FishScale

The food here just makes you feel good about being in DC as it is everything that DC is about - down to the succulent fried fish and mambo sauce. While the food is executed perfectly no matter whether you go with the sandwiches, mains+sides, fried fish plates, or cheese steak, you’ll be enjoying it with a excellent service in a laid back open kitchen atmosphere. Oh, did I mention that the crab cake sandwich here is one of the best I’ve had in any restaurant in DC? Because it truly is. FishScale is a true testament to eating good and feeling good about what you eat. Hit it up today.

My partner & I thought oh the reviews look great I’m sure it’ll be pretty good.. no, it was AMAZING! We had the jerk spicy cheesesteak & that had to be one of the best things I’ve eaten ever. We also had the catfish with corn pudding & fried potato which was also fantastic. The place was clean, the staff was so kind & explained everything to us. They seem like a family owned business so everyone must go support them. A DC hidden gem!! Will most definitely be back!

Hands down my favorite place I ate during my vacation to DC! I got the blue crab burger and it was UNREAL. I recommend topping it with the sunflower yogurt slaw which was the perfect accompaniment. My partner got the catfish and smashed potatoes which he absolutely loved as well. Incredible food and super nice staff, loved this place!

EVERYTHING was very good. I wanted to sample things, so I did. I had the cheese steak, the crab cake (no sandwich) and I have to say the thing I had that was surprisingly good was the corn pudding it had some flavors I was not expecting I can’t put my finger on what it was

Literally the best ever. I'm a gluten-free pescatarian who loves soul food and this place is spot on! Collard greens good, corn pudding sweet and savory and the fish, fried to perfection! The cheesecake really made my day!!! Soo good!

Unique little shop with truly excellent, kind service and unique fish burger/‘cheesesteak’ options. Has the jerk with the spicy sauce option with potatoes side and it was great. Pretty heavy, big serving, but I would go back.

This is a gem! I love me some fish sandwiches and that’s what this place is all about. I love that they basically do one thing and do it really well. My “cheesesteak” was amazing and my friend loved her sandwich and fried potatoes. The folks that run it are super friendly. Highly recommend!

Wow. I’m blown away. I walked past this hole in the wall, looking diner. Desire to go in and give it a try. I had to wait to order because the person taking my orders was busy preparing food. I watched as this individual carefully crafted the meal. He gingerly placed each amount of meat and squirted it with a perfect amount of sauce. As soon as I saw him do that I said “ what is that I want it?” he told me it was the jerk cheesesteak. It was the best cheesesteak I’ve ever had in my entire entire life. It was a pleasure watching him prepare my food. I also ordered the Japanese sweet potatoes. My mouth watered watching them carefully prepare this delicious meal. This is truly a wonderful restaurant. As I was leaving, I commented that he was like a professional chef. He replied that he had gone to culinary school, and it was very obvious that he took great pride in his work. I cannot recommend this place enough. The food is wonderful. The food tastes better than it looks. If you’re in the area or within 50 miles please come and try it.

Really attentive service and the food was really fresh and delicious. I had fried rockfish and potatoes...yum! I watched them season and batter the fresh fish! Their tartar sauce was homemade and quite good. The inside is small but classy, well decorated, and clean with a few tables. Great addition to the neighborhood!

Great food - loved that I could have the curried dish with the fish of my choice (and the scale-on rockfish was cooked just right). I've been before for crab burgers, and will come back to try their catfish cheesesteak. Service was really friendly too (providing water).

I visited Fishscale for lunch. I always like to give honest reviews so, parking is a WHOLE situation since the restaurant is located on Florida Ave. Also, the restaurant is not very big so, I would plan for take out instead of dining in. Now for the great part. We were greeted immediately, very warmly and directed to the menu. It was Tuesday so, of course I went for the tacos Everything was cooked to order and I just could not resist the Japanese potatoes. The restaurant is very clean. You can see directly into the kitchen and even the bathroom, also very clean. The food was amazing, not too heavy, flavorful and most importantly FRESH! I had a ginger beer to wash it all down. Customer service was attentive and wait for it........ it's a Black owned business I will be returning, just got to figure out parking. Visit this place as soon as you can, you won't regret it!

