Great American Fish Company — Restaurant in Morro Bay

We came here with a group of six after trying to choose between Tognazzini’s and Harbor Hut. All three have plates around $30 for seafood, with some cheaper options available. Of the three, we chose Great American because a member of our group had tried it before. The view for all three is amazing, especially dining at sunset, as we did. We had a beautiful view of Morro Rock!

The interior itself is nautically-themed with bright aquariums to draw diner’s attentions. It’s nice, though not quite as chic as Harbor Hut, or as dated as Tognazzini’s looked through the window. It was warm, which was lovely on a cool evening, though the smell of the lobby reminded me of the navy ships my father served on, rather than the seafood we were about to eat.

Shark Bite Margarita My wife and I tried these! We were both happy with them, though they are pretty much just regular margarita mix with cranberry juice on top. We were more than happy to guzzle them and order a third to split. Not too alcoholic, but pleasant enough for an evening out with the family were you don’t want to get sloshed and say something stupid.

Regular margarita My mother-in-law tried this and she wasn’t a fan. She found it over-iced and bland. Though famously teetotaling, she wanted to ask them to put more booze in it because she felt there was little to none.

Cabbage Slaw This is their famous staple, sliced cabbage drenched in an oily vinaigrette. I was incredulous, as it came out as an exceedingly wet pile of purple. Though not something I find hugely exciting, it was lovely to eat, especially with the rich chowder. My mother-in-law found this salad very appealing, as the flavor was strong enough to penetrate her discerning palate.

Clam Chowder This was the tables favorite and the hit of the night. We had tried the chowder at Sea Shanty in Morro Bay a day or so earlier and the bowl at the GAFCO was much better. It was rich and savory with generous portions of clam and potato. We finished ours and then finished her aunt’s because we found it so enchanting and she wasn’t paying much attention when we took it.

Shrimp My father-in-law ordered this with a side of mixed veggies and pilaf. He was wholly satisfied with the shrimp and the pilaf, though we all agreed that the veggies were disappointing. They seemed to be freezer veggies that had been steamed and plated with little more aplomb or flourish to them. There was little to no discernible seasoning and a great deal of minuscule vegetable bits scattered beneath them.

Mesquite Cod My mother-in-law and I tried this! She with fries and I with veggies. I thought the cod was delightful, with a sort of charcoaled smokiness I associate with hamburgers. My M-i-L found it exceeding bland, however. We both found that smothering it in tartar sauce invariably did the trick, though we would prefer a more seasoned fish rather than a fish flavored plate of tartar sauce.

Sea bass My wife’s uncle, a man of few words, declared this dish to be “Delightful.” I could say more panegyrics, but it would not be so eloquent a review as his.

Fried Cod My wife’s aunt had this with pilaf and was pleased. It did not seem overly greasy or offensive and she was satisfied with her meal.

Salmon My wife loved this! She said the salmon had a simple lemon pepper seasoning on it and that the pilaf was buttery and paired well with the fish.

Overall, this restaurant seems price more for the location than the cuisine. The food, while pleasant, erred on the side of cost effective simplicity rather than simpler, more flavorful dishes. Rather than using a freezer veggie mix or frozen steak fries, just steam fresh broccoli or bake potato wedges and season them. Rather than giving customers a handful of oily purple cabbage, present it more as a salad and less as a condiment. At this price point, one might expect them to present the food with more panache. I can understand they have a bottom line to meet and competition up and down the bayside, but I think these little touches might go a long way to improving...

I have been eating here for the last 13 years ever since my wife and I first visited Morro Bay. In the past it has always been five stars and excellent. The restaurant itself is beautiful and has an ideal location right on the water and the food has been wonderful , especially the clam chowder which is the clam chowder that I have had that came really close to matching clam chowder back in Danvers Massachusetts.

However;

I am sad to say they have changed greatly...the restaurant is still beautiful and the staff were helpful and nice. But the food was terrible and priced as if it was high end. I ordered the fish and chips which literally looked and tasted like it came from a bag that they nuked in a microwave. I took one bite and just stopped. So I moved onto the Clam Chowder and this was the one that broke my heart....it had a weird smokey taste and tasted like paste.....very unfortunate. It seems the owner has opted for fast cheap food for a high end price. My wife ordered a salad and the chowder and did not finish hers either...the total bill was $100. The waiter nor the walking manager didnt even question it and took it away and never asked why we did not eat the food. I did not want to say anything because I have loved this place dor a long time and I understand its not their fault how the food turns out....this would have been a decision of the owner which seems especially bad since the town is starting to look run down and could be a dangerous sign of things to come for the future of Morro Bay.

If you want to sit down in a beautiful place with a friendly staff then this is a great place but have very low expectations for the...

We made reservations to be there for sunset, but we were only the second group in the whole restaurant, so it was probably not necessary. Of the dozens of open tables, we were seated right next to the only other group. We were so close that I couldn't even pull my chair out enough to get in and had to sit away from the window. Service was friendly, but not responsive to my need for a clean water glass when I found a black something floating in my water. I also asked about some dietary needs when I called ahead and felt okay ordering a salad without anything on it. Others in my group enjoyed pasta, chowder, caesar salad, burger, and they all said food was good. My Cobb salad, ordered specifically for a vegan with at wheat allergy, without chicken, bacon, bleu cheese or shredded cheese, hardboiled egg, and a request with vinaigrette on the side and no croutons or bread, came to the table on the same try as gluten foods. I looked all over the plate, and the salad looked okay, no crumbs or evidence of other foods on my plate or salad. But, I was more than half way through eating it when I found a chunk of breaded and deep fried something. I spit out the bite in my mouth, kept spitting and wished I had clean water to rinse my mouth with. The rest of the salad was taken away without any concern over why I quit eating, why I had to spit out my dinner or inquiry about how I enjoyed dinner. So, even if the hostess says they can make food allergy safe, they can't. I thought it was worth a try, but I'm expecting to be sick the next few days from being glutened. I tried to email the restaurant, but there isn't an email on their website, so I'm stuck leaving...