North Park Fish Market & Grill

Are they really closed? Bummer.
This had been a must-​stop every time I’ve come to San Diego after a group dinner back in 2010. Good fish, good sushi, good service. What more could you ask for? Oh, a big guy of OB? Sure thing! (and yes, it was gross, but it’s something we’d make the moron at the table drink– kind of like the time I forced my little brother to drink it after he passed out drunk on a park bench in the park by our hotel).

the fish is amazingly fresh and the prices are right. When they first opened up a year and a half ago this was easily one of my favorite restaurants but the last few months it seems they are focusing more on image than on the food itself. I care less about how posh the décor looks than how the food tastes. If I order a salmon burger I expect it to come on a bun, not a piece of toast. Spicy mayo is great but doesn’t go on everything and certainly shouldn’t be on my classic fish taco.
Change is good. But the fish market seems to only change the parts that work. Making for an inconsistent dining experience.

:(THEY ARE CLOSED… Good bye NP Fish Market and Grill!

I had the perfect meal here. Oyster shooters are amazing. The spicy calamari is probably the best I’ve ever had and the baby octopus salad is ridiculous! They put a lot of attention and care into their food. Just really smart accents to what they do. Best meal I’ve had in SD since I’ve been here.

We’ve been here twice. I got the teriyaki chicken bento box both times. It is was excellent. Deserts are yummy too!

We finally try this place out after driving past it numerous times. I wanted to keep my expectations low that way it wasn’t such a huge let down since its a new place plus there were a few negative Unilocal reviews about this restaurant. But of course, we’ve got to give it a try… we’re all about supporting upcoming local businesses.
It was happy hour when we went. It’s from 5 – 6:30pm (the happy hour menu is posted in the pictures). The drink specials are really good and there is a lot on their happy hour menu that’s not just sushi. I’d recommend trying the muscles, very tasty. And so far we’ve tried the California roll, crunchy roll, and sunset roll (this one was interesting, it has no rice!) all of which were really good.
The décor isn’t that bad, only things that could use improvement is the lighting and the horrible 80’s music that they play. We’ve agreed that we will probably only go for happy hour because everything at regular price is a little steep.
We’re rating this restaurant only on happy hour: 4 stars.

The key here is to come during happy hour. Other than that, they’re a little overpriced.
The bestie and I came here at a pretty slow time and got front row seats watching the really awesome sushi chef make our food for us. The waitress was really attentive and the chef had pretty good conversation skills.
Spicy edamame– not really spicy but still really good
Sunset roll– This was a rice-​less roll and really different than anything I’ve ever had. It was filled with avo, tuna, some other delicious veggies and tempura’ed, drizzled with delicious juicy sauce. The tuna was a weird texture but once you’re past that it has a good flavor.
30^th and Upas– So fresh! Salmon, tuna, cucumber, really clean taste with some more sauce. I’d definitely get this again.

We went for a group dinner here after it had been suggested by a friend who went there often. No one had high or low or any hopes really but it was really really good.
We had a member who was gluten intolerant and finding her items was fairly easy (if you have an intolerance, you know how hard this can be). Everyone ordered randomly off the menu and all the dishes seemed to meet merit. We were especially fond of the spicy rolls with shaved jalapenos and they had a really nice hair-​tingling wasabi. The fish was fresh, there was a ton of interesting beer, and the prices were reasonable.
This place is good for groups, boozing at the table, and the service was really casual and helpful. I would be happy to go back here for another meal.

I can’t remember how many times I have eaten here since I discovered the North Park Fish Market, what my beau and I call the Sushi Bar on 30^th. It’s 2 doors down from Bluefoot Bar. I am sure I have eaten here at least 50 times since Sept 2010.
The Happy Hour runs from 4 – 6:30pm everyday, including weekends. The lunch specials they just added this week are great. You can get 2 hand rolls and salad or soup for $ 6. That’s a super deal and a satisfying amount of food.
Abel is a very entertaining sushi chef and always has a positive attitude. The only downside to this place is that you have to let them know when you are ready for your check or you may be waiting a while. They are not mind readers. Just tell your sushi chef or waitress that you are ready to go and you’ll be out in no time.
The nice thing about hanging out a little longer is that it has helped me try new things like the amazing Tomato Balls (only fish, scallops, rice and seasonings made to look like a tomato ball) and their delicious green tea ice cream which they also fry if you like to try something different.