Food is great, and the staff takes very good care of you. We would definitely go again

I decided to visit this place in honor of #smallbusinessSaturday This was my first time visiting FishScale at the recommendation of my friend and honey, I did not regret it one bit. Hospitality: The woman who took our order was great at making a first timer feel welcomed as she provided a breakdown of the menu and any substitutes available. Food: Let's get down to business...the grilled rockfish burger was topped with diced cucumbers and tomatoes (there were other toppings available) but I selected this. The fish was grilled to perfection and still maintained a juicy flavor which was oozing with the right seasonings.I thoroughly enjoyed my selection but of course my friend informed me that for my next visit, I should try the salmon burger and crab cakes. Looks like I'll be doing a couple more runs over there lol Overall this restaurant has a great vibes, good music, and tasty food...what isn't to love about that!!!!! Black owned and so worth the visit!

Fish sandwich is delicious it was hot and season to perfection, It would be nice if they had some meals, that's the only thing I don't like, everything is separate.

Love this place! The owners are really friendly and take their time to explain all the different fish options. They've got options to make your fish pan seared or fried, in a cheesesteak or sandwich and it's all delicious. You can tell there's a lot of care and love for the food; it shows in quality and taste. I got the rockfish, pan seared, with lettuce, tomato, and aioli. The fish was tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked. Also had the fried potatoes which were smashed and fried to crispy perfection. You can get delivery but it's best fresh and it makes me wish they had a location closer to me.

Wonderful place. Been meaning to try this place for a couple of years and finally made it here with the couple of the fellas. Black -owned... Up the street from my beloved alma mater, the great HU. We were originally going to go to a new soul food restaurant around the corner called "Doro", but there's no seating there. So we then proceed to walk around the corner in 20° BLUSTERY temperatures today (brrrrrr!!!!) and arrive inside of FishScale. We're the only ones there at the time save for the owners - and the one owner is an absolute gem. The other is the chef and he was busy working. Didn't say anything. The gregarious owner is Kristal and she greets us with a big smile and proceeds to run down her entire menu. I wasn't sure I was ready for all of that but we let her continue lol. Luckily it's not that large. She's clearly very passionate about her business. She's very personable and came over and engaged us in lots of good conversation during the meal. Her personality shines. Sandwiches, subs, fresh salad - all seafood based fare here. Deep River chips in bags. Reasonable prices. Good sized portions. One of my colleagues had a catfish sub (drizzled aioli on top). A riff on a Philly cheesesteak. The other had fish tacos, and I had a crab cake sandwich. Kristal suggested sweet potato fries since they don't have regular. Initially I was a little turned off, but she swore that I would never go back to regular fries because these were "Japanese sweet potato fries", and I was therefore intrigued. They were absolutely fabulous. She says the uncooked flesh is white inside. The potato cooked potato shows up kind of a banana yellow fleshy with a marvelous crispy skin having been grilled and drizzled with a savory sweet glaze of some sort. They were terrific, sure, but I'm still going to eat regular fries lol. The have some nice drinks including wine. I like this place. I shall return forthwith.

I recently dined at fishscale. The ambiance was amazing and incredibly inviting. The menu offered a variety of fresh daily catch and other seafood options. The blue crab cake is the best in town. Second option is the jerk salmon. If you are unsure just ask the owner. She is amazing. The chef is so personable and knowledgeable in his cuisine overall. It was an outstanding dining experience. I highly recommended it! This is a black owned restaurant and chef in the heart of Shaw/Howard University.

