How have I never written a review for FwD?! It's crazy good!!! Small space - that means you get to smile and enjoy your dining patrons at the next table. Not a problem for me, I enjoy the vibe... SUPER fresh, beautifully presented and DELICIOUS! Service is excellent - love Fishing With Dynamite! Easy F-I-V-E stars for me! read more

Late review. my partner and I came by for anniversary dinner in April. One of the best dinner experiences. Food was amazing, from the scallops, oysters, and crab cakes. Koshihikari was amazing. We were a little hesitant on trying the koshihikari but was recommended by the staff, so we tried it, and glad we went with the server's recommendations. Peruvian scallops were one of the highlights. The drink were great as well. But the food was so good, we got our dopamine from food and can barely recall the drinks. The hostess was also so welcoming and we can see they felt bad that our reservation was pushed back by 15 min, but they made up for it with the quick service and quality of all the dishes. The feel of the place was not hectic, even though they were busy and on the go, we never felt rushed. All food came out quick. The place still felt chill and we definitely recommend it. One of our top date night food experiences. read more

Delicious oysters and a great selection of fresh seafood dishes. A super friendly staff and a great location in Manhattan Beach. This place has become one of my favorites over the years, and it never disappoints. read more

Fabulous seafood and service. We are here to celebrate a birthday. This is a small restaurant in Manhattan Beach.We started off with the 2 tiered Queen Mary tower and added oysters to the tower. What a beautiful presentation complete with strands of seaweed decorating the seafood. Quite the variety of seafood ordered from octopus, scallops, sea bass, lobster roll, fish tacos. Sea urchin in rice. They gave us to celebrate 2 key lime pies. So sweet. In addition we had apple pie ala mode and chocolate pretzel bread pudding. Our waitress was wonderful, very helpful and attentive. read more

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Oysters were super fresh, though I did have a little stomachache later. The koshihikari rice was interesting and a bit salty. Service was friendly and the vibe makes it a nice spot for socializing or a date. Parking is paid street or nearby lot, about $2/hr. read more

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

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Since my last post, I decided to cave and give this place another try. We did talk to the manager and she was appalled that no one got back to me for the pie incident and gave me another pie. We came in today again because we were in the mood for oysters and scallops. I also seen they had shrimps with the heads on, so ordered those too along with some Squash rolls. Everything tasted fresh the delicious. And of course I had to end my meal with the best tasting key lime pie. Haven't gone to the Florida Keys, but I've had a lot of key lime pie, and this one is one of the best! read more

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Fishing with Dynamite is easily one of my favorite restaurants in the Manhattan Beach area. I love the casual ambiance with both indoor and patio seating. When we visited for lunch, we had the special honor of dining at the bar with John as our server. He's worked at FWD since its inception, and you can tell he knows his stuff. To start, we ordered the squash butter rolls, which were light, warm, and fluffy. Absolutely recommend. We also tried their oysters and crab roll with fries. The oysters were good, but not as great as some we've tried on the East Coast. The crab roll was delicious and came with a toasted buttery bun and a generous serving of crab. We ended our meal with the seasonal sour cherry pie. We cannot wait to go back! read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Sour cherry pie - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

The food was fresh and delicious! The service was quick and everyone was knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely recommend. The scallops were amazing and flavorful. The drinks were also perfect. read more

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An incredible meal overall. Incredible food, staff, and ambiance. I would 100% go back, as it was a flawless experience.

A Cozy Gem by the Sea This place is tiny... the kind of spot where you're practically elbow to elbow with the table next to you...and honestly, that's part of what makes it so special. It feels warm, intimate, and full of character. The servers were incredibly welcoming and made me feel right at home from the moment I walked in. I ordered the clam chowder, and wow... it was excellent. Creamy, flavorful, and comforting in all the right ways. But the mussels? Even better. Perfectly cooked and packed with flavor... I was genuinely impressed. If you're in the mood for great seafood, amazing service, and a cozy vibe that makes you feel like a local, Fishing with Dynamite is a must. I'd recommend it to everyone. read more

