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Chicken tsukune skewers from Izakaya Hachi in Torrance on a textured traditional Japanese plate.
Chicken tsukune skewers from Izakaya Hachi in Torrance.
Matthew Kang

17 Essential South Bay Restaurants

The very best places to dine in Torrance, Gardena, Redondo Beach, Carson, Manhattan Beach, and more

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Chicken tsukune skewers from Izakaya Hachi in Torrance.
| Matthew Kang

The South Bay is a massive area incorporating Torrance, Gardena, Carson, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Hawthorne, Manhattan Beach, San Pedro, and Lomita, among other municipalities. The part of town south of LAX and north of Long Beach feels like its own section of Los Angeles County, with a beachy vibe and cultural diversity apparent in its many neighborhoods. Formerly home to three Japanese car companies, the area still hosts a bevy of excellent Japanese restaurants, and Korean, Brazilian, Hawaiian, and even Oaxacan fare are now highlighted too. Here now are the essential 17 restaurants in the South Bay.

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Ali'i Fish Company

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Few of this Hawaiian restaurant’s competitors can claim they source their fish straight from the Honolulu fish auction. On top of that, the team behind Ali’i Fish Company dishes up an impressive ahi burger, nostalgic fish nuggets, and a recently added Lomi salmon (available at the Torrance location only).

A bowl of poke in front of a plant.
The poke bowls at Ali’i Fish Company are not to be slept on.
Ali’i Fish Company

The Slice & Pint

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The South Bay has a lot of pizza shops, but New York City-style pizza fans might find the best version at this busy brewpub, where the kitchen is almost always busy stretching out thin pies loaded with pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and other toppings. With a firm, gently crispy crust that holds its shape after folding, these slices will only taste better paired with a glass of El Segundo Brewing Co. craft beers.

Mr. Fries Man

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Craig Batiste and his wife Dorothy started putting incredible, colorful ingredients on french fries in 2016, first served out of their home kitchen and now expanded to multiple locations across Los Angeles and even into Las Vegas. In less than a year, they have more than 20 franchises sold, but it all started here in Gardena. Try the Beyond Meat-loaded fries for a plant-based tray of comfort.

French fries loaded with cheese, and faux meat.
Loaded fries with Beyond Meat at Mr. Fries Man
Mr. Fries Man [Official photo]

Quality Of Bombay

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An unsung Indian restaurant tucked into a nondescript Lawndale strip mall, the butter chicken, palak paneer, dal makhani, and specialty fish curry with coconut milk and lemongrass make for one of the most impressive South Asian meals in the city, let alone the South Bay.

Butter chicken at Quality of Bombay in Lawndale.
Butter chicken and other Indian dishes from Quality of Bombay.
Matthew Kang

Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop

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The longtime Gardena Bowl coffee shop has been a neighborhood destination for breakfast foods and Hawaiian-inflected dishes like wonton saimin and a Royal fried rice plate topped with roast pork. It’s only open for takeout.

Nando Trattoria

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Founded by Sicilian brothers Alessio and Dario Vullo, this Manhattan Beach outpost of their Illinois-based Italian restaurant fits right into the ritzy dining scene scattered around this community. Nando’s specialties include seafood, like langoustines or blue crab and lobster ravioli, and the award-winning chicken Parmesan comes on a platter big enough to feed a party of six. Dario usually mills about the space kissing babies or hugging regulars, making this feel like a true family affair.

Langoustines from Nando Trattoria on a plate.
Langoustines from Nando Trattoria.
Matthew Kang

The Arthur J

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David LeFevre’s fancy steakhouse sports some serious retro vibes. The steaks here rank among the best in Los Angeles. Exceptional sides and a diverse wine list round out this ocean-side restaurant that is sure to withstand the test of time with its midcentury modern feel and charming old-school service.

The Arthur J
Stan Lee

Torimatsu

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This tiny Gardena yakitori restaurant serves the Japanese American community with some of the finest grilled chicken skewers in the South Bay. Billowing smoke flows out of the binchotan grill while the chef dips skewers into a tare, or soy-based marinade, that’s been curing and aging for decades. The best part is that most set courses are moderately priced. Just expect to wait during busy meal times.

Yakitori skewers from Torimatsu in Gardena on a ceramic plate.
Yakitori skewers from Torimatsu in Gardena.
Matthew Kang

Sushi Sonagi

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Daniel Son’s impressive sushi counter is already executing at a high level, with the Korean American chef dining inspiration in seasonal varieties of fish from both Japan and local waters. The intimate six- or eight-person service means plenty of time to interact with Son and learn his sensibilities and style. The $175 menu, which can be booked up to one month out, comes with about twenty courses, including incredible dry-aged sea bream or tuna, grilled nodoguro encrusted with rice crackers, and a sizzling platter of abalone crispy rice.

