Giovanni’s Fish Market

The food was pretty good, we did have some larger chunks of shell in our BBQ oysters, but they were cooked well and the flavor was good. Drinks (Bloody Mary and Margarita) were on the weak side. Fish and chips were perfect, we got the garlic fries. Our only complaint is the shrimp cocktail, which was just a small plastic cup of mini shrimp with cocktail sauce on the side for $ 8. They open at 11:00 and get busy quick so plan ahead!

With so many restaurants to choose from why did this place have people waiting in line? Well, the food was that good !! The clam chowder was great. Fish and chips; best I have had in ages. Well worth the wait.

Great seafood and yes, it’s literally food by the sea! Lining up by the marina gives you a nice view while you wait to give your order. They have an extensive menu filled with different fish & chips entrees.
The seafood is fresh and well cooked. The serving per order is enough to last you an entire day. The shrimp salad is like any other, but the bread (sandwich) that’s used completes the tasty factor. The fish & chips and the oyster & chips were perfectly battered! Mostly fried foods which of course meant, you better walk off what you just ate. There are so many places to venture off after eating your meal. Plenty of souvenir shops and dessert shops just down the street or simply take a stroll and enjoy being by the waters!

This place has one of the best Double Bacon Cheeseburger I’ve ever had. I had the double beef patty burger with Monterey Jack cheese and THICK delicious bacon. Was passing through on our way to Cambria and scored when we stopped by Giovanni’s. The garlic fries were also amazing. My wife had fish tacos and totally enjoyed her food. We’ll definitely make our way back in the near future.

best fish & chips and sourdough clam chowder bowl i’ve ever had! the fish was coated with the perfect amount of batter and the clam chowder had great flavor and perfect amount of clam & potatoes. there is outdoor seating with the view of the water. you can walk around the area after to check out the shops and scenery (if you don’t pass out from a major food coma hehe). street parking!

Husband said the swordfish sandwich and we loved the garlic fries and the churro (as we aren’t seafood eaters.)

Second time here. Tasty fish and chips and great view of Morro Rock. Outdoor dining only at it’s FINEST. Reasonable prices.

A ok. Oysters were fresh, when you ask for a dozen, you have choice between HUGE OYSTERS or TINY OYSTERS. Either way were good. Clam chowder was good but nothing outstanding.
Shark jerky, aka sea beef jerky, was very chewy, salmon collar jerky was also tasty towards the sweeter side. Some fun jerky options, but most of their dishes were fried.
My margarita mix was so brightly coloured I thought it could glow in the dark. A note towards their alcohol cocktails: if you like florescent artificially induced drinks, here’s your spot.

Fish Market is 5 starts
Food window is 3 stars.
Bloody Mary, weak and pathetic.
Clam chowder is pretty good. Decent amount of clams, the thickness is the prefect medium between thick and thin. Good flavor. We didn’t try the bread bowl.
BBQ oysters Rockefeller style, not impressed. The oysters were good but not prepped that great. The spinach, bread crumb cheese mixture was kind of a mushy glob. And the butter came off kind of oily. Made me wonder if it may have been margarine.
Garlic fries. Decent, but used garlic power rather than minced garlic.
The fish market is really cool. I wish we had a fish market like this near home. All the fish looked fresh and appetizing. Had a good selection of fresh and peppered sea food. The shark jerky was good. My wife really likes the crab jalapeño dip.

This is the third time we’ve eaten here. I love the ambiance of sitting on the deck, looking at the harbor and Moro Rock while the seagulls try to swoop in and eat the leftovers. You stand in line (there is always a line) and your stomach starts growling as you look over the menu and board.
Today we had a grilled prawn salad with thousand island dressing on the side, an order of clam chowder, a kid’s sized order of fish and chips, and one barbecued oyster in garlic butter sauce. Once I ate the first oyster, I knew I should have ordered the six for $ 12 special. The oyster was delicious!
The fish and chips were cooked perfectly, the fish was soft and moist and the batter had a nice snap and crunch without being heavy. It was seasoned perfectly and the tartar sauce complimented the fish nicely. The fries were crisp and salted right; not too much but tasty without resorting to sauces or ketchup.
The chowder was very good but I like Brophy’s or Splash’s better; just a personal preference. The salad was the most pedestrian part of the meal, the grilled prawns were good but the salad was nothing exceptional.
Overall, I really like this place. Four stars.

