San Pedro is widely known for its ethnic cuisines and independent restaurant operators and owners. There are 31 full-service, family-owned and operated restaurants in town — many of them well established and nurtured over many years. No other community that I can name has so many owner-operators on the premises every day. That may surprise people who remember San Pedro’s reputation for not having big named or celebrity-owned establishments — for being consistently overlooked and frustratingly unable to attract investment and generate development. Apparently, it’s now a restaurant town.
What changed? Some will argue almost nothing. Other communities like Long Beach, Pasadena or Santa Monica have experienced more growth and attention in the dining industry than the Los Angeles Harbor. Yet, San Pedro retained its character and familiarity while those other neighborhoods constructed newer, larger, cookie-cutter chain restaurants.
Newly arrived on the local dining scene is Pappy’s Fish House, which has made a remarkable renovation of one of this town’s signature establishments and venerated institutions, Papadakis Taverna. That restaurant closed several years ago after many decades on the corner of 6th and Centre streets.
Raffaello’s at 400 S. Pacific Avenue (at 4th Street) is one of the most affordable Italian places. Senfuku, at 380 W. 6th Street, is rated 4.5 out of five on Trip Advisor for sushi lovers.
The San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th Street, offers top-notch American food and award-winning ales brewed on site with a full bar.
Niko’s Pizzeria, 399 W. 6th St. is more than the usual pizza parlor, as it offers a carefully thought-out Italian and Greek menu, serving both beer and wine. Just down the street is Beach City Grill, 376 W. 6th St. It serves up Cajun, Creole, Cuban and Caribbean food: chicken and sausage gumbo, fried okra, jambalaya, and Cuban pulled pork. It is a unique and charming tiny eatery.
Along the Cajun food theme is the newly reopened Jackson’s Place, 335 W. 7th St. Diners will find authentic gumbo and shrimp etouffee along with a selection of draft beers and wines. It is becoming a great place to hangout and listen to live music.
If you have a hankering for some English cuisine, San Pedro’s own gastropub, The Whale & Ale is the place to be.
The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St. has been run by Andrew Silber since 1995. Originally from Northern England, Silber ran a successful restaurant in London before coming to the United States, so he knows English cuisine and is a champion of making it correctly. The Whale & Ale menu is stocked with pub classics like sausage rolls in pastry, shepherd’s pie, award winning fish and chips and chicken curry. On any given night, you’re likely to hear the accents of expatriates who have come in for a taste of home.
The fish and chip plate demonstrates a point about the food here: it’s measured on execution rather than innovation. This doesn’t mean The Whale & Ale offers no novelties for those who want to try something new; a few items on the menu here are so rarely encountered that most people have never tasted them before. One of these is roast duck in Cumberland sauce, which is red currant berries simmered in port wine with citrus and a hint of ginger. The tart berries and sweet wine cook into a fruity, aromatic sweet and sour sauce, one ideally suited to flavorful duck meat. The flavor balance is almost reminiscent of some sauces used in Vietnamese cuisine, but this is no fusion dish — there are recipes for it going back to the early 1800s. Try it here and you will wonder how this could have ever gone out of fashion.
Think Café, 302 W 5th St., is a favorite dearly beloved by locals who return over and over again for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Down on the San Pedro Waterfront you can have everything from Mexican food to fresh fish and a Sunday brunch along with a harbor cruise. One of the best places to eat lunch or dinner while watching the boats go by is the classic Ports O’ Call Restaurant, at berth 76 (if you get lost finding this place just ask any local or take the trolley). This restaurant has both casual and table cloth dining and serves up some of the best seafood on the waterfront in an upscale setting with a full bar and extensive wine list. There are at least three places to catch a harbor cruise or whale watch boat along the main channel near Ports O’ Call.
The history of San Pedro as a port town is noticeable from many aspects and is well-suited for sailors of any navy who call here. There are ample tattoo parlors, full service bars, many with live music or a local dance hall; they are all within easy walking distance from where the ships tie up at dock. It’s also one of few place in Los Angeles where you don’t have explain the difference between the bow and the stern of a ship.
Richard Foss and James Preston Allen contributed to this article