Reel Inn

Last updated
Reel Inn
Logo Reel Inn.gif
Restaurant information
Established1986
ClosedJanuary 2025 (temporarily)
Owner(s)Andy and Teddy Leonard
Food typeSeafood
Street address18661 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA 90265
CityMalibu
StateCalifornia
Postal/ZIP Code90265
Other informationDestroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire in January 2025

The Reel Inn was a seafood restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. [1] [2] It was opened in 1986 by Andy Leonard; twenty years later, it was described as a "landmark of glorious decrepitude" in the New York Times. [3] It was destroyed in the Palisades Fire in January 2025. [4]

An "iconic Los Angeles fish shack," the interior of the Reel Inn was decorated with old surfboards. Food was ordered at an outside counter and served through a window on paper plates. [5] The menu was written daily on a chalkboard, and specials incorporated puns such as "O Sole Mio" and "Salmon Chanted Evening". [6] [7] It was a hangout for actors and musicians including Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. [8]

In 2001, the land on which the Reel Inn sits was acquired by a conservation group, becoming part of Topanga State Park. [9] The California Department of Parks and Recreation identified the Reel Inn as a historical resource and a visitor service, allowing it to remain in business in the park. [10]

The owners announced their intention to rebuild the restaurant and began a GoFundMe account to support their employees on January 22, 2025. [11]

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References

  1. Amsden, David (2025-01-25). "An Ode to the Reel Inn, A Treasured Gathering Place Lost to the LA Fires". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  2. Simon, Ruth (2025-01-13). "Malibu's Famous Fish Shack Is Gone. Its Owners Aren't Sure They Can Rebuild". WSJ. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  3. Horyn, Cathy (2006-11-30). "800 Very Unsquare Feet". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
  4. Simon, Ruth (2025-01-13). "Malibu's Famous Fish Shack Is Gone. Its Owners Aren't Sure They Can Rebuild". WSJ. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  5. "Remembering the Reel Inn, a century-old building, lost to the Palisades Fire". KCRW. 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  6. Andrews, C. (1987, Oct 18). "Reelin' in the Seafood'', Los Angeles Times
  7. Parkes, C. (2006, Apr 15). "What I love about...Los Angeles", First edition, Financial Times.
  8. (1989, May 07). Julian Escapes Lennon Shadow, Rolling Stone
  9. Kondo, Annette (March 15, 2001). "1,659 Acres to Be Acquired for Park". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  10. Chasen, Susan (January 10, 2002) "State Park Gives Lower Topanga Businesses Two More Years", Topanga Messenger
  11. Medina, Mekahlo; Patel, Sahana (2025-01-22). "Reel Inn Malibu owners fundraising to help employees impacted by Palisades Fire". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2025-01-26.