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