Slavko's Harbor Poultry

🇭🇷 CROATIA / QUICK FIX: In a place known for its fried chicken, one Croatian dish and over one hundred years of history are worth stopping by to enjoy.

🇭🇷 CROATIA
📍 1224 S. Pacific Avenue,
San Pedro, Harbor
🅿️ Street parking
🥤 No Alcohol

📸 All photos by Jared Cohee
for Eat the World Los Angeles

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When you see the large roof-mounted rooster crowing over Pacific Avenue in San Pedro, you know you have arrived at the right place. What began as a poultry butcher in 1922 (yes, 102 years ago!) became more of a fast food restaurant in the 1950’s and 1960’s when they changed locations twice. This gave the opportunity for the Croatian immigrant owners to sneak some foods from back home onto the menu.

But Slavko’s became well-known and loved in San Pedro for both their many preparations of fried chicken, and eventually their deep-fried potato nuggets. The latter show up in many dishes for free, an industrious invention born from the fact that many customers decades ago truly hated their fries.

If you are coming to Slavko’s for the first time, plan to sit down and eat here as the walls are covered in history (and much more). You can get a sense of the establishment’s place in San Pedro, and even buy some hats and other merchandise if you fall in love hard enough.

As you might expect, for these pages the ćevapčići plate ($12, below) was focused on. You can expect big things of Croatian food in this neighborhood if you have ever been to the area for the nation’s World Cup matches. Things can get a little rowdy at the nearby Croatian American Club, especially when they are punching above their weight as has often happened recently.

Ćevapi are skinless sausages that are usually grilled, but the edges are crispy here from spending some time in the fryer. They are on the small side, but an order comes laid out on a deep bed of those famous potato nuggets and can probably feed two. Visiting Croatians might be turned off by the caramelized onions rather than finely chopped raw onions, but this is of course for Croatian Americans, sometimes many generations removed from Europe.

The friendly place will probably prepare a side of them if you ask, but what is traditional is the ajvar meant to be spread on liberally. This red pepper sauce is ubiquitous throughout the Balkans and can honestly go on just about anything. You will have it on your potatoes and any fried chicken you happen to order with the ćevapi. While the tradition of San Pedro might be more apparent than the tradition of Croatia, it is the location and its history which are worth the trip.

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