Phil's Fish Market & Eatery

The quality of food was below average. Yet, it's a popular spot in the area. I would try other places if you are looking for yummy food.

Fresh seafood market on one side w/ a restaurant on the other side (different buildings). Order and pay as you walk in (no table service). Pick out a table inside or outside and grab a seat. There is a walk up bar for alcohol. We had a limited wait for food and it was delivered perfectly. Would love to go back

Huge menu, featuring all of the fish choices you'd expect plus salads and several artichoke selections (of course). Unpretentious open dining area with a view only of the main street. Shrimp sandwich included a generous number of shrimp and was very tasty; artichoke was good but less amazing than would have been expected in the Artichoke Center of the World.

I really wanted to like this place, but left feeling a bit disappointed. Prices keep going up, yet the quality just isn’t there. A lot of the dishes are mostly thick, greasy batter with barely any real seafood inside. It feels like you’re paying premium prices for something that tastes more like fast food. What’s especially frustrating is that, given how close we are to the ocean, you’d expect fresher, more affordable seafood. Instead, it feels overpriced and underwhelming. Not awful, but definitely not worth what they charge.

I was so looking forward to a wonderful experience but was disappointed. When we arrived the entrance was crowded and the lady at the register was hard to understand. We sat ourselves down and our wait wasn’t long but the lady that brought our food needs to be re-schooled on customer etiquette. The female was the oldest of the waitresses but she had a nasty demeanor. The clam chowder was a bit thick and I could taste the gritty texture of sand the child size fish and chips were a bit better. We will try this place again but not to soon.

Came here with the family of 5.. Service is okay.. nothin special, seems like there just here to collect their paycheck, no energy, no vibes.. Specifically my Fettucini Alfredo w/ blackened Salmon was (meh) 😒. For the amount it cost I was expecting something spectacular.. but definately wont ever order again.. the side of garlic bread was (meh) i make better garlic bread at home. My wife loved the scallop plate.. son loved his fryer combo, little one says his burger was okay, eventually only took a few small bites and didnt want no more, so i tried the burger myself and honestly I could have made a better burger at home.. the burger was tasteless, like they grabbed ground beef made a patty and cooked it🙄 ridiculous at least it was a fat one. Lastly, my daughter loved her chicken burger with fries.. Overall this place could have better drink selections not just from fountain. The salad that was included with my alfredo plate was a little stale and dry, seemed like it was from yesterday, which is not how salad is supposed to be.. but hey live and learn right.. hopefully this reaches people out there. Your better off going to Monterey for better quality and similar prices. Final total for a family of 5.. around $170.. again ridiculous..

The portions are great, one regular cioppino was enough for us to split. There was so much crab in it too! And it was falling out of the shell. No dry, stiff, frozen meat here. The artichoke Provencal was also so freaking good. Highly recommend.

Very quick ordering process! Menu is on the eraser board. Hard to peruse the menu before forcing to decide what to order as people were waiting impatiently behind you. Dishes simply served with no fanfare : Tasty Ciopino , $31, comes with salad and 1 piece of garlic bread; soft shell crab sandwich served with French fries or coleslaw; and shrimp sandwich also served with the same selection of side dish. Tasty foods!!

Big improvement since our previous visit on almost every aspect that I touched on in my 2023 review. We ordered seafood sliders, cioppino in a bun, and clam chowder. The sliders are on the appetizer menu but easily serve as a full meal with soup or salad on the side plus give you a lot of variety. The scallops especially and the shrimp in the sliders were cooked to perfection, better than when the restaurant was in Moss Landing. I like the new change in this dish where the buns are grill toasted and the sliders are served deconstructed. The salmon and fried calamari steak sliders were under-seasoned and a bit over done. Cioppino was on point and as we remembered it. The chowder was under-seasoned but came to life with a bit of table salt and pepper, could use more clams though. They have expanded their dining area, installing a shaded patio for outdoor dining and adding tables indoors near the fish counter in an adjacent building on the other side of the patio. This expanded seating arrangement has improved the ambiance of the main indoor dining which previously felt stressfully overcrowded, airless, and noisy. Person working FOH was fantastic: welcoming and engaging. Had to wait ~10 minutes for someone to attend to the bar, perhaps the addition of a bell or light patrons can use to summon the barkeep would balance the understandable realities of fully staffing. Barkeep was awesome at making drinks. Appreciated the bussers coming by twice to keep the table cleared. Wait staff is more of a delivery service so don't expect anyone to come by to ask how you are doing mid-meal (it was this way in Moss Landing too) but thankfully the dishes were delivered via tray.

