Chef John's Fish & Chips

Fish was pretty good. Tasted fresh and was freshly prepared. The tarter sauce was a little sweeter than I prefer but that is a me thing. The fish pieces were big one piece was more then enough. The onion rings are good made with the same or very similar batter to the fish. The restaurant itself is on the older side, felt like it was from a different time. Bathroom floors were a little grimy but I think it may be an age of the building kind of thing. Toilet and sink were clean. Music selection brought back some nostalgia, late 90's early 2000 Christian soft rock, felt like I was back at bible camp. I would eat here again if I was in Lemon Grove but I would not go out of my way for another visit. We split a 2 fish plate and asked for onion rings instead of French fries and both got the smaller drinks it was about 15 per person.

Hidden gem. Food comes out piping hot, their batter is crispy and delicious. I recommend dining-in for the best experience. This is not fast food so it is a 15 min+ wait but so worth it for the made to order freshness. They don't have huge portions and it is on the pricier side but I've never left feeling unsatisfied. I recommend the Fish and Oyster with fries.

By far the BEST fish and chips I’ve had in San Diego. Everything was amazing, the food, presentation, atmosphere! If you are visiting or a local and love fish and chips.. this place is a MUST. We’ll definitely be back!

The food is delicious! The fish is not heavily battered which I love. It takes a while to get your order, but I prefer fresh prepared food over fast. You can tell they use fresh oil, not stale like some places. My family absolutely loves this place!

Delicious! This is definitely a gem spot for that famous fish and chips! This was my very first time eating at this local food spot and i can say it was worth every penny! Food was made fresh to order so taking my first bite of everything was perfectly battered and hot! if you have not been here do yourself a favor and just come by! You will not leave disappointed but you surely will feel nice and full! i will be back for more!

The food was great and the service was quick. It was our first time visiting Chef John's and we'll be back! Thank you for a great dinner.

first time coming here. food took some time to come out but was worth the wait. everything was perfectly salted and crispy. i WILL be back 🙂

Whenever we go, the wait is lengthy. The fish has been consistent with its results. However, the fries have on multiple occasions been ’refried’ for call-in orders. I have found that when you are willing to walk-in to order, you are able to see what’s going on with your food. And results are ‘fresher French fries’. Lately, they have been chewier bc of refrying old fries. This takes rating down from 5 to 2 stars for me.

My wife and I recently tried Chef John's Fish and Chips, and we were pleasantly surprised! While my all-time favorite spot remains Captain Sam's, this place is definitely a strong contender. The fish platter was fantastic--crispy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. One thing I really appreciated was their generosity with the condiments. They didn't hold back on the cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or malt vinegar, all of which were excellent and complemented the meal perfectly. Overall, Chef John's is a great spot, and we'd absolutely return for another visit.

This place is legit! We stopped in since my MIL has raved about it over the years, and we are glad that we did! Service is friendly, prices are reasonable and the food is good! I read reviews that reported portions are large, so hubby and I ordered a 3-item combo with fish, calamari and shrimp, and added an extra fish. The order took about 15-20 min and it was worth the wait. I rarely order fish and chips because most places over fry and or seasoning is off. Not this place! Everything was piping hot, well seasoned and breaded just right, and the fish was moist. They ration their sauces, but I don't hate on that. It was plenty for us, and I don't like stuff go to waste. They did tell us to let them know if we needed more sauces, but if you like extra you can order more for a small fee. I wouldn't go here for the ambiance, but the food is solid. It could use a facelift, but it was clean. I'd rather they keep prices down and keep serving up good food. We'll be returning with our daughters soon!

If you enjoy fish and chips this is the place. Big pieces of moist fish. It takes some time, but comes out fresh. Definitely more of a take-out spot. There is dine-in available, but it's a dated old fast food restaurant. So ambiance is to be expected as such. I will definitely be picking up from here again.

Best fish & chips in Diego..been eating here for several years now family owned & operated. Bomb.com

The best fish, shrimp and chips in town! So crunchy and flavorful! Today the restaurant had several customers dining in and enjoying the delicious food. These guys made it through Covid, and seem to be on there way to rebuilding the customer base they had before Covid. 2024(17)

Always delicous. Always fresh. Large portions. Friendly staff! Cute inside (kind of like an old taco bell or mcdonalds seating) CLOSED SUNDAYS!

