Burger & History at the Pier | Proudly Serving, Redondo Beach Pier, CA

Redondo Beach, CA, June 2023

• Cuisine: Burgers & Fries
• Open: Mon. & Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

It is not that often that the sun sets in my hair while I am eating a burger. Because Proudly Serving is located inside Project Barley, a rustic-looking bar serving hand-made small-batch beer from its own brewery, situated along the boardwalk of the Redondo Beach Pier, I pulled chef Kevin Malone out of the kitchen to share with him The Founder and The PS Burger while enjoying the boats and the palm trees as a backdrop.

They are both double smash burgers with cheese and pickles on a butter toasted potato bun. The first one is seasoned with seared yellow mustard, diced white onions and ketchup. The later differentiates itself with griddled onions and a secret sauce. The fries are thick cut, fried in duck fat and sprinkled with flaky salt. You order at the counter, then grab your burgers and fries and decide where to eat, inside where live music is played or anywhere you wish.

Due to its success, the line can be quite long, so be patient. And as the kitchen has become too small, Proudly Serving will, in the coming months, move to its own location at 110 2nd Street in Hermosa Beach where beer and wine will be available. Since they are taking over a famous vegan and vegetarian spot, Matthew McIvor, who started Proudly Serving as a pop-up in his driveway during the pandemic, then called upon chef Malone, will be adding a burger for those who don’t eat meat.

• Check out GAYOT’s Best Burgers Near You.

But hold on, that is not all. Let me interest you in the genesis of the pier that is a historical landmark. It was originally built in 1888 to handle the lumber trade from the Pacific Northwest and was Los Angeles’s original deep sea port. Then over the years came fires, construction and demolition of wharfs for commercial use and leisure. The actual structure is the seventh generation. It has a horseshoe shape and stands 25 feet above the water, spanning 70,000 square feet of open space. It is the largest “endless” pier on the California Coast. It is home to over 30 dining and drinking establishments of all sorts, shops, a fishing area, a skate park, kayaking, and pedal boat or stand up paddle board rentals. At the entrance on the right, take a minute or more to look at the bust of George Douglas Freeth Jr. He is the one who introduced surfing to America! In 1907, industrialist Henry Huntington brought Freeth to Redondo Beach after seeing him surf while vacationing in Hawaii, as an attraction to promote the largest saltwater plunge in the world that he was building. Freeth was called “the man who walked on water.” Freeth is also known for having founded the lifeguard association and invented the torpedo shaped rescue buoy. The bust originally erected in 1977 was stolen in 2008 and was replaced in 2010.

> Scroll down the photo gallery of Proudly Serving for a tour of the Redondo Beach Pier.

Proudly Serving | GAYOT’s Rating: Quick Bite
Inside Project Barley at The Redondo Beach Pier
136 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA. 90277
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