Peas & Carrots

I miss this place, and can’t wait for it to reopen!
The owner, Mark C., is like a nice version of The Soup Nazi. Every recommendation that he’s made has turned out to be an excellent dish! The place it’s getting known for its exotic meats (ex: boar, elk, kangaroo, maybe sometimes snake & alligator?) and sausages, but their veggie heavy dishes are just as excellent. I took a loaded salad back to the wife that had more things in it than I can remember, and all the ingredients played well off of each other. Located on the Westside of UCLA Santa Monica hospital, it’s great for anyone in the area that wants higher quality cuisine, especially over the hospital cafeteria (which was much better than I expected). Coming from a family in the restaurant business, I know how things are harder to run than they may seem, and the fact that the owner’s daughter comes in somedays shows their closeness and dedication to the end product! From my many friendly conversations with Mark, I can tell that he isn’t a quitter, and that the business will reopen when it’s ready. Hopefully for us, it’s sooner rather than later…

Let me preface in saying that the food was pretty good-​I got the eggs benedict without the bread and fresh tomato instead and fresh fruit on the side. We also got a banana bread muffin with chocolate chips-​pretty good but too much cinnamon, made my mouth taste funny. The décor was drab and underwhelming but not horrible, though there were cobwebs right next to my seat where there was a planter and a spiderweb (where a spider was residing) in the plants.
But honestly-​this review isn’t for the food or the décor-​it is for our server and the owner of Peas & Carrots. I should never feel afraid to write a bad review but in this case, the owner might just be bat shit crazy enough to find me and make me the latest «exotic meat» on the menu. (Is that why Pea’s & Carrots still has 4 stars? Are people just too afraid to write about their experience?)
So lets keep it short and sweet… he was incredibly inappropriate in his topics of discussion towards us as customers, swearing and talking trash about other local businesses-​even going so far as to be racist towards «asians, naw it’s those vietnamese» he said. He discussed gutting animals and then went straight in to talking about a surgical video he watched with his old football team about a lady who needed a hip replacement and how when they sliced her open you could see all her insides and how he almost fainted. Great topics for discussion while your customers are dining at your establishment, right? He also told us where he used to buy crack, which was outside of a Dunkin Donuts. Sorry folks, I was trying to keep it short but the list literally goes on and on. I was also afraid to have my cell phone out since he’s loon balls when it comes to customers using technology in his presence. He also told us that he is no liar in the fact that he doesn’t use organic produce, which would be fine if our bill wasn’t $ 42 effing dollars for two breakfast plates (which is hilarious because he also talked shit about Huckleberry being expensive when their prices are just about the same or CHEAPER for what we got and they use quality ingredients). Lastly, he said that he prepares his customers meals based on the size of the customer. So, for example, he made my boyfriend a larger omelet because he thought my boyfriend would like that-​but if the person is smaller, he will make a smaller portion because he doesn’t like seeing food go to waste. Strange. This will result in food being inconsistently prepared-​what restaurant does this? So skinny folks-​be warned, you might get starved out here.
Anyways, I’m not from here but all I know is-​when an owner is like this-​they should stay in back, in the office, away from customers. Hire someone friendly and professional to serve your patrons because you my friend, are not that guy. The sad part is, this whole review is just a recap of words that spewed from your own mouth.
Don’t bother responding, though I’m sure you will because I’ve seen what you wrote to the other 1 or 2 star Unilocalers.

Elk Sausage, Homemade Potato Salad and a Snapple!!!
Honestly, I just walked in, off the street to grab a bite before a medical procedure I was freaking out about! I just needed a little comfort and had no previous exceptions at all.
Even standing at the counter, waiting to order a hot dog, I had no idea what was to come my way. The Chef/​Owner, when asked what sausages he had other than hot dogs, presented this beautiful list! There was:
Buffalo-​chipotle-​bacon
Buffalo-​red wine
Bratwurst-​black forest
Chicken-​basil-​sundried tomato
Chicken-​habanero-​tequila
Duck-​apple brandy
Duck a l’orange
Elk-​apple pear port
Elk-​madeira
Lamb-​oregano-​white wine
Pheasant-​cognac
Venison-​blueberry
Wild Boar-​cranberry
Wild Boar-​jalapeño-​cheddar
Wild Boar-​hot link
I didn’t even get to the burger menu!!! OMG!!! I asked for the Elk — apple pear port sausage.
When the food arrived, the Chef said, that normally he would have brought a bunch of sauces to accompany it, but that eaten alone, I would be transported to heaven. He was so right! It was amazing! Incredible! I sat on this little beautiful patio, an oasis really, eating food I’d been longing for, sipping on a snapple… totally comforted…
I was so pleasantly surprised, I can’t wait to return for previously stated scary medical procedure, to return to try out more of their menu items! LOL!

