Oceanview Bistro - Montrose

Oceanview has been a favorite of mine every time I go back to LA for at least three years now; my go-to place for dining with friends in the La Crescenta area. However, definitely not so hot on the service this time. We went twice, once for Friday dinner and then again for breakfast the next day. Friday night the waitress forgot to put in our order and even after that it was another half-hour wait. Breakfast the next day the food was awfully slow too. And someone at the table next to us commented on it also, so I know it wasn't just us. However, the food was good when it came. We had a great burger and I forget what else for dinner, tasty, the wine was good, breakfast was good, and they serve good coffee here also.

I was looking forward to their short ribs and they did not disappoint. Despite its name there is not a view of the ocean but there is plenty of parking. It's very close to the quaint main street in Montrose which was used in a few Sons of Anarchy episodes last year.

This should be a neighborhood gem but we have seen it deteriorate for the past few years. We had breakfast this past Saturday and while the pressed coffee never disappoints, we make better omelets at home without the $13.00 per, plus tip price tag. Can't see how it can continue to skimp on what makes a restaurant great THE FOOD, and continue in business.

This was our second time eating at Oceanview. There is little ambiance. The appetizers were good as was the salad. Our entrees were disappointing. Both were said to be popular dishes. I ordered sesame crusted tuna. It was nicely cooked, however there was no flavor to the fish or rice that accompanied it. I could not eat the cabbage/slaw as it contained red peppers. The second dish was called baseball, a large round of steak in a mound of potatoes and gravy with a couple of asparagus under the potatoes and gravy.

We 've tried this place a few times. Since it 's nearby, we wanted it to be a go to place. They try too hard to elevate the food. On this visit my seared Ahi had a breaded crust that was awful. We would enjoy simple, well prepared quality food over the dressed up, but not so tasty food we 've had.