If you love chowder this is a must go to place!!! The food, ambience and service are all amazing!!!

Rustic place at the docks. First thing was the ice cold beer. Also it was huge cold glass. Chowder is very good. Had the fish and chips and also very good. Portions are good and service is excellent. read more

Excellent clam chowder with excellent service and located strangest place on the water

The food is always amazing. The staff is very helpful and friendly. Definitely wish we lived closer to come more often

The best clam chowder i have ever had, I got the chowder in the bread bowl. The bread was fresh and the como with awesome. Had a beer too

Come for the great tasting clam chowder, and stay for the character and ambiance of a classic Long Beach hidden treasure!! Great service and delicious food!! Will definitely be back!! read more

This establishment is a hidden gem in the city of Wilmington. The interior is full of charming and eclectic nautical decor. A friend described it as the pirate from sponge bob's go-to spot to hang. The food was delicious- I ordered the fried clam basket which came with a spicy (horseradish?) cocktail sauce and perfectly fried clams and thick cut and well seasoned fries. My friend ordered the chowder burger which is a burger submerged in probably the best clam chowder I've personally had. My pescatarian friend subbed the burger meat for a veggie patty and reported a delicious first bite until she sadly realized the chowder had bacon. This is noted in the menu, so it was our mistake. My only two comments for feedback are 1) if possible, have a clam chowder option without bacon. This would open up this awesome dish to not only pescatarians but other non-pork eaters, and 2) improve the customer service especially for first time folks. I think even a quick run through popular menu items would be great. Overall, I had a pleasant experience dining at The Chowder Barge and finding yet another hidden gem in the city of Wilmington. read more

The Chowder Barge - Charming & full of character! - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Attentive and patient service, and the Chowder burger with fried clams is the ultimate comfort food on... especially on a rainy day! The ambiance is laid back and calm. They have TV's all over the joint for games and whatnot. I always enjoy coming here. read more

I took a friend for their birthday as they wanted to try this restaurant. There was a great communal, ambience, and the restaurant was crowded. Possibly because it is the only restaurant near the water. The clam chowder was wonderful. Just as good as described. Very thick, creamy and full of clams in every bite. Unfortunately, that was the only good thing there. I ordered the fisherman's platter to try several of their offerings. Everything was extremely overcooked and hard. The clam strips were like chewing shoelaces. read more

It's all about the ambience here at the Chowder Barge, the only permanent restaurant on a floating boat in the LA area. It is located at a working marina, and it's important to follow the signs to the appropriate parking lot. You then have to walk through to the marina to get to the right berth. It is surprisingly large inside, with a multi-sided bar and a lot of booths for eating inside. It also has some seating outside and quite a few folks chose that option on a beautiful day. The greeter let us choose our indoor booth since it wasn't full, and came around with water once we asked for it. The go-to dish here is the clam chowder ($7 for a cup and $10 for a bowl). My wife shared a bowl, and it was too much. It was good, with a lot of clams and tender potatoes. It also had A LOT of roux (flour and butter), which tends to mess with our stomachs a bit so we couldn't finish it (a cup would have plenty). A 1 pc fish and chips is $12. Fish was good, probably a cheaper white fish like haddock but the batter wasn't too thick and wasn't overly greasy. The fries were indeed the chip-type (steak fries, perhaps a bit over the extra crispy line when deep frying)..delicious with ketchup. I got the Fisherman's platter ($22), which came with the same fish, 3 breaded deep-fried shrimp (medium size and butterflied), and fried clams. The clams and shrimp were the standard, from frozen deep-fried seafood that you get from a restaurant wholesale distributor (nothing to write home about). All came with an excellent cole slaw, and tartar sauce. Mine came with a really good cocktail sauce (plenty of horseradish to give a sinus clearing buzz). All-in-all, the food was well executed...would recommend the fish'n'chips again. There are sandwiches and burgers on the menu, along with different beers and mixed drinks (micheladas seemed to be especially popular while we were there). Kari was our server and she checked up on us the right amount of time. You pay at the table and there is a 3.% CC charge, so paying cash would be best. It's definitely a unique experience and one worth doing at least once. read more

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For the most part everything this is an old school nautical place. I go there when it rains and get clam chowder. The marina needs a lot of TLC but that is probably why I like it. The food is good, staff is nice and the service is good. read more

