Fish King

Fish King
722 N Glendale Ave
Glendale, CA 91206
818-244-2161

A friend told me about Fish King in Glendale. She liked the grilled fish she got.  So, I decided to give them a try!  Fish King has three sections to the store/restaurant.  You walk into the fish market- you can get fresh seafood- to the left is their sushi department.  They make fresh sushi and rolls.  To the right is the galley- where you can get fried or grilled seafood.

There are tables at the sushi and galley.  It's a casual setup, with the food served in paper boats, and paper plates.

Calm chowder bowl- $5.95- Very thin and runny.  A decent amount of clams and potatoes.  There is no bacon in this clam chowder.  They could thicken the chowder and add a bit more seasoning.  A small portion for a bowl!

Crunch Jumbo shrimp- $3.25.  The thick batter is the same as the fish and crab cakes.  This was about 75% shrimp and 25% batter. Along with the other fried items I ordered, they weren't fried to order.  They were cooked and sitting under heat lamps. 

Crunch fried fish-$3.95- The fish used is cod.  But, this also lacked seasoning and the batter was too thick for the amount of cod.  I'm guessing 65% fish and 35% batter. 

Half order crab cakes- $5.50- I've never had deep fried,  I was expecting all batter, but there was a good amount of crab mixture.  This wasn't all crab, but a good amount of crab, not jumbo lump but claw meat.

Service was very unfriendly!  The lady who took my order never smiled and had a mean look on her face the entire time.  Not very welcoming.  I was shocked when she politely answered my questions. The food arrived in a good amount of time.

I may go back to King Fish to try their grilled fish and sushi. I wasn't impressed with any of their fried seafood items.

The Tackle Box Southern Seafood & More-Closed

The Tackle Box Southern Seafood & More
17620 Bellflower Blvd
Unit B108
Bellflower, CA 90706
562-804-0736

I found out about The Tackle Box Southern Seafood & More when LA Eater published a story about them opening a store, after having a food truck for many years! It's a small galley style restaurant with the counter and the kitchen on the left and the dining room on the right side of the building.  It's dark with the only lights, the daylight from the windows.

Fish and Shrimp tackle box-$15 plus $10 for lobster, with mac and cheese.  You have your choice of fried or grilled seafood. I got the grilled lobster and the fried shrimp.  The shrimp was very good! Good flavor, and huge pieces of shrimp! The batter was very good, not as hard as other cornmeal batter.  This could have been great if this was made to order.  The shrimp was maybe warm, not hot.  But, fresh out of the fryer, this would be great!!

The lobster was good.  A bit on the small side, but tender and flavorful.  It was grilled with lemon butter.

Service is ok.  The lady taking the order is just going through the motions.  She isn't mean or unfriendly, but you know she doesn't want to be there!  They also charge extra, I think 45 cents if you use debit or credit cards!

I would go back for the shrimp and to try the fish, but I won't rush back. 

The Kickin’ Crab

The Kickin’ Crab
13925 City Center Dr
Ste 2005
Chino Hills, CA 91709
909-627-8188

In the same shopping center as Hotties Nashville Hot Chicken, Bruxie and Pacific Fish Grill, is The Kickin Crab.  Yes, a copy of the Boiling Crab!

It's a small restaurant with tables and booths spread throughout.  It's the same setp as Boiling Crab; butcher block paper as table cloths, plastic and paper cups, and paper plates. 

Fried shrimp and sweet potato fries-$11.49 plus $1 upcharge for sweet potato fries.  This was very good!  The batter was a bit thick, but very crunchy and well seasoned.  The shrimp were large, flavorful and cooked well.  It maybe from a frozen, but this was good.

Service is ok.  There were only two servers working the entire place for lunch.  They forgot a few things, didn't come around to refill drinks, but they were working.  One even took a break, and there was only one server for about 8-10 tables!!

I didn't try the seafood in a bag, but as far as the fried items, Kickin Crab ranks right up there with Boiling Crab!

