Hillstone

One of the best dinners I’ve had in a while. Kara was our server and she was so friendly and attentive. Stand out was the coconut shrimp rolls. Beautifully appointed restaurant, upscale vibes on casual food. Ribs were amazing, as was the French dip. Will definitely return next time I’m in the Santa Monica area.

I really enjoyed this upscale restaurant. The food and service was superb. What else can you ask for? The California Burger and the French Dip were delicious one of the best I’ve had! The fries came with a spicy dip that was yummy.

felt like simple food done right, staff knew their stuff too! the crispy chicken sandwich was hefty [but not greasy], soft squish of buttered buns and crisp chicken that tasted like real chicken, not that freezer-to-fryer mystery meat; and i say this as a cilantro-hater but that coleslaw was great—tangy and fresh. the tuna mango roll was interesting.. more for the sweet-dinner people: very ripe mango, buttery-soft tuna [wasn't fishy at all], and i've got no idea what the lil clear skin-like wrap was that held the roll together, but i need more of it, just wish the bell pepper wasn't there, it stood🧍‍♂️awkwardly in the mouth. the chocolate brownie for dessert sent me into a sugar coma: warm, rich, sweet, and not a cake cosplaying as a brownie as most restaurant "brownies", the vanilla bean ice cream had legit flavour too; it's a full sugar send, no regrets, recommended.

We order take out tonight since they didn’t have any open seats to 8:45. I ordered at 5:40. We both got crispy chicken sandwich. When I picked up food I asked about French fries and I was told by the hostess they don’t travel well so it was only the sandwich. I said should have gotten a discount right and she made no comment. So total cost 2 chicken sandwiches plus tax and a $6 tip came to $55. Terrible they should be upfront on that or offer another side. Very disappointed!!! Santa Monica location

Came here to eat for a business lunch and definitely enjoyed this place. Our waiter was friendly and went above and beyond to help us. I enjoyed the food I ate.:) It was a bit pricey though.

This is one of my favorite restaurants, I've been coming here for a well over 10+ years the quality has never declined nor the experience. This place truly has a special place in my heart. If you're looking for a great experience and amazing food this is the place to go! Everything is impeccable and I haven't had a bad experience there yet. The staff treats me so well to where they recognize me by my face and it really makes me feel valued as a customer. I can't wait to come back!

Great place to grab a classic meal. Well rounded menu with fair prices given the area and quality of ingredients. Easy to forget this is part of a chain. You won’t be disappointed dining here.

Great atmosphere; music was curated well and artwork was a great addition to the ambiance. Waiters were knowledgeable, can answer any question w detailed descriptions, attentive (swapped a martini glass for a chilled glass midway thru my drink). Great variety of foods - recommend chicken sando, rainbow roll (good crab filling) and artichoke dip of course. Salmon was fresh, well prepared and mash was soft.

Huge shoutout to Ching and Michael for taking such great care of us. My boyfriend and I came here for a date night and we were so pleased with our dinner. We especially loved the Ribeye, it's honestly cooked to such savory perfection. We got fries, mashed potatoes, the Caesar, and deviled eggs as sides to share. We also tried a few cocktails on the menu, but I asked the bartender to make his rendition of a Paloma and it was easily the best drink we had all night. We really enjoyed the full dining experience at Hillstone and will certainly return again soon!

I am a die hard Hillstone fan. I know the menu by heart and probably go there 3 times a month. Everything there is solid and the service is impeccable. They always bring you a fresh cold glass in the middle of your martini, so it never gets warm. My favorites -Hawaiian Ribeye: this is slept on. Comes with fries too! Order it medium or medium well. -Spinach artichoke dip: you can ask for extra chips! -Thai tuna roll: Very fresh, nice to start the meal off with it. Also dessert!! Get the ice cream sundae (save room it's worth it) I love the dark vibe with the booths. They also have upstairs seating which is a bit more quiet. There's free 1.5 hour parking just down the street in the Santa Monica lots.