When I first heard of black-owned Fishscale, it was via an image of the Chesapeake Cheesesteak. I was a bit skeptical because it wasn't beef. ​ ​ ​Here is the thing, I think of myself as a cheesesteak expert. I am originally from south NJ & due to the proximity to Philly, I grew eating my share of cheesesteaks. When I first moved to VA 20+ years ago, I learned that it is called a steak & cheese sub, & often the taste was just a backward it was called. ​ ​ ​I preordered & walked from my sister's to take advantage of the warm day. ​ ​ ​While I briefly waited on my order, I inquired about the signature aioli on the side. The chef saw my "Foodie Est. 1985" (designed by me) t-shirt & asked, " How are you a foodie that orders sauces on the side?" ​ ​ ​I answered, " I like to taste my food before adding the sauce." I believe great food should be well seasoned on every level. ​ ​ ​I bit into my cheesesteak & wow, my thoughts about cheesesteak should only be beef changed! The Maryland Blue Catfish was fried and seasoned with caramelized onions & green peppers with provolone cheese. The cheese pulls that I was able to achieve with each bite were perfect. I regret not having the setup to video properly. After that 1st bite, I put on the signature aioli, and I found myself pouring it on! All respect to chef H. Brandon Williams. ​ ​ ​The secret sauce to a great cheesesteak is the bread, which is just as important as what is on or between the bread. My Chesapeake Cheesesteak bread was soft with a slight crunch! ​I almost greedily ate the whole sandwich, but I restrained myself & walked back to give my mom the last bite. She ate the bite and said it was a good cold. You know something is delicious when you can eat it cold! ​ ​ ​How do you get yours? Fishscale is located on Florida Avenue NW between LeDroit Park and Shaw neighborhoods, cross the street from the Metro PCS that plays Go-Go! ​ ​ ​There is limited seating for dine in, so I recommend either ordering for pickup on their website or having it delivered via Grubhub, Seamless, and Uberears ​ ​

Great food! Fish is fresh, prepared to order, and delicious. Great service as well. Had the jerk mahi mahi cheesesteak and fried potatoes. Was delicious.

Love supporting a black owned business. Especially one that's warm and inviting. I came here on recommendation from WETA's Signature Dish and I was a little underwhelmed. The fish burger was very dry and lacked depth. The sides were underwhelming as well. I dont think id be back here. If youre a pescatarian this might be the place for you.

This restaurant has great food as well as awesome owners, but for the price of a fish meal I should get two pieces of fish. I always go to Old Lucas Seafood on Marlboro Pike for a massive seafood dinner which is both fresh and delicious for half the price of FishScale. I love fish scale, but the price compared to portions don't add up.

unique and dedicated to their product. 1 of a kind and authentic. focused on quality.

TASTY FOOD! Honestly it's perfect - so glad I checked out this black owned spot. If you haven't tried this place, YOU SHOULD. I ordered via Uber eats and everything came packaged so well, the sandwiches traveled nice! Also, loved the writing on the boxes lol I ordered the Wild Caught Fish Burger with the Spicy Sambal and grilled onions. VERY GOOD. You can choose what kind of sauce you want on the burger, so if you don't like spicy, don't get the spicy sambal - ITS GOOD AS HELL, but spicy. I loved this burger. The Chesapeake Cheesesteak was EVERYTHING. It's a filling sandwich, and all the flavors blend together so well. I could eat this sandwich daily. The roll was also perfect. I'll definitely be coming back to this place, I really enjoyed my food!

An amazing black owned and unique restaurant! The service and food is amazing! Ingredients are super fresh and your food is made when ordered. I would order before going in if it's your lunch break since they start making it after you order. Process: pick your meat and if you want it as a burger. You get to choose 2 toppings that are all made fresh daily. Pick your side and drink. Which are sold separately. I got the rockfish burger and chips. I chose the samba and cucumber-tomato relish. The samba sauce is SPICY!!!! So if you like a good tingle then I would try it out. The fresh cucumber and tomato relish was so refreshing in combination with the samba. Definitely loved the combo. The actual fish burger just melted in my mouth. The bread was crazy soft as well. 10/10 fish burger and definitely recommend trying this place out! Can't wait to go back and try another combo of toppings.