The BEST local spot for over the top gourmet fare you’ll find on the Westside, period. If you love exotic meats as well as veggie options you’ll love it here. Great patio, and Mark is super nice and brings some fun genuine Bronx flare to Santa Monica. Go there. Now. :)

First off, what a warm welcome. Really nice guy holding the place. Close and personal with the usuals.
The choices are endless in meats for burgers and sausages and he’s got all kinds of exotic stuff.
Beers and wine and your unusual sodas.
This is my first time and I don’t feel like it will be my last.

Excellent customer service! Delicious French fries and a yummy Chinese chicken salad. Everything tasted so fresh! Such a big selection of food! The chef was supercool and you can just tell he loves what he does and makes the food whole heatedly! Great seating area outside too!

Before I start a glowing review, I’d like to get all the negatives out of the way. There’s no A/​C and I was wearing a dress shirt and wool pants. Please get an air conditioner for gosh sakes.
I ordered a feast with a kangaroo burger, salad-​thing, carrots, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and this awesome little sampler of sauces. It had a beautifully cooked medium-​rare patty that was soft and flavorful, even without any sauces. The veggies really balanced out the greasiness of the sweet potato fries and onion rings, and the overall presentation made me feel really happy. I took a few more bites, something stirred up inside of me, and suddenly all the food in front of me was missing. It was d**ned satisfying.
I now I find myself fantasizing about chopping down some trees to build a raft to Australia. Fellow Unilocalers, there are delicious hopping things down under and they need to be eaten.

I recently saw the movie, Noah. Camel, kangaroo, elk, and all the meats found on the ark… no thanks. I will NOT be taking a walk on the wild side.
Yep, they serve this and more. I couldn’t quite bring myself to try a unique burger or even a slider, so I went with a couple of safe choices:
1. Buffalo Sausage with bacon and chipotle: lean, dark meat, and very flavorful. Tons of good chilpolte, but not very bacony. Imagine high end beef jerky.
2. Chicken Sausage with habenero and tequila. A little more gamey than I like for chicken, makes me think I got something wild instead.
What didn’t I like? Full price ($ 10.95 for two), for a cheap white bread hot dog bun.
What did I like the most? Beyond super nice chef, Mark.
A sandwich shop with a nice, outdoor patio… with a name that would indicate a vegan shop… but oh no… it’s not.

Came here for brunch on a Saturday morning. The owner is working alone so we weren’t greeted when we came in. We kind of looked around confused for a moment, but he popped up not too long after.
The breakfast was on point! The potatoes are amazinggggg and everything was perfectly cooked.
I noticed some interesting items on the menu life kangaroo! The owner talked to us for awhile about the items. He’s definitely a charismatic guy and I enjoyed his service.