It's been years since I've revisited Phils, starting with the decline in quality and care that put his name on the foodie lovers map and with the kudos from the Food Network of years past. Then the pandemic struck and the eventual "forced" relocation from the original spot in Moss Landing. Firstly and unfortunately, the quality has not improved. The Calamari & Chips ($24.95) were overcooked, rubbery and not served warm. The fries were low quality frozen potatoes, the cocktail sauce was so congealed that I had to use a fork to stir into a usable consistency. The side of coleslaw was tasteless and swimming in mayo. In simpler language, it's gotten worse with the outrageous crazy price increase for a "fast food" type of dine in service. Speaking of, and I use the term loosely, the service was not friendly, especially the grumpy old lady behind the beverage counter. I asked for a water and she handed it to me with rude frosty glare. The other servers looked annoyed and felt they didn't want to be there let alone bringing people's orders to their tables. The ONLY pluses for the existence of this business and it's new location is that it's much more roomier, but lacks the sea charm of the original place near the Moss Landing harbor and that its generating much needed tax revenues for the town of Castroville who recently lost it's beloved, world famous Artichoke Festival of 65 years. Phil turned to the dark side as well as his back in regards to his humble beginnings of bringing good quality seafood to long standing local patrons and now the business is just a churn and burn catering to the almighty tourist dollar who read outdated rave reviews of days long past. Well sir, you got my last "buck" as I will not be returning. IMHO...I'd rather have a McDonalds fish sandwich which is better tasting!

We decided to try Phil's Fish Market and Eatery because our 12-year-old, a crab fan, was promoted to middle school. This would be our first time in a while, and they had moved to a new location in Castroville, CA. Upon entering, we ordered food at the counter. If you buy a drink, you go to the left of the counter to pick it up. The woman taking our order and collecting the money wasn't particularly friendly, but the girl who gave us our drinks was very nice. We found an available table and headed there. We arrived during lunch hour, and several people were already there. I noticed that the table was old and had old chairs. We had a window seat overlooking Merrill St. in Castroville, CA. Our food arrived promptly, and everything seemed to be in order. Our 12-year-old son enjoyed his crab, which he could choose between hot or cold. the crab big with plenty of meat, he was happy. I ordered the spicy jumbo shrimp with rice, salad, and bread. Except for the crab, the food was served on a plastic plate. My dish looked like they had just thrown everything on top and forgotten about its appearance. The shrimp was delicious, but the sweet sauce underneath was too sweet. The rice was cold, the salad was fresh, and the bread looked like it had been run over by a car. The other meal ordered was cod fish. The cod was stringy and mushy, so we don't believe it was codfish. This was a $130 lunch, and I expected much better service and food. I don't expect to be served in plastic dishes. To make matters worse, we were disappointed with our overall experience. Except for our 12-year-old liking his crab, we wouldn't return.

I was driving on my way back from Monterey and heard this restaurant had relocated and was a huge hit in town. My partner and I stocked up on some clam chowder, so we weren't too hungry, but wanted to try something at Phil's before heading home. The calamari fell short of our expectations. It wasn't crispy and there were no tentacles at all that day. :/ perhaps tentacles would've made it tastier for us? I found the calamari to be rubbery tasting and the breading was not crispy, but cakey. Cocktail sauce was good and the tartar sauce was okay. We did end up getting a cup of their clam chowder too, but the flavors couldn't compare to the spot we usually go to in Monterey. Mostly potatoes and no clams :( Felt more like a potato chowder than clam chowder, but it's possible we got unlucky with our scoop. Business was booming inside and tons of people were waiting for their food, but the wait didn't seem so long. Give or take 10 minutes to get your items.

