Gladstone’s has been a mainstay of the Long Beach waterfront, situated a mere stone’s throw away from the Aquarium of the Pacific. I’m usually wary of restaurants in a “touristy” area, which is why it’s taken me this long to visit.
We arrive on a beautiful day, securing a table with a direct view of Long Beach Harbor Lighthouse. Chef Pete Lehmar has been with Gladstone’s since its inception 13 years ago and is going strong, serving up a solid seafood menu to a host of locals and visitors alike.
Hot bread arrives at the table as we are perusing the menu. I cut a little piece off and slather it with butter. It’s rather good, but I resist cutting off another piece.
It takes a while to go through the menu, and with the help of our server Tiffany, we decide to start with Coconut Shrimp ($13), butterflied shrimp with ample shredded coconut coating the crispy exterior. The pineapple plum sauce served alongside is a good accompaniment and is a perfect appetizer for the table.
Another perfect-for-sharing starter is Lobster Deviled Eggs ($13). There is eight halves to an order, and are quite tasty even though I’m not able to specifically pinpoint the lobster in the creamy center.
One of my favorites of the meal is Steamers ($15), a generous bowl of clams steamed in a shallot butter wine wine broth. Two cheese toast triangles accompany, perfect for dipping into the broth. My dining companion and I are so enamored by it we want to drink it straight from the bowl.
Seafood is the mainstay at Gladstone’s and the Ahi Poke Bowl ($14.75) is a testament to that. The ahi tuna is super fresh, nestled between the baby greens, seaweed salad and bits of masago, though not served in a bowl. The yakiniku sauce is a tad too sweet for my palate, so maybe you might want to order it on the side. If you like rice with your poke, they are more than happy to add some for you.
When it came time for entrées, we were indecisive and teetered between several choices. We finally decide on School of Fish ($19.25) because the plate offers three different fish: seabass, salmon, ono; and two preparation styles. We opted for the seabass and ono to be grilled and salmon to be blackened. While the seabass and ono were delicious, the salmon was outstanding. I also enjoyed the rice pilaf side!
Fish & Chips ($14.95/2pc or $18.95/3pc) listed on the menu as a house favorite is a solid offering. The fish is tender and moist, the coating light and crispy. What was especially good were the fries which were enveloped with a seasoning of sorts! Ask for malt vinegar to douse onto the fish just like the Brits do.
Generally, seafood will cost you an arm and a leg, especially in an area considered to be touristy. However, you’ll find that Gladstone’s menu is competitively priced and there are daily specials to boot, such as the dollar oysters, shucked to order, on Tuesdays. For a list of daily specials, please click here.
And if you haven’t yet visited Gladstone’s, you can do so by entering to WIN a $50 dining certificate (gratuities not included) courtesy of Dine LBC. Please leave a comment with your full name, and tell me why you’d like to dine there. Entries close on Friday, Dec 16th, 2017.
Gladstone’s
The Pike Outlets
330 S Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
Tel: 562-432-8588
I’d love to try out Gladstone’s because I love seafood and I take my kiddos to Aquarium of the pacific, and I didn’t even know this restaurant existed, I’d try out school of fish, that picture looks tasty and my toddler son like fish and chips! Thank you, Surbhi Kasbaum
You are the lucky winner. Congratulations.
Definitely want to try the fish and chips here, always crave for seafood in these beach touristy areas
I would love to dine there because the food looks delicious
Some fresh bread and poke – count me in! And after, a nice stroll along the boardwalk 🙂
Hey Anita — Would love to win this so that I can dine with my pescatarian peeps in the LBC!
Debbie Moretti. I’d love to dine there as the food looks good for all members of our family. I also like taking a little road trip to Long Beach.
I want to try their fish and chips!
I ate at Gladstone’s in Malibu about 30 years ago and had the crab legs. When I used the nutcracker to break them open, a little piece of the shell broke off and hit the guy at the next table in the forehead. Thank goodness he was a good sport. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life! I’d like to try Gladstone’s again … with a little more etiquette this time LOL!!