So delicious! The crab cake, tartare, drinks were 5/5, the shrimp roll was 3/5, and service was 5/5! Shoutout to the sweet "hostess" she was awesome! I didn't catch her name, but she checked in on us, knew her menu recommendations and was super hospitable, as was Sal our server! Will be back! read more

The best meal I've had in a long time. New to the neighborhood, and was curious to try out a local spot. Every single thing we ate was the best we've had. From the ceviche, tuna tartar, scallops and bread pudding. It was all so flavorful. Our server was really friendly and I was happy to have celebrated my birthday here. Definitely going to bring visiting family and friends here. Thank you! read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Amazing little seafood spot in Manhattan Beach. Food was amazing. However, not especially kid friendly. read more

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I think fishing with dynamite has the best crabcake I've ever had ever! The size is generous, the crab meat is fresh, the cake is cooked lightly with just enough crispiness on the outside to make it perfect. The side of cabbage and pickle are the perfect counter point to the richness of the crab cake all I can say is perfection! read more

Stumbled here on Sunday late afternoon and the hostess generously seated us right away. Didn't have any expectations and... the first oyster blew me away. This is going to be my new go-to for fresh seafood! Loved the oysters, fresh scallops (so sweet!), clam chowder, fish sandwich, blue crab roll. Went real well with the light glass of rose. Definitely want to come back and bring out-of-town guests here! read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Scallops and oysters YUM - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Amazing food! My favorite was Shrimp boil bowl. Very flavorful. Our server was nice too :)

The new Spring Menu at FWD is keeping it fresh and forward. Some new bold flavors like the seabass and seared scallops are some exciting new additions. FWD has continued to be consistent with great customer service and delicious food. Our favorites are still the basics: raw oysters and their signature scallops and the crab cake. Katie Clark, assistant general manager gave us a personal opportunity, asking us for some honest feedback. It's that experience which continues to make FWD a place special. read more

This is my favorite seafood spot. Love the ambiance and staff is great from Sal in waiter. Carlos busboy is amazing as well .

Went here with team to celebrate a 8 year workiversary and it was amazing! Our server was very attentive and friendly. The Wild Spanish Octopus was very good - cooked perfectly and the shishito peppers paired really nicely with the octopus. The Japanese Hamachi Sashimi was super fresh and had a pleasant sweetness and tartness the apple ponzu - the apple taste isn't VERY apparent but I thought it was a nice subtle change than just your typical ponzu. Tuna tartare was fresh as well - comes with two crunchy large crostini things for you to enjoy it with. The Crab Cake was delicious and flaky. The Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich is sort of like a elevated filet-o-fish but no creamy tartar sauce - instead you get a tang from the slaw! Highly recommend the Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad - the dressing has a curry like taste that coats the entire salad very nicely. The chucks of squash and pecans were a nice touch. I added avocado and shrimp - the shrimp was a tad over cooked and I wish there was a little bit more but avocado and the squash chucks helped fill me up. For drinks, I ordered 2 Cup of Caledonia cause it was just that good! Perfect balanced refreshing cocktail. My colleague ordered the Aqua Vida and really enjoyed it! They can also do mocktails for you as well - just let them know what flavor profile you enjoy and they'll whip something up for ya! Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and REALLY enjoyed the octopus, hamachi sashimi, and the salad! read more

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Came here for my birthday dinner last night, and FWD did not disappoint! My boyfriend and I split " The Mothershucker", and it was literally the best thing I've ever eaten. Every piece of seafood tasted soooo fresh, and the crablegs... These crab legs will make you feel like you've been cheated every time you've ever had "crab legs" before this. Definitely make a reservation for this cozy spot, and let the friendly staff do their thing! I'll definitely be back read more

Fishing With Dynamite - The Mothershucker: Whole lobster, 1.5lbs King Crab Legs, 16 Shrimp, 6 Scallops, 15 Oysters, & 20 Mussels - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

I came here several years ago and I really need to return. It is pricey but the food, especially the raw oysters, was amazing. One of the freshest seafood places I have ever eaten at. It is a tiny place so I had to squeeze in between the tables to go to the bathroom, but the intimacy only added to the exclusive, premium experience. read more