The Pier Grill-Closed

The Pier Grill
1810 E Rte 66
Glendora, CA 91740
626-691-6570

The Pier Grill is in the same shopping center as Thai Diamond BBQ, ZuZu Chicken, and the now closed, China King Buffet.  Maybe I should try all the other restaurants in the center, including a sushi restaurant!  I went on a Monday night about 7pm and the place was basically empty.  Maybe 2-3 tables were being used, one was the owner and his wife.  

Grilled ahi tuna, $12.99, with pier cole salw, brown rice, and garlic bread.  The ahi tuna was cooked rare- which is fine for a thin piece of tuna.  Well seasoned, a good sized portion, and cooked perfectly.  The brown rice and pier cole slaw were good.  I got the lemon oregano sauce on the side.  It was way too tangy.

Service was good.

The Pier Grill is a good place to get seafood.  I don't know of many seafood restaurants in Glendora.  This is a good option.  Fair prices, good portions, and good food.

EMC Seafood & Raw Bar-Closed

EMC Seafood & Raw Bar
19101 Colima Rd
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
626-581-1111

EMC Seafood & Raw Bar opened back in March of 2018.  They replaced Hong Kong Palace, which closed down sometime in 2017. EMC has a few other locations in the LA area.  They have a combination Chinese menu, with sushi, and raw seafood bar.

The sushi bar takes up the back part of the restaurant, behind there is the kitchen area.  There are tables and even a private room, on the right as you walk in.  It's a big, welcoming place.

Lobster roll, $19.  The roll was small, not that much lobster, and the worst part, there were too many bits and pieces of shell!  Also the butter had something in it.  The lobster was cold, fairly tender and sweet.  The roll was grilled and you tasted parts of char.  Not impressed with this lobster roll at all.

Toro crab roll, $18, snow crab, avocado, toro- tuna belly, and black tabiko..  A very good roll, with a fresh good tasting toro!!

Shrimp tempura roll, $7.  Pretty standard shrimp tempura roll.  Nothing outstanding, but good enough.

Service was good.  I sat at the bar and didn't lack for anything.  When I mentioned there was something in the butter, they quickly brought me a new cup of butter.  No attitude, no hassle.

While I did enjoy the toro sushi roll, I wasn't impressed with EMC Seafood & Raw Bar.  I may go back to try their Chinese menu, and I would certainly order the toro sushi again.

Fish King Grill

Fish King Grill
500 East Windmill Ln Ste 145
Las Vegas, NV 89123
702-844-1786

Fish King Grill is across the street from China A Go Go, and has been open for about 7 months. It's a good sized restaurant with about 20 tables as you walk in, and the kitchen and counter straight in front of you.  It's a nice clean restaurant.

Shrimp po boy, $10.99, fully dressed, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce.  The shrimp was butterflied and the covered with a cornmeal batter.  I think it was frozen, but it was good and they it's a big portion of shrimp.  The bread had a nice texture and held up well for the sandwich.  Nothing worst than getting bread that just falls apart after one bite.  The fries were great, frozen, but crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.  The hush puppies were great too!  Maybe on the best I've had.  Guessing it was frozen, but light, airy, bold flavor!

Service was good.  Nice friendly people working there.

Whenever I go to a land lock state, I wonder how the seafood will be.  But, King Fish Grill was great.  I would go back any time!

22nd St Landing Seafood Grill & Bar

22nd St Landing Seafood Grill & Bar
141 A W 22nd St
San Pedro, CA 90731
310-548-4400

A few years back I went to 22nd St Landing Seafood Grill & Bar in San Pedro.  I thought the food was ok, and I was back in San Pedro and decided to go there for lunch.  22nd St Landing Seafood Grill & Bar is a huge restaurant that seems to take up the entire second floor of this building.  The dining area is a dated, a fresh coat of paint and new flooring would do this restaurant a world of good.

The back wall has huge windows which give you a great view of the marina!  If the sun is shining, it can get hot but the hostess will say you can pull down the shade.  There are booths and tables spread out over the middle part of the restaurant.  A good sized bar is on the right side of the dining area.

Alaskan halibut, $28 on the bill, $27 on the menu near the entrance of the restaurant, with rice pilaf and steamed veggies.

