The Chowder Barge in Wilmington, CA, touts itself as “Los Angeles’s Only Floating Restaurant.” Since we were somewhat in the area, we set sail in our Subaru and docked for a unique dining experience at Wilmington’s Leeward Bay Marina. The barge was originally constructed to use as a support vessel for the 1935 film Mutiny On The Bounty. The restaurant’s funky interior with a dog-friendly deck overlooking a multitude of boats, along with some very good clam chowder plus a serving of Fish & Chips, made for a worthwhile and fun detour. Story and photos in link below. without photos beneath pictures

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cho...wilmington-ca/On a hot summer Sunday afternoon, after a quick stop at Point Fermin Park and Lighthouse (celebrating 150 years!) in San Pedro …

… Tracy mentioned something about a barge restaurant in nearby Wilmington that serves what they claim is “the BEST Clam Chowder.” I had never heard of this place, but it was dog friendly (Garbo tagged along with us), so off we went. Oh, it also touts itself as “Los Angeles’s Only Floating Restaurant.” I was intrigued. Wilmington is located between the Long Beach and San Pedro harbors in an industrial area gushing (not literally) with oil fields. In my seven decades of living in and around Los Angeles, I had never traveled these streets. As we neared the marina and hopefully the restaurant, we had to wait about 15 minutes for a train carrying cargo containers before we could proceed in our quest to find the Chowder Barge. (Be sure to keep a sharp eye out for the sign or you might miss the lane leading to the small parking lot near the marina.)



We parked in a lot overlooking Wilmington’s Leeward Bay Marina located at the end of the Dominguez Channel. Locals affectionately refer to this area as, “Where the sewer meets the sea.” (There was no smell, so not to worry!)

In an excerpt from Los Angeles Magazine, “During filming of the 1935 original version of Mutiny on the Bounty, a large wooden barge was constructed to act as a support vessel, used to hold cameras and other movie-making equipment. After the film was completed, the barge was docked in Long Beach and mostly forgotten, enjoying brief stints as a Catalina Island shuttle, a houseboat, a brothel (allegedly), a machine shop, and finally and most importantly, as a restaurant specializing in thick, creamy Boston-style clam chowder.” The restaurant was not crowded on this Sunday afternoon, so we decided to barge in. Garbo received a warm welcome when we sat down on the deck. Our server brought her a water bowl and asked if she would like some bacon … bacon? Since Garbo was still recovering from emergency surgery only 10 days prior, we passed in case of stomach upset. I think she is still mad at us for that. It was interesting watching the cast of characters as they took their boats out for the day. Garbo, however, was forced to walk the plank. The colorful nautical-themed dark interior includes surf boards hanging from the wooden ceiling and a full bar that serves beer, wine and cocktails. Some might call the interior a little kitschy, but it has a cool vibe to it, and would makes a good spot to hoist a cold one (of course, outside with the pooches isn’t bad either).

We started with cups of the chowder, which might seem strange for a hot summer day, but when in Rome… or Wilmington… hey, it is called the CHOWDER Barge. And it was very good, filled with plenty of clams and chunky pieces of potatoes. Next time we will try the one topped with fried clams.



I followed the chowder with the Fish & Chips Basket, coleslaw and tartar sauce. I liked that you can select from one to four pieces of fish. Unless you are starving, the one serving fish was plenty big.



For a brief moment, Tracy pretended to be healthy and ordered the Grilled Salmon Sandwich on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce (but then she blew it when she ordered a side of onion rings). The salmon was so large Tracy cut it in half so it would fit on the bun and took the other half home.



Burgers, dogs and sandwiches all come with a choice of fries, onion rings, coleslaw or salad. We can vouch for the golden delicious fries and crunchy onion rings, and Tracy really liked the coleslaw.



We definitely want to come back to try the Rev’s Special, which is a burger “slathered in chowder” (lots of napkins please!) and the breakfast menu (Friday-Sunday only). Not to mention, Garbo says we owe her some bacon!

Was it the best clam chowder ever? Perhaps not, but it was very, very tasty, and the atmosphere inside and out made for a unique dining experience. If you’re in the mood for something out of the ordinary, come sample a little history (and a cup of chowder) at the Chowder Barge

Thanks, this sounds like the kind of place DH would like the next time we are on the west coast. He can compare it to the chowda I make with the clams DS get out front of the cottage.

I spent a miserable mid-60s summer working as a dishwasher and general dogsbody on a previous LA-area floating restaurant, the Reuben E. Lee. The Reuben was built as a replica of a Mississippi paddlewheel riverboat (minus the engines, etc.) and moored in Balboa Bay in Newport Beach in Orange County.


Behind the kitsch was a truly mediocre restaurant with management that I think had previously worked as executive chefs and directors of cuisine at San Quentin. At least that's how they treated the staff. I think the county health department stationed a permanent rep on the boat, or they should have.

"He can compare it to the chowda I make with the clams DS get out front of the cottage."

oldemalloy - We recently had what I consider the best clam chowder (so far) in SoCal at Teddy's By The Sea in Carpinteria. Talked with the owner, who said it was a homemade recipe. We even got a container to go. Oh, the fish tacos, fish n chips and the key lime pie in a jar made for a great lunch. Truly spectacular chowda.

I like the sea hag sign I feel like I will get in trouble if I use that.

I hate that brioche is now the default for so many sandwiches. I don't want my fish sandwich served on a sweetened roll.