I heard about this hole-on-the-wall spot from a friend who swore on the quality of their food here and he was not lying. I ordered the 2 pc. Fish and Chips with tartar sauce and oh my gosh...I couldn't even get through this review without fantasizing about the crispy batter enveloping the white flaky fresh fish preserving its glory. The fries are 7/10 but is elevated by the company of the fish and presentation of this whole plate. I don't usually listen to my friends, but this changed my whole outlook in life.

This traditional English fish & chips style restaurant is the best place in the area for a fish fry. Huge portions at reasonable prices and always delicious. The service staff is always friendly, but make sure to call ahead on Friday nights and weekends as they are very busy. This can cause long waits as they hand bread all seafood to order, yummm, but that means you will get perfectly cooked seafood every time!

I love fish and chips! When I heard that Chef John's served "London style" fish and chips I had to try it. The Inside = Clean! I totally think this used to be a Long John Silvers! :) The Service = Very friendly. I believe they are family operated. The Food! Delicious! Lightly battered and perfectly fried filets on top of fries. Their sauces are made in house and tasty. I also ordered the four item captains platter to try some other items. I chose to have fish, shrimp, and clams. Everything was perfectly fired and tasty. My only gripe is that the clams were on the small side. However, I realize that I am gluttonous :) Verdict! They do what they do well and worth a try. Welp! Onto the next!

I came here with my chronic illness group for a nice meal together. The place is nice with lots of parking. The menu is small but with lots of options. The service is excellent despite how busy they got. The food is amazing!!! I was here thinking that I couldn't get full of 1 piece of fish, but boy, was I wrong! That one piece of fish is HUGE!! Even the shrimp is big! I would never have thought that the food would be so much. It was crispy and not oily. Even the fries are delicious! The tartar sauce was good! Everything is delicious! Yes, the price might be a little high, but you are paying for quality. I couldn't finish the meal and bring it home. I heat it in my air fryer and it's amazing! Definitely would be back!

I love the fish and chips in England and Ireland. When I read on the Facebook San Diego Foodies group that Chef John's Fish & Chips were true English style, I just had to try them. Let me start by saying don't let the humble and simple building put you off. It's a repurposed fast food place. There is nothing fast about this place. Every meal is made fresh to order. The nice lady who took our order told us it would be about 20 minutes. The fish was DELICIOUS! The batter was crisp and perfectly cooked. The fish evoked memories of a corner shop in London. Even the chips were thick and perfectly cooked (tender in the center and crisp on the outside). The tartar sauce was appeared to be homemade and along with malt vinegar was the perfect accompaniment to the meal. The onion rings were hot and crispy too. We ordered a side of coleslaw which was crispy and delicious too. The food is served on 1/4 sheet pan trays and the fish is about the length of the tray. The portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable.

I actually thought they had closed since I'd heard through the grapevine that the business was up for sale a while back. However, I saw on Yelp that the hours were recently updated, so I excitedly ordered pickup last week. The quality and serving portions are still phenomenal. Prices have gone up a bit, but the cost of everything has increased during the last year so you can't fault them. I don't know if they're still planning to close but I recommend getting these "London style" fish & chips while they're here!

First time here at the recommendation of a person who lives in the area. Food prices are a little high. The staff were yelling at each other in Korean language. We waited 36 minutes for our to-go food. It had a strong smell of Clorox.

Nice size pieces of fish .Seasoned batter was great. Takes a while, don't be in a hurry.

Great fish and chips! Not too greasy and good amount of crispness with every bite. The cod fish were a good fillet size compared to other places that give you fish nuggets. Onion rings were also light and crispy, highly recommend it as a side. Friendly staff and service is quick, private parking lot with plenty of parking.