One of my most favorite things in the world is black cod. I ordered it and my first mouthful was full of tiny fish bones. I don’t hold that against them, I mean, fish have bones… it was just noteworthy. I loooove black cod and have never had it before where it tasted fishy. This was fishy. It was not the delicious buttery black cod I am used to. I was so disappointed.
My eating partner had an oyster shooter, sea urchin sushi and halibut sashimi. He said they were decent. Not the best ever but definitely okay.
My eating partners all seemed to enjoy their meals. So I am kind of torn about this place.

:-/​
2 wks after opening… place was packed.
Ambiance: Not impressed with the décor. proportions all wrong.
(you’ll see what I mean) Its like sticking a plastic plant in the corner of a huge space. The kitchen had a HUGE ceiling issue just above where they prep the food… yes, it just rained and you can see the damage done. Why were’t they shut down for this alone? (Coincidentally, I had a residential/​commercial inspector with me for dinner.)
Service: Was with a smile, but lacking in everything else.
Food: I ordered a Sashimi plate. they honestly told me they didn’t have that dish on the menu, but that they’d make it for me. I thought why not. They are a fish market… 30 minutes later (yes 30 minutes to prepare raw food) I got my plate. I kid you not, I’ve gotten better quality and more at the Fish Market near downtown… (they skimped.) I was sad.
$ 30 dollars later, I vowed never to return.
2 woofs… (and I haven’t)
I’m sure they’ve been very busy working out all of the kinks… cause there were alot of them.

Came in here with some friends for a cure for our Saturday morning hangover. First of all, our chef Abel was AMAZING. He was very engaging and suggested some items for us to try that turned out to be so delicious. He also comped us a couple of items, which was very much appreciated.
The food was awesome. I had the Spicy Hibachi roll which was a perfect blend of spicy, crunchy and flavorful. We also tried the Rainbow roll and the gyoza which were great. The most amazing roll though, was something Abel called the «So Hot You Can’t Finish It» roll. I’m not sure if that was the actual name, but our group never backs down from a challenge — even only a vaguely perceived one. So, of course, we HAD to have it. It was delicious and hot, but not so hot that you can’t taste anything. And yes, we finished it.
So after all that, I am full to bursting when Abel suddenly shows up with green tea ice cream. Oh, I couldn’t possibly! Let me just say that this was hands down the BEST green tea ice cream I have ever had. Simply amazing.
We had a great time and successfully nursed our hangovers just in time to go to the bar and start all over again. What a perfect Saturday morning!

What is it with this place? We decided to give this place another try since our last visit earlier in the year (almost 6 months). Hoping they had a chance to work out their opening problems.
We first ordered the Miso Soup. It was excellent.
I ordered the Swordfish Grilled and my dining partner ordered the Sashimi Salad. The description of the swordfish said nothing of a sauce on top of it which is what I got. I bit into the swordfish and I figured out why the put a sauce on it. It was over cooked and dry.
My partner was disappointed with sashimi salad. His portion was tiny with very little sashimi. Sashimi quality was good but not great. There was barely any fish to really taste the sashimi. Slices were so thin.
Soda comes in a can. So no refills.
Service was excellent. The waitress was on top of things. The patio dining is dog friendly and 30^th Street. Excellent for people watching.
I dont think we would go here again. Sauce on swordfish is a NO NO!

So not impressed, and so disappointed! Based on the reviews I decided to try this place with friend for lunch, it sounded good and the prices were reasonable.
I ordered the sweet potato fries to start, and the fish tacos based the waitresses recommendation, my friend ordered the tuna hand roll and an appetizer.
All in all, a sad lunch experience. I definitely wont be back.
The sweet potato fries were really good, even though the serving size was pathetic. And when I asked for ranch, it was as if I had asked for rat poison! «We dint have any ranch» said in a very condescending, snooty tone… as if she could hardly believe I would ask such a thing.
The fish tacos. Bleh. Bland and very greasy tasting. The salsa had absolutely no kick, so I asked for Tabasco. She brings me Tapatio… what? No Tabasco? Apparently she doesn’t even know the difference between the two.

