Encinitas Fish Shop

Our second time here in the last several years when in Encinitas, and it's still a great place for our seafood fix! Order at the counter and sit down for them to bring out your food order. This time, we tried the surf and turf tacos, fish and chips, and a dozen oysters. The food was so fresh and delicious as was our previous experience. Patio seating is pleasant for dinner and inside has seating and one side is a bar area with plenty of TVs to catch a game. Service is always courteous and friendly. I appreciated the manager letting us know about the local beers available as well as the options for wine offerings. There can be a line during peak hours, but be patient since those fish tacos and beer are worth it. See you at the Fish Shop on our next trip.

The sides were good but the main event was the fish (obviously) and their seasoning. I'd recommend the tacos! Cool atmosphere with outdoor tables and big open windows/doors to make the inside feel a bit like outside too.

Fish and chips - fish was great, chips weren’t. Swordfish plate (lemon butter) with seasonal veggies and a salad (citrus vinaigrette) - amazing, salad could have had less capers. Coconut shrimp - not the best I’ve had, but good enough. Mahi Mahi ceviche - AMAZING As for atmosphere, it could have been better. I left with sticky shoes because something had been spilled on the ground and never cleaned. The bathroom was also awful. I asked the bar tender if he could turn on the space heater, he said yes and then never did.

The Fish Shop used to be great but has become hugely inconsistent. We mostly get takeout and there is either something missing, an incorrect item or issue of some kind. This Saturday night, we ordered fish shop shrimp, 2 surf and turf tacos, and blackened ago with salad. The ahi was brown - totally overcooked and inedible. It’s not the first time and for the past few months, every other meal had been disappointing. At $75 for two people with tip and no drinks, it’s not worth the hassle anymore.

Absolutely delicious, fresh food. The swordfish tacos was our favorite. Definitely recommend.

Came highly recommended by a friend who grew up out in the area, and it did not disappoint one bit. Love all the options that you can create your own experience best catered to your tastes. Make sure you buy a shaker of their seasoning to go, you'll put it on everything (we do!)

My brother-in-law recommended this place. I was excited for the fresh fish. As you walk into the Fish Shop some fish is exposed for you to see. We all ordered different things. We all loved it except my mom. She was looking forward to eating fresh fish. The fish stew was way too spicy for her and for me, but it didn't say so anywhere. We ended up sharing some food with my mom because it is rare that she says she can't eat something. I had the sea bass, My side dishes came, but my sea bass they forgot to add it but they brought it ourlt pretty quickly. It was cooked perfectly. My daughter had 2 different tacos with the lobster and scallops made to perfection (she won't stop talking about how good they were). My husband isn't a fish person so he went with fish and chips. My brother-in-law's family had another variety and they were kind enough to let us taste their dishes.

Awesome food and drinks no food pics but had fish tacos , coconut shrimp, popcorn shrimp . Onion rings all delicious

I have been to this spot so many times and I always make sure that Max takes care of me. He treats guests like you have been friends for years even if you just met. He always makes us feel right at home and he keeps us coming back. They have killer food and cocktails at this spot! A must try!!!

I am always up for a good fresh oyster and the Encinitas Fish Shop does not disappoint. Every Thursday night $1.25 per oyster from different locations. The best oysters are from the Pacific Northwest hands down! Service was excellent and friendly. Ambiance is open, family and dog friendly. Enjoy the outdoor patio during Spring and Summer! Fish Shop stew is delicious and comes with a piece of garlic toast. Smoke salmon sandwich and fries was tasty. Lots of choices on the menu! Don't forget the bar and the Pupil Beer. Check them out!

A hugely popular and crowded surf shack type place that has excellent service and a varied choice of tacos and meals.... We came here for the fish tacos and the menu was a little intimidating to order but they give some information of the type of fish to order and its taste.... Each fish has a different price and there are other meals and combinations available.... I ordered 2 of the fish tacos combinations with the mahi and enjoyed both but neither really blew me away in terms of taste or quality... The ambiance was definitely a laid back California surf shack type feel but also very corporate in some sense as well.... Would recommend if you're a big fan of different types of fresh fish and like to customize your fish tacos

This place came highly recommended and I was excited to try it out! Ordered one spicy dorado taco and one order of fish shop shrimp, both were soo delicious and I would definitely order again! The taco was a little steep at 6.50 but the size is decent and like I said very delicious! The shrimp was a 10/10!! So flavorful and cooked perfectly, the chipotle aioli was a perfect compliment to the dish There is plenty of inside and outside seating but I'm sure it gets busy during the day!

