Seafood from the Ocean are served at
Oceanaire Restaurant, San Diego CA
400 J Street, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 858-2277 www.theoceanaire.com
One of the top seafood restaurants in town. Fish does not get anymore fresher than this. Happy hour daily from 5-6pm. Check out their deals on half-shell oysters, shrimp and grits, fish and chips, clam chowder, crab salad, and much more. Their happy hour is amazing!!!! And for those who likes to enjoy a drink at the end of a hard-working day, the drinks served here are good and strong ;p They offer a pre-fix set menu daily. Their desserts are pretty awesome as well. The chocolate pyramid below taste just like a big Rocher candy. And the red Jello picture at the bottom is called a sweet kiss, layers of different flavored gelatin that all my friends fell in love with.
Have you had claws for a meal?
Well you better hurry to Truluck's Seafood Steak and Crab House
8990 University Center Lane, San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 453-2583 www.trulucks.com
The first time I heard about this place was in Houston; it's a pretty famous restaurant over there. Soon after, I realized they had just open one in San Diego sometime in 2009-2010. I had to try it and lucky for me they were on the Restaurant Week list. I made reservations for 10 and we pretty much got the VIP/stock room. Average seating in the main dining room I believe is no more than 4. Our waitress was very attentive towards our orders. Everything was fresh, good, and satisfying. My favorite would be my crab claws. Depends on the season, Truluck's offer a variety of crab claws. You may get one kind one night and a different kind the next. Personally, I would just go back there for their crab claws and dessert. They have a rich chocolate cake and an Award-Winning carrot cake...literally it had won an award ;p I've never been a fan of carrot cake but this was a winner...it tasted like no other carrot cake out there. And just a local secret between you and I, Monday nights are all-u-can eat crab claws night (price per person of $50) and Wednesdays are half price wine bottles ;) Try their claws, carrot cake, and wine. You got to do Trulucks! Just remember not to be too generous w/ your waiter/waitress like I did ;p
Be on the water with
Sally's Seafood On the WaterOne Market Place, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 358-6740 www.SallysSanDiego.com
I've always enjoyed the food here and I definitely recommend this to all the tourists and to all the locals. This restaurants sits by the harbor in downtown San Diego; it's actually in a tourist attraction spot that we call Seaport Village. After a nice afternoon walk by the harbor, grab a table at Sally's and enjoy some fresh seafood. Their menu consist of hand rolled sushi and daily chef inspired seafood specials . I definitely recommend you try their crab cake. It's filled with lumps of crab meat and it's seasoned and cooked to perfection. I've had it from their brunch menu and their dinner menu; it's always consistent. Their sushi nigiri is as fresh as you can get it and I love their scallop nigiri. They serve the scallop nigiri exactly the way I like it; a big piece of scallop on top of a bed of rice versus a cluster of little bitty ones ;) I don't know if they always have it on the menu, but you must try their skatewing if it is. The skatewing is in the sting ray family. I've had it at a different restaurant in a different city and Sally's definitely gives your more for your money's worth. My skatewing fillet was a lot bigger than I expected it to be. It's such a rare delicacy that I would go back just to order this dish. And if you have room for dessert after your meal, I would definitely order something off the menu. It's just the perfect way to end a perfect night out at Sally's.
I WANT BOILING CRAB!!! Yeah that's what my brother says...
IT'S HIS OTHER HOME!
