we tried the sampler it had a little bit of everything fish, fried clams, shrimp and fries. And we had a small cup of the clam chowder everything was Delicious would definitely come back read more

Outstanding! The chowder burger was insanely delicious. Unique location. Unique atmosphere. I will definitely be back. read more

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Don't let the building fool you. Yes, it's out of way. Yes, it looks a bit shaggy. HOWEVER, the food is solid. Honestly, I've heard about this place for years. I did a drive by a few years ago. And...I drove away. Big mistake. IF you enjoy New England style clam chowder, you can enjoy it here, EVERYDAY! Since my mother-in-law's fav soup is NE clam chowder, decided to venture here. Solid 5/5. We enjoyed the chowder, the namesake of the restaurant. Thick & creamy. Not overly "starchy". Notes of bacon flavor hit first. Nice sized pieces of clam meat & potato chunks. This is really good. If you name a restaurant after your clam chowder, hey it's gotta be good, right? So we split the fisherman's platter as well. Nice sized cod(?) filet, 3 crumb coated shrimp-maybe frozen(?), & several clam strips. Thick potato fries (frozen) & house-made tartar sauce & cocktail sauce. Very satisfying. Killer sauces and especially the cocktail sauce with a kick of horseradish. Finely diced veggies in a mayo based tartar sauce. Although much of this was frozen, it's prepared well, not greasy & served hot. Solid 3.5/5. Interiors have a "charming" heavy timber nautical vibe. Ample parking with railed ramps leading to the restaurant. Waitresses were friendly & quick to respond to requests. Food was delivered quickly. Will return since it's my MIL's fav soup. The chowder is VERY good. read more

The Chowder Barge - 3/24 - 16 oz mug of clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Let's start with the location, it's in the Wilmington area, kinda unassuming working area. It's literally a barge and the dock and ramp to the entrance rocks a lot. No biggie, it can add to the charm, but if you're not steady on your feet bring a friend, walker or cane. We went on a Sunday and had to wait on the dock in the SUN . It was not comfortable. Once we went in we were seated next to a fan which was nice. The busgirl was so nice she was all over so no unbussed tables which is nice. The decor was really cute, what you want from a floating restaurant. The bar was central, seating is limited and it's busy. Wait staff was good, however do expect to wait for your food. Kitchen is small. The chowder was good. It was everything you want from chowder and well priced. We ordered chili fries, fish n chips, fried clams and salad. The fried fish was good, but the tartar sauce was nasty, the fried foods were yucky. Everything tasted the same with an old oily after taste. The cocktail sauce had way too much horseradish and also not appetizing at all. My daughter did not like the chili fries and said not even ketchup could fix it. Salad was ok. Overall, I don't understand the hype about the food. It's about the ambiance. If you haven't had the experience, I think you should, but if you're looking for fabulous food it might not be that great. read more

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Great ambiance with a fun nautical theme. Beer was ice cold. Services was great and most importantly, the food was excellent. Very tasty and fresh. read more

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Nice staff. Good food. Laid back ambiance. Huge beers. I would go back and recommend everyone check it out. read more

The Chowder Barge - Seafood Appetizer and Bowl of Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

Whether it's for a date night or maybe you just simply have a craving for some good fish n chips, The Chowder Barge is your best bet! It's technically within the border of Wilmington and Long beach, hidden away within the industrial buildings in the area making it a great lowkey spot to dine. Not to mention the view is beautiful as it's located on a dock near a bunch of small boats making it a simple yet unique dining experience! The atmosphere is very cozy and cute inside, they have windows facing the water so you can gaze at the sunset while you dine. Regarding the service I have no complaints, our server that night was attentive and served our food and drinks to us in a timely manner. Onto the food, i've never had fish n chips before this night and I was honestly quite delighted with my meal. Steak fries were good, fish was nice and fresh and the tartar sauce paired well with my food. Not to mention they have alcohol as well! My boyfriend and I opted for a pitcher of beer while we enjoyed our meal. Affordable, lowkey and delicious?! I'll definitely be bringing my business back to this local establishment and I suggest you try it out as well. read more

The Chowder Barge - Outside. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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If you're in the mood for some clam chowder ... the Chowder Barge is a must try! The location is very cool located at one of the marinas near the ports. The place is filled with mostly locals and workers from the port. Service is prompt And friendly and did I mentioned the chowder bowl is filled with clams ! The grilled cheese on sourdough was on point and definitely compliments the chowder bowl ... I opted for grilled cheese instead of bread bowl , so I'll have to try bread bowl next time ! The ambiance is very fitting of the location Next time I'll try the bread bowl read more

