Harbor Fish Cafe

My husband & I visited Carlsbad often but never had the chance to stop to eat here. I'm glad we finally did because it was delicious. We shared the fried zucchini and the 2 piece fish & chips. The batter was crispy and not doughy. The fries had an extra crisp texture, which made them even yummier because nobody likes soggy fries. The best part was that at no time did it ever taste greasy. The tartar was yummy, and I asked for extra! The staff was amazing. Super helpful, esp when we mentioned it was our first time. But they also checked in and were friendly. We will definitely be coming back.

Local institution for a reason. Fresh seafood for a reasonable price. Could not believe the amount of food in the fish & clam platter for $16.49. Unreal location, friendly folk, quick and delicious. Happy we stopped by. Wasn’t sure as we figured it would be overpriced and touristy but it is the opposite!

I was told this place was the best place to go to for fish. They claim of fame is the fish and chips, which I had. I’ll be honest with you, it wasn’t anything amazing. It kind of lacked flavor. That being said, it was perfectly cooked, crispy, golden, brown, Fish was delicate. The way it was prepared was done very well. It just didn’t have much flavor. Then again, most fish and chips don’t have a ton of flavor. I would definitely be back to try other food. Their clam chowder was very good and they have a great view as well.

On both our visits to Carlsbad, this was one of our 'must do' restaurants. The setting is great, especially if you arrive just before sunset. The fish tacos were a good size and really tasty. Both the fish and chips and fish salad received good reviews from the rest of the family. Drinks are reasonably priced. Everything is disposable, so be prepared to eat of paper plates with plastic cutlery.

Harbor Fish Cafe: A Consistent Carlsbad Classic Harbor Fish Cafe, right on Carlsbad State Beach, once again delivered a fantastic fried seafood lunch during my recent field trip to Carlsbad. It's a spot I consistently return to, and for good reason – their seafood truly hits the spot. I opted for the fried clams and battered fish combo, and everything tasted swell. The fries deserve a special mention; they were perfectly crispy on the outside while remaining tender within, a delightful complement to the main event. My regular iced tea was refreshing, though it's worth noting they don't offer free refills here. Service was efficient and sufficient, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable dining experience. The open-area dining facilities were clean and well-maintained, as was the restroom. If you're a seafood lover like me and find yourself in Carlsbad, Harbor Fish Cafe is a dependable choice for a delicious and satisfying meal with a great location.

I was doing my first bikepacking trip this last week and stopped by here for lunch. I didn't realize it was a sit-down restaurant. It's pretty much an outdoor patio area. So I just got it to go and sat at a nearby bench. I got the 2 fish and chips (fries) combo. The fish were decent size and pretty good. The service was super quick, too. I gave the atmosphere 3 only cause I didn't know it was a sit-down restaurant.

Went here on a recommendation. The fish and chips were excellent and the clam strips were cooked perfectly. Worth the drive from San Diego.

🪸Ah! Lovely Carlsbad!🪸 One of my favorite beaches to relax my mind and relate to the magnificence of the ocean waters. I enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Harbor Fish Cafe, and a beautiful view of the ocean! The Harbor Fish Cafe offers quite an appealing selection of foods. My selection of Fish n Chips was fresh, tasteful, excellently seasoned, and very filling! Great service as well! The perfect place to dine, chill, and take in the sites and sounds of the ocean. An amazing day!😊

I've been coming here since I was literally a baby and the food never changes. Best fries you could ever have. Best fried fish I've ever had. Idk what makes the ranch sauce so good but it is. Solid clam chowder. Don't get the salad. Yes, the staff has attitude there's no denying that. But when you live in a place with a million tourists coming and going and doing their acrobatics on the lawn out front and filming DIY music videos for tik tok... it can get very irritating very quickly. So cut them some slack. They just want to go to the beach but they have to stare at it all day and deal with the annoying-ness of people asking for a public restroom instead. Not much seating for how busy it gets but we never eat there anyway. Take it to go and eat at the many ocean view benches all around there. Be careful of the squirrels lol but really. I would be devastated if this place ever closed. It is the rock that never changes and the heart of downtown Carlsbad.

