Just a stone’s throw away from Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach Fish Shop at the corner of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway is one of the best places in the South Bay to experience fresh seafood.
Since opening earlier this year, owner Billy Ramirez is continuing a tradition of serving fresh fish, as the Hermosa Beach location is a sister restaurant to San Diego’s Pacific Beach Fish Shop, which opened in 2010.
The restaurant prides itself on providing the freshest fish and highest quality ingredients.
Ramirez said the restaurant hand-made all of its seasonings and sauces, and hand-cut its fries and onion rings daily.
He said all of its soups and salads were also made from scratch.
“Between our fish options, seasonings, styles and sides, there are more than 2,000 combinations to choose from – there’s a sea of possibilities,” Ramirez said.
The restaurant experience starts when choosing from one of the daily selections of fresh fish paired with one of its eight seasonings and a choice of serving styles: tucked in a taco, as a sandwich, in a salad, or on a plate.
Lunch and dinner choices can be prepared as lean or indulgent as one wishes.
For starters (or as a meal), the restaurant offers a tomato-based Fish Shop soup, a hearty New England-style clam chowder, and a rich Fish Shop chowder.
The traditional Fish ‘n Chips is fried, but can be grilled for a lighter option.
Low calorie sides, such as its vinaigrette coleslaw, seven-grain steamed rice, and seaweed salad are always available.
If it’s a cheat day, however, the house-cut fries, onion rings, or good ‘ol mac salad will always please.
Among the specialties is the award-winning TKO Taco. The mahi-mahi is marinated in the Fish Shop seasoning and topped with homemade mango salsa.
Hermosa Beach Fish Shop is located at 719 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach 90254. It is open daily from 11 am to 10 pm. For more information, call 310.372.3480 or visit thefishshophermosabeach.com.
Q&A With Owner Billy Ramirez
What is the history of the Fish Shop in Hermosa Beach?
Fish Shop started as an idea in 2009. My business partner Doug Sondomowicz and I felt Pacific Beach in San Diego was lacking a great place to eat fish, especially being so close to the ocean. After the search for the perfect spot, we found our first location on Garnet Avenue in November 2010. After three successful years, we knew we could take our concept to other neighborhoods.
Hermosa Beach is our second location, which opened this past April. Our business partner, Eric Leitstein, was approached with the location. It was a perfect fit! With Doug being from the South Bay and our new partners up in L.A., a location in Hermosa Beach was a no brainer. Located on the corner of Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach Fish Shop’s location is prime and very visible to everyone driving to the beach. Plenty of parking made it even more enticing. Like our Pacific Beach location, we serve local drafts from many of the region’s growing microbreweries, offer patio dining, and we are family and dog friendly.
Encinitas (North San Diego County) is another location we had talked about, but we weren’t ready yet to jump onto a new restaurant. However, the Encinitas spot fell into our laps during the construction of Hermosa Beach.
Located on South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas Fish Shop can’t be missed when driving down the 101 and will have lots of parking and a great and comfortable patio. We will sell fresh fish out of our market, as we do in Pacific Beach, host oyster night and have a $5 wine corkage fee like Hermosa Beach. We’re planning on opening Encinitas Fish Shop in mid-July.
What do you attribute the success to?
We attribute our success to our staff. Without them, we would not be successful. They believe in our product… and it shows. Our food has also been a huge hit, especially the consistency in our product. We instill in all our staff, from management down, quality service and quality food.
What do you love most about the menu concept?
We love that the customer can build a meal exactly how they would like to eat it. Everyone has different preferences and we can deliver that. If you want to eat healthy, you can go for a salad. If you’re on your cheat day, you can order Fish ‘n Chips. Our concept might not be new, but we do it better by ensuring quality every step of the way.
What are the most popular fish selections?
Mahi is by far our most popular item for a taco. Our TKO taco is also popular; Mahi grilled with our Fish Shop seasoning and topped with a sweet and spicy tropical salsa. Salmon is the number one choice for a plate. All our fish is grilled and served with your choice of marinade. Your way every day!
Where are the fish sourced?
We source our fish from local suppliers. The fish is caught locally or from other parts of the Western Pacific.
Why should people check the place out?
Fish Shop is a laid back, fast-casual concept that is family and pet friendly. Our business model lends itself to feel like a fast food joint because you have to wait in line to order. But don’t be fooled or discouraged. We are in no way fast food quality. Our product is house-made every day and our fish is delivered fresh daily. We pride ourselves in quality and consistency.
