Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill

This is the place for fresh seafood in Hillcrest. The restaurant is comfortable, the staff is welcoming, and the seafood is fresh. Highly recommend the shrimp ceviche, clam chowder, and local halibut. I will definitely be back.

I love this place! I’ve been here several times since it is walking distance from my house and every time I’ve tried something new with no disappointment. The food is fresh and spiced just right. The customer service is absolutely impeccable. If you have the chance to go to on taco Tuesday they have great deals and delicious beer and tacos. I never get a chance to take pictures since I’m always ready to dig in. I’ll be sure to update my review with pictures next time.

Our waiter was busy the whole night and still provided our group with great service. I normally do not care for halibut but I went out on a limb and gave it a chance. It was prepared perfectly along with being the exact right amount of food.
Btw substitute the rice with potatoes

There is one place that is a guaranteed hit in San Diego. If its not a hit, it sure is a catch. With so many things to do and places to eat, this is one place you should bookmark right away. Heck… Bookmark it right now! All the great reviews do show something is just right about Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill in San Diego.
Located on the western side of the one street of 5^th street and before Pennsylvania Ave, you will find this very cute and simple home to Fresh Catch Fish Market & Grill. Parking can be a pain since Fresh Catch is in a busy neighborhood, but I am sure you will find one. On the weekends, its even better. Before you walk in, you will notice the beautiful patio with the view of 5^th Ave. They do have heaters in case, it gets too cold or just want to be outdoors. As you walk in, there is, like the name says, a fish market. There are many various seafood to select from to take home. Possibly they may even serve it to your table.
We were at Fresh Catch a few months ago and I failed to write then, but the experience is as good as the first time. Our host of the evening was Sam. I don’t remember Sam, but I do remember the other guy with the glasses, who I refer to him as the guy from MythBusters’ Adam Savage. He has the look! Fresh Catch is not a super fancy, but does keep the quality at its greatest. It may not be formal dining experience, but it sure does look like it. We sat down inside in front of the kitchen. We like how the interior seems to be an upside down boat. You’ll see nettings and buoys hanging on the wall.
My girlfriend ordered a Shirley Temple, but Sam informed us that they didn’t have any grenadine. I know at our last visit that Adam tried to squeeze what he could to make one. So, she opted for a Coke ($ 2). I just had a glass of water. The menu is very simple to extravagant. You can order tacos and burritos to fish plates. All of them are at reasonable prices. My girlfriend ordered a Snapper Plate ($ 18.95) with white rice and black beans. I ordered a full plate of the Pesto Shrimp Chopped Salad ($ 16.50). Pesto and Shrimp! Delicious!
While we waited, we noticed a lot of the customers seemed to be more local. They were having fun and enjoying each others time. This is one place that doesn’t seem to rush you out once you get in. The utensils are in a glass jar with napkins in front of you. Simple design and quick ease to get the table ready. You’ll have your condiments from salt & pepper to Tapatio and other hot sauces. I know I was going to be using that on my shrimp. The wait was very short. The wait was about 10 – 12 minutes. You can see the chef having fun in there. I wish the brick oven was being used, but it was just filled with pans.
We got our food and just like our last experience… AMAZING! Actually, my Pesto Shrimp looked beyond amazing. I had no idea a full salad was that big with tons of shrimp. My girlfriend snagged some delicious sauteed shrimp from my dish. I loved it! With the greens, avocado, and the sweet corn, this was truly memorable. I got some of the hot sauces and oh boy, I loved it even more. Maybe I can ask to have the shrimp cajun style next time?! I think I could have been full with a half plate, but I still finished a full plate. Wow! I feel good about myself.
Overall, Fresh Catch is a stable in the community. Who doesn’t love seafood?! There are other items to try out that I haven’t experienced. My girlfriend and I had other visits and the food were cooked as great. Two check-​ins and still not one bad experience. I just got to get the name of the host that looks like Adam Savage. If he gets that a lot… I guess I’ll have to find his correct name soon!
Unilocal…My passion is not to write my reviews, but to share my experiences with you. Take that journey and share your story.

