I had been to the Long Beach Fish Grill in Long Beach once, but wasn't able to make a return visit before they were replaced by Guisados. I was disappointed.
Rubio's was my go to for salmon, but they've since closed a few dozen locations in the Golden State, including the one I'd frequent. I was even more disappointed.
I was planning a visit to The Enclave to visit a different business, but when I checked The Enclave's website, I noticed that Long Beach Fish Grill was still in existence! While relieved I could finally make that return visit, the geographical misnomer still gets me. If you closed your location in Long Beach, but kept your Torrance location open, shouldn't you rename it Torrance Fish Grill instead? lol
Anyways, I originally came at 1 PM on Monday, thinking they'd be open until 3 PM as stated on their website. Come to find out, the signicade in front stated a takeout only Spring Special where you could get $5 off $20+ or $10 off $40+ on weekdays from 3 PM to 8:30 PM, an anachronistic discrepancy if I say so myself! How can you offer this on a Monday if you'd be closed by then?! I went inside to try and find out, and lo and behold, a different sign specified that the Spring Special would be valid from 2 to 3 PM on weekdays. Such conflicting information pesters me to a great extent; it's like they're trying to mess with us!
I asked a cashier to verify the hours of this Spring Special, and she mentioned it would start at 2 PM. I was willing to wait an hour since I had something else to do nearby.
Fast forward to 2 PM, and I see a different cashier behind the counter. I ask her about the Spring Special, but she says it starts at 3 PM! Seriously?! I told that cashier the same conflicting info I saw on both signs, mentioning her co-worker who told me 2 PM, and she said she'd honor the discount anyways.
The Spring Special would only work on takeout orders, which I was wiling to do since there was plenty of seating elsewhere in the Enclave. To reach $20, I chose the Salmon from the Create Your Grilled Plate option. In addition to the choice of fish, you get to choose your seasoning as well as one side. 4 sides are complimentary, but 5 are premium, incurring an upcharge of 10 quarters. I almost picked "All Coleslaw" until I realized at the last minute the plate would already come with coleslaw, so then I switched to brown rice.
I was still 2 quarters short of $20, so I requested an extra sauce, a $1 upcharge. I had chosen the Garlic Butter as my choice of seasoning for the salmon, so I switched gears on the extra sauce and went with Cajun, also a choice of seasoning.
The CYO Grilled Plate also comes with a toasted garlic bread.
After receiving a pager, I asked the cashier how long I'd have to wait; she estimated about 15 minutes. The pager buzzed between the 10 and 15 minute mark, and the first cashier was there to hand me my order while the second cashier who took my order took a cell phone break outside.
I sat at a table within the Enclave to enjoy my meal. The salmon and brown rice were in a pie tin while the coleslaw and garlic bread were bagged separately. The pie tin also included a large lemon wedge to add some lemon flavor to my meal.
The salmon came in two small fillets, but were cooked well. However, the garlic butter taste was quite minimal. Good thing I ordered that extra Cajun sauce because it really came in handy, exemplifying the taste profile of the salmon by a great deal! I also used a little on the garlic bread and the rice.
I was pleased with the generous amount of brown rice I got. It didn't look like much at first, filling only half the pie tin, but there was more hiding underneath the salmon.
Coleslaw was fine. Nothing more to say about that.
I also want to point out the menu you see online may not be up to date. One other entree I was considering was the Grilled Salmon Burger. The website says it is $13.50, but the menu inside says $15.95. They likely haven't gotten around to updating their website, but if they haven't even updated the name, I guess I shouldn't be surprised lol.
They have a fair amount of tables inside for dine in, but if you can save a few bucks by ordering to go, why not?!
Overall, I'm glad that Long Beach (or Torrance lol) Fish Grill hasn't closed for good, and it's a spot I would recommend if you're craving seafood. If they have something similar to the Spring Special during the summer, definitely take advantage of that deal! There's nothing on their website that mentions the Spring Special, so I wouldn't have known about it unless I gave them a call. read more