After six-month closure, iconic restaurant is offering a big discount to area residents and first responders
In a sign of resilience and moving forward, iconic Gladstones restaurant reopened its outdoor deck, perched along the Pacific Ocean on July 4. The Independence Day holiday marked the Palisades/Malibu landmark eatery’s first service since January’s devastating Palisades Fire burned most of the Pacific Palisades and Eastern Malibu.
The popular restaurant, which was once Los Angeles’ highest-grossing restaurant and remains a community favorite, is now one of the only businesses still standing at the intersection of PCH and Sunset Boulevard. The restaurant was mostly spared, with only partial damage, from the fire. Then it soon became a staging area for firefighters and later for recovery efforts. While Gladstones main dining room remains under renovation — targeted for a full reopening by early 2026 — the auxiliary kitchen and public deck are welcoming guests from 11 a.m. to sunset. Expect a limited menu without brunch service.
As the restaurant prepared the past few weeks for reopening, it hired muralist Jonas Never to paint four eight-foot murals — panoramic tributes to Malibu and Pacific Coast Highway. One panel is a moving tribute to the coastal area’s beloved businesses that were lost in the blaze. Depicted in the mural are, according to Gladstones, the properties that “carry the names, dreams, and strength of the Southern California coast.”
Included in the painting are Cholada, The Feed Bin, The Reel Inn, Wylie’s Bait Shop, Moonshadows, Tahitian Terrace, Topanga Ranch Motel, Rosenthal Wine Tasting, and the Palisades Business block.
Along with those neighborhood businesses, the fire, which caused massive loss — over 6,000 structures and 12 lives — impacted Gladstones’s back rooms and decks, though the core structure survived. However, six restaurant team members lost their homes in the blaze. Managers set up a GoFundMe campaign that raised nearly $30,000 in staff support, illustrating the community’s deep connection to the seaside institution.
In appreciation for their neighbors and for community support, Gladstones is offering a 50% discount to Malibu and Pacific Palisades residents and also to first responders. The offer is available through the month of July.
Management is hoping its offer will bring locals back to enjoy the ocean views, sip a signature cocktail, order its classic seafood offerings — including lobster rolls and clam chowder — all while catching up with old friends and communing with workers and fellow fire affected residents.
Gladstones management has said the restaurant wants to continue to be a community anchor and is looking forward to a full reopening in 2026.