This place is for carnivores and not just the consumptive kind. Peas and Carrots is for those who taste their meat the way a brewmaster tastes his/​her craft beer selections.
There is so much to try here, so if you’re here for the exotic meats (which I was), go with sliders the first time around so you can sample as much as possible.
We had a mini Uban Platter which consisted of sliders with the following meats: Wild Boar, New Zealand Red Deer, Kangaroo and Camel. When I go back, I want to try Elk, Duck and the Wagyu, as well their gourmet sausages which include Pheasant with Cognac, Wild Boar with Cranberry and smoked Alligator. But with the Wild Boar, NZ Red Deer, Kangaroo and Camel sliders – plus the sweet potatoe fries, carrot salad and three bottles of Newcastle – I was pretty full.
As soon as we walked in, we were face to face with the owner who greeted us while sipping on a glass of white wine. Extremely friendly, he asked what we wanted to drink and while we were still standing and looking around, he presented me with a Newcastle, which immediately scored him points for genuine hospitality. He shared with us his belief that we need to have a relationship with our meat. If we seemed like McDonald patrons, he would have no problem throwing us out, but we weren’t. He’s a meat foodie, as are we, and he spoke about bringing other meats onto his menu in the future: racoon, possum, armadillo. I would definately try the armadillo. His approach to meat eating reminded me of old Native American ways. You hunt your prey, you kill your prey and you thank your prey for providing food and other things for functional uses (bones, fur, skin, etc). He had very emotionally charged views on people who hunt just for the skin of an animal. The gift of the prey is the meat and as carnivores at the top of the food chain, and as thinking feeling and taste disciminating human beings, we owe the animal we eat an appreciation for its meat and what it means. Yeah, I was pretty impressed by his passion.
Anyway, we were really really hungry so we cut the conversation short so we could sit down and order. The service was a bit on the slow side but that was because the owner (who doubled as our waiter) was so friendly and talkative and loved to converse about food.
When the food arrived, he provided garlic aioli, wasabi, mustard, some kind of mixed fruit ranch and hoisin. The sauces alone were great. Note: the owner wouldn’t let us order anything to go on the sliders. This being our first time, he wanted us to really taste the meat and we had no problem with that. We totally agreed, so the sliders consisted of nothing but the meat and the Hawaiian bread mini-​buns. The Kangaroo was the meat the caught me most off-​guard: extremely lean, extremely gamey, sinewy and on the drier side. The Camel was tender and fatty. The NZ Deer was thick but dry (definately good to pair with sauces). The Wild Boar was the most savory of the bunch.
I had four sliders, sweet potatoe fries, three Newcastles, paid for my friend’s beer and a salad – and the bill was only $ 42. Pretty awesome.
The only problem I had was that he never asked us how we wanted the meat cooked. The camel was a bit pink in the center, as was the Wild Boar. I order my meat rare so I had no problem with this. My friends eating with me (the well-​done type) did have a problem with this. So I ate the rest of their camel and wild boar sliders.
The one thing that perplexes me is why it’s called Peas and Carrots. Is it to be ironic? I came to this place because of word-​and-​mouth reviews but, by name alone, I wouldn’t have had the curiousity to step in. The Exotic Carnivore or something like that would be better. I also thought the décor was more on the plainer side. Outdoor seating consisted of clunky metal patio furniture.
Peas and Carrots has a great menu that is still getting stuff added to it. It’s aiming to add tap beer to its bottled selection which will be great. It’s obviously a restaurant that is still adjusting some of the more cosmetic things. I’m hoping that it grows into a gastropub (which would require moving from it’s sterile location by the UCLA hospital and quiet Santa Monica residence to a hipper, trendier area) because it has the menu to really draw people in. A great craft beer selection (tap and bottled) would only serve as a multiplier for their business, especially since it is one of tasting the exotic and pondering what is going in your mouth.
But the needed improvements are really minor (though I can see how it limits their business a bit). This place really benefits from sites like Unilocal,which is the only way I would have found it.
I plan on coming back to try the rest of their menu and re-​trying their camel. I really recommend this place for the true meat eaters who are on the perpetual search for something different and exotic.

