Only good thing here was friendly waitress... 2 stars for nice waitress and for not being filthy like other 1 star location. *If you are looking for a place for loved ones' birthday or celebrating important milestones, this is NOT the place.....unless you don't care much about how food tastes and don't mind wasting money.* We will never go back to this place again. Better go to Rock N Fish or Fish Bar instead... They are around the corner... Food was not worth the money AT ALL. I could have just gone to California Fish Grill and they have much better food and much cheaper. The food we ordered was not to our taste, politely speaking... (pix). So we get into this restaurant, a pretty young lady greets us. She is young and fit with sports bra top with tiny shoulder top with 100% of her tummy showing. So this is 3 $$$ restaurant so I was thinking bit more upscale but nonetheless she looked good and I personally don't mind if this place was not 3 $$$. And kids asked, why doesn't she have clothes on? So I replied 'Probably it's a beach fashion..' We were first seated in the corner of this tiny restaurant with a view of next door construction site.... Then found a bug that was moving around the booth corner. Eww. Then found many dead bugs (mostly flies) at the very corner and so we asked our seats to be changed. The bugs have been dead for a while and accumulated in the corner... Our waitress was very nice and friendly and knowledgeable and we did like her. She was wonderful. We ordered flat water assuming that it was at least filtered water but it was from ordinary water from sink... I gargled in the restroom sink and it tasted the same. It was my bad assuming 3 $$$ restaurant had filtered water. Our home filtered water tastes much better. So Im not including water taste to my rating. Food: We ordered 3 dishes to share. Fish n chips, Shrimp Po Boy sandwich, and grilled mahi mahi Tacos. Shrimp sandwich was not to anyone's taste at all on my table. It was so pickle taste. Maybe this dish is supposed to taste so much pickle... yuck with all do respect to pickle lovers... Shrimp was so tiny covered by thick batter. I will never eat it again. Potato chips that came with the sandwich,,,,,, something was wrong. It may be old oil? old potato? Tasted really bad like they should not be eaten so after 2 chips, none of us touched it. The waitress kindly asked to substitute chips with fries but she said they cook in the same oil,,,, in case the oil was the problem... Fish n Chips' fries were ok. Though they were just regular frozen cut fries. I know this because kitchen worker went outside and got frozen fries in a plastic bag and came back to the restaurant. Maybe their refrigerator is outside.... Fish tasted fresh. It was ok. Nothing special. Tacos were very,,,,,, americanized. Not bad but nothing fancy either. Maybe people who don't know how delicious tacos should taste like might enjoy. My tacos did not have much taste to begin with even with bunch of sauce was on it. Mahi mahi was covered too much with veggies and I had to dig to find my mahi mahi deep in the taco shell. I put a lot of salsa to make it tasteful. Green salsa was not bad. For tacos, I know so many different places that have much better tacos both authentic and fusion. My friend got even upset the food was not to anyone's taste but nice waitress kindly asked to try keylime dessert but from what we tried, we assumed it would disappoint us further plus we didn't want to waste more money on the food that's not worth the money so we did not order. Last comment: If we don't try it, we would never know so no regret. read more

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The best seafood! We ordered few appetizers and couple entrees. Everything was very delicious.

Highly Overated and Overpriced!! I have been dragged here on a few occasions to celebrate other people's birthdays and such and I'm always dissatisfied with the food. read more

Favorite seafood spot in Los Angeles. Fresh creative food. Have brought a lot of visitors here and they have all loved it. Nice staff and cute intimate space. read more

Came Here for DineLA.. my entree of hamachi wasn't rare enough for my taste. The key lime pie, however, was delicious! The scallop appetizer was also a good choice. The space in the restaurant is a little tight. Reservations are definitely a must. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Key Lime Pie - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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squash rolls amazing. oysters amazing. key lime pie- best i've ever had. i had a great time here and their food/ service was great. make reservations! smaller place & it seems to be busy all the time. can't wait to go back! read more

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Peruvian scallops,clam chowder, fish tacos and the salt cod Brandade were tasty appetizers. But the Spanish octopus stole the show. Attentive, cordial and knowledgeable servers. Lively ambiance and great location to enjoy sunsets. read more

We weren't in the mood for oysters but they looked delicious and fresh. Ordered the halibut and the koshihikaru rice. Both were delicious and made with fresh ingredients. The outdoor dining area is also so lovely! read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Pan Roasted Wild Alaskan Halibut Koshihikari Rice - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Excellent food, service, atmosphere. You must stop in. The Peruvian Scallops are a must. Hamachi Crudo and shrimp tacos were awesome. And of course a glass of the bubbly. read more

Just go! It is so good from top to bottom not a bad choice on the menu!!! You will be in for a wonderful meal and experience of food!!!