I love this little fish market, we drove from Lemoore and it was a 2 hr drive to just get out and see something and I really feel eating their seafood, and taking in the beautiful ocean was worth all of this. It was worth the long drive. We got there early so the line wasn’t as long as some previous comments.
I enjoyed the free calm chowder (next time I’m getting the bread bowl), along with the soft shell crab sandwich that others commented on. My friend ordered the calamari and it was amazing! I also tried the oysters which was also good and fresh.
Definitely will be coming back!

Every time I come to Morro Bay, I must stop for the clam chowder. Truth be told, I usually get it a few times. In the last two days I’ve had 4 cups and a bowl of it. You do get a cup for free with check in, but I usually get more than one plus fish and fries.
Husband really loves the crab quesadilla!

Every time I come to Morro Bay I only get chowder here. I have also had the soft shell crab and calamari. I’m hook, line and sinker on this place. Plus the views of the harbor are awesome.
Definitely recommend this place to my Central Valley peeps.

Great and simple place to eat tasty and fresh seafood.
Had a great clam chowder and oysters. If I will be back in Morro Bay someday, go there 100%.

We got on the line is before they opened (pretty sure it was 11am, but now their hours say they open at 9am for what it’s worth) and it was already quite long and only got longer while we were waiting. Always a good sign, right? The line was moving along quite slowly, so had a ton of time to study the menu and of course that led me to ordering way more food than we needed. Standard.
The free cup of clam chowder with Unilocal check-​in was a fantastic start. Wonderful, buttery goodness. Settled upon the halibut and chips and these were just great! The pieces of halibut were a little smaller in size, but the deliciousness can’t be doubted. Lightly battered and high quality bites. Also, nabbed half a dozen oysters for a mere ten bucks. Not the best oysters I’ve had, but still a decent deal at that price point. The blue crab sandwich sounded like a good deal, so snagged that too, but wasn’t overly impressed by it. It was a little too dry and needed an aioli or remoulade to make it work.
Still, a solid place with a number of seafood options and beautiful views of Morro Rock with their outdoor patio dining. Definitely would return to explore more of their huge menu of options!

Great location, amazing view of Morro bay, and fresh seafood! What more can you ask for?! Price is reasonable. $ 14 for 5 piece halibut fish and chips, $ 2 upgrade for garlic fries, $ 3 more for 2 extra pieces of fish, $ 12 for half dozen bbq oysters, $ 9 for crab cocktail.
They even have a fresh fish and seafood market inside the store with fish steak, poke, smoked fish, scallops, raw oysters, live lobsters and more. Pretty neat if you are staying locally and have a place to cook the seafood.
They also have a nice deck for you to sit, eat, and enjoy the view. The deck is kept clean even the bathrooms are clean. They even give you a free cup of clam chowder if you check in. The chowder was good, but wasn’t hot and creamy enough. Overall, a must stop in Morro bay!

Wir waren im September bei Giovannis. Er kam und begrüsste uns sogar, lustig war dass wir einen Italiener erwarteten, aber dem war nicht. Der Fish war frisch, die Chips knackig. Auf jeden Fall sollte man diesen leckeren Snack probieren. Danke Giovanni!

My bf and I were road tripping along PCH and decided to stop off in Morro Bay for some good seafood. Giovanni’s immediately grabbed our attention because 1) location 2) free clam chowdaaaa!!! Giovanni’s is located in the heart of Morro Bay’s waterfront just seconds away from Morro Rock. They offer fresh seafood and outdoor patio seating. Be warned that the line is crazy long! We came on a Saturday afternoon around 2pm and waited 30 mins in line to order our food then waited another 30 mins for our food to be ready.
At first, we were worried about having to find a seat in the outdoor patio but soon we came to realize that people eat their food and get out of there so the tables clear up quickly.
The guy who took our order at the window was kind enough to give each of us a free bowl of clam chowder! We also ordered the soft shell blue crab sandwich to share and half a dozen bbq’d oysters (6 for $ 12) you have the option of choosing from garlic butter, sriracha lime butter, bacon jalapeño and Rockefeller. We chose the sriracha line butter and bacon jalapeño and honestly could not even taste the difference. also I didn’t love the oysters. I felt that they weren’t super fresh and was masked by the flavors.
As for the bowl of clam chowder, it was perfect for a cold January day. The clam chowder tasted quite fresh and had a good consistency.
Soft shell blue crab sandwich: this was an easy choice thanks to my fellow Unilocalers! Crunchy fried crab wedged in between a giant roll which was enough food for the both of us!
Giovanni’s is definitely worth a stop if you’re driving along PCH!