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

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Placed an order over the phone. It was ready pretty quickly. -Fisherman's platter. 3.5/5 -Fried cod fish sandwich and fries. 3.5/5 -Fried clams. Nice and crispy but didn't feel overly breaded. 4/5 -Double clam chowder. Clam chowder doesn't taste like your normal clam chowder. It was more potato-y. It was very flavorful though, and it was delicious with the fried clams. 4/5 -Tuna melt. Pepperjack and American. 3/5 -Fish and chips. Nice and crispy. Tartar sauce was good. 5/5 They charge a 3.5% fee for using a card. I wish they said something because I had cash. Overall, it was tasty, but it was also quite expensive. read more

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Tasty food, nice atmosphere. Tricky to get top especially with senior citizens, but tasty soup is worth it. My only suggestion is make sure everyone's soup is hot. We had a small group of people go and almost half said their soup was lukewarm or cool. read more

We sadly had really bad fish the batter is very heavy Unfortunately we both got sick today after having lunch there read more

Fish was perfectly fried. Chowder was as good as I expected. Atmosphere is "old and rugged" like another reviewer said. It's a spot you'd probably down 6 beers and meet some salty neighbors. Maybe a place for a clandestine meeting? It's a restaurant for the marina occupants and locals. Service was ok. We went early on a Saturday morning and sat at a table right away. Wait staff wasn't in any hurry to greet us. read more

Updated review from today; Monday, 10/13: Took my mom here for lunch today and had the grumpiest, most unfriendly, straight out rude waitress ( think soup nazi from seinfield). Older, dark hair, thin, never told us her name, and seriously ruined our visit. The food was awesome, as usual, and we also got a meal to go, but the waitress ruined the whole time for us. She didn't even crack a smile or say thank you when I handed her the tip... just miserable. Service makes a difference, folks!!! read more

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This restaurant is so fun! The building is actually on the water and the decor inside makes you want to look in every corner! Our server was so helpful. Our drinks were refilled immediately and our food arrived hot, fresh and fantastic. 10/10 would come back! read more

The Chowder Barge - Clam strips - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Had the chowder burger and it was so so good I cleaned the plate! Hubby got the Double chowder burger and also cleaned his plate! Service was attentive and fast as well which is a plus. Love the nautical feel of the place. Nice chill vibes read more

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

This review is going to be short and to the point. Clam chowder was creamy and delicious as usual. The Cod fish sandwich on brioche bun was good. The fish was piping hot and tasty, I would've preferred the fish to cover the entire bread verse just the middle half. I felt i ate half bun and half fish BUT it was good. Service was friendly and prices were fair. read more

The Chowder Barge - Nice evening photo shot - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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I've been here twice and absolutely loooove the chowder here. They're always busy so be patient and you'll get the most delicious chowder.

Super chill place Love the decor different than any other restaurant settingyou would go to. definitely a must-go I highly recommend you try the triple clam chowder! read more

The Chowder Barge - Amazing triple clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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Really love this place. The chowder is awesome, and super rich. Onion rings are great. And the beer is *cold*! You are most definitely on a barge. Lots of nautical or tiki related kitsch but it all adds to the ambiance. Service can be a little spotty if they are busy but still attentive. The barge lists slightly so after a Captain's Pacifico stumbling seemed "normal". At least that's the story I'm sticking too...! read more

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Checked this spot off the list and it surely didn't disappoint. As a first timer, the clam chowder is a must. For the full experience, it's all about it being served in a bread bowl. Ok, it's huge and the bread is swimming in a bowl of chowder. Yes!!! Not only a unique presentation, but from first bite, I was sold. One of the best (maybe the best) clam chowder I've ever had. Just for variety, we also shared a basket of fish. When it comes to fried fish, this is the spot. Perfectly crisp outside, but overall very light batter, and buttery soft fish inside, yum. Served with fries and coleslaw plus dipping sauce. It was so much food, but leftovers heated up nicely. Located on the water, it's very unique. Kinda hidden and hard to find, but GPS nailed the location. Free parking a major plus. Service was great. Felt like we had a the staff helping us at one point. Definitely returning here. It can get very crowded with over an hour wait. Plan accordingly! read more