The halibut was a decent sized portion and was grilled over wood.  Good flavor though the top part was a bit tough, as if it had been on the grill a little long.  But, it was moist and flavorful.  The veggies were ok, too much squash and zucchini for my tastes.  Rice pilaf was good, but a very small portion.

Overall, I don't think this was worth the $28 price tag.  I got the restaurant about 11:15am, thinking it opened at 11am.  But, they opened at 11:30am and during the wait, I checked out the lunch menu at the entrance.  That menu said $27 for the Alaskan halibut.  Since I already knew what I wanted to order, I didn't really look at the menu that I was given.  That menu price of the halibut could have been $28.

Now, it's only $1 but they need to put an up to date menu at the entrance.  The server was nice and I wasn't lacking for anything.  So, I wasn't going to argue about $1. But management needs to get on the ball.

I won't go back to 22nd St Landing Seafood Grill & Bar.  It's only ok, and there are much better options nearby!

Rock’N Fish

Rock’N Fish
120 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310-379-9900

Pretentious jerk people, but a beautiful location and views of the Pacific Ocean!  That describes Rock’N Fish.  I hate going to Manhattan Beach or Hermosa Beach because they are filled with pretentious assholes!  I went to Rock’N Fish a couple years ago and forgot to do a review.  I had to be in Manhattan Beach and had lunch at Rock’N Fish.  They opened another location in Downtown Live, near Staples Center.

It's a fairly big restaurant with a nice outdoor seating area.  Where I sat if you looked west you saw the beautiful ocean!  Inside there is a huge bar on the left and a large dining area on the right.

Seared Wild Ahi 23.95-red wine peppercorn - szechuan green beans - jasmine rice, spicy mac and cheese.  The menu says you can substitute sides, so I asked for the spicy mac and cheese.  When my order arrived, they had the jasmine rice on the plate.  The server came by and dropped off a side of mac and cheese.  A huge freshly baked bread is included with lunch.

The ahi was pretty good, but I'm pretty sure it was frozen.  It was well seared to rare, but a bit underseasoned.  A little more salt would be make this a very well cooked ahi.  The ahi was ok, but I didn't think it was worth the high price tag!  It a decent quality but nothing outstanding.

The missing salt from the ahi might have been put in the szechuan green beans-which were too salty, but well cooked.  The spicy mac and cheese was great!  Just a touch of heat, but creamy cheese and perfectly cooked macaroni.  The rice, which I only ate a little bit was good.

Service was ok.  While my server was nice, she never asked me how everything was.  She did come by often and even refilled my water, but again never asked how the food was.  She was nice enough to get my a third side for free.  But, she confirmed that I ordered mac and cheese instead of the rice.

Pomona Valley Mining Co

Pomona Valley Mining Co
1777 Gillette Rd
Pomona, CA 91768
909-623-3515

The Pomona Valley Mining Co has been around since at least the 1970's, overlooking Pomona and the 10 freeway.  It's outlasted it's other hill top restaurant, Castaways, which is now Coco Palm.  There may have been another restaurant between Castaways and Coco Palm.  If you remember the name, email me.

David Allen wrote about Cask N Cleaver's 50th anniversary, and mentioned they still have a self service salad bar; something which gained popularity in the 1970's, but that fad slowly went out with bell bottoms and shag carpets!!  I got to wondering what restaurants still have a self service salad bar and remembered the Pomona Valley Mining Co.  I was surprised David hasn't written about it in his blog.  Then I checked the Dining in Pomona blog, and since he expanded his dining adventures from Garey Ave, he may have reviewed Pomona Valley Mining Co.  But, to my surprise also didn't have a review.  Dining in Pomona's review has been posted!

I decided to invite both David and Dining in Pomona for a dinner at Pomona Valley Mining Co.  We agreed on a day, and luckily David drove his own car and not his rental truck!

The decor of Pomona Valley Mining Co hasn't changed since the 1970's.  It's suppose to look like a mining shaft, and the mining equipment is suppose to be from the actual nearby mines.  The dining area is mostly along the top to bottom glass wall, that gives you a great view of Pomona, the 10 freeway and elephant hill!  Above the dining area is the salad bar, sorry I forgot to take a picture.  