HOLY MACKEREL!! I've been on the search for a good seafood restaurant in the area for a while, and while looking on the dineLA restaurant list, I came across this. WOW. JUST WOW!! If you're in the area and are an avid seafood lover (or even if you're not), Fishing With Dynamite is place you've gotta check out!! We made a 10 AM reservation (first slot) on a Saturday. We ordered one dineLA ($25 lunch) and a few other things for our party of 3 The food: - Raw bar platter (dineLA first course): This came with 2 oysters, 2 scallops, and 2 shrimp. The shrimp were cooked, but the oysters and the scallops were raw. The shrimp had a nice texture and kinda sweet taste. The oysters were slimy as expected. But the scallops AHHH the Peruvian scallops were the highlight of the platter. Each one came in its own shell with grapefruit and something that resembled a pesto-y, cilantro-ish sauce. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I kinda fear raw seafood and won't eat anything less cooked than rare, BUT THIS. GAME CHANGER - Maryland blue crab cake (dineLA second course): This is made with in-house dill pickles and whole grain mustard remoulade. It was SUPER lemon-y. A little too overpowering for my taste but not so bad that I couldn't eat it. Nonetheless, tasty and full of flavor. The outside was nice and crispy, and the inside was full of crab!! - Key lime parfait (dineLA third course): This was hands down my FAVORITE part of the entire meal!! The key lime parfait is made using graham cracker crust and kaffir lime meringue, and the top is blow-torched beautifully. While I wasn't a huge fan of the citrus flavor in the crab cake, I am a sucker for a nice, tart, citrus-y dessert. The crust was PERFECT. I'm the kind of person who likes a pie crust more than the actual pie. And this crust was A1. The lime flavor was scrumptious and not artificial tasting at all!! I can't handle too much sweetness in one go, but this was amazing. I would come back to FWD just for this dessert!!!!!!! - FWD omelette ($13): This is a three egg omelette with jumbo lump crab and chives. It was good but not mind-blowing. Not the best omelette I've ever had but also definitely not the worst - Crab benedict ($17): Your typical eggs benedict. The plate came with two pieces. It's made with Maryland crab, tomato, arugula, poached egg, and bearnaise. ("What is bearnaise??? WHAT HAPPENED TO HOLLANDAISE HUH" It's a sauce made with clarified butter emulsified in egg yolk with white wine vinegar and flavored with herbs!! The acidity comes from the vinegar as opposed to lemon juice in hollandaise) I thought this was just okay. I'm not the hugest benedict fan because I really don't like hollandaise...but I think the bearnaise made this more bearable. My brother preferred the crab in the crab cake over this, but personally, I liked this crab more because it wasn't as citrus-y. The eggs were cooked to perfection, giving you that runny, yellow, oh so pleasing #yolkporn when you cut dat bad boy down da middle ahhhhhhh Bottom line: The dineLA here is a pretty good deal!! For ~$60 ($25 of that being dineLA), our party of 3 was pretty content with what we ate!! Our waiter was super friendly, and our food came out pretty quickly for the most part. As for parking, it's in the pier area, so it's mostly metered street, but there is also a lot you can pay to park in. Still thinkin bout that key lime parfait.......*drools* head on over and take advantage of the amazing dineLA menu while you can and head on over to the beach a short trek away after your meal for a South Bay livin' kinda afternoon read more