I can't say enough good things about this place! If you haven't tried it -- TRY IT! The fish and chips plate is my absolute favorite. I don't know what it is about their fish, but it never disappoints -- crispy, flaky, and always cooked just right. The seating area is small, but if you're lucky enough to grab a seat facing the ocean at sunset... it's chef's kiss. Such a vibe. There's a parking lot just west of the café, but it fills up pretty quickly. Luckily, there's plenty of street parking nearby, so it's usually not a big deal. The staff is always on it -- super friendly and fast with the food. Whether you're a local or just passing through Carlsbad,

"So deliver me, deliver me Baby take this heart, set it free" (Tom Petty) When a restaurant advertises "Giant Fish Tacos", you sure expect them to deliver on that promise. Well Harbor Fish really came through with the goods. We had a wonderful lunch yesterday. They were pretty crowded, but we had two seats on their outdoor counter. My Spicy Carlsbad Fish Taco had a huge chunk of grilled fish, spicy slaw, onion, cilantro, and cheese on a folded tortilla. In truth, it was more like a sub sandwich or big burrito in every dimension. The taco came with spicy fries, but we swapped them out for regular fries. It was a great value for $18.99. The taco was amazing (and yes, it was spicy), and the fries were crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and terrific. My wife's Shrimp Salad was six chilled shrimp served over a bed of romaine with zucchini, tomatoes, cheese and choice of dressing for $12.99. These were no shrimpy shrimps -they were big and plump and cooked to perfection. We shared a large soda (and I mean LARGE) for just $3. Service wasn't great, the crucial "Check-back" was very late in the game. By my eyes, the patio was under-staffed, so maybe that was understandable. The patio was crowded, and truth be told, that counter was too crowded for the number of chairs they have set up there. Maybe reducing that number by one would be a good idea. Harbor Fish is a very popular destination, and my cousin (who is a native) raved about it. She was right on the money about the place,

This was really not great at all, our party left pretty disappointed. We love fish and chips and this really just lacked flavor, we also thought the cocktail and tartar sauce were really bland. Such a bummer as this is a really nice prime location next to the beach I wish we would have chosen somewhere else for lunch. I will say that service was super great both employees who helped us were awesome.

Fish & chips are excellent! Got 2 large pieces with spicy fries (not spicy at all but seasoned well). Would definitely come back for that! Got the clam chowder...was average and a bit bland for my taste so probably wouldn't order that again. Got it to go...staff was nice. I'd like to come back and try a taco next time!

Decent seafood, but definitely better places to eat in Carlsbad. If you're walking the beach and downtown Carlsbad area, this is a good spot to pop in for a beer and maybe a snack/appetizer--especially if you can lock down a table with a view of the beach (which is hard with the limited amount of seating) but I wouldn't recommend it for a full meal. Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad--but it also wasn't very good. It was just average and lacked flavor. I will say, the clam strips were pretty disappointing. They were small in size and again, pretty flavorless. Service was good--I'm seeing a lot of recent reviews commenting on rude staff--but we didn't have that issue at all. The hostess let us sit where we wanted and the server was attentive, kind, and checked on us often. If I stopped in here again, it would definitely just be to have a beer and enjoy the views.

This little gem is a must try! The fish and fries were amazing! The fish was tender yet crispy and very good in size, the fries were so crispy yet tasted baked, so good. The jumbo shrimp did not disappoint! Very large in size and all meat, not breading. We also tried the Cole slaw which was tasty and fresh. Service was excellent, all staff were very friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend this place.

Nothing like eating seafood while looking out to the ocean! Service was great if any server walked by they asked if we needed anything not just our server that was assigned to our table. Our drinks were never half empty. Outdoor seating allows you to watch the waves roll in. We had grilled fish tacos chowder cocktail shrimp and the fish and chips. The taco was a lot bigger than what we were expecting especially for a daily special. Packed with a lot of toppings to add to the flavor of the Hawaiian fish. Chowder surpassed our expectations as well. Shrimp cocktail was on point. The star of the meal was the fish and chips the fish was great and flaky. The flavor of batter was something we weren't expecting. It had great flavor not just a plain batter or beer batter it actually had great flavor and made eating fried fish more enjoyable than normal. Would highly recommend if you're in the area. Side note the sunset was spectacular

Beachside restaurant in Carlsbad California. Parking is a little difficult so I would definitely recommend walking or taking a rideshare. Also, it is outdoor seating only. It is covered and some of the seating does have views of the beach. It is a casual atmosphere. Thankfully, even in August the weather is nice so sitting outdoors is comfortable. The menu is small and has mostly fried seafood options. I would definitely recommend trying the house beer. It is delicious. For my meal I have the fried shrimp. They were big and very good. My spouse had the fried fish. He was not able to finish all of it because it was a very generous portion. The waitstaff was very nice and we enjoyed the views.

