LAReview
photo credit: Nicolas Zhou
Tony's On The Pier
We don’t usually recommend restaurants located at the end of piers (a.k.a. tourists traps), but we’ll gladly make an exception for Tony’s in Redondo Beach. This kitschy, nautical-themed spot on the edge of the boardwalk has been serving concerningly potent Mai Tais and fried calamari since the 1950s, with the decor to prove it: old fisherman nets on the ceiling, colorful glass floats, and enough black-and-white signed celebrity portraits to rival Pink’s. The retro seafood menu is merely passable (skip the oysters), but the dining room and upstairs bar are quite literally perched over the beach, and the drinks are cheap and strong. Order the rum-topped Fire Chief cocktail and you’ll leave with a cool souvenir glass on the house (plus maybe a headache the next morning).