Forget sad nachos and soggy chicken tenders.
Ocean Way Festival is bringing a heavy-hitting roster of more than 25 Los Angeles restaurants to Santa Monica Beach later this month — turning the sand near the pier into a two-day food frenzy.
The inaugural music festival, set for Sept. 26–27, will pair Pacific Ocean views with performances from The Killers, Olivia Dean, Jack White, Sublime and more.
But the grub may be just as big a draw.
Festivalgoers can sink their teeth into everything from Tacos 1986 and Kogi street-food staples to Prince St. Pizza, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Sweetfin poke bowls, Sidecar Doughnuts and shaved ice — all without leaving the shoreline.
Westside restaurants take center stage
Ocean Way Festival is putting local flavor front and center, with 15 participating concepts based on the Westside.
The lineup includes:
- Border Grill (Modern Mexican)
- Tacos 1986 (Tijuana-style Street Tacos)
- Cobi’s (Southeast Asian)
- Sidecar Doughnuts (Craft Doughnuts & Coffee)
- Sweetfin (Poke Bowls)
- Khan Saab (Desi Pakistani & Indian)
- New School Quality Grilled Cheese (Gourmet Grilled Cheese)
- Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine (Northern Thai)
- Dave’s Hot Chicken (Nashville Hot Chicken)
- Prince St. Pizza (Neapolitan & Sicilian Pizza)
- Kogi (Korean-Mexican Fusion)
- Triple Beam Pizza (Roman-style Cut Pizza)
- Shrimp Daddy (Hawaiian Garlic Butter Shrimp)
- Bun & Mi (Vietnamese Banh Mi & Street Eats)
- Innamorata (Coastal Italian)
- Menotti’s (Espresso & Specialty Coffee)
- Gokoku (Ramen & Izakaya)
- Saba Surf (Cafe & Light Bites)
- Onigiri & Kuramoto Shavery (Japanese Rice Balls & Shaved Ice)
- Maneatingplant (Plant-based Asian Street Food)
- Odd One Out Tea (Specialty Boba & Milk Tea)
- Cena Vegan (Plant-based Mexican)
- Café La Vecindad (Mexican Coffee & Bakery)
- Mac & Yease (Vegan Mac & Cheese)
More than a music fest
Ocean Way is betting that its food lineup will be more than an afterthought between sets.
For locals, it’s a chance to see familiar Westside names in a wildly different setting. For visitors, it’s an easy crash course in L.A. dining without trekking across the county.
And with the two day bill also set to include performances by Durand Jones & The Indications, Alvvays, SG Lewis, 54 Ultra, Hiatus Kaiyote, BLOND:ISH, Poolside and Hot Chip DJs, Ocean Way Festival is hoping hungry concertgoers come for the music — and stay for the pizza, poke, tacos and doughnuts.
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