Not many options here tonight about 4 or 5 food trucks and a desert truck. Parking is in the same parking lot and you can pay at the pay station. I ate at the Original Lobster Roll truck. Disappointed in the Connecticut lobster roll. It was dry, did not have any flavor, could not taste the butter and the lobster did not taste fresh. I ate from this truck before at another location and I enjoyed the sandwich but tonight it was not good at all. Also, the onion rings were burnt. I spent $26 and could have went elsewhere and got a better meal. read more

Beach Eats - Connecticut lobster roll from the original lobster roll truck. $18. Flavorless dry sandwich and lobster did not taste fresh. - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

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Marina Mother's Beach gets stars for being a place where moms can let their kiddies frolic in the water without fear. I also appreciated the convenient and inexpensive parking, and that there were lots of picnic tables in the shade. Just be warned that NO flotation devices are allowed, not even OUTSIDE of the roped-off perimeter. So forget about your kids paddling around on their boogie boards. In fact, my kid wasn't even allowed to hang out in knee-deep water wearing her life vest while waiting to ride in her uncle's kayak. Does this mean water wings are also verboten? Inside the protected area I totally get it, but outside too? I'm a "law and order/follow the rules" kind of person by nature, but even I found it all a bit onerous. read more

Beach Eats - Plenty of tables, each with its own little charcoal grill - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

This beach is really dirty. Not the sand so much as the water. I came here for an outrigger canoeing race, and it was the first time in a long time that I really hesitated before stepping foot in the water. I felt a little worried about the kids playing in the water there-- so much potential for infections. Other than the water being dirty, the beach itself is small, the sand is soft and fairly clean (at least trash free). There isn't much of a view unless you like a view of small private boats and yachts. There are picnic tables available that are set up on concrete with an overhanging for shade, and some volleyball nets. The bathrooms are strange and pitiful-- for the ladies' room, there are 6 stalls, only 3 of which have doors. If I heard correctly, none of the mens' stalls have doors. Zero. There was definitely a lot of laughter and awkwardness in there when some of the guys felt nature calling...! There are plenty of paid parking lots nearby which is convenient. But of all the beaches to visit in LA, I cannot see why you would choose this one. We paddled out past the breakwater, and the smell was incredibly rank-- the stench of bird feces was intense. Southern California has gorgeous, clean beaches. This is not one of them! read more

Beach Eats - Pre-race line-up! - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

Shitty Now unorganized and poor communication. No cash. No help. Long wait. Unneeded steps. Not worth it at all. Used to come every week. No more read more

Marina Mother's Beach is man-made ... just like the entire area of Marina del Rey. It's designed to be a peaceful lagoon and sandy beach with no surf ... and that's exactly what it is. * Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. * Parking: $5 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; $2 before 9 a.m. & after 6 p.m. * In the summer, Mother's Beach is one of the 7 stops for the Water Bus * Picnic Tables and Barbecues are available * The Playground for kids is the most popular section * Restrooms are available onsite * A swimming area is roped off for "safety" althought the water is pretty stagnant * Kayaks and Paddleboards are available for rental from nearby businesses * Cheesecake Factory overlooks the beach and is a nice part of a visit. * The 12-acre beach is close to several hotels * Marina Beach is the official title while it was originally called Basin D Marina Mother's Beach is a safe choice for Dads, Moms, Grandparents, or anyone looking for a beach with shallow water and no surf or waves. Safe also means it's a little boring, but like your mom always said, "Better safe than sorry." read more

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The perfect toddler beach. I can see why it's called Mother's Beach. First, parking is not a problem because they have a reasonably priced public lot. Since this beach is in the marina there at no waves - perfect little ones. The two dozen picnic tables are barbecues make a perfect family picnic spot. Plus there is great beach with to s of activities that is rarely crowded. You can play volleyball, wade in the water, swim, fish, paddle board or play in the awesomely huge playground. If you didn't bring food you can take a short walk up to the Cheesecake Factory and eat out on their patio and maintain your view of the marina. Did I mention you can take a yoga class on a paddle board on the water. I added that to my bucket list and will be back to do that soon. It's hardcore and looks amazing. There's a lifeguard on duty here so your kiddos are extra safe. Today during my visit I actually saw a could of seal lions sticking their heads up out of the water. There is also the usual slew of sea gulls and a bunch of diving pelicans to keep you entertained. I highly recommend that you do NOT try this place because I would like to keep this hidden treasure a secret for myself. ;) read more

