Fish Pit

Wow this place is amazing! I found it by searching for "restaurants near me" bc me and the bf were hungry and needed dinner stat. Its super small place with only a few patios seats but don't let looks deceive you. We both ordered poke bowls and they were soo good! The tuna was fresh off the boat that morning. We also got a cucumber roll that was divine. We chatted up the owner and chef Zach. Such a great guy who makes amazing food and great prices (my bowl was $11) . I will definitely be coming back. I cant comment on parking as we walked over.

Felt unclean and parking was difficult to find. My friends and I decided to come here against our better judgement and Yelp reviews because we always pass this place when we go to SDSU. He took Venmo or cash only, and we waited for about 20 minutes for one roll and 2 small tacos. The rice on the roll was dry and tasted/felt as if it were fridged overnight and reheated. I only tasted one of the fish tacos and the first bite I was very disappointed. It tasted like spoiled fish. I used to work at a seafood restaurant so I was able to identify that it was clearly spoiled. My friends and I left very unsatisfied.

I think this place probably used to be pretty good based on some of the 5 star views but it must've gone down in quality since then. The place, does not seem very well maintained, does not seem clean either. The food as well was not up to par in terms of quality. The sushi rice was undercooked, and a bit crunchy when we ate it. The fish also didn't seem very fresh either. We also ordered the fish tacos which the fish had seemingly gone bad, so we didn't finish that. There were also no beverages available to order there as well which was strange.

People...trust the 1 star ratings and stay far, far away from this place! The sushi is absolutely horrible. Coming from a Chef, this guy needs to just close down his shop, I'm surprised he hasn't gotten anyone sick yet. I had a super high end catered event for a client of mine and needed sushi to be made. I believe it was close to 300 pieces, he said he could handle it no problem and was willing to work with our budget. The day of my event comes, he texts me hours before it's ready to be picked up that the sushi won't be ready in time. I had my team member wasting her time waiting for sushi to be finished...he even had the audacity to ask her to help him roll!!! My employee!!! Nothing he made was what he promised. The quality of sushi was the worst part of it all. The rice was hard, old and unseasoned, the sushi wasn't sticking together, a lot of it fell apart and was unusable. The fish quality was horrible. To say the least I was extremely embarrassed to serve this to my clients! He should really be ashamed of himself. He charged $900 for this, I've been trying to contact him for a partial, fair refund and this guy won't even text me back or answer my phone calls. Don't do business with this unprofessional loser. Close the doors man.

A minimalist hole in a wall that has limited parking, service and food quality. Parking at the nearby plaza is the best bet since there are only three parking spots nearby. There are a few seats indoors observing the chef and some counters outdoors looking out into the street. The chalked outdoor menu isn't accurate and only half of the options are currently available. =FOOD= *Pit Nachos: drenched in warm sauces and starred irregular chunks of tuna. The nachos were missing the described fresh salsa, guacamole and house sweet sauce. The overwhelming flavor came from siracha and not-so-fresh cilantro avocado creme. The chips were oily and greasy and overall this dish felt heavy. *Ceviche: although we ordered shrimp, we received white fish instead. Albeit fresher than the pit nachos, everything was still warm. The citrus marinade was very one-note and simply sour. The so-called house salsa and ponzu were practically non-existent and none of the vegetables were crisp nor fresh. The wonton chips seemed to be fried in old oil, hence the darker appearance and funky aftertaste. Our order took an hour to complete. There was only the chef manning everything and the quality didn't match the wait. The chef seemed almost displeased to have customers and failed to wear gloves when changing between food stations. Overall, there seemed to be a lack of care in the food and customers. The menu should be updated and properly prepared, especially given the current climate. For an hour wait and this quality? Best avoid this pitfall.

