The Standing Room, Redondo Beach
144 N Catalina Ave · Redondo Beach, CA 90277 · Neighborhood: Redondo Beach
Venturing outside of my usual Los Angeles vicinity, my food partner in crime and I found ourselves driving around Redondo Beach in search of a new neighborhood gem.
Not really knowing what we had a taste for, we used Yelp to search a few popular places in the area. We happened upon a spot with a very high Yelp rating 4.5 out of 5 stars and some amazing pictures of greasy and cheesy goodness. We thought we’d drive over and check it out…
Arriving at the Catalina Liquor Store parking lot, I looked around and scratched my head. Hmm… Where is The Standing Room? This is where my GPS brought me…
Then I noticed the little sign above and the whale window just below. Nice. Gem achieved.
Locals in bikini tops, locals on skateboards, boozy youngsters and families alike were coming out the front door of the liquor store with brown paper bags of food. I inhaled deeply and noticed the smell of french fries permeating the air. Yep. This was indeed the place.
Inside, it’s your average liquor store finds; booze and beverage, chips and cigarettes, and oh look, a take out restaurant in the back!
They have good looking “sammies” and “plates” but you’ll want the burger. Which to choose? There are so many hawaiian-asian inspired flavors, that bizarrely work together really well with the burgers. Fried egg? Check. Short rib? Check. Lobster? Yep. Bacon? Yes, Please.
It’s a bit confusing to order as there are a couple of different menus. Look, up here!
No, look down here!
Hey, over here!
Also, since they serve up burgers and fries… you have the inclination to call it “fast food” but a note of warning it’s definately not – I waited 35 minutes for my burger as it was cooked to order. The Danger Burger was legit. ½ pound patty, miso sauce (oh, the sauce!), tomato and onion tossed in spicy vinaigrette & fried egg… You’ll lick your fingers clean because it’s so tasty (and because it’s really messy).
Before.
After.
The parmesan truffle fries were outrageously flavored, cheesy and intense…
Even The Naked Burger, a basic tomato, lettuce and cheese burger was rockin’.
Where to sit? There are some tables and chairs underneath the red umbrellas to save you from the hot sun, Though, a lot of people were taking their lunch to-go.
BYB Tips:
It’s a messy Burger! Bring some wet-wipes. You might end up wearing the burger on your face.
Locals call ahead with their orders for faster service.