Stopped at Encinitas Fish Shop after a day at the beach. It really hit the spot! There are so many menu options to choose from. I ordered the blackened fish tacos and they were exactly what I wanted. The restaurant is very busy so be prepared to wait for a bit. It's worth it!

Encinitas, CA The fried spicy dorado fish taco on a flour tortilla is fantastic. Tried a few sides and not impressed, but that spicy taco is excellent. Lines and ordering in person can be unpredictable time wise. Call in orders for me are always super fast!

First time here. Will definitely return. Ordered Red Snapper grilled in a garlic butter sauce. Really excellent. Nothing fancy, but perfect dinner. Wide variety of fish. Served in tacos, salad or plate. Order at counter and they bring food to your table.

Wife found this place on tik tok and was really excited to come and try the clam chowder. The clam chowder was delightful and the restaurant was had a really nice vibe.

This food makes me want to slap my mama yeee haw This food makes me want to slap my mama yeee haw This food makes me want to slap my mama yeee haw This food makes me want to slap my mama yeee haw This food makes me want to slap my mama yeee haw This food makes me want to slap my mama yeee haw

We ordered a few things. fish and chips - fish was ok. chips were good. clam chowder was the worst chowder I've had in my life. Canned is better. I would give 3 stars, but it was just too bad. Take it off the menu or change it. onion rings- soggy. Not good either. ceviche - easily the best thing we had. It was pretty good!

Fish ceviche, ahi poke, surf and turf tacos, clam chowder and the fish tacos and sandwiches are all so good!! My 3 kids ask to eat here all the time. The food comes out pretty quickly, the staff is friendly and the beer is ice cold. Only complaint is that I wish they had two cashiers taking orders when the line is out the door but I guess we all wait regardless.

The ambiance and location was great. That is essentially the experience and what your paying for. The service was excellent and friendly which is why I'm giving it 4 stars but the food itself wasn't extraordinary. Fish was bland, the macaroni salad wasn't good, but the mahi mahi ceviche was tasty and generous. Great chip to ceviche ratio which next to never happens in most fish markets.

This place is a good find! We were craving seafood so, again, thank you Yelp for always coming through. First, there's plenty of street and off street parking so even though we came during lunch it wasn't more than a 2-3 minute walk to this place. The worker that helped us was good. She was friendly and engaging, which again, is always plus. We asked questions like, "what's your favorite" or "what's the most popular," and she gave us feedback. My wife ordered the grilled mahi-mahi with rice and bbq habanero sauce. The fish was seasoned well but a little on the dry side (not a deal breaker). The sauce was great. It was sweet with a little kick. I ordered the fish and chips. Loved it! The fish batter wasn't overly thick and definitely not greasy. The fish was tender, flaky and seasoned well. The tartare sauce and cocktail sauce was good. There was plenty of seating inside and outside but be aware that they get busy during the lunch hour. Just note that if it's warm outside, it will be warm inside as it didn't have good ventilation (with the windows opened up). Again not a deal breaker. We definitely recommend this place. It'll be on our ever growing list to eat when when I'm the area.

Came here on Saturday 03/30 . This place is definitely overpriced as I paid $45 for 2 sandwiches . The food was okay maybe I should have ordered something else . The service was pretty quick for a Saturday night . The ambiance was very laxed spent less than 30 minutes here . I thought the sandwich would be something like a Po boy but I was wrong .

This is our family go to spot on the weekend. The service is great, the fish is so fresh and delicious, and a great spot to hang out with family and friends. It's also dog friendly spot too. For the kids there is a friendly menu of other choices. This is a great spot to start at and then after you eat walk downtown Encinitas. We rave to our family and friends when we can and take anyone who loves fish.

