The Fishery — Restaurant in San Diego

The Fishery has a great story and an incredible venue. Unfortunately it is in Pacific Beach where parking is impossible to find. Seriously you wont find parking, so get a rideshare company to drop you off and pick you up. The reviews were enticing and the images on their website were a bit deceiving because none of the website images depict what is available on the menu. We went inside to get seated and we were overcome with a strong fish smell that you expect at an outdoor fish market, not an upscale eatery. It was so strong that we elected to sit outside. We ordered three items off the menu and two shared the same challenge. The spices used were so over powering that you could only taste the singular flavor. The tuna melt tasted like a Dijon mustard sandwich. If you like just Dijon then you will love that sandwich. The bread was beautifully toasted and the cheese was crafted to the bread nicely but the over powering nature of the Dijon took you for a bad ride. The Poke looked amazing when it arrived, but the wasabi was so overpowering that you could not enjoy the beautiful flavors of the tuna. I love Poke and I love wasabi but these should be in a balance so that you can taste the quality of the fish and enjoy that great Umami flavor. Not with this Poke unfortunately. The last dish was surprisingly good. It was the fish and chips. The best of the three by far but the sauces provided were so small that you had to eat the fried fish dry because the server was hard to catch and ask for more sauce. Its fish and chips! You should not have to ask for more sauce! The fish was tender and flakey and the breading was crispy and flavorful. The chips were perfectly fried and salted and a great compliment to the Fish. Our server was very kind but not very focused on our dining experience. The iced tea was terrible and I asked for sweetener but had to ask again before it showed up. Unfortunately it didn't improve the flavor of the tea very much and I was never asked about the beverages or the meal. For Pacific Beach I don't expect much but for a lunch bill over $80 I do expect better. Especially from a place where the reviews were so positive that they convinced me to eat here. I was expecting to be amazed by the fishery and I hope if you visit that you are but to be honest I wish I would have dined at the...

Dec 30th - Though the price of an average entree might be $30, you'll easily spend $50 per person. That said, the food, flavor and portions are nothing to rave about. The Mexican shrimp were huge, as they always are when authentic, but there were exactly four of them, the ownership counting on the accompanying rice to fill the belly - the so-called fried rice was completely mediocre in taste and texture, mushy with mushy vegetables and a sour/vinegar taste that just didn't work. Of course you might want (need) dessert after that. Though I don't eat dessert but it was my birthday and I had some starters instead. The teeny tiny oysters were good, but at $15 for 6, c'mon, you should at least stock a larger variety. It costs much less to ship small ones and the larger ones are harder to find. Make the effort or don't gouge. I don't eat potatoes so ordered their house chowder which tasted like a watery tomato soup - very little fish flavor. Had some chunks of fish in it, but they didn't provide much TASTE. I went alone, since I am in the area on business, and as said it was my birthday. However, the availability of lobster was not presented to me. I very well might have opted for it, though now I cannot help but think that I was spared a much higher bill for little in return. I cannot figure the pretentiousness of the service, even the guy behind the fish market counter where I stopped for something afterward. This is like a glorified version of the Fish Market with more upscale, gourmet flourishes but less variety (It's an intimate setting so the menu is limited - there were no bacon wrapped scallops for ex), less food, no great flavor, more money and a touch of rude. Don't bother. End of the story is that I stopped at Point Loma Seafood for a lobster. I had not eaten all day and was saving up for this special meal. Happy Birthday to me. I consider myself the fortunate one to be able to survive this meal with grace and move on. The people who made this a less than satisfying experience are all...

Lovely place, a little dim; literally dim, as I saw people with their phone lights on trying to read the menu. I'm a sucker for the dimmed-light mood, but please turn up the brightness by a click. Otherwise, very tasty menu and lovely waiters, waitresses & receptionist. Came to the Fishery for an advanced b-day dinner, b-day's today, and had made a reservation a few weeks in advance. Dress code - casual, Michelin recommended, bill came at ~$250 for a party of 2 prior to tips. As with many classy restaurants the portions are small, and as a New Yorker I'm going to complain about portion sizes. For a comparison, when the menu says the dish has a serving size of 1-2 or can be shared amongst 2-4, it means it almost feeds 1 hungry New Yorker.

From the dinner menu: The Petite (Tower #1) has a nice array of oysters, scallops, shrimps, and fish carpaccio. It's 4 petite appetizers, all flavored perfectly for our palettes. There was 1 oyster that was still connected to the shell and was a pain to sever with a dull knife. We also shared the Swordfish Chop & Black Cod. This was our first time having Swordfish so we were really looking forward to it. It was very delicious and well seasoned, though a bit on the salty side. Unfortunately, the Whole Bass which I was also really looking forward to was sold out, especially after the lavish description one of the waiters gave us. If I ever come back to the San Diego area, that'll be on my menu. The desserts were tasty as well, and I received an extra for my b-day. I'm glad there was no happy birthday song gathering for a grown adult.

Taking the bus from Old Town was very convenient, though walking through the pitch dark residential neighborhood, void of any street lamps and porch lights, was a little awkward... bring a flashlight with you if you're going to take the bus. The Uber back took 10-15 minutes.

I highly recommend this restaurant as it had better food, vibes, and service than some of the Michelin starred restaurants...