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Categories: Beaches, Bars, Shopping, Restaurants, Music Venues
Neighborhood: Redondo BeachMon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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I haven't been here in like a million years. The last time I was here I was either hungover or had a concussion or both. I remember coming for some Kite Festival and my head feeling like it was going to explode and it being very bright and hard on my eyes.
Today was a much more pleasant experience. I had some time to kill while running errands and before work, so I thought what the heck. I'll go to the Pier. I'm glad I did because it was an absolutely gorgeous day which helped my rating. It doesn't look like too much has changed except for the rebuilt part of the pier that was destroyed sometime in the 90's by I think El Nino. All the familiar sights are still there. Tony's restaurant, the docks, cheesy gift shops, homeless people, seagulls/ pigeons staring at you while you eat, The Fun Factory (which of course is closed on Tuesdays) and the great view of the ocean.
Walking around, I looked at all the menus that were posted outside of the restaurants. I was somewhat surprised that they were pretty reasonably priced and not tourist gouging like Seaport Village in Long Beach. I looked at some of the restaurants that served live seafood and thought of fellow yelper friend, Ivana Y, eating a live sea urchin. There was no way I was going to try that! I settled for Mini Chinese Food to eat at (review to come).
I spent some time people watching. Very interesting! Aside from the Homeless people there was a HUGE mountain of a man lumbering around that looked like the IZ. Another odd looking Asian man who looked like a reject from Kung Fu Hustle. A whole cavalcade of Senior Citizens in wheel chairs being pushed around. Typical tourists. And your usual hard luck fisherman casting their lines in hopes of catching some mercury filled fish.
I only stayed for an about an hour and half because I had to get to work. It was a nice little break in the day to reminisce and enjoy a beautiful day.
People thought this was:
Honestly, this place is not my cup of tea. I suppose if you have kids or want to take your significant other on a really cheap ass date... the Redondo Beach Pier is the place.
Sadly, I was forced to come to a bar located here called Keg's for a live show. Never again. The bar sucked and so did the music.
Sorry, I really don't mean to be rude, but this place isn't really for me.
A great spot to take photos and people watch. Always great food options for all budgets, tastes and reason... I came down several times to paint and participate in Artist by the Sea events and have always had fun.
The Farmers Market just above the pier on Thursdays is always a good experience. Not too crowded, nor too big,... but a nice selection at good prices.
I personally adore this place! It's such a cute area with good food & dessert, games, amazing views of the ocean and sunset, live bands sometimes, fishermen, and fun stores to stroll around to. While it may not be the cleanest place, it adds to the laid back and relaxed atmosphere. It caters towards all budgets! My boyfriend & I went by the kite store to buy a kite & it was actually really fun. My favorite place there is Kobe Pearl, which I've made a separate review for! You can pick out your own oysters with a pearl guaranteed inside :)
It was better in the 70's before the pier got destroyed. We used to go all the time to fish and eat. The water was so clear you could see the large bonito swimming all around. The arcade was fun too.
Depending on what you order, this place could be a very good eatery for an outing to beach. I order Dungness Crab (no spider crab), clams in white wine, oysters. Frying red snapper is not bad. Don't order from the ready to eat shelf. This place could get expensive if you like what I eat. I enjoy a dinner there with the sea breeze at sunset.
I love our pier! So many places to eat and shops to see. They have a arcade for kids, lots of parking spaces, and is rarely over crowded.
Okay, this review is for the 'Art & Jazz' concert today. It wasn't a big festival, but the Jazz music is what I came here for. Thanks for the event post on Yelp, I would not of known about it. There will be more this summer starting on fourth of July, with scheduled artists playing on Thursday and Saturdays. You can find out more at http://www.redondopier...
On my usual Sunday bike ride, I stopped by to check it out. I hung around for one set, listening to Mark Fitchett. He was soooo good, playing a little soul Jazz, some Miles Davis, and some Stevie Ray Vaughn compilation. Now I'm all 'Jazzed' to go look for some 'Playboy' Jazz festival or the Pasadena Jazz Festival tickets.
Next time, I'm bring a chair, a jacket, then buy some food and drinks on the pier, and life will be golden, at least in my eyes.
People thought this was:
Redondo Pier is one of the most unique piers in the South Bay.