Shrimp and scallop scampi, $26, with salad bar and rice pilaf.  The salad bar comes with all entrees ordered.  The salad bar itself is $18.  The salad bar is fresh, with lettuce and other veggies, but nothing outstanding and not many choices.  They did have three different soups available too.  I got the corn chowder, which was too sweet for my tastes.

The rice pilaf was ok, a bit bland, needed more seasoning.  What they call scampi, I call a cream sauce.  I have never seen such a white cream sauce on seafood.  The shrimp were pretty good, medium size, and well cooked.  The scallops, I bet are frozen and were too chewy and mushy for my tastes.  Overall this dish was ok.

Service was good.  Our server came around often, she could have refilled drinks both water and other drinks, more often, but I thought she was good overall.

I should add one thing.  I always find it weird when a hostess of an nearly empty restaurant asks if I made reservations!  I mean, the night we were there if you added up all the people that were there for the 2 hours or so we were there, only about 70% of the dining area would be filled.  

Pomona Valley Mining Co is a place you have to try at least once, even if the food is just average.

Señor Fish

Señor Fish
618 Mission St
South Pasadena, CA 91030
626-403-0145

Senor Fish is a chain.  I've been to their now demolished location in Little Tokyo, but never posted a review, which was demolished to make room for the Regional Connector for Metro Rail.   So when I recently had dinner at their South Pasadena location, I figured I should post a review.

Orange Roughy over baby greens-avocado, tomatoes, jicama, baby greens, $11.45.  Orange roughy is a very expensive fish if you can find it the average price is about $20/lb.  I seriously doubt this is orange roughy, especially such a big piece for just $11.45 plus the cost of the veggies, ok veggies don't cost that much, but you get the point.  This fish was well cooked, maybe a little too salty.  I haven't had orange roughy in a long time, but this did not taste like orange roughy.  The veggies were fresh.  This salad is fine, but no way is the fish used orange roughy!

Service was good.

If you go to Senor Fish, stick to the Mexican food. 

Pacific Seafood Grill-Closed

Pacific Seafood Grill
230 S Lake Ave Ste 3
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-583-9000

Pacific Seafood Grill is just a few doors down from Dupar's which used to be Hamburger Hamlet and Veggie Grill.  Pacific Seafood Grill is very much like Pacific Fish Grill, hell even their names are almost the same, fresh seafood served in a fast casual setting.  Doing a quick search and I find that Fish Dish was the last restaurant here, and it was also the same concept. 

Pacific Seafood Grill has a few tables at the front of the restaurant and some tables outside on the porch.  Since the porch is along Lake Ave, a very busy street, I would sit inside.

Ahi tuna with white rice and sauteed vegetables, $13.99.  I asked for the ahi tuna to be cooked medium rare, it came out rare.  It was a good sized portion and well cooked, even if not cooked to the doneness I asked for.  The rice was lukewarm and the veggies-cauliflower, zucchini, carrots and squash were sauteed in oil-this would be better if it was steamed.  Overall a pretty good dish worth the price.

Service is good.  But I find the restaurant a bit dingy and not a pleasant place to enjoy a meal.

I wouldn't go back to Pacific Seafood Grill.  I think Pacific Fish Grill is much better.

The Meat Cellar-Moved

The Meat Cellar
665 E. Foothill Blvd Unit C
Claremont, CA 91711
213-999-9011

David Allen reviewed The Meat Cellar a few weeks ago, and I put  them on my list of restaurants to try!  After going though a very hot weekend, I decided to head out to The Meat Cellar and give them a try.

Located just north of Pitzer College and their McConnell Bistro Dining Hall, The Meat Cellar is a combination butcher shop, wine store, and restaurant.  There are good quality meats in the display cases and some wines on the wall to your right as you enter the restaurant.  They have about 15 or so tables set up all over the restaurant and there are even tables outside.  Meat Cellar is next to a Starbucks and there is a huge outdoor seating area.

You order at the counter and they bring your food to you.  Since I don't eat meat-beef, pork, poultry anymore, I knew my options maybe limited.  In worst case, I would order the fries!  But, they had two fish option, halibut and salmon.  But, they were out of salmon-guess they didn't get their shipment of salmon.  So that made my decision much easier.