I have been wanting to leave a review of Chef Johns for some time and wanted to make sure I had the best pictures to share. So here it is... When I crave fish and chips this is the place I go to. While the menu has so many different foods to try, I have only ordered fish and chips. The two piece fish and chips comes with two large fish filets and fries and there are a variety of condiments available for $17.99 . My favorite condiment is the tarter sauce as it is made fresh onsite and tastes amazing! We also tried the ranch dressing and it is also delicious and made onsite. I usually order take out and the orders take about 20 minutes to prepare so plan accordingly. The food is made fresh to order and worth the wait. Don't let the looks of this place or neighborhood keep you away. It is clean and simple and No alcohol is served. Still, if you want authentic tasting food that has been recognized by the likes of the San Diego Reader ( linked below) for its excellent fish and chips then go to Chef Johns. You wont be disappointed. The quality of Chef Johns rivals the best fish and chips I have had in England. If you liked this write up please let me know by smashing love this, thanks or helpful options below. Thank you. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2018/sep/28/feast-its-deep-fried-world/

This use to be our go to place for fish n chips. They were the best we could find in San Diego. We went there for lunch today and I was quite disappointed. Service has changed as the food has as well. It was greasy, flavorless, room temperature and it took about a 1/2 an hour to be prepared. Their prices went up too so it's really not a great deal. Not sure what happened. Same cook and cashier that's been there for years. I didn't expect the change.

I just left this establishment with an order of a two piece, fish and chips, but before I left I asked the lady at the counter for a little ramekin of malt vinegar for dipping sauce, she told me one single 2oz ramekin of malt vinegar would be one dollar, I thought that was off, so I repeated my question just confirming that $1 was the price for that size of dipping sauce, (due to the Asian language barrier I wasn't sure) And she says "if you no like you no have eat here" as I was being handed the sauce...which seemed like a strange response...I get home and the fish is COOKED RARE UNCOOKED AF DO NOT SUPPORT THIS RUDE/NEGLIGENT BUSINESS! Due as the rude lady said, and "go eat somewhere else"

Chef John's has the most delicious fish and chips and hush puppies I have ever had. The fish was fresh and the breading was good. The hush puppies were delicious and flavorful. The service was quick and s the restaurant was well maintained and wasn't overly crowded, it was just right.

Excellent fish, shrimp, clams, tempura veggies, hush puppies EVERY TIME. Their cocktail sauce is homemade and delicious. This is a regular stop for us. Chef John and his wife know what they are doing!

Best Fish and Chips in San Diego! English-style fish and chips. These fillets are huge! Fish always taste fresh and has a nice crunch.

Visited for Lunch 6/28/2023 Ran across this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Nice little family run Fried Seafood place. They take their time frying your order just right. Nice crispy but light batter. Everything on the menu is Fried. I mean Fried Everything. I ordered The 4 Item Combo Platter with Fish, Shrimp, Calamari, and Clams and substituted the Fries for Fried Mushrooms. The Shrimp were nice and well cooked and The Fish was nice golden brown. My favorite of everything with the added Mushrooms. The Calamari was a bit rubbery so I don't recommend. The clams were just ok. Stick with the Fish and Shrimp. The Tartare Sauce was Excellent. Loved it. I rate Chef John's between 3 and 3 1/2 Stars. I will try it again if I'm in the area.

Hands down one of the best Fish and Chips you will find in San Diego. Been coming for years ..big fish and batter perfectly crisp and not oily. Jumbo shrimp and clams are a must. This is a definite stop in SD. Highly recommend!!

Expect about a 20-25 minute wait for fish & chips since they make it FRESH! Even on a Wednesday, they get busy at lunch time. The fish is bigger than I expected and they give a large amount of tartar sauce. Other sauces available, you just gotta ask. I like that they have a clean historical newspaper on the tray from The American Times! Something fun to read while eating :)

This place has gone downhill 100% the fish I ate yesterday. Got me sick. The catfish felt like it was old. Felt like I was eating catfish pills. The chicken pieces used to be really big now they gave you chicken strips, but they look a little bigger than chicken nuggets so many years I went there and now I will never step my foot in that door again And that young girl there when I told her she didn't give two cents look at the prices of Fish is cheap nowadays and they're overcharging. And they call themselves Christians. Please don't hide behind churches to get over customers. If I can give you a zero star, I would do that people don't be foolish.. go try Junction 52 in El Cajon fish and chips, a lot cheaper and bigger pieces. I also read a sign that they will fry vegetables only if they're not busy great customer service. I hope you go out soon..

