Pono Burger

We sat on the patio next to the cuisine. By the time we arrived, there were about 3 tables not cleaned, flies everywhere. Had to tell the waitress that we are ready to order.

Meanwhile we washed our hands and the toilets were very dirty. The whole place did not scream cleanliness.

Food did not take long to be served so waiting time was ok, but the burgers were very disappointing. Meat almost burnt. The burger with Camembert and Fig was simply not edible. The iced tea tasted funny, and the lemonade had black particles flying inside.

We asked for ketchup and the waitress literally threw the sauce on the table on small plastic container, same with the lemonade refill. The place was not full so the rush was not excusable for me at least.

We heard about the place from a friend and we were very excited but honestly big disappointment and not at all worth the money spent. Never again.

First off the atmosphere was amazing that's honestly the reason I would go back and their chocolate fudge shake. I was underwhelmed with their burger, it's good but not amazing. I recommend choosing the classic and building your burger. My friend had mixed feelings about their spicy specialty burger, just felt the spice overpowered the rest of the burger. Overall a good but not amazing experience.

A nice little oasis in the heart of Santa Monica! Stopped by for a beer and some fries. The sauce was phenomenal!

This was absolutely the best burger and fries I have ever had. Period. I stumbled in at ‘Happy Hour’ on Thursday after finding my air b and b. Literally steps away from where i’m staying - had little to no expectations and wow, was I beyond pleasantly surprised. Chill,cool comfy vibe, great service and truly excellent food. 2 really good mojitos, burger and huge serving of fries were $32. Less than i’ve ever spent on a meal since arriving in LA. Will be back (many) times before I have to leave SaMo!

I came in tonight only because it was walking distance to the Broad stage where I was seeing a show and it’s dog friendly. Then I ended up having one of the most delicious burgers I’ve ever eaten in LA! Super kind staff, and the salad was very fresh with the most amazing dressing. Look forward to going back!

The buffalo chicken wrap was delicious and not dry. The happy hour size beef nachos were really good! The poniolo burger was good if your an onion ring person. The garlic fries and sweet potato fries and good. The Cajun chicken salad was great! I loved the olives 🫒 4 guests. 3adults 1child (2y/o) paid $107 plus tax $11 ($118 for dinner)

I’ve had a burger, (it’s good) fried chicken salad, (light and tasty) fries and very spicy fried green beans (yum)here. They serve a nice assortment of drinks which can easily be purchased alcohol free - drinking booze in the afternoon with a burger is so unappetizing. Ginger beer and beer and coke… Very nice staff, a unique and green atmosphere. Literal green. It’s so Southern California- I like it here. And the muSic is not too loud .

I'm always on the hunt for new spots to try during DineLA, and I hit the jackpot with this place near downtown Santa Monica.

The restaurant has two seating areas, but we lucked out and got seated in the half pipe architecture section up front. Let me tell you, it's like walking into an Instagram post! Sure, most of the plants and flowers are fake, but the setup is so minimalistic with a big sofa that it's just a cool place to chill.

Now, let's talk about those stacked burgers. You literally need both hands to take a bite. And the fries? To die for. They come with these flavorful sauces that take them to the next level. Oh, and even though we were sitting outside, our friendly waitress checked on us a few times throughout the meal.

All in all, I'm definitely planning on coming back to this spot soon. It's just too good to pass up!