 Halibut fillet with mixed green salad- $18.  The top picture is what was delivered to my table.  My first thought was I paid $18 for this?  But, the guy- who I think is the owner, said "I know the halibut is kind of small, so we have another piece already on the grill."  If they added about half the size of halibut I would have been happy.

Because the first piece was very thin, it was overcooked. It would have been better on a sandwich or as a taco.

About ten minutes later I got the second piece and it was huge!  I was more than happy and satisfied with the quantity.  Now the big question was quality!  The second piece was well cooked, moist throughout and something I really enjoyed!

The mixed green salad was fresh and had a light vinaigrette dressing.

 Fries- $5. Twice fried kennebec potatoes.

We waited a long time for the fries.  The table next to us, who came in after us, got their poutine-fries with gravy and topped with short ribs before we got our fries!  But, the fries came out lukewarm and there were too many small pieces!  They were well seasoned and tasted good, but would have been better served hot, right out of the fryer!

Service was good.  I liked how they noticed the small size of the halibut and on their own, more than made up for it with a huge second piece.  If you're a meat eater the tomahawk rib eye, even at $37/lb is the way to go for presentation.  Or you can get the ribeye for about $24/lb, you just wouldn't get that huge piece of rib bone.

I would go back to Meat Cellar, to try their salmon, and would take my meat eating friends here anytime.  But, I would ask them to make sure the fries are right out of the fryer.

Louie’s Chicken & Fish Grill

Louie’s Chicken & Fish Grill
960 N Mountain Ave
Upland, CA 91786
909-946-1300

Every week I read David Allen's Restaurant of the Week, while I don't always put those restaurants on my bucket list, I do keep them in mind.  Louie’s Chicken & Fish Grill, was one of those restaurants.  David reviewed Louie's back in 2009.  I drove past Louie's last year and said I should give them a try.  Almost a year later, I am finally able to check them off my bucketlist. 

The restaurant business is a brutal business; lots of competition, small margins, lots of hard for very little return on investment.  Some restaurants open up and within six months are gone, never to return. Well, Louie's is still in business today.  So that has to be a good sign right? 

The dining area has a TV that had the Monday Night Football game on.  They also had ceiling fans that were on and with the shadows from the lighting, it makes on kinda of dizzy.  There is a large patio area for nice outdoor dining. 

It's counter service, order at the counter and they bring the food out to you.

Mahi mahi, Cajun spice, with brown rice and broccoli and carrots, $12.99.  The mahi mahi was cooked perfectly!!  Moist, tender, and flaky.  It was also perfectly seasoned!  The portion size could have been a bit bigger, but otherwise a good item to order.  The broccoli and carrots had no seasoning at all, not even salt.  A simple pinch of salt would make this a much better side.  They were cooked perfectly!  The brown rice had been sitting under heat lamps for too long.  Some grains were hard and others were perfectly cooked.  If they improved the sides, this would be a very good dish.

Service was good.  Nice and friendly, and my order came out quickly!

Some minor improvements to the sides and maybe a bigger portion would make Louie's Chicken and Fish Grill a good place for a nice meal.  I'll give them another chance, but I won't rush back.

Crab Corner

Crab Corner
4161 S Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-489-4646

Crab Corner has been on my list of places to try since 2011.  But, I rarely go to Las Vegas, so over the weekend while I was in Vegas, I made sure to make a stop at Crab Corner. Crab Corner is a Maryland seafood place.  The owner is from Maryland and when Maryland Crabs are in season, they are served hot and steamed everyday.  This is the original location, business is so good, they opened another restaurant on the west part of town!

Crab Corner is located in a strip mall, that litters every city, big and small.  It's a medium sized restaurant with mostly four-top seating.  There is Baltimore Ravens, Maryland Terrapins, and seafood decorations on the wall.  

Crab cake platter with one crab cake with two sides, side salad and hush puppies; $16.99.  The crab cake is almost all jumbo lump crab!!  There are no fillers.  Well seasoned, fried golden brown, just an awesome crab cake!!  The side salad was the standard veggies-letuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, all fresh and chilled.  The hugh puppies were nicely fried, well seasoned, but had been sitting under heat lamps a little too long.