Hillstone has always been hyped up, so I was eager to finally try it. Had a reservation and was seated within a few minutes. The ambiance is nice and simple, but dark. I ordered Ding's Crispy Chicken Sandwich. I would've ordered a speciality cocktail, but there were very few choices on the menu. Food came out fast considering it was packed. I asked for spicy mayo on the side which was decent, but nothing special. The chicken sandwich was the same. It was yummy, but there was no distinguishing factor from this being at another restaurant. I wouldn't describe the chicken as crispy. Fries were undercooked and lacked any flavor. Overall, I expected more from this meal. I would come again to give it another chance.

My boyfriend and I were sooooo excited to go to hillstone for our date night. We both been to Houston's long time ago so we both had good memories of this restaurant. We ordered the noodle salad, ribs, and the French dip. What we both noticed was how small the portion size got compared to before. But the foods still tasted good as we remembered. Cant go wrong with anything my on their menu! Our server was really nice and checked in on us often.

It's been 4 years since my last review of one my top 10 favorite restaurants, so I thought it's time for an update. Still a great, satisfying treat :) Location 3: Busy downtown Santa Monica. No Valet. Available city-owned parking lots require 5-10 minutes walk. No parking validation by the restaurant. Hard to come by and time-limited metered street parking, vigorously enforced by the great city of Santa Monica :D Venue 5: Classy, modern yet comfortable indoor seating. No outdoor seating. It is always very busy so be sure to make reservations. Service 5: Service at Hillstone is consistently superb. It seems that they put a lot of attention on hiring the right people and invest in regulate training. And it pays off. One of our regular servers worth a nod is Mike. Mike is always wonderful! Hands down one of the absolute very best servers we have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Super-Attentive, kind, pleasant, humble and downright great. Food 5: Hillstone and its sister restaurant Houston's are known for their consistently great comfort food, presented with class! You cannot go wrong with anything on their menu. Recommendations are the Osaka-Style Pressed Sushi, the Filet Mignon, Ding's Chicken Sandwich, the California Burger, the Knife and Fork Barbeque Ribs, the Hawaiian, the Rotisserie Chicken, the Ruby Red Trout, and the Pan-Seared Fish (limited availability). Drinks 5: Excellent list of creative specialty drinks. Full bar. Good list of beer and wine. The last word 5: Going to Hillstone (and Houston's) is always an experience that I look forward to. It will get even more special if you are lucky enough to have Mike as your server :)

One of my favorite spots in Santa Monica! The fried chicken burger is hands down the best thing I've ever tasted. Affordable, consistently great food, and totally worth the wait. Just be sure to book a reservation 1-2 weeks in advance!

Had a great experience my first time at Hillstone! First of all, their service was excellent. The staff really went above and beyond to care for all of our needs and make us feel welcome. I ordered a dirty martini, which was very good. We then got the spinach, artichoke dip and it was creamy and delicious. I would definitely recommend starting the meal with these dips! I then ordered the crispy chicken sandwich. I did not disappoint. The chicken is juicy and I love this salad on top of the sandwich a delicious meal overall!

Hillstone is one of the most consistent restaurants I've been to in Los Angeles. The food is always perfectly prepared and matched with excellent service. If you order a martini, they will bring you a fresh chilled glass once your thaws out !! The attention to detail is unmatched for the area in and this price point. They also offer a limited menu for takeout and the takeout is also excellent.

Made reservations for 2, got there and I gave my name and we got seated quick. Service was swift and A1. We got our food in perfect timing, we started with our spinach dip right after she brought us our sushi and soon after that our main meal all in that order, it was ideal. Thank you all at Hillstone for the service and great food, and to the cooks keep up the great art mi amigos...

The hostess Alexis is amazing!! Greets everyone with a smile friendly professional etc... what a fantastic welcome to walking in for dinner! I told Alexis after we finished dinner I never seen anyone so delightful and Hailstone is lucky to have her! She said that she loves her job! The food is always A plus as well as the service!