The concept is really good but poorly executed. What it looks like to me is an omakase experience, but the execution was totally off and disorganized. The food looked good, but here's where the hard left was for me. The owner, I believe, was cooking. He was constantly eating while cooking as well as drinking beer. These are both food safety, no no's. The food service code is you don't eat and cook. You need to eat and drink away from the food you are preparing. He then sneezed and failed to wash his hands. When he finally washed his hands, he then used said hands to wipe his face with his hands! He also cut raw fish without gloves. At this point, Inhad saw enough and left. Since we barely ate I am praying I don't get sick

We visited Fish Pit for a cooking class with Zach yesterday and we were not disappointed!! Zach is a very talented, friendly and down-to-earth sushi chef and an excellent teacher. We had so much fun learning how to make different types of sushi! Everything we made (and ate) was fresh and delicious and everything Zach made for us was even better. We made a California roll and masago nigiri, as well as spicy tuna and salmon skin handrolls. Zach also made us a delicious sashimi dish from a snapper he showed us how to fillet. The perfect end to the meal was a mouthwatering matcha crème brulée that we were able to torch ourselves! We cannot wait to come back and try more! Would highly recommend any sort of culinary experience with Zach, whether a class, catering, or visit to the Fish Pit!

It was absolutely delish!!!! Poke bowls so good!!!! We all loved our food! Very creative!

Came here from an ad I saw online and fair to say I was not disappointed! I came in with one other person on a Friday night for the Omakase(Chefs Choice special) dinner and had some delicious plates coming out for 2 hours! Best thing is being in a relaxed atmosphere and the price! At 45$ per person for an omakase style dinner, I really do not know any other place that offers the quality of the plates Zach(The chef&owner) was serving for that reasonable of a price point. Only dish I forgot to snap a photo of was the crispy fish tacos that finished off the meal! Overall I would recommend checking out the Fish Pit for either someone looking for a great priced lunch or for any couples looking to have a nice relaxed catered dining experience!

Uh... Found this place because of the owner/chef post on Facebook, offering all you can eqt for $45. Basically sounded like he's offering good amount of seafood omakase style and he'd really need the business. Went and immediately saw how dirty the "seating/dining" area is. Food was alright (waiting to see whether we got foos poisoning) , dirty plates and cups laying around. Non existent service if you wanna call it. Left after an hour because how food takes forever (there's three of us) and how food was supposed to feed all of us. Was told it was $135, which was like???? Went home disappointed and still hungry. Please don't waste your money and risk food poisoning.

Our new favorite place. The sushi was delicious and the services was amazing. It's a one man chef. Perfect date night.

Not worth it. Looks way different in person than it does online. Ordered a fried rice, and it was burnt rice and crunchy. Place has flies everywhere, has potential but will not be returning.

Went to Chef's choice dinner tonight! We've been regulars for years but usually ordered off the menu- tonight was different. Chef choice and BOY did he bring it! Zach was amazing. So many wonderful dishes and great conversation!

I tried this place on vacation while in San Diego and I wasn't a huge fan at all. If you plan to visit know there is only outdoor seating. On the day I went, there was only one person working, so I had to wait on the previous person food to be cooked before I could order. Once I ordered my food and took it to go, the food was okay. It was nothing that wowed me. I ordered a tuna taco, a fish taco and a spicy tuna roll. The food was bland to me and lacked flavor. I won't be back when I'm in San Diego.

Amazing taste, casual service, and decent price. Two thumbs up and we'll be back to try te other items on the menu.

We ordered two servings of fish and chips through Door Dash. After a half hour, I was called to say that the order had been cancelled. I'm not sure why. I'd be leery about ordering from this place again.

More sauce than meat, on the nachos. Fish taco was full of cabbage but not fish. Not going back. One star is mean so.

Probably good for the college crowd but not for family, because you are sitting at a counter facing the street, there are no tables. Dishes on the website were not on the current menu and we were told the advertised specials on the blackboard were also not available. Food was good. A good option for takeout or 1-2 ppl. I have to agree with comments about the owners disposition. I'd expect a more welcoming attitude. I felt like we were irritating to him.