Boiling Crab, 2 locations in Garden Grove CA
13892 Brookhurst St., Garden Grove, CA 92843 (714) 636-4885
14241 Euclid St. #C-116, Garden Grove, CA 92843 (714) 265-2722
www.theboilingcrab.com
Forget the forks and knives...you eat crab with your hands ;p Boiling crab have several locations; closest to me would be the 2 locations located in Garden Grove. My brother practically goes up there every week. Serving up fresh seafood delights such as oysters, king crab legs, clams (my brother's favorite), crawfish, shrimp, and dungess crab...no wonder it's his favorite spot. You order by the pound so don't over order the sides ;p All of their food are served in bags of their own Louisiana style marinades; marinades that can test your spicy taste buds. Don't worry, you'll have a selection of marinades and spice levels to choose from that fits your taste. This place sets itself different from other similar places because of their marinades and the freshness of their seafood. Everything comes out hot and juicy, filled with flavor. My favorite would be their oysters; they're so succulent and good. I also usually order their crawfish and shrimp; yes that's a lot of shell peeling that I do for my meals here. They open at 3pm daily and let me warn you wait time can be anywhere from 1 1/2 hr to 2 hrs. They do not take reservations. Arrive early and get dirty with your hands...bibs are also provided for this reason ;p
BITE OF BOSTON...IT'S ALWAYS GOOD AT BOB'S3202 Governor Dr, San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 453-4000 http://www.biteofboston.net
15721 Bernardo Heights Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92128
(858) 451-2900 http://www.biteofboston.net
Why fly to the East Coast when you can get all the good seafood here in San Diego? I have to tell you I have a weakness for New England clam chowder, lobster rolls, ipswich clams, fish n chips, etc...I would fly to the east coast just to get a fix. But thankfully, I don't need to. My brother definitely saved me some airfare money because he found this place. Everything is true to it's name. This place is like getting a bite in Boston. The buns on my lobster rolls are perfect. People don't realize how important it is to get the bun right; they do at BOB's. Their buns are buttery, warm, and little crunchy. The buns are always stacked high with BIG CHUNKS of FRESH lobster meat; none of that imitation stuff. They're so filling and delicious that you wouldn't believe they're priced at only $13. Their Ipswich clams are shipped fresh from New England and are fried to perfection; they're not over battered and very meaty. Their lobster bisque is creamy and you can definitely taste the dry sherry (so don't have too much if you're lightweight). Their clam chowder is rich yet has a good amount of clam meat in it. Both the bisque and the chowder are both perfect on a cold day. Like the sign on their door, everything they serve is authentic and natural...no phony stuff here ;p Definitely get your fix here. I know I do ;p
Let's go rock
The Boathouse, San Diego CA
2040 Harbor Island Dr # 200, San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 291-8011 www.boathouserestaurant.com
Aside from a spectacular view of the Harbor, the seafood here is quite delicious. The menu changes daily but here are a few highlights. Wednesdays are $9.95 lobster nights so the place gets pretty pack. Lobster comes out hot and ready for butter dipping. Their clam chowder was nice and hearty. Their oysters were what my friends and I couldn't stop talking about; they were big , creamy, melt in your melt fresh. I came back the next night and they weren't on the menu ;( And no I did not come back the next night just for their oysters, I came back for the prime rib dinner special. Each month, the restaurant has a particular date set for all birthdays that falls in that month to get a free prime rib dinner. The prime rib was nice and juicy; thick yet very tender. Free prime rib dinner? Who wouldn't want to come back right? I'm glad I did because now I can conclude that not only is their seafood good, so is their prime rib ;) Dinner reservations is advised.
Sun, Beach, and FOOD can be all yours at
The Beach House
2530 South Coast Highway 101, Cardiff By Sea, CA 92007
(760) 753-1321 www.thebeachhouse.com
Who gets to have a lunch date by the beach on a sunny afternoon in the middle of January? I did with one of my closest friend. With the view of the beach and the sound of the waves crashing in, it doesn't get better than that. It's what living in sunny state of California is all about! No wonder the people in the East Coast are jealous of us. Everything on the food menu looked good so it was pretty hard for us to choose. Everything we got was good; the oysters, the burger, the surf n turf pasta, and the truffle fries with parmesan. Their cocktail menu made me want to get drunk in the afternoon but I limited myself to just having their mango mojito; it was good. My friend had their strawberry lemonade and she says that it was very good and refreshing. Quiz: How many 'good' is that? Take a break from your stressful week and just have an afternoon at the Beach House. It was probably one of my best Monday afternoons ;p And be careful with parking, if you choose to not valet, remember to pay a the meter machine and put the ticket on your dashboard. That's something we failed to do ;/
Lobster done Asian style: Refer to the Vietnamese section for
Newport Restaurant aka Tan Cang Restaurant
Just in case you missed it on the Vietnamese food section, I'm referring it here on this section. I LOVE LOBSTER DONE ASIAN STYLE! Not just because I'm Asian, but I love the flavors. Although there are restaurants in San Diego that serves lobster, I usually go up to Tan Cang in Garden Grove for it. With that said, you can go to any Chinese seafood restaurant in any given city (including restaurants found in San Diego like Emerald, Jasmine, and Pearl) and find the same kind of menus. Typically you'll find lobster done in variety ways when you dine at a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant. My personal favorite would be lobster sauteed with scallions and garlic (this is usually listed as the restaurants' special). The aroma and flavor beats the regular boiled lobster anyday. Lobsters are seasonal price; average to be anywhere from $9.99 to $12.99 per lb. You tell them how big of a lobster you want and they'll usually pick one close to the lb and bring it by your table before they cook it. Oh and don't judge me but I like lobster eggs; and usually I request they find a lobster in the tank that has lots of them ;p And just an FYI, entrees served in typical Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants are family style and made for sharing. My family usually orders a 5lb-6lb lobster and that's usually more than enough for 3 people (considering we order other seafood entrees as well).