Downtown San Diego has a lot of hot spots that that attract people from all walks of life. With so many hip restaurants to choose from, it comes down to preference. On the corner of Fifth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, you’ll come across Fresh Catch Fish Market and Grill. It may be small in size, but it packs a big punch!
As we walked inside, we took note of the layout and décor. Fresh Catch’s patio is small and has enough room for about ten to twelve people to sit comfortably. Heaters are strategically placed on the patio to emit heat on cold afternoons and evenings. The interior of the restaurant has an interesting look. I noticed that the ceiling has a dome-​shape and gives off the appearance of a tunnel. Tables were set up in a self-​serve way as they had mason jars with silverware and napkins placed for you to use when necessary. The kitchen is wide open and you will have a clear view of the chefs while they prepare your meal.
Given that this is also a seafood market, you’re pretty much guaranteed that your meal will be fresh. Therefore, we were pretty pumped when browsing the dinner selections for the evening. I had the halibut during our last visit here so I decided to order something different this time. The snapper with Cajun seasoning peaked my interest so I ordered it with white rice and black beans. Since the vegetables that accompanied this meal were already premixed, I substituted black beans for them instead.
Fresh Catch is prepares your meal relatively quick as everything was placed on our table in under ten minutes. Steam was still rising up from our plates when we were served! The food portions were generous as I was incapable of finishing my meal. My Cajun style red snapper was spicy enough to have a slight kick to it but was not overpowering. White rice is always going to taste the same but I made it a point to incorporate a piece of red snapper with each bite. This complimented the rice quite well! As for the black beans, I cannot complain. Again, the serving size was generous and I couldn’t finish my entire meal. I also managed to snag a couple of grilled shrimp off of my boyfriend’s chopped salad. Who knows what they used for flavor but it sure was tasty. There wasn’t a fishy aftertaste to the shrimp. It was soft in texture without coming across as either overcooked or undercooked.
Fresh Catch has a laid back vibe to it. The people that work there are super friendly and polite. Plus it’s also quiet inside. I don’t think it’s intentional but everyone just seems to be very relaxed. This really is a great place to unwind with a small group of people. We definitely enjoyed dining here tonight and wouldn’t hesitate to return when we return to the area.

01/​13/​2016 Visited 4:00pm
2 ½ to 3 Stars.
Sorry but I don’t agree with the 4 ½ Star Rating from the experience my wife and I had here yesterday.
First this place has a very nice ambience. 4 Stars.
Service was also good. 4 Stars.
Street Parking Only can be tricky but was easy this day. 3 Stars.
Now on to the food.
Mind you this review is based on what we tried only.
The Beer & Wine selection was very good. Nice and cold. 3 ½ Stars.
The fried calamari with two different dipping sauces was a little rubbery and way under seasoned. We have had better and we have had worse. 3Stars.
The Clam chowder was just ok. Very little clam flavor and Under Seasoned. Too watery and hardly any clams or vegetables could be found. 2 ½ Stars.
The grilled tuna dinner was just ok. The Tuna was Luke Warm but seasoned well. The Rice was upper Dry with no flavor. The Vegetables cooked in a garlic sauce were way under cooked and had no flavor of garlic at all. A Disappointing 2 Stars.
I had a Two Tail Lobster Dinner.
The Lobster Tails were Very Tiny about Two Bites Each and not much flavor. Not sure how fresh.
The Rice once again was old tasting and very Dry and the Vegetables cook in Garlic sauce were flavorless and undercooked.
Overall we were not impressed with the food. There was a gentleman at the table next to us, The only other person in the place, that had the Fish and Chips. They Looked Good. Perhaps that’s the way to go.
Don’t believe all the pictures of great food you see on this Unilocal page
Because most of them are not even on the menu. No More Pacific Lobster Wednesday Special or any specials for that matter.
Jan and I had to try it because of the Great Unilocal ratings but we won’t be back. A Much Better Choice.

The decorations and service is doing Okay. The food is really mediocre. I’ve ordered the lobster roll, sea bass plate. Fisherman’s stew and oyster on the half shell.
Oyster on the half shell is really good. The rest three dishes couldn’t distinguish itself from other restaurant. I am a little disappointed no live lobster on the menu.
I would give it 3.5 star if it is possible. Since too many five stars, would like to balance it with three stars

Great Sea Food!!!
We tried:
Lobster mac — THIS WAS WONDERFUL!!! I would def get it again.
Fried Calamari — This is an all-​time fave and would get it again, it was nice large pieces and a nice large serving.
Ahi salad– I love ahi, the fish was great but the salad was just a salad. The dressing was super flavorful.
Fried Oyster sandwich — This sandwich was super good — if you like oysters!
Calamari steak sandwich — This sandwich was VERY good! Very flavorful and great texture (which is important when eating calamari steak)
All in all we were very happy with everything we tried, we will def be back!
Parking was pretty easy (on the street /​meter) and it was fairly close off the freeway.

Small, cute restaurant. It was pretty crowded and waited for 20min for 7pm dinner, hence it was freezing outside to be seated on the patio. Didnt really get a greeting til much later, and the waiter almost let a group ahead of us. Well, we ended up sitting w a family on the community table which turned out fun. Food was very tasty and reasonably priced. Ordered deep fried oysters, crab mac & cheese, fish & chips, and lobster roll of course. You always want more crab and lobster though, this wasnt much of the case. Good amount of it in the mac & cheese and roll. Despite the busy tables, the waiter took care of us. My first try at a fish & chips in SD. Ps. Thanks for the 50% off app!!!

