Update 13:
Excited about the great experience @PorkyBelly had with Gjusta’s Dinner-Only Fried Chicken, we finally made it out to try it (when it was on the menu). 
The Dinner service is indeed the total opposite of Brunch / Lunch, with a much more leisurely, relaxed atmosphere (and far less people).
Sparkling Ginger Lemonade:
Fresh-grated Ginger, fizzy, lightly sweet, perfect!
(Complimentary) Country Bread & Seasoned Olive Oil:
In a nice gesture, they were handing out slices of their delicious House-Baked Country White Bread.
Grilled Octopus (Smoked Paprika, Hummus):
Nicely grilled, lightly smoky with a bit of char, the Octopus was tender (not rubbery). Loved the Smoked Paprika seasoning and the Housemade Hummus was generally smooth, but not overly pureed. Delicious. 
Buttermilk Fried Chicken (Sage-Honey, Fresno Chili, Pickled Watermelon):
The beautiful golden brown hue of the Fried Chicken gave us hope. How long have we tried to find another Fried Chicken matching or getting near Howlin’ Ray’s level of quality? We couldn’t wait!
The Fried Chicken Breast portion was a little light / uneven on the batter, but generally it had a light crunch to it. Sinking deeper, the Breast meat was moist, beautifully seasoned and quite pleasing!
It lacked the crispy-crunchy and less oily crust from Howlin’ Ray’s but this was very good still.
The Fried Chicken Leg & Thigh was much better! Just one look and you could tell how nicely battered it was. Taking a bite: Crunch! 
A fantastic crunchy batter (not really crispy), but excellent, and with a juicy interior, and nicely seasoned all-around. This was SO GOOD!
Does it surprise us any more that Gjusta happens to excel at something they’ve never offered before? No.
The reason I didn’t post about this earlier was that by the time we wanted to try it again, it was gone, off the menu! 
(FYI: The manager said the Fried Chicken is “more of a Summertime thing.”) So it’s not on the menu very often and it’s gone so often. I also wanted to try it more than once to test its consistency.
But based on my one try and @PorkyBelly’s impeccable taste buds, I will have to say I adore Gjusta’s Fried Chicken and it’s probably Top 3 in L.A. for me.
Hazelnut Paris Brest:
We spotted the return of their wonderful Hazelnut Paris Brest (one of Gjusta’s best Desserts), and had to order it in honor of @bulavinaka (who’s missed its appearance the last few times).
Slightly firm on the outside, but immediately yielding a soft fluffy interior and the Hazelnut Cream filling! Nutty, not too sweet, a great way to end the meal.
20th+ Visit:
I was hanging out with a friend the week before, and to our surprise, she had never been to Gjusta before. It felt like a great excuse to go back and let her try a few of our favorite items.
Sparkling Cucumber Lemonade:
This was during a warmer spell, so the Cucumber, Lemonade (not much Sugar at all) + sparkling Water = instant “A/C” from the inside out. 
Sparkling Ginger Lemonade:
Smoked Fish Plate (S):
We had to start with Gjusta’s fantastic Smoked Seafood case.
Cold Smoked Kanpachi:
Beautiful smokiness (without overpowering the Kanpachi), delicate, but slightly firm Kanpachi meat. My friend couldn’t stop talking about this. It’s still one of my favorites.
Classic Cold Smoked Lox:
Excellent!
Smoked Salmon Belly:
It might look “dryish” but taking a bite it was lush, buttery, flaky, MUST ORDER!
Their condiments are as nice as before, and paired with their freshly baked, in-house Bread selection (crusty, crunchy crusts, fluffy insides) and you have JOY!
Multi-Grain Porridge Waffle (Butter & Syrup):
This is really a marvel of ingenuity: Gjusta takes their Multi-Grain Porridge and uses it as the basis to create a crispy, nutty, fluffy on the inside Multi-Grain Waffle(!). 
It is still one of our favorite Waffles in the city (still crispy and with real substance). (@TheCookie a must try!)
