Best Tapas Restaurants in Hawthorne / Gardena

Thanksgiving Dinner at FwD!!! My daughter and I automatically passed on the yardbird and defaulted to the best hole in the wall seafood joint west of the Mississippi……..the sun was setting on a beautiful, warm day in MB and that called for the Queen Mary…..the “Mother of All Raw Seafood Platters”!! Oysters, clams, mussels, jumbo shrimp, Maine Lobster, King Crab, freshly chilled, plus all the special FwD dips and vinaigrettes and the Cape Cod Squash Rolls for some extra carbs. Next was the so delicious and creative Harissa spiced Octopus a la Plancha with a Peruvian cauliflower and hummus sauce…….Wow, that dish was so well executed by the boys in the back!! Of course I had to order the tried and true Maryland Blue Crab Cake and my daughter always gets the FwD signature grand slam Koshihikari Rice, a traditional Japanese umami dashi risotto style dish with raw egg yolk that I guarantee Shohei would love!! And of course that iconic Key Lime Pie is the only way to end a fantastic meal here……..hats off and super thanks to server Akela and Manager Katie, Server Jess and Hostess Kaylee, the entire FwD crew working hard on Thanksgiving!! Happy Holidays!!!

We were able to find street parking. The restaurant was festive and surrounding area was well lighted. We sat at the bar while waiting to be seated. Cocktails were good and strong! We chose the prix fixe menu including dessert - brussels, corn, beets, clams, sea bass, and added the crispy pork belly - all was so savory and delightful! Ambiance was pretty! Service by Claire was awesome! Overall fantastic! We will go back for more! Great job Girl and The Goat!

Our 2nd time here and still just as good as we remember! We brought friends here so they could try it and they had a great experience.

Once we found it...paradise! The staff were AMAZING and super attentive. The ambiance was spectacular ....a LA must!

Been wanting to try Happa Restaurant for a while now since they opened at the Gardena Hotel, and they did not disappoint. All the dishes come out hot and delicious, and the service was outstanding. We will be back soon!