Burgers, Dim Sum: 4 New Restaurants In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — Looking for a new burger spot in Santa Monica? How about a new spot for fried chicken?

The Santa Monica dining scene has added a number of great spots in recent years, and the past couple weeks were no exception. Popular areas like 3rd Street saw recent additions including a new dim sum spot, vegetarian burgers and a beloved local food truck looking to permanently park in the city.

And local chefs are just getting started — the city is poised to see a number of exciting additions come fall.

New Kids On The Block

Monty's Good Burger, 123 Broadway

Plant-based burger chain Monty's Good Burger opened its newest location in Santa Monica on Friday, with a menu including vegetarian chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, milkshakes and tater tots. The prime third-street promenade location is Monty's sixth, including shops in Culver City, Riverside, West Hollywood, Echo Park and Koreatown.

"We’re feeling the love and feeling soooo good about keeping the party going at our newest location," Monty's said in an Instagram post.

The restaurant is covered in the classic Monty's blue and white plaid wallpaper with a bright neon "Good Burger" sign, 1950's diner-style red accenting and black and white graphic artwork.

Lotus Dim Sum Dumpling House, 326 Wilshire Blvd

Lotus Dim Sum opened in Downtown Santa Monica in late July taking over a former P.F. Changs location. The location offers dine-in service only with a big menu featuring deep fried taro dumplings, Pork Xiao Long Bao — one of the restaurant's most popular dishes, sushi and desserts like egg tarts.

Augie's On Main, 2428 Main Street

This new Main Street addition opened in August serving chicken, burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, salads and more. The restaurant is the brain-child of Michelin star Chef and Santa Monica-native Josiah Citrin, who owns two other restaurants: Mélisse and Citrin.

Augie's on Main is based around Josiah's famed "dirty chicken," a spin roasted Jidori chicken, according to the Augie's on Main website.

Coming Soon

Heavy Handed, 2912 Main Street

Popular food truck Heavy Handed will open a burger stand by the beach at 2912 Main Street in October, the eatery announced on Instagram. Heavy Handed will take over the old Edobox by Makoto spot.

The truck is known for its saucy short rib smash burgers and fries, but the Santa Monica spot will also serve beer, ice cream and wine.

The popular traveling eatery started out as a pop up in a West LA front yard, Max Miller told Patch. Heavy Handed saw early success in Santa Monica as a pop up in the Surf Liquor parking lot at 2522 Main Street.

The Santa Monica community has been good to childhood friends and co-founders Miller and Danny Gordon, so it was the obvious choice for the first brick-and-mortar location, Miller said.

"It's really the home of Heavy Handed," Miller said. "Santa Monica's been unbelievable to us. We always really wanted to try and find a space in Santa Monica to be our first location, to be Heavy Handed #1 outside of the food truck," Miller said.