First, if you are driving there - there is parking!! The end of Torrance Blvd ends into a huge parking structure (not found in Hermosa or Manhattan).
Next, there is a lot of restaurants, bars, shops, etc. right on the pier. Since the fire that happened in the early 1980's, a section was built out further and Kincaids was added. A lot of events (car shows, etc) occur right on the pier, so there is always a lot happening there.
Yes, there are people fishing off the pier on weekends. But that seems to be the case at all the piers in the south bay.
People thought this was:
I come here for the foood.
i uploaded some pictures so you can take a look.
You have to eat crab from this place, I dont really know if this is the right site Im blogging on but the place is next to the arcade. They sell a lot of seafood here and will deep fry almost anything you want them to.
Everything was basically good but you MUST get the freshly steamed crab! it is expensive BUT it is so worth it.
And of course, oyster shooters! GO for the tiny one like Kumamoto and bluepoint oysters. I recommend those.
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Yeah I agree, this place is on the pier, on the ocean, its suppose to smell like fish, esp with the oyster, mussels etc. "buffet" in the area! I love the ocean breeze smell, thats what makes this place fun and authentic so to speak.
If you want an "upscale" pier ummm well, best bet, don't come here. hahaha
Okay.... so there are tons of parking, whether you are willing to walk a little, you can park in the lost next door, fist 22 min. free or you can parkin the structure if you go all the way down and park in the actual pier structure.
This place has tons of things to do. You can jet ski, go on a boat ride, a romantic gondala sort of ride. My friend and I went on the pedal boat ride. It was $10 per person for an hr. And trust me that is enough. Make sure you wear flip flops, pull up ur jeans if you wear them. It was a lot of fun. It is a bit tiring, but worth it. I would bring some type of music, pretty fun, get an ice cream and bring it along, and bring a camera :D
There are tons of restaurants, bars and cute little tourist shops, that have some nice things. At the end they have an arcade for kids to play on.
This is an awesome place to walk on, take some pics, go with friends, family, and even a date. FYI! don't wear small stilletos! You will fall! hahaha, like the crazy girl who we saw, she ate it! Well hello thats what you get. Sorry, but true.
They have this place, actually more like a window that sells chorros, can we say good! Warm and fresh.
Also they have snow cones, awww I missed those as a kid, so I go a coconut one. Very good. Well you can't really mess up that anyway.
Theres this one bar, you can't miss it, its extremely loud, band plays, def a place where the locals go to. Just a place to hang and get a few drinks.
So come here, have some fun on a nice sunny day out and you'll be wanting to come back all the time.
People thought this was:
TL;DR alert!
My first afternoon touring Redundant Beach Pier was great: I enjoyed the cool air, took close-up photos of seagulls and pelicans, and watched a whole cadre of sea lions dive into wriggling masses of schooling sardines. I was engrossed by the animals, the ocean, and the air to the point that I didn't even touch the books I'd brought with me just in case I got bored.
However, I went back to the pier the next day and I had more of a critical eye, and this time around I saw a lot of things that turned me off:
1. There are prominent "NO FISHING" signs posted every few meters on certain sections of the pier, and yet tons of guys were fishing in the NO FISHING section, right in between two of the large poles where the "NO FISHING" signs had been posted. I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt because they were speaking Spanish, but they then switched over to English, so they probably understood the signs' message. (Not only that, but each sign also has a prominent picture of a fish and a hook with a big red line over the picture so that even the illiterate could get a clue.) And the section of the pier that allowed fishing was literally only a few meters away, with plenty of open spots!
To top it off, these guys were casting their fishing lines with an "overhead" throw (which is strictly forbidden on the crowded pier because of the potential for a hook to be caught on other people passing by), and they were baiting their hooks and dragging the hooks along the pier, taunting the gulls with the bait and trying to get them caught on the hooks.
What was really hard to watch was that everyone around these guys saw what was going on, but no one cared. I ducked into a nearby gift shop and had to keep insisting that they notify someone with authority because they clearly didn't want to be troubled with something they obviously considered quite trivial and commonplace. I managed to get them to call, though, and in a few minutes this security dude in shorts came out and broke up the little party.
