Best Seafood restaurant in San Pedro, or Ports of Call.

[Baron]

Will soon pay a visit to Ports of Call. Haven't been in years. Can someone recommend a good seafood restaurant?

[withabandon]

I hope you had fun, where ever you went. Just want to chime in that I don't think the best places in San Pedro are the "restaurants," but rather all the little seafood markets, where you pick out your fish and they cook it for you. You can walk around and see who has what and how fresh it is. There are little stands where you can get beer. The restaurants seem very touristy, overpriced, and generally empty, even when the tables on the peer are packed. I think the best thing to do there is jump in with the local Los Angelenos, and enjoy the "joints" on the pier. Happy eating!

[jdwdeville]

dude! where was this post last weekend when we were there, lost, and hungry, and only were saved by someone at La Espagnola deciding they weren't taking the last order of paella?!

[Baron]

I took Servorg’s suggestion and went for lunch at the 22ndStLanding this afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to find this classic old style seafood house on the harbor where the fishing boats depart. It reminded me of the old Bookbinders in Philadelphia. It’s a very comfortable place with lots of wood and glass and has been there for many years with a faithful clientele. We started with a combo of oysters, shrimp and crab, followed by a very nice lobster bisque. I had the local seabass grilled over hardwood with a side of mixed veggies properly cooked. The portion was
generous and very tasty. Its not Providence but doesn’t pretend to be. I would certainly return and
try some of their other offerings. Oh, and they served these fresh from the oven warm garlic and cheese rolls which they called "bread sticks." A real treat. My thanks to Servorg.

[Servorg]

Glad to hear that they are still delivering the same good food we have always had in the past. We don't get down to that area of the city all that often, but when we do we normally end up at the Landing for dinner. Thanks for reporting back.

[chpskt]

The current building only dates to 1989, which isn't "old" by San Pedro standards. The previous incarnation (at the same location) was considerable less formal.

[Novelli]

LOL tell me about it. I live in Pedro and the house I'm in was built in 1918.
Found the original inspection tag in the attic!

[Servorg]

I don't get the sense that Baron was saying that the building or the restaurant was "old" in terms of age, but rather its look reminded them of an "old style" place...

"We were pleasantly surprised to find this classic old style seafood house..."

[Baron]

The venue felt old and established. I never checked for a birth certificate. Thankfully, the fish they served was not old.

[Servorg]

So, you're not a "birther" then? ;-D>

[Servorg]

I've always found the Seafood Bar & Grill at the 22nd St. Landing better than any of the places I've tried at Ports 'O Call.

http://www.22ndstlandingrestaurant.com/

[Baron]

Thanks Servorg. I'll take your advice.

[Servorg]

They are upstairs on the second level. We generally just walk up the stairs. The have a nice patio, weather permitting. I call this "casual nice" as the setting is comfortable but on the nicer side and yet you can wear whatever makes you comfortable. Good drinks too if you are in the mood. My wife has always been partial to their bucket of clams and mussels. I've had some very good fish from their fresh list. They have both simple grilled preparation as well as some with sauces or crab topped. It's not the Water Grill, but you won't pay WG prices either.

[ns1]

gotta try this place, I want to like san pedro/ports of call but ever since I've grown up I've been sorely disappointed =X

[silverlakebodhisattva]

Stumbled across this place while just sort of scouting around SP/LB a few months ago, when the Woman In The Hat suddenly decided to demand dinner. Certainly better than P.O'.C.'s places, though, as Servorg observes, not Water Grill, either. After all, it's in "Peedro"...

[ns1]

If that's the case, is there any redeeming quality to san pedro/ports of call? I haven't been in eons.

[silverlakebodhisattva]

I didn't intend to suggest that 22nd Street Landing Seafood Bar And Grill was bad, or "without redeeming qualities" just that it wasn't particularly memorable, and that taken by itself, the food wasn't "destination cuisine".

OTOH, it's a pleasant enough venue, with nice views, and far enough "off the beaten path" so that 's not a howling mass of humanity even on weekends, unlike, say, the Bubba Gump's* adjoining the aquarium. So, if you find yourself in that neck of the woods (pick-up from a cruise ship, or the Catalina shuttle, or at the Aquarium, etc.) it's perfectly OK.

*Someone is going to need to explain to me, some time, the reasoning behind folks' willingness to patronize a fake "seaport" restaurant which displaces or replaces a real seaport restaurant, e.g., the BG in Long Beach, Monterey, and New Orleans, but that's a rant for another time...

[Servorg]

They are one of the few remaining places that we've found that do a true "bucket of clams" (in fact the times we've gone my wife has specified all clams and no mussels and they always accommodate her - can't recall if there was any up charge for no mussels...but I don't think so).

[DrBruin]

I was there today and the place seemed empty... and there was still a 20 minute wait to be seated (I guess they were short staffed). The New England Clam Chowder was mediocre (you could find the clams, taste the bacon). I ordered this mixed brochette dish (1 skewer of tiny pieces of swordfish and 1 skewer with three shrimp wrapped scallops) that was grilled. It tasted fine. It was served with some rice and some mixed vegetables which were in various states (the squash was mush, the carrots being chopped in different sizes lead some to being like babyfood, and some being crunchy). My wife ordered the grilled Mahi Mahi, and her first comment was "this is all you get for that much money?" Both dishes were ~17. The warm garlic-cheese breadsticks were okay (olive-garden-style).

The view was nice.

Besides smallish portions, what basically ruined the experience, was the service, or lack thereof. We basically went to get our own drink refills at the bar since our waitress was nowhere to be found. Even when it came to the bill, the waitress disappeared for a long time after dropping it off, and it took forever to get it back once she took my Amex.

I wouldn't go back there intentionally. The one upside is that across the street was a brand new handmade crafts fair in this huge warehouse (opening weekend of Crafted) and there were 6 food trucks parked out front (NomNom, Crepe'n Around, Ragin Cajun, and three others). We had a s'mores crepe, which tasted good.

Are there any sit-down non-Providence, non-Water Grill, non-Hungry Cat seafood restaurants in the South Bay (or even in LA) that serve decent portions, prepared properly, priced reasonably, casual seafood grills anymore? I miss the South Bay Grill (for what it's worth).

[Baron]

Sorry you had a bad experience, Doc. My one experience at the 22nd st Grill was quite different than yours. It's getting harder and harder to find a decent fish house. I'll grant you that. Who remembers Hymies Fish House, the Maryland Crab house and the unforgettable Jacks at the Beach? There were others but they are now closed. So, if anyone discovers a Houndworthy fish house, please share.

[Servorg]

On our 4 or 5 visits we've always had good, solid and fresh tasting seafood at a reasonable price and fair portion sizes. Service has been attentive and friendly on each of those visits. I hate the "empty restaurant" syndrome where you go in when it's slow and the service inevitably suffers because of it for some strange reason.

[Baron]

Hello Servorg. Just returned from another very good lunch at the 22nd St Seafood. Perfectly, fresh, grilled local sea bass, oysters, etc. Thanks again for the recommendation.

[Servorg]

For my money their food is good and the setting is "nice but casual" so the combination is perfect for my DNA...Thanks for updating the thread.