This place is a hidden gem. My Dad was craving fish and chips and said this place was the best he's tasted in town. Mind you he lives in North County Anything for him so I drove over to see what the hype was about and made that special trip over to this establishment. I was a little bit nervous as the neighborhood is not a usual place I'd be hanging out. Oh but Dad was right. Delicious! I loved that the food was prepared fresh when ordered. I ordered the family meal 6 piece fish and 2 orders of fries. Good value compared when ordering separately. The food reminded of when I was in England and gave me the London fish and chips feel without the mushy. Lol Kudos to Chef John. I highly recommend you support this Mom and Pop establishment.

Still the best fish & shrimp in town! It's not cheap, but it's so tasty! They close at 7 pm, get there early.

Delicious fried fish - expensive, though. Cooked to order, no microwaves or warming shelves here!

Wow big fish! Generous size fish battered and deep fried perfectly. Onion rings are great. Impressed!

When you walk in it gives you old fast food diner vibes. Traditional walk up and order counter, once you order it takes bout 20-25 minutes to get your food. Once our food came out, we were a bit disappointed in the amount of French fries you get with your order for the price your paying. I feel they should be giving you a little more. Fish quality was great not super oily, also the shrimp was really good. Was not a fan of the calamari or the oysters. FYI for the combo plates you are not able to order two pieces of fish, you can only choose that for one of your options.

Top notch fish and chips. The exterior reminds me of a long John silver but the food is a beautiful take on fish and chips. The service was good and the wait wasn't bad considering they made it fresh when ordered. If this place wasn't so far away I'd probably be here every week. Good stuff

Holy shit chef John makes some fire fried seafood! This ain't your typical fish and chips joint! They fry their stuff and ain't greasy! Fish batter was light and crunchy! Had me saying daaaaaaamn when I took that first bite! Not only that but you gotta sauce it up! And his sauces ain't typical either! That tartar sauce is different! I don't always type all my sentences with exclamation points but this food made me do it!

If you want fish and chips, this is the only place you need to come. The quality, consistency, and flavor of everything is top notch. That shouldn't be surprising considering the owner and chef was an actual Chef in South Korea. The prices are a little high but I'm fine with it because the food quality is outstanding and I know I'm helping support a local small mom and pop (and daughter) establishment. I won't be going any where else and you shouldn't either!

I dragged my friend here for lunch. We beat the lunch crowd and placed our order. My eyes were too big for my stomach. I ordered a two piece fish and chips meal and shared some fried zucchini with my friend. Everything was made fresh to order so there was a little wait. It was worth it. By the way, one piece of fish would've sufficed! I couldn't finish the second and took it and the leftover zucchini home. The fish was light and crispy and not oily at all. The batter was tempura like. The zucchini also had the same batter and was served with ranch. Don't expect a heavy doughy batter. The tartar sauce was just okay. They had all the sauces, e.g., malt vinegar, tartar, cocktail, lemon slices, etc. The folks were friendly and nice. While the venue is not modern or upscale, it was clean. Next time, I'd like to try the fish and shrimp combo. .

BEST Fish & Chips in town!! Second to None I have my specialty places I like to go to and Chef John's is my go to for Fish & Chips and the fried oysters

Best fish n' chips for miles around. Crispy, cooked thoroughly through with a flaky texture. Naw, it's not cheap but you get your money's worth, and well spent. A cut above the rest of the establishments.

Ordered fish and shrimp/extra piece of fish/ Dinner was very good/ fish crispy french fries not soggy what I really liked. Was that tartar sauce was very very good. I will be going back.

We came here based on a recommendation from a server at Richard Walkers Restaurant. We were in Dan Diego on vacation and asked the server where to go for Fish and Chips. He said Chef Jeff's Fish and Chips! We took his advice and was not disappointed! Wow! These were the best Fish and Chips ever! They were made fresh, were really flavorful, crunchy! The portion of Fish was huge! The tarter sauce was really good too! The place is older looking and off the beaten path, but worth the visit. I highly recommend this place! We loved the fact they were playing Christian music!

