It’s always good to have a handy, reliable place on tap for lunch or dinner to cover a spectrum of social scenarios. Parents in town. Clients for lunch. Date night. And so forth.
In the case of Manhattan Beach, this place happens to be Rock’N Fish. Its location, just steps from the base of the pier, and water views in the front room contributes much to its fail-safe dining status.
The ambiance of the place buzzes with sunny California cheer, and the menu is filled with well-crafted regional steak and seafood choices that swing from Maine through New Orleans. Stars range from meat-laden crab cakes and piled-high poblano cheeseburgers, to a rib-eye that’s been marinated for three days, to a fish-and-shrimp-packed jambalaya swimming in a kicky Cajun cream sauce.
At the bar, proprietor Michael Zislis (of Strand House, Rock & Brews and more) pays homage to a local landmark by serving up Navy Grog, a festive concoction of tropical juices and gold and dark rum that was once the long-running toast of Hibachi Restaurant, a convivial Manhattan Beach gathering spot that opened in 1960 and stood for 40 years—and where Rock’N Fish stands today.
ROCK’N FISH
120 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
RockNFishRestaurants.com
Photos Courtesy of the Zislis Group