We shared the Chilean sea bass and the Koshihikari rice dish. Delicious. For dessert we had the chocolate pretzel bread pudding also delicious. Service was great they squeezed us in without a reservation which was greatly appreciated. Definitely a chef doing the cooking here read more

Perfection ! Pricey but great food and service. Name should be maybe in their somewhere, they just use three letters , we walked by it twice. They are so busy people do find it. Lol read more

4.5 stars - Overall strong showing! Fun menu and great raw items, the clam chowder as well was fantastic. Would love to go back and try more from their great menu - lovely service as well! read more

Great food & excellent service. Reasonably price and the place is close to the overlooking ocean views and timely for the sunset.

*popular and solid MB seafood joint* We ordered the dozen oysters, butternut bread, Tasmanian Salmon and the softshell crab pasta. All amazing. It's a popular restaurant so do make reservations. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Roasted Tasmanian Trout and squash roll - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Had a 5pm Sunday dinner reservation here for my girlfriend's 26th birthday. Just the 2 of us. I could not have asked for a better dinner experience. I called ahead to let the staff know about the occasion and they handled it wonderfully even covering the cost of the dessert. We started with the famous FWD fries, a dozen oysters (the variety - highly recommend), and clam chowder. The latter was the best of its kind I've ever had. For the entree, she had the Koshihikari rice and I had the Chilean sea bass. Both simply phenomenal. Beware of the spice levels on the sea bass, it was great but I was not fully expecting it. We had the bread pudding to cap off the evening and it blew us away. As far as service goes, it won't get better. As for the ambiance - very imitate while still maintaining an openness that feels nicely communal. If you're an LA local or even just visiting, make a point to stop by here. It doesn't get better! read more

Delish So good idk why this won't post under 85 characters but here we are I guess. FWD is amazing just go read more

Absolutely delicious! We sat outside which was perfect for the weather that day, service was timely and staff were friendly. My only regret was not having dessert! 10/10 would recommend. Make a reservation ahead if you want to sit inside. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - FWD Classic Caesar Salad - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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This was my first time here! Every time I try to get reservations, it is always booked and the only times available are late evening. I was finally able to secure a reservation for 5:45pm on an early Friday evening. We wanted to come here for Dinela, but we discovered shortly after we arrived that the Dinela ended at lunch. This was disappointing that it would end at 5pm, 45 minutes before our reservation. The manager explained the situation to us and was apologetic, however, I never experienced Dinela ending at an early hour like that on the last day. Since the Dinela menu was not available, we decided to get a variety of items from the menu. We started off with the sampler plate of oysters - the Kumamoto and Pacific Gold, both from California, the Olympia from WA, Sunberry and Shipwreck, from Canada, Sweet Petite and Barnstable from MA. I particularly enjoyed the Pacific Gold, Barnstable and Shipwreck. The Olympia had a strong taste. The sauces that accompanied the oysters were outstanding - the Mignonette with shallots and the cocktail sauce. The restaurant changes the menu on a daily basis and they separate the entrees by Old School and New School which allows customers to make a variety of choices. We shared several dishes - the Coleman Farms Market Salad which had mixed greens, huge cherries, persian cucumbers, bococini, almonds and buttermilk almond dressing. I thought the salad ingredients were very fresh and good, but the dressing was very light and lacking flavor. We also had Chef David's Mom's Cape Cod Squash Rolls with rosemary butter. The rolls were presented with a beautiful golden shiny crust and was delicious. The rosemary butter added a nice dimension to the rolls. We also had the Hamachi with ponzu, avocado, red radish, shiso and I asked for the serrano chiles on the side. This dish was very good. I do not recommend eating it with the radish because it creates too much of a crunch. We also had the Alaskan Halibut with corn, black-eyed peas, neuske's bacon, serrano chile (asked for this on the side as well), lime and crispy shallots. My first taste was not very eventful, but after I tried it again with all the other ingredients it was very flavorful and the halibut was nice and flakey. The last item we got was the Summer Corn Esquites. This is grilled corn, serrano, cotija, lime, chicharonnes with tajin. This was interesting and quite good. We didn't know what cotija was, but apparently it is a cheese. The server was a new trainee, but was very helpful. The manager also came by and gave us her card and said we can call her at anytime if we have any problems making reservations. This was great customer service. Parking is always a challenge in Manhattan Beach. There are several parking lots in the area, just make sure you read the signs for the metered parking very carefully. We've gotten more than one parking ticket in this city. read more