Early weekday dinner and everything was great. Ordered at the counter and sat ourselves - there was plenty of seating when we were there at 5ish. Fountain water and sodas were convenient, plus takeout containers you could get yourself right next to drinks. I appreciated the ease of it. Fried calamari was fine, we really enjoyed the fried peppers that were with it. Some of the pieces were tough, but overall it was good. Onion rings were crispy and yummy. My kids really liked these. Mahi mahi ceviche came with plenty of warm chips, and it was a nice portion. I added an additional squeeze of citrus. We ended up taking most of this home because we filled up on our mains. Fish and chips were wonderfully breaded and fried. I'd been craving them since getting a subpar version elsewhere, and this did not disappoint. Four pieces of flaky fish, plenty of fries, great garlic aioli (I think) dipping sauce. They had malt vinegar and additional condiments on the table. Grilled fish shop seasoning hamachi plate with mixed grain rice and aforementioned onions rings as the sides. Delicious, succulent, nicely cooked and decent portion. Husband raved about it. The lady with the British accent was lovely and, honestly, very sweet about the mess my 1 year old made with the rice. Service in general was great. We'll definitely have this in our regular rotation!

We ordered fish and chips and a popcorn shrimp plate for our son's. There's a nice little sitting area but the food was pretty mediocre and the popcorn shrimp was inedible. My boys werent eating them so I tried one and the shrp tasted like a really chemical and water taste. Also the menu says we're also supposed to receive a CapriSun with the kids meal which we never got. The fish was edible but not good pretty greasy inside and wasn't particulrly tasty. I would not try again.

This place is pretty pricey! But it's really good. Only place I like that has great fish and shrimp tacos. They have wonderful customer service as well.

One of those places where if I could give 100 stars I would. I love this place, the food and fish quality is amazing. I've yet to find a better fish place. Encinitas fish shop is always a go to. Can't go wrong with the poke bowls or the smoked salmon sandwich. Honestly, everything here is so so so good though

I was not disappointed. I read the reviews and saw pictures of the food, I even saw a post on instagram about it. When I was in the area last weekend I had to try it. I loved the batter on the fish, it was light and crispy. I didn't feel bloated after eating, which is usually how I feel after eating fish & chips, but not here. The fish stew was yummy with a hint of spice. The calamari had a good flavor and we liked the little chilies that were fried up in the mix. I would definitely go back when I'm in the area. If you go, just know that the line forms from where you order your food then out the door on to the sidewalk. They want people to order their food and then get a table instead of getting the table while their party is still in line to order. They have an open dining area with a bar and what seemed to be a good selection of beer and wine. Nice fun atmosphere with open windows, outdoor seating and seating up against the open windows.

Wow! The food, service, location was incredible. We will keep this in our list of must visits when in the area!

I came here to grab some food after a very long day of walking all over the SD Zoo and the North Park neighborhood. I ordered a blackened shrimp sandwich and my friend had the salad with salmon. I really enjoyed my sandwich, but the salmon was awesome. This is a nice little spot with good food, good vibes, and good music. It's definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.

Food was absolutely amazing and fresh! Service was great too! Highly recommend. I got the salmon with chipotle glaze and ahi sashimi! So good! My 4 year old even ate his entire salmon plate

In the past they have been better. Perhaps just an off day but felt like I they were doing me a favor by being in business. Fish and Chips were bordering room temperature and the fish chowder same. Everything was mediocre. Too bad.

Take a seat, look at the menu, go to the counter to order your food. It is free seating, no staff to bring you to your seat. There is a good number of fish to choose from, and the fresh fish is on display. My party had fried fish and chips, grilled fish and chips, sea bass with fish shop seasoning, and sides of coleslaw, and macaroni salad, jumbo shrimp taco with chipotle glaze, and fried calamari. All the food were cooked well, but seasoned with slightly too much salt. The fried calamari could have been better. The restaurant gives me more of sports bar vibe. The ambience is a little laid back. Feels more of youngsters hang out place.

Loved this lunch stop! Fun, open aired restaurant with a small bar. Clam chowder was the best of the week! Mac salad was different, not my thing but if you like pineapple, try it. Taco and ahi poke were great!