I'm a sucker for Chipino. Was in town again and had to try again. Dungeness is BACK. Thats a definite PLUS. -overall food is good, but NOT GREAT as it's glory day. - Went w/ party of 7. Service SUCK BiG TIME. the youngster taking order was cool. The lady that brought us our food was not pleasant and very snappy. She drop off all items at one end of table, even when we pointed out who it belongs to. OVERALL, Phil's Fish Market is what u can call a "HAS BEEN." Was once great. With the current service and food quality, "we must go our separate ways!"

Wanted to come see the new location. It's a lot roomier and the place is nice and clean. Walked in and ordered. The service was quick. I don't recall these meals being so massive. Each ordered would have fed 2-3 people. Food was hot and fresh. The Cioppino was super refreshing and great tasting. The lobster roll had good amounts of meat. Only complaint on the lobster roll I would say would have to be the bun. A little too oily/buttery. I would like a thicker bun that would hold the lobster together instead of fall all over the place. Couldn't even add the pickles, lettuce and tomato that came with it. Overall, I would still come back. More things on the menu that I want to try!

I heard about their ciopinno and had to try it. It didn't disappoint , packed with a ton of seafood! Everything was very fresh... clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops , crab, and fish. My boyfriend ordered the blackened salmon with fettuccine Alfredo . He thought the pasta was a bit bland but salmon was good. Both meals came with salad. Fried artichoke hearts were also nice and crispy. Clam chowder was also a hit. Definitely packed with value. I saw the other tables ordered fried seafood and everything looks really good.

Great place to stop off on your way to or from the Monterey area. Parking can be challenging on the weekends with lots of people passing through. They have a parking lot in the back. Order at the register, get a number and sit at a table. Grab your drink from the drink counter. They bring your food to the table. Condiments all at the table. We both like the fried scallops. I'm not a huge fan of the fries and wish they did some other sides like veggies. They can swap it for a salad.

I'm so disappointed. This was one of our favorite places for seafood when we lived here. They moved and I looked to see if they opened somewhere else and they did. But it's not the same quality and the flavors are just not there. Coleslaw had no flavor. The lobster was supposed to be cooked in butter, but didn't seem to be. Not much flavor there. The best thing were the onion rings. They were everything you want in a crispy, flavorful onion rings. I guess I won't go out of my way to visit again. So sad.

Came to Phil's Fish Market for a solo lunch after doing a mini birthday trip to Moss Landing. I really enjoyed the casual atmosphere and my meal overall! Located in downtown Castroville, Phil's is the perfect spot for your seafood cravings. It is walk-up service where you order at a register, then take a number to any open table. I ended up ordering: - Half dozen oysters: these were delicious and only needed a squeeze of lemon - Cup of clam chowder: lots of clam meat and comforting for a breezy day The wait for my food was a little longer than expected. But once my food came, nothing mattered because everything was so yummy. I would definitely come back for lunch for their fried fare and cioppino!

We visited different nurseries in the area looking for plants on a weekend. We found this place on Yelp and saw that it had a lot of reviews. When you walk in, you order first at the register. They will provide a ticket number and bring the food to your table. It took about 10 minutes for our food to arrive. We tried the clam chowder bread bowl and cod fish and chips. The clam chowder is good but could use more clams. It's the typical thick clam chowder, but not as buttery/rich tasting. It's nowhere as good as Splash Cafe's clam chowder in Pismo Beach. The fish and chips batter is light and airy. The coleslaw and fries are nothing to rave about. I'm not a fan of crinkle-cut fries since they remind me of the fries you get in elementary school.

This was our first time visiting at the new location in Castroville, they have two rooms for sitting, and an outside area. I'm not crazy about the are where you lace the order, it's very tight and right next to the entrance to the first dinning room. Service was good as usual, menu has not really changed, they had allot of things out of stock though. The drinks station is to the left of the ordering station and the first dinning room to the right. Again, all very tight when it gets busy. We ordered the Clam chowder cups to starts and their Cioppino for our main dinner. The bus boys keep the dinning room clean and flowing. One table leaves and they are immediately cleaning up. I miss their old location, being able to walk out to the beach right after eating was the best.

