The next time you’re headed West on Garnet Ave. to Pacific Beach, keep a look out for Pacific Beach Fish Shop on your left. Just after passing The Broken Yolk, and before you get to Ingraham St. you’ll spot a giant Marlin outside. That’s your marker! They have a parking lot as well which is much appreciated in PB.
Darren and I recently took a visit to check out what they had going on for dinner.
When entering the restaurant, you’ll notice a counter area where they take your order and a fresh fish display directly to your right. When we got there, we noticed only a small line. While we were there dining we watched significant lines grow, sometimes extending to the other side of the restaurant. The nice thing is that they seem to have a pretty good process going. Even the longest of lines seemed to flow smoothly.
We sat outside on their nicely covered patio. They had several heaters around us, so it was definitely not too cold outside. I also noticed there was a pretty cool fire pit area on the Northwest corner of the patio.
Since we were invited to dine with them, our hosts Chris and Chris, pointed out some specialties to try. To start us out, they brought us the Fish Shop Shrimp (see below) and ceviche (first picture). The Fish Shop Shrimp were super tasty and had a really nice spicy kick to them, although I did find myself scraping off some of the rub to find a better balance between the seasoning and shrimp. The ceviche was fresh and flavorful. The portions were good sized and we were definitely eager to see what else was in store for us.
For our main entrees, we decided to order fish plates. I was in the mood for Swordfish and Darren opt’d for the special which was Ono that night. With most of their fish plates, you have the option to add different rubs, seasonings, or to keep it plain and simple. I decided to go with the Fish Shop rub (sweet and spicy rub) coupled with garlic and lemon butter. For my two sides, I got the six grain rice, and the seaweed salad (see below). My swordfish was cooked perfectly medium. It was very tender and moist inside with a nice grilled crust on the outside. The rub definitely added some extra kick to it, but it was a nice balance since the swordfish was thick enough to handle it. I’d definitely order it again. The seaweed salad (see below) was a generous portion and a tasty compliment to my meal. However, the six grain rice fell short because at least one of the grains was not cooked all the way through. I literally picked out the hard grains. Hopefully this was just an anomaly this evening. Next time though, I’ll likely try a different side.
Darren’s Ono was prepared blackened with a Chipotle butter. Again, there was a ton of flavor, but this time probably a bit too much. Unlike my swordfish steak, his Ono was uneven in places, so the thinner areas were a bit tough and the seasoning to meat ratio was too much. Nevertheless, the thicker areas were great and Darren enjoyed it. For his sides he chose the veggies (carrots & green beans) and french fries. The fries were pretty good and we both commented we thought they were similar to those found at Phil’s BBQ.
Overall, we were very happy to find a new seafood restaurant that focuses equally on fresh seafood and dynamic flavors. Next time I’d like to try out some of their soups like the Boston clam chowder, or the Fish Shop Soup. I’ll definitely be adding the PB Fish Shop to my short list.
Pacific Beach Fish Shop 1775 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 483-1008
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