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Seafood! When you're at the beach you have to eat seafood. This place is great for that. It's small and has a nice view of the ocean. The oyster sample platter and the Peruvian scallops are a must eat! They come with sauces and dips that make them even better. The cod fish and chips were battered incredibly well and came with FWD fries that I couldn't stop eating. I still wasn't full so I ordered some beer battered shrimp tacos which were a little underwhelming but the pork rind was a nice touch to it and the guacamole was really good. Me and my girlfriend finished our meal with a much needed sweet key lime pie. The crust was really nice and it came with thinly sliced limes that helped clear the palette with its acidity. Definitely eat here and make reservations because it can yet crowded and the space is smaller! read more

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Just came here for a Monday date night, and it was amazing! The service was quick, helpful and friendly. We loved everything we ordered, from the drinks to the oysters, and especially the clam chowder. Can't wait to come back again soon! read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Oysters and Cocktails. - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Came here for dinner and had a great experience. Service was great and the oysters were delicious! I'm not a big oyster fan but I'd definitely have them here again. Had a great date night here and will be back to try out there brunch. My boyfriend and I love their key lime pie we ordered one to take home. read more

Charming space with consistently delicious seafood. A little difficult to get a reservation but I started consistently booking a couple of weeks out on open table and make it a monthly treat. I was a little hesitant once outdoor dining closed to take out oysters but they did not disappoint. The clam chowder is an excellent cozy weather lunch takeout...and you might as well top it off with the key lime pie! read more

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Had an early lunch outside with a friend during the pandemic and the food was incredible and the service was great. What a wonderful escape from all that was happening at the time. read more

This place is amazingly sooo good. I haven't tried everything on the menu but I've gone enough times to realize that everything I have tasted I liked and was delicious. The only down fall is it's a very tiny location you are practically elbow to elbow with anyone there and a bit pricey. read more

I have tried the oysters here. I don't understand oysters so I won't review them. But their clam chowder was delicous. The tier of seafood was amazing. It was my first time trying sea urchin and it blew my mind. read more

Came here for Sunday brunch. Not many of the entrees were celiac friendly but there were some options. I ended up with the shrimp and grits minus the sauce because it had flour in it. We got a salad, and some raw scallops and some fish tacos. I had the absolute BEST drink ive ever had here , called Bankok Dangerous. I savored the heck out of it! Small little spot, very hip and trendy but yummy food and great service. If you are celiac or GF let them know , they can accomodate on some options for sure. read more

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

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Wow, we absolutely loved our lunch here! Came here to lunch during DineLA restaurant week, and the lunch menu was awesome. 3 courses and each course had several really great choices with a wide variety of ingredients and twists. I really wanted to get 1 of each but my stomach would explode. We ended up ordering the raw platter and the hamachi for appetizer, both was nothing short of amazing! The oysters, shrimp and scallop were so fresh and beautifully presented! The hamachi was also very fresh and the ponzu sauce was perfect blend of flavors. Next came our entrees: the ono and cavatelli with clams. The Ono was cooked just the right amount and placed right atop of a bed of eggplants, so delicious. The cavatelli shells were made fresh and had just the right bounce. We basically inhaled our food! By the time dessert came around, we didn't think it was gonna get any better, but we were surprised with 2 even more amazing desserts: key lime pie and the chocolate pudding with ice cream. Holy smokes, at this point, I was seeing stars! The key lime pie was probably one of the best I've ever had, and I've been to Key West many many times. The bread pudding was baked so well, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with caramel and vanilla ice cream. The portions were huge! The service was SUPERB, drinks filled without asking, and plates and silverware changed after every course. Everyone that works there seems to be very happy with their job, and so positive. The restaurant is small but very cute, very popular and very busy, so I highly suggest a reservation in advance. Highly recommend dining here! You will be impressed! read more

