Several years ago a plan was put into action to return the Malibu Pier to its former glory after being closed to the public in 1995.
This summer the pier finally opened again. The centerpiece of this restoration effort was the Beachcomber Café a seafood restaurant within a nostalgic Malibu atmosphere. The Beachcomber Café offers an oceanfront dining experience that may reinstate the pier to its original popularity.
When first entering the Beachcomber Café one is immediately drawn into the 1940s era atmosphere and overcome with a nostalgic feeling for Malibu of the past. The restaurant features large sea-green booths vintage Malibu photos a number of porthole-shaped windows and a glossy wood interior.
This is not a dimly lit overcrowded Hollywood hot spot. Dining at the Beachcomber Café is meant to be a cozy experience for people to feel at home. Seating is available outdoors with a glass terrace to shield patrons from the wind and large heat lamps to keep the area warm on cooler evenings.
The menu for the Beachcomber Café includes new items specific to the Malibu location in addition to a mix of old favorites carried over from its sister flagship restaurant at Crystal Cove.
Dinner starts with a choice of soup or salad including the rich and creamy clam chowder. Appetizers include taco shells calamari clams lettuce wraps and asparagus.
For the entrées one can choose from seafood dishes like the seafood potpie and the salmon in puffed pastry. Traditional options are also included ranging from roasted chicken and filet mignon to lamb and ribeye. The ribeye is tender and juicy and includes a side of seasoned vegetables while the salmon in puffed pastry is crunchy and packed with flavor.
Delicious food and an oceanfront view do not come without a price however. Some menu options at the Beachcomber Café may be too upscale for patrons looking for a cheap meal. Soups salads and appetizers run from $6 to $16 while entrees range from $19 to $45.
Across from the Beachcomber Café lies the Malibu Pier Club the restaurant’s small indoor bar with a party alcove covered in tikis known as the Tonga Lei Room – a single booth reserved for parties of up to 10 to 12 for those looking to privatize their oceanfront dining experience.
The Malibu Pier Club is a period-looking bar from the late 1940s named after a restaurant that was located at the pier during the same time. The Beachcomber opened in July 2008 and is the only restaurant currently open on the pier.
The Beachcomber Café offers breakfast lunch and dinner. A breakfast at sunrise or a lunch date could save money while offering the same experience for those who are more frugal. For lunch there is a wider selection of salads and options not served at night such as Mediterranean pizza and the Kobe Beachcomber Burger. The Beachcomber owner Doug Cavanaugh said in a press release that he plans to eventually open a snack shack at the end of the pier that will occupy one of the historic buildings. This snack shack will serve patrons counter-side with a selection of deluxe shakes burgers fries and breakfast options. There is also a brunch menu available until 4 p.m. which offers a mix of breakfast favorites such as Flamenco Eggs a basket of Mini Muffins and the Adamson Omelet mixed with lunch options from salads to sandwiches and the signature Kobe Beachcomber Burger. The executive chef has more than 15 years of experience working alongside world-renowned chefs in various New York hot spots and in Orange County. The staff is warm and friendly and willing to elaborate on any of the menu options or discuss the finer differences between dishes. The crowd is diverse with a mix of middle-aged couples co-workers and groups of 20-somethings hoping to spot the common weeknight celebrity appearance at this Malibu destination.