We picked up an international visitor at LAX and took her for lunch at Hillston. The service was top notch, from those who answered my questions about parking before I arrived to those who greeted, seated and served us so professionally! The service is the best part of this restaurant! That doesn't mean the food isn't good though...our friend enjoyed the delicious DING'S CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICH ...too much to eat in one meal, and my friend had the macho salad which she described as " the best salad she has ever had". On the other hand, I had the pan-Asisn Noodle salad....not my favorite. It listed mint on the salad... Which I like. It didn't list cilantro... Which I don't like, but it was covered with about 3/4 cup of cilantro... Which apparently overshadowed the mint which I never tasted. The barbequed pork belonged on a roll, not the noodle salad. I wouldn't ever order that again...but I did see other options I'd try next time! The server told us the French Dip Sandwich was featured in the NY Times! I'd try that or the chicken sandwich next time! Location is great! Park on 2nd Street parking structure for free for 90 minutes...additional time only $2 if you walk the 2 blocks to the beach! Can't do much better than that!!

OOOOOH So fancy. I got to experience Hillstone a few times during lunch with coworkers and it has always been a lovely time. The service, food and ambiance are always 5-stars! Even with the fact that its always busy, they still are able to run that place like a tight ship and as a lover of great customer service, I will forever be impressed. Because of the fact that I've only been there with colleagues, I haven't tried any drinks, but the food is great. My favorite? The fried chicken sandwich. Pounded thin chicken, with swiss and cole slaw. So great! So simple but definitely worth it. Its delicious. One day, ill take some girl friends here for fun, but it is so so fun for people watching. Super fancy people doing super fancy things and you get to sit right there in the middle of it all. Love it! Can't wait to go back!

Had a nice lunch here on a Monday afternoon with a girlfriend. They were surprisingly very busy but they were able to seat us immediately at one of the very few tables open. I got the pan asian salad with chicken but there was unfortunately no chicken! I was not charged for it and our waitress was very nice so it was fine. There were though large chunks of fresh mango that were really good. I didn't expect the noodles to be actual noodles that was a nice treat as well. My BFF got the veggie burger and I stole a few fries as I have been doing to her for multiple decades now. We spent the lunch trying to decide what the blood red pieces were in her burger and decided they were hopefully beets!? Definitely on the pricier side but that is expected right on the water in Santa Monica. Very beautiful dining room and happy we found them in the middle of a Monday

Great host , easy sitting. Small but good menu. Great drinks, great food portions. Great service. Sushi shouldn't have been there , cause it looked pre made, maybe not but didn't look very appetizing. Desserts choices were few, but presentation was great. So, great restaurant but not superb, price was fair for the food and the ambiance considering the area.

My first time at this magical place to celebrate a birthday! The birthday boy told me that he loves this restaurant because it's consistent, the food is awesome and the service even better. I couldn't agree with him more. Alexis and Molly were tentative and they felt like they were part of the party. The sushi melted in my mouth and I had to make the taste last as long as possible until my next bite. I don't drink but I did sip on my fiends drinks which made my mouth water with more! They even sang the birthday song with us. I'll be back soon!

I usually always order the cheeseburger or the French dip sandwich, but today I was curious about Ding's crispy chicken sandwich that many people rave about. With its baby Swiss, spicy slaw, and sliced tomatoes, it was good but certainly not as remarkable or mind-blowing as some describe. The shoestring fries were great when eaten while they were still hot. I'll stick to my usuals along with the spinach and artichoke dip in the future. Oliver, the server, was very nice, polite, and attentive.

I had lunch here today. Great location a block away from the beach. I was able to find street parking but was surprised there was no valet service as I imagine the street parking spots get filled up quickly. There used to be a Houston's (basically the same restaurant as Hillstone's) in Century City Mall. Working across the street, we used to go there a lot, and most times, I would get their French Dip sandwich, which I thought was the best in town. Happy to report, nothing's changed. I had the French Dip (5/5) today, and it's as good as ever.

