G. Christensen

In typical fashion this group continues to deliver the best combination of food and service in LA. Attentive service makes so much difference. And I had a pretty amazing shrimp Louie and couple of martinis. Our son had a burger that he scarfed down, which is a great review.

Julia Kramar

We came with our child who has celiac disease, and they have a dedicated gluten-free fryer — which is a rare and wonderful find. The place was packed, but we discovered a standing area along the bar near the kitchen staff and servers where we could still enjoy our meal. The staff was incredibly kind and attentive, and the food… simply outstanding! It’s clear they care deeply about both the quality of their food and the needs of their guests. Highly recommend — especially for families managing dietary restrictions.

Anish Thakkar (Doc Thakkar)

This place is solid and super consistent. The vibe is a bit polished but pretty in line with the rest of the restaurants in the area. Standout dishes the Scottish Salmon, the classic cheeseburger (I go lettuce-wrapped), can't forget the Hillstone Nergroni! Prices are reasonable, and you're allowed to usually sub out sides at no cost. Always a good time!

+3

Alex Hernandez

Absolutely delicious! The Duo Dip might be at the bottom of the menu, but don't be fooled it was #1. I do not know what the menu the type of cheese that was used. It doesn't matter, it wasssss amazing!!!! We got the Chichen Sandwich & the cheeseburger. The Sandwich was good but the cheeseburger was heavenly. Put the Chipotle dip on the burger & you go to the moon. We had the Perfect Vodka martini with the goat cheese olives. It was described perfectly, it was very well balanced. You cannot miss out on the Carrot Cake. So very very yuyummy. We made the decision to go to this restaurant based on the pictures and ratings from Yelp. So worth it!

Lauren Cassis

Great atmosphere, and even better food! I came for dinner on a Tuesday around 7:30. We waited about 30 minutes for a table with no reservation. The Asian noodle salad was fresh, nutritious, and delicious. The ribs were also amazing, dry rubbed but still juicy. Even the French fries and beer/wine options were impressive. This is a great spot to take friends, loved ones or even co-workers. Super trendy spot for locals, but not a secret, so expect to wait for your table.

New menu item (chicken curry) tasted delicious but could be presented better or with a shorter wait. But wait staff service made the long wait better.

Food is consistently so good. Must try the artichoke dip and chicken sandwich. They also replace your martini with a cold glass which is a nice touch. The service is friendly but a little cold. Our server seemed nice but was weirdly quiet

Mason Ganz

R+D kitchen has a warm, cozy, neighborhood feel to it which we love. The food is delicious and the drinks are great. We enjoy the crispy chicken sandwich and the Asian chicken noodle salad. The only thing I'd say could be improved is the service. The staff can be a little cold which takes away from the neighborhood feel. Upon our recent visit, my brother ordered the rotisserie chicken and it came out cold. When we informed a staff member, they did not apologize or seem to care and said they'd "warm it up" in a sassy voice, which left us with a sour taste. Overall R+D is a solid spot!

Ellie Saadat

Beautiful atmosphere, we got there just in time before the dinner rush. The food was delicious and the service was amazing!

Russo Gasimov

R+D Kitchen on Montana Ave is always a solid choice. The space is stylish, upbeat, and perfect for a casual yet classy dinner. I loved their Cheeseburgers and the fresh salads. Service was friendly and attentive without being pushy. Prices are a little high for the portions, and waits can be long at peak hours, but the overall quality and vibe make it worth it.

Brian Palmer

Great meal at R&D. Definitely will come again. Thought the shrimp appetizer were okay. Definitely not worth price level in my opinion. The real star of the meal was the ribs. Incredible meal!! The crispy chicken sandwich was also good but the ribs are a must!! Can’t wait to try other items in the menu. Staff were very friendly and attentive!

+2

Brittany Furlan

So I’ve popped into this place quite a few times and was unable to get a table without a crazy long wait. So, determined, my girlfriend and I went at 5 PM on a Monday and managed to snag a table within 20 minutes. It’s such a buzzing spot and so many people want to eat there. So I guess my recommendation is just going early. That’s the only reason I gave it four stars because you can’t make reservations. As far as I know. With that said, the food is absolutely incredible and the service is fantastic. We got the popular Ding’s chicken sandwich, some fries, and the deviled eggs to start. Everything was fantastic and delivered quickly. I actually wish I was hungrier because I wanted to try some other things, but I’ll have to go back another day (super early). Here’s what the sandwich looks like (see photo) . It’s the most luscious flavors and the bread is so soft and buttery and melts in your mouth. You won’t regret it. Just go early.