(I noticed that portions of the pier that WERE open to fishing were closer to the sand and that the spot the idiots were fishing in was the section where the sardines were gathering. It seems pretty obvious to me that the goal behind having separate fishing and no-fishing sections on a pier--besides the fact that it limits the foul smells, bait stains, and bloodstains to just one location--is to prevent overfishing in prime areas and to avoid having sea lions or birds getting caught in nets and hooks.)
2. Redondo Leech, like any touristy town is going to be a little trash-ridden, but I realized the second day that even the locals seem to have NO appreciation or respect for the natural beauty that was surrounding them. On a beach underneath Kincaid's, some "classy" restaurant hovering above the water on thick poles, I saw that the high tide line was clearly outlined with plastic soda bottles, plastic bags, and plastic lids. It was obvious that no one cared about cleaning up the beautiful area they lived in, let alone preventing the trash from getting INTO the water in the first place. I'd never seen so many plastic bags floating in the ocean in one day.
3. Don't even get me started on the local dude who sat there feeding an entire sourdough baguette to a flock of gulls, distracting them from the schooling sardines in the water below. For TWO HOURS this idiot kept S-L-O-W-L-Y tearing off hunks of sourdough and throwing them at the birds. Every time they fought and flapped over a big piece, he'd smile arrogantly, thinking he was their personal god and benefactor even though the sardines were schooling right under the pier the entire time he was there.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to rant, and I hate to be seen as another Norcal guy trashing on SoCal, but honestly? You guys can have Repugnant Beach. Give me Mendocino; give me Point Reyes; give me Ano Nuevo; give me Bodega; give me Tomales; give me Jenner and Moss Beach and Pescadero; heck, give me Half Moon Bay's touristy-as-hell Pumpkin Fiesta; and give me Californians who care enough about their coastline to not leave their Cheetos lying around for the gulls to pick at.
So the moral of this story? I guess it's: "Don't visit the Pier a second time or your honeymoon phase will be over fast."
P.S. All my love to the cute grey feral cat who was hanging out among some rocks near the water. You were the only landbound mammal I saw who didn't annoy me!
People thought this was:
I can't believe the complaints people have about this place! "It's dirty!" "It smells like fish!" Uh, HELLO, it's the PIER. Of course it's dirty and smells like fish! That's half the point.
If you don't like this place, you don't like piers, because this place is everything a pier should be. Get some fresh crabs at Quality Seafood, spread out some newspaper and chow down. Take advantage of the fantastic beer selection at Naja's. Play video games or skee ball at the arcade. Get a churro at -- just about anywhere. (Seriously, how can one pier support so many churro vendors?) Go fishing.
Not to mention Redondo Beach Crab House, Tony's, Riz, and several other places, solid choices, all. I have spent many blissful days here. Love this place.
People thought this was:
This place takes me way back to my childhood, when my fam-bam would go eat crabs and seafood on a lovely Sunday afternoon.
Ppl be hatin on this place too much! Yeah, ok, so the water is a fluorescent green. Yeah, there's a lot of bird poop all over the pier. But cmon, Redondo has the best crowds! If you wanna experience Redondo at its best, go with a group of ppl and chow-down on a bevy of seafood. They got all kinds of crabs, lobsters, shellfish, fresh-water fish, shrimps, you name it! The service here is aight, just because its crowded all the time and its hard to get your order in, but hey, it's part of the experience.
Sunday seafood brunch and ghetto dippin dots to top it all off. This is the life.
I don't mind the tourists on this spot but it is a nice place to fish and relax during late nights. Although it's a bit dirty looking fishing area, it's a part of the fishing game. So if you're one of those people that don't like icky stuff, there's more to enjoy. Restaurants and other tourist attractions are slipping off the pier, so I'm pretty sure it will accommodate everyone's wants and needs.
I can't rate the restaurants over there but, I'm pretty sure the price is not worth the food.
Alright, I can't even go in. The stink of fried fish and rancid churro grease repeals me. I ride my bike through just because the bike path goes through here and the only redeeming thing I can see about this place is the insane man who plays guitar and sings sea shanties right underneath the muzak speaker.
Stinky. Tourist Trap. Dirty. Pier. Gross.
