As April comes to a close and May creeps onto the calendar, I can only think of one thing: summer’s almost here! I like summer because it means there will be constant sunshine, impromptu beach adventures, and—if the universe moves in my favor—a summer fling. But I also dislike summer because of my car’s confused AC. Most people can turn on their AC and it either shoots out cold air or does nothing. Mine shoots out hot air. Pair that with the 100 degree LA heat and my steering wheel turns into a ring of fire and the seatbelt becomes a scary game of “buckle don’t burn me”. That being said, if I go anywhere between the three hottest months of the year, it better be worth it. One place that I like enough to drive around in my sauna of an Altima is Hermosa Beach, and the fact that Hermosa Beach Fish Shop is nearby makes the drive worthwhile.

A friend and I were invited to the restaurant to build our own fish tacos and (despite my evil AC) I was eager to make my own taco creation. After a drive on a few freeways with all the windows down, we made it to Hermosa Beach Fish Shop. When we walked into the restaurant, I immediately fell in love with the décor, color, descriptiveness of the menu, and (here comes the nerd in me) the typeface they used for the menu. The colors made the restaurant feel so open and bright, the well laid out menu made ordering foolproof (that helped me!), and the font looked like a fun handwriting that it seemed so friendly and personable. Nerd moment over.

Since the restaurant lets you build your own fish tacos, the step-by-step menu is necessary for people like me who can get too excited with all the options. To start off, you choose your type of fish. It can vary from halibut, shrimp, lobster, or some other delicious sea swimmer. Then you casually stroll down to the side of marinades. Maybe you want a chipotle glaze, garlic butter, salt and pepper, or you’re a little looney and you want them all. You go for it! But don’t think that’s where this fun ride ends. No my friend you then choose you style. Are you feeling for a taco or a salad? Maybe you want it all on a plate or a sandwich. They can design your meal any way or style you desire. I was the happiest little fish in the sea at this shop. But if you’re the type of person who doesn’t care for too many options, don’t worry. You can order a preset meal and skip all the choices.

Next thing I loved was they have a wide selection of draft beers and wines. Bud Light, Sam Adams, Corona, and Five Rivers are all just a pour away. Not interested in a liquor lift? There’s also sodas,hot teas, and juice available. And by “juice”, they mean Capri Sun! I seriously regret not ordering a Splash Cooler.

The layout of the restaurant is very appealing, lots of open seating both inside and outside. Plus, the large windows let in tons of natural light making it easy to get a good view of the beach area. The shop is also very kid friendly. When you walk to the patio area, you’ll see a chalkboard wall where your kids (or me, whomever) can draw and let their creativity flow. Oh, and word around the chalkboard is, “Mason’s mom is so cool”.

  The beauty in this restaurant’s design options is you can create exactly what you want to fit whatever mood you’re in. Since I really wanted lobster, but was intrigued by the shrimp and wanted to play around with a sauce or two, that’s what I ordered. We got the jumbo shrimp with avocado and garlic butter ($6 taco plus $1 avocado), the salmon with garlic butter ($4.50 plus $1 avocado), a salmon taco with teriyaki sauce ($4.50), two lobster tacos with garlic butter and lemon butter ($5.50 each plus $1 avocado), French fries ($2.50 side or $5 basket) and onion rings ($2.50 side or $6 basket). The mistake we made was we underestimated the size of the tacos. We thought they would be relatively small and be more tortilla than fish or vegetables. We were wrong. They weren’t little Taco Tuesday sized dishes, they were actually a very decent size. Think of it this way: if you’re training for a Crossfit competition, get two or even three. If you’re not burning off a ton of calories in a day, start with one and get another if necessary.

The tacos, fries, and rings were all delicious. The fish sits underneath the tomatoes and lettuce and the marinade is drizzled throughout the taco. And let’s not forget about the hulk size avocado topping it all off. When you prep to eat it, you almost have to strong-arm it as you take hold of it. It’s fun, messy, and mouthwatering. While all of the fish was fresh, the veggies were crisp, and the marinade acted as a delightful accent, the lobster taco was the best! The jumbo shrimp we had was a little burned, but that wasn’t that big of a deal considering…there was more lobster. My only suggestion when ordering, ask them to make the fish light if you don’t fancy your fish blackened.

Next up were the fries and onion rings. Keep in mind, the tacos are big and the portion sizes of the fries and rings aren’t small either. We had about 10 jumbo onion rings which is more than enough for two guts, especially when pairing it with the tacos. Only thing, this batch of onion rings were a tad on the greasy side so I didn’t devour them off. The french fries on the other hand were just right so they disappeared!

Hermosa Beach Fish Shop is a fun restaurant that is close to the beach but a good distance so you clean leave the sand behind. They have a menu of delicious food that won’t make you feel like a whale out of water. Even better, for the parents out there, they encourage kids to be themselves and draw or run around the shop. Even better than that: kids eat free on Tuesday! And if you have a pup, they’re welcome too (patio area only)! Should you be in the area and your food options are between boardwalk burritos and Hermosa Beach Fish Shop, walk past the Mexican cart and choose the latter. Your beach body and taste buds will thank you.

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Address: 719 Pier Avenue Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Phone: (310) 372-3480
Hours: Sunday to Wednesday – 11:00am to 9:00pm and Thursday to Saturday – 11:00am to 10:00pm
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