My husband and I fell into line at this popular establishment. Outside seating only, order at the window…
The chowder is da bomb. They have mastered the fine balance between creamy and chunky goodness, every bite is a perfect amalgam of savory clam and potato… a cup is just not enough… trust (5 stars)
Halibut and chips ($ 14.99)…good fish (though pieces are rather bite size), great breading, healthy portion of fries… get this (4 stars)
Soft shell blue crab sandwich ($ 9.99)…crunchy fried crab slab between quality rolls, best crab sandwich I ever had… so good (5 stars)
Churros ($ 1.99) FOR 2, that’s right, FOR 2, and they were awesome (and dare I say on equal level with those you would find at Disneyland)
BBQ oysters (6 for $ 12), we got the bacon jalapeño flavor, avoid these… they look meaty, but every bite has flaky shell embedded, the taste either bacon nor jalapeño…(this is the reason why the 4 star rating rather than 5)
Keep your eyes on the food and your mouth munching, cuz there are oversized seagulls patrolling the grounds :)
(This review was written by my husband)

Fresh sea food by the bay!
Came here on a whim and Ordered the calamari, fish, garlic fries, shrimp burrito, barbecued oysters with lemon garlic, and the fried oyster. Free cup of clam chowder for checking in.
Score!
The food was fresh and tasty. The place itself is touristy and parking can be challenging but the location is picturesque. When dining outside you get a good view of the bay.

I love that Giovanni’s always has a long line and that it’s right there along the docks, overlooking the water. It just makes it so alluring and quaint.
Even with the long lines, you can watch the birds, sea lions, people, ocean and majestic Rock while you wait… definitely great scenery! But even with the lines, they do a great job of taking orders and moving it quick.
Fish and chips are touted as best (I disagree, but they are good), I suggest going for the halibut, it’s a much better quality and taste of fish than whatever their standard other fish is. You can also partake in shrimp, clams, scallops, oysters, chicken and calamari — «and chips»! There’s even a combo if you can’t decide… however I haven’t been too impressed with that one (scallops and squid are kinda rubbery). The clam chowder is excellent and served (as it should be) in a sourdough bread bowl. The list of options here goes on and on and on and on! Halibut burritos, shrimp quesadillas, tacos, salads, sandwiches… and the potent garlic fries! Depending on the day there are some outstanding dishes to consume! (meaning sometimes things are excellent and other days they lack a little something… can’t figure out why)
They really need to invest in some Malt Vinegar though! Who doesn’t want that on their fried fish? I was disappointed to not have some to sprinkle on my meal. Not disappointed enough to never go back, because I definitely have and will go back!
Beer, wine and mixed drinks are available… mixed drinks appear to be made with some pretty low quality alcohol and are extremely weak, so I’d stick with beer or wine if choosing alcohol (wine is 9 ounces of local pour for about $ 5). Otherwise your options would be soda drinks and iced tea, non-​refillable.
Giovanni’s is a staple in Morro Bay and a place that needs to be visited!

J’ai adoré l’experience à la fraiche où les fruits de mer sont à gogo (et pas chers): on commande à la fenetre, on attend notre numero sur la terrasse abritée du vent.
De supers huitres fraiches, des «cocktails» crabe huitre celeri. Attention les huitres au BBQ sont ENORMES, on aurait dit des escalopes, vraiment. Limite ecoeurant mais c’etait parcequ’on avait deja mangé pas mal de fraiches avant.
Et cerise sur le gâteau: des Oreos frits, oh oui. Si tu aimes les beignets. et les Oreos, il n’y aura pas de probleme.