22 Jan Go Old School and Warm Up with a Bowl of Killer Shrimp

With all of the restaurants to chose from in Los Angeles, sometimes it is easy to forget about those that have been around for awhile. So, when I was invited to visit Killer Shrimp in Marina del Rey, I was looking forward to re-visiting it. Killer Shrimp is a big bowl of shrimp with a spicy broth. It is a recipe that was created by rock musician Lee Michaels more than 30 years ago. His son Kevin, who is the CEO of the company today, was a young surfer at the time and called his dad’s special home recipe “killer” shrimp. After testing it around town, they started a pop-up in Venice and then opened up their first spot in Marina del Rey, following by Studio City and later other locations. Growing up in Studio City, I would drive by Killer Shrimp regularly but was afraid to try the spicy “killer shrimp” as I did not handle spicy food well. And, at that time, the menu only included Killer Shrimp, served in the spicy broth with bread or poured over angel hair pasta or steamed white rice. Here we are a couple decades later, the weather is cold and I have built up a tolerance for medium spice. I headed to the single Killer Shrimp location, looking forward to warming up. Killer Shrimp is located in Marina del Rey in a huge space with fabulous waterfront views. There is an outdoor patio, a full bar and private event space. And, the menu has grown beyond the Killer Shrimp. As per the name, and the location on the water, the menu is seafood and fish driven with appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees, as well as the original Killer Shrimp menu. We started out with a few appetizers. The Popcorn Shrimp are crunchy and spicy and truly addictive. I could not stop popping them in my mouth. The Ahi Tuna Poke Tacos are fresh little bites and the Mini Crab Cakes are also tasty little bites. We then jumped into the Killer Shrimp menu which has expanded. There is the “Original”, “Shelled”, “Rice” and “Pasta” and they are all served with a big bowl of French bread to dip in the sauce. There are also combos of shrimp with crab and lobster but we opted for the Killer Shrimp “Shelled”. What makes the Killer Shrimp so special is the secret sauce, made from all natural ingredients that are simmered for 10 hours. We also enjoyed the secret spices on the Killer Corn. There is a full cocktail list with drinks like Shrimp Killa and Killer Mai Tai. The wine list is not worth spending any time on. The wines by the glass offerings are not well-paired with the menu and are rather boring and uninspired. With the spicy broth, I was really hoping for a glass of German Riesling. We finished off our meal with Killer Shrimp’s original desert, Sweet Potato Pecan Pie with whipped cream. When you are looking for a warm spicy bowl of shrimp, remember Killer Shrimp. They have been serving it for more than 30 years and perhaps they will continue for another 30. Killer Shrimp 4211 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292