My friends and I visited during MLK weekend for lunch and it was busy but there were still enough seats as people came and left. The menu is very large so it did take some time to figure out what the three of us wanted but it was easy to order at the counter and the food then arrived promptly. The portions are large so friendly warning to come hungry! In order of what I enjoyed most to least (though least is still at least a 5/10), the steamed clams and garlic bread had an amazing broth and there were so many clams!; the fish and chips were a large serving but the batter was light and not too dense and the fries were crisp; and the cioppino was hearty and full of seafood but had an off tomato flavor that I personally did not enjoy. For the ambiance, I think it was a nice, large space and definitely a tourist friendly place.

Came here cause someone local from Monterey recommended it. We sat down and got seated right away, this whole town is pretty old and middle of nowhere where like. The food, well it was kind of good but not really satisfying. The best was probably the cioppino which was loaded with seafood, they definitely did not skimp on the meat. The calamari felt like real octopus but the batter wasn't the best texture and a bit greasy, leaving sort of an underwhelming bite. I also tried their fish and chips, similar to the calamari the batter and grease didn't hit.

I miss their old location right by the beach, but this new location is not bad either! It has a spacious private parking lot in the back which can accommodate up to 20 cars. There are also ample free street parkings. As soon as you step inside, you'll be greeted with a nice smell of delicious seafood dishes. They have large menus posted right by the entrance so you can easily look at and debate on what to order while you wait in line. There are also pamphlet-style menus and regular laminated menus available if you prefer to have something in hands to scan through. After you order and pay, you'll receive a number to put on your table. Grab some water and utensils yourself and proceed to either indoor or outdoor seating areas of your choice. I love that the outdoor seating area is really spacious and nicely decorated with a cute Christmas tree for holiday spirit. I have my puppy with me thus opted for the outdoor area. Our dishes arrived quickly. For every main dish you order, they provide free side salads which are freshly made and quite tasty. We ordered Linguine and Clam and Fettuccine with Blackened Salmon for main dishes. The blackened salmon is super fresh and delicious with the right amount of flavors whereas the clams are sweet and refreshing. We devoured our meals with lightening speed. Another thing I love about this place is that their portion is generous. Despite the facts that we were super hangry and their food was tasty, we couldn't finish and had to have them to go. Overall, I enjoy this new location. I take off one star because there were so many flies flying around and hovering over our food while we were there. Hopefully they'll do something to address the fly problem.

Phil must be living off his past glory. Salmon sandwich was way over done, dry, and tasteless. Fried calamari was basically just thick breading with very little calamari. All menu prices are extrmely high. His new location in Castroville is underwhelming without the great atmosphere in his former locationp in Moss Landing.

Outstanding clam chowder and fire-roasted artichokes! I love the setting of the old 1800s school house building. Parking can be a little cramped, but there is also street parking. Don't be intimidated by the long line to order. It goes fast, and once you order, you get a number, and there is plenty of seating. The wait staff brings your order to the table. I love that they have a smaller version of the clam chowder in the bread bowl. They also have the large standard size, but the smaller one is perfect for a smaller appetite. More places should offer this option. This is a great stop if you're traveling this section of Highway 1. Castroville is such a charming old farm community!

Came here to check out the new location since they move from Moss Landing. This place is different but still has some of the old things from the old restaurant. Fast service but the food is different. Check out what I ordered.

Finally got to try this place but it fell a bit short. I was told this place is to die for, but it was very much like any other fish n chip place. I also was told recently that the new location doesn't taste as good. I got a few items. Clam chowder - not as good as fish shopper but decent for the Monterey bay. Fish, calamari and shrimp fry - The calamari was the best but the fish fell very short. It was too breaded and dry. Garlic bread - two pieces of not so crispy garlic bread but it was nice to dip in the clam chowder. I would come back just for the fried calamari.

The new eatery is easy to get to and delivers on the fresh fish and yummy Ciopinno. A bit bummed they didn't include any fresh Dungeness crab in the Ciopinno since it's Dungeness crab season. Other fish and seafood dishes didn't disappoint!! Casual, diner vibe with good food! Fresh, flavorful and large portions. Service was quick, salads that came with our meals were bigger than expected. Love supporting local business away from the tourist area.