It's true it's not much of a beach. It's actually the backside of the beach where all the yachts are docked and also backside of the Cheesecake Factory. As for me, I LOVE this place for these reasons: *I can walk my dog on the "beach" sometimes off-leash. (It's not a dog beach/park but no one saids anything and everyone else is walking their dogs off leash too). *I work out with my trainer here on the sand and running all along the path & nearby apartments. We also do cross-fit on the sand and TRX on the swings. *I came here several times to tan and lay out on the sand. I also see lots of people playing volleyball. *There's plenty of areas for a BBQ and lots of benches. NOTE: There are a few creepy people walking around here. But luckily there are lots of people so it's pretty safe. read more

Okay beach. Lots of people here but it's not overly crowded. The beach wasn't too dirty so that was a plus. I've been here a few times because of the early morning bootcamp that practices here. They make good use of the picnic tables, and sand. Parking is okay, there are a few lots all over here. read more

Marina Mother's Beach isn't your typical beach. For starters it isn't a real beach. There are no waves. You won't find surfers, or even many adults swimming. To me, this a family beach. Children play, pretty safely, since as I mentioned there aren't any waves. You only have to worry about being able to swim if you go out too far. The water isn't exactly clear... but it does the trick. There are picnic tables and grills, and if you get there early enough to reserve one, they're great. There is also a playground close by so the kids can play after they've splashed around in the water for a bit. The water bus stops here, which is fun and pretty cheap. Parking is $5 I believe, depending on what time you get there. This is a good beach for what it is. read more

Beach Eats - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

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The process of having to order through a third party online to get food from a truck you're standing right in front of is very annoying. NOT WORTH GOING ANYMORE. Not only do you have to download an app to order from the truck you want, the app doesn't work correctly & doesn't have accurate menu items. And then they charge you an extra $1 "convenience fee" for using the mandatory extra added steps process!?!? The people who work the trucks said it's a joke too. Conclusion, the only ones happy with this process are the ones who somehow convinced MDR to cut them in as a middle man to collect a cut of profits & Inconvenience fees. They Can't even blame the process on the pandemic anymore. Just inconveniencing your customers out of greed. That does not make for a fun food truck night like it used to be. Won't be back & hopefully can warn others who will get sucked in and then screwed. read more

Mother's Beach isn't really a beach in the traditional SoCal sense. There isn't a lot of sand, nor a lot of open space, or any waves for people to surf on. If you think of it as a park with sand, it is a pretty cool place, but if you are looking for a beach to lay out and relax on, this is not the place. That being said, Mother's is a fantastic place to play beach volleyball if you have your own group. There is very little wind, nets are decent, but the sand can get crazy hot in the middle of the Summer without a true ocean breeze. I wouldn't play pickup games here because it isn't really the culture of the beach and outside of a couple courts, it is mostly random kids and families that are just there to have a good time vs. competitive games, not that there's anything wrong with that. The barbeque area can be total madness, however. People will be bumping the latest in hip hop and r&b the whole time you are there and there are always a lot of little kids running around. With all the non-beach foot traffic, this isn't a good place to throw the football with friends. However, there is always parking in the pay lot or the hotel next door and even though it can be a little nast, if you head to the beach with your own big posse as an alternative to Dockweiler, it's an ok place to be. read more

I know this beach isn't the cleanest around town, but it isn't near as busy, and I really like the boats and classes (paddle boarding, kayaking, etc.) that goes on in the deeper part of this little cove. Peaceful! Parking is decent,and you do pay at the machines or if it's the weekend, I believe they charge a flat rate. This is definitely a mums & kiddos beach with the playgrounds and shallow water! There are covered seating & grills should you decide to celebrate something there... I would definitely recommend! :) read more