New management and a very rude hostess. Regular customers for years but were rejected service today because we had a 6 lb dog with us. This dog has been with us every time we have eaten here and the staff have always been so welcoming and friendly. This is not the same place that we all loved to visit. So sad Plus I have never experienced such ugly mean words from a hostess.

This place was fantastic! My girlfriend and I were visiting from LA and found this spot from Yelp. Great fried fish and clam chowder. Jake and Sage were amazing -- quick, kind, and helpful service! Really cute shoreside decor, too.

Great place for views of the ocean! Service was great, everyone was so kind. Ocean view seating is limited and parking isn't the easiest but fun and totally laid back place. The fish was really good and a decent size 4.5/5. I got one piece of fish $7.99 and a cup of the clam chowder 4/5 not too thick or thin , just right ! We also got the kids breaded shrimp and fish plates $8.99 and the kids really enjoyed it ! We definitely come again

We came here around 4pm on a Wednesday. We parked on the street. Staff was friendly and we got seated immediately. The view of the ocean was great. The booth was comfortable. I gave two stars for the quality and quantity of food. First, the small size of clam chowder was a joke. We got may be two TINY pieces of clam in total, tiny pieces like 1/4 of a raisin, not chunks. The chowder was so watery, it was just eating bland watery white sauce. That costed almost $7 ??!! It's a N-O to me. Moving on to fish n chips which I thought it was their specialty. I was wrong. For the fish, you could fully taste the nasty oil, the batter was not great. Two pieces for $19.99? I could really get better fish n chips elsewhere with the same price. I had high hope before entering but it ended up disappointing :(

Sad to give this place an average review, but it is what it is. 4 stars for the view, 2 stars for the food. The service was good! HUGE fish taco, but just was bland and not tasty. The fish and shrimp combo was ok. The salad and French fries were the best part of the meal! Love that they have locally brewed beer and ocean views, but don't expect much from the food.

God was delicious and sitting on the patio with delicious food, a cold beer and looking out at the ocean..... what could be better

Food: 3.5/5, solid crisp on the fish and fries if you eat it within 5 minutes, but it gets a bit soggy after that and the batter is a bit hard vs crispy Service: 5/5, pretty fast take out order and they come out to call your name in case you can't hear Ambiance: 5/5, it's by the water and there's nice outdoor seating!

The fish was okay today. It had a bit extra batter on our piece of fish. Other than that, everything else was great. Their French fries were fried fresh and came out hot! I love mixing their tartar sauce and ketchup to dip my fries in. Their tartar sauce is SO BOMB! Can't go wrong with this spot.

I'm not sure why the rating of the place is not higher. It's hard for me to be easily satisfied with fish and chips because often, I leave feeling heavy and gross from how much batter was used. My experience was the exact opposite. The amount of batter perfectly complimented the huge piece of fish. I also loved that their beer can only be found at the restaurant and is not sold in anywhere else-- it's a good reason to keep people from going back!

We were exploring in the area today and knew about this place from some research. We have been to a fish and chips place in Oceanside in the harbor and were so disappointed we've never been back. Still craved some decent fish and chips. The food here is awesome. The atmosphere's excellent of course and the price is fair. Servers were attentive and never rushed us. We will definitely recommend and definitely come back. Well done.

We had another great night here! As someone who usually doesn't like fish, their fish was AMAZING! Every single worker here was great including Felipe C our server! I highly recommend the Fish and Chips. My mom got the fried clam strips and loved them too!

This place is awesome! This is my second time visiting harbor fish cafe. I ordered the one piece fish and chips meal, it's just the right amount of food. I could finish all of it! The location is awesome, with an ocean view from many spots of the covered patio seating. 10/10. This is the best fish and chips I've had in my 24 years living here ! Close second might go to fish 101 in Encinitas. But this place takes the cake!

the Yelp prompt keeps bugging me to update my review from 2010. well, here it is: except for the prices, nothing much has changed the last fourteen years. to be fair, since the first time I at Harbor Fish, the original in a fish market at the Oceanside harbor before they moved across the hall to the "new" location, the two-piece was seventy-five cents. yeah, been regulars for a while. I even still ask for mine extra crispy with cocktail sauce. obviously, a huge fan. easy to appreciate living in Carlsbad sitting footsteps from the beach, while enjoying a cold beer, a basket of fish and chips, and the sun going down over the blue Pacific. life is good.