Had the Chopino which was good but wish I would have got the clam chowder. Many of the dishes looked amazing. Clean and comfortable.

Always love me some Phil's and was pleasantly surprised at how spacious the new location is. Must try's are the fish and chips, cup of clam chowder, and calamari! Honestly, the staff is so nice every time. We usually get a seafood pasta to share. We got the special of the day which was good but lacking some seasoning. Nothing you can't fix with adding some salt to your liking.

This place has gone so downhill. I'm wondering if the same person owns it. (Phil) The quality of food is very sad. Probably the worst crab cakes I've ever eaten. Nothing but fillers and no crab. The food is not what I remember. Service is nonexistent. The place is kept clean and looks nice.... But... I think this place has seen the last of my money. Great while it lasted I guess. I liked you much better in Moss Landing.

We heard about this place from a friend. The reviews looked good and so we came expecting an amazing experience. Not saying I am disappointed, but just not very impressed. My husband and I ordered the Cioppino in a bowl and Halibut fish tacos. We ordered the kids chicken strips with fries and linguine with red sauce. The halibut didn't have much flavor and the Cioppino was missing something. Not much flavor, kinda like a tomato soup. The service was pretty much self service. We ordered our food, sat and waited for the server to bring our food out. Besides that you have to get up from the table to ask for napkins, utensils, etc. They have a soda machine to the left of the cash register that you have to ask for a refill. The ambience is cool. They have outdoor and indoor dining available. There is also additional seating by the fish market area. All in all it's a 3 out of 5.

I'm a long time fan of Phil"s and have been eating at their Moss Landing location for years. This is my second visit to the new Castroville location. When they moved, they kept the "order, pay and find a table" concept. Parking is easier with a small lot in the back and lots of street parking. The beach next door is no longer part of the experience, which drops the ambiance a bit. The place is large, clean and well lit. The employees are friendly and helpful. Menu choices are still plenty, focused on fresh seafood. However, while prices have shot up, the quality and flavors are declining a little. My Chiopino today had cinnamon as a dominant flavor. The Fish and Chips were not as good as I remembered either. I'll still come back, but hoping for better quality next time.

Wow! I know Phil, my Mom and Dad know Phil. This is a different Phil's..... Charred halibut and blackened salmon. Both were VERY dry! The guy making ice tea in the background sounded like he was crushing rocks and the guy picking up the dishes was throwing them in the bucket like he was trying to break them. Also there is something wrong with the liquor license so be prepared to settle for water or fountain drinks.....not mentioned on the web site. Everyone working there seemed like they would rather be somewhere else. Still payed a premium price for a sub par dinner. Phil....if you don't fix this fast, especially with the artichoke festival ending your restaurant is not going to make it. Or maybe you don't care anymore. Your staff certainly doesn't care.

I've come to Phil's a few times a year and usually the food is very good. Today was the exception. The Manhattan Clam chowder was awful and my steamed clams were just ok. I would expect better from Phil's. The big problem is they lost their liquor license several months ago but this is on their website. BEVERAGES Our bar is now open to serve Phil's specialty drinks, Bloody Mary's, Chavela's, wine, beer and we offer soda, juice, tea, milk, coffee, hot chocolate and espresso drinks (prices vary). Enjoy! I will come back in a few months with the hope things will have gotten better.

Was really happy coming here. There was plenty of seating, both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors they do have heat lamps, although not all of them were working. Service was great. Staff was attentive and courteous. The food, there were endless options. A little of everything to enjoy. Would have liked more pictures of their food, though. Food came out pretty fast. Everything tasted fresh, crispy and delicious. Good flavor and large portions. Definitely the spot to go for something local without having to drive all the way towards the coast for some good seafood

This Phil's Fish Market & Eatery used to be in the Moss Landing Location but now they changed it to this New location in Castroville Area about three miles away from it Original Longtime Home. For many years I've always love coming to Moss Landing to enjoy the water and the famous Phil's Seafood Cioppino on the island. Although the new location is much bigger, I'm much happier with the old location because I loved the better atmospheres and lovely surrounding environments in the the Previous Moss Landing area, for I have came to enjoyed this place for such a long period of time. We ordered Clam Chowder, Halibut Fish and chip, and my favorite Seafood Cioppino bowl. I am still happy with the food here just not the Ghetto Vibes feeling I got at this new Castroville Location. Hopefully that'll change!

