On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Loading...
My friend and I came in the other week. He got a burger and fries. He said it was really moist and full of flavor. I got a carne asada burrito. Yummmmy! Really good, tasted really healthy and good for me. Service was great, the staff were very friendly.
Over all: Great experience and I would come back again for sure.
I'd have never found this place if it wasn't for Yelp and GPS. It is located in an inconspicuous shopping mall.
Tried 4 different tacos - 1) Regular fried fish taco, 2) Regular fried shrimp taco, 3) Cuban style taco with grilled cod, 4) tropical style taco with grilled prawn - and my favorite was the regular fried fish taco because I usually like baja style fish taco on corn tortilla.
Regular fish and shrimp tacos are on corn tortillas and come with cabbage, pico de gallo and "secret sauce," which was creamy, smokey sauce. Cuban style taco comes with pineapples, avocado slices and pico de gallo, on a flour tortilla. Tropical style taco is with mango, cabbage and pico de gallo on a flour tortilla.
I am taking one star out for two minor reasons - 1. they only have bottled hot sauce (although there are lots of them) and not fresh salsa available 2. two fish tacos ($3.65 for regular, $3.85 for cuban/tropical) are just not quite filling for almost $10 and I probably could have eaten at least one more taco.
I'd definitely return for fish taco craving.
Interesting find in a remote strip mall. Once inside, it's a very informal, almost "fish stand" ambiance with pictures from Cuba. Could this be representative of a family owned fish restaurant on the coast of Cuba?
Service was fine (mostly self servce, but staff were helpful when needed). Fish & chips were excellent. Seemed fresh, breaded and cooked just right - and not overly greasy. Very enjoyable meal and some of the best fish & chips I had in quite a while.
I'm definitely going back.
Yummylicious- Love them fish tacos. This small location has a great menu and friendly welcoming service.
Glad this is near my home..
Good comfort food that can be very addicting. You have to try the shrimp tacos, fried calamari and curly fries.
It's nice to have a place like Al's within yelping distance, primarily because of the niche it fills. While you seemingly can't drive a mile in RWC without hitting a taco spot, Al's niche is food with a Cuban flair. They have obviously put effort into the fun decor. The menu has lots of mouth-watering options, but when I stopped in it was for fish tacos - I saw the little white van parked on Woodside Rd one day, and figured I'd give it a shot.
While I wasn't disappointed with the flavor or the freshness of the tacos, I was left wanting more. They are a bit small compared to what I'm used to. But they were good nonetheless.
Can't wait to try more of the items on the menu!
Fresh, light fish and prawn tacos with a Cuban twist in a small shop served with a smile.
Service can slow to an excruciating halt at the hight of lunch hour. On my second visit, I didn't get there until 1:30 PM and got my order very quickly.
I highly recommend the Cuban battered codfish or prawn taco special. Tacos are served with avocado and pineapple with Cuban black beans and rice. Cuban food tends to not be very hot, so fortunately they have a rack with about 30 hot sauces to chose from.
Went here for lunch this week. It's located in a strip mall that was a little bit off the beaten path but it was definitely worth the drive.
Although it's a fish and chips restaurant, the decor seemed to have a bit of a Latin or Cuban influence. There was a La Bodeguita Havana, Cuba plaque that I kept staring at because it reminded me of La Bodeguita in Palo Alto. Also written on the wall behind the counter was "Mi Casa, Su Casa".
The eating area was neat and clean, several small tables and chairs that I assumed can be moved together for larger parties. They also have counter seating that faced the wall with accompanying bar stools. Each table was amply stocked with malt vinegar, ketchup, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and napkins. There is also a small self-serve counter where you get silverware and water.
The menu was colorfully written on a black markerboard. I ordered the 3 piece fish and chips ($10.25) and bowl of New England Clam Chowder ($4.50).
They lady that took my order brought out the clam chowder first. It was a generous portion and included ample amounts of clam as every spoonful I had contained clam. It was very satisfying and I started to feel full till my fish & chips arrived.
I quickly regained my appetite as the fish and chips looked very tasty. They are freshly made here and on the markerboard they inform patrons to expect a 10-15 minute wait. It was served with cole slaw and big bottle of tartar sauce. The cole slaw was fresh, crunchy, and light on the mayonnaise which was fine since it seemed healthier. The fish was excellent as it was tasty and moist. The batter was a very thin layer and seasoned lightly. The fish was so good that I ate a whole piece before remembering to use some tartar sauce. The chips reminded me of steak fries and were fried to a golden brown perfection.