The fam and I were running some errands when I spotted a sign promoting a Food Truck event every Thursday in the Marina Del Rey area. WooHoo! I haven't been to a trucking event in awhile so we decided to check it out one Thursday. The event is held near Mother's Beach in MDR. It is a pretty cool spot since there is decent parking, $1/hr, there are a good number of decent food trucks in attendence, there are picnic benches that you can take your food and chill, and it is by the water. How can you beat that? And that is why I give them 5 stars. Lucky for me, the two times I went, Cousins Lobster and the Lobster Truck were there. Perfect! Seafood by the sea :) Also, Cool Haus was there one night, Don Chow, Holy Aioli, Baby Badass Burgers, and the Dosa truck, just to name a few. I hope they continue to do this every Thursday and not just during the warm months. It is a great place to hang out with friends or to chill with the family. read more

Beach Eats - People getting their truck on. - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

Hence Mother's. ... Great area small but perfect for the kids. Tables, restroom and outside shower perfect distance. Bring your patties and you'll be able to BBQ if you arrive early enough to get one (= ... Or get a room at the Marriott which is right across the St. Overall lived my time spent but most of all my son enjoyed himself much more... Xoxo N. read more

Beach Eats - With all that water and he decides to read(pretending lol) at the beach (= - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

I have a new pink SUP (new to me, got it used) and am a little shaky when bringing it in the ocean here in the South Bay, so I did some research and fond out that Mother's Beach is a great launching place for your SUP. Um, yes, it is! So calm and easy to launch in fact that people do Yoga on their SUP here. Love that! You pay $10 to park, and near the bathrooms it is smelly and also it could get crowded with people hanging out for the day up by the tables. The water too isn't the best, even my 3 year old called it "yucky" (but we did just get back from Hawaii and I told him that water looks green in LA!, lol). But, if you get here early, and just spend a few hours paddling, you will love it. They had rentals there too. Paddling, kayaking, canoes. I took my kids out on the board, it was so calm. Definitely a nice place to go for water sports in MDR. read more

Beach Eats launched in the parking lot at Mothers Beach in late July 2012. Designed to bring food trucks to the Marina, it will continue as long as folks show up and support it. On the two nights I've attended, there were 6-8 trucks available with a good variety of food, always including one of the lobster trucks and always featuring a dessert truck. Plenty of people seem to walk here and bring kids and pets, but there is also plenty of parking for those who need to drive. Parking is $1/hour. Water taxi service is also available. The trucks were busy, but not overly busy, so food comes quickly. There is plenty of seating at the adjacent picnic tables, with a nice water view of the marina. At most of the local restaurants, you'd pay a lot more for that view :) This is less chaotic than the Victorian lot in SM on Tuesdays. A google calendar: https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=vaej06ejnmfdlepmq1k204o5b8%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles has all of the latest schedules, currently extended through end of September. Come show your support and keep the trucks visiting MDR! read more

We took the water bus here today and even though it was a hot summer day it didn't feel crowded at all. Plenty of space for families and paddlers/kayakers alike. My son LOVED it because he could walk in the sand and water without getting knocked down by waves. It was fun getting here by boat also. Very scenic and fun. Only issue was the water was filthy... garbage floating by and lots of boat fuel in the water. A nice way to spend the afternoon though! read more

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The address won't show up on my car's GPS, so I guess a tip is to put Cheescake Factory as the location since it's right on Mother's Beach. You don't come here to body watch that's for certain but you should know that from the name. It's mostly for children, this is how we ended up here. We wanted a good beach to take our daughter too and boy did she have fun. There's a small playground, the water is surprisingly not freezing for CA standards. Parking is so convenient and cheap. There are lots of covered picnic tables that have small bbq grills (charcoal). We're already planning our next visit. read more

Beach Eats - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

We were looking for a beach that we could introduce our 1 year old to the ocean for the first time. My wish list in that beach is: clean,no waves at all, showers, parking close to sand. After reading so many reviews about this beach we decided to visit this beach. A huge disappointment. There are signs all over the beach stating that bacteria level is too high and swimming is not adviced (yet nobody cares). Sand has black colors, I don't know if this is dirt. Showers aren't working, restrooms are extremely dirty. Parking is right next to beach ($10 flat rate). Yes there are no waves but water is dirty read more

Mother's Beach has a very family style feel and has a great atmosphere. It is very peaceful and quiet. It has rentals for some water activities and access to bring your own. There are volleyball courts, Picnic benches and BBQ's, a great spot to hang with friends and family. Great for kids if you are worried about waves on the normal beaches the water is very calm. read more

Beach Eats - Mother's Beach a rainy morning. - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