Not to be dramatic but I could eat this every day. We loooove Phil's. Every single time, we are within a 15-mile radius of this spot, we have to stop by. You order at the front of the entrance, they give you a number placard to place on the table of your choosing and the food is delivered to your table. The food always comes out super quickly and seriously so well prepared. My recent favorites: - steamed clams!! - cioppino - fish and chips - clam chowder I literally cannot come here without ordering the steamed clams. There's never sand in my clams and I really appreciate their prep work. I'm salivating just thinking about my last meal here. Highly recommend.

food was good! i wouldn't say it was mind blowing seafood, but i appreciate the full menu with variety! it is exactly what it's supposed to be and was up to par with my expectations of a fish market. i am a sucker for anything deep fried, so of course i enjoyed all the fried stuff a little extra. the cioppino bowl was FILLED with mixed seafood including a good amount of crab legs. i enjoyed the meal. there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating! we arrived around 11:30 on a sunday and had no problem finding a table. it started getting a bit busier by the time we were heading out. the restaurant is a bit randomly placed, but my cousin explained to me how popular it used to be at its old location. i thought it was funny that there were multiple signs at the parking lot warning that they aren't responsible for damage and theft lol. i definitely would visit again next time im visiting norcal!

The food here was amazing, especially for a little bit of a cloudy day. The lines may seem really long and make you want to turn away, but they go by quickly. I highly recommend taking a look at the menu and seeing what you want to order so that you can be at the register. Service is really friendly and you'll get your food extremely quickly. Everything we got was really delicious, but I highly recommend the cioppino and the garlic bread that comes with it!

I've been to the old Phil's. New location seemed vacant, yes it was mid-week off season. Food came out, my fried seafood combo was over cooked. I asked for a light fry. Place seemed disjointed compared to original location. I hope they get their shit together. It could be great again!

THEY MOVED! FYI, the restaurant is no longer near the beach. We came on a Tuesday morning. We were the first customers and no line. We got the seafood platter and soft shell crap sandwich. The seafood platter was great. I loved everything on the plate. The calamari was a TAD tough but was manageable. Scallops were great, and the fried oysters were fantastic. The soft shell crap was MEH. the sandwich contained two itty bitty crabs. Seriously? there needs to be at least 3-4 crabs for this thing. The fries were the highlight of the dish.

Been going here for so many years. We drop by everytime we are in town. All the offerings are awesomely good. The lobster sandwich is my favorite and the shrimp pasta but like I mentioned, anything in the menu will not disappoint. Come early and enjoy the fresh offerings. Lots of photos posted so will keep this review simple. Let me edit and say, Yes it is expensive now and the old place dis taste better.

I went on a Saturday and parking was hard. Have to park in the street. Ordered food at the counter, given a number and got seated inside. Place is just okay, lots of tables and a bit noisy. Many items in the menu and I could say a bit pricey. I've got a clam chowder in a bun and it's $15.95 plus tax. My wife got a fish sandwich and it costs about $27 plus tax. Chowder is good but I had better. The fish sandwich lacks flavor and too expensive for she got. I don't think I'll be coming back again. If I do, I might try a bowl of Cioppino which cost about $32 from the menu.

The combo platter was delicious my favorite was the artichokes, and scallops. The calamari was a little over cooked but it still tasted quite nice. And the shrimp was good too. I also had the fire roasted artichokes but I'd prefer the fried artichoke's. The service was very fast, as we sat down they already had our food ready! The eatery is also quite lovely as there is a lot of old photos of people from Phil's family I'm guessing and it reminds me of a boat shop.