Overall a very satisfying meal but unfortunately I did not meet Al.
I can't really add more to what has already been said in the other reviews. This place is legit to their reputation and stars. The Cuban and Mahi Mahi tacos were superb.... I highly recommend!!!!
This place is good! So my skater kid is done with Red Morton Park and I look up Fish and Chips on yelp..and Al's pops up with great yelp reviews. It's like 4 mins away so I call some friend to meet us there. It is way at the end of Roosevelt..but it's a hidden gem. Clean place! I got the shrimp and chips and the Fish tacos. The prawns are big and fresh and yummy!
4 stars because I'm coming back, I want to try the other items on the menu!
This place is definitely more taco joint that serves fish and chips rather than a traditional fish and chips place.
My GF got the fish and chips and was more than happy with them. The fish was cooked well and the breading was good. The coleslaw was also surprisingly good. The only slightly disappointing thing was the french fries, which were kind of an afterthought.
I opted for the fish taco plate, one taco with fried fish, the other grilled. Both were really tasty. I like the crispiness of the fried one, but also the fresh fish taste of the grilled one. The surprising star of the show, however, were the black beans. I don't know what they do to those black beans, but they are incredible.
We'll definitely be back.
I know I'm not adding much to the already resounding roar of applause for Al's Fish & Chips, but my Yelp profile wouldn't be complete without a review of my absolute favorite fish taco place in the whole world.
The food here is amazing! I love the Fish Taco plate with Cuban beans,
but the Fried Calamari can't be missed either just delicious.
Excellent service they have always been super nice to me.
I was really happy with this place. It's in the freakin middle of nowhere though. I convinced some of my coworkers to try this place rather than the normal fish and chips spot at Cook's in Menlo. I had a weird way at ordering because I thought I just ordered a two piece and a clam chowder but I was brought a fish and shrimp combo and some chowder. The shrimp was really good. Still had a nice snap to it. The fish was decent as well and the batter was super good while it was hot. I sort of turned around to talk to some people and while doing so the batter sort of left some grease behind. I didn't feel gross afterwards as it was still very good even after the mishap.
Maybe I can convince some people to come again with me. If i do I will pass on the chowder and go for the fish tacos which a coworker exclaimed were awesome. If coming for lunch get there early, it's a little cramped for space.
Food is good.. Ventilation is a quite underpowered.. I left smelling like i just worked a double in there!
The fish burrito ( fried) was quite tasty as were the fish tacos.. I believe the menu has been changed up a bit since it's inception.
The decor is somewhat clean and the service is friendly..
One star deducted due to the ventilation and another deducted due to the value/food cost factor..
We've been walking past Al's to get a Prima Sando for the past few months. Today, we stopped short at Al's and had a fantastic lunch. The menu is a bit daunting as they carry everything from tri-tip sandos to Cuban rice and peas to freshly made clam chowder.
Everyone around the table raved about their individual meal, and the fish/shrimp combo I had was really good. I spiced up the cole slaw a bit with some vinegar and hot sauce, and it was the perfect accompanyment to the seafood.
The service was over-the-top friendly and the restaurant was clean and well-managed. We'll definitely be back for more.
Just went to Rubio's last week, chain restaurant where they have the world famous fish tacos. Fish Taco Especiales at Rubio's use to be my favorite....key word 'USE' to be before I discovered this place.
Al's Fish Tacos are even better....WOWWIE!
GET THE FRIED FISH TACOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yummy cabo fish tacos here!!!! I like the fried fish tacos on flour tortillas. Fish is tender and… Read more »
Al's makes delicious seafood tacos in the middle of a residential Redwood City neighborhood. I had the 1 fish & 1 shrimp taco platter ($10.95) which comes with rice & Cuban black beans. You choose your tortilla and preparation (corn or flour tortillas and grilled or fried seafood). The tacos are small and not overstuffed. They can also be purchased individually ($3.35 a for fish taco).
* Grilled fish taco - chunks of mild white fish, salsa fresca, finely shredded cabbage, and a thin, somewhat creamy, pale orange, tangy special sauce - very tasty - I just wish they were larger and that I could add more salsa.