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10/10 best clam chowder I've ever had It's a freaking floating restaurant on the ocean! What better ambiance? Karly provides top tier customer service something had to come by these days if you stop by ask for her! You won't regret it!! read more

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

What a cute little restaurant this is! I walked in and was so surprised by the decor! I loved it! It's a very small restaurant but big enough. You also have an option to eat outside but it was too hot for me. Food here was so delicious! The server was so nice and attentive! Our food was served within 10 minutes. Which I was glad because we were hungry. I will be coming here regularly! read more

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Got BLOAT on the FLOAT! ...by the BOAT! Work brought me to the Port of Long Beach, and this floating restaurant was nearby for lunch. It was a little difficult to find at first, since you drive through industrial streets + railroads and not through shopping/restaurant/commercial areas, but we eventually followed a sign to take us down by the water. Standard fast food. We ordered fish and chips, and you can pick how many fish you want in your dish. Felt a tad pricey so we opted to one fish, BUT it came out like potatoes with a side of fish LOL Next time I'd opt for two fish to balance out the ratio. Even though it was toasty outside... I HAD to try the chowder for the name. It was a little too thick & chunky for my taste, but overall the food got me nice and bloat.. (and pst pst a lil zzz food coma before returning to work LOL) Fun atmosphere and cool decor. Restaurant was a bit warm, even with fans. We ate around noon and folks around us were already enjoying nice cool beers :) Service was chill, friendly, and quick. Overall, I liked the boat and water view for a unique experience! read more

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Chowder Barge isn't gourmet, but it's a blast for seafood lovers seeking a fun, old-school spot with killer chowder and harbor views. Perfect for a casual date, family outing, or post-work drinks. read more

The Chowder Barge - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

5-stars for being LA's only floating (and cool!) restaurant! The Chowder Barge is definitely off the beaten path in a tucked away dock in Wilmington. When you make your way on board, you'll sway a bit and hear the creaking wood beneath you, but the barge seems pretty darn sturdy! It's super casual...think, funky sailor's diner on a fishing boat. You'll get a kick out of the eclectic maritime decor and photos. Everything I've had here has been delicious: Triple Chowder - fried clams in a bread bowl with clam chowder Steamed Mussels- 1 lb. cooked in a yummy, buttery white wine sauce with garlic bread Seafood Platter - fried calamari, fried clams and breaded fried shrimp I wouldn't come here if you're looking for healthy and light, although they do have salads. They're just not as fun as all the fried and smothered dishes! Plenty of parking, great service, and surprisingly no long waits to be seated! read more

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Great little hidden spot off the beaten path. Worth the stop. We had the clam chowder bread bowl and it was rich, smokey and creamy very good and very filling. Definitely a must try. read more

The Chowder Barge - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

Service was great. Has a dive bar type environment. The food was good, order clam chowder, fish and chips, and braised chicken sandwich. Only complaint was the beer batter was strong tasting. I'd come again (: read more

Hey Yelpers!!! This is one of the coolest places I've ever eaten. Not in a fancy way, but in a "I'm in a marina on a barge with a lot of industrial stuff going on and I've never seen this and I couldn't be more excited!" kinda way. This is the kinda place that if someone didn't bring you here, or you didn't intentionally look for it, you'd never find it. The restaurant itself has inside and outdoor seating. There are lots of windows looking out to the marina, some other way you will have a view. I enjoyed that they didn't have music blaring to "entertain" the guests. I could hear my wife speaking over the gentle clanging of the sailboats' rigging. There was the occasional train horn also, but not often. While the restaurant looks like it has been here a while, it appears well kept. The menu has a quite a few enticing options at a good price. You can look at the menu pics to see what they have. We ordered the steamed clams appetizer, the Triple Chowder (chowder in a sourdough bowl with fried clams on top), and salad with swordfish. The steamed clams were very good. The broth had a garlicky hint to it that wasn't overpowering. It was piping hot and comes with 4 large pieces of garlic bread that accompanied it perfectly. Lots of juicy clams, as well. The swordfish steak on the salad was excellent. Seasoned and cooked just right, and an awesome sized piece of fish for the cost of the add on. The salad bed was huge and we couldn't finish it. I didn't leave any of the fish though. It would be a great option as a dinner entree, which starts at 5pm. The chowder. Oh, the chowder. It was instantly one of the top two I've had anywhere. Thick, creamy, buttery, and loaded with clams. The fried clam topper was so good, as well. The dough bowl was nice but would be just as good with the double chowder, which skips the dough bowl. As we sat here, we were already planning on who we could bring back. As for the service, they did great. Very friendly and attentive. The food came out relatively quickly. I can't recommend this place enough. We will definitely be back when we are in the area and will be bringing friends. Also, if you have a well-behaved doggo, they can chill with you on the dockside seating. Enjoy!!! read more