Great place for fried seafoods, especially catfish and fried jumbo skrimps! Yeah I said jumbo or at least the biggest ive ever seen. Sometimes it's packed, but I know the menu well enough to order via phone for pickup. This place doesn't have and area to sit and eat so can't rate that, all I know is the food is good if your into East coast fried fish and chips. I lived in Rhode Island a few years ago so I know a little about these things. It's a struggle for these folks in a state where every is vegan some way another so if you're looking for a fried food escape, check it out!!

Greatest fish - n - chips . I call ahead Which saves me time and they're always friendly... the place is always clean

All I can say is - wow! This is now my go-to spot for fish n chips in San Diego. Heard about this place from word of mouth and decided to check it out, and I'm so glad I did! It's a tiny little shop off Broadway in Lemon Grove - there is a decent amount of parking and I had no issue pulling in and out of the lot when I went. It's not a fancy place at all, but honestly the vibe was super welcoming and I believe this is a family business which I love! The service was super nice and friendly. There's lots of big tables and booths to sit at inside. They have a good-sized menu and even offer larger family combo portions for bigger groups. The prices I feel were decent as well. First impressions from the fish and chips - WOAH! The pieces of fish are HUGE! Do not underestimate the size of the fish, I'd say 1-2 pieces are good enough for a person. I love how the thinner but longer slices of cut make every bite perfectly crispy without needing a ton of batter. The fries were also cooked well, I'd pair it with salt and maybe ketchup or thousand islands. Even with a family order of 6 pieces, they cooked my order pretty quickly (~15 minutes). They give a good amount of tartar sauce with your fish, and I ended up enjoying the tartar sauce as well. I wasn't too impressed by the hush puppies, but honestly I was just curious to try them and they're certainly not bad. Overall, definitely stop by if you're having a craving for fish n chips, you won't regret it at all.

I'm currently on a quest to find the best fish and chips in San Diego, and this is hands down the best so far. Before I get into my review, I want to address a review further down on this page that said this restaurant gives off an "Asians-only vibe" and that is 1) racist to say and 2) not the case at all! The staff were so welcoming and you can tell that they were a small family-owned business. They were incredibly nice so please do not let that incredibly stupid review fool you. Now onto the fish... PERFECTION. One piece was honestly enough. It was seasoned beautifully and the batter was crispy and light. It was so filling and SO GOOD. The fries were also yummy and they give generous helpings of condiments and the hugest lemon wedges! I'd make the drive out to Lemon Grove again to get this and hopefully try some other dishes on the menu! :) thanks Chef John!!

Holy cow...this food is amazing! We grew up eating fried fish, fries, fried clams, hush puppies, and onion rings in New England and this was just as good (or maybe better) than the food back east. The fish was cooked perfectly, the portions are a good size, and the fried clams? Outta sight! Three year old kiddo loved the fried shrimp, and hubby says "they must have put voodoo in that food, it was so good" I mean't to take pics of the food but it was gone too fast! We will definitely be eating here again!

This was such a great place. Delicious, fresh food made with lots of care. My husband and I thoroughly loved the crispy best batter we've ever had. Highly recommend this place and I don't usually do reviews.

Having been wanting to come here for awhile!! Fish portions are big but a bit fishy. No ambience, this is a to go joint!!

I'd u you're craving genuine English style fish and chips this is the place! Huge filet of cod done the correct way and authentic tastes! Not a fancy place, just the surprise of a location in San Diego would expect. It's in Lemon Grove and very polite owners personally serve you! We worth price!!

Wow! Chef John's knows what they're doing. Their fish is battery and fried to perfection.

This place is a hole in the wall but one of the best fish n chip places I've been too. The fish is fresh and crispy and the chips are soft on the inside and crunchy on the out. Tarter sauce is made from scratch, so is the coleslaw and just about everything else on their menu. Will be going again!

After hearing so much about Chef John's I just had to try it! We came from San Carlos and was surprised that we could order but had to leave the premise. Most restaurants allow patrons who order before closing to stay and eat their meals. I believe that had we eaten on the premises we would have enjoyed the meal that much more! Fired foods that sit for periods of time (15-20) are still good but not great. I will be sure to come and try this place again with enough time to fully enjoy the experience.