26 Beach is a restaurant with a personality of its own. Furry pink umbrellas line the storefront, giving off a unique, vibrant energy that is unlike anywhere else I’ve been in Los Angeles. The enclosed patio is decorated in over-the-top frills and the scene is something you’ll find at a tea party in a Disney movie. The other main room is more sophisticated but still has a unique personality, with a turquoise and black theme. If I have to pick the perfect atmosphere for brunch with the girls, it will be this Marina Del Rey hotspot…
26 Beach’s menu is honestly overwhelming and the portion sizes are huge. With 31 variations of burgers alone, you can be staring at the menu for hours. With an insane variety of options, and no GF menu available, the NOBREAD crowd might find it difficult to dine here without asking the server a million questions. Unfortunately there is a lot of cross-contamination and gluten is used as an ingredient in things you may not expect. Most of the 26 salads available on the menu are, or can be made gluten free; however, it’s important to note that only the raspberry, lemon, ranch and blue cheese dressings are gluten free. If you want bold flavors, go for the Waldorf Curry Chicken Salad. With curried chicken, avocado, walnuts, blueberries, grapes, apples, raisins, carrots, and tomatoes, this salad combines the strong curry spice flavor with the sweetness of the fruit to make a surprisingly excellent combination. 26 is known for their burgers, and luckily most of them can be prepared gluten free by substituting the bread for brown rice or a house salad. Chef Katsu’s Original California Roll Sushi-Hamburger has received quite a bit of praise for its unique combination of flavors. This hamburger is topped with snow crab salad, avocado, sushi ginger, and nori. 26 Beach also has a distinct brunch menu. My favorite options are “The Royals” which are a variety of eggs over brown rice. On my next visit I am dying to try the Smoked Salmon Royal with smoked salmon, eggs, onions, asparagus, cream cheese & black olives over brown rice.
26 Beach has an ornate and vibrant atmosphere that lends to a unique dining experience. If you do not have serious gluten allergies, this spot is 100% worth the visit. However, 26 Beach has not made an effort to be gluten-free-friendly, so for those who need to avoid gluten at all costs may have to sit this one out due to the lack of 100% gluten-free friendly options.