The Chowder Barge - View from our dockside table - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

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It makes me a bit sad to go back to a restaurant I have told everyone I know, "they serve the best chowder in Southern California". The Chowder Barge no longer does that. The chowder had the consistency of a hearty breakfast serving of oatmeal, and nobody took the trouble to slice up the clams appropriately. A good chowder has small, vaguely chunky bits of clams, to start with. The clams in my bowl were just pulled out of the shell by someone who saw that as "just as good", and put into the chowder as long, literally unchewable strips. The flavor wasn't what you get in a super chowder, which they used to serve, and the broth used to be an actual liquid. This chowder was "stiff" enough that if I had a spoonful, the place where I scooped remained as if I were digging somewhere in the earth. Plus side of this is, the fried clam strips on top of my bowl were tender and had a nice flavor. The location is not good. The filthy saleboats that line the dock are nothing you'd want to look at, they are obviously never used. So good-bye, Chowder Barge, there was not a thing that would get us back unless changes are made. read more

The Chowder Barge - The double chowder, served with fried clams sprinkled over it. Make sure you order this on at least your second trip. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, California

While moving our kid into CSULB we had some time to kill and we wanted clam strips and found this GREAT hole in the wall place. Not much to look at from the outside but kind a cool inside; not temperature cool because it lacked air conditioning but luckily AC isn't really needed along the coast. Service and food were really delicious with ample serving of nice sized clam strips with a good amount of steak fries. I also ordered onion rings and it was a killer mountain of rings and my poor gall bladder was working overtime to digest all this fried food. If you're nearby I highly suggest the Chowder Barge and enjoy the good food that doesn't break the wallet. We'll be back for more next time we're in town to see how well the kid's doing with the studies and hopefully not partying too much. read more

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I learned about the Chowder Barge on Tik Tok and what caught my interest was where it is located. I'm sure you've heard of the show diners, drive-ins, and dives. This place falls under the category of dives, but it is trendy. In speaking with our server Nina, people from all over have been coming due to social media so certain days can get super busy. It's in such an odd location it makes it feel like an adventure going there. Their Chowder burger is the most popular item on the menu, but they offer an array of seafood combinations and sandwiches. The Chowder Burger is a plain cheeseburger smothered with their delicious clam chowder soup and if you order the double, you're not getting an extra hamburger patty, but deep fried clam strips which adds the crunchy texture profile. Unfortunately the clam chowder stole the show with this combination of soup and sandwich. I think in the future I would rather order a bowl of clam chowder soup with clam strips and order a separate cheeseburger. We also tried the seafood platter which came with one fried fish, three pieces of fried shrimp's, clam strips, and French fries. I like the fish a lot that in a future visit I would order the fish and chips basket. We loved the vibe and ambiance of this place. They have one TV that I noticed and they offer beer and wine, so The Chowder Barge would be a nice cool place to hangout at and watch a game while dining on good food. Compliments to Nina for her friendliness and excellent service that she gave us. read more

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Food is tasty and fresh. I recommend the buffalo wings (7) and burgers (5). Clam chowder rating of (6). Service is nice, and friendly. Stay away from the veggie burger. read more

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

Bring cash or you'll pay a surcharge. Delicious Chowder, probably the best I've ever had! Service was good. I'll be back for sure!

We came for an event and stumbled across this amazing place! The service was good and food phenomenal I cannot express the amount of flavor in their chowder alone definitely will have you wanting more! Over all I was so appeased and had to take my food to go because the portions where decent size read more

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Absolutely the best clam chowder we have ever had, so thick you can eat with a fork! The service was good, prices are ok, and the ambience feel of floating on a boat was great. We will definitely be coming back next time in the area. read more

Yummmm one of the best places to have clam chowder in SoCal. Service is always great the decor is eclectic. I believe this is the only floating restaurant in SoCal and I love it. The chowder is always tasty along with the fried clams it's a match made in heaven.. if you haven't been to #thechowderbarge what are you waiting for. Also got a free ice cream sundae #birthdaytreat . Already planning my next time for the best chowder.... read more

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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