I had been wanting to try FishScale for some time and once I finally did, I'm glad I did. It's on Florida Ave in the Le Droit Park community in DC. I had previously heard about it and also passed by many times over the last year however wasn't able to visit due to parking challenges. As a fish and seafood lover I am even more obsessed with fish sandwiches. FishScale clicks on all cylinders. According to their website the seafood they acquire is sourced from sustainable wild fish in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. I met one of the co-owners, Brandon, who prepared my sandwiches. I appreciate the conversation I had with him and attention to detail. Actually, I'm glad I stuck around and watched him prepare my food. I commented that it is not often you get to see restaurants prepare high quality food. Usually if it is high-quality food it's prepared in the back kitchen however the set-up at FishScale allows you to get a glimpse of the food prep. Brandon seems to be a cool guy and so does his staff. The food here is exceptionally fresh. You can tell fresh seafood in particular. If you know, you know. Another tell tale sign of fresh seafood is the lingering smell of it once you get home (if you're doing takeout). I ordered takeout and my ride was 25 mins, so by the time I arrived home it still had that freshly prepared smell. The portion sizes are very appropriate. I ordered the following menu items: 1) The Chesapeake Cheesesteak (made with blue catfish) 2) True Blue crab cake sandwich 3) Jerk Salmon Cheesesteak 4) CharmCity single-serving wines The inside lobby of FishScale is also very welcoming and has a warm ambiance. Check them out. If you are a fish sandwich lover or even a casual fish sandwich enthusiast, give FishScale a try. I will definitely return.

I have been a fan of this food for a while. Happy it's available. Quality over quantity is a true sign of perfection.

Like every year, I had to support a black business for Juneteenth. So, I decided on this place... though, next time I'll try to get there while a march isn't happening on the street that it's on. From what I can tell, Fishscale has a relatively small menu, but it's great stuff! I had a Rockfish burger with jalapeno sauce and grilled onion sauce, and Japanese sweet potatoes. The burger was outstanding. I loved texture of the bun, I loved the flavor of the fish and how the sauces worked with it. The sweet potatoes looked like regular potatoes, but they were indeed sweet like sweet potatoes. That sauce that was on them... WHEW. I forget what it was called now (and I can't see it on their site right now) but it was really delicious! I am looking forward to going back and having more of those sweet potatoes, and trying their catfish cheesesteak! I do wish more sweet potatoes came with one order though!

I loved this unique spot in the Shaw district in DC near Howard University. The specialize in charcoal grilled fish burgers. The Farm raised fish is selected fresh daily, and all burgers are made in house with no breading and no fillers. Just the fish/seafood and hot grill. All condiments are made in house with fresh organic produce and ingredients. This Black owned business is known in the local farmers markets, and now have their very own brick and mortar shop. i ordered the Blue Crab(duh I'm a MD girl) all meat no fill burger, made with a shellfish mousse and served with sunflower yogurt coleslaw on top. The super fresh flavors and ingredients really shine in this burger. So much meat, so different than the average crab cake because of the lack of breading and fillers. all crab all the time. This spot will get many return visits!!

Wow! Just got carryout here for lunch and loved every bite. I started with the Japanese sweet potatoes, which have a nice crispy skin to them and good flavor. For the sandwich I went with the Chesapeake cheese steak, which is made with local catfish. The fish was so perfectly cooked and seasoned, and was quite delicious. The staff were also very friendly. Bonus points to this restaurant for embracing sustainable practices too. They have information on their web site about their seafood sources, and I also appreciated that the to-go containers are compostable if you have access to a composting service.

I saw a TV review (Signature Dish) of the restaurant and I went out of my way to give it a try. The food was yummy! We had tacos and the crab burger. I had sambal and coleslaw on my crab burger. We had sweet potatoes with both. The food was super tasty - not a crumb was left. Friendly, personable and service-oriented family restaurant. Totally worth making a special trip to enjoy this gem.

This could be the best sandwich I've ever had! The Jerk Salmon Spicy Cheese Steak! Off the rails good! Perfect spice, fresh fish, bread was perfect! Came with chips and I had Perky Lemonade! All of it fit... Customer service was top quality and super friendly! I came from Cali to visit my son at Howard, I'll come back just to eat here! Hahaha... Y'all check it out!