Luce Goldenaya

We had dinner here last night, they do not accept reservations but we arrived and they kindly put us on the wait list. Said it would take about 25 minutes and they would send a text (we went for a walk) they contacted us very soon, we were happy. However, the entrance and the bar area were insanely crowded, there should be a control of how many people they let in. The service was excellent our waiter Austin was amazing, they paid attention to everything needed, refilling water, bringing cutlery immediately, no complaint about it. About the food, the wild mushroom was absolutely delicious, the potato Puree amazing, creamed corn was ok. The crispy chicken was not outstanding at all and the fries, some were hard as a rock and others not fried even. Martini was excellent just as my husband ordered it, Kettle one, extra dirty, 3 olives. The place was cold and almost uncomfortable, people zipping up their coats. How can it be this cold inside a restaurant? Would I go back? No.

+1

Pretentious place that can’t get the basics of cooking right…We ordered 2 burgers, a well done and a rare one… Both came back a medium, how convenient…(after over an hour wait)…Literally no excuse as they cut their burgers in half making pretty easy for checks…Waited another 20 minutes to get them as per requested donness, no fries refill, no nothing. Wonder why so many cooks in the kitchen if nobody checks what is being sent off the pass…please don’t ask how I want my burger next time!

We’ve been to R&D Kitchen many times over the years, but after our last experience we won’t be returning. We waited a little over an hour to be seated, which is normal here since they don’t take reservations and only operate on a waitlist. That part wasn’t an issue. After we sat down, we ordered drinks and told our waitress we just wanted a few smaller bites (fries, etc.). She initially took the order, but then came back a few minutes later and told us that this is a “full dining experience” and that everyone at the table has to order an entrée. This has never once been communicated to us before, despite many visits where we’ve ordered anything from just drinks to full meals without issue. So we ordered an entrée. We chose the omelette, which was honestly terrible. It came out faster than our drinks and was cold, which made it pretty obvious it had been sitting there. It also tasted like fake eggs. We continued ordering drinks and spent about an hour and a half at the table. At one point we noticed our waitress standing behind the register talking with the manager while looking over toward our table. We clocked the conversation because it seemed clear they were discussing us. A few moments later the manager came over and told us we needed to leave soon because they needed the table. The issue was that no other tables around us were being told this, even though several had clearly been sitting there longer than we had. At that point our waitress had essentially stopped communicating with us altogether. Without asking if we were finished or if we needed anything else, she slapped down the check on the table without saying a word and walked away. The service from her was honestly terrible and completely lacking any sense of hospitality. To be fair, the manager seemed like he was trying to be polite and we don’t have anything personal against him. But during the conversation he kept repeating that he had “made an exception for us,” saying it over and over again. The way it was framed felt patronizing and dismissive — almost like we were supposed to feel grateful instead of acknowledging that we were the only table being pushed out. It created a strange feeling of being gaslit about what was clearly happening, especially since other tables around us were allowed to stay. What makes it even more frustrating is that everyone at the table still spent about $70 each, so it’s not like we were just sitting there taking up space. We used to enjoy coming here and had been loyal customers, but between the cold food, the poor service from our waitress, and being singled out and rushed out of our table, this experience completely changed our impression of the place. There are simply too many good restaurants in Santa Monica to deal with that kind of service. Choose elsewhere.

D Lawrence

First the service was outstanding... however I tried 1000s of restaurants all over the world and have never eaten suck mediocre food in my life. We had the salad Newporter Salad overpriced $22 with 95% kale, three slivers of slimy chicken, the dressing taste like every other mediocre Greek style dressing, raisins and nuts sprinkled to appear fancy, the meatloaf was also overpriced and dry with no flavor. This is one of those hyped up pretentious places for people who have no idea what their eating because they are too busy getting drunk.