Samantha Mallory and Amanda Soler serve up Killer Shrimp’s mango wedge salad.
The first time I heard the name Killer Shrimp, I thought it might be the name of a monster movie. I could imagine the low-budget sets, the plucky heroine, the animatronic creature towering over buildings and clicking its evil claws as it destroys large swathes of the South Bay. Its motivation for doing so would remain unstated, since shrimp feed mainly on plankton and there isn’t much east of PCH, but you don’t watch giant creature movies expecting scientific accuracy.
As it turned out the sign I saw wasn’t for a movie, but a branch of a restaurant started by a rock star named Lee Michaels. The first Killer Shrimp in the South Bay opened over a decade ago in an awful upstairs space in Redondo, and they served only one thing: shrimp in a spicy tomato-based sauce, with your choice of bread, rice or pasta, and soft drinks or beer to go with it. They closed after only a year; though other locations remained open and they expanded as far north as Santa Barbara, the hidden one-item restaurant idea didn’t fly here.
Fast forward a bunch of years and a new Killer Shrimp restaurant is open, and the management has learned a lot. They serve much more than their signature dish, they’re in a superb location by the beach in Hermosa, and there’s a full bar. With the exception of the name and that one menu item, there’s not much of a connection. The beach view from the patio on the Pier Plaza is great by day, though after dark the outside lit primarily by candles, and not even those when the wind kicks up. I opted for the less romantic interior where it is easier to read the menu.There are some inviting-looking tables near the cozy bar in the back, but a freak of acoustics gives much of this area a booming echo. After momentarily sitting there we asked to move to the front, where light and sound were both better.
Though they serve more than shrimp, seafood is still king here – there are twelve fish dishes and only three steaks, a chicken dish, and a pork chop, along with a couple salads and sides. Among the starters, I’ve tried the clam chowder, mini crabcakes, and a warm spinach salad with hard boiled egg, feta cheese, and bacon. The spinach straddled the line between salad and vegetable side dish, as it was completely cooked, but it tasted fine, and the warmth of the balsamic dressing made it particularly aromatic and fruity. The clam chowder hit the spot too – though not as buttery and rich as some other versions around town, there were subtle herbs that enlivened the flavor, as well as plenty of generous chunks of shellfish. Only the crabcakes were disappointing; there was a lot of breading and not much crab or seasoning.
The fish and chips we tried as a main course were somewhat better, the fish fresh and the beer batter breading commendably free of oil. That breading wasn’t as crisp as a beer batter can be, but the flavor made up for that. The salmon burger had been recommended as one of the better items, and it was large and well made. If you like simple things well-done, either of these might be for you.
I also had a bowl of the famed “killer shrimp,” the recipe that built this company, and it’s made exactly the way it was when I tried it in Redondo. It’s a big portion of seafood in a thin, very hot sauce, served with a lot of French bread. Some onion, celery, or almost any other vegetables would have added flavor, texture, and variety, but as served I found it monotonous. It’s as though a kid who hated vegetables had opened a restaurant serving exactly what he liked.
Desserts are offered, and after looking at offerings like sweet potato pecan pie and a hot fudge sundae I asked the server to bring whichever was least sweet. The warm apple crumble that arrived was still a bit sugary by my standards but had a good crust, and the vanilla ice cream helped cool the burn from the shrimp. So did a gin and cucumber cocktail called a Waterside and a classic tiki-style drink called Pieces of Eight. The cocktails here were crafted by the renowned mixologist Marcos Tello, and they’re worth a trip for those who like to sample liquid masterworks. There is also a pretty good wine and beer list, so you have lots of options in the liquid refreshment department.
So would I go to Killer Shrimp again? Probably, even though their specialty doesn’t thrill me, because there are things they do quite well. They have a pleasant environment near the pier and good servers, and I’d like to try some of their other menu items. Killer Shrimp doesn’t slay me, but they do a good job.
Killer Shrimp is at 19 Pier Avenue in Hermosa – opens daily at 11:30 am, close 10 pm Su-Thu, midnight Fr/Sa. Full bar, corkage $10, wheelchair access ok, few vegetarian options. No online menu, phone 310-372-7071.
