Venice Ale House Offers Beer With a View

If you've never had a "skate" of beer or been served beach-style pub food from a waitress called "Cinnamon," now's your chance. 

Venice Ale House offers both as well as perfect views of the beach at sunset. 

Opened in July by two roommates, Thomas Elliot and Spoon Singh, the boardwalk's newest gastropub attempts to provide patrons with the best of the West Coast by serving only local, organic food and drink. 

The short menu includes the requisite chips and guac, burger and grilled cheese, but the far lengthier chalkboard beer list could overwhelm patrons just looking for a refreshing brew.

Not to worry. The Ale House suggests you try a skate of beer or wine—a tasting of four or six 5-oz servings brought tableside on a hollowed-out skateboard.

A couple of these will have you feeling like you're riding a wave, but at just $9 for a tasting of six, a skate won't necessarily set you back any more than a few pints would.

The Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat ($6/pint) is sweet and citrusy, but if you're looking for a little bite, try the Stone Ruination IPA ($8). If you'd rather stick to classic and smooth, check out Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale ($6).

Venice Ale House may have the alcohol part down, but it has a way to go with the accompaniments.

King salmon, scallops, shrimp and yellowfin tuna all beckon, but more often than not the fresh ingredients don't add up to a satisfying dish. 

The king salmon tacos ($11), by far the pub's tastiest offering, arrived on two homemade yellow corn tortillas. Meaty fillets of grilled salmon topped with mango salsa went down nicely with a Longboard Island Lager. A little acid from a squeeze of lemon or lime would elevate the taste of this tropical-inspired dish.

Other dishes were less successful. The seared sea scallops ($12) were overpowered by a flood of balsamic vinegar.

The under-seasoned,  baked Yukon "un-fries" ($6) were bland, while the yellowtail sandwich ($14) didn't do justice to the delicate fish. Even if the tuna hadn't been overcooked, over-sized slices of sourdough and oily aioli would still have been overwhelming. 

With enough outside seating for several large groups and an indoor space for a few couples to cozy up at the bar, Venice Ale House is likely to draw the final wave of summer travelers as well as laid-back locals.

Don't forget to bring a sweater. As the nights get cooler you'll need more than Cinnamon's spice and the lone heat lamp to keep you warm.