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The name of this establishment was enough to "lure" me in, but the dynamic and explosive tasting dishes have me yearning for my next visit. ----The Food---- Peruvian Scallops ($3/each)- I enjoy eating scallops because the texture resembles a good piece of ribeye--decadent, with just the right amount of firmness. Mildly sweet, with the perfect amount of salinity, the scallop is chilled with a side of horseradish, lemon, and saffron aioli that'll leave you feeling refreshed. Jumbo Shrimp ($16 for 1/2 lb)- For me, there is nothing more oxymoronic than the term "Jumbo Shrimp", but at FWD, they're convincingly huge with a buttery, subtle sweetness. The texture is akin to medium firm tofu too. 1/2 order comes with 6 which will definitely whet your appetite. Gumbo ($10)- MUST ORDER. A symphony of flavors that bring me back to my time in New Orleans when I tried to find the best gumbo in town. Perhaps the best gumbo I've had yet. The shrimp, chicken, linguica, jasmine rice and hot sauce is a dream. Maryland Blue Crab Cake ($16)- Although the aroma and seasoning of this delightful crab cake was perfect, I wish the texture was crispier on the outside. Slightly mushier than I would like too, but the taste is better than most. 24th Street Pale Ale Battered Cod with Fries ($16)- The cod is as large as a baby's forearm! Despite the impressive size, the cod was heavily battered and the remoulade could've used more acidity. Fries were great though! Koshihikari Rice ($26)- MUST ORDER. The explosively rich flavors I spoke of earlier is intensified in this dish alone. Made with chicken dashi, blue crab, shrimp, uni, egg, and basil, the result is a rich, explosive tasting porridge that I need to include in my last meal on Earth. My only complaint is that it's tiny for the price. My sister said it was too salty for her, but I licked the bowl clean. Whole New Zealand Tai Snapper for Two ($48)- A tai snapper head is deep fried and served on steamed bok choy and a sauce made with ginger, garlic, and kaffir lime. The sauce is light possessing an addictive astringency. Ask for a side of jasmine rice to eat with in conjunction. Banana Toffee Cream Pie ($6)- MUST ORDER. The BEST banana creampie I ever had in my life. Made with toffee, fresh bananas, and homemade vanilla whipped cream. Key Lime Pie ($8)- MUST ORDER. I usually dislike key lime pie, but this dessert made me a believer. Wonderfully made with graham cracker crust and kaffir lime meringue, the sourness is subtle with an enjoyable palatableness. Pretzel and Chocolate Bread Pudding ($9)- Out of all the three desserts available, this one is my least favorite, but still extraordinary in it's own right. Made with salted caramel and mascarpone ice cream. ------- Final Bite: 4.5 stars rounded up. It is no surprise that Chef LeFevre received a Michelin Star for his work at Water Grill as his excellence is fully conveyed at this cozy restaurant, nestled in Manhattan Beach and my very own heart. Extra Notes: -Accepts credit card -LeFevre also owns Manhattan Beach Post--a comparatively vast and magnificent restaurant nearby -FANTASTIC SERVICE- The table before us exceeded their time, overlapping our designated reservation, so the managers gave us every dessert on the house. Thank you FWD! -Love the small venue, with nautical themed decor. Very intimate in lighting making for a great date spot -Not an ideal spot for kids -Parking can be horrendous -Restrooms are clean read more

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Great food and extremely lovely staff. I don't necessarily think I was blown away by anything but the ingredients were fresh and well prepared. Overall a very enjoyable lil brunch. Music inside was a smidge too loud, but the staff kindly turned it down for us because our baby was sitting right under a speaker. read more

Love this place!!!! I enjoy the scenery and the service is superb. I highly recommend this place to others!!!

Excellent service in a small space. The seafood is fresh and high quality. The restaurant exceeded what we though was possible in Manhattan Beach. The sandwich was okay; the lime pie is one of the best. The seafood tower with the fantastic selection of seafood is fantastic: everything was distinct and prepared with care. The whole experience is wonderful. read more

This place is incredible and everything is so fresh it's really a treat to go there one of my favorites in Los Angeles

Every time we come to town we make a stop for dinner at Fishing with Dynamite but today we decided to grab lunch. They have created a safe Covid eating environment that we enjoyed so much. Not only did we have lunch bet we ordered their Mother Shucker to go later tonight! And it was AMAZING! read more