On my second attempt to utilize the well-​thought-​out fishcounter at NPFM&G (the first time I called about some fish it was closed due to remodeling), I was delighted to see on the chalkboard that they were selling Alaskan halibut (a sustainable fishery), salmon, and ahi (provenance unstated for both). The halibut at that moment seemed like a godsend, because I was going to make ceviche RIGHT this time, not saucy or ketchupy, but with limes, chilies, onions, fleur de sel, pepper, Mexican oregano, cilantro, a hint of granulated garlic, diced heirloom tomatoes and grated carrots for color, with copious amounts of fresh Mexican (Key) lime juice. I needed some high-​quality halibut at that moment to make a ceviche so wonderful it would erase any memory of the murder-​scene ceviche (both in looks and flavor) I had eaten a couple weeks before up the coast at Malibu Seafood.
Walking into the remodeled NPFM&G, I realized that the fish was no longer on ice, looking unapologetically sexy and teasing the moment you walk in. Instead it had been replaced by a pretend open refrigerator like you might find in a Japanese market on the wall to the far right. Also, all of the fish fillets were now pre-​cut and packaged in CFC-​releasing styrofoam trays. So much for the real fishmonger experience being part of the scenery here anymore.
(Lookeyhere, fishmongers: if you’re going to have a fish counter, I might want to talk to you about the fish, where it came from, and when you got it in the store [something you almost universally feign knowledge about or change the subject when asked]. Moreover, I might want to buy a larger or smaller amount than is presented to me in your irresponsible ozone-​breaching trays. Finally, I might even ask you to make me special cuts, I might need to purchase whole fresh fish from time to time in order to prepare the animal to my satisfaction, and I might even need you to skin eels for me. I know: this isn’t the 1950’s anymore when people cared about having a good butcher or fishmonger, but that doesn’t necessarily entail that fishmonger counter service has to generally suck these days [unless you’re at Point Loma Seafoods]. I am furthermore, not exactly «people.»)
So, any semblance of those above positive elements are now gone from the fishcounter experience at NPFM&G. Another thing that seems to have evaporated since the recent remodel is fishcounter hygiene. The first thing I noticed was that the new cold case seemed around ten degrees too warm. At least with the fish sitting on ice you still get a good idea of how cold it’s being kept (and nope, not explaining how this works – ask your 6^th grade science teacher). Fish + warmth never has a good sum, unless the warmth is hot enough to cook it or dry enough to desiccate it. I also noticed several blowflies flitting around everything and occasionally landing – the very same flies that forensic entomologists use to judge the time of death of corpses by observing the development of their larvae. These guys are drawn to the scent of death like moths to tungsten (or guppies to neon) lights.
I knew exactly what I was going to detect when I picked up the packages of $ 25/​lb. halibut and whiffed deeply to check for freshness, even though their expiration date was about four days from that afternoon. But I gave NPFM&G the benefit of the doubt, and gave each package a hearty olfaction. Fishy death came screaming up my nostrils through the cellophane on every package, and these parcels were wrapped tight. This was a smell well beyond «old fish” – it smelled like my bait after freezing it, thawing it in the hot sun for a few hours on a fishing trip, and refreezing it several times. Like the stuff my wife threatens divorce with if I insist on keeping next to the human food in the same freezer.
This made me want to cry: three, pound-​sized chunks of pure white halibut from one of only a handful of sustainable fisheries in the world kept at a temperature too warm long enough to make them putrefy. $ 75 market value or so, and between one and three benthic and magnificent marine animals not having their lives properly celebrated by being made into something ethereal at the hands of competent chefs.
I don’t think I’ll be going to the fish counter at NPFM&G anytime soon for the same reasons I don’t patronize the fishcounter at Albertson’s on University: my nose has warned me that doing so might make me sick. Luckily, a trip down to Bluewater on India saved the dish and the day – I even scored some local halibut there that smelled like pure mountain spring seawater; had I only added a meager fresh habañero, it would have resulted in the best ceviche in recorded human history.
I might come back here for monkfish-​wrapped bacon again, but having putrid fish for sale right next to a sushi kitchen is really bad form for a restaurant that generally does sushi better than anything else on the menu.

These five stars and my love of their sushi stems from when these people were still Convoy Sushi… Now that they’ve moved, my boyfriend and I had to go find them here yesterday!
Same impeccable fish. Same talented, experienced (and quite witty!) chef. We had green tea, miso soup, and shared a swordfish steak and a lovely riceless roll with shiitake mushrooms the chef whipped up for us. Yum!
They have a neat new location, and I’m excited to see what happens with it after they’re done remodeling.
Thank you for being my favorite sushi at home, guys.