My Go-To location for fish and chips. This place gets slammed and sometimes service gets impacted, but I think they try to please.

It's such a shame that this cafe has one of the best locations in Carlsbad and horrible greasy food. Heavily fried fish without any flavor. Please consider reducing your massive portions for better quality food. I've been here twice in the past decade and as a local, was embarrassed by the choice and my out of town guests were unimpressed. Avoid at all costs! Carlsbad has many better food options than this. Even with the exact same menu, the food should be much better than it is.

I've been coming here since I was a little kid and it's still just as good. I stand by saying it's the best clam chowder in the area and the fish is always crispy fried to perfection! Get there early because parking is a little tricky at peak hours. Sometimes there's a wait but service is always super fast and attentive. You also can't beat the view and eating right next to the water. Love Harbor Fish and will always love. Pro tip: dip the fries in the chowder

So good! Zucchini was fabulous, view amazing. Got the fish and chips and the burger, both were so goof.

Eleven years ago I had the Harbor Fish Cafe and vowed to never go back. It has had the singular distinction of being what I considered the worst fish and chips I've ever had. We have walked past this place ever since then and finally today decided that it was possibly time to go back and give them another shot. Wanting to see a spread of what they have, we ordered the coleslaw, chowder, and fish and chips. The chowder was a bit bland but with a little pepper, oyster crackers, and Tabasco we were able to get it to a better place. The coleslaw was missing something too...just tased like a mayo dressing... pretty disappointing. The fish and chips, however, completely redeemed everything. The fries are my FAVORITE kind and are delicious. Everyone knows how delicious McDonalds fries are, and these are better than that. The fish was lightly battered and deliciously fried. This fish and chips was the EXACT OPPOSITE than the fish and chips I tried eleven years ago. I've read in other reviews that the servers were (very) sub-par but everyone we interacted with was great. Lastly, I'm pretty sure these guys have the best location for a restaurant probably in North County. Awesome views! So, my take-aways are that I WILL be back, I WILL be telling everyone about this place, I WILL be ordering the fish and chips again, and also really want to check out their fish tacos as well. Welcome back, Harbor Fish Cafe!

Harbor is always consistently good! Fish n Chips, tacos, salads. Everything is good. Service is always friendly and you can't beat the ocean views. 1 taco is like 2-3 regular tacos so you won't go hungry.

Fried Zucchini and Clam Chowder with a slice of sourdough with a beautiful view. Jonathan was super kind and attentive. Love it here.

I love the Harbor Fish cafe. We take all our guests there. It's thrilling to have the ocean view. The fish fry is delicious. The ambiance is total SoCal beach. I highly recommend.

We got a table with an ocean view, so that was nice. Ambiance is very casual. Quality of fish used was not good, you can tell by the taste it's poor quality and not cleaned properly. Clam chowder had an old fishy taste. Fish and chips was okay. Grilled fish taco was bad. It's cool they have a house beer, but it was not good. Service was mediocre.

Delicious spicy fish taco, Great service (Nick was very helpful) and Ocean View. We highly recommend the place Erik

Group of 8 weren't able to sit with an ocean view but the food made up for it. Good reviews of the Fish and clams as well as the Fish and shrimp combo. Street noise is a bit of a challenge.

Love this place, my daughter and I drove over an hour just to get fish tacos. I've been going to this place since the 80's and it's always been good. Everyone that works here is very friendly as well.

The atmosphere can't be beat. Practically on the ocean. The food and the service is are consistently very good.

Harbor Fish Cafe is exactly what it is and nothing more. It's fried food, mostly fried seafood, with a pretty spectacular view (from from some seats) of the beach. The ocean couldn't be closer. You come here for fish and chips or maybe fish tacos and a beer. And their private label pilsner is, in fact, worth getting. You don't come here if you're on a diet or looking for amazing fresh seafood. It ain't that kind of a place. The fish and chips plate is not bad at all. The fish pieces are huge and the fries are not bad at all. You should skip the clam strips appetizer. It's just a bunch of fried batter, really. Kids are welcome. Your napkins come from a roll of paper towels on the table. Dress however you like. You'll probably get thrown out if you wear anything fancier than a t-shirt. Yes, parking is rough, especially during tourist season. But you'll find something, even if you have to walk a couple blocks. Fish and chips. Beer. T-shirts. Paper towel napkins. The ocean. There you go.

