Jason P.
Yelp
Fish Joint is a casual, affordable seafood restaurant with two locations in South Florida, owned and operated by Brian Rifkin, a 20+ year veteran of the restaurant industry. Rifkin opened its first location in Coconut Creek in February 2020, right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has since expanded to a larger, more spacious location in Coral Springs.
At both locations, Fish Joint offers a streamlined menu of boiled, fried, and broiled seafood options, sandwiches, soups, and salads. Rifkin's goal was to create a dining concept that was casual and affordable, filling a void in the market for this type of cuisine. He has also solved the problem of quality seafood by leveraging his industry contacts and creating a reliable supply chain.
While the original location in Coconut Creek is optimized for takeout, the Coral Springs location has twice the seating capacity and a whimsical interior decoration, including a giant psychedelic mural of a filleted fish wearing goggles, headphones, and a scuba diving apparatus. The new location also offers a few new menu items, including seafood pasta dishes and Ahi Tuna Nachos.
One standout menu item is the Shrimp Po Boy, piled high with freshly fried "popcorn" shrimp, lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce and served on a large torpedo roll. The Mahi Big Boy is another popular sandwich featuring fried filets of mahi with shredded cabbage, bacon, lettuce, and tomato on a large submarine roll. These sandwiches are big enough to feed two people if you've ordered an appetizer or a soup.
If you're in the mood for something fried, the mixed seafood platter is a good choice, featuring fried cod, shrimp, and clam strips that are battered in-house and not from a frozen bag. The clam strips, which can be ordered on a Po Boy sandwich or by themselves, are particularly good, even for those who don't typically enjoy them.
For something a little more upscale, the seafood pasta dishes are excellent. The linguine with clam sauce, in particular, is a standout, filled with chopped clam meat and whole manila clams. The Ahi Tuna Nachos are another great addition to the menu, featuring cubes of raw tuna poke on top of fried wonton skins, sesame seeds, fresh avocado, seaweed salad, and spicy aioli.
Of course, no meal at Fish Joint is complete without ordering their signature hush puppies, which are so good that you'll want to order them by the dozen. And for dessert, the bread pudding topped with ice cream or the Key Lime Pie are both excellent choices.
Beyond the food, Fish Joint has partnered with local high schools to teach students about the restaurant industry and create a new generation of restaurateurs. This commitment to the community is another reason to support this locally-owned business.
Fish Joint is an excellent choice for anyone in South Florida looking for casual, affordable seafood dining. With two locations, a streamlined menu, and a commitment to quality and community, Fish Joint is a standout restaurant that is not to be missed.