Really really really really tasty items. I could order a double order of the pit nachos and call it a day. Fish quality across the board far exceeded expectations. A couple things to note; 3 spot parking lot - sort of sketchy street parking around the corner. Fish pits seating area is a 10x4 foot patio with 8 single stools. Not at all family friendly. While fish taco prices are very reasonable they are tiny. One shrimp taco or one scallop taco = one shrimp or one scallop cut in half. Id say the portion is too small to demand $4 but they are very high quality. Also the dude that cooks the food runs the shop. It may take some time to make your order but love supporting a local business, especially when he cranks out food as good as this. Overall probably best reserved for walk-up SDSU students. Hard to park, not the best seating, but it is indeed very tasty!

Poke is way too salty Took way too long Portion size doesn't match the price Only one chef who makes all the food Don't recommend if it's for takeout

The food and service make up for the state and size of the place. His take on fish and chips was interesting and incredibly delicious, and don't even get me started on the pineapple rice with perfectly cooked salmon!!

Food was very old, dry (and I mean like disiccated). Not good at all. Disappointed I even tried it.

I am not one to write a review but this place was pretty bad and I do not recommend it to anyone. I called in an order for ceviche, poke, a taco and fish and chips. The person who answered said it would be 25-30 min which I understood. Once I picked up the food I noticed that the fish and chips were missing so had to go back in and wait another 5-8 minutes while they cooked it. When I got home I opened my ceviche and noticed that the shrimp was completely raw and not pink like shrimp in ceviche normally would be. I called to let them know the ceviche was still raw and gray like color and all they said was they make it to order and to give it a few minutes and it should breakdown and the citrus do its thing. Now I know ceviche isn't technically cooked but I also know you are not supposed to eat completely raw shrimp. When I order food I would like to eat it as soon as I can and not wait over a hour like I had to in order for it to be edible. I also added lime and lemon juice to help speed up the process but still had to wait over a hour. The fries that came with the fish and chips were not good either. They looked like they would be good if they were fried for at least another 2-3 minutes. And I understand they forgot the order to begin with so they felt rushed but if you are going to pay $10 for it I would like a little more effort put in and not have soggy fries.

DO NOT EAT HERE... believe all of the other bad ratings. I tried to trust it because it had some good ratings but this restaurant is trash. First red flag was he was using his fingers to apply the cream cheese. They made me the wrong food and tried to overcharge. It took 45 minutes to cook and when we got our food very small portions and at that point we didn't have an appetite anymore from getting the wrong food, waiting so long, and how it was prepared. Please just save your money and spend it elsewhere.

I'm not even sure I got the full experience from the Fish Pit, but I'm giving them 5 stars nonetheless. They have an extrensive menu but I was in on a mission... to try their Taco Mania taco, a white fish taco with mixed cabbage, avocado cilantro creme & topped with cilantro. I got two, and they were both pretty good. Probably the meatiest fish taco I've had this week! And they have what I believe is Sriracha at the counter which went really well with this taco. But this place earned their 5* in customer service from Parker on the register. I'd say I felt like the only customer but I was the only one there when I showed up. Regardless, Parker made me feel like a valued customer even when I was buying the cheapest item on the menu. She offered me a water, turned on the heater outside for me, just an awesome person with a great vibe. Good taco, great service, I'll be back after Taco Mania week to try more of their menu. Thanks, guys!

I finally stopped in at the suggestion of a friend. I have been wanting to pop in here for a while now. I ordered the pineapple fried rice and added shrimp. I really like the pineapple fried rice. I liked the taste of the pineapple and shrimp together. The sushi was good. I normally do not like take out sushi because to me it doesn't travel well. The fire roll was spicy. The spicy tuna on top was fresh. I really liked the crab on the Bubba Gump roll but I took the little slice of lemon off the top. It was a little too tangy for me but it was still a flavorful roll. I look forward to coming back for the jumbo shrimp taco I took a star because the sushi did not come with soy sauce packs or chop sticks. Luckily I had them laying around in my kitchen

Zach is a fantastic, talented and all around awesome sushi chef! I've hired him for two events in which he taught a sushi class. One for a work team building event and one for my family reunion. He is so personable, and his sushi is fresh and incredibly delicious! I would highly recommend Zach for a private event or his restaurant Fish Pit to anyone!