Take a culinary walk on the wild side with exotic meats and kinky sausages at a restaurant with the most tame of names: Peas & Carrots.
Burger (6 – 8 oz) or Slider (2 oz) Meats:
— Wild Boar
— Elk
— NZ Red Deer
— Duck
— Kangaroo
— Camel
— Wagyu
— Lamb
— Buffalo
Gourmet Sausages:
— Pheasant with Cognac
— Venison with Blueberry
— Wild Boar with Cranberry
— Buffalo with Chipotle
— Hawaiian Portuguese Sausage
— OMG Dog
— Alligator «Smoked»
I was expecting vegetarian salads, organic soups, and healthy sandwiches … which they probably have … at a place called Peas & Carrots across the street from a hospital, but once the carnivore in me saw the list of meats there was only one question: «How many to try?».
Before I get to the fleshy fare, understand that visiting Peas & Carrots is an experience well beyond the unfamiliar and extraordinary food. The hub & key character at Peas & Carrots is Mark — the owner of this small family restaurant. Much like the meats, the owner is wild. He’s an outgoing, gregarious, sincere, and mesmerizing source of foodie love … like a daemon born from the ashes of Guy Fieri, the Mad Hatter, John Cena, Dionysus, the Soup Nazi, and P. T. Barnum.
In an effort to try as many bizarre beasts as possible, I opted for four sliders with a side of Carrot Salad and a Big Daddy IPA. The sliders are served with dollops of sauces: Hoisin, Chipotle, Horseradish, and Wasabi. Try each meat first then experiment with the sauces. Here are my recommendations:
* Wild Boar: Soft & juicy meat; Great with either Hoisin or Horseradish
* NZ Red Deer: Hearty & meaty; Excelled with Wasabi or Chipotle
* Camel: Lean and mean; Perfect for Horseradish, but not Hoisin
* Kangaroo: My fave and very lean; Rocked with Chipotle or Horseradish
The Carrots, Coleslaw, and Fries (free from the owner) were fine, but not the reason to go to Peas & Carrots. The selection of bottled beers is nice (Happy Hour starts at 3:00). I loved the smooth hops of the Big Daddy IPA (San Francisco). The owner brought out a free piece of Belgian Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownie that merged the deep flavors of both. A small chunk is all you need of its decadence.
Peas & Carrots was a wild ride of flavors and discoveries. The food (and service) isn’t fast, but you won’t care sitting on the heated patio sipping a beer and contemplating Kangaroo or Camel. The energy and exotics go together like Peas and Carrots at this restaurant and, perhaps, that’s how it got its name.

I love this place. There’s a nice outside area to eat or tables and a little bar inside. The food is good, the prices are reasonable. They have everything from burgers to beer to pastries to salads.
The first time I came here, they accidentally messed up my friends’ order and Mark (the owner I think) personally brought us a cookie and re-​made my burger so it would come out at the same time as my friends’ food. I thought it was really sweet and great customer service.
The second time I came, I got another free cookie from Mark. Just because. It seems like he’s always there himself, making sure everything is right, overseeing every meal because he truly cares.
I believe he has a rule regarding technology in the restaurant, but once in a while it’s good to be forced to clock out from our incessant email checking and Facebook posting.
Tl;dr = great lunch spot, one of my favorites in Santa Monica

Peas & Carrots may be the most deceiving name for a burger and sausage joint of all time. You certainly don’t come here to try the soup or salad. We were enthusiastically greeted by the owner who just so happened to sense that we were first-​timers in need of some meat. This establishment has a long list of exotic meats to choose from ranging from kangaroo and elk, to even camel.
Since I just had Wurstküche not too long ago, I opted to try the 2 oz. slider version of some of the exotic meats. I ordered three sliders for $ 14.50, plus I was given complimentary hot and cold sides with a can of soda on the house! The owner was quite passionate about his food and catered to our every need. I went with the New Zealand red deer, camel, and elk sliders while my friend tried the wild boar. Of the three, I was surprised by how light and delicate the elk meat was. The camel meat was more fatty and the deer was the driest of the three. We were also given sauces to try including garlic aioli, wasabi, ranch, and hoisin. The sweet potato fries were perfect to go with the sliders.
It felt strange to be eating deer, elk, camel, buffalo, and wild boar while at the same time watching alligators and lions eating wildebeests on Nat Geo’s Wild. But hey, it was probably just another normal lunch at Peas & Carrots. Our meal ended with the owner proudly serving us his homemade Belgian chocolate peanut butter brownie. Stop by sometime for an exotic bite, he’ll take care of you!

Had lunch right before the lunch rush so it was a little insane. The people were really nice, and they had tons of meat options.
I got the chicken Cali burger which was great, but it was on a dry bun. The line was too long to get any which was a bummer.
The outside patio was great!
The sweet potato fries were amazing!
Next time I will get the 3 sliders to try the different types of meat.

Friendly owner, excellent service! Best place to have brunch and catch up with a friend.
Location: near UCLA orthopedic outpatient clinic and Santa Monica. Good parking areas if you are coming on a weekend. I think weekdays are just as good but there is a 1 – 2 hr limit for parking on the side streets.
Size of restaurant: quite small, a few tables on the inside and some on the sidewalk outside complete with heating and a Xmas tree for the holidays. It is enclosed in a tent like atmosphere.
Food taste: got the breakfast special (sausage eggs potatoes grilled onions and green peppers) as well as a French toast. Absolutely delicious! Taste just as expected, not too dry not too salty, nice portion to get full.
Will definitely come back again!