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

The best!!!! Love their food. Akela and FWD team were so accommodating and super sweet. Thank you all for being kind at the utmost level. We had the Peruvian scallops, rolls, koshihikari rice, sea bass and ended with their famous Key Lime pie. Such a perfect experience for a Sunday dinner. I'll be coming back again soon! read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Key lime pie - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Ok, will I be censored for saying this was one the most tantalizing, robust, spiritual, sexy meal I have had in such a long time! Like I feel a little dirty about how much I enjoyed this incredible meal, And WHY did it take me so long to endure such an amazing explosion of yummy tastes that definitely brought sexy back to seafood! Fishing with Dynamite is one of those incredible hidden treasure that only should be experience if you know the secret word whispered to a bouncer who is hidden behind a freezer door located under a parking lot and you only can get there by paddle boat across a Hawaiian island guarded by unicorns and gnomes ..... but, here we are and anyone can go there. So - you're welcome! Tiny but mighty, the corner location encompasses a quaint interior, with a limited number of seats sooooo snuggle up next to your neighbor. Luckily- they are able to expand outside and on a nice day, a great way to spend an evening near the beach. Ok, ok, ok- the food. f**k it's gr8! Service terrific! Ambience ok- it was a bit chilly inside the restaurant - but who cares after the food arrives! Everything on the menu was d'lish! No complaints and please bring a second round - of EVERYTHING! STAT!! Did you not hear me? STAT! Please and thank you. LOL Started off with an assortment of oysters - we got the ichiban, summer stone, silver foxes oysters and SIX, yes. SIX Peruvian scallops. A terrific blend of tastes leaving me drooling for another round... but gotta keep composure. Second round- W.T. actual F! GRILLED JAPANESE HAMACHI COLLAR! Well, 1) I have never tried this before and 2) WHY didn't take me so long to try this! Incredible!!! Incredible! Again, incredible !! The dish arrived in what I want to describe as a spicy broth with vinegar undertones with thai basil. I want to say similar to a sweet and sour kinda of broth - the collar had a sweeter taste and next to the vinegar broth, which gives me the idea of a sweet and sour taste... But that doesn't matter because - holy molie batman - IT WAS GOOOOOOD! Third dish - say it with me ... "MISOY AKI BLACK COD" steamed bok choy, pickled baby shiitakes, fingered dashi and hijiki! Do i even need to say more... too bad I have table manners because I would have literally taken a straw and sucked up every ounce of the broth, but that is completely secondary to the Black Cod! Yummy, supple, tasty, and flavorful! Light but meaty, satisfying and indulgent. Yes please bathe me with everything on that plate! Lastly- dessert - "KEY LIME PIE" w/ a graham cracker crust, italian lime meringue! Perfect,..... just the right amount of everything and the most satisfying way to end the evening meal. It wasn't heavy, not too tart not too lemony, an equal part crust, meringue and lime. The table next to us strong armed us into this delight, I think my next adventure would be to try the "CHOCOLATE PRETZEL BREAD PUDDING" but that will need to be for another adventure of dazzling tast'ography! So if you made it to the end of my wild rage and rant on the exquisite and amazingly deliciously awesomely good meal I think you may think I may have enjoyed tonights food adventure. (Yes, I did) Looking for a terrific meal? Love seafood? This is the perfect joint for you! Bon appétit !!! read more

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It's OK. Good fish, small portion, good sauce, tough stringy asparagus and a very small restaurant but zero starch with the meal. All that's extra. 3 out of 5 stars. read more

Been awhile since I've been here, and glad to come back on Labor Day. We got the queen mary tower - so delicious. It's almost enough for 3 people but you'll want more food than just this. The only downside is when the ice melts, the sauces will sink and flood into the tower so take them out of the tower. Also got the shrimp boil - so good. We used the sauce from this on the queen mary tower too . Crab cake app - so good. One of the best I've had, comparing it to neptunes in Malibu we had last week. The drinks were delicious. read more

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Amazing food (had oysters and lobster roll). The staff was attentive and welcoming. They managed my food allergy well (only messed up on one of the sauces but I caught it). I sat at the bar and it was cool. Thanks. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Lobster roll and fries - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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My mom and I had a wonderful experience here we came for an early dinner/ late lunch, which is my favorite time to eat honestly and this place was perfect. Everything was delicious. The service was wonderful. I'm blanking on the young woman's name that served us, but she was super sweet and helped us with all of our questions over the menu. THE PERUVIAN SCALLOPS ARE AMAZING!!! The fries were actually amazing too and I am looking forward to coming back. The ambience is bright and cozy, laid back, but still elevated. It has windows where you can look out to the beautiful view. read more