Fish and chips and get a check in for 50% off appetizers! I’m still in search for the best lobster sandwich in San Diego

I was pleasantly surprised today!
If you read my Unilocal reviews you know I’m always in this area at my beloved Beauty By Dolly. I’ve passed by this place numerous times and today decided to treat myself!
First, I love that this place is a restaurant as well as a market! There fish stock is impressive for a small place and there menu is perfect! I was there for brunch but ended up eating off their lunch menu.
I ordered a michelada which was understated but very refreshing!
My server was awesome! Very nice and knowledgable.
I ordered the avocado fries which were plentiful in quantity and quality! They were not over breaded which was a huge plus for me and they came with tartar sauce (which I didn’t use) and chipotle sauce! I’m a huuuuuuge fan of restaurants having condiments other than ketchup and ranch. The avocado was fresh and I appreciated they didn’t come out burning hot.
For the main entrée I ordered the local sea bass sandwich which was so good! The fish was fresh and the seasoning choice (provided by the restaurant) was perfect! The sandwich was messy but everything on the sandwich including the bread was perfectly paired! The mixed greens it came with were plain and not as crisp as I would have liked but I did like the balsamic dressing.
I only wish I was with a friend so I could have tried out a few other dishes! I will be back for the chefs sashimi, the clams, and mussels!
When you check in with Unilocal,you get 50% off an appetizer which is a good deal! Starts include oysters, calamari, the avocado fries, etc.

We wanted a break from burgers and breakfast foods, so we decided seafood for dinner. It was still early in the evening and we were the only ones at the restaurant.
The first dish we got was a large clam chowder. We shared it but it was still a lot of chowder to chow down. However, it was really good! It was thick, flavored nicely and had chunks of potato and clam.
The other three dishes we had were: ceviche, crab Mac and cheese and a fish sandwich. I’ve never heard of ceviche before and it was my first time trying it. I like pico de gallo and I like shrimp, so I enjoyed the ceviche.
I haven’t had mac and cheese in years (I avoid it), but I just had to try the crab Mac and cheese. It was really yummy and I liked how sea shell pasta was used instead of the regular macaroni noodles.
I can’t remember the type of fish sandwich we had (I don’t eat a lot of fish), but it was fried fish and it tasted good.
We ate outside but the inside was nice and both areas were clean. The staff was friendly and our server had a lovely smile. We got full pretty quickly, so we took the rest of our food home. I highly recommend the clam chowder!

The seafood is mediocre, I tried to give this place a chance because I love seafood, but some of there dishes are bland, no flavor what’s so ever, and leave a weird after taste in your mouth. The clam chowder which is actually good leaves a weird after taste in your mouth which wasn’t bothersome at first because the clam chowder was good. But after a while I couldn’t take it anymore I had to stop eating the soup. So i thought… on to the crab cake, but that was disappointing as well. No flavor at all needed some seasoning something. My friend was disappointed with her fried shrimp as well. They looked good on the outside but once biting into them they were bland and rubbery.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon, and it wasn’t busy at all!
You can find street parking nearby. There’s usually always an open spot.
There is indoor and outdoor seating. They have giant television inside if you want to come here to watch sports on game day.
They had a sunday special of a whole bottle of champagne with choice or orange juice or cranberry juice for only $ 13! Great deal for mimosas.
Our server was friendly and efficient.
Food:
Clam Chowder (Large Bowl) $ 9.95
This was definitely a huge bowl of soup! Can be shared up to four people.
Their chowder was very meaty with lots of clams and potatoes. The soup was very creamy and delicious. Definitely recommend it.
Fish & Chips $ 11.95
This dish usually comes with Alaskan Cod, but I requested for a different fish. I got Mahi Mahi instead and it was amazing! Not only did they give me five pieces of fried fish, but it also came with a huge bed of french fries! Definitely can be shared between two people if you don’t eat too much. The fish was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. The french fries were crispy and delicious as well. Overall, this plate was very fresh and generous. Definitely recommend it as well! Great portions for the price!
Shrimp Scampi $ 14.95
This dish is basically tons of shrimp laying in a bed of soup/​sauce with a side of crispy bread slices. The dish had some light but good flavor. It was good but not amazing.
I was sad that they already ran out of lobster at 3pm in the afternoon. But overall, i like the variety of options they offer and the food is good. Will come back again!

