Coastal Seafoods - St. Paul — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I visited Costal Seafoods on Dec 31st 2013 looking for some sushi grade tuna for a tuna tartare recipe I was making for New Years Eve. I went in around 4 pm and was greeted with warm smiles and a polite "How can I help you?". I told the young man that was working what I was making and he told me they ran out of the tuna a few hours ago. I've had sushi before but i've never personally worked with the raw, sushi grade fish. I knew tuna was a good pick for a tartare so he could tell I was disappointed when I got the news they were out. Instead of letting me leave unsatisfied he recommended another sushi grade fish, the hamachi. I was weary at first because I don't know very much about fish but he assured me it had an almost identical texture and an even more mild flavor than tuna, plus it was cheaper! I knew I could trust him when he told me he's made a hamachi tartare before and so I decided to go with it, everything happens for a reason right? The results? A HUGE SUCCESS! Everyone at the party was absolutely thrilled, I even had a few people ask for the recipe. The fish was so fresh, beautiful and delicious I was amazed to get that kind of quality in the middle of Minnesota! Needless to say I'll definitely be back to Costal Seafoods for any future seafood purchases I need and I will be spreading the word. The fish was amazing, the service...

I've been an on/off customer of CS for 10+ years, and my last few visits really left me disappointed. They charge a premium price (which is fine), but the freshness is really lacking.

I've noticed the odor of their fish getting worse this past couple of years, but my last halibut fillet smelled awful when I got home. It had to be at least 4 days old. I'm comparing this to the fish my parents received in the mail from the west coast around christmas. Their package was delayed two days, and their fresh (not frozen) fillets barely smelled at all.

I've also noticed the smell inside Coastal has gotten a lot more pungent recently. Not sure if they aren't cleaning as much, or if it's just the fish rotting. I have never asked a fish monger to smell the fish before buying it, but perhaps you should if you choose to shop here.

I understand we live about as far away as you can from the actual coast, but if you can't sell something quickly, don't claim it's premium.

Leaving it at a 2 star because I'm hopeful my frozen crab cakes are in better shape. Coastal Seafoods use to be great, let's...

I went here and got some tasty cod fish. They have a good selection of fish and seafood, and some locally made goods - I got some pistachio shortbread cookies. The store is pretty small inside, and I had to wait a bit for service - this was no surprise, as I went around 5 pm on a Friday of Lent. I was worried that they were almost out of cod, but they had more in the back in addition to what's in the display case, so just ask if you don't see what you're looking for.

I liked this place and would come back; it seems like one of our only options for fresh fish here in the Cities (along with their Minneapolis location). There isn't a ton of parking, so be aware of that if you come during a busy time. The price was a bit high (this is probably normal for fresh fish though), and the young man who waited on me wasn't overly friendly (but he wasn't rude, either). I think they were just overwhelmed with customers. Overall this is a cool place, and I'd recommend it -...