As someone who hates seafood. I love their burgers always so good ! The waitress with the red hair was an angel

Great little spot with an ocean view. Casual outdoor dining with waiter service and simple menu. Nice weather brought lots of people out but even with the crowds we only waited 10 mins. Fish n chips is their specialty so we both ordered. Plus I ordered a side salad. The fish and chips were nice and crispy, slightly greasy but as expected. The salad was a little pricy for a basic green salad, but the dressing was a delicious home made vinaigrette. If they sold it in take home bottles I'd buy it. Food came out in good time and servers attentive. If visiting the area with friends and family I would recommend it as a great lunch spot,

Excellent food great service and wonderful location All the staff were kind fast and efficient

We stopped by after the Carlsbad Strawberry field. I had checked the menu online prior to our visit and everything looked great on it. They weren't busy when we arrived and there were plenty of benches/tables available. We got helped right away. There's also a couple of restrooms to the side of the restaurant. Parking was the downfall, very limited spaces. We were lucky to find a few available spots. I had ordered to go because I wanted to sit and eat on the beach. We ordered three harbor fish combo ($16.99) , jumbo shrimp plate ($16.99) and surfer burger ($14.99), clam chowder ($9.99 for a large) . While we were waiting I had their very own private label traditional style blonde Pilsner, is only available there. Harbor fish combo: 1 piece deep fried fish, 1/2 order of the shrimp plate. Comes with fries, tartar and cocktail sauce. It was 8 out of 10 for me, I wished the fish was fried a little longer and batter a little thinner. I like mines crispy. My brother and our friend ate all of their entree, so it was a 10 for them. Jumbo shrimp plate: 5 jumbo shrimp with fries and cocktail sauce. My cousin liked this entree 10 out of 10! I had a piece of his shrimp, they were huge, perfectly fried and juicy. Surfer burger: prime beef burger with lettuce, onion, tomatoes, pickles and 1000 island dressing. It came with fries as well. My daughter said it was very tasty. Clam chowder: unfortunately they did not give us any spoons so I didn't have a chance to taste it. I took it home and forgot all about it. I wanted to try it so bad. There's always a next time. Private label traditional style blonde Pilsner: tasted light and reminds me of Corona but less carbonated. Overall I would definitely return again and try something new. The restaurant was very open and had a good atmosphere

Our #1 favorite Fish, fried Shrimp & Chips place. We are a well traveled family who and seek out battered & fried fish, chips and shrimp in every ocean adjacent restaurant & seaside shack we find. We take a monthly weekend trip to Southern California (320 miles away) and always always always put a meal at Harbor Fish in Carlsbad on our itinerary IN INK!!!

Good service, ocean view, and good food, I had the hamburger which was very good, wife had fish sandwich that she thoroughly enjoyed, would recommend this place

Fish is ok , view great if you are in the right spot. Staff unfriendly. Obviously they do not like their job .

Not quite sure about the relatively low star rating here.. I can be sometimes harsh when it comes to food and service, but it's always been great. Been here at least a dozen times since moving here. Yes, the clam chowder might look a bit on the smaller side but not worth complaining about... Fish and chips , the service, the seating, the people, and the view have been 5 stars everyone.

Been here a handful of times and always enjoyed their food. It's fresh, not too greasy. It's tasty and easy to eat. I love their clam chowder. Even on a hot day, we always get a bowl. Service is okay. They say hello, get your order, give you your food and then you pay. So it's pretty transactional. They rarely take the time to make small talk or check on you. You're right by the beach so you have a great view of it depending on where you sit. Or you can walk around the beach before or after your meal. They are definitely at a prime spot for anyone who's there to experience the beach and have some delicious food. You can even take your food to go and eat it by the beach.

This place has been around forever! I've had lunch here many times over the decades. One of the spots that still exists from the old days! My parents both grew up in Carlsbad, I'm so happy this place is still here! Service was good- food was good- no complaints! We tried the home brew - nice lager!

The best fish n chips I have ever had!!!!!!! My family has made this a must stop every time we are in Carlsbad. Food is fresh n hot and service is friendly and efficient, menu prices are reasonable thx Harbor Fish Cafe

After spending the day at the beach, we wanted fried seafood and wound up at Harbor Fish Cafe. It's a straight forward menu, fish and chips, fried shrimp, clam strips. Servers were friendly and attentive. The fish was nicely fried, good batter and good tasting. The shrimp tasted fresh and nicely fried up too.

Love this place great food great service and my favorite is their Clam Chowder I personally think it's one of the best places to eat some chowder, I come down here and get some every time pure deliciousness