Tucked away off a access road is The Chowder Barge. It was Sunday with rain and I decided to get some Clam Chowder and Fish & Chips. The chowder was creamy, bacony and had a good amount of clams. The fish was crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. Service was very friendly and prompt. read more

The Chowder Barge - New England Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Great location but who care about the location when the food is sub par and the service is the worst you'll experience in your life. We came for my brother's birthday dinner, we were a bit confused upon arrival when the host sat us at our table and told us to sit tight for five minutes and he would be back to take our order (was he both a host and server? Why is the host going to take our order? He just went back to the front of house and forgot about us as we waited almost half an hour with servers walking back and forth not ever stopping to acknowledge our party. Finally we flagged a server down and told her we haven't been assisted yet, my mother told her it was my brothers birthday and she responded with a careless shrug, and asked us what we wanted very impatiently and rushed, her name was Raquel she was dismissive and blatantly rude. After being forgotten the feeling of dismissal was disappointing and caused a bad taste in my mouth before I got a chance to taste the actual food. We waited another 49 minutes before Raquel brought out a not fully correct order placing my brother's meal in front of him she realized that not all the plates were correct and took everything back, including the order of my brother even though it was correct. Another 5 minutes later she came out with our food which was all battered and fried so there is no reason that it should have ever taken that long in the first place, something that take 5 minutes to fry in oil. The food wasn't even warm!!! My goodness. I'm sorry to say the taste didn't make up for all the disappointment that had begun to mold this experience. She never came back to check up on our party until long after we wanted the check, and never once smiled or acted nice until she brought the check probably because she remembered the tip. I have never not tipped and my family always tips but we unanimously decided she only got a dollar from us and she's lucky I'm collecting Pennie's because she almost only got two cents. Like I said the location was nice and the ambiance of the facility was warm and felt like you were sitting inside a pirate's treasure chest that was the only nice part. read more

The service was great and the food was excellent! We will definitely go again! It was also very comfortable - excellent ambiance...

Absolutely stellar sea food ! The service was amazing and staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was eclectic and reminiscent of a sea side gift shop in the best way possible ! Love this restaurant! read more

Stopped in here after a quick local soup search. And I'm so glad I did. The ambience is nice chill old school pirate vibes as the restaurant is on the water. The inside is clean and well kept. The food was amazing hands down best chowder I have ever had. But what made this visit so great is the service. Karley was my server and she is so on top of things. Always coming back to check on us. Quick With the refills and her recommendations were great. She's got a great personality and awesome smile best server I have had in a long time. Thanks Karley I'll definitely be back. 10/10 this is a must try you won't regret it. Don't forget to ask for Karley! read more

The Chowder Barge - Views - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Excellent clam Chowder. Cool funky place near the port. Waitress was great and prices solid. Had some fish and chips and they were awesome.

The chowder is as as good as it gets! Paired with a cold beer! It is a little off the beaten path, but definitely worth the visit.

What a hidden gem! Food was excellent and fresh. My kids loved their fried food baskets. I tried a little of everything: chowder was unique, delicious and filling. The chili with onions and cheese was surprisingly (and perfectly) spicy. Tuna salad was fresh and tasty. It came with a healthy amount of dressing! My dad had a patty melt and said it was good. Calamari was also good. It was not loud inside which was good for us and the view was interesting. It's not fancy! Our server was attentive and thoughtful. I can't wait to go back! read more

The worst place to be on a special day like Mother's day. 1 hourt wait time to be seated then another 1 hour wait for the order to be served. I can't believe there's only one cook workinh in the kitchen. Todaybwill be my first and last. Totally waste of time, and staff was. Ot even apologetic read more

My daughter and I enjoyed the Fisherman's Platter. It had really good fried fish, shrimp and clams. I also enjoyed the cocktail sauce because it had a little heat to it. read more