Up for a seafood challenge like seen on Man Vs. Food?
THE BARKING CRAB, Boston MA
Fort Point Landing
88 Sleeper Street, Boston, MA 02210
(617) 426-2722 www.barkingcrab.com
This restaurant was featured on the Food Network show Man Vs. Food; the guy had a seafood challenge here but he didn't win. I didn't come here to take on that challenge, I just came here to try the food. I was glad that it was pretty close to my hotel when I stayed in downtown Boston. They only serve SEAFOOD so don't go here if you want meat ;) This place has it's charm. Seating is open picnic style benches and tables tented in with surrounding white drop down lights. They serve everything from fried clams, lobster rolls, crab, lobster, you name it! Skip the crab cracker, just look for a rock ready for use at your table. We had to wait for awhile when we came here but we had fun playing with our little lobster buzzer. This would work for a first date spot because it sits next to the water across from the downtown business district ;p
Best place for Clam Chowder in SF
Pier Market, located on Pier 39 main level of San Francisco CA
The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94133
This place serves up a seafood menu. I remember walking on the pier and wanting food. This place was busy so we had ordered the clam chowder from the side window first. The chowder was really good. We then decided to put our name down to dine in there for dinner. I'm glad we did because the food came out being really good. Their fish was cooked perfectly. Everything was seasoned well. We had no complaints for this place. And I've actually came back to this place just for their clam chowder.
Fresh seafood in San Francisco is served at
WOODHOUSE FISH CO.
2073 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114(415) 437-2722 http://woodhousefish.com1914 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 437-2722 http://woodhousefish.com
Here's another great restaurant recommended by my brother. This one is located in San Francisco, CA. For those in the Bay area, consider yourself lucky to have this local spot. I went to the restaurant on Market St because that's the one my brother went to. You definitely feel like you're at a restaurant on the dock by the sea somewhere when you walk in. The place is small yet cozy. Their menu is simple with just starters, sandwiches, and main entrees but the food is delicious. Fresh oysters served on the half shell. Fried Ipswich clams on top of a bed of french fries...yum. Clams were in a tasty white wine broth that was sippingly good...gotta love that broth <3 Their cioppino was really generous. This tomato base bowl is filled with fresh mussels, shrimp, clams, and huge crab claws...crazy right? Both the clams and the cioppino were served with a side of bread for dipping; you'll probably need more bread because the sauces are that good ;p But my favorite was the split top Maine lobster roll (it really does seem like an entire lobster was in it). It was stuffed with tons of lobster meat and weighed heavy. My friends and I liked everything we ordered except for the crab cakes; we weren't a fan so I wouldn't recommend that.
Where can you find fresh shucked oysters in San Francisco?
Hog Island Oyster Co. (located in Ferry Bldg)
1 Ferry Bldg
Shop 11, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-7117 www.hogislandoysters.com
My friend and I went here for an afternoon snack ...oysters ;p I got some littleneck clams too and they were good. We had ordered a dozen oysters and we were given all the sauces to go with them. Although we had probably 4 different kinds of oysters on that platter (and of course I don't remember their names), they were all FRESH AND SHUCKED TO ORDER. I loved fresh oysters and I will have to go back here next time I'm in the Bay.
