Summer House Santa Monica

Wanted to leave a review to clarify some confusion that it seems I shared with others: This airport eatery is something between a restaurant and grab-and-go. You’re assigned a table and a sort-of server, but your food and drink are delivered in compostable to-go containers with compostable cutlery and there are no coffee refills. So I get folks being frustrated that they’re paying restaurant prices for a quasi grab-and-go experience, but the breakfast was great and the prices are pretty typical for O’Hare. I had the tasty and fresh spinach+kale omelet and even with cheddar cheese as an ingredient, it wasn’t greasy at all! The menu lists the hash browns as a side (well seasoned and crispy), but it also comes with a great multigrain toast and real cream butter plus preserves. A neighbor got the egg white omelet and that also looked good! They only serve drip coffee and I gotta say it wasn’t unlike truck stop jet fuel; nice if you need something really strong but I lost count of how many individual coffeemate and sugar packets I needed to add. And again, not a real restaurant so no refills (though my server did offer to sneak me one!) $16.50 entree (no extras) + $3.50 single-serve drip coffee + $4.50 tip for my server (her manager was pretty aggro to workers and guests alike) + tax came out to $27 for my breakfast. For the sake of comparison, a true grab-and-go I passed had a breakfast sandwich only for $13.49. I’ll eat here again when I need a proper meal and have a multi-hour layover, but I don’t expect this to be a usual stop for me.

Wanted to leave a review to clarify some confusion that it seems I shared with others: This airport eatery is something between a restaurant and grab-and-go. You’re assigned a table and a sort-of server, but your food and drink are delivered in compostable to-go containers with compostable cutlery and there are no coffee refills. So I get folks being frustrated that they’re paying restaurant prices for a quasi grab-and-go experience, but the breakfast was great and the prices are pretty typical for O’Hare. I had the tasty and fresh spinach+kale omelet and even with cheddar cheese as an ingredient, it wasn’t greasy at all! The menu lists the hash browns as a side (well seasoned and crispy), but it also comes with a great multigrain toast and real cream butter plus preserves. A neighbor got the egg white omelet and that also looked good! They only serve drip coffee and I gotta say it wasn’t unlike truck stop jet fuel; nice if you need something really strong but I lost count of how many individual coffeemate and sugar packets I needed to add. And again, not a real restaurant so no refills (though my server did offer to sneak me one!) $16.50 entree (no extras) + $3.50 single-serve drip coffee + $4.50 tip for my server (her manager was pretty aggro to workers and guests alike) + tax came out to $27 for my breakfast. For the sake of comparison, a true grab-and-go I passed had a breakfast sandwich only for $13.49. I’ll eat here again when I need a proper meal and have a multi-hour layover, but I don’t expect this to be a usual stop for me.

If you’re a fan of the charlotte airport summer house, then this location leaves something to be desired. While they have the highlights of the menu, it’s not the same. Starting with the location doesn’t have a dedicated restaurant space, so you’re sitting amongst the busy traffic of the airport. In charlotte is was real plates and cloth napkins. Here is throw away trays and plastic utensils. I always get the fish tacos, for years, at both locations. They seem smaller portioned on the fish these days, despite the $19.99. Overcooked, but that can depend on who’s cooking. Still decent. For your reference I added photos from today and one from three years ago when I first had the tacos in charlotte (round plate with wine glass). Wish they would get a more restaurant type location in the airport and go back to real plates. For the price point, it’s too fast foodish in Chicago.

If you’re a fan of the charlotte airport summer house, then this location leaves something to be desired. While they have the highlights of the menu, it’s not the same. Starting with the location doesn’t have a dedicated restaurant space, so you’re sitting amongst the busy traffic of the airport. In charlotte is was real plates and cloth napkins. Here is throw away trays and plastic utensils. I always get the fish tacos, for years, at both locations. They seem smaller portioned on the fish these days, despite the $19.99. Overcooked, but that can depend on who’s cooking. Still decent. For your reference I added photos from today and one from three years ago when I first had the tacos in charlotte (round plate with wine glass). Wish they would get a more restaurant type location in the airport and go back to real plates. For the price point, it’s too fast foodish in Chicago.

We grabbed an Impossible Burger and fries here during a layover, and honestly? I was impressed. The burger came out hot and fast, perfectly cooked, with that just-off-the-grill flavor you don’t expect at an airport. The fries though… eh. They were hot but plain and boring — and if you don’t eat them immediately, forget it. Within a minute the steam builds up in the paper container and they turn soggy. No lie. I tried the apple oatmeal cookie, and it wasn’t quite as good as the one at the Walt Disney Springs location. My favorite cookie there is the peanut butter one with the almost Reese’s-like center — absolutely incredible if you ever get the chance. They don’t serve the French vanilla lattes at this O’Hare spot, which is a bummer. I usually order mine “not too sweet” — I know, ironic after a giant cookie — but I portion those cookies out into 4–6 pieces and freeze them at home so I don’t go overboard. Sadly, this location only has plain coffee. That said, the service was super friendly and fast. They even pointed me toward Starbucks around the corner for a latte (which, sorry, I hate Starbucks — ugh). Overall: if you’re stuck at the airport, it’s a solid stop. For under $30, you’ll get a decent meal and a giant cookie to take on your flight.