I usually get the clam chowder and lobster roll here, but they sold out of the lobster roll. So decided to try something new. The petrole sole sandwich was good, but could've used more fish. The sourdough was overpowering the flavor of the fish. The taco plate was surprisingly a huge portion. The grilled cheese sandwich was ok, my daughter didn't finish it because she doesn't like sourdough. The staff was friendly and the place could get very crowded during peak times. But at least there's better parking and more seating than they had in their previous location. I give meal a 3-star this time around because there wasn't anything special with meals we got.

Drove from San Mateo to try them and they just didn't live up to the hype. Ordered: Broiled salmon - over cooked and dry Blackened scallops - burnt taste and the juice of it was all over my salad Choppino - the temperature was so effin hot we couldn't even eat it. Took it home. Kids fried prawns - all breads and hard It was an experience but we won't come back.

We went here for the first time on Valentine's Day. What a huge disappointment! This was the worst cioppino and fried calamari we've had. The cioppino tasted like it was straight from a can of tomato sauce, and the fried calamari was chewy & greasy. The fish and chips were so so (sorry no picture). Please save the drive and don't bother to come here.

World famous for their Cioppino and fresh seafood. The Cioppino is wonderful and I'm not a mussels fan. The clam chowder is just ok. The have a great selection of local wines and serve beer but not a full bar. Outdoor seating at the new location is magnificent as they have heated lamps in foggy Castroville. My only gripe is cell and WiFi is terrible in this town. For locals who want to drink and people watch this is a huge blunder. Can I suggest you have a guest WiFi and give code to those who purchase food or drink and for the hundreds of tourist and locals who come daily? I'm sure it would help your social footprint.

The Mediterranean pasta sauce tasted like the jar stuff. The seafood looked like it was dumped out of a frozen bag from supermarket. The breading on the artichoke hearts were so thick that I couldn't discern any flavor of the vegetable.

Food was fresh & just as good as it was in Moss Landing. There's plenty of seating too!

What happened? I grew up going to this place and last went when they were in their old location. The fish market itself contained old fish, and none of it appeared locally caught. The Cioppino was weird tasting, the fish tacos were sloppy, and the oyster special was disgusting. I don't know if it's new owners or what happened. If you're looking for the Phil's of just a few years ago and going back decades, this is not it. What happened Phil?

After years of trying to get there to try the chopino.. it had a cinnamon flavor to the sauce. So much so you could smell it as soon as they placed it on the table .. other than that everything was ok.. lots of sea food in the plates .. lots to choose from.service was ok also And the restaurant was clean for as many people go through there

This is not the place I have remembered from couple of years ago or will not recommend anyone. The food especially was very disappointing! I spend over $120 for the 3 of us for something I can literally get in the Bay Area for much tastier food. We sat outdoor and there was no service except dropping our food on the table. Crab cake was not fresh, fish and chip had so much batter, everything tasted bland and the clam chowder was so thick it literally looks and tasted like pudding. Absolutely disappointing! And unfortunately I will not take my family here again.

We have been to Phil's many, many times going back 20+ years and have always loved it. This was our first time to the new Castroville location. The location, though not as picturesque as Moss Landing, was nice. The food however was nothing like we remembered. The grilled artichoke (which we previously loved so much we tried to make our own version at home) was soggy. The Siete Mares (Seven Seas Soup) was not flavorful and watery. The steamed mussels broth lacked flavor. Two in our party ordered the crab sandwich based on the photo on the menu wall at the entrance, which showed a thick crab cake in a bun, only to be disappointed with a pancake thin crab cake which was not worth the price. The cioppino and clam chowder were good. I don't like writing a negative review but this was our experience on this particular day.

Always a must to stop at Phil's for a Great Seafood Meal ! They are no longer in Moss Landing . They have moved up the road to Castroville. We ordered a cup of their wonderful clam chowder to start. Fire Roasted Artichoke so goood ! Spicy Bloody Mary's for our beverage of choice. Hubby ordered the Halibut Tacos w/ fries and a salad . I had the Salmon plate. Always fresh seafood cooked perfectly! So, happy we made a lunch trip here today ! :)

We've been going to Phils for the past 15+ years. Got their cioppino to go and found out it was not Dungeness crab but snow crab. Indeed this was a Charlie Brown "Wah Wah" moment. It was still good tomato-based seafood stew. But we were really looking forward to Dungeness crab.