This place sucks , I saw the owner Marcos Killing roaches in the back of his kitchen , would never come back here anymore , this is unacceptable, I will also report this place to the los angeles health department.
Jasmine
Fresh tasty fish and friendly service! I got the Snapper lunch combo. It was also affordable 🙏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Regjo Manley
Fried fresh and quick service my second time going.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Williams
Excellent food,absolutely one of the best seafood restaurants that I have been to anywhere!!!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Pannell
I was in the mood for fish and honestly a bit tired of eating leftover Christmas ham—even though it was really good. So I hopped on Google to see what was open nearby and came across Penguin Fish & Chips, which was about four miles away. I gave them a call and ordered the Fried Catfish Dinner with fries, which also came with hush puppies (always a plus).
The gentleman on the phone was polite and told me the order would be ready in about 10 minutes. Keep in mind, this was close to closing time—I called around 9:07 p.m., and they close at 10:00 p.m. on a Friday. This was my first time trying the place.
When I arrived, I recognized the area right away. I went inside and found the place to be clean, decent, and well-kept, with no sketchy activity outside. Overall, it felt safe and welcoming, which I appreciate. I paid around $22 plus tip, grabbed my food, and headed home to eat.
Now, here’s the honest part about the food. Unfortunately, it was pretty bland, with barely any seasoning. The fries were placed at the bottom of the box, with no foil or paper separating them from the fish. Because everything was packed together and still hot, the fish became very soft and crumbled easily.
That said, I want to give this establishment the benefit of the doubt. It was near closing time, I didn’t request extra seasoning, and it’s possible that on a normal day they separate the food better and season it more consistently.
Overall, this experience didn’t completely turn me off. I’m willing to try them again—but next time, I’ll do it Burger King style and ask for my food my way 😄. Hopefully, this feedback helps both the restaurant and future customers when placing their next order.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
D K
The red snapper was seasoned & fried just right . I love the crinkle fries & hush puppies that accompanied the fish. I appreciated the packaging the fish dinner came in, a small card board box with a lid to keep everything warm & crispy. Alot of fish markets use Styrofoam containers which sweat the fish & fries out causing them not to have that fresh crispy texture. They give you tarter sauce in the packets like ketchup come in which is OK but, if they were to switch to the tarter sauce that come in the small round plastic container that most fish markets provide & add a bread roll , it would be over the top. Overall very nice fish dinner. The price i selected was for 2 red snapper dinners $38.00.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Annette GARAY
Stopped by with my kids and we were pleasantly surprised! We ordered the popular #22 combo, which came with a generous mix of fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, and classic sides like coleslaw, mac, and potato salad. Everything was hot, crispy, and super flavorful.
The portions are big, the service was friendly, and even my little ones loved their fries and onion rings. Great family-owned spot if you’re craving a classic fish fry. Definitely worth adding to your seafood list!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paris Jennings
The red snapper, catfish, and shrimp are fabulous! The owner let us taste test some of his new spicy ranch it was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jazmine Anderson
Food and service were top tier! I'll definitely be going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
stacia queen
Food was nice and hot. Tasty. Just wish you get more than 3 hush puppies with your dinner and wish the sides were bigger
Came here since I was a kid love this place can’t ever go wrong having this for lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Diana Chang
Penguin Fish & Chips is a true local gem!
We came for the seafood and left OBSESSED. This spot has been around for decades and you can feel the old-school charm the moment you walk in. The interior is clean, cozy, and no-frills — exactly what you’d expect from a longtime neighborhood favorite. There’s a nostalgic diner vibe, with friendly staff and steady regulars grabbing their go-to orders.
We went big with the COMBO platter and it did not disappoint: 🔥 5 crispy fish fillets — each piece golden, flaky, and piping hot 🦪 1 giant jar oyster — tender, briny, and fried to perfection 🦐 6 jumbo shrimp — juicy, snappy, and delicious 🌊 2 golden scallops — buttery and lightly crisp on the outside
And the sides? A throwback dream — creamy coleslaw, classic potato salad, and nostalgic macaroni salad that tastes like summer picnics.
If you’re craving classic, no-nonsense seafood done right, Penguin is the spot. Come hungry and bring a friend — the portions are huge!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brookell Barber
They have the best fried fish in Los Angeles hands down. I’m not too happy that they have raised the prices but like I said they have the best fried fish and shrimp and I’ve tried so many places. They do need to renovate the inside for diners.
This place is very consistent with the food. The food is delicious either without salt or not overly salted with salt. Prices are fair for the economy.
