Johnny's Shrimp Boat

Update 2/25/26 What can I say. When you crave a classic and they always nail it, you have to give them five stars! People will say they have had better shrimp, but not with the chili sauce and not with the nostalgia! Trying to limit the fried food so just went with 8 shrimp only and two fish only, no fries :) Very friendly service yet again. Update 10/14/25 A classic that still holds up after all these years! Craving fried shrimp with chili and hit the spot. Service was great yet again. Very nice lady behind the register. Just ordered a dozen shrimp this time and loved every bite. Extra chili sauce as requested as well. Update 12/27/22 Definitely hit the spot as I had a craving for the shrimp and especially the hot sauce. Service was again amazing. My only issue was the shrimp or lack there of. Some of my fiends don’t get it because they don’t have the history of the OG in LA, but I just want some LA shrimp that does not exist. Their issue is the breading, which was the issue for me today. I usually love the breading, since it’s the vehicle for the other unique treat which is the hot sauce. Then you get the treat, which is the shrimp. On this occasion, the shrimp was smaller than i remember. Hope this was just a bad batch for me, but I prefer they raise the price (which they did) than use smaller shrimp. I’m still a fan, but hope this was just a smaller than usual batch of shrimp. —— I’ve had service related issues in the past with this and the Pico Rivera location but always come back for the shrimp and chili sauce. Maybe that is the trick. Just order what I enjoy and skip the other items that are hit and miss. On this occasion I went with the basics, shrimp and fries and it was awesome. Soooo good and so unique. Service was really good this time as well. I was able to order over the phone and pick up without any delays. When I asked for extra chili sauce I didn’t get the usual mean look, so I left a few dollars as tip and started walking out. The lady called me back noting that I didn’t need to pay for the extra sauce, which was very nice. I said it was a tip and not for the sauce anyway and we both had a quick laugh. I’d say skip the rice, gravy or beans but some people really seem to love but is hit and Miss for me. Same with fish, but the shrimp is always Fire and will stick with that for now.

I heard this place is good. I don't know if it's related to the original Johnny Shrimp Boat from back in the 80s in downtown LA on the side of the street in a truck I went to as a teen. But I'm willing to give it a try.

I've been coming to Johnny's shrimp boat for years, I never tried the short ribs. So I decided to try them and they were delicious, nice and tender with a lot of flavor, and of course the shrimp and gravy went well with everything. One of my favorite places.

We are impressed the shrimp! Great place for seafood, especially shrimp! The shrimp were fresh and well-seasoned, and definitely the highlight of the meal. The chicken wings were also surprisingly good—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of flavor. Overall, the food quality was solid and very satisfying. If you enjoy seafood and well-prepared comfort food, this place is worth a visit.

Opened in 1945! The Original was in DTLA. 3 surviving locations. Just a relic with a lot of character, and offering something straight and forward in a way that a lot of places just don’t. Fried fish. Fried shrimp. Rice & Gravy. Chili Fries. Chili Oil in bottles. It’s a real place to pig out and dig out. Super fire. These are real food spots that develop the taste profiles, that so called fine dining experts need to dip into every now and then especially when it seems the more we “elevate” dining the more everything starts to taste the same. Let’s get back to our roots. Let’s get back to getting our hands dirty. A place that transcends trend.