Tuna nigiri from Sushi Sonagi in Gardena.
Tuna nigiri from Sushi Sonagi in Gardena.
Jakob Layman

Chefs Ray Hayashi and Cynthia Hetlinger are dishing up modern Japanese and Taiwanese fare at perhaps the coolest South Beach opening in 2022. The former Laurel Tavern space now sports a snappy Tokyo-inspired cocktail bar and a menu featuring hits like tonkotsu miso ramen, Chinese sausage-stuffed fried rice, and Hokkaido milk bread.

Dishes from Ryla in Hermosa Beach. Wonho Frank Lee

Baran's 2239

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Take a load off and throw on a dressy outfit for a visit to this Hermosa Beach restaurant. This place dishes out a swanky brunch, dabbling in the likes of maple pork breakfast sausage breakfast burritos, and is known for its prix-fixe menus centered on clams, black truffles, and, lately, dashi.

Baran’s 2239 Exterior Matthew Kang

Madre! Oaxacan Restaurant and Mezcaleria

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Ivan Vasquez took his Palms restaurant and planted a massive flagship in Old Torrance, serving his mother’s favorite mole and other Oaxacan dishes with a huge list of mezcales. The locals have figured it out, turning Madre into one of the most reliable Mexican restaurants in the city. Try the mole estofado and tlayuda for the full experience.

Entrance to Madre, a Oaxacan restaurant and bar in Torrance.
Madre! in Torrance
Wonho Frank Lee

Izakaya Hachi

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Torrance has plenty of izakayas and drink-friendly Japanese restaurants, including Wadatsumi and Torihei. Hachi has an impressive menu of after-work Japanese drinking dishes, including pressed saba sushi and grilled chicken skewers.

Phanny's

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Redondo Beach’s enduring breakfast burrito specialist has an updated coffee menu and fantastic burritos that should provide enough caloric intake for long days at the beach.

Holding breakfast burritos, cut in half.
Holding breakfast burritos from Phanny’s.
Wonho Frank Lee

Sweet Wheat

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French bakery Sweet Wheat serves one of the most impressive array of pastries, breads, and cafe specialties in the South Bay, with gleaming cakes, intricate desserts, and plush baguettes featured along its wide counter. Friendly service and easy indoor-outdoor seating makes this an ideal weekday or brunch destination.

For a real Parisian bakery and cafe experience just steps from the beach: Sweet Wheat.
Pastries from Sweet Wheat in Redondo Beach.
Matthew Kang

The Whale & Ale

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Martin O’Sullivan and his wife Susan took over the Whale & Ale down in San Pedro in late 2020 and converted it to an Irish pub soon after. It remains a staple in the neighborhood and is worth a drive for the pub’s standout fish and chips.

The Whale & Ale storefront.
The Whale & Ale.

Busy Bee Market

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There’s almost always a line at this busy sandwich shop in San Pedro, which makes its adorable name and logo fitting. While pretty much everything is impressive, the layered pastrami, Italian torpedoes, and dipped beef sandwiches are some of the shop’s more popular orders. The hardest part is trying to snake through the store without picking up one of Busy Bee’s vast selections of potato chips.

A hand holds up a pastrami sandwich that is falling apart.
Pastrami sandwich from Busy Bee in San Pedro.
Crystal Coser

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Ali'i Fish Company

Few of this Hawaiian restaurant’s competitors can claim they source their fish straight from the Honolulu fish auction. On top of that, the team behind Ali’i Fish Company dishes up an impressive ahi burger, nostalgic fish nuggets, and a recently added Lomi salmon (available at the Torrance location only).

A bowl of poke in front of a plant.
The poke bowls at Ali’i Fish Company are not to be slept on.
Ali’i Fish Company

The Slice & Pint

The South Bay has a lot of pizza shops, but New York City-style pizza fans might find the best version at this busy brewpub, where the kitchen is almost always busy stretching out thin pies loaded with pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and other toppings. With a firm, gently crispy crust that holds its shape after folding, these slices will only taste better paired with a glass of El Segundo Brewing Co. craft beers.

Mr. Fries Man

Craig Batiste and his wife Dorothy started putting incredible, colorful ingredients on french fries in 2016, first served out of their home kitchen and now expanded to multiple locations across Los Angeles and even into Las Vegas. In less than a year, they have more than 20 franchises sold, but it all started here in Gardena. Try the Beyond Meat-loaded fries for a plant-based tray of comfort.

French fries loaded with cheese, and faux meat.
Loaded fries with Beyond Meat at Mr. Fries Man
Mr. Fries Man [Official photo]

Quality Of Bombay

An unsung Indian restaurant tucked into a nondescript Lawndale strip mall, the butter chicken, palak paneer, dal makhani, and specialty fish curry with coconut milk and lemongrass make for one of the most impressive South Asian meals in the city, let alone the South Bay.

Butter chicken at Quality of Bombay in Lawndale.
Butter chicken and other Indian dishes from Quality of Bombay.
Matthew Kang

Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop

The longtime Gardena Bowl coffee shop has been a neighborhood destination for breakfast foods and Hawaiian-inflected dishes like wonton saimin and a Royal fried rice plate topped with roast pork. It’s only open for takeout.