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So I went here 4 years ago and for some reason never made it back. Well, since celebrating 2 birthday dinners here last October & November I am hooked! I stayed away for awhile due to Covid but when restaurants started outdoor dining, it gave me another opportunity to go back and enjoy this awesome place. I've since been back 3 times within the last 4 weeks. First, it was for a business lunch and I was extremely happy with the social distancing of tables, the strict safe precautions being taken due to covid, thorough disinfecting procedures between guests and of course the outstanding food which is always consistent. That day, we did the prawns special which was phenomenal. And of course a side of the fries with the mouth watering malt vinegar mayo! My next two visits we enjoyed the grilled octo, hamachi (my husband's favorite!), shrimp platter (3 sauces and the one with the dill is the best!) and finally the crab cake which was exceptional. No desserts during lunch unfortunately but we've had the key lime pie when there for dinner and it's truly the best I've ever had. Outstanding job FWD! Appreciate all the efforts on safety during covid and thank you for your excellent food, service and always making it such a wonderful dining experience. read more

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The food here is so good.The background was so beautiful. It was a little chilly so we ordered the New England Clam Chowder was delish. Afterwards we had the Savage Harbor Blonde Oyster and the taste was so good I don't know to describe it.The Fish tacos were amazing but needs more sauce and fish. the fries were great except that the guacamole was salty but the fries were salty too, overall it was amazing just a cople of comments read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Grilled Fish Tacos and fries were great but there wasn't enough fish and sauce in the Grilled Fish Tacos. - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Best restaurant in Manhattan beach. I go each time I visit. Never a bad meal and great cocktails. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Peruvian scallops - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

The food and service were both excellent. Great selection of raw oysters on hand. Let them know we were there for a birthday and they brought out a dessert with ice cream. We had the oysters, sashimi, clam chowder, halibut, and rockfish tacos. All were great. read more

I've been to this tiny slice of restaurant heaven a number of times and I'm simply obsessed. The raw seafood, especially the scallops, and the variety of oysters is phenomenal. Everything on the menu is excellent, especially the rice dish and cape cod rolls, which are a must for every visit. My favorite seafood hands down. read more

Loved this little spot. The ambiance made me feel like I was warmly welcomed. The staff was so knowledgeable and the food was absolutely delish! I always recommend this place to friends. read more

Cute place, limited seating- they take reservations, which is great! The food is good, service can be improved with knowledgeable, staff that can answer questions about the menu/dishes and make recommendations properly. Regardless of not much assistance from the server, we enjoyed the Koshihikari Rice, Queen Mary, squash rolls were delish, crab cake's ok. Order the Queen Mary and the key lime is really good- just don't order the strawberry rhubarb pie, it was kind of gross! There's a 90 mins dine time limit, FYI. read more

Seafood is fresh here and delicious. Ordered a bit of everything and had a good spread. I did not have one bad thing. Definitely need reservations as this place is the smallest restaurant in Manhattan Beach. Service was awesome. read more

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Fishing with Dynamite's Yelp reviews maybe all about fish and seafood but I'm here to tell you about some non-seafood dishes that are equivalent in dynamite power! Exploding with deliciousness is Mary's Fried Chicken Sandwich. I tried this sandwich recently and was super impressed. First of all it is gigantic! It's definitely good for at least two meals. The chicken patty itself is big. It is big in size and big in taste. It comes out super crispy and you definitely get that crunch at first bite. You can tell it's freshly fried. I also liked the cajun slaw that they pile on top of the chicken. It is slightly sweet and brings a nice flavor to the sandwich. Alongside the sandwich are their weiser chips. These housemade chips are a light side that goes well with the sandwich. The key lime parfait is another non-seafood item that is also phenomenal. On the regular menu they have the key lime pie slice but for dineLA they offer a parfait version. The key lime parfait is simply drool worthy and to die for. The key lime meringue is so soft and practically melts in your mouth. The graham cracker crust that is on the bottom is a nice sweet ending. Fishing with Dynamite may be well known for their seafood and Chef LeFever is definitely a seafood genius but you definitely should also give their non-seafood items a chance here/ read more