The food here is stupendous and the fish beyond fresh. All of my meals have been delightful. The staff have always been friendly as well. What's also a constant here is the ordering process. This Byzantine process whereby you stand for hours before ordering allows people to decide what they'll get before they order. Once people get to the front they've undergone some kind of amnesiac transformation, devoid of memory for what they had ordered. Then they begin the process over again adding to the glacial pace of ordering and food service.

I stopped in here while visiting friends in San Diego and it was delish. The bartender Max was such a vibe! He made me and my friends feel at home. He is a local and knew all the cool spots in the area as well. Happy I stopped in.

yummy! Came for the oyster deals and fell in love with the shrimp... If you come, you HAVE to get the shrimp. The way it's cooked and charred and the sauce it comes with... speechless! I enjoyed the clam chowder, it was slightly too creamy for my boyfriend. Oysters were fresh but wasn't the star of the show. Service is nice but this place is a pay-at-the-counter then seat yourself place. a they brought our food out fast and were friendly. The vibe is cute - sea and coastal vibe which is fitting. I enjoyed the interior and they had heaters for cold areas. Stop by and try if you're in the area! I'll be back soon :)

This place is AMAZING. The seafood is so fresh. The fish soup is 10/10! It gets pretty busy, but it's well worth the wait.

Got the spicy Mahi Mahi taco and also the elote mahi mahi taco. Both had delicious, flavorful and fresh fish!! I also ordered a small side of Cole slaw - it was good but not sure id get it again. Service was fast. I would eat these tacos at least once a week if I lived locally. Go now, especially if you are visiting! I will think about these tacos for awhile and miss them a lot

First visit here. Casual, counter service restaurant with great customer service. We ask for recommendations and the host was spot on. He also recommended the clam chowder, next time for sure. Blackened fish on a bed of greens was great. Onion rings were phenomenal. Snapper taco was excellent. Lots of food, fast service, fresh food.

The place is really spacious and clean. The people are friendly. There wasn't any music playing, so the vibe was a bit off. We ordered a bowl of clam chowder and shrimp and chips. Food was delivered pretty quickly. I was offered some oyster crackers for the soup, so I opened the package and put them in the bowl. Not the best idea since they were hard as a rock and tasted really stale. So I scooped them out and enjoyed my soup. The shrimp were very tasty and a good size. They are definitely not stingy with them at all.

A must for a day off. Perfect spot with a great seat yourself vibe. The fish is so fresh and the option to have it prepped in whatever you way you desire is great. Tacos and oysters are mandatory. Thank me later.

Incredible tacos. Fresh, large, and flavorful! Got 2 off of the "favorites" list and loved them both. You can also make your own which is a nice alternative

This place has excellent food and drinks! The guy with the tattoo on his calf recommended the spicy dorado tacos and gave us some local beers to try as well. I always stop in here whenever I am down on the coast and it's always a lovely experience:)

We always come here every visit! We love the food, vibe, and relaxed atmosphere - with too notch seafood!

Visiting over the fourth, just looking for a spot that was kid friendly, and had great fish. Done and done. We had oysters, and then the Mahi Ceviche. We enjoyed both and look forward to coming back next time we are in town.

The food here is really good and they definitely have a wide variety of fresh seafood. You definitely get the "laid-back, Restaurant on the beach" vibes. I love coming here on a nice sunny, summer day, Wynne all of the windows and doors are opened up and you get that nice ocean breeze blowing through with the smell of delicious food marinating in the air. The staff here is super friendly, and everyone was super welcoming and extremely attentive to any questions we had. My onion rings were over-fried, but I just love onion rings so I wasn't too picky about them. Overall though, this is a really cool restaurant and a definite "must try" if you've never been.

Great little restaurant in Encintas near enough to the beach to stop by after a day out on the water. Came her w/ some friends and had some delicious tacos. Service is excellent. Parking is very limited in their smaller lot, plus some of the side streets nearby. The ambiance is very relaxed and laid back - this was my last meal when I left San Diego the first time, and it always brings back nice memories. The tacos are great - highly recommended. The plates are quite a bit overpriced in my opinion - you don't get that much more than the tacos but the cost is quite a bit more. Recommend that you get a plate of tacos and sides to share amongst friends. Beer selection and prices are good. Cold and refreshing. Would return!