This place sucks , I saw the owner Marcos
Killing roaches in the back of his kitchen , would never come back here anymore , this is unacceptable, I will also report this place to the los angeles health department.
Fresh tasty fish and friendly service! I got the Snapper lunch combo. It was also affordable 🙏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fried fresh and quick service my second time going.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food,absolutely one of the best seafood restaurants that I have been to anywhere!!!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was in the mood for fish and honestly a bit tired of eating leftover Christmas ham—even though it was really good. So I hopped on Google to see what was open nearby and came across Penguin Fish & Chips, which was about four miles away. I gave them a call and ordered the Fried Catfish Dinner with fries, which also came with hush puppies (always a plus).
The gentleman on the phone was polite and told me the order would be ready in about 10 minutes. Keep in mind, this was close to closing time—I called around 9:07 p.m., and they close at 10:00 p.m. on a Friday. This was my first time trying the place.
When I arrived, I recognized the area right away. I went inside and found the place to be clean, decent, and well-kept, with no sketchy activity outside. Overall, it felt safe and welcoming, which I appreciate. I paid around $22 plus tip, grabbed my food, and headed home to eat.
Now, here’s the honest part about the food. Unfortunately, it was pretty bland, with barely any seasoning. The fries were placed at the bottom of the box, with no foil or paper separating them from the fish. Because everything was packed together and still hot, the fish became very soft and crumbled easily.
That said, I want to give this establishment the benefit of the doubt. It was near closing time, I didn’t request extra seasoning, and it’s possible that on a normal day they separate the food better and season it more consistently.
Overall, this experience didn’t completely turn me off. I’m willing to try them again—but next time, I’ll do it Burger King style and ask for my food my way 😄. Hopefully, this feedback helps both the restaurant and future customers when placing their next order.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
The red snapper was seasoned & fried just right . I love the crinkle fries & hush puppies that accompanied the fish. I appreciated the packaging the fish dinner came in, a small card board box with a lid to keep everything warm & crispy. Alot of fish markets use Styrofoam containers which sweat the fish & fries out causing them not to have that fresh crispy texture. They give you tarter sauce in the packets like ketchup come in which is OK but, if they were to switch to the tarter sauce that come in the small round plastic container that most fish markets provide & add a bread roll , it would be over the top. Overall very nice fish dinner. The price i selected was for 2 red snapper dinners $38.00.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stopped by with my kids and we were pleasantly surprised! We ordered the popular #22 combo, which came with a generous mix of fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, and classic sides like coleslaw, mac, and potato salad. Everything was hot, crispy, and super flavorful.
The portions are big, the service was friendly, and even my little ones loved their fries and onion rings. Great family-owned spot if you’re craving a classic fish fry. Definitely worth adding to your seafood list!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The red snapper, catfish, and shrimp are fabulous! The owner let us taste test some of his new spicy ranch it was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service were top tier! I'll definitely be going back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was nice and hot. Tasty. Just wish you get more than 3 hush puppies with your dinner and wish the sides were bigger
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Came here since I was a kid love this place can’t ever go wrong having this for lunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Penguin Fish & Chips is a true local gem!
We came for the seafood and left OBSESSED. This spot has been around for decades and you can feel the old-school charm the moment you walk in. The interior is clean, cozy, and no-frills — exactly what you’d expect from a longtime neighborhood favorite. There’s a nostalgic diner vibe, with friendly staff and steady regulars grabbing their go-to orders.
We went big with the COMBO platter and it did not disappoint:
🔥 5 crispy fish fillets — each piece golden, flaky, and piping hot
🦪 1 giant jar oyster — tender, briny, and fried to perfection
🦐 6 jumbo shrimp — juicy, snappy, and delicious
🌊 2 golden scallops — buttery and lightly crisp on the outside
And the sides? A throwback dream — creamy coleslaw, classic potato salad, and nostalgic macaroni salad that tastes like summer picnics.
If you’re craving classic, no-nonsense seafood done right, Penguin is the spot. Come hungry and bring a friend — the portions are huge!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They have the best fried fish in Los Angeles hands down. I’m not too happy that they have raised the prices but like I said they have the best fried fish and shrimp and I’ve tried so many places. They do need to renovate the inside for diners.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Hush Puppies, Orange Roughy, Fried Shrimp, French Fries, Jumbo Shrimp Dinner, pcs Jumbo Shrimp, Catfish and Fries, Filet Whiting Lunch
This place is very consistent with the food. The food is delicious either without salt or not overly salted with salt. Prices are fair for the economy.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great fish 🐟
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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