For friendly service, this is the place to go. You can tell the Chef (Owner?) really wants to connect with every.single.customer. He oozes energy, love for his customers, and overall down to earth approachability. The softspoken server assisting him was not sure on a couple menu items, but quickly got back to us with answers.
The operations or lack thereof, was disappointing and more so, confusing– when we walked in, we lingered at the counter, then were told to have a seat, but the menus were up at the cash register. We were told about the soups of the day, which was like, 6 or so– I was lost after three. Why not have them on a board?
I originally selected P & C because they serve both breakfast and lunch, along with salads and tons of proteins for burgers. I was told that at 1pm on a Sat, they weren’t serving breakfast. A little note on the menu would have helped, saying «Till 1pm, etc».
Upon ordering, I was excited for my wild boar burger with chipotle toppings, light spicy mayo, please. My husband ordered the BS Kanyu burger. My friend ordered a large steak, medium rare. The chef then came out, to tell me that the Boar burger was 14.95, which again, was not mentioned on the menu. I opted for just a regular burger, settling in my disappointment– granted, 14.95 isn’t that bad for an imported exotic protein, but I was irritated.
Our order, upon arrival: My husband’s burger was drenched in BBQ sauce (not what he ordered). My friend’s steak was well-​done, no hint of pink, although he said, delicious, covered in peppers and onions. My burger, oozing out mayo all over, and my «side salad» was just chopped romaine.
My husband compromised with the Chef when he brought our food out and agreed to keep his bbq burger and just add the toppings (Blue cheese and bacon) to complete his burger, which he said, was yummy. I just scraped the mayo off, not saying anything due to hunger.
Again, it was clear that the Chef adores his customers– and the execution is lost in translation whilst focusing on that customer experience, almost trying a little too hard. My advice: Simplify, clarify, and bring transparency to the operations and things will be much smoother. Without telling the Chef loves the customers, this experience anywhere else would have been a one star. Given the effort however, it’s worth a second chance.

The female cashier is really softspoken and nice. She had to ask the chef how much the exotic proteins were, which was understandable since they offer a large variety.
The chef is really nice and friendly. He always talks with customers as they’re ordering. It makes for a great dining environment. He hand delivered food to customers’ tables and even ran to give someone the extra pickles and lettuce they ordered. The mark of excellent service.
The burger are decently priced, but if you opt for the exotic meats, expect to pay a dollar or 2 more depending on what you get. And rightfully so. They offer buffalo, ostrich, red deer, and a whole bunch of other exotic proteins. Puts a neat little spin on hospital food.
The food here is great. Just because it’s in front of the hospital, don’t think you’ll get stale cafeteria food. They actually cooked my burger medium rare and offered a lot of customizations.
The quality and service if food makes this restaurant even better than gourmet burger restaurants. It should be more popular given that they they don’t charge gourmet prices! :]

The service was wonderful, but the food wasn’t the best.
I had the California Veggie sandwich. It was OK. The sandwich was supposed to have fresh sprouts on it, which I was really looking forward to, but they forgot them. Also, I wanted provolone, but they were out. I had sweet potato fries on the side and they were just OK as well. My boyfriend had the burger and it was really greasy, looked like cafeteria food.
I don’t think I’ll be back.

I give this an extra star for the service. Right across from the hospital, you might not be in the spirits… all you want is something to eat and to bring to a patient.
I was attracted to this convenient location by the cute name. What a variety of gourmet hot dogs! It was a super good price and the service was very friendly. I even got advice on which lot to park in and a shortcut to enter the hospital!

The people who work here are amazingly nice. The owner/​chef will chat you up while you’re waiting to order, and will personally deliver your food to you.
They’ve also got outdoor seating, so you can enjoy your brewed coffee while enjoying some fresh air. And, I just want to say, that their music selection is fantastic. I always need more soundtrack of Amélie in my life.
Their food is also delicious, coming in huge portions that will fill you for an entire day.
A true hidden gem!