Poke bowls, sushi, ceviche, and oysters... sounds like a seafood paradise, right? Seemed like it had everything we wanted to eat, to not have to make a decision on one kind of eatery. Quality of the food was fine. But, for $56, I expected more quantity. The sushi roll was really small ($10), the ceviche was only about a 1/4 cup ($11), the poke bowl was 60-70% rice, and didn't taste like a real poke bowl (sauce?). There was mango/pineapple in it, that made it taste on the sweeter side. I've never had sweet poke before, and this didn't convince me that I ever should. We were trying to order an additional sushi roll, but apparently they had run out of an ingredient. The spot was initially hard to find, but, if you ever went to state back in the day, it's the old Egyptian Tea Lounge/Hookah bar, I think. Parking is a little tough, you gotta find something on a street nearby; there is no lot. There isn't much room to sit. Only about 8-10 spots in the little patio area. The Yelp comped white fish tacos were okay, but again, really small for $5. I could buy 5 fish tacos from TJ Oyster Bar for $5, and they are TWICE the size, and taste better. The staff was nice, but they did take about 35 min to fill this to go order. Kinda long, IMHO. But there was only 2 of them. After all that, the hubs and I were still hungry. For $56? We should be fed twice over. I had to make more food at home. Yelpers, ya did me wrong on this one. This is 4.5 stars. How? It pains me to leave this review; I usually like to support small businesses.

SO GOOD!!!!! The food here is so amazing- especially the poke nachos. we were literally eating the left over sauce with spoons. 10000/10 recommend. zach is the best ever and the food never disappoints.

One of my favorite "lowkey" spots in the area! So disappointed I didn't try this place sooner. Have been here multiple times and each time it's an absolute hit. My personal favorite is the "chef's choice" poke bowl which is pictured below. Pick your fish and if you want it spicy or sweet and the rest is up to him. Highly recommend the poke nachos as well although I didn't think to take a pic before digging in (they were that good).

Fish pit is a random find on College Ave. It's literally a hut. But don't discount it from the outside. I went on a Tuesday at 5pm and there was only one other person ordering from my time being there. The owner, Zack, was the only one working so the food came out in about 15-20 min. I ordered four tacos. On Tuesday's it's buy three tacos get one free. I also ordered their famous nachos. It still wasn't enough food between my friend and I so we ordered a sushi roll. Their tacos was the best tasting thing on the menu. You can choose from tuna, salmon, shrimp, etc. the nachos were spicy since it had siracha in it. I couldn't finish it all because of the spice. Also, I wish they served more toppings and fish. Zack even made my friend and I a special dish that was for free. He made us feel welcomed! In the end, the service and hospitality was 10/10 but the raw fish was about 7/10.

Fish late at night. I was in the area and realized that I had skipped lunch and dinner so I hit the Fish Pit. We ordered the Kimchi Poke bowl, the pineapple fried rice with shrimp and some rolls. The poke had a good flavor but the rice had been standing too long and was cold/chunky. The shrimp in the pineapple fried rice were great, though I didn't eat any of the rice I heard that it was good. I spoke with the owner about the rice quality and I cannot blame him as I arrived shortly before closing and he didn't have a fresh pot of sushi rice. Maybe some other time during normal dinner hours, but definitively not at 10pm!