People thought this was:
This Yelp review thing can be a double edge sword. Let's face it, while commenting on our food experiences is a positive thing, it's much easier to criticize than it is to create. Creating takes risk, something not all of us are cut out to take. Commenting is so much more easier. In this respect, a lot of us Yelper (myself included) are just bystanders on the road to...well...on the road to where-ever we are going.
As bystanders, we seem to fall into several categories. Some of us truly enjoy food, and we find joy in commenting about what it is that we like, or dislike, about a certain restaurant or place. Some are looking for that social connection, trying to find people we can relate to and enjoy time with. Others, we are performers. We want to display our talents and bask in the positive reinforcement that we get from our various compliments. But query how we would all be if we could post "Criticism" along with "Compliments". I wonder if we could all stand by our convictions.
What does this all mean? Well, I don't really know. But I guess this is some long winded way of saying that when it comes to food experiences, it's our state of mind, may be even our intentions, that matter most. You can stick your nose up to a simple hamburger, but if it hits the spot on that day, it hits the spot. I'm reminded of that scene in Ratatouille, where the jaded and cynical food critic gets a taste of Ratatouille, a mostly simple and rustic dish, and get's transported to a time when he was a young boy having a bad day....and a simple dish his mother makes makes all the difference.
Well, so we are all influenced by what we feel, who we are, what we want to do. Our food experiences are not immune.
So Redondo Beach Pier....here's what I think. I think of a time, when I was a little boy during Summer break. I've been following my father to his workplace, an office adjacent to a warehouse full of his merchandise. I'm bored, making copies, watching my father answer phones, take orders, make orders, ship goods....I'm wondering if this is all that my father does. Is this what I'm expected to be?
On many occasions such as this, I'm treated to a simple lunch, rice, bahn chan, a soft drink from the vending machine. It just reinforces my feeling that I really don't want to be here, that I really don't want to be what my father is.
Then one day, my father takes me into his car and tells me we're going out for lunch. I'm thinking we're going to go to a local burger or fast food joint, like the many days before. But instead, we keep going...on the freeway, past many exits, past places I don't remember. We just keep going.
Then the familiar smell of the ocean, the glint of sunlight on the water. We're at the beach. We park in the parking structure. Dad and I, we walk down a flight of stairs and reach a fish market....the market next to the arcade where I could spend hours and hours, sometimes just watching people play video games and rack up high scores.
My dad, he points to raw fish, here and there, a crab and abalone (although at that time, I didn't know what that was). We sit down on the benches next to the big trawling boats waiting for paying customers. And I feast....we feast on food that tasted mysterious and wonderful at the same time. I ask my dad if I can go to the arcade, and he gives me a few quarters to play games for the next 1/2 hour or so. I'm in heaven.
And for a moment in time, I understood my father, what he was about, and how much he must have cared for me. It was, and still is, the best food experience I've ever had, something I will always keep with me. Nothing really can top it, and my view of Redondo will forever be effected by this time. I don't really care what other people think. This is my place. My memory. Nothing funny, cute or contrite. It is just a part of me now.
So now, I'm a dad too, and when I see the Little Man, I wonder...and I hope that I can give to him some small measure of that moment in time I had with my father at the pier. I hope I can. I hope I can.
Now, when I go home to LA, I try to visit Hankook Hwe Jip for crab (for some reason it's called Pacific Fish Center & Restaurant on Yelp, although the translation is Korean Seafood) or Oceanside Sea Food for the raw items, including live...freshly prepared shrimp, still moving and squiggling (again, oddly called Redondo Beach Crab House on Yelp). These are institutions for Korean families in LA.
It's my institution.
People thought this was:
I've been coming here ever since I was a kid. On Saturdays, my family and I would pile into my dad's old mercury station wagon and make the drive down to Redondo Beach pier to buy fresh crabs. I just wish we ate them there instead of hauling them all the way back to Pasadena. The car would smell crabby for days!
Recently, the boys and I took a walk along the pier. A lot of the places I remember are still there, like the arcade with the Tilt-A-Whirl and the fish market where my dad bought the crabs. As always, there were people fishing off the pier, which has been widened since it's been re-built.
There are also more restaurants on the pier, catering to different tastes ranging from fast-food to sit-down. The Italian place where my sister and I used to get pizza slices is gone and it's now a Korean seafood restaurant. But El Torito is still upstairs and for the first time ever, we ate lunch there. (Review will follow shortly.) There are a couple of souvenir stores, which are geared strictly towards out-of-towners.
