Redondo Beach Pier — Attraction in Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach Pier – Coastal Chaos, Charm, and Chill All Rolled into One

If you’re craving salty air, quirky shops, ocean views, and the perfect people-watching spot, Redondo Beach Pier delivers in waves. This isn’t your polished, pristine pier experience—Redondo is a little messy, a little chaotic, but in the most endearing way possible.

🌊 The Vibe: Think vintage coastal town meets lowkey carnival energy. Musicians playing on the corner, kids chasing pigeons, the scent of seafood wafting from every direction… it’s loud, it’s lively, and it’s unapologetically SoCal. On weekends it’s buzzing with families, couples on dates, tourists, and locals just enjoying the scene.

🦀 Food Options: From fresh oysters to deep-fried everything, there’s something for every craving. Local staples like Tony’s and Quality Seafood serve up crab legs you can smash with a mallet right on your table—it’s messy, fun, and delicious. Don’t skip the micheladas or ceviche if you’re into bold flavors.

🎣 Activities: You can rent fishing gear right on the pier and try your luck, or just walk along the wooden boards and soak in the views. Sunsets here? Chef’s kiss. And yes, you will see sea lions casually swimming by or barking under the docks like they own the place (because honestly, they kinda do).

🛍 Shops & Stalls: A charming mix of souvenir shops, candy stands, and oddly specific gift stores that sell everything from shark tooth necklaces to airbrushed tank tops. It’s touristy, but it doesn’t feel like a trap—more like your kooky aunt’s beachside garage sale turned marketplace.

🚗 Parking: Paid lots are everywhere, but they fill up fast on weekends, so arrive early if you don’t want to circle for a while. If you’re lucky, you might score free street parking a few blocks away.

🧼 Cleanliness: It’s not spotless—expect a bit of seagull poop and fishy smells near the seafood joints. But honestly? That’s part of the pier’s gritty charm. It’s a working pier, not a polished boardwalk museum.

📸 Best Photo Ops: – Sunset behind the sailboats – Standing at the edge with waves crashing below – The colorful seafood market signs – That one rusted bench that’s somehow perfect for dramatic photos

👟 Tip: Wear comfortable shoes and bring a hoodie. It gets breezy real fast, especially as the sun dips.

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Final thoughts: Redondo Beach Pier isn’t trying to be fancy—and that’s exactly why I love it. It feels alive, lived-in, and genuinely local. Whether you’re eating your weight in clam chowder, watching pelicans dive for dinner, or just aimlessly strolling while holding a giant churro, you’ll walk away with a full heart (and probably sticky fingers). I’ll keep coming back—and recommending it to anyone who wants a little bit of gritty...

In my opinion, probably the best Pier in Southern California. Before I get into the Details, I Want to start off by saying that this is undoubtedly my favorite place to go. I've been coming to this pier basically my entire life, and never once do I get bored of it. I Don't live near Redondo beach but I come here often. This is my favorite place to walk around and look at the ocean.  Personally, I always find the best time to be here is when it's empty or not busy which would be during the weekdays. Though, this place is always good to be at. Definitely my go-to whenever I get the chance. Now, onto the more technical "review". Redondo beach pier has no shortage of things to do if you look around. The layout of the pier is unique in the way that it connects to the shore in two places, making a nice loop around. Beginning with parking, there's a lot of spots, underneath and around the pier. The rate is typically $2.00/ hour but can vary from parking location. The pier is home to a lot of restaurants, some more well known ones, being the Old Tony's, El Torito, Kincaid's, and of course the Quality Seafood (which is probably the most popular). If you're into the food scene you'll find no shortage of options here. For those of you who are more into just walking around or hanging out like I am, This pier is a fantastic place to do so. The pier is kept relatively clean for the most part, every time I go there's always janitorial staff doing their job. The only section where i can kinda say it isn't would be the fishing area. But that's honestly to be expected. With there being such a wide selection of Gift/Souvenir shops and Restaurants even if you don't spend you can still get a lot out This pier just by walking around or even visiting the surrounding areas. I personally don't get tired of it. There's a lot more that I could've covered but I feel this review has dragged out for far too long. But I always wanted to have the chance to share my thoughts on this place and I'm glad I finally did. I do mean what I said earlier, in that i almost never get bored of Just coming here whenever I can. I've been doing so almost my whole life so this pier does hold some value to me. And I would highly recommend Visiting at least once if you never have, or just to keep on doing so if you feel...

I grew up in West Torrance and spent many days at this pier with my family and friends, I have so many fond memories. However the builders keeps wanting to revamp and make it all modern, shiny and new which to me is soooo boring. I’m extremely upset about the Fun Factory being shut down! I want to give my childhood pier 100000 stars but unfortunately it doesn’t have the charm it used to have. The very best thing about the pier is Old Tony’s it has fighting to stay open and we’re very happy it’s still around! I’d they even touch that restaurant I’ll be so mad. Not everyone wants new modern shops. Look at all the historic houses around South Redondo, please preserve the old Redondo Beach. If the pier must be revamped then please keep the old Tony’s and build OLD style shops that look like they are from the early 1900s or late 1800s with real wood and style. Remake it the way it used to be, look at Kyoto, Japan. The Golden Pavilion burned down and they had to rebuild it, it is only now a replica of the original but they made it exactly the same and so people still come to see it from all over the world and it’s still a UNESCO World Heritage site. Even after it was rebuilt. So preserve our history and bring back the old town feel and I promise you that everyone will love it so much more than having modern boring buildings. Make a museum/food court with an old fashioned ice cream parlor like Farrel’s. Or brig it back there! Have vintage leather shops and antique stores, waterfront outdoor dining with music, and definitely move the firework display to fire off from in front of the pier, with 3-4 barges to beat the one they do in San Diego, and have a dog park section at the beach like Long Beach by Veterans Park. This will bring a lot more customers!!! 100% All in...