This new eatery recently opened up in the Rolando/College are specializing in raw and cooked seafood. The place is small and offers limited seating but the place certainly has some charm. I stopped in for an early dinner and ordered a blackened salmon taco with a pit slaw, avocado relish, fresh cilantro and topped with chipotle mayo cream, and a jumbo shrimp taco with gently fried garlic spiced shrimp with butter served with fresh micro greens and cilantro. It's topped with the same avocado relish, fresh salsa, and a house fire sauce. Both tacos were nicely presented. The shrimp taco was good, and I was especially fond on how they cooked the shrimp. I would not say they were "jumbo" size but a good meaty medium size. They were well marinated and seasoned and cooked to a nice succulent texture. I liked that they cooked right to the point were they started to turn color. The avocado relish was fine but I would of definitely would of preferred freshly sliced avocados on this taco: a direction I hope they go towards in the future. The salmon taco was okay. The salmon itself was well cooked to a nice medium temp, but it's flavor was a little off. It had a slight muddy flavor similar to a catfish or a farmed raised tilapia, and not that I think about it, so the did the shrimp but not as pronounce as the shrimp. I am not sure whether it was from the marinade, from the seasoning, from the grill, or from the salmon itself, but it was there. It was a flavor I have not experience on a good piece of salmon. The slaw was nice and so was the light chipotle mayo that could of used more chipotle because it was very subtle. Perhaps that was what they were going for. The salmon taco came with same avocado relish and once again, fresh sliced avocados would of just been grand with this taco. The corn tortillas on both tacos came warm and were soft and moist. They young lady who took my order and brought me my food was very nice. There was a minor issue with the new system, but I was not in a hurry so It was no big deal. All the people who work here were very nice and I look forward to returning to try some Poké.

Fish Pit is awesome! Sashimi is fabulous and usually what we get. But everything else is awesome too. Fish tacos, shrimp tacos. If you're lucky, you might even be able to get something special. We've had fried chicken, creme brulee, fish and chips, fish sandwiches, fried rice, and you just can't go wrong. Everything is awesome. Highly recommend.

Zach is a phenomenal chef. We hired him for our private dinner party and everyone was obsessed. Fish Pit is hands down the best seafood/sushi/fish taco restaurant in San Diego. Absolutely can't wait to go back!

Easily one of the best seafood/sushi joints in SD. Coming from a local that knows all the best spots this new hole in the wall is a gem for all things fish. My favorites are their poke bowls, $1 oysters every Thursday, and the fresh sushi rolls... TRY THE PIT NACHOS

Little hidden gem SDSU area! Ordered the crunchy roll, flaming poke, a special roll custom made by the owner himself. Words can't describe how delicious and fresh this food tasted! Fast service too! I will bring everyone I know here!

I attend the nearby college and was excited to try this poke place after reading all the "raving" reviews. My friend and I came during their opening hours at around 1:30PM on Friday and the front door was locked so we weren't even able to try anything even though we came during their so called "opening" hours. Doesn't seem like a good business practice.

Ordered the pineapple salmon dish and ended up cooking the salmon when I got home. Not ideal

DO NOT GO HERE. DISGUSTING FOOD RUDE WORKER. was expecting more from this place. I got the ceviche and it was fishy and not good. also ordered the tuna nigiri and this was white mans sushi at best. didnt even taste like sushi. overall very underwelming. UPDATE: Honestly since I went here last, I cannot stop thinking about how awful the food was. I was initially being sympathetic to the one worker there, who quite frankly was unfriendly and not accommodating. I ordered the ceviche and it was honestly the most disgusting thing I've ever had. As soon as he set the plate down in front of me, I noticed that the shrimp was GREY not pink. The owner/one worker claimed that "pink shrimp" is "the cheap stuff" and he is going for more of a aguachilles vibe. Well just as he executed the ceviche, this claim was also a fail. I don't understand how RAW shrimp classifies as aguachilles, but I digress. Just another attempt of a white man attempting to mansplain a cuisine he clearly knows nothing about! I even watched him make the ceviche, and he just squeezed two lousy limes on top of it, clearly not enough acid to PROPERLY cook the shrimp. I still cannot believe this man was okay with serving RAW SHRIMP to me and continually claiming it was okay to eat... my stomach said otherwise after. I am disgusted at the place and I am surprised it is still open and "raved over". A suggestion to the guy working there: I would do more research about the food you are serving because you clearly do not know what you are doing. This place should be shut down.

Absolutely incredible food, and incredible service. They are so nice, and made sure they were able to avoid all my food allergies. They were so thorough with making a dish, and they are so clean. I will absolutely be coming back here again

These prices are ridiculous .. especially since the freshness of my fish was questionable and for the small portion of food . you're better off going elsewhere for poke! I feel robbed.