Otherwise, there's not much else on the RB pier, but it brings back lots of childhood memories. Each visit also gives me a chance to try some of the food places I've walked by probably a zillion times.
People thought this was:
So before I write my review, I'll state the obvious: yes, this is the pier that they shot "The OC" on. So if you were a fan of the show, why are you reading this? You know you're going to go anyway.
So morbid curiousity led me and the friendgirl out here one random night during the week (we were in the area). I think we just wanted to see what this place looked like in person. Having lived in Southern California for quite a while, I never seemed to get around to going here, I usually would spend time in Manhattan Beach up the road or out in Santa Monica.
Anyhoo, it's about what you'd expect for a pier on the Pacific Ocean. A nice U-shape with people fishing off of it, some random restaurants and seafood places, etc... Parking is a breeze and right near the pier.
So if you've got out of town friends and want to impress them with your beachiness and connection to Hollywood, send them down here for a good walk around and a photo-op.
Extra points if you can find "Sandy's law office" or the "Planned Parenthood clinic" from the show. If you need help, all the filming locations are here: http://www.seeing-star...
Caaaliiforrrrrniaaaaaaa, heeeereeee weeee coooommmmee.
Oh, God. I just ruined the pier's yelp review page the way an annoying tourist from back east ruins your trip to the beach.
People thought this was:
Ridiculous!...
1. the number of people fishing off the pier....
2. practically every business that serves food...serves it fried. I could feel my pores clog simply walking through the pier....
3. what's up with practically every business selling Churros?... Churros are pretty good...but THAT good?!?!?!!
People thought this was:
I love coming here to take my walks (and that's it. I wouldn't swim here!)....there is PLENTY of parking and I mean plenty. I can't stand going to other beaches and have to drive around looking for parking or have to dig for quarters to put in the meter and have to come back and put more quarters because they are only 1 or 2 hour parking spots! True, the beach is dirty and all, but if you want to walk, run or ride your bike on the boardwalk, this is the place!
People thought this was:
I love Redondo Pier. I see people complaining about the parking structures, and how the place is run down and all that. I could care less. You don't need to park at the pier, there are buses that arrive to it every 15 minutes most of the day. And it's easily accessible by bike. I love walking around at night at the pier. Will you smell fish guts at the pier?-yes, it's a pier you are supposed to smell fish guts and salty air. It's next to the ocean remember?-where people fish-many because they are hungry-some have not alot else to eat. And there are a ton of fish restrauants at the pier. So it's gonna smell like fish-that's nothing to be feared.
I also noticed a comment on one review about Redondo Pier that said, "the RB pier is ok except more and more mexicans are fishing and stinking up the place. sorry people this may not be a politically correct thing to say but this is 100% true." So, if a non-mexican fished the pier-that is ok? Last time I checked, one of the things that made Redondo Pier great is that it is open to EVERYONE.
Now you might also get hit by a seagul dropping at the Pier. You probably won't, but you might, again it's a pier-a place where seaguls hang out.
But even if you do get hit by a seagull dropping, or smell fish guts, you will probably have a good time. There are usually lots of people at the pier on the weekends. That's a good thing. It's a place where people of all kinds can walk around, meet each other, have random interactions. This is what life's all about.
This is an awesome place to bring a family or a date, or just to unwind by yourself. It's a pier next to an ocean, we tend to forget that most people living in inland states have no access to such an awesome setting with near ideal year round weather conditions too.
People thought this was:
It's a chilly windy day whipping up the waves at the Redondo Beach Pier. I've eaten my uni, my steamed crab, my loaf of sourdough. Now comes the part where I walk around the pier in a fruitless attempt to metabolize my meal.
I hear the screams of kiddies on the tilt-a-whirl, making me contemplate a sticky arcade expedition/video game history lesson. As I walk by the doors, peaking in to view some teenagers stomping on the DDR machine I pass for today.
After washing my hands in a grubby little bathroom with no paper towels or functioning hand driers, I step outside to greet the salty air.
I walk by the old closed beach area and the dude that plays guitar, continuing on to the 2nd portion of the pier. Straight ahead is a crowd of people picking out pearl laden oysters from Kobe Pearl while the owner puts on a show.