Huevos Rancheros (Beans, Braised Greens, Two Fried Eggs, Corn Tortilla, Ranchero Salsa, Cotija Cheese, Cilantro):
As before, a nice funky, spicy, vinegary, savory dish, Gjusta’s take on the classic Mexican Breakfast item.
Egg Sandwich (English Muffin, Collards, Gruyere, Bacon, Hot Sauce):
The very first Breakfast item that made us fall in love with Gjusta, if you are in the mood for a great Breakfast Sandwich, look no further. Housemade English Muffin (wonderful), silky, creamy Sunny-Side Up Egg, crispy Bacon, and a nice little kick from their Housemade Hot Sauce.
Another Visit:
Rotating Market Salads - Grilled Okra Salad:
Cooked just through so you didn’t get any of the stickiness that some Okra dishes have, fragrant, smoky, tasty.
Mediterranean Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Salad:
It starts with great farmers market produce that you can taste in every bite. The Heirloom Tomatoes were so bright, sunny and sweet, they were phenomenal. Loved the crunch from the Cucumbers and the balanced Vinaigrette.
Tuna Conserva Sandwich (Sourdough, Caper Aioli, Roasted Peppers, Salted Cucumber & Radish, Sprouts, Tapenade):
I think an argument can be made for many of Gjusta’s Sandwiches, on why eating that Sandwich will just highlight the greatness of the menu and Chef Travis Lett & staff’s creations. But on this day, we went with the Tuna Conserva:
It starts with the crunch from the lightly toasted Housemade Sourdough Bread. There’s a jab of brininess from the Olive Tapenade, but it’s quickly mellowed by the creamy luscious Tuna Salad, the Caper Aioli, the Sprouts give a Spring-like vegetal note, and you have the sweetness from the Roasted Peppers (not spicy).
It may very well be the best Tuna Sandwich I have ever had.
BLT (Whole Wheat, Bacon, Heirloom Tomato, Arugula, Avocado, Chipotle Aioli):
I totally missed this item, but thanks to @Bigmouth for the recommendation we decided to give this a try: Crunchy, toasty Housemade Whole Wheat Bread (which isn’t “boring” like you might think “Whole Wheat” is, but that Sesame Seed crust… so good!), Butter Lettuce, Arugula for slight bitterness (that kept it fresh), and crispy Bacon! 
This is an excellent BLT! (The creamy Avocado didn’t hurt either.)
Another Visit:
Veggie Burger (Whole Wheat Bun, Aioli, Pickled Red Onion, Tomato, Sprouts, Emmentaler Cheese):
Another great recommendation from @Bigmouth, I am not a vegetarian, but seriously Gjusta’s Veggie Burger is outstanding! It is not “fru-fru” or too delicate: Instead you get this great crunchy Housemade Veggie Patty (using Chickpeas and other Seeds & Grains as a base) that is full of flavor and satisfying. It’s nutty, crunchy, savory and satisfying enough that we didn’t really miss the meat. Another great flavor composition. (@westsidegal)
Duck Confit Toast (Ciabatta, Apricot Mostarda, Fermented Leeks, Pickled Fresno, Parsley Olive Oil, Cracked Pepper):
I love Duck Confit, so when I saw this on the menu, it was a must try. Sadly, this is one of the few misses for savory items at Gjusta: The Duck Confit itself is tender and luscious (but no crisped Duck Skin included in this piece we got). However the downfall was way too much Mostarda and Fermented Leeks. It just made every bite too tart. 
(Note: I just noticed on my latest visit that they’ve removed the Fermented Leeks and Mostarda - nice! So perhaps it’s better.)
Fish Plate (S):
Smoked Black Cod:
FTC Gjusta Club members! They got Smoked Black Cod back in. Smoky and buttery. Delicious!
Hot Smoked Kanpachi:
A nice break from our usual order. We like the Cold Smoked Kanpachi more though.
Herbed Gravlox:
Delicious as usual.
Rotating Market Salads - Greek Salad:
Bright, crisp, nice pungency from the Feta and Olives, super fresh farmers market produce. One of the best Salads we’ve had in a while.
Grilled Squash Salad:
This was very good as well: Grilled, tender farmers market Squash varietals tossed in a beautiful Parsley Pesto-like Dressing. Delicious!