I've been eating at Fish Scale for over 4 years now and I will never get tired of it. I am a sucker for their taco Tuesday, their True Blue Maryland Crab Burger and the Japanese Sweet Potatoes. I love that the seafood is rich in flavor, organic, accessible, FRESH and SUSTAINABLE. The restaurant is exceptionally tidy with a well designed fun "ocean themed" ambiance and the staff are extremely hospitable and knowledgeable about the food. Chef Brandon is definitely one of the top Chefs in Washington. The consistency of the quality is undefeated. I encourage you to not miss out!

Just Their jerk cheese steak was the best cheese steak I've ever had and it's made with fish! If you don't like the taste of fish don't worry--it tasted like a cheese steak only a million times better. They also had amAzInG customer service! Please go check them out! You'll love the experience and enjoy the food. :)

What a wonderful life it is! Fish scale is a quaint Black, looks to be family owned restaurant/carry out. Y'all I can go on and on about this place. I really want you to visit Fishscale and taste these creations! I just wanted to take a small bite while it was hot as I was going to eat it when I got home. Well I nor the sandwich made it off the street. I just felt like the part of my 600 lb life where I'm in the parking lot hoping someone asks me where I got it from so I can yell FISH SCALE MAN!!!!! CLEAN. Great Customer service. You get a bag of Vickie's chips with your philly fish sandwich Man. I mean its not a new concept, a fish sandwich. But I watched the chef make my sandwich and he cooked and created my sandwich with a sense of pride and love. Like he was making it for himself. Perfect. Just for ME! Please support these people.

Passed this place on my way to Howard University Hospital. It looked so neat that I made a point to go there while I was waiting for my boyfriend's appointment to end. Their website talked about sustainable fishing and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, which I have endorsed and used for years. I was not disappointed! This place is fantastic. I believe their menu changes daily with what fish is available. I got a coho salmon burger with cucumber-tomato relish and pesto and it was quite tasty! There was *something* that was a little spicy for my admittedly bland palate, but it was still great nonetheless. Also happy to see that they sell Me & the Bees lemonade, which I've heard about but haven't had the chance to try. I went at kind of an odd hour (3pm on a Friday), so there weren't any other customers. Which was fine by me because I still feel a little uneasy at the thought of indoor dining around others. I don't come to this area of town very often, but I highly recommend this place!

Porgy was perfect. Potatoes were the best I've ever tasted (and I've eaten a LOT of potatoes)!

I've driven past this place too many times to not stop in at my first chance. I'm glad I finally had a taste of their offerings. I enjoyed a Mahi Mahi burger with sauteed onions, cucumber and tomato relish, and pesto. The bun is toasted and light which was perfect. It's a fish burger, so it's nice to not feel weighed down by the meal. It was nice chatting with Crystal, the owner. I learned that Chef Brandon, who was working the grill and dressing the burgers, is her brother which is cool in it's own right. They were both pleasant and welcoming. There seemed to be regulars, or just friendly customers which is a good thing to see. The upbeat variety of music was a nice touch. Fishscale is clean and comfortable, just the type of spot to pick up a tasty fish burger. I'll be back when the crab burger is in season.

As a frequent customer, I must say this is 1 of my favorite lunch spots in Dc. A clean healthy alternative & the quality and freshness is never a miss! The Staff and owners are very friendly and professional. Not to mention this is a black owned business! I always recommend fish scale to all my clients & I recommend you give it a try if you're ever in the area. 1 of my favorite modifications that I like to do because I don't eat bread is, you have the option to lettuce wrap anything on the menu.

This place is a fantastic spot to visit if you're in town. They have great food and drink options for really reasonable prices, and you may get lucky and receive complementary chips with your order! The staff were kind, helpful, and enjoyable to be around, and the store environment is very comfortable. Definitely worth checking out!

Fishscale DC is an excellent wild caught organic seafood haven .I have been a customer since 2020 and never get tired of their healthy delicious selections .They have many new items and one that I ordered today is the corn pudding .It is the best corn pudding that I have ever tasted .It is bette than the corn pudding in Birmingham that my grandmother use to cook.The pudding has no flour and you can't even detect it .Fishscale has a wonderful warm atmosphere and great take out or delivery options as well .You will love the corn pudding and my advise you may want to order two instead of one .

