Visiting Riverside, Looking for Food

[LittleJon]

There's a chance that I'll be flying from Buffalo, NY to Ontario, CA this weekend for work. Since Sunday is Father's Day, my one condition for travel is that I am able to bring my 12 year old son. I'd like to take him to dinner on Saturday, preferably to a place that serves crab, preferably on the coast. This won't be my first time in California, but it will be his first time flying. In my experience, California is not short on good food, but I'd like to take him somewhere memorable.

Tentative plan is to fly in Friday night, work a few hours Saturday morning at UC Riverside, and then head to the coast. We'll be heading back home Sunday.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[steve_g]

My company has an office a mile from UC Riverside, I'll be flying into Ontario next Tuesday.

I usually take first timers for a quick drive through Hollywood then to the Santa Monica Pier, we usually eat at Del Frisco's Grille.

 

[LittleJon]

Good suggestion. Thank you.

 

[ynotride]

You can try Dukes in Huntington Beach. Its right on the water and a lot closer then Hollywood.

 

[LittleJon]

That's one that I was looking at. I have a friend in Huntington Beach, which means I might be heading in that direction anyway, and I've been to Rudy's on the pier before. Depending on how quick I get the work done, we might do Rudy's for lunch, and then hit a late crab dinner.

 

[bruinFJRguy]

I think Steve G made a good suggestion. I live in LA now and was a couple miles from Santa Monica for a few years. I still love it over there, but my first few times coming out to see my family and going to Hollywood Blvd, seeing the sign, and then heading to the beach were very memorable.

The pier in Santa Monica can be really fun, especially for a 12 yo. There is a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co on the pier and also one on Hollywood Blvd. They of course specialize in shrimp (mostly of the fried variety), but the menu says they have steamed crab. I think that place in either of those locations would be fun. Not sure what the crowd would be like on Sat eve. But they usually look busy in there.

There is a Joe's Crab Shack in Rancho Cucamonga close to the Ontario airport. I enjoyed Joe's the couple times I went.

The drive from Riverside to Hollywood and the Santa Monica can take a while, though. If you are going to wait till Santa Monica for Bubba Gump you may want to stop for lunch at Joe's. There is a smaller seafood place called The Big Catch at the West Covina Plaza along the 10 on your way across into LA. They also have crab and a variety of other things. It is a smaller less exciting kind of place than Bubba Gump.

There are always characters in costume on Hollywood Blvd outside of the Chinese Theater. There are some rides at the end of the pier you may want to check out.

Huntington Beach is nice too. A little smaller, surfer/beachy/resorty, and more polished than the Hollywood/SM tour. I haven't been down there in years, but I like it there too.

I imagine the former idea would be a more eventful adventure. You'll be covering some miles either way.

 

[bruinFJRguy]

Another idea would be to head to Long Beach. Of hand I can think of the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary for touristy thngs. I'd probably choose HW/SM still.

 

[LittleJon]

And crap. Not going. Silly UC Riverside decided to do the fiscally responsible thing and hire local help.

Thanks for your time and input guys. Hopefully I'll be able to explore your suggestions at a later date.

 

[bruinFJRguy]

Dang it. Oh well. Another time.