The famous and classy
Pierpoint's Restaurant, Kansas City MO
30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 221-5111 www.pierponts.com
I first read about this place on my flight to Kansas City in the little magazine that tells you everything you can do there. I then realize that it was in the Union Station and that was just across from the hotel I stayed at. Although I spent 3 weeks in Kansas City, I didn't get to eat here until the second to last day I was there. I went there for lunch and I'm glad I got to try it before I left. This place is elegantly designed with a touch of classic history. I can see why it's famous. Not only is it located in one of the most historical buildings that exists, the food was GREAT! The bread alone was addicting to start. The blue crab bisque was very rich and creamy. The seafood salad was topped off with the biggest and freshest grilled shrimps and scallops I've ever seen. The crab melt sandwich had just the right crab stuffed in there and paired with a really great mustardy sauce. Walking out, we got a glimpse of their alcohol collection at the bar and it was high enough the ladder sat right in front of it. Although we didn't order any alcohol beverages during out lunch, we had their sweet tea and boy was it SWEET! I can say our entire lunch was SWEET ;P
This place serves up the BEST FISH N CHIPS and OYSTERS I've had in my life!!!!
Ivar's est. 1938, Seattle WA
Pier 54 Fish Bar, 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle WA
(206) 624-6852 http://www.ivars.com/
On the last day of my vacation, my friends and I were debating to either have some quick clam chowder or be seated in a nearby seafood restaurant. Due to the time we had left to explore the city, we ended up going to Ivar's for some quick chowder. Clam chowder is my FAVORITE so I was actually excited to have it in Seattle. They didn't just offer one ordinary chowder on the menu; they had white, red, and smoked salmon chowder on the menu. We decided on the white chowder and it was hearty and good on a cold morning ;) Their menu consisted of other items including a variety of seafood n chips including the classic fish n chips, oysters n chips, prawns n chips, etc. We accidentally got 2 orders of the fish n chips and an order of the oysters n chips. It definitely seemed a lot but WE ATE IT ALL!!! The fish n chips was hands down the BEST I've had. The fresh batch of fish n chips was hot and crispy... not over battered when we got it. The meat was fresh and tasty. The oysters were to 'fight over' for...literally ;) They were so fatty and creamy that when you bite into it, you were still able to see the juices come out from the other half that you're holding. I wanted to get another order but I might have stayed there all day if I had started to order more ;p Coincidentally, I saw a packaging of Ivar's clam chowder at Costco today and that was what made me remember to put up this post.Through their website, I found they have 26 fast casual Seafood Bars and three full-service waterfront restaurants: Ivar's Acres of Clams, Ivar's Salmon House and Ivar's Mukilteo Landing. They also have 20 regional stadium concessions. Wow! They must know what they're doing. From Ivar's: "No matter which restaurant you choose, you’ll always find the award-winning Ivar’s seafood you love". Believe in the name ;p
Seafood in DC can't get any better than
Legal Seafoods
2301 Jefferson Davis Hwy (Crystal City/Pentagon City)
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 415-1200 www.legalseafoods.com
You never know unless you ask ;) That was the lesson I learned here. This place had all the seafood entrees I love. You name it, they have it. We're talking about crab cakes, fried clams, oysters, clam steamers, clam chowder, etc...For me, coming from the west coast, it should be a rule to get a lobster every time you go to the east coast. Going into this restaurant, I wasn't sure if I could still get the lobster roll lunch special. I asked and they were still able to give it to me even though it was after 4pm (cutoff for lunch menu). IT WAS AWESOME! Lumps of lobster meat including the claw was piled high on top of lettuce and a brioche bread bun ;p It was sweet and creamy and everything you can imagine a perfect lobster roll can be. Not only that, but everything else was AMAZING!!!! We were first served with fresh baked rolls with butter ;) Then we got our oysters; they were really Fresh with a capital F ;p The bucket of clam steamers seemed endless even halfway in. They were huge clams steamed to perfection and was ready to be dipped in warm butter. It also came with a side of clam broth that they were cooked in for us to dip with bread ;) And our last plate was our crab cake combination; it had a HUGE crabcake made entirely with crab meat, scallops and shrimp grilled to perfection. They weren't dry at all and yet the smokiness from the grill made it that much better. Our servers were so friendly to us; they made recommendations to us and made sure we got all the condiments we needed. This is a place for a seafood lover...and guess that includes me ;p