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Seafood here is ALWAYS fresh but of course not cheap. Space is tight and after several visits I'm still hoping for them to control flying insects. read more

Amazing amazing and incredibly fresh! Service was great, everyone was super friendly and accommodating. Great beach vibes! Will definitely go back. read more

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A fabulous lunch we had here at FWD. This is a special place to come with for a extravagant meal! Drinks are so amazing that you just want to keep ordering. The seafood tower is a show stopper! Everything was amazing! This place is on my top favorite Resturant to dine. Would recommend anyone who loves seafood and raw oysters to come and dine here. Always amazing ! Five star for sure. read more

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8/26/2020 To preface my constructive criticism I would like say we visit this restaurant 2-3 times a year. Since we have been here before we were aware of the cramped spaces that are inside the restaurant. But the ambience never took away from how delicious the seafood was. My fiancé and I were happy because outside dining was available due to the pandemic. We were happy to make reservations. When we arrived we got seated at a 2 person table on the sidewalk that was right next to a bike stand and on the decline of the sidewalk. The table was very shaky and knowing that we were going to order a very large seafood tower made us nervous. We were a little upset as well because there was ample space in the covered area for plenty of other guests prior to our arrival. We asked one of the staff if we could move and the host moved us to another 2 person table was under the covered area and we felt better about that. We did notice however other couples being seated at 4 person tables and wondered why we didn't get seated at one. It was a turn off honestly because we ordered our own clam chowders and the mothershucker and we had to squeeze this food on a tiny table while other couples around us ordered small plates with room to spare. Normally again this wouldn't have bothered me because their indoor dining can be a little cramped. But since there were several tables open and we were initially sat at the least wanted one on the sidewalk, it rubbed me the wrong way. We may just have to order our food to go or look for another establishment with better outdoor dining seats. Also if you do make a reservation be sure to ask for a big table or no sidewalk seating so you don't run into the issues that made me feel uncomfortable. Hopefully the restaurant doesn't use that table anymore and seats people accordingly. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - The mothershucker - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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We have been to several local restaurants lately (to remain unnamed) and have really been let down by the service. I know this is a tough labor market, but going out to eat has been less than enjoyable lately. Tonight's dinner at FWD was a breath of fresh air. Perfect service paired with amazing food! Fun cocktails, Peruvian scallops, hamachi sashimi, Spanish octopus, fish tacos, crab cake.... and the deserts!!! So tasty! Everything was perfectly prepared. And service was on point! Thank you for renewing my faith in doing out. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - A variety of cocktails - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

One of my favorite places for brunch. Food is amazing and service as well. We never were able to get the reservations prior to the pandemic but since they have expanded to the outdoor space, it is much more manageable though I still recommend planning in advance as the place is popular. Their shrimp cocktail can't be beaten. We tried at many places and still love the one from FWD! The soup and rosemary rolls are a must to try! We love their signature fish sandwich but pretty much anything on the menu is a winner. The staff is attentive and super nice and the place just leaves good memories. read more

My daughter took me for my birthday and we had a wonderful time, everyone is really nice and helpful, food was excellent , loved the crispy french fries with the aioli, the sashimi is nice and refreshing with perfect seasoning, we also had the mussels in wine sauce with a crispy baguette .For dessert we had a wonderful key lime pie . read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Food and ambiance is always great!!! A little small and tight and unfortunately they had to take down the large outside area

Before the pandemic, this was an exceptional restaurant. We have been back a few times since and it's always been just okay with nothing really done with the kind of delicacy or specificity that was once here. The service is always wonderful but it feels really overpriced for what's happening in the kitchen. read more

Owner has his pulse on the business. He is there and very welcoming. The food is good and great portions. The clam chowder is the best i have ever had! Location is fantastic. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Clam chowder, split for 2. Big portion and creamy. - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Dynomite! Service, food and drinks were unbelievable. Raw oysters, scallops, everything was right on and tasty. Our server Mauri was superb, kind, knowledgeable and accommodating. A definite spot to hit after spending time on the beach. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Great bar - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California