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One of the greatest Raw seafood experiences anywhere. Let's start of with the location. In the center of Manhattan Beach, steps from the ocean, with some table offering an ocean view. The Peruvian scallops are to die for. They always have a rotating menu of fresh oysters with all the accouterments. Mignonette, cocktail sauce, lemon, hot sauce, and a savory horseradish. They also have shrimp cocktail, fresh lobster, and crab legs. They're crab cakes are also a must try. I also had a shrimp cevice and a fish sandwich that were executed to perfection. Named one of the best raw seafood bars in all of Los Angeles, Fishing with Dynamite doesn't disappoint. read more

So I don't want to ding Fishing with Dynamite too hard. I'm obviously the outlier here, but I just didn't enjoy our dinner at FWB all that much. My experience was probably most akin to Vy T's. - Squash bread - soft, fluffy and warm with *delicious* rosemary butter. Definitely my favorite dish. I could have eaten about 4 plates of this bread and had a 4* meal. (I will point out, however, that I've been to many other high-end restaurants where bread baskets are complimentary, as opposed to FWB where you have to pay $6 for a small plate of rolls. But it's California. I get that rent and taxes are high, so they probably have to charge for bread. NBD. - Clam chowder - First few bites I started out *loving* this dish. I thought, "This is one of the best clam chowders that I've ever had." The taste of the broth was delicious. Then I realized that it hardly had any clams. The kind waitress had the soup split into two bowls for me and my wife, but we each had only two clams (so 4 clams per order). So it was really more 'potato chowder' with a few clams. And it was pretty salty, so my tongue hurt by the end of 1/2 portion of the soup. - The crab cake was good. Spicier than I expected, but lots of crab and little filler. - I didn't like the fish-and-chips at all. I found the batter was way too thick, tasteless and slimy on the inside. So I scraped it off and found the fish itself had no taste. At least the cod seemed fresh, but it also seemed slightly undercooked (perhaps because it was insulated from the fryer by the thick batter? Just guessing) The waitress was very sweet, friendly and hard-working. Definitely props to her. She was hustling taking care of several tables and doing it with aplomb in the tight space. I hated the music. Well, let me clarify. I liked (and knew the words to) many of the pop songs from the 90s, but they were blasted at such high volume (I guess to create a 'hip' and 'fun' dining experience) that it made me want to hurry up, finish the meal, and get out of there just to get away from the noise. Maybe that was the point? Or maybe I'm just not the target demo? I prefer restaurants with no background music at all, or just a light touch. The waitress warned that some of the dishes were sort of tapas size, but two of us couldn't finish the 4 dishes mentioned above, even after leaving most of the fish-and-chips batter on our plates and taking half the fries to go. (The fries were pretty good actually. Nicely seasoned. We were just stuffed. Which was too bad, because the desserts looked good, both online and in person. Although again, was happy to get out of there sooner rather than later to escape the noise.) Overall - a disappointment. Although there were some high notes, I wish we had tried somewhere else and feel the collective Yelp rating is too high, which is why I wrote this review to give another perspective. Also, I recognize this may be my own naivete, but in this day and age, would have been nicer to see more local seafood emphasized on the menu. PS - The people around us seemed happy with their raw platters, so maybe that's the way to roll here? Not my thing, but maybe FwD is better for those who enjoy raw oysters. read more

Was always impressed with Fishing with Dynamite, even when I "accidentally" discovered it a few years ago on a blind date lunch... (TMI? Lol, no...I wanted to provide the context that that first time might have been experienced through rosy colored glasses...over subsequent visits, no, the restaurant definitely stands on its own...) Food, setting, service are all great, but their special ability to course the shared two dineLA prix fixe meals - two apps, two mains, two desserts - was simply above and beyond, equalled only by Here's Looking at You. Coursing a meal for their guests - a fine, lost art... Today is the last day of their dineLA menu. (Jan 27 2017) read more

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When you have a well known restaurant it's as important that the staff be warm n welcoming. We arrived 10-15 minutes late as parking was difficult. The hostess was immediately rude. There were many empty tables Finally she seated us Our waitress was excellent and the food great But it left a poor taste to be treated upon arrival. BTW. tables were not filled during our stay or even when we departed read more

