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Red O Brings Steakhouse Flavor and Cabo Vibes to Santa Monica

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Opening this weekend.

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

As promised, Santa Monica’s upcoming Red O will be debuting this August — this Saturday, August 1, in fact.

The third location from Rick Bayless’s team (the original sits on Melrose, with a follow-up at Fashion Island in Newport Beach) is just steps from the Santa Monica Pier, offering lots of big-window views to Ocean Avenue and the water beyond. The corner location means maximum light too, with a side patio for daytime relaxing and an interior dining room brimming with sun.

Judy Van Wyk of The Design Studio handled the look, giving off the well-worn tile feel of an upscale coastal cantina, from the weathered wood touches to the drought-resistant plants wrapping the exterior.

On the plate, Red O goes for a medium-end Mexican steakhouse feel, with white tablecloths offset by bright chairs and colorful takes on dishes from Oaxaca, the Yucatan, and beyond. That means bone-in filet mignon cuts with a mojo de ajo garlic sauce, or grilled sea bass with black beans and shaved escabeche. Drinks come from Dan Oliver and have the usual tequila lean, thanks to their looming wall of bottle options.

Red O Santa Monica opens Saturday, August 1. Happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily, with dinner service until late and a bar that stays open until 2 a.m.

Red O Santa Monica
1541 Ocean Ave.Santa Monica, CA

Red O

8155 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90048 Visit Website