Nando Trattoria

Founded by Sicilian brothers Alessio and Dario Vullo, this Manhattan Beach outpost of their Illinois-based Italian restaurant fits right into the ritzy dining scene scattered around this community. Nando’s specialties include seafood, like langoustines or blue crab and lobster ravioli, and the award-winning chicken Parmesan comes on a platter big enough to feed a party of six. Dario usually mills about the space kissing babies or hugging regulars, making this feel like a true family affair.

Langoustines from Nando Trattoria on a plate.
Langoustines from Nando Trattoria.
Matthew Kang

The Arthur J

David LeFevre’s fancy steakhouse sports some serious retro vibes. The steaks here rank among the best in Los Angeles. Exceptional sides and a diverse wine list round out this ocean-side restaurant that is sure to withstand the test of time with its midcentury modern feel and charming old-school service.

The Arthur J
Stan Lee

Torimatsu

This tiny Gardena yakitori restaurant serves the Japanese American community with some of the finest grilled chicken skewers in the South Bay. Billowing smoke flows out of the binchotan grill while the chef dips skewers into a tare, or soy-based marinade, that’s been curing and aging for decades. The best part is that most set courses are moderately priced. Just expect to wait during busy meal times.

Yakitori skewers from Torimatsu in Gardena on a ceramic plate.
Yakitori skewers from Torimatsu in Gardena.
Matthew Kang

Sushi Sonagi

Daniel Son’s impressive sushi counter is already executing at a high level, with the Korean American chef dining inspiration in seasonal varieties of fish from both Japan and local waters. The intimate six- or eight-person service means plenty of time to interact with Son and learn his sensibilities and style. The $175 menu, which can be booked up to one month out, comes with about twenty courses, including incredible dry-aged sea bream or tuna, grilled nodoguro encrusted with rice crackers, and a sizzling platter of abalone crispy rice.

Tuna nigiri from Sushi Sonagi in Gardena.
Tuna nigiri from Sushi Sonagi in Gardena.
Jakob Layman

Ryla

Chefs Ray Hayashi and Cynthia Hetlinger are dishing up modern Japanese and Taiwanese fare at perhaps the coolest South Beach opening in 2022. The former Laurel Tavern space now sports a snappy Tokyo-inspired cocktail bar and a menu featuring hits like tonkotsu miso ramen, Chinese sausage-stuffed fried rice, and Hokkaido milk bread.

Dishes from Ryla in Hermosa Beach. Wonho Frank Lee

Baran's 2239

Take a load off and throw on a dressy outfit for a visit to this Hermosa Beach restaurant. This place dishes out a swanky brunch, dabbling in the likes of maple pork breakfast sausage breakfast burritos, and is known for its prix-fixe menus centered on clams, black truffles, and, lately, dashi.

Baran’s 2239 Exterior Matthew Kang

Madre! Oaxacan Restaurant and Mezcaleria

Ivan Vasquez took his Palms restaurant and planted a massive flagship in Old Torrance, serving his mother’s favorite mole and other Oaxacan dishes with a huge list of mezcales. The locals have figured it out, turning Madre into one of the most reliable Mexican restaurants in the city. Try the mole estofado and tlayuda for the full experience.

Entrance to Madre, a Oaxacan restaurant and bar in Torrance.
Madre! in Torrance
Wonho Frank Lee

Izakaya Hachi

Torrance has plenty of izakayas and drink-friendly Japanese restaurants, including Wadatsumi and Torihei. Hachi has an impressive menu of after-work Japanese drinking dishes, including pressed saba sushi and grilled chicken skewers.

Phanny's

Redondo Beach’s enduring breakfast burrito specialist has an updated coffee menu and fantastic burritos that should provide enough caloric intake for long days at the beach.

Holding breakfast burritos, cut in half.
Holding breakfast burritos from Phanny’s.
Wonho Frank Lee

Sweet Wheat

French bakery Sweet Wheat serves one of the most impressive array of pastries, breads, and cafe specialties in the South Bay, with gleaming cakes, intricate desserts, and plush baguettes featured along its wide counter. Friendly service and easy indoor-outdoor seating makes this an ideal weekday or brunch destination.

For a real Parisian bakery and cafe experience just steps from the beach: Sweet Wheat.
Pastries from Sweet Wheat in Redondo Beach.
Matthew Kang

Related Maps

The Whale & Ale

Martin O’Sullivan and his wife Susan took over the Whale & Ale down in San Pedro in late 2020 and converted it to an Irish pub soon after. It remains a staple in the neighborhood and is worth a drive for the pub’s standout fish and chips.

The Whale & Ale storefront.
The Whale & Ale.

Busy Bee Market

There’s almost always a line at this busy sandwich shop in San Pedro, which makes its adorable name and logo fitting. While pretty much everything is impressive, the layered pastrami, Italian torpedoes, and dipped beef sandwiches are some of the shop’s more popular orders. The hardest part is trying to snake through the store without picking up one of Busy Bee’s vast selections of potato chips.

A hand holds up a pastrami sandwich that is falling apart.
Pastrami sandwich from Busy Bee in San Pedro.
Crystal Coser

Related Maps