There's a lot going on here in this little space. Oysters and finer sea food, wines and cold beer. Or, if you were me, you made your way to the small bar for some quick dinner. I opted for the fried cod which was crazy fresh. Fries, great. Bar tender, amusing. There were about 4 crafts or so to choose from. Was told the fish was a big portion and filling. If you're from CA, maybe so. The key lime pie is the way to go for desert if you want both tasty and refreshing. As you can see, I didn't leave you any. Now go to F.WD. and get your own. Coffee was also good. 4 stars easy. Probably more if I had something more sophisticated. From here, a quick hop to the beach. read more

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Insanely good - so good, in fact, I would consider living within walking distance just so I could become a regular here. Raw clams and scallops on the half-shell are a must-eat item if they have them! Everything is incredibly fresh and maintained at the correct temperature (e.g. on crushed ice). Cannot wait to go back for more and more. My new Los Angeles tradition! read more

Loved my experience at Fishing with Dynamite. Great location in Manhattan Beach with ample outdoor seating set up right now. There was a wait for a table on a busy and beautiful Saturday afternoon, but the hostess was super friendly and organized. They text you when your table is ready -- love when restaurants have that! I ordered the hamachi sashimi, crab cake, clams and key lime pie. The sashimi, crab cake and key lime pie were all out of this world delicious. The sashimi was fresh, the crab cake didn't have too much bread crumb and the key lime pie was amazing and quite large! The clams were good, but not as good as the other dishes. I will definitely try something else next time. I WILL be back! Friendly and prompt service, too! Looking forward to my next visit. read more

This is an overdue review for a 5 star restaurant! I absolutely love "fresh" and quality seafood. When it comes to a raw bar, quality is everything. I am known to be that picky person with seafood as there has been quite a few times when seafood wasn't properly prepared at other places. I 100% recommend this place for fresh seafood. I came here with my boyfriend for Christmas Eve lunch and the ambiance and staff is awesome! The restaurant is quite small and intimate so I definitely think you should make reservations before you go. I literally inhaled the dishes here! Natalie helped us understand the menu and was so sweet and kind to bring out sauces to compliment the dishes. Her recommendations definitely suited my tastebuds. Crab cake is a must! The Peruvian scallops is a must. I ended up ordering a 2nd round because I inhaled the 1st round. The jumbo shrimp melts in your mouth! I will definitely be back. read more

Went on a weekday for lunch and was blown away by the food. The hamachi I had was fantastic. My main was the shrimp po boy which is worth going back for. My only issue with FWD was how tight the space was but that's also part of the charm so I get it. Also, the hats that the staff wear are dope. I wish they sold them. read more

This place is tiny but super cute. I love how they decorated the space. Great atmosphere. Parking is a pain. I was lucky enough to find street parking a block away. I think there's also a parking garage nearby but that seems to fill up quickly with all the beach goers. Came here for brunch with some girlfriends. Overall, good food and great service. Our waitress was extremely helpful in guiding us through the menu. If they have uni in that day, don't hesitate to get it! read more

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Ok this was an impromptu visit to MB , my bud got us a table and we had one of the best seafood experiences ever in SCal . Started with hamachi app , then ceviche perfecto , most damn amazing crab cake this side of Maryland and simply the best Grilled Octopus anywhere . Lights out cocktail Mai of Mi and the best was the key lime pie desert. Great staff and you will be posting a similar review Guaranteed. FWD is our new seafood go to in SCal . read more

This is the date night spot. If you like old school butter on everything. This is the best and tastiest seafood place. Ate at the bar and we had the clam chowder and oysters mix for appetizers and for the grand finale the mussel. I love this place and will def come back. It's not super fancy but the flavor is phenomenal. read more

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

By no means am I a seafood expert, so I can't go in depth with the flavors and I don't have much to compare to. What I CAN speak on is the service. Excellent service! My girlfriend and I were simply discussing the fact that I had never had a keylime pie, and they gave us a keylime pie on the house. This is the type of service that separates high-quality institutions with average ones--the willingness to go above and beyond to satisfy your customers. As for the food, it was great. Scallops were delicious, although maybe there was a little too much salt on some of them. I enjoyed tasting the different types of oysters as well. Highly recommend! read more

The service, the food and the personnel were all great! First time eating at this place and we were already impressed! Keep it up. And we will be back. Thank you for making our occasion so meaningful. read more