to live for); Ummm... that's about it. The fish tacos are dry, the pancake compote mushy, the over-medium eggs runny, and some other things are just sorta there. Still worth a visit though --they have these special wrapped cookies & pastries at the counter which I've never tried, but they look so good! Pros: Blueberry smoothie, turkey chili, yam fries & it's all pretty cheap Cons: Small space; don't take rezzies; chaotic waitstaff more