It's one of my favorite seafood spots in San Diego County. Their oyster night is a wonderful service to the community, in my opinion. All their seafood is fresh and well prepared. You really can't go wrong at this place.

I could kick myself for not coming here sooner. The way it works... You stand in line to order. Order food and drinks from the menu. Pick up your drink. Grab a table and put number on stand. They bring your food. We ordered... Coconut shrimp Ahi poke Crab cake Fries (huge order) Red snapper taco with garlic butter 2 pinot Griggio Everything was very fresh and deliciously seasoned. The order of fries were too much for us but I took it home to scramble with eggs (English style). The staff were super nice and helpful. They constantly cleaned up and made everyone feel comfortable. We'll definitely coming here regularly.

We were camping across the street and decided to give it a try. The food was very good and the people that worked there were very nice. We noticed a lot of customers ordering the chicken soup. Next time we will try the soup.

We happened to be down in Encinitas for the street fair and decided to pop in for some fish! Typically when I've come here before I have always gotten fish tacos but, this time I had a hankering for some fish and chips. We decided to sit outside to enjoy all the street traffic and music playing across the street. Customer service was good; friendly counter staff and servers on the patio. Fish and chips did not disappoint; just the right amount of batter to fish ratio and the fries were crispy and seasoned well. I will probably go back to tacos (as they're my favorite ) but, I definitely enjoyed the change.

This is one of my favorite places to eat. You can customize your food order completely and they have a great beer selection. There is great outdoor seating and indoor seating.

I lived most of my life in the Seattle area before relocating to NV three years ago. I knew I was going to miss the seafood options but I didn't realize just how much. Luckily, I can be sitting on the beach in CA after a quick, four hour drive. Honestly, if you live in the Seattle area, it takes at least a couple of hours to get to the actual ocean by car but we do have the Puget sound so there is a lot of salt water and seafood to be had everywhere. Honestly, I'm a CA seafood-tourist now. When the jones becomes too great to bare, I head out for a weekend getaway and places like the Encinitas Fish Shop are what I live for. I'll always be a proud Northwesterner but I'll make the admission that I kind of prefer the seafood experience in CA now. Something about the sun and sandy beaches. Not a lot of those in the Seattle area and definitely not much sun. I didn't hate the rain but I definitely don't hate the sun. My favorite fish and chips of all time will always be Alki Spud in West Seattle. they are the standard by which all others shall be judged but I love Encinitas Fish Shop for their variety and options that I couldn't find at Spud's. The fish and chips were fantastic and the shrimp were better than Spud's offering. The chowder in a bread bowl was also better. The service was friendly and helpful and the ambiance was great. We'll go out of our way to visit again when we're in the area!

Came here for dinner on a Wednesday. Encinitas Fish Shop is a popular and casual seafood restaurant in downtown Encinitas. The restaurant wasn't crazy busy since it was a weeknight, so we were able to line up and order in about 15 minutes or slightly less. After ordering, we chose our own seats in the seating area. The ambience feels like a pub/sports bar with a lot of screens all around showing games. Our food was ready shortly after. My husband got a snapper sandwich, which he enjoyed. We also shared oysters and lumpia rolls. The oysters were fresh and briny. For my main, I got the shrimp in their house sauce, which was sweet and mildly spicy. The sauce was very addictive. I didn't think the food here was amazing but it would be a good spot if you're looking for a casual seafood-focused spot that serves solid food.

