R+D

This week, I went to R+D Kitchen on Montana Avenue for lunch.  I've been meaning to try R+D forever as it is fairly close to my house, although I find the menu to be rather limited to more lunchtime fare like sandwiches and salads, which is what has kept me from visiting.  I'm usually not in the mood for sandwiches and salads for dinner and their food is slightly pricey for lunch (~$15 average for a sandwich or salad without any sides).  That being said, I really enjoyed the two sandwiches we ordered: the veggie burger and the special pulled pork sandwich.  R+D is known for having one of the best veggie burgers in town, and it did not disappoint: the patty was really flavorful and nicely textured.  The patty was thick and filled with mushrooms, brown rice, grains, carrots and peppers for some crunch.  It was huge and  really good and the rich jack cheese and soft fluffy bread definitely made it very rich and filling.  It's not a light or healthy sandwich (neither of the sandwiches were), but very tasty in any case.  We were famished and devoured the sandwich before I remembered to take a picture. 

  Pulled pork special

The pulled pork sandwich was absolutely delicious as well; my favorite pulled pork sandwich ever.  Normally I find pulled pork sandwiches to be overly salty and sauced, or dry and usually very one-dimensional.  It was definitely not the case with this sandwich; the pork was moist and flavorful and balanced so well by all the other ingredients in the sandwich; the creamy avocado, fresh tomatoes, thin slice of cheese, nice vinegar-y slaw and delicious fluffy bread.  I loved this sandwich and would order it over and over again.

The decor of R+D is nice, similar to the other Hillstone restaurants like Houstons and Banderas: clean and modern with dark woods with nice open kitchen.  They have three locations with the other two in Newport Beach and Dallas.  We got a perfect booth where we could also watch the second half of the semi-final World Cup match between Netherlands and Uruguay.  They also have a nice bar and wine selection, although I don't see this as much of a dinner place, though it is always packed for both dinner and lunch when I walk by.  There was a line out the door when we finished our lunch.


R+D Kitchen
1323 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 395-3314