Came for weekend brunch. You need a reservation. The venue is amazing. Gorgeous wide open spaces with lots of light. Kinda like California. (I lived in SF Bay area for 35 years.) We were going to Steppenwolf so didn't want a carryout box. My wife and I shared a Turkey Sandwich which they split including the thin fries. It was what you would expect from a LEYE restaurant. So I ordered a caesar's thinking it would be small. It was huge s I ended up bringing it home anyway. Lot's of romaine and almost too much dressing that seemed too vinegary. Crunchy croutons, and grated parmesan. This needed shaved parmesan to cut the dressing acidity. Not going to have this again. The pour for the mimosa was really generous. I was surprised and would definitely have that again. Our other guests had the enchilada which also was huge and looked and was told it was amazing.

With a large group (11 of us) visiting from out of town, some their first time in Chicago, I needed a good brunch option with a beautiful ambiance and reliably good food. Summer House did not disappoint. After contacting several restaurants who would not accommodate me with short notice, the host and all of the staff at this establishment truly were so kind and did their very best to ensure our visit was enjoyable! We ended up in a crunch for time to catch a boat tour, and we asked whether we could order quickly so we could eat and run. The staff did a truly extraordinary job to accommodate us - during a high volume lunch hour rush with a full restaurant! That is truly impressive and it was so appreciated. Every single dish ordered by our group was a complete hit! The burgers, deviled eggs, salads, chicken sandwiches- every single dish was a 10/10 from each of my guests! Additionally, huge shouts out to the bar staff for making well balanced and delicious drinks consistently!! I'd come here before and had that experience and they delivered with drinks that look great and taste great! Indication of a high quality well trained/skilled staff! While I didn't take pics of our food because we were in a rush, we have a shot of us which captures a bit of how cool the vibe is at this establishment. I really enjoy this place and they even have a bakery if you'd like to partake in some delicious sweet treats! I am so grateful to the staff who helped me impress my out of town group with great ambiance, delicious food, and strong and well balanced drinks!

As a plant based vegan, I always love to scope out restaurants that have vegan options. On a recent trip to Chicago, I had the pleasure of eating brunch at Summer House Santa Monica. First of all, what a cute restaurant with an amazing vibe! Of course the restaurant was bustling with customers and we were quickly seated after checking in for our reservation. We immediately got water as soon as we were seated and our server came over shortly thereafter suggesting incredible options. Since I am vegan, I opted for the tofu scramble burrito which was OMGEE AMAZING!! First time ever having a tofu scramble as a burrito and it was definitely the best! I had a small side salad with it which was equally as tasty. In addition, I had steamed edamame as an appetizer, again delicious option and I had one of their mocktails, strawberry fields that had lavender and basil...yummy!! This was my first time visiting but will definitely not be my last. Great vegan options and I highly recommend!

I get the name because this place was a ~*vibe*~ Visited here for the first time on a recent trip to Chicago for a work event, and it was a great time. We had the whole left side of the restaurant, with high tops, booths, and bar space. The staff were so friendly and attentive, first greeting us with a margarita welcome drink and then walking around with tasty apps. Following the app-hour, they put out a buffet of food and wow, there was nothing I had that I didn't like. Favorite though haddd to be the ahi tuna & watermelon tostadas. Like what is the incredible combo and why haven't I thought of it before? It had tuna, hass avocado, and thai chile on the tortilla chips. Among other things were meatballs, sliders, and trays of desserts. All around delicious line up. The aesthetic and atmosphere is really what makes this place too. Open and airy, vaulted ceiling with glass skylights, and ton of greenery. I'd definitely look forward to coming back for a traditional visit another time I'm in the city!

California feel, open and bright. Expanded to next door to give even more space and additional bar. Food is good, not great. Service is outstanding and very knowledgeable of menu. Pizza was good but a bit cold. deviled eggs were very good. And of course the cookies and treats at the door do not disappoint. They add a surcharge to cover increased costs.

One of my favorite brunch places to go to in Chicago. Was quite a hot and sunny day and I'm guessing they don't have air conditioning so be prepared for that if sitting in the sunny room! Besides that love coming here and bringing people here when in town. Perfect place if you want to dress up for brunch the bop around the city. Great location for that. Can also come in for a quick bakery item to go: our server was prompt as well as the food.

I always love brunching at Summer House. The service is excellent, food is yummy, lovely vibes. Definitely make a rez for brunch on the weekends. This time, we all had oat milk lattes that were great. We split the cinnamon roll pancakes and burrata, both were awesome. I had the huevos rancheros, which are less like actual huevos rancheros and more like a giant cheese dilla with an egg on top, still very tasty. Both my friends got the Turkey stack w truffle fries. I love their skinny fries. Never disappointed by brunch here!

You'll instantly be transported to a coastal town upon entering. Loved the bright and open feel of the restaurant. I'd recommend making a reservation if planning on stopping in for brunch. They were nice enough to accommodate one extra person in our group when we arrived. The food was good, but not great. I would go back to try something else.

I don't get why there are negative reviews, this place deserves all the love and 5/5 for good food, ambiance and service. I've been to Summer House Santa Monica a couple times in the past to try their brunch and dinner menu and the experience has been good! I've tried their vegan breakfast burrito, guacamole salsa and chips. Their vegan burrito is served with a side of salad or fries. They do have good vegan/ vegetarian/ gluten free options, which is great! For drinks I've tried Blue Horizon and recently shared a bottle of white wine with a couple of friends. They usually tend to be always packed so making a reservation beforehand should be good, however I did get lucky during my last visit and we were able to easily walk-in! They have a lot of seating space as well. We recently figured that they have an outdoor patio space at the end of the restaurant. P.S. When you enter the place, you will notice that they have a countdown for Summer in their hallway, aren't we all eagerly waiting for warmer and sunny days?!

Dope vibe with such a green summer vibe. I always get huevos rancheros and this place had such a unique presentation of huevos rancheros and tasted delicious! I just wish it was cut up. Chili burrito- chili is the sauce on the side, wish it had more flavor inside the burrito. Came with side of salad. Service took a while but tasted fresh. Their latte was really good too. Parking: if you find street parking without any signs it's all yours!