Everything was delicious. I had the jerk salmon cheesesteak. Who would've thought this would even be a thing but now that I've had it I can't go back! I don't like a lot of spice so I just got the mild but that in itself was so flavorful. My boyfriend got the salmon burger with pesto and said it was the best he's ever had. We will definitely be going back!

So when I came across Fishscale, it was no surprise that I just had to try it! Well months later, I finally decided to stop in! "Wow! I love this place" is what I thought when I stepped inside! The name pretty much speaks for itself, clearly, they sell fish, but in burger form! I was greeted by Chrystal, (the woman behind the ordering counter) when I walked in! She was such a delight and did an awesome job selling me on having lunch there. She explained that they have 2-3 fish burgers $13.95 , the crab burger $17.95, along with a few different a la carte side dishes on the menu at all times. She expressed that all of the seafood is wild and sustainably caught and each burger in made to order! Awesome sauce! After choosing a fish burger, you choose between two categories of toppings; in the 1st, you get to choose two different toppings and in the 2nd, you get to choose one of the toppings. I decided to go with the Rockfish burger with grilled onions and cucumber tomato relish and fresh grilled corn on the side! In about 8 minutes, my life became so much more flavorful! Man oh Man! It was delish! The burger was grilled to perfection without being dried out, the addition of the toppings kept it super juicy, and the bun was nice and airy without feeling super bready! The corn, what can I say, AH-Mazing! But the burger was definitely the star here! Shoutout to Chef Brandon! Oh and let me not forget to mention that they gave me a complementary bag of chips too! Yes! I'll take it!  So if you are in the Shaw neighborhood, be sure to stop in!

Really terrific - had the salmon tacos and they were beyond wonderful. Wonderful selection of fish and all sustainably acquired. You can tell they care both about quality and taste. Tacos were really delish. Great people and very nice space. Looking forward to visiting it again. I encourage you put this on your list. You won't regret it

The Chesapeake Cheesesteak is absolutely delicious! I've frequented this restaurant a few times before and this is by far our favorite sandwich of all. I surprised my wife with lunch from this establishment one day last week. She raved about how delicious her sandwich was. She, nor I could put it down. I almost ate both sandwiches ‍on the way home. I strongly considered it, but didn't give in to the temptation. Please stop by and try the Chesapeake Cheesesteak, Crab burger, or the rockfish burger. We've had all three and they are definitely worth the trip. You may even want to purchase two sandwiches, one for now and the other for later.

$4.25 for three sweet potato wedges that were good once I got past the strange outer, overly salty peel layer. So expensive. I thought maybe something was missing. True Blue crab burger was salty at first, not sure why, but tasted better as the meal went on and I ended liking it. $24+ and I am not full; I feel like I had a moderate appetizer and I'm still in need of food. I appreciate that the crab burger used no fillers. This was my first time eating at the restaurant and an exploratory excursion because I'd heard of them and passed the location several times. But I won't be doing this again.

This is going to become one of my go to spots in the city! A few friends have been telling me about this place for a while and I should've listened earlier. I decided to give them a try to support for the city's #ShopSmall Saturday. I got the Chesapeake Cheesesteak and Japanese Sweet Potatoes are both were great. The catfish cheesesteak was amazing! There's nothing better than fresh fish. I'm looking forward to trying the other items on the menu and stopping by when things reopen.