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Really good food was glad I gave this a try. They are also dog friendly. Great place will definitely go back

This was our second visit to FWD and this topped the first visit. We started with the seafood platter and devoured everything. Don't eat the seaweed!! I had the scallops that were perfectly seared. There was a saffron dip that was incredible. The oysters were beyond our expectations. This is a small establishment, so make a reservation. It's a bit crowded, but more cozy than crammed. Our server Elijah (I think that was it, or another biblical name) who knew his stuff. Both my daughter and I have gluten intolerance and he was extremely careful and kind to help us navigate the menu. I only wish we lived closer! read more

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

First time here and I'm ready to go back! I've heard about this restaurant but for some reason never ate here until today. Started with the onolicious cocktail. As a native of Hawaii, I had to try it. It was a delicious mai tai with a li hing flavor and it was strong. I loved everything about it. Scallops on the half shell as an appetizer were enjoyed by everyone. My entree was the seared Maine diver scallops. I ordered it after seeing pictures on Yelp and the dish was delicious. I asked for my scallops to be well done, and they were perfectly prepared. The steamed Manila clams were a hit and came with a baguette for dipping up the buttery wine sauce. Someone ordered the halibut and it looked good. The portion seemed small though. Fish and chips were pretty good. Since there was no kids menu, they made this one instead of a fish sandwich. The restaurant is pretty small so reservations are recommended. Great service. Parking on the street or in the nearby metered lot. read more

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Hostess Kylie and GM Katie are so generous and welcoming!! I work nearby and came in to grab some hot tea for a server who lost his voice and needed some soothing tea to help him get through his shift! The lovely hostess, Kylie, helped me right away and grabbed her manager, Katie, who was equally as accommodating! They wouldn't let me pay a dime which was so generous of them. They are a lovely part of the MB community! Thank you FWD!! read more

Food was very good if overpriced. It might have been different sitting inside but out on the sidewalk sucked. Busy beachy foot traffic, people waiting to be seated, traffic. Service was just okay. read more

Such a great spot! The Peruvian scallops are a must, and the oysters are amazing. Food was all fantastic, but the service was even better. Joey took such great care of us, was attentive and informative. He really made the experience 5 stars. We will be back! read more

This is a staple for myself and my parents for my birthday nearly every year. We always order the Queen Mary which is perfect size for both dad and myself (mom usually orders the Little Gem Salad and and a lobster or crab roll). The oysters are succulent, the crab and lobster is so fresh, and the shrimp garnished with dill is a savory addition. We've always made a reservation because space is very limited. We'll usually bring a bottle of white for them to open which goes well with the palette. It's usually pretty busy given the size of the restaurant, but we seem to always get great service. Sharing some pics below through the years of the "illustrious" Queen Mary. read more

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Nice beach day calls for a craving for delish seafood. We decided to check this place out! After looking for parking on the street, we ordered quite a bit. I bumped my head a couple times on the overhead lights so watch out lol Maryland blue crab cake was okay. It looked really good. Clam chowder was actually delicious. Highly recommend! Peruvian scallops citrus marinade was so good. Get this. Little neck clams were delicious. Highly recommend. Shrimp cocktail paired well with the marinade. Koshikari rice had a couple small unis and tasted very homey! I would have liked more salt. Oishi oysters tasted like nothing, so it's good! (I don't like briny oysters, so I'm pleasantly surprised at these oysters. They're pretty oishi! We didn't have problems with the service. We stopped by in the middle of the afternoon, past any rushes. The view is also very nice during the sunset as it shines straight through the big windows. read more

