Costa Mesa based King’s Seafood Company, which opened its first LA restaurant in 1945, has been in the restaurant business for 70 years. Today, it operates six different restaurant concepts including Water Grill which has locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Monica.
In the over 25 years since its 1989 opening, Water Grill has consistently earned high marks for freshness, variety, and quality, becoming the go to place for seafood. That achievement may be due to the fact that the parent company has its own distribution center which helps ensure a consistent supply. Some of this supply is on display at aquariums at the restaurant: I was told you could actually pick a fish or lobster for the chef to prepare for you.
The extent and variety of the restaurant’s offerings is immediately apparent at the raw bar which features a wide selection – almost 20 – of Pacific and Eastern oysters on the half shell, including a sampler plate. Crab claws and nuggets, shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels, urchin and lobster round out the offerings.
Appetizers include standard and popular items you’d expect at a seafood restaurant – clam and chowder, crab cakes, and the currently trendy tuna poke, but the menu also gets eclectic with miso soup, ravioli, Atlantic cod fish tacos, Manila clams with chorizo, Spanish grilled octopus, seafood fritters, and uni toast. The crudo sampler, great for trying a variety, includes wild Maldives bigeye tuna, wild eastern sea scallops, and wild Columbia river king salmon. Also great for sampling is the Fritto Misto, mixed fried seafood with smoky marinara and tzatziki.
The Salads and Sandwiches section includes a variety of expected salads, while sandwiches include Wagyu bacon cheeseburger and lobster roll, but branch out to include a tuna burger and a shrimp banh mi.
The fish selection is also extensive: There’s Atlantic cod fish and chips, local sand dabs, mahi mahi pan seared with sherry, sea bass braised with vegetables, swordfish, raw tuna, miso cod, salmon, and seabass. Seafood entrees include shrimp with spinach, shrimp and grits with sausage, scallops with cauliflower puree, cioppino, jumbo soft shell crab – crunchy, juicy, and of course, California Spiny Lobster charcoal grilled and succulent with an intriguing combination of watermelon cooked in with zucchini.
Rounding out the entrees are a variety of charcoal grilled steaks – filet mignon, New York strip steak, bone-in prime rib eye, as well as a grilled chicken. The dessert selection includes Caramel Bread Pudding, Banana Chocolate Sundae with chocolate covered corn flakes, and Orange Blossom Cake with honey milk sorbet, rose water syrup, fresh raspberries and watermelon.
A selection of sparking, red, white, and rosé wines, and sake is available by the glass or bottle. Beer can be orded by the glass, or pitcher, as well as in cans and bottles. Cocktails include the Grand Avenue with vodka, fresh lemon juice, tarragon and strawberries on the rocks, Olvera Street with silver tequila, agave syrup, fresh lime and passion fruit smokey mezcal mist; and Campfire Sling with straight rye whiskey, maple syrup & chocolate bitters over block ice with scorched orange oil.
Of course, the menu changes periodically both for seasonality as well as new item introduction, so if you are interested in a particular be sure to check in advance. For more information, visit www.watergrill.com