I'm wholeheartedly excited about this post (don't get me wrong, I TRULY get excited about each post via my sincere love for what I do). But this place, I rushed to when I found out about it!! Located at 637-A Florida Ave., N.W. Washington DC you'll find @wearefishscale sitting right before my favorite incense, and oils spot!! Now I have 2 favorite places on this block, because this spots food is EVERYTHING!! This place is delightfully unique because they get wild caught fish, and round them out, and call them Fish Burgers!! WOW!! So their menu includes their True Blue M.D. Crab Burger ($17.95-A no filler crab cake basically), a Sockeye Salmon Wild caught Fish burger ($13.95), and a grilled Romaine salad ($4.75 grilled Romaine heart dressed with seasonal fruit or vegetable, house made kefir creme fraiche dressing, and a nutty citrus granola...WOW). So we copped their Jerk Salmon cheesesteak ($13.95-contains no cheese), their Mahi Mahi cheesesteak ($13.95-contains no cheese), their Rockfish burger ($13.95), and a piece of glazed grilled corn ($3.50). The Rockfish Burger, & Mahi Mahi cheesesteak we hands down DELICIOUS!! Savory, fulfilling, and you tasted the toppings in each delectable morsel!! The corn, and the Jerk Salmon cheesesteak were my absolute FAVORITES!! That Salmon was spiced right, grilled right, it filled me up, and this establishment has a forever customer in me because I'm ALWAYS coming back for this sandwich!! The corn...didn't make it to my car!! Next time, I'll get multiple ears!! The other thing about this spot is the toppings you can put on each sandwich or salad (you can get all the fish options on the salad by the way). Spicy Sambal (a chili sauce that goes perfect on fish), grilled onions, or a Pesto are some of their toppings. Please visit www.we are Fishscale.com for more info. Customer service was exceptional (the items were patiently explained to me and everyone that walked in the door). Parking is rough, it's close to 7th and Georgia Ave, so you really have to find a spot. I'm honing back y'all...for as long as this place there. GO!! That's it. #deliciousfood #salmon #mahimahi #rockfish #corn #blackownedbusiness #bigschlimsreviews

My dream afternoon in DC would be lunch here followed by tea/sweets a block or two away at Calabash. The food: The owner was amazing in explaining their different menu options (all thoughtfully sourced) and flavor profiles (e.g., rockfish has a nutty profile and more fish forward vs. the lighter sweeter Mahi mahi). Great choices on toppings and mindful of allergies. This is the type of place where they use Himalayan sea salt, rely on the wood grill to flavor the burger vs. lots of breadcrumbs or cheap fillers. All the condiments are organic. The ambience: bonus surprise for me was their beautiful modern and cozy design, inspired by the nautical theme + great soundtrack. was planning to do to go, but dined in I liked it so much! I'll be back many more times. The story: they started this place when their mom became pescatarian and they wanted to make sure she had something yummy to eat at a family cookout...and they realized they had hit on something delicious!

These fish burgers are amazing, I found the spot driving by and walked in to see what the menu looked like. I gave the coho salmon sandwich a try and it was delicious! You top your burger with 5 special toppings I chose caramelized onions and pesto and whew! That pesto made a difference. Each burger comes with chips and a drink. The drinks are both alcoholic and nonalcoholic and I gave the ginger lemonade a try and it was so good I drink it in three gulps.

Quite surprised walking into this restaurant! I would describe this place as a very simple, no frills, yet high quality fish burger restaurant. Pick a fish, you can choose bun or lettuce, and pick your sauce. That's it. There's some other options and side selections, but we both got a fish burger (Mahi and Rockfish). It was probably one of the best fish burger I've had, especially the rockfish. Service was also great, explaining to us the menu and what they have left available (everything is fresh caught daily). Highly recommend checking this place out. Mid 4s/5

My husband and I were so excited about trying this new spot. It's near Uproar and parking is a little tough. It's a cute spot and I loved the inside of it. When we walked in, there were only 2 other customers. Service was pretty spot on. We sat down and waited on the food we ordered. I got the crab cake burger and my husband got the fish from Hawaii. It's a pretty simple menu which I was super appreciative about. It was a bit disappointing though that there weren't any appetizing sides that went along with it. We essentially got fish burgers with chips and it cost us $40. Now, the burgers were great. Best crab cake I've had! The fish burger that my husband had was also just as great. My husband said that the bread was extra. We could've just had the fish burger. We're definitely happy that we tried this place. Best fish burgers we've had but we were still super hungry after we left.