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Hands down favorite spot ever for raw seafood!! They have set the bar high and it's honestly hard to eat anywhere else. We come at least once a month. The raw bar is so fresh, beautifully presented and just incredibly delicious. We always choose to just build our own custom tower but they do have pre-made towers available. We just prefer to have the things we want, as we don't care for the raw clams and mussels. On various occasions, we have tried a few of their other menu items: fish sandwich, clam chowder and cooked scallops. All of it was good but the raw items are really the stand-out things to eat. Our typical order includes: Dozen oysters (fresh and rotating varieties) Dozen raw scallops (our favorite and very unique) Uni (super fresh and comes with grilled bread) King crab legs (great flavor and lots of meat!) Half pound lobster (yummy and tender) They recently added a caviar and crème fraîche dip to the menu which is fantastic! The restaurant itself has a casual atmosphere. It's very small, can get a little cramped, but definitely worth it. There's a cozy bar area to enjoy food and drink but also outdoor seating. They have a small, but nice, selection of wines and some tasty cocktails that are unique and well balanced. Service is ok; sometimes they just get super busy and can't be as attentive but also sometimes there could be a little more friendliness from them, in my opinion. I highly recommend making a reservation and Ubering if you can't walk, as parking can be tough, especially in summer. Don't forget to try the key lime pie! read more

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Fishing With Dynamite has been celebrated for serving only the most pristine seafood with accolades that include "Best Oyster Bar" and is among Chef Lefevre's diverse family of restaurants. The restaurant is located off of Manhattan Avenue, a short distance away from the Manhattan Beach pier. Parking is difficult to come by as it always is in this area, so I recommend allocating time to find parking before your reservation. I started my meal with the Burn Bey-Bee Burn described as a "gold rush w/Elijah Craig bourbon, lemon, burnt honey" which was surprisingly refreshing for a bourbon based cocktail. Apps included Wild New Caledonian Prawns, Wild Spanish Octopus and a platter of assorted dozen Oysters. We also enjoyed Steamed Manila Clams, the Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass, and we finished off our meal with a Key Lime Pie. Every dish was a masterpiece and I savored every single bite. We sat outdoors and although it was breezy, we were able to enjoy our food and beverages with an ocean view. Hats off to the chef, kitchen staff and servers! read more

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I really wanted to like this spot given all the reviews, but sadly, it fell short. Service was good and attentive but the food just didn't hit the mark. The garlic prawn appetizer was fine, but 4 smallish prawns for $30 just seemed excessive. The rice it was paired with was slightly cold/room temperature and tasted stale (we were perplexed why it wasn't paired with a nice sourdough bread). The Caesar salad was excellent and was our favorite thing we ate at FWD. The clam chowder was thin but flavorful - it lacked the thick creaminess we've become accustomed to elsewhere. The "lobstah" roll (CT style) was just okay (we prefer Lobster Guys down the road). The fried fish sandwich was also pretty average. For almost $200 (no alcohol), we didn't think the food (or ambiance) was worth it. For better seafood, we prefer Holboxz. Better ambiance, Strand House. Glad we tried it though! read more

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Service is always amazing. Cozy ambiance. Every item on the menu is divine, you can't go wrong with anything. I especially can't go without l the fish sandwich, Parker rolls, misoyaki black cod, and Japanese hamachi sashimi. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich (no cheese) - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

After we got a table in a good section of the sidewalk (read: flat surface and no slope, close to the restaurant and not their neighbors), we had a five star experience - service, cocktails and food. Peruvian scallops, Hamachi sashimi, tuna tartare, octopus, oysters, soft shell crab, halibut - we tried it all! Or at least it felt like it. But, of course, we still had room for key lime pie for dessert. I think the scallops were my favorite. read more

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

Food was great it's a menu for everyone. Was especially impressed with our server Lena she was fantastic, fast and kind. Resturant is casual and intimate. read more

Every dish I ate at fishing with dynamite was delish and I don't even consider myself a real fish eater. We were lucky enough to try a couple more items on the menu due to the amazing staff, they wanted us to try the scallops and the ceviche. We probably wouldn't have ordered the scallops but since they gave them to us we tried them and it turned out to be my favorite thing I ate. I got the lobster roll the buttered way and I really enjoyed how you could fully taste the meaty lobster, it did not need any other type of sauce. The place is a little small but it can sure pack a lot of people in and I like seeing the tower of seafood that some people get. I for sure want to come back and get a whole lot more of those scallops! read more

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Came here to celebrate my birthday and left very happy. Great food, awesome service, and a cozy atmosphere. We ordered a few oysters and they gave us some scallops to try with them. We also ordered the hamachi sashimi. So delicious and fresh! For our entrees, we shared the Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich and the Koshihikari Rice, which were decent. I think next time, I'll stick to the raw seafood because that is really FWD's crowning glory. The salted Carmel pretzel bread pudding was also out of this world. I would definitely order that again! read more

