Candle Cafe & Grill

I came here a couple months ago and the service is excellent the best part was the food lol the fish and chips was so good. And happy hour was great as well good prices and great views but me and my family loved the face the host named Michael was amazing made sure everything was okay and asked if there was anything else we needed and I came here a couple days ago and to be told he was let go I think that was a bad mistake bc when I was there with my family he seemed to always have a busy outside area bc he was so outgoing but overall it was a good place

While this place isn’t anything special, I appreciated the staff which was attentive and helpful. Outdoor seating is great and expansive, and we were asked if we preferred a sunny or shady table. We had our golden retriever with us and they had a bowl of water waiting for her before we even sat down.
Burger and BLT w/​Avocado were both good — burger very sizable and well seasoned, skin-​on fries obviously fresh and enjoyable, though we both wished they were a little hotter when they came to our table, probably 7 minutes after we ordered. Waiter was attentive and routinely checked-​in with us, would be quicker if they refilled drinks from a pitcher rather than taking glasses back into kitchen area. Owner was visible, helping bus tables, refill drinks, check up on folks, etc.
Didn’t enjoy all the bums hanging around, but that’s not unique to this location as they are all-​too-​visible throughout the beach communities. Other people watching was enjoyable, until I realized that I’m probably supporting half of them through Sacramento’s insane tax-​and-​spend-​and-​support-​the-​moronic policies.
Again, not a memorable meal in any regard, but nothing wrong either, in a great location.

We went for dinner and chose to sit outside… very comfortable and pleasant atmosphere. The staff were very friendly and the service was excellent. The food… large servings that looked amazing and tasted delicious! Our group ordered pizzas, greek salad with chicken and the chicken pasta… everyone of us thorougly enjoyed our meals. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Decent breakfast with a nice view. Lots of noise though and lots of bums

Had brunch here before was okay eggs Bene and French champagne but today it took them 15 minutes to tell me no French champagne at 65 a bottle you’d think they would have at least one.

If you want a place to have some coffee or a beer and watch the sunset this is the spot. Free WiFi and outdoor seating with an ocean view. Love the mochas.

Great friendly place, excellent location. The huevos rancheros and Venice omelette were excellent.

My boyfriend and I came to Candle Café and Grill on a Saturday for lunch.
Pros:
Great location.
Beautiful views.
They serve breakfast all day.
Prices are reasonable.
Food was tasty and decent portions!
Cons:
Service was a bit slow.
Nothing else really.
I’d come back here again, but I’d also try other places in Venice Beach before I come back here.
Cheers!

We had breakfast here with our daughter. It was lovely!
Great service! Amazing pancakes and oatmeal.

I work on the Venice Beach Boardwalk and have both sat down here and picked up.
Both times were un-​impressive. The inside looks drabby and dirty but the do offer outside seating right on the boardwalk.
The last time I went I had their BBQ chicken pizza, the sauce was too sweet and lacked any other flavor.
If your on the boardwalk try Ale House, if you are willing to walk a little off the Board Walk… try Tacos Por Favor.

I am only docking a star because service was very slow (friendly and all that, just slowwww)
food was great, I had fish and chips which they made with tilapia instead of cod – something different. wide selection of beer and menu items… something for everyone here, for sure.
we sat outside which was nice, warm night and lots of people watching right on the venice ocean front

Sunset views, outdoor tables, street scene up the wazoo, killer calimari… just what we were looking for on a warm October afternoon fading into darkness after a 40 minute sunset. Add to that combo pleasant service, some good local musicians on the sidewalk, and happy hour from 3 to 7 with good shrimp quesadillas, and we found ourselves a winner. The house cabernet was first rate too. They even dragged out some heaters for the locals that filled the patio as the evening wore on.