Food was good, ambience was nice, but they did not pay enough attention to my friends allergy request and she ended up having an allergic reaction later that night. We had a lovely dinner until that happened, and im upset there wasn't more attention provided to it. We were told the tuna tartare contained no sesame allergens and she would make a note to the kitchen, but my friend still ended up having an allergic reaction later. Wish there was more attention provided to allergies, she didn't even ask us at the start if there were allergies to even be aware of. Hope they start to be more attentive from this point forward.

The food, ambiance and service are all excellent at any Hillstone Group restaurant. I've been going to these spots since I was a little kid in Dallas, Texas and they've stayed consistently wonderful. While it is pricey for MY lifestyle, it's a well-worth it treat any time I feel like a bit of indulgence. My favorites-- the margarita (with egg-whites) is the best, across the board at every iteration of this restaurant. Their French fries are great. And the sushi is incredible-- particularly because I wouldn't think they'd offer it as it's an American restaurant. The emerald kale salad is also choice-- any salad they offer with chicken in it is stellar-- it's tender and flavorful. I highly recommend this as a quasi-upscale restaurant.

I love Houston's so I had to try this location, which is their sister restaurant. The menu is the same, but with a few additions different, and the food is delicious just like Houston's. I ordered the wood-grilled local sausages & chicken thigh. It was cooked to perfection and I was able to substitute my side of coleslaw for broccoli instead. The service was really great from the hostess she had a really good spirit. I our waiter was ok wish he mad more confidence with Job, but he was ok. My order was wrong but they did fix the issue with no problem. The ambiance is nice and gets pretty busy. They have a nice upstairs seating area and great for many outings. It's located right in the heart of Downtown and close to the beach, so the vibe is perfect. Lots of street parking and garage parking as well. Overall, I will be back of course! Enjoyed my meal and atmosphere.

My dear friend was in town since she moved to Florida and we totally lucked out with finding a place at the bar! The servers behind the counter really drill you to order food and drinks which was a bit annoying but they backed off after they brought the wrong order for her and the wait for the correct order was super long. They were going to make up for it with free fries but my friend declined. Which was rude on her part since I would have loved the free fries but I guess I saved on the calories instead lol! The soy sauce bottle for our sushi was also loose and got all over the white napkin and on her white blouse. Wild night for her with list of disasters lol! I did enjoy my sushi, wine and Diet Coke but I felt bad for my friend and for myself especially that I missed out on some free fries?! Food is always good here as is the ambiance. Definitely coming back for some fries now that I've ranted so much about it!

This place is serving the best BBQ ribs - they melt in your mouth and fall right off the bone. Perfectly smoked and so tender Their sushi roll was very refreshing and it was a pure delight in every bite Our server was great and very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this restaurant for a date night or a special occasion!

First time visiting here and so pleasantly surprised with delicious gastronomy. The sushi was spectacular with tuna mango, hamachi and one other type which were fresh and superbly constructed and delicious with table side ponzu sauce The server was helpful In constructing a tasty menu and I decided on pacific red trout which was expertly grilled over wood and served with tangy tartar sauce and Cole slaw Absolutely yummy Pleasant environs in the restaurant A nice choice for sure

OK, I've been going to Hillstone for close to 20 years but sad to say, it's time to let it go and move on. The staff is always excellent and friendly. It's the costs that are highway robbery. Tonite, I ordered a caesar salad with chicken and french fries and that's it. With tax and tip, my portion came to $45! Salad and fries, $45. That's NUTS. I can't justify going there. The french dip sandwich is now $30! I fully understand the rising costs, but this is insane. Goodbye Hillstone. I'll miss the macho salad, the biltmore chicken sandwich, the thai salad. It's been great knowing you but I can't pay $45 for a salad and fries. No thank you. Au revoir.