Came down for a concert at SDSU and was looking for a place to eat. Small, cute, and surprisingly freaking amazing food. Nachos were good portion and tasty with some of the freshest fish I've seen around. Calamari tacos, yellowtail tacos were also delicious. The mouthwatering halibut taco was my favorite and I think I'm still dreaming of it... Make sure you get garlic edamame. Perfect flavor! Server was cute, friendly, and extremely helpful! It was pretty relaxing listening to old school hip hop, watching traffic go by, sipping on some beers (that we brought with), and eating tasty tasty food. Tacos Tuesday special: buy $3 get 1 free. I may have to drive 2 hours to get back to this place!

UHHHHH-MAZING!!!! I've driven by this lil gem so many times, and every time I've thought the same thing.... I should really try this place out! So tonight we did. We loved everything! Their taco Tuesday special is buy 3 tacos get 1 free. The halibut was the best amongst the shrimp, salmon and ahi tuna. We ordered the Hawaiian Fire roll which was really good! I love edamame so I couldn't resist and ended up ordering it X2! That good! They offer a couple different sauces including Sriracha, house made sweet sauce, a cilantro avocado sauce, chipotle mayo and a house made salsa. Being a current bartender/server myself, the cashier was beyond amazing! She was so welcoming and attentive to us and those around us. You could see a genuine sense of initiative and integrity from both the cashier and chef! Defiantly two amazing, down to earth people who care about the level of service and quality of food they present. The downside is parking can be a lil challenging, no restrooms ( but they do offer plenty of napkins) .....yes it's a very small place, so be patient in waiting for your delicious meal(s) and while you wait it's BYOB!!! So go grab some delish beers at the liquor store around the corner and enjoy the people watching in good company ; )

I, too, had high hopes for this place. Despite the owner (the only employee, it seems) bragging about the great tuna he had that day, our nachos had mere bits of it. Lots of sauce though (not a good thing). The rainbow roll was...meh. One of the fish seemed off. The soy sauce was so salty I downed a glass of water and still left dry as the Sahara. The owner wasn't very welcoming, either. We went to have our "real" dinner somewhere else. Too bad.

I use delivery for poke. That was not fresh and taste not good. I ask brawn rice but came white rice instead of. Deffenery better japanease glossary store even dont want 20minits driving I dont think i am not order anymore.

Great poke bowl, super fresh and tasty and for a real fair price. I'll definitely come back

Had a sushi class with Zach at the Fish Pit! Not only was the food great but Zach was a pleasure. Highly recommend, we will be back!!!

Favorite fresh fish spot in San Diego! So lucky to have bumped into it. Creative menu, welcoming vibe, best fish!! You will be missing out if you don't check it out! Talk to the chef about what you're into, if you don't like what you're eating (I'll be surprised) then speak up! He knows what he's doing, and only serves TOP NOTCH quality eats. You're welcome :)

I have lived in the college area for the past 6 years and I never saw this until my boyfriend suggested we try it out. Granted it just opened not too long ago...just goes to show how much we miss sometimes! I've been here twice already, yes it's that yummy! Got the Pit Nachos both times, which comes with tuna and I love that they use pita chips. Their check-in offer lets you try a taco with the white fish of the day. First time I went, it was yellowtail and the second time was rock fish. I loved loved loved the rock fish! It was my first time trying it. I also tried their Fish Pit Style Bowl, which was delicious and I appreciate that they give you good portions of fish. They have a huge selection of sauces and I have yet to try them all still. The chipotle and avocado is probably my favorite right now. There is a small parking lot next to the hut, but there was only 4 spots if I remembered correctly. I usually park in the Chase parking lot and then cross the street. Their seating area faces the street, so you get kind of a cool view while you eat. Their table is part of a surf board that they connected to the wall. The employees were great both times I went and you can tell the fish they serve is fairly fresh, seeing as how their white fish rotates based upon what they catch. Awesome place to go to and everyone should definitely try it at least once just for the experience, oh and the food!