Ambiance and Location: 5 stars! Decor inside is cute and walking down the ramp onto the boat deck just adds to it! The restaurant is literally on the water. Parking isn't the biggest, but we had no issue finding a spot lunchtime on Sunday. We waited about 30 minutes for 2. It's right on the water so I suggest bringing a jacket while you wait outside. Service: Hmmm... 4.5 stars. Waitress was nice, but the place is small so I understand why it felt rushed. She asked for our drink order shortly after we sat down. Food: 4 stars. I'll break it down: Calamari - small and a bit tough Onion Rings - delicious! Would get them again. Clam Chowder - BOMB!!! But honestly could've done without the fried clams. Not that they were bad, but the soup on its own would've been satisfying. Shrimp Basket - nothing special, but tasty. Fish and Chips - (my husband had this) he said "Not overcooked, perfectly golden, good" Cocktail sauce - I LOVED this! It was so good and SPICY!!!! Tartar sauce - DELICIOUS! Drinks: 5 STARS!!!! The Micheladas were soooo good. Captain Mug is the way to go! **We missed the road leading to the spot. It's around a bend and kind of hidden, so be on the lookout!!!** read more

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Tucked away in a location unknown to me in my 33 years living in the area, we found this gem tonight. After a satisfying dinner of fish and chips (subbed onion rings) and clam chowder, we are finishing our captain mugs of ice cold draft beer on the patio area watching the sun set while a breeze cools the area. Our waitress, Raquel, was lovely and we were well taken care of throughout our meal. A great little nostalgic date night. read more

The Chowder Barge - Captain's Mug full of liquid goodness. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Service was great! Food was good and the atmosphere is one of a kind. Finding it for the first time isn't easy, but once you know. You know. read more

Very fun and cool nautical atmosphere. Very good food and service. Kinda small breakfast menu but covers the basics. Wine and beer menu.

Rude servers ! I'm writing to express my deep disappointment with the customer service my family and I received during our recent visit. In over 40 years of dining out, this experience ranks among the worst. We arrived hoping to enjoy a couple of Bloody Marys at the bar or outside while our children waited on the patio with my daughter-in-law. Unfortunately, we were told by a server--rather curtly--that no drinks would be served until we were seated at a table. While we tried to remain understanding, her tone and attitude were unnecessarily rude. Shortly after, another group of six longtime patrons (with over 30 years of loyalty to your business) arrived and attempted to enjoy a beer while waiting outside. They were also treated disrespectfully, with one of the servers raising her voice and refusing to serve them in an unprofessional manner. At that point, our group of seven--including two children--felt unwelcome and unappreciated, so we chose to leave. I attempted to speak calmly with the younger of the two servers to better understand the situation. While she acknowledged she may have been a bit harsh and attempted to correct her behavior, the damage had already been done. It's truly disappointing to see loyal patrons treated this way. I hope you will take this feedback seriously and address the importance of respectful customer service with your staff. Experiences like this can have a lasting impact on a business's reputation. The Torres family read more

Interesting spot on the water. It was a little sketchy getting there, but the food and service were good. Everything on the Fisherman's platter was fresh and hot. The fries were nicely seasoned. read more

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On Christmas Eve around 5pm my wife and I googled this place to see if it was open. Online said it was open so we made the 40 minute drive to go here for the first time. I have heard good things. Well, it was closed. If they can't spend the time to update the hours for holidays online then I would imagine there are many other holes they are leaving unfilled in this establishment. We were not the only people there realizing it was closed. Very poor management. It may be a good spot but my guess is many hidden malfeasance behind the scenes which when it comes to FOOD, I just can not accept read more

I found the place almost randomly, scrolling Google Maps looking for a lunch place because we were heading down to see the trolls in at the South Coast botanical gardens. A place marker pops up for the Chowder Barge and I was like "What's this? A seafood spot in a marina in an industrial area? Tell me more!" You guys, it's a floating seafood restaurant literally docked next to boats. We drove there with high hopes and they got even higher when we arrived and I don't want to spoil the story, but we were not disappointed. Coming down the ramp I saw a post on a bulletin board for a "Missing Skull Wallet", and I hope they found it because that really stinks, but I have to admit, the flyer really set some atmospheric tone. Once your onboard, it's wood everywhere. You're very much on a boat. There's a vintage fireplace with skulls in it and plenty of nautical decor all around, including the fact that you are very much surrounded by actual sailing vessels and you're on the water. I loved the food. I got a platter of fried sea things. I did not have chowder because I'm lactose intolerant. We spent the rest of the day saying "Chowdah Bahge" (even though nobody had a New England accent). The people were friendly. Our server was great. I'm attaching a picture of the food. I would post the decor as well, but my kid is in all of the shots, so take my word for it the atmosphere is great. read more