Had high hopes but was pretty disappointed with fishscale. Hit or miss on the burgers - one we had was really good, the other was not. I can't remember what types of fish we had, but one we had with the pesto (which was good), and the other I don't remember what we got on it. But I do remember that it was so extremely salty that neither of us wanted to eat it. Other than that, the burgers are small (we ended up eating a second dinner), the sides are ok (Japenese sweet potato and don't remember the other), the meal was pricey for burgers (spent just over 20/person for a burger and a side each), and good lord it took them forever to make the burgers. There were no other people in there, it was a Friday night about an hour before they were slated to close, and it took 30 minutes to make two burgers to go? Pass

Fish Scale has great vibes with stellar food to match. The spot is clean and cozy and relatively narrow narrow, but somehow manages to feel open and spacious. I love the decor, particularly the cool quotes on the wall. The food is great as well. Everything here is "wild, sustainable, and organic." It's cooked to order, right in front of you. I tried the rock fish burger with pesto. It was delicious. I've had fish burgers in the past (usually salmon) from other places and found them to be underwhelming. However, Fish Scale has made me a believer. The chips and ginger beer I had were top notch as well. I definitely recommend this spot. If possible, order ahead. If I'm being objective, it did seem to take long time for my burger to come. That said, I certainly look forward to coming again and hacking the menu.

From the mission, to the quality of the food, to the people who run it, this family-owned and operated restaurant is impressive and a new neighborhood favorite. Fishscale commits to sourcing wild (as opposed to farm-raised) fish that have been sustainably caught and preparing them with care and integrity. The fish is freshly brought in every day​ and as such, the menu changes everyday (as it should for a fish restaurant). There are no breadcrumbs or other fillers in the fish "burgers" they make, so you're getting your money's worth with every bite. And if you're wondering what exactly a fish burger is, as I was, it is literally pieces of fish formed into a patty (as opposed to a fillet). The owner and chef of the restaurant invented the fish burger when his mother had to convert to a pescetarian diet but was reluctant to give up family BBQs. As a traditional fish sandwich lover, I was skeptical​ about the fish burger. But with just one bite of the blue crab burger, I was a believer. I can't describe why it tasted 10 times better than a crab cake, but it just did. Maybe it was the quality of the crab; maybe it was the natural hardwood grill it was cooked on; maybe it was the pesto and grilled onions it came with. In any case, I was blown away. And the fish of the day (rockfish) burger which was paired with a sambal and sunflower yogurt coleslaw (a much healthier and better-tasting​ alternative to mayo-based coleslaw) was equally impressive. The restaurant unapologetically takes its​ time preparing your food, but it's obvious when it comes out the care and quality that goes into it. I wanted to give a special shout-out to Krystal, who co-owns the restaurant with her brother, the chef. I was impressed with​ her immediately when she knew the number of grams of sugar in every type of drink they sold. She then proceeded to recommend the perfect combination of sauces to go along with each of our fish burgers. We chatted about the story of Fishscale and the inception of the idea of the fish burger. We left full, happy, and feeling like here is a family business that we want to support and see more of in our neighborhood.

I finally got a chance to try out Fish Scale and their famous fish burgers and I was definitely not disappointed. When I first walked in I noticed everything looked clean.... A+ already. I wasn't sure what to order so the owner suggested some items on the menu and her decisions where on point. Even the spicy pepper sauce was pretty good! Of course I hate coming to U street because of the parking but I got lucky and found a parking space close by. If your looking for something different, this is it.

First takeout meal during Covid and it surely did not disappoint! Grabbed lunch to-go of the jerk salmon cheesesteak and the Chesapeake cheesesteak. Everything was seasoned to perfection (the jerk salmon had a nice kick to it) and the combo came with a bag of chips, a decent deal for the price you pay! As a MDer, I will definitely be revisiting and checking out that crab cake soon!

I feel guilty for not taking a picture before I completely demolished the Jerk Mahi-Mahi Cheesesteak; but you'll be fine! This is a great place to pop in for a quick bite! You can get either a burger, street tacos, or a cheesesteak- all made from fish or crab. They have some good wheat beer and craft soft drinks available too. This is a small space, so if you want a large order I recommend you get it to go.

I've walked by fish scale several times and finally thought to stop in one day and try it out. I get the Chesapeake cheesesteak and it doesn't disappoint. It's a very flavorful and filling sandwich, my go to item on their menu. The restaurant is very pristine and their staff are hospitable. #supportblackbusiness