Somehow it becomes a good idea to hit up Hot Dog on a Stick and grab a cherry lemonade. Maybe even a hot dog. Hell, you only live once.
A walk up from the hot dog stand and around the corner, I'm greeted by a crowd of fisherman. Down in the water below, sometimes a lonely sea lion lurks as competition for the men above.
It's in this corner that the funnel cakes and ice cream flow like water and the tiny tike's parents get suckered for a squeaky inflatable dolphins.
Once I locate a working yellow cashier box and choke up a few more dollars(or half euros as I like to call them), I'm down and out the parking garage entrance with fond memories and a stomach full of crabs.
People thought this was:
Its actually more of a 3.5, but heck, i'll round up.
Where to start. Its a little janky, but a cool adventure, the place has character.
I saw a bunch of tourists going up to the El Torito and thought ... seriously? There is a wide selection of places to get your usual pier delights: fried fish/shrimp/calamari/clams. I ate at Charlie's place, can't go wrong with fresh fried seafood - YUM.
As I left, the Quality seafood place was poppin, lots of people cracking open crab - next time i'm here i will definitely check that out as well.
The place that was most busy was the pizza place, (seriously?) - may have to check it out next time to see what the buzz is about.
one thing to watch out for - THE PIGEONS. I dropped a piece of fried fish from my overflowing plate and i got ATTACKED. Not even kidding, i could not even kick them away - i had to cover my food and go eat at the opposite side of the eating area. that said, it might be safer to eat your food indoors ...
I was here to support a friend entering the Chalk Art Festival last weekend. While the pier itself is lovely with its turquoise waters, the surrounding eating establishments? Not so much. My main qualm is that almost none of the surrounding shops take credit card and those who do accept it require a $10 minimum--I don't know about you but I can't buy $10 worth of churros and funnel cake even at the insane prices they charge. And the ATM machine was malfunctioning. Anyway, in this day and age, I find it a bit ridiculous that anyone still refuses to accept credit card.
Oh and the "School of Rock" kids that performed nearly busted my ear drum out. Just because you're an SUV-driving soccer mom doesn't mean your child has talent, sorry. Not that the weirdo hippie drum circle that followed was any better...
ICKY and DIRTY. I told wedding guest to kill time down at the Strand, and they mistakely came here. They didn't leave with the best impression of the area I rave about.
SEEEEEAAAAAFFFOOOOOODDD!!!!!
I love seafood. A very special friend of mine wanted to share something wonderful with me because he knew I LOVE seafood. I love my bottom dwellers, Yes! And I aint talkin about a booty fetish.
So we drove down to the pier...........walked up to an amazing site! There was an open store front with rows of bin/aquariums full of live sea life. First were the crabs of many kinds, then several different types of oysters, then lobster, then clams...of many many many MANY KINDS! Then more......mussels, conch shellfish, sea urchin, and other stuff I haven't eaten before....then make a right into the fish are. There were tons of fish and shrimp, and stuff. So yummy looking, my mouth was watering. They will cook it there on the spot for you..
So you take your food, walk over to the picnic area, grab some newspaper, create a table clothe with it, and chow down!
AMAZING! I went with the most perfect person too!
People thought this was:
YUCK! This pier is gross, dirty, and nasty!
If you like walking over fish guts and manuevering through crowds of people and baby strollers, then this is your place. This is the first time I've been here but after reading some of the other reviews it sounds like this place has gone downhill. I can't understand why the people fishing there cannot clean up after themselves and use TRASH CANS! To see fish parts, fishing line, and other garbage littering the pier is appalling to me.
People thought this was:
It's hard to believe that you're in Redondo Beach!!!
This place has gone WAY DOWN HILL! You're outnumbered by people pushing baby buggies with 3 or 4 kids in tow (and of course Mama's got another bun in the oven.) munching on cheap snacks, while throwing their litter on the gound. It feels like you're at a flea market in Fresno.
Avoid the pier. It's not what it used to be.