Service is very good.  Nice and friendly people.  But, their ordering system can be confusing.  I saw the counter and went up and ordered.  So, naturally I figured it was counter service.  But, later during dinner I saw people just come in and sit down, and they got served that way too.

Crab Corner is great!  I will go back when Maryland crabs are in season- about May-September.

Knuckle & Claw-Closed

Knuckle & Claw
3112 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-407-6142

Having tried the lobster roll at Lobster Grill, I searched for another place to get lobster rolls.  I found Knuckle & Claw and decided to head down there.  A little west on Sunset Blvd. of Silver Lake Ramen, is Knuckle & Claw, a small restaurant, that serves up Maine lobster, which they get shipped from Maine everyday.

There is no indoor seating but plenty of outdoor seating.  Tastefully decorated in a nautical theme, Knuckle & Claw is a great addition to the dining scene in Silver Lake.

 
Full Lobster Roll, $18. A 6" roll with 1/4lb of lobster!  Unlike the lobster roll at Lobster Grill, this was all meat, not fillers.  Very tasty, not much mayo, just good lobster meat.  The bun was nice and firm, holding the lobster very well.  A damn good example of lobster roll!  Well worth the price, because you're getting real lobster!

There is a blue crab roll on the menu, but the blue crab is from the Gulf of Mexico, which means it isn't nearly as good as Maryland blue crab!  There is no debating this point!

Clam chowder, $9. A good hearty example of clam chowder.  But, a bit thinner than other chowders I've had.  But, lot of clams and potatoes cut into very small pieces.

Service was good.  It was very slow when I was there, only one other customer.  Maybe Silver Lake hasn't found out about this treasure?

Knuckle & Claw is an example of paying for quality.  Yes, the lobster roll at Lobster Grill is cheaper, but you don't get Maine lobster or the amount of lobster as Knuckle & Claw.  I would go back as long as the quality stays the same!

Citrus Kitchen

Citrus Kitchen
10431 Lemon Ave Suite H
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
909-941-1444

David Allen reviewed Citrus Kitchen back in September 2014, and it's been on my bucket list of places to try.   I finally went to Citrus Kitchen and felt I was going Back to the Future!!  Why?  Because this restaurant used to be Chef Tim's and Gerald Willhite's Spices BBQ.  I understand after Chef Tim's the location was a Chinese restaurant and at one time used to be an Indian restaurant.  I found it interesting that there are two pizza places in this shopping center, a national chain and a mom and pop's.  On a side note, this is the second time this year I went Back to the Future!  The first time was Jay's Pizza, which used to be Joe's Pizza.

Citrus Kitchen is a small place, with a two tables and two sets of counter seating, one facing the window, another facing the prep area!!  It was fairly busy on a Saturday night.  

The ordering system at Citrus Kitchen is choice of protein, then one side with a snack portion, or two sides with a meal portion.  Then a choice of sauce.  Seafood and beef items are about 50 cents higher for the snack portion.  I got two snack portions and two different sides to get a variety.  I got my order to go.  While waiting for my order, a woman, who was dining in, asked for a plate.  The guy behind the counter said they do not have any plates!!  Now, I'm not sure if that means they ran out of plates or no longer serve food on plates!  In the pictures from David Allen's review, the food was served on plates.

Blackened salmon, $7.99.  Perfectly cooked, but lacked flavor!!  Very little spices and seasonings! 

Citrus shrimp, $7.99.  Very well cooked and seasoned!!  Didn't even need the limes!  I would order this again!

Vegan black beans.  A very good sided portion for a side!  Beans were cooked perfectly and they were full of flavor with a nice kick.  Though I'm not sure what spice they used to get that heat.

Mac and cheese.  As well cooked as the black beans were, the macaroni was undercooked!!  But, the cheese was great; lots of it, creamy and nice flavor.  If the macaroni was cooked properly this would have been great!!

Service was friendly.  The order took about ten minutes to prepare, which is fine.  But, I got my order to go, and they didn't put napkins or utensils in the bag!

I was disappointed in Citrus Kitchen.  I thought the food, especially the salmon, was going to be much better.