Last time I was here was at least 8 – 9 years ago! I took my tourist friend here on a rented bike, told him we’re going to have the best sangria. I was absolutely wrong!
It wasn’t fresh and it tasted horrible!!!
I also ordered a side, don’t remember what! Maybe fries. but they never brought it. and we ended up leaving after 30 minutes.
The view is good if you sit outside.
I would probably never go here again! :(

Just don’t. We came to Venice to buy some cheesy touristy stuff to send some out of town friends for their birthdays and were starving. I am pregnant with twins so I didn’t want to waddle too far off the boardwalk, so we wound up near the end thinking, screw it we are going into one of these tourist ridden places. I hate to say it, but it was awful.
Our service was great so I won’t fault them for that, but the food was terrible and the place was dirty. We are not snobby or looking for super fancy eateries, trust me we love a hole in the wall, but you have to at least serve edible food.
We ordered the calamari to start, only because it was busy and we thought it would take long for our entrees and I’m pregnant and starving, so you get the point. It was decent, but for an entrée I ordered the fish tacos and that’s when everything went down hill. The fish was so disgusting. It was grilled, which is what I ordered, but it was chopped into the tiniest little bits and the fish was grey. I tried to finish one of the three tacos but I just couldn’t do it. The tortillas were soggy and the fish, ugh the fish was so foul, the slimy texture the fishy taste. I eat A LOT of fish, so I know yeah it’s fish, but this was rotten fish, just disgusting.
I never send food back or complain, so I just told my husband the calamari filled me up. I went to the bathroom and when I came back he had sent my food back knowing I didn’t like it and they were kind enough to not charge us for it. I hate to do that, but that’s why I will give this place 2 stars instead of 1. So many places don’t know how to handle situations like this and have awful customer service, but they handled it really professionally. The waitress said she actually gets a lot of complaints on the fish tacos. My only advice would be to warn people not to order them if that’s the case, just to save the restaurant the waste.
My husband did enjoy his burger, so that was a plus. We left and as I was still starving we went to Santa Monica to Beachy Cream for ice cream in pretzel cones, so all was well with the world.

If you’re on the boardwalk and fond yourself needing a good cup of coffee, nice cold beer or great food, you’ve found the place.
Most choose to sit outside, I opted to sit inside and work on my laptop using their free WiFi which was quite helpful. I had a very friendly attentive server and will be back very soon.
Oh and I learned that when I. The area to check out their Instagram account, they post some good special there.

My Girlfriend and I have considered this our spot for a couple of years now. We are big people watchers and love a great atmosphere. This place gives both and great food.
We generally try and come early in the mornings. Its a great breakfast, great customer service, and the boardwalk always provides some great people watching entertainment.
We have had a variety of dishes and they all have been wonderful. This is a Must-​Stop, if visiting Venice.

The food sucked big time. No customer service and I had to go to the counter to ask for a refill on my coffee Now that is super bad. I do not recommend this restaurant not even if it was the only restaurant open in the whole world. And the prices are outrages. What restaurant serves a salad for breakfast. This place does and the salad already has a nasty gross dressing on it. I would had eating it because I love salads but the dressing was already on it and I had no option in choosing my own dressing. To pay I also had to go and tell them up on their counter that I wanted to get the heck out of here. As soon as I left that place I started vomiting I really did. I vomited In front of The restaurant but on the sand. I had respect for the others that were eating outside. I know we all order different so, if you go be very careful In what you order.
Hope this helps.

The back patio was almost empty, yet the host sat us at the same table as a random woman who we have never met before. There were empty tables between her and my fiancé, then there was empty TABLES behind them.
(Photo is not linked to this review)

This place is weak. The food is debatable and the service is a nightmare. I would not return.

Candle Café was there. And I feel as though this is how they obtain 100% of their customers.
This is not a destination. You’re here because it’s right on Venice Beach, it’s beautiful out, and the people-​watching is unrivaled. (And maybe because you are near death at 8 am, and this was the only place open and within your limited range of movement.)
I ordered the basic breakfast, but added sausage and a short stack of pancakes because I’m a real man. The food is fine. I did, in fact, write home about it… but that has more to do with the fact that my mother enjoys hearing from me than any exceptional qualities that the meal itself had.
The only remarkable thing about the meal, other than the location, was the wait for our check. To be clear though, I don’t blame the waitress, I blame the establishment. I eventually had to go inside and stand next to her while she printed it, but there’s no way one waitress should be handling the entire place, and she can’t be blamed for forgetting a few things.

Ich fand es hier super! Wir haben hier immer gefrühstückt. Qualitativ super, service sensatinell und sehr aufmerksam. Preis-​Leistung super. Aussicht hammer… Empfehlen wir auf jeden Fall weiter.