The Chowder Barge - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It only took me 10 to 15 years to figure it out and get here but woah. Wow. Wow. Wow. If you've spent any time in the pnw then you know Ivar's and you know chowder and the chowder barge shits pancakes on that mass produced shit. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Made from scratch. Prepared with love. Family friendly and family owned. What's not to love? Best onion ring I've ever had in my whole 500lb life. Best chowder in my life too. I don't take these words lightly. They get busy af. You might have to wait a minute but good food can take time and its WORTH IT. If you aren't local - MAKE THE DRIVE. I can promise you won't be disappointed & that's a threat. I'm kicking myself for all the years I lived right tf here and didn't eat here. Learn from my mistakes and eat the food Tina. read more

The Chowder Barge - Best onion ring I've ever had in my life. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

Such a cute little divey chowder shop/bar in some dock in the middle of what feels like another world. That's basically what this place is. You can drive up here or take a boat...and it's a cool, glorious place. We had the seafood platter and a bowl of chowder and it was everything we wanted and more. The chowder was delicious and smokey from the bacon. The seafood platter contained fried shrimp, fries, clams, and fried fish--and overall was a decent value. Service was good and the ambiance was divey and fun. Recommended if you're a clam chowder fan and love off-the-beaten path places. read more

Location: this place seems to be a lil hidden gem. Its in a little marina near the tracks. I got my order to go but the inside is super cool. Alot of cool boating/beach decor. Service: the lady who took my order informed me they don't do big to to orders but was nice and let me order my food. Her and the other waitress there seemed nice Food: I got a two peice fish and chips. A review on Google said the frys sucked but they must have come on a bad day cause the fries delicious and well seasoned. The fish was nice ans crispy. Not particularly thick but it was good. The star of the show was hands down the CHOWDER. Im sad I got a small. It was a great consistency and the flavor was ON POINT. A good amount of clams. Would definitely come back for the chowder! read more

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Great food! 2nd time going there and definitely won't be the last. Great atmosphere idk why people complain about the service was crazy busy and had no issues. Got drinks right away food arrived in a timely manner even though they were extremely busy on a Sunday afternoon read more

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The service was alright. We ordered the tropical ice tea; you have to ask for refills though. I'm used to have the servers noticing that your drinks are empty or almost empty and they'll refill right away. When you ask for refill it takes a while before the server returns with it. I ordered the chowder burger and I ate the whole thing! It was delicious. My friends ordered the grilled swordfish burger, salad, and a bowl each of the clam chowder. They had to take half of their burgers, soup and salad home. This place seems to have regular customers. It was quite noisy and we had a difficult time carrying on our own conversations. They automatically add 3.5% charge for using credit cards. So if you're paying cash make sure you deduct that surcharge. Overall, it's a place worth returning to with your friends. read more

Cool spot to have some chowder and fish and chips. They got cool decors inside and got a great view of all the boats on deck. Staffs were friendly, very welcoming. We got the bowls of chowder, seafood platter and fried calamaris. Everything turned out good. read more

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First time here and have to admit, the chowder is awesome! Funky place in the marina, service was a little slow, but the prices were very reasonable and portions were big. Also had the fried clam plate. They were good, nothing special, but plenty of clams. Will definitely come back just for the chowder read more

Been here a couple times and have not been disappointed. Fish and chips and chowder are outstanding. It does get busy and it's a small place. But it is worth it. Great vibe and food. read more

we were excited about trying a intriguing stop and we were not disappointed appointed. I brought my cousin and wife from La Verne and we the four of us had a blast! I had the chowder burger and it was awesome. getting there was an adventure but fun! Highly recommend the Barge!! read more

Amazing Chowder and Fish and Chips.. we were saying mmmmm, after every bite!! lol..we absolutely loved it .. great atmosphere too

The food is horrible. The chowder is thick and doesn't taste like nothing but thickener. The service was very bad. These waitresses don't pay attention to you at all. The ambiance was not as pleasant as you would like it to be. It looks run down and broken up. read more