King's Fish House — Restaurant in San Diego

First time here, and we were really impressed with the quality of the food and the attentive service. I started with half a dozen Littleneck Clams. While I would have preferred smaller (sweeter) clams, they were fresh and accompanied by four delicious toppings: cocktail sauce, a mignonette, another vinegar-based sauce and really potent grated fresh horseradish. My companions shared an order of very crispy calamari accompanied by an Asian sweet chili sauce and a very good red pepper aoli. All three of us are huge fans of Sand Dabs, which can be hard to find-- we've only had them at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, at restaurants on the Santa Cruz wharf, and ones I caught occasionally while fishing for other species. These were large for Sand Dabs-- two filets, which easily provided as much meat as the usual four to six filets usually provided with an entree. I think that was smart. Thicker filets means you can achieve a crispier crust without overcooking and drying out the meat. At any rate, we all three selected the Sand Dabs and declared them the absolutely delightful, crispy parmesan coating, just enough capers to surprise you occasionally with a contrasting punch of tartness and perfectly cooked, succulent meat. Entrees come with two sides of your choice. Ours ranged from yeoman-like asparagus (perfectly cooked slender spears-- but I'm a big fan of grilling or sauteing them until charred and nutty-- but that's my preference); the largest baked potato I believe I have ever seen-- impressive that it was actually cooked all the way through while still maintaining a decent skin, really good mashed potatoes with just a hint of garlic and finally wonderful roasted Brussels Sprouts-- smaller than usual-- again a smart choice (smaller sprouts tend to be sweeter and you have a better chance of cooking them through without over-charring the outside leaves). The only quibble I had was with the bread, served fresh from the oven. The crust was way too soft, probably because they slightly under baked it and because they served it fresh from the oven. I don't know why restaurants do this. Their customers may think there's something special about bread hot from the oven, but their baking staff knows that any bread needs to cool for at least half an hour for optimum flavor and texture. But that's a quibble. Overall, an excellent dining experience in unpretentious surroundings. About $45 per person with adult beverages and a couple of starters for a party of three. Not cheap, but good value for the quality of the food. Reservations definitely recommended. We will be returning to explore the menu further. I will update this review...

So my overall opinion is good with a few caveats/reservations. The food was good but not great, for the price. I guess I just expected more. I'll explain.. The location is great. The outside of the building, the landscaping, and outside seating were all great. Well manicured plants and bushes looked great. The inside was sort of a letdown though. Upon entering, we were told that we had to wait because they didn't have enough servers... that's odd. Then, the main dining room itself felt like a large room where they tried to stuff booths and tables in. The room had very tall ceilings which felt odd. I don't know how to describe it other than to say it was too big and really wasn't cozy. You could see into the kitchen, sort of, which is nice, but it didn't do much for the confused layout of this large dining area. I'll say this, I've been to other seafood restaurants and felt the whole vibe of the oceanic theme and everything felt right. This felt confused and loud. Anyway, moving on to the food.. I had the Clams Linguine. They described it as, "Farmed Manila clams, shallots, white wine, garlic, crushed peppers" at a price of 26.50. Now, I don't mind the price as much as I mind the small portion. Furthermore the clams were very small. I don't mind that they left them in the shell either, but it just wasn't a lot of food. It tasted good so thats a plus. I could have eaten twice that amount. The bread was acceptable, if not a little too tough on the crust part of it. Our server was very good though, probably the highlight of the meal. He was attentive and knowledgeable. He was helpful but not pesky. A fine balance to strike and he did it well. He kept our waters full and made sure we liked our food. The owner, if there was one, never showed face. A man that looked like he could be the owner dropped off a plate and never said a word to one of us. Shame, as this can make up for some things. Its nice to kniw when they care, he or she obviously didn't. Overall the experience was a mixed bag. The food was good but hardly enough. The atmosphere was loud (due to that confusingly large main dining room), and confusing. Service was good from the workers but the owner should take pride in his establishment but we never saw anyone. It's a forgettable experience where the food was good but not enough. I hope your experience is different, but if it isn't, I told you so :) I'll try another seafood restaurant before I return...

I've been saving this review for some time, mulling over in my mind how to adequately express the phenomenal experience we were treated to here at King's Fish House. In the company of my wife's friends, we were utterly spoiled beyond measure, and I can safely say that our meal here was one of the finest dining experiences we have ever had. Hands down. Bar none. This restaurant could not be more appropriately named, for we were truly treated like Kings (and Queens)!

I am generally wary of any restaurant situated in what basically amounts to a glorified strip mall, but my expectations were utterly demolished by the incredible array of appetizers, entrées and cocktails that were ordered and shared across our humble table: Spiny Lobster. Sautéed barbecue shrimp. A dozen oysters of all shapes and sizes. Chilean Miso Sea Bass. A King Crab of absurd proportions. In total, more food than the six of us could tackle in a single sitting, despite our valiant attempts, with each individual entrée worthy of a Michelin star!

And as if we weren't spoilt enough, every member of the staff with whom we interacted was not only professional, polite, and welcoming, but went over the top to ensure that our experience was as close to regal treatment as we will likely ever come. From the unparalleled kitchen manager, Charles (who introduced each dish with information on how it is sourced, prepared and served), to our creative and generous bartender Marcé, and our welcoming and spirited server Carlos, I have rarely, if ever, encountered tradesmen with a better understanding of how to make their customers feel truly special. Whomever is selecting and training these individuals deserves as much praise and credit as the employees themselves.

I know...if this review were any more glowing, it would likely be radioactive. But every adjective, exclamation and exhortation is honestly deserved, and more, even beyond my limited vocabulary and whatever character limit Google might impose on this already wordy review. And this is coming from someone who, historically, has never enjoyed seafood in the way that, when prepared by true masters, as here at King's Fish House, it apparently deserves. I guess I've just been going to the wrong places. Going forward, I won't be making that mistake again, and neither should you.

In short, only one seafood place is worthy of a crown, and King's Fish House is that restaurant. Hail to...