Rusty's Surf Ranch

We went to Rusty's as a group and had a blast. The food was excellent, the band was teriffic, and we had a great time. I can't wait to go back again as the drinks were reasonably priced. A nice time was had by all. more

I've been going to Rustys for several years and the food is as good as you can get in Santa Monica or on the entire westside of L.A. for a moderately priced restaurant. It is on the Santa Monica pier and is a fun place to hangout, day or night, all year round. I have spent hours there involved in their special acitvities, eating and drinking (my favorite activities), or playing games (pool is my game) that they have. It is a great place to meet friends and socialize. A wonderful experience every time that I am there. TsutomuM more

Have to say I haven't found much better food and especially combinations of foods and drinks to satisfy every appetite from young to old. Love the cuisine and the atmosphere. A delightful and satisfying experience. more

This is one of Santa Monicas best places to spend time. The menu has something for just about anyone. I enjoyed the crab cakes, clam chowder and a great burger. If you want to just sit back and enjoy some time with friends, in a come as you are atmosphere, this is one of the best places anywhere. more

Good ocean view from front patio. I really liked the fresh ahi tuna salad and my friend had clam chowder in a bread bowl. My favorite thing was these yummy coconut desserts. One was like a coconut sorbet in a coconut shell and the other was a coconut covered snowball with mango in the middle. Very cool and different. Our friend's band was playing and we enjoyed the music and the location. Lots of fun for locals (like me) and visitors to the area. more

great place to sit and people watch on the pier and on the beach. while downing a great meal and drinks. i suggest it to all of my friends. it's also a great place to have a party or to do a fund raiser. try it out today. more

Great casual atmoshere with much better food than you would expect to find on a pier. Loved the ahi salad and the fish tacos. Service was friendly. It was a Sunday night and they had salsa dancing, which really ended our weekend at the beach on an up note. more

this place has horrible food and service. Chicken tenders taste like fish. chicken quesadiilas were the worst I ever had. Pros: location Cons: food and service more

We visited the Pier for a fun evening with the kids. Stoped at Rusty's and was dissapointed with the food. My husband ordered the surf and turf, Medium-Rare. He recieved and Burt steak that tasted like someone droped it straight into hot coals, and three tiny little pieces of shrimp. Very disapointing for over 30 bucks a plate. The drinks were bland, and the crab cakes were tiny. Kids hated their meals also. (Mac and Cheese was bland, and burger was burt) My mother was very happy all she got was a quesidilla. Kinda hard to screw that up. The best part of the meal, was something we could have gotten at Taco Bell. more

This place is a complete joke. Not only does it serve the worst drinks I've ever had, but their chicken made me sick. It's dirty, cramped, and its open mic night was painfully boring and disorganized. Mitch of "my name is in lights" pseudo fame is a crude, unprofessional moron with zero talent and a severely over-inflated identity. Sadly, the owner/manager actually thinks he has a good thing going. Stay away from this glorified hole in the wall at all costs. Pros: Proximity to the water Cons: An all-around bad experience more

This place is definitely a beach shack of a bar, but it's shabby nature definitely adds to the appeal. Has a full bar and pretty decent acts that come through on the weekends. If you're around the pier it's worth stopping it to see what's going on, especially if you're looking for more of a chill night. Gets pretty crowded depending on the act, but so does everywhere. more

Normally I do not write reviews for restaurants, especially anywhere near Los Angeles...however I had a great time at Rusty's this past Friday night. A few friends and I were out on the pier to grab some food, decided to try Rusty's out. Asked to pay a cover (only $7) since there were bands performing, so we asked if we ordered dinner if we had to pay the cover...they politely agreed, so we decided to do dinner there! LEt's talk about the music! normally the music at these types of places is below average...however friday must have been our lucky night. we had three great music acts (the last one we didn't stay for..) the one I remember was this maroon5 esque rock group One Year Yesterday. Wow! These guys looked really young, but played for over an hour and had at least fifty or more people singing along to their songs. I obviously had never heard them before, but after hearing their incredible set I went and picked up a cd.. really good music! All that to say, would've paid the $7 happily to hear these guys perform and the acts befre them were really good too...one was a girl named sara haze. Whoever is bringing in these bands is doing a great job, very entertaining. Cheers, and I will definitely come back to Rusty's! Pros: Great sound/ live music, great food, younger crowd the night I was there! Cons: not the cheapest drinks in town, but they were strong and to the point! more

If your in Santa Monica, you gotta go to Rusty's. Great Menu, Giant Cowabunga Burgers with every topping you like. Lobster Bisque, shrimp cocktail, calamari, and clams, all their seafood is fresh and delicious. Have a huge frozen margarita made with Cabo Wabo tequila or other premium liquors, or an ice cold beer. Get a seat outside on the pier to view the surf. Glass walls surround you with no ceiling. The service is always fast, and the staff is always accomodating. After lunch or dinner, walk around the pier or take a stroll down the Santa Monica boardwalk to Venice Beach and walk off the meal, while enjoying the sights and sounds of the California surf. Lunch or dinner for two, with drinks and tips is around 50-75 dollars. See ya at Rusty's. more

Rusty's is typical of any restaurant located in a touristy area - overpriced with okay American food. I've tried several things on the menu and have yet to find anything to write home about. That said, if you're a bloody mary fan, they make a delicious drink! The bar scene at Rusty's in general fairs better than the food. Offering live music and karaoke at night, as well as pool, the bar can be a fun place to spend an evening. During the Pier's Twilight Dance Series, Rusty's is THE place to go for a drink. Stand out on the patio and enjoy a drink with the live concert in the background or go inside for some more live music and dancing. Just be prepared for a crowd. Pros: A fun bar scene on the right night, they get some great bands Cons: Over priced and mediocre food more

Not a typical theme restaurant that you would expect on the pier... This place has amazing food! We sat on the front patio and watched the sun set. I recommend the crab cakes and the ceviche. I stuck to the seafood and my date had the burger and we were both impressed by how good everything was. We found out that they have bands there on Friday and Saturday nights so we'll definitely be back to check that out with friends. Actually, I've got some friends visiting from Paris next month and I'm going to bring them here for the ultimate California experience (and to hang out with the locals too). more

This place is always fun to go to for dinner. And it has the best location right on the pier. Also, I must say I have had the same waitress a couple times and she inspires us to want to come back again and again!! The waitress's name is Aimee and you should request her if you go. more

I was with a group of about 5 people and we went to Rusty's for dinner. As we were finishing, a band was setting up. The bouncers came to our table and asked if we wanted to hear the band and we said sure as we ordered another round of drinks. He then proceeded to tell us that if we wanted to stay we each had to pay $5. Keep in mind that this place was almost empty. We were all offended that after $400 in food and drinks that they asked us to pay $5 to stay. So ridiculous! more

Spent a Saturday afternoon with a friend of mine on Rusty's patio and had a lovely time. We were literally there for hours, watching folks stroll the pier, listening to the good singer and, eventually, watching the sun go down. Drinks were good and service was friendly. I'd recommend Rusty's for a break from the beach. more

Rusty's has the best bar on the pier, which I realize isn't saying all that much. But it can be a lot of fun. There's the back patio area, which is overlooks the ocean and is more private than the front area. Just inside, there's a pool table and next to that live bands peform. They're usually of the cover band/bar band variety, so record deals aren't around the corner but fun is for you. Sitting on the front patio can be fun as well. Watch all the tourist passersby and be glad you're not still out in the fray. more