I still LOVE LOVE this spot but was disappointed and sad to find ala beachreportcard.org that the bacteria count on both wet and dry sand is VERY high and rated an F for safety/health. My little one LOVES the bay with no waves so this is disappointing. Had to write this warning just to be fair but the new play structures are so much fun, including a hard sided 'raft' swing unlike anything I've seen here in LA. FYI the bacteria levels DO VARY. check out the site. Right after a rain you see higher bacteria. It isn't like stuff that will kill you. My pediatrician says just avoid if if you already have a cold or flu or weakened immune system. The beach report card only tests samples every 30 days so this is a bit of a problem in it being current. read more

It's right across the street from where I live. Very convenient to take my kiddo to swim and to the playground. We feel very fortunate. read more

Beach Eats - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

Pros- Easy parking, nice playground and great swim beach for kids. Cons-Crowded in Summer, non attentive lifeguards and dirty water. I come to this beach when its only me and my children. With 3 kids and me as the only adult its much easier to come here with no waves and roped off swim area. I take my chances on the water quality. It has had some bad grades over the years. The beach is full of moms and kids with no shame :) Breastfeeding moms, cellulite thighs, junk food picnics, kids camps, and the occasional Dad describes the typical scene. The view is actually quite pretty sitting here and lots of rowing teams, paddle boarders and boat cruise through here. Just dont depend on the lifeguards to actually watch your children, the tower I sat next to once had a feuding disagreement on who was working or on break and If they actually have to "watch" the school group kids since the teachers seem to do it ok? Oh brother. read more

This is the back side of a harbor that is good for families with small children to wade in the water. The kids played in the sand and had a great time. We went on Thursday so it was less crowded until the food trucks came. Yay for food trucks! Boo for long lines at food trucks. The bathrooms were okay, its the beach, not a Four Seasons. They were stocked with toilet paper and had no trash, they seemed to have someone taking care of them. The showers worked and there were plenty of trash cans on the beach . The life guard on duty was a hero the day we went. A young girl was out in the water with two little ones. They went out too far and the little ones went under, she started screaming because she couldn't get them both, and he rescued all three of them. Parking kiosk lets you chose the amount of time you want to stay so from noon-ish to 630 was $9. Overall a wonderful experience for parents with small children. read more

nice place to plop the kids down after lunch. they have a swing set, slides, monkey bars etc etc. the beach is nice. relatively free of debris, considering all the boats across the way. the sand is kinda weird at the waters' edge, very muddy. not like sandy muddy. more like muddy muddy. not too sure about it. picnic tables are available if you get there early enough. otherwise, Cheesecake Factory is right there with some of their great lunch specials and kids menu. read more

Beach Eats - From a distance, the ocean seems so blue... - Street Vendors Near Me - Marina Del Rey, California

This is a quiet beach, though it's not really a "beach" beach... it's a beach at the Marina so I don't know that I'd want to go in the dirty water. But it's a nice spot to sit under the palm trees and have some peace and quiet (on a week day...looks busier on weekends). Although there were signs that said no dogs, we did see a few dogs on the beach and there were no lifeguards or anyone around to say anything about it. We parked for free at the Jamaica Bay Inn (though the sign said beach parking was $$ no one ever charged us). We sat out here for a bit and then headed up to Beachside Restaurant (at the Jamaica Bay Inn) for lunch. Nice afternoon! read more

Like others have said, this beach doesn't really encompass what you'd typically think of as a beach. It is the backside of the marina where a small patch of sand just happens to be, but this isn't completely bad because the water is really calm. It is a great place to take little kids who aren't used to the hustle and bustle of a bigger beach like Zuma or Dockweiler. There is no sudden drop off and the beach is separated into an area for water recreation activities (kayaking, paddle boarding), and into another area that is mostly for kids. This is good for sports enthusiasts and families, since neither group wants to be bothered by each other. There are also volleyball nets and covered seating areas, but good luck finding a table that hasn't been snatched up before 9 am. The good aspects of this beach are that the water is warm and calm and the atmosphere is family friendly. This is the kind of place you could have a family party at and relax. The lifeguards aren't douchey either, which is a rare bonus. Some cons are that the water is teaming with sting rays so you really need to watch where you step, and the sand has a lot of trash in it. If you are a 20 something with no kids (and no interest in them), I'd recommend sticking to the beaches in Malibu. This isn't the place to get a tan, and it isn't the place to meet anyone who wants to party. read more