(NEW) Creme Caramel:
Gjusta’s new Creme Caramel is sadly a miss. The flavors aren’t bad (not too sweet, fragrant), but it was overcooked and too dense. 
Avoid.
Another Visit:
We had an acquaintance stopping by from the Midwest, and they were craving some “decent Sandwiches and stuff” so we decided to take them to Gjusta.
Anchovy Toast (Sourdough, Salt-Cured Anchovies):
Glorious brininess from their perfect Salt-Cured Anchovies, the crunch of their Housemade Sourdough toasted.
(NEW) Tomato Confit (Baguette, Tomato Confit, Burrata) + Prosciutto (Add-On):
We had to try this new Sandwich thanks to @PorkyBelly’s suggestion. I loved the Tomato Confit: Deeply flavorful, zesty, savory, lightly sweet… just the essence of Tomato distilled down. The crunchy Baguette was fantastic as well.
However, they were too generous with the Prosciutto: There was so much Prosciutto that they gave us (and I feel lucky & happy they were generous), but it threw off the Sandwich for us. (Forgive me @PorkyBelly, I couldn’t handle so much Prosciutto at once! 
)
However, once we took off about half the Prosciutto, it was just right (for us) and quite tasty.
(NEW) Cheese Burger (Seeded Pain De Mie Bun, Gruyere, Smoked Tomato, Arugula, Pickles, Aioli):
Okay, when we saw that Gjusta added a “Cheeseburger” to the menu, our first reaction was seriously incredulity. 
We were thinking this must be Gjusta giving in to the local hamster crowd or something like that.
But as we were chatting with our order taker, he wouldn’t stop raving about it and we were so glad we listened:
Just look at that glorious medium-rare, USDA Prime Beef patty, perfectly seared with a nice outer crust and lightly beefy interior. It’s a mix of Beef Chuck, Shoulder and Bone Marrow(!).
Taking a bite, the soft, fluffy Housemade Seeded Pain De Mie Bun, the Smoked Tomato gives it a light smoky umami savory component, and then you get that luscious, juicy Beef patty! SO GOOD!
It really is stupid how good Gjusta is at so many different dishes; it defies normal restaurant logic that we’ve seen (where other restaurants have too many things and most of it is mediocre and they fail).
Aspen Ridge Prime Rib Butcher (Baguette, Olive Oil) + Extra Horseradish:
In honor of @CiaoBob, I don’t know how many more words need to be said about one of Gjusta (and L.A.'s) best Sandwiches, period.
Just think about this for a second: Gjusta roasts Prime Rib daily to make their amazing Aspen Ridge Prime Rib Butcher Sandwich.
It is simple, almost elemental, but it is a celebration of PURE JOY in a bite: Luscious, tender, melt-in-your-mouth Prime Rib, so perfectly cooked and so juicy. It is utterly RIDICULOUS how good this Prime Rib Butcher is! (@paranoidgarliclover, ask for Extra Horseradish to help counteract the mild factor of their grated Horseradish.)
In the end, Gjusta is a place that delivers a fantastic array of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner options, Smoked Seafood and so much more, all “farmers market driven” but without the feeling like it’s so precious. You can get absolutely delicious Rotating Farmers Market Salads (changing constantly) that are bursting with flavor.
If you’re craving some meatier, more satisfying dishes, you can just order any array of Gjusta’s phenomenal Sandwiches (the Italian (one of L.A.'s best, easily), the Roasted Turkey (featuring fresh Roasted actual Turkey that is sliced for your Sandwich (not pre-made, refrigerated cuts), the best Tuna Sandwich I’ve ever had, the best Veggie Sandwich I’ve ever had, a fantastic Falafel Sandwich, and their new offerings like the Cheeseburger, or a classic like the Aspen Ridge Prime Rib Butcher!
There’s a reason we have the FTC Gjusta Club, why @bulavinaka @Bookwich @CiaoBob @wienermobile @PorkyBelly @A5KOBE and so many others visit again and again.
Gjusta
320 Sunset Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Tel: (310) 314-0320