People thought this was:
When I gaze at the aged wooden marvel (liable to harbor tetanus) that is Redondo Beach's tribute to touristy good times, the Redondo Beach Pier, only one word fills my heart: Sketchtastic. Sketchtastic is a combination of "sketchy" and "fantastic." There are many places that I enjoy that fit this description and part of the joy of sketchtastic places is the inherent danger, much like going to a C-rated Chinese food restaurant that's labeled "Authentic as Heck." The Redondo Beach Pier is what happens when Carnies lose their fear of water, move Pier-side, and setup their rigged ring-toss games and hawk low-grade fish tacos. Sketchtastic.
The other fun part about this pier is that it was the pier used on "The O.C." which was supposed to be Newport Beach's. Visit this pier, close your eyes, take in the second hand smoke which mixes with the cool beach air -- then open your eyes. You're a world away from Newport, a place which isn't sketchtastic, just richtastic.
_C$
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I currently live in Hermosa Beach. Back in 2003 was the first time I had ever been to California. Manhattan Beach was the first city that I became familiar with, and after that it was Hermosa Beach. I became really familiar with the pier areas of both cities. It was not until about four days ago that I took my first trip down to the Redondo Beach Pier.
Honestly, I am mad at my "friends" for never taking me there years ago. It's not like the subject even came up actually, it was as if Redondo Beach didn't even have a pier. It was that thing that no one spoke of. In fact, until a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea that Redondo had a pier, well, not the pier that I found. I just assumed that King Harbor, and the jetty that is visible from the sand on Hermosa Beach, was the Redondo Beach Pier. Well, that is just a bunch of rocks, so I wasn't really interested in going there.
Well, I pulled my head out of my ass and I finally started reading the Easy Reader, (local paper, it's simple, but it helps keep you a little informed), and I found out that Redondo does indeed have a pier. In fact, after first looking at pictures of it here on Yelp, and then walking down there to check it out. I find the Redondo Beach Pier to be more attractive, and full of more sights and a wider variety of businesses than the other two beach cities piers. I could be wrong, maybe I'm just tired the HB pier the same way I got tired of the MB pier. I'm sure the RB pier has it's detractors, but I found it to be a nice change of pace.
THE KEETH
People thought this was:
Ah, reminders of the old Atlantic City Boardwalk before the casinos screwed it up. It's not a real Boardwalk per se, but it does remind me a lot of what you'd see around the boardwalk. A big arcade, lots of food stands, a bar at each end of the Boardwalk (Killkenny's and Naja's Place) a lot of great seafood stands and people fishing at all times of the day getting that great seafood. And then there's an El Torito. What's that doing there? Can't win them all. Still this is such a cool place off the beach. Only thing missing would be a Salt Water Taffy or Fudge stand. Could we get a Fralinger's or Steel's out here? (Yea, I know. You can get Fralinger's at Bristol Farms, but there's no Boardwalk at Bristol Farms.)
People thought this was:
Great pier to catch live bands play on the edge of the pier. All free. Also great restaurants line all along the pier selling massive ammounts of seafood. The place is great walk. The Pier wraps around to a lower section where you can buy more fish and play at the penny arcade. Its very nice for families and dates alike.
You should walk all the way to the other side away from the pier. Especially if you have children since they have this nice water park. I'm not sure if its free and only for the summer but it looks a lot fun.
Finally there are boats available that can take around the area.
People thought this was:
The RB pier is run down but there are a few place I like to go to like Najas and Old Tony's. If you go to El Torito you can watch people go in the ocean with jeans and t-shirts. What's up with that?
Their new parking machine is horrible.
People thought this was:
It's like an open fish market meets arcade meets strolling on the beach. If you love sea food, this place might be a haven of havens in cheap, fresh eats. If you can't stand the smell of fish, then I have no idea why you are here.
The view is pretty enough, but like most beaches and piers, once you've seen one, you've seen the lot of 'em.
For some reason, I do prefer it to Santa Monica pier, though. Despite the truth in another reviewer's statement of it being "like...a flea market."
People thought this was:
In response to someone elses comment of " It feels like you're at a flea market in Fresno"
That is true. You can tell that the pier is not a clean and ritzy place for the manhattan, hermosa, and redondo residents. It is more of a place for families in lawndale and hawthorne that want to spend a day at the beach. That isnt necessarily a bad thing.