Thursday night, what to eat for dinner? Hmm... I know! Food Trucks! Love the trucks that come here. It's family friendly. We usually order and take it home, but sometimes, we eat on the benches by the beach. My favorite is the Lobster Truck. There's plenty of parking, in the private lot. read more

It shouldn't be a beach. It's manmade with still water gross!!! Lots of bbqs happen there with big families, also some transients tend to gather there at times. I'm not trying to take away anyone's fun, but it just isn't for me. It's probably a good place for someone concerned about water safety since there are no waves. You'll just have to dodge all the stand up paddleboarders! Also parking costs money there, it's standard Marina Del Rey rates. Bleh. Really not worth your time, stay in Venice or head down to Playa. read more

Mothers Beach gets a little crowded on Saturdays. Also the is a stench that comes from sewage somewhere that is not pleasant for anyone.... Good people watching, lots of little kids. And I hear the water is very dirty (so circulation, just sitting water). Volleyball nets are usually open, so that's cool. read more

This beach appears to the naked eye as a typical water activity type body of water. There are lots of places with kayaks, paddleboards, sand and a play area for children. Plenty of parking! I am reviewing this place based on my paddleboard lesson adventure! Got it from Groupon!(Wonder why) Great cheap deal!!!! Lesson was awesome and experience was great! UNTIL I reviewed the Heal the Bay Beach Report Card!!!!! This beach had an F in the report!!!! This place is a mess crawling with nasty bacteria and s****! Never again!!!(Never say never) read more

Nice beach, but make sure that you check the quality of the water. The heal the bay report card ranges from A-F, and most recently it received an F. http://www.healthebay.org/brcv2/Default.aspx read more

We love, love, love it. Great play area and nice beach for kids to swim safely. The County put in a water filtration system so the water rating is super-clean. It's right next to Cheesecake Factory so if you need to have a gigantic slab of a dessert, that's easy too. Seriously, the picnic and BBQ areas are terrific. It's a great family-friendly spot. Many itty-bitty thumbs up! read more

What a fun place!! I can't believe all this time I had never been here. It's a perfect family place for many reasons. Can't wait to go back and take the whole family! (1) Can rent stand-up paddle boards (2) swim in the water (3) lay on the beach and tan (4) bbq in one of the many available picnic areas with shade (5) eat at one of the available restaurants (6) kids can play in the huge playground (7) stay at one of the hotels (8) ride a bike or skate read more

Nice little playground on the sand. There is a tire swing that kids love. a pirate ship and two climbing structures and one big slide. Big plus is the Cheesecake Factory. Hint. Pay a nice tip and the kids at the take out counter will bring your food out to the park for you. Most local parents avoid letting their kids in the water at the marina though. Not the cleanest water in the world. read more

I took the grandchildren here for the first time today, and I was impressed and disappointed. The good is that there is a great playground with things for varied ages to do; the bad, there is garbage everywhere; especially by and in the water. We probably won't be going back; too bad. read more

Mothers beach is a nice calm place to wade in the water. A lot of Mothers bring their kids here because it is a lot safer for them to go in the water here in the harbor than at the regular beach. Its not the same as going to a typical beach, but there are bathrooms, im pretty sure there are bbq pits, and parking right there. read more

I visited this beach today on the whim thinking my kids can eat a fast lunch and play in the sand or run around in the playground before naptime. (Parking wasn't too bad if you park closer to the playground structures/swings, i think 25 cents for 15 min, so don't pay the flat rate of $10 on the other side of the beach. ) However, after a whiff of the area and playing in the urine soaked sand under the pirate ship play structure (i didn't know until i took another whiff of the shovel my kid was playing with!!) - we left immediately - i think we stayed a total of 20 minutes and all we experienced were burned feet and urine smelling sandy hands. ugh. never again Mother's Beach. I'm heading to Will Roger's next time! read more

Super cool beach for kids! Clean sandy beach, playground and BBQ area with benches and tables (first come first serve basis) Plus there is a Cheesecake Factory next door. My son Loved it. We will be back many times this summer. read more

"The water is filthy, the sand is black... The playground is great for the children. Parents beware or the contaminated beach."