For a take out order, we ordered online order. We phoned in to confirm the receipt and to edit the dish. When we arrived, our order was not there. They accused us of having picked up the dish earlier however they accidentally gave it away to someone else. They then had to remake the order and it ended up being around 40 mins after the scheduled pick up time. Manager was unapologetic. Very unpleasant experience.

I must admit the Burger keeps getting better! But also, the service is just so personal! Alexis was literally best server ever!! I love this place!!!

Great comfort food, great service. What more can I say. My favorite go-to place in the area. Can always count on things going smoothly and great food.

Great food and service. Clean and fun and professional atmosphere - Hillstone is a great getaway where you get treated well and eat fabulous food

Came here on a Tuesday evening and the place was packed - from the bar seating to the tables! The cocktails were just okay but the steak and the grilled artichokes were delicious! the sushi roll we got was also good with an interesting twist. I'm not sure what was in the roll but it was crunchy and refreshing. Dessert was very underwhelming. I would recommend going elsewhere for a sweet treat after dinner.

Always a pleasure to dine here. Everything and I mean everything is just right. We were seated upon arrival, a great booth upstairs ( much quieter area) . Our drink order was taken by our lovely server ( named after a famous band) while we looked over the menu. The house salad is really good, simple yet full of flavors, we all ordered the ribs and let me tell you they just melt in your mouth!!! All in all just a great spot for dinner, never disappointing

Tried and true. I love this establishment so much. Their chicken sandwich and cashew kale salad is amazing. Super reliable place with great ambiance. Make sure to make a reservation though

This place is the best spot to eat at in Santa Monica. We have been coming here for years and everything on the menu is good. We typically venture between the spinach artichoke dip (my girlfriend's favorite) and tuna tartare (my favorite) and the chicken sandwich (also my favorite). The French dip is also great. You can't go wrong with any of the sushi or salad orders either! The servers are very professional and this place prides themselves in very good customer service, and they very much deserve it. The wait staff always smiles and checks up on you and you will never go without a full glass of water! Ambiance is nice as well and is very lively. 9/10

food was bad coconut shrimp sushi was not the same and no coconut in it , rice under cooked , really bad who ever made it , seems it was his first time making sushi. ough noodles salad was really bad as well , unripe hard mangoes, not appetizing service was poor what happened to our hillstone? are you changing memur or going down??? sad

Everyone's table had the artichoke dish and there's a reason why! It's so so tasty! They have this parsley flavor and dried crispy parsley on top but let's talk about the sauce omg!! Get a side of fries and dip!! And thank me later! There's a lot of seating it's definitely a Santa Monica vibe here. Steak is good and cooked nicely! Service is great as well

Always amazing and always a stellar experience. If you want to get just a taste of their immaculate service, how about this example: dirty Martini is served and 1/3 consumed. Waitress returns with a fresh chilled glass and pours the remaining martini into the glass. Now that's service! The meal was incredible

Food is always great with large portions, service is on point and fast, ambiance is fun it's. Classic for a reason

French dip- delicious I enjoyed the refreshing and light taste of the tabbouleh Ribs- slightly sweet still great Cheese toast-good Classic American cuisine with excellent service and a very clean environment, making it a wonderful place to enjoy a meal!

heard about this spot from one of Sofia Richie's tik tok's...place has a very chill and "lowkey" ambiance, and the service was great...our food came out so quickly and they give you hot towels upon request . The artichokes were definitely the best I've ever had and the French dip sandwich was very different but good and hearty, it's definitely one of those comfort type meals. The seasoning they serve with the fries was amazing. The sushi was decent and the pan fried fish was light and delicious paired with the Coleslaw. The interior of this place was my favorite part though, it's not loud or doing too much like most places in LA. Definition of just classic. Will be coming here again soon!

This restaurant is one of Houston's sister restaurants. The food is the same as Houston's' but with a few different items on the menu. I ordered t wood-grilled sausages and chicken with cole slaw. The food was tasty with a nice size quantity of meat. The service was just okay. The environment had a cool vibe. Plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs. Parking is located in the parking lot or on the street.