Fresh seafood!
Great prices!
Terrible service!
The halibut tacos were delicious. They weren’t fried but grilled. Very fresh and not heavy. If you like deep-​fried cheap pollock fish tacos, you will probably give their halibut tacos 1 or 2 stars.
The calamari (I shared this) was battered in-​house and delicious. I had half of my friend’s salmon burger. It was tasty and like the halibut fish tacos, they left a clean feeling rather than the «damn, I need my stomach pumped from eating this greasy food» feeling.
We had a great lunch on a sunny Friday afternoon. We will be back!
I empahsize the «truly terrible service.» I got up three times to ask for silverware and then for our waters to be refilled and then (third time is the charm) for mayo.

Here’s another Sushi Place in the Neighborhood! At least we got two around 30^th and Upas now.
This could easily be another 3 and a half.
I have to say I like the sushi here. I will go here for the sushi, the fish quality and for other inexpensive options they have on the menu. The «recession buster» is a nice addition to the menu, especially these times, when economy’s not doing so well. However, the fish tacos are not as impressive. In others words, I ordered it once and will not order it again.
I have never been neither disappointed in the sushi here nor the service. The staff is absolutely friendly, easy to connect with, and a joy to see. And that’s a plus! I always sat by the bar and never had a bad service. Although I could understand from other reviews why one can easily have a bad service here since, one they are fairly new, almost just 3 mos. or so. And they do tend to get busier quickly, especially the first month they opened up.
Here’s the downer however, as much as I love this place. Inconsistency. When I first started, the fish (whatever kind) you get with the salad with ginger dressing (amazing btw) is pretty adequate in its size. The last couple of times, not so much. My salmon was even served broken and truly smaller. First rule, folks, we eat with our eyes! So for a regular, that was truly disappointing! I’m not saying gimme all the big pieces, but here’s the deal, it’s one thing if i do not order the same dish over and over again. Unfortunately I tend to, one will be graded on those, on my «regular order» and any inconsistency will be noticed. Not to mention I took pictures of my first few orders.
The tempura appetizers were very small. Let’s just say, I won’t be ordering that. I have other choices if I truly want tempura.
Another downer, perhaps they need more options on the menu, or have special of the day.
So I mentioned 3 downers, let’s go back to another reason why I still support this joint, not because I like them, but I truly like the food. Miso soup with clams, Ginger dressing, great quality on their fish and love the sushi.
Keep in mind, they are new and they have not gotten their liquor license yet, so having said that, I believe this joint, is much needed in North Park, and has plenty of room for improvements…
Whatever they lack now, let’s just hope that it’s due that they «were just in the process» of settling down in North Park.
Will revisit and re review again…

These reviews need to be combined with the duplicate Unilocal entry found here:

I was nervous… very very VERY nervous about this place. The restaurants in this location don’t seem to last and usually for good reason. Less than $ 10 for seafood like swordfish and halibut… there’s sooooo much that could go wrong *chills*
I ordered the miso soup with clams to start. Nice, well balanced, delicate flavor with a hint of white wine.
My main dish was 90% french fries and 10% shrimp with onions and peppers. But that 10% of shrimp… D-​D-​DAY-​AMN they cooked that shizz perfectly… and I mean f**cking PERFECTLY. There was a sweet-​ish sauce on the shrimp and s prinkle of sesame seeds but I all the stuck with me was how well cooked they were. I can say the same about the grilled halibut… it was seriously like buttah. I’ve eaten in some mighty fine establishments with fancy stars and such and they haven’t gotten it right. There’s nothing worse than rubbery, overcooked grilled fish/​shrimp at a place that claims this as a specialty. Everything tasted fresh and not fishy at all.
The fries were okay… steak fries with a sprinkling of parsley in need of salt… on a normal day I would have opted for the side salad, which my dining companion had and it looked delicious! However, I’ve been sick all week and on pretty much a liquid diet sooo yeah… I needed those damn fries.
They have a list of menu items under $ 6 that included potato wrapped tilapia on greens which I’m interested in checking out and a decent sushi menu as well. Looks like they’ve applied for their liquor license but you can byob for now.
The bottom line… you’re not going to get the gargantuan portions you get at other places but you will get beautifully executed fish for a great price. You can always order sushi to fill the void. I’d stay away from the shrimp if you’re really hungry. OH and a super duper grateful owner… at least I’m assuming that’s the guy who came to our table at least twice to check on our meal and hurried over when he thought I was glancing his direction :)