The Arthur J Friendsgiving Dinner in Manhattan Beach

The Arthur J, at 903 Manhattan Avenue in downtown Manhattan Beach, is a steakhouse with a private side that suits a Friendsgiving dinner. Its Bungalow seats up to 38, or 46 for a reception, and splits into two smaller rooms, the Poolhouse for up to 16 seated and the Clubhouse for up to 22. The private dining page says the kitchen builds custom prix-fixe and family-style menus for these rooms, so a group can pass platters instead of ordering a steak each.

The restaurant's story page explains that it is named for Arthur J. Simms, who opened Ben Frank's on the Sunset Strip in 1962, The Kettle in Manhattan Beach in 1974 and Mimi's Café in 1978, and who served as a bombardier and navigator during World War II. Chef-owner David LeFevre, also behind M.B. Post and Fishing with Dynamite, runs the kitchen. The grill was custom made by J&R Manufacturing in Mesquite, Texas, and cooks over smoking white oak embers.

The dining room is a mid-century modern space, with the kind of low lighting that makes a long dinner feel like an occasion. For a group of friends, that design is the point: it feels like a classic supper club rather than a beach restaurant, and on a cold November night the glow from the grill makes the room feel warmer than the ocean air outside.

The fall 2026 menu, which runs from October 8 through January 6, lists Roasted Bone Marrow Toast at $25 and Parker House Rolls at $13, two starters that set the tone. The Arthur J Steak Sampler is $80 and gives a small group a taste of several cuts, while the Tomahawk Steak, a 40-ounce dry-aged bone-in prime cut, is $205 and is the showpiece for a table of four to six. Butternut Squash Soup at $15 is the seasonal dish that fits a Friendsgiving.

On Saturdays, the Classic Prime Rib is $68, which makes a Saturday Friendsgiving the night with the most holiday feel. For dessert, the Pumpkin Spiced Crème Brûlée at $14 is the seasonal finish, and the Bananas Foster Sundae at $16 is the crowd-pleaser to share. An honest call: skip ordering a sampler and a tomahawk for the same small table, since the tomahawk alone feeds most groups and the sampler overlaps it.

For a table of eight, a workable Friendsgiving order is one tomahawk, a steak sampler shared at the other end of the table, two orders of bone marrow toast, two baskets of rolls and the squash soup for anyone who wants something lighter. Finish with one crème brûlée and one sundae per four people. That spread covers the whole table without anyone ordering an individual entree, and it leaves the conversation, not the menu, at the center of the evening.

The bar is worth a stop before dinner. The fall cocktail is The Fall Classic, a barrel-aged Negroni, and it makes a good round for the whole table to toast with. Corkage is $35 per 750ml bottle with a two-bottle maximum per table, which suits a group that wants to bring a special bottle for the occasion without paying for a full wine list.

The Bungalow is the room to ask for when the group is between 16 and 38 people, and the Poolhouse or Clubhouse suits a dozen or more. Contact the restaurant through its private dining page, and the team will build a menu, either a fixed prix fixe or a family-style spread. For same-day bookings or larger parties, the restaurant asks guests to call (310) 878-9620.

Plan B: Thanksgiving Day itself has no menu on the official site, so the safest plan is a Friendsgiving on another night in November. If the private rooms are booked, a main dining room table on a weeknight is easier to get, and because dinner service begins at 4 pm, a group can eat early and still have time for an evening walk on the lit pier afterward.

The Arthur J is open Monday to Wednesday 4 pm to 9:45 pm and Thursday to Saturday 4 pm to 10:45 pm. On Sunday, brunch runs 10 am to 2:30 pm and dinner 4 pm to 9:45 pm. The phone number is (310) 878-9620. There is no rail station nearby, so most groups drive or share rides, and parking in downtown Manhattan Beach is mostly in city lots and metered street spaces near the pier.

The restaurant sits on Manhattan Avenue a few blocks from the beach, which puts it in the middle of the downtown strip. A group meeting from Los Angeles should allow extra time on weekend evenings, when the drive along the coast and the search for parking can add 20 minutes or more.

Before dinner, walk down Manhattan Beach Boulevard to the Manhattan Beach Pier, where the Roundhouse at the end makes a classic group photo against the Pacific. In late November the sun sets before 5 pm, so a 4 pm meetup gives the group a sunset on the pier and a short walk back up the hill to dinner. The pier is lit at night, so it works for an after-dinner stroll too.

Metlox Plaza, also on Manhattan Beach Boulevard, is a small open-air courtyard with shops and a hotel, a good place for the group to gather if someone runs late. After dinner, the walk from the plaza to the pier and back takes about 20 minutes and is an easy way to finish a big steak dinner.

The Arthur J, 903 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Phone (310) 878-9620. Monday to Wednesday 4 pm to 9:45 pm, Thursday to Saturday 4 pm to 10:45 pm, Sunday brunch 10 am to 2:30 pm and dinner 4 pm to 9:45 pm. Bungalow up to 38 seated, Poolhouse 16, Clubhouse 22, with custom family-style menus. Tomahawk Steak $205, Saturday prime rib $68. Corkage $35 per bottle, two maximum.