Very classic here! There is a dress code so don't come with a tank top and sandals. The place is gorgeous and just about every staff member in here is very attractive! Ameila was my bartender and she was the sweetest. I ordered the ding spicy chicken sandwich. One of the best chicken sandwiches i ever had, definitely in my top #2 around town. I'm loving the vibe here and i can see why this place was busy! Upstairs they have a sushi area after 5pm or so which i had no idea. I saw tons of people going up to the sushi area. I did have a little mix up on my bill and was overcharged $20 dollars extra for some reason then my actual total on my receipt. Called the restaurant and cal the manager resolved it to the correct amount so shot out to cal! Overall great experience and i will continue to come here! Also a great place to take a date. Food Rating: Customer Service: 9.8/10 Amelia just amazing at the bar area Food: Ding Chicken Sandwich 9.7/10 Fries: 8.7/10

This place has never failed me. Well, they did take away the salmon appetizer that had an amazing sauce on the side. They are still cool in my book, though. What to try? RIBS. You're welcome

Came here for Father's Day . Had a great time and my dad loved it. He really enjoyed his dinner. Service was good . I had the chicken sandwich . Which was delicious.

The service is great, they were super busy for Thursday evening. Our waitress was very helpful and polite. The restaurant has incredible ribs, it's a must order item for this place. I generally go to the sister location in Pasadena (Houston's) however I will be coming back here since the ambiance and service are both better. A+ on the appetizer, food, drinks and desserts.

Always good food and the staff are very attentive. We love coming here. They even made a grilled cheese sandwich for my son coz he wasn't too hungry. Highly recommend this place. I didn't take get a chance to take a pic of the key-lime pie but trust me it's delicious.

Service, food, and ambiance were all excellent as usual. Brandy provided impeccable and thoughtful service and made sure everything arrived to our table perfectly. I highly recommend this restaurant and somebody give Brandy a raise. She's a gem.

This was my first time dining at Hillstone. I love all of their other concepts and I am a regular at Houston's in Pasadena, but I was meeting my cousin for dinner and he lives on the West Side! Arrived a little past my reservation time, but they still accommodated my party of 2! It was about 7:30pm on a Sunday night and the restaurant was BUSY! It amazes me that all of their concepts seem to be busy at whatever time of the day it is, so you know they're doing something right! We got a delightful table in the restaurant and the wonderful Brandy took amazing care of us! She made sure we were familiar with the menu, mentioned a few featured items and I asked about some of her favorites. We did decide on the Grilled Artichokes based off of her recommendation and they were delicious! We also enjoyed a couple Hillstone Negronis - I love the added lime squeeze, definitely a great addition to a classic cocktail. After that, we both decided on The Hawaiian Ribeye with a fully loaded baked potato. Medium rare, of course! Literally heaven in your mouth! This dish never disappoints amd always leaves my belly happy! Before our steaks came Brandy asked if either of us wanted a second cocktail or a glass of wine with the steak and I decided on a glass of Textbook Cabernet. Paired perfectly with my ribeye! We finished our entrees and I had to add money to my parking meter, but I told my cousin that he had to choose dessert while I was gone. He did good and ordered the 5 Nut Brownie A La Mode! Perfect way to end dinner! During our visit Ching, the manager, stopped by to ensure that our experience was going well. We told him everything was excellent and service was amazing! He's a sharp guy and great addition to the company! I'll definitely be returning to this location in the future!

Excellent business meeting place. Great food and service. Enjoy the lively ambiance too.

Love the food and Customer Service!!!! I love the cashew and kale salad, and the salmon is divine.

For a franchise they set the bar. I'm a big fan of their R&D restaurant on Montana Ave, but Hillstone on 2nd Street and Wilshire is a close second. If you are by yourself or with one other person, opt for the bar. Impeccable service and high quality food options.