Thanks to Yelp I've been visiting Encinitas more than ever these last few years. admittedly, I have returned by choice quite often as well. What can I say? the charms of this relaxed coastal area really speak to me. Haha. The Encinitas Fish Shop has been on my short list for awhile, but I keep "missing" out on opportunities to visit until now... I took a weekday off to spend time with my lady and run errands and we managed to make our way here to break fast (about 15 hours for me) for lunch. intermittent fasting is even more satisfying when your first meal is this awesome! After a hard stare at the menu board here's what we ordered: - 2 x swordfish tacos on corn tortillas - cup of fish stew - Julian cider - shrimp ceviche - blackened mahi mahi with onion rings Julian Cider: I don't recall Julian Cider tasting like this. It was a bit too tart for our tastes. Still good, just not a good pairing with this meal. Poor choice on my part. Next time I'll go with my gut and pick out a beer like a proper middle-aged man. Haha! swordfish tacos: At $5+ per taco this is a bit pricy, but these tacos were amazeballs! I could eat like 4-5 or maybe 6-7 with some good beer. They come full of fish and so loaded with toppings that the corn tortillas couldn't quite hold them in properly. When I was eating my tacos, I felt like a busty swimsuit model trying to keep her goods tucked in. There was quite a bit of topping slippage at my table but the cute bowl each taco came in (made from recycled materials it seems) helped me salvage my dignity quite nicely. I'll go with flour tortillas my next visit to see if that helps hold things in better. Fish Stew: I'm a big fan of fish stew and the myriad of seafood you'll discover in this dish is on point! The seasoning was good, but I do wish the broth was thicker though as it it seemed more like fish soup than fish stew. This toasted sourdough was perfect to help soak up this thin soup and all its favors. Shrimp Ceviche: A coworker introduced me to shrimp ceviche years ago and now I cannot get enough of it! The only problem is not all ceviche is worth it, especially when the shrimp isn't up to par. No issues here though. The only issue with this meal was that I didn't order the larger portion of it. Haha. Blackened Mahi Mahi with onion rings: This was my least favorite dish only because it was overly seasoned and so spicy that I felt it took away from the fish itself. Great fresh fish. Overly seasoned. The beer battered onion rings we opted for were great! Overall, it was an deliciously awesome first visit and I cannot wait to return hungry for more. Cheers!

Are you jobless? Do you have all the time in the world? Are you not hungry? Are you derelict? If you're looking for an adventure in gastrointestinal roulette, look no further than Encinitas Fish Shop! Walking in, you're greeted with the aroma of yesterday's catch mingling with the faint scent of regret. The ambiance? Imagine a fishing boat collided with a thrift store, and this is the salvage operation. If you enjoy your seafood with a side of existential crisis & a hefty portion of gaslighting, you're in luck! Just be sure to bring your own Pepto-Bismol and the patience of a saint, because after ordering from here, you'll need both. Bon appétit, or as they say in Encinitas Fish Shop, "Good luck!"

We stumbled upon this place while driving around the neighborhood looking for a coffee shop. I saw the oyster happy hour sign and thought, why not?! I have mixed feelings about this place. The oyster selections and the oysters themselves were impressive, but service was horrible. Instead of leaving a generous tip, I should have given them a tip on better customer service. So at this casual restaurant, you order and pay at the counter. I ordered 2 dozen oysters and a beer, paid, and added my tip. I got a buzzer that I took to our table. About 30 minutes later, they yelled out an order for "Mel." I've been called worse, no biggie. Why give a buzzer when it didn't even go off? The service staff should have made an attempt at walking around to look for number 51 on our buzzer since there weren't that many guests. We got one dozen of the oysters from Baja New Mexico and a dozen from Washington. The oysters were fresh and sweet, but there were so many fragments of broken shell. Whoever was in charge of shucking the oysters did not know how to do it properly. I've never had to use water to rinse out my oysters, so this was a first! Each oyster had to be rinsed 3-4 times before they were free of shell fragments. I didn't mind rinsing the oysters because they were fresh and were at a great price, $1.25 each. Oyster Happy Hour is on Thursdays only, starting at 4pm until they run out of oysters. When we were done eating our oysters, I noticed the table next to us ordered some shrimp cocktails that looked good, so I went to the counter. Also, I wanted to take pictures of the menu since I had forgotten to do it when I ordered the oysters. There was no one behind me, so I started to take a picture of the menu before deciding what else to order, but the rude girl behind the counter tossed 2 menus over the menu on the counter and said "here, you can take these." She could have politely handed me the menus, but instead she threw them. I've never been so offended. The manager really needs to do a better job at training the staff. I realize she's probably a young high school or college kid, but still...don't work in food service if you lack manners. This is how you lose customers.