Simple is often the best way to go with seafood and Fresh Catch does it right. The oysters on the half shell were small but sweet. I topped my fresh salad with rare Ahi Tuna seasoned with a cajun flavors. Oh, so good!
The staff here is great. The servers are genuinely friendly and welcoming. And the open view to the kitchen gives you a chance to see where the magic happens. There’s outside seating and inside they have a couple long bar-​height tables which would do well for large groups or just get to know your neighbors.

Couldn’t have asked for a better day then coming here with my mom to San Diego and finding this little gem. Upon entering two wonderful waitresses with smiles greeted us. Nice music was playing and from that point on our dining experience was to perfection.
Mom wanted the fish and chips which were very tasty. We did share a cevichi appetizer (50% off Unilocal check in… cool). The appetizer was very enjoyable. Clam chowder which I got was one of the best I’ve had in awhile. My choice was the yellow tail fish that had a slight smoke taste to it and came with multiple styles veggies. The cook did an excellent job cooking this and I personally thanked and gave him a thumbs up. Ice tea for me and they make it just right and mom just enjoyed her cup of coffee.
The atmosphere is relaxing and it wasn’t crowded seeing how we were there on a weekday. Definitly a place I would go back to

LOVE this spot! Came here on a Sunday afternoon for some cocktails (Bloody Mary’s) and FOOD!
Place is cute, we got seated right away. Ordered the Shrimp and Bacon Bloody Mary’s which were delicious!!! They had a brunch menu available which looked good but we ordered from the regular menu because we wanted to try their tacos and get some oysters. If you check in on Unilocal,you can get 50% off any appetizers so we used it on our oysters! We also ordered the shrimp (tempura style) tacos and their fish tacos. Both were amazing but my have was the shrimp. They served a generous portion of the shrimp which was in every bite! Each taco plate came with 3 tacos which definitely got me stuffed I could barely finish the 3^rd one. I wanna try some of the other items on their menu the next time I come here. They also serve beer on tap and mimosas! yum!
I highly recommend coming here. I’ve always passed by it but never really paid much attention to it till I looked it up on Unilocal.I’ll definitely be coming back here again! Great place for a mellow Sunday Funday with your girls or significant other.

This place is a cute restaurant in hillcrest. With their outdoor patio, it’s a great way to enjoy the San Diego weather.
I got the mussels which were pretty good. The salmon burger was ok (contrary to other rave reviews). The clam chowder is the bomb though. You don’t think chowder could taste all the differently, but this place had great chowder.

Had high hopes for this place but was sadly disappointed.
We ordered the lobster special which came with a whole lobster cut into halves and flavored with garlic butter. It was also served with roasted potatoes and garlic bread. The lobster itself was a little overcooked and rubbery and the meat itself had little to no flavor despite the fact that it was covered in garlic butter. The rosemary potatoes were also flavorless and the bread was stale. Not worth it for $ 30+
Next up, the seabass fish plate on top of rice. The fish was slimy and had that overly-​fishy taste which usually happens when the seafood is not very fresh. I know this might be a little harsh, but it almost tasted like it was cooked in the microwave.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the meal. In a place like San Diego where there are tons of amazing seafood restaurants, this place really needs to step up its game.

For the most part, I enjoyed a good lunch here at this new seafood eatery and market. When I arrived I was warmly greeted by two young ladies, and I ordered the daily special of sashimi for $ 10.95, which turned out to be a big mistake, the clam chowder for I believe $ 4, and some crispy fried calamari $ 6.95.
The first item that arrived was the house made clam chowder. The chowder was quite good and my favorite item. The chowder had a great consistency with its light creaminess, and came filled with an abundance tender sweet clams, moist potatoes, and al dente pieces of fresh celery. The chowder’s seasoning was on point and it had that flavor, that kept me wanting more. A nice garnish of chopped parsley would of been nice. Great Chowder.
I ordered the fried calamari but it came mixed with shrimp. In hind sight, I learned it was a mistake in the kitchen. However, the calamari and shrimp were well prepared and came very light breaded which I liked. Therefore, I could taste the tender meat of the calamari and shrimp readily. Seasoning was suspect, in that it was unevenly applied. Some pieces were good, and others bland. Good fried calamari.
The $ 11 dollar sashimi plate was a disappointment to say the least. First of all, I was bewildered with the small plate of unevenly slices raw fish. To make matters worst, I was not pleased with quality of the tuna and salmon. The sashimi came served on a mini tasting plate which was personal insult to me. I pointed out my dissatisfaction, but the response I received was that they were still getting under way and figuring things out.
My figuring is that they need to find someone who can properly cut sashimi and appropriately present the sashimi on a plate. Also, if you are going to charge $ 11, I would suggest to pay attention quality of the fish, if it’s going to be served in the form of sashimi.
This was no doubt a mixed experience, and given the great chowder and good fried calamari, this new place has very good upside. However, I really hope they rethink how they prepare and serve the sashimi.