While the Santa Monica Pier gets a bad rep for its fried and fatty cuisine, there is a restaurant that is too often overlooked – The Albright. The first restaurant on the Pier to earn the Green Business Certification and the 2017 SQA Grand Prize winner, The Albright strives to develop the surrounding community all while serving up sustainable, delicious seafood! (Don’t worry, there are some non-seafood options too.)
I had the chance to taste an array of the restaurants’ signature dishes, and I’m here to give you the scoop. So without further ado, here is your guide on what to order at The Albright.
Let’s start with a classic – Fish n’ Chips.
This is not the first thing I would usually choose on the menu, but it will be the first thing I order when I go back. The flaky, fried shell isn’t too oily, and the tender Tilapia melts in your mouth. It’s great dipped in tartar sauce or ketchup (I tried both), and it isn’t hard to finish off all three sticks. It is served up with original french fries that do not disappoint either. Overall, I’d give this dish a 10/10.
Moving on to another seafood staple – Clam Chowder.
Again, I would usually skip past this creamy soup, but the bread bowl caught my attention. This chowder set the bar pretty high. It doesn’t have the overpowering seafood flavor I was expecting, but its thick, potato-y consistency complements the warm, doughy bread. This bread bowl is big enough for two (or three), so I’d suggest ordering as an appetizer and splitting.
For those of you who don’t love seafood, the veggie tacos are a great option.
The Albright does not skimp on the veggies. In one order of tacos, you get peppers, squash, zucchini, cauliflower, tomatoes, black beans, and (FREE) guacamole. It comes as a make-your-own style, so you can choose which veggies to put in each of your three flour tortillas. I also appreciated the fact that the tacos were not drenched in oil, like veggies served in restaurants so often are.
And the grand prize winner goes to….. the Lobster Roll.
I’d never had a lobster roll before, but I’m convinced I don’t need to go anywhere else for it. The bun was perfectly toasted, as it should be. The sauce was not layered on the roll, so it was easy to taste the natural sweet flavor of the lobster. I chose to pair this dish with sweet potato fries and loved it!
These four dishes were my favorite, but there is still so much to try on the menu. In addition to seafood, they serve a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. There is a dish that will satisfy everyones’ cravings. So next time you are wondering where to eat on the Santa Monica Pier, think of The Albright!