The view has always been one of Kincaid’s greatest draws. Perched above the water on the Redondo Beach Pier, the restaurant offers front-row seats to sunsets, sailboats, and the Pacific Ocean. But long after the last bite, General Manager Isbhak Vazquez and Sales & Events Coordinator Janee Funderburk hope guests remember something else entirely: how they were made to feel.
“I like to say [the view] is a painting,” Vazquez said. “What matters is the hospitality inside.”
Vazquez joined Kincaid’s in February 2020, just weeks before COVID changed the restaurant industry forever. Over the past several years, he and his team have worked to create a restaurant experience that feels polished and welcoming.
For Vazquez, that means more than serving a great meal. It means creating connections that bring guests back again and again. “We want people to create memories and to be ‘familia,’” Vazquez said. “They keep coming back to us so we gain a great guest and now we have a guest for life. And that's what it's about in restaurants.”
That commitment to hospitality is what Vazquez believes separates a memorable dining experience from an ordinary one. “We want to make sure that we return the value to the guest,” he said. “That goes with service, obviously, how the restaurant looks, making the menu more friendly, events, being part of the community, and hiring more local people.”
Funderburk shares that same belief. As Sales & Events Coordinator, she helps guests celebrate some of life’s biggest moments, from weddings and anniversaries to birthdays, graduations, and corporate gatherings. Her goal is to make sure hosts can put the planning aside and fully enjoy the people they came to celebrate with.
“The benefit of booking here is that you have me,” Funderburk said. “I run your event. You can just be with your friends and family, and enjoy them, and enjoy the moment without thinking, ‘Okay, what's next up? What do we need to do?’ That’s my job.”
Her team handles the details behind the scenes so guests can simply be present. “We hold the stress of the whole planning,” she said. “We take care of that, and on the actual day, you get to be present, enjoy the food, enjoy the drinks, enjoy the company, and feel pampered by me and our staff assisting the event. It's really about giving and really hitting on hospitality.”
Those moments are what stay with the Kincaid’s team long after the event ends. Funderburk recalled a surprise birthday celebration in the bar featuring live mariachi music. When the guest of honor arrived, the room filled with emotion. “When the daughter arrived, we were able to witness her reaction,” she said. “Everyone was crying and laughing and hugging. There was so much love in that room. It was overwhelming in the most beautiful way. The servers were tearing up… It was just lovely for all of us to have that opportunity to be a part of it.”
Vazquez shared a similar memory of a young girl celebrating her 12th birthday with her family. After learning how much the occasion meant to her, he created a special moment with a birthday dessert and a personal touch from the team. “Something little that we can do... if we do it right, with the right intention, you make moments like that,” he said.
Creating memorable moments also extends to the dining experience itself. Kincaid’s prepares seafood, pork, and steaks over live fire using locally sourced almond wood, adding a subtle smokiness and nutty flavor that makes each dish distinctive.
“There are just a few restaurants that actually cook on the grill with live fire,” Vazquez said. “Most restaurants use gas. It's very difficult to master that... It’s a very artful thing to have in the restaurant, very unique.”
The bar also plays a role in creating memorable experiences. Kincaid’s multi-sensory cocktails, including Paradise Mystère with its dramatic smoky presentation, give guests another reason to celebrate. The Spicy Prickly Pear Margarita has also become a favorite, blending tequila, jalapeño, desert pear, and lychee-lime sour for a vibrant cocktail with a hint of heat.
Hospitality also means creating value and giving guests more reasons to return. Kincaid’s Happy Hour features a variety of food and cocktail options, while the $49 three-course menu offers guests the opportunity to experience the restaurant at an approachable price point.
“We have everything that other nice restaurants can offer... Even more, but to be specific, hospitality,” Vazquez said. “Hospitality with value.”
Beyond everyday dining, Kincaid’s hosts quarterly wine dinners that pair thoughtfully curated menus with exceptional wines, offering another way for guests to experience the restaurant.
For Vazquez, every detail serves a greater purpose: creating an experience guests want to remember. “People serving people,” he said. “I mean, it sounds very simple but you can go to any other restaurant and they’ll give you food and space. Maybe a view. That makes us unique as far as the serving perspective.”
Standing above the water, it’s easy to admire Kincaid’s sweeping harbor views. But the most memorable view isn’t just what guests see when they look out toward the ocean—it’s what they feel when they look back at the people who welcomed them, celebrated with them, and helped create moments they’ll never forget.
Because at Kincaid’s, the view is more than the ocean. It’s the connections made around the table, the celebrations shared, and the memories created together. And that may be the most memorable view of all.