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The taste is absolutely amazing! The ingredients are incredibly fresh and the portions are generous. It was securely packaged and arrived piping hot, with absolutely no spills or leaks. The delivery rider was super fast and provided excellent service. It offers great value for money; I've ordered from here several times, and the quality has remained consistently high. This is definitely my go-to spot now--highly recommended! read more

A little ladies lunch in the sun? Check! On our way back from Palm Springs we had a day to kill before an evening flight from LAX so we headed to Manhattan Beach. Because of the proximity to LAX MB can be just a wee bit touristy, but with good food and a killer boardwalk (but I digress). Tucked down a side street off the main drag we found Fishing with Dynamite, which made me wonder about the integrity of the seafood might be after it's been blown out of the water (again, I digress). I can assure you that the integrity of the seafood was next level amazing. The sun was out and it was quite balmy for a mid-November day so we took advantage to site outside at a two-top on the sidewalk. Our waiter was helpful in deciding what to have because the options were so good. She asked a couple of questions and steered me in the perfect direction. I had this amazing plate of what can only be described as like a japanese seafood risotto made with japanese short grain rice and dashi broth. exquisite. While my friend had a lovely bowl of steamer clams in a beautiful broth. We each took advantage of the lovely wine menu and had a crisp, straw hued glass of Sancerre. The perfect end to a perfect girls weekend! read more

We came for lunch on 1/10/2026, and this was our first time dining here. We ordered the crab cake, Koshihikari rice, steamed clams, oysters, scallops, and key lime pie. Every dish was delicious! The key lime pie especially impressed me, it was outstanding! We really enjoyed our experience. The staffs were very attentive and super friendly. Our server, Jose, was wonderful and he patiently walked us through the recommended dishes since it was our first visit. Highly recommended if you're in the area. Superb service and great food! read more

Fishing with Dynamite is a South Bay classic. Busy with business lunches during the week, the weekends are more relaxed and a perfect place to indulge in a seafood tower. The raw bar is what I go for, and the selection of oysters and accompaniments are diverse. read more

Superb service. Boutique. Artisnal. One of a kind. A destination eatery worth an hour each way. Memorable. Oysters shucked while alive! Octopus Teacher be damned! We'll be back. TACO. TACO. (Subliminal political message.) read more

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This Manhattan Beach restaurant opened at 5pm and was full by 5:15. They're known for their fresh seafood, so highlights were Peruvian scallops and hamachi sashimi, which was INCREDIBLE. The fish sandwich was okay, but I preferred their raw seafood. We also really enjoyed the drinks! I am excited to come back and try more. read more

Enjoyed this spot, despite spending 20 minutes looking for parking. It's definitely on the pricier side with white tablecloths and a more elevated seafood-focused spot, but the food is so fresh, it's definitely worth checking out at least once. Reservations were easy to make too! We had the bread rolls, clam chowder, and a fish sandwich...and it was all delightful and fresh. The clam chowder was especially noteworthy if you like the super fresh one with fresh clams in there! Service was great, although our table was a little small to squeeze into between people (the place isn't that big!). If you're in Manhattan Beach and you're looking for a delish seafood spot, consider Fishing With Dynamite! read more

I love an excuse to be in this area so that I can revisit one of the best seafood restaurants in LA! The food is impeccable and the service always professional while friendly and casual. Seamless. Oysters are chosen with care and they know their oysters. They also educate the diner on where they're from and what they're like. I appreciate that. No dumping a plate of oysters on the table without explanation. The Peruvian scallops are A MUST. Soft, delicate, perfectly prepared and presented. Hamachi sashimi is also an absolutely delicious version of itself, in an asian ponzu-type sauce. Not as pretty to look at, but yummy. With just a little room left, we shared a clam chowder (half portion in the picture) which came with homemade oyster crackers - never seen that before! And paired that with the fries, with 2 dipping sauces. No room for dessert. Ambiance is nautical, whimsical, reminiscent of a small chowder house in Cape Cod. Tables are spaced reasonably. The acoustics can be challenging when it is busy, so next time I will arrive a little later and not during the lunch rush for a more pleasant experience. LOVE THIS PLACE. read more

Fishing With Dynamite - oysters on the half shell - Seafood Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California