King harbor is a nice place to do a little kayaking. The fishing is just as good as always. Harvelle's is a great venue for live blues, jazz, and related music. Oriental breeze is one of the better japanese places in southern california (not as good as ursawa or santouka or something, but VERY solid), and Naja's is a beer lovers wet dream (tired of chimay and want other belgian beers??). Sure, Najas is a dank biker bar and people watching at oriental breeze isnt the greatest, but the pier still has plenty to offer if you know where to look. I wouldnt come to the pier to hang out all day, but I live 10 minutes away and love beer, japanese food, and the blues, so.....
The best time to come is a nice warm day in winter when the summer crowds arent out in full force.
People thought this was:
Even though this place needs some serious renovating, I still love it and all of its character. It hasn't changed much since back n' the day so you can still fully envision all of those old memories.
Eating crab n' lobster with the fam., popping all of my parents money into every machine at the arcade, stuffing our faces with ice cream, churros, cotton candy (and getting stuck w/ a blue mouth afterwords) or anything else we could get our grimy little fingers on.
Sneaking out with my friends in 8th grade to go to our first hip hop club and dancing to Indo Smoke. "1 puff, 2 puff, 3 puff, 4 puff, 5 I'm feelin real high, Leaning to the side..." at the club that they used to have here back in the dayz.
So many awesome memories here. My brother teaching me how to fish for the first time, ditching school with friends and hanging out, the spur of the moment decision to go deep sea fishing on a boat for 6 hours in 3 inch heels and dressy clothes right after hours of drinking in K-town.
One of the most memorable dates ever...fishing on a first date. He brought the fishing poles and alcohol, I brought the munchies and the fun. We caught one ugly ass fish that night that seriously looked like the three eyed fish from the Simpsons.
Another great memory here was when I went on the infamous date with Mr. DEY that consisted of talking for 12 hrs straight and making a stop here. Definitely one of the best nights of my LIFE!!!
I don't live as close to this area as I did when I was younger, but I'll still come by when we want some fresh seafood and drinks. Try one of the Korean owned seafood restaurants and order some Maeuntang (spicy fish soup) that goes perfect with some sashimi or crab and the bottles of soju.
People thought this was:
The Redondo Beach Pier's best days are definitely behind them. There are fewer and fewer positives to make note of as time goes by. The fresh seafood on the lower level is one of the high notes. The paddle boats are cool, as well as the Ocean Racer boat that takes you on a fast ride out on the ocean with like 40 other people.
Of course, that's all overshadowed by the HUGE presence of umm, non-English speaking (sorry, guys it's gotten ridiculous...) families and fishermen. Walking around the Redondo Pier used to be fun. Now, it's smelly and noisy, and you feel like an intruder even if you are a local. Why suffer dirty looks when you've been a legal resident alll of your life in the South Bay?? In other words, a certain group has basically taken over the Pier.
The Redondo Pier IS beautiful and nostalgic on a weekday around 10A.M. Otherwise, it's a better bet to go to Hermosa, which is plenty crowded, but free of a thousand baby strollers, fishing poles, and dirty looks...
People thought this was:
The pier is pretty nasty and dirty lol, i usually only go here to go to the arcade and hang out with friends or to go eat crab and other seafood with friends or family on the weekends, other than that this place could be nicer if it wasn't do dirty, but what do you expect it's been around for forever and you can't just clean that stuff instantly
People thought this was:
it's a nice place to walk around and chill and appreciate the beauty of the ocean on a nice day. it's not all that spectacular, but it can be a fun place to go to when you just want to get out of the house. bf and i even played a little ski ball and air hockey. that was fun. we want to go fishing there when i get a weekday off cuz weekends are too crowded. we love the churros. yummmmy. and we love the shirmp fajita special at that one place that i can't remember the name of but it's right next to the fun center. soooo good. lots of shrimp and potatoes.. and bread to dip in the soup. i'd go back just to eat there. esp since killer shrimp closed down, this entree is the closest to such delicioiusness. we also want to try the 30 min boat ride, but not sure if i can pee in those tiny stalls hhha.
People thought this was:
Special Friday -Sunday only
Torrance, CA
New Customer Discount- 10% OFF
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Huntington Beach, CA
Newport Beach, CA
Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Hermosa Beach
Category: Active Life
Neighborhood: Manhattan Beach
Category: Local Flavor
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