* Grilled shrimp taco - same fixings but with plump, large shrimp instead of fish - yum - probably just as good as the fish taco
* Rice - not the Spanish style you get at Mexican restaurants, plain white rice, rather boring
* Cuban beans - soupy with whole black beans. I threw some hot sauce on it to liven things up.
The food was fresh and very good but I wish they had a salsa bar. They do have an interesting rack filled with over 2 dozen types of bottled salsa/hot sauce but I prefer fresh salsa and some of those bottles of hot sauce looked old.
The place is casual with pictures of Cuba on bright walls and a flatscreen TV. Prices are higher than what I would expect for a casual fish & chips place in a residential neighborhood, e.g., $8.45 for a two piece fish and chips order. They charge extra for chips and salsa. I wanted to try their "crabby cheesy bread" but it's $6.95. The menu also includes salads, burgers, and burritos. There isn't much that's Cuban on the menu, other than the Cuban beans.
The charge minimum is $10 and they deliver. They were also friendly.
Eh, the food is pretty average overall. The fish and chips is actually pretty good (yeah, the fries are the frozen kind though). The one chicken burrito I had was bland. Their enchiladas are also lacking that kick of flavor. Crabby cheesy bread? Pretty freakin' good, minus the little crunchy things in it (sorry, can't remember what they're called). The fish tacos are bomb, but damn expensive. I'd rather go to El Grull next to Sequoia Station for a tasty taco. I did appreciate the fact that they had yummylicious, thirst quenching Jarritos available in their cooler -- kudos for that.
Now on to the HORRIBLE customer service...
First encounter: I needed to use their restroom to wash my hands and I got an "okay, you're bothering me for this?" look from the woman behind the counter. She told me the keys were on this metal rack in the back and lazily pointed to it. Wow, thanks for the tremendous help. I couldn't find the keys and I totally hated the fact that I felt like I was bothering her again by asking for assistance. She matter of factly handed me the keys after finding them at the very back of the rack, like I couldn't find them on purpose. Ugh.
Second encounter: Monotone teenager (?) with a total disinterest towards her job and makes up for the lack of excitement by texting while taking orders. Wow. Just wow. Put your damn phone down just for a minute. UGHHH.
I've been back there a couple of other times, same crappy service, same average food. Sorry Al, but I will be fully avoiding your establishment (although I frequent literally ALL the other stores around yours) because of your horrid service.
More than just fish and chips, Al's has a huge menu that will please even the pickiest eaters. Their shrimp and fish tacos are the best, and freshest in the area without a doubt. My son loves the mini corn dog plate.
Ironically, we used to live a few blocks from Al's and moved just before they opened. Probably a good thing though, if I still lived nearby I would probably weigh 300 lbs from eating there every day!
Prices are a bit more than usual taquerias in the area, but everything is made fresh to order. Once you taste the food, you'll be happy to spend a few more bucks on it.
The people that said they weren't friendly, well you weren't kidding! I walked in during standard dinner time and the place was empty except for three workers. As I walked in, they stopped there conversation and just stared me down. They all looked pissed. No one said a word to me the whole time. I just gave my order. Then gave them the cash from what I read on the register. Waited for my order and left.
The fish taco was pretty tasty. But since I've had just as good fish tacos at some local taquerias that are slightly more friendly, I think I'll stick to them.
The grilled fish and shrimp tacos were awesome. I definitely recommend rolling in here and trying out the fish tacos. For my money I think they were as good as Sancho's.
They have a ton of different hot sauces here including habanero technology. Even the beans were awesome.
My friends weren't incredibly fond of their fish'n but if they had followed the advice from yelp they would have had the tacos. I'm definitely coming back here!
Al's Fish and Chips tacos are the apple of my eye. Al's Fish and Chips tacos make me hungry when I'm full, and full when I'm hungry. Al's Fish and Chips tacos are the light that holds back the darkness.
We took a food writer friend with us the last time we went to Al's. He was thrilled about how perfectly the calamari and fish and chips were fried, crisp yet moist, with a delicious batter. He kept spontaneously raving about Al's for the rest of the day.
I was almost delirious over the wonderful fish tacos, because -- before Al's -- the only Bay Area restaurant I'd found that makes them to my taste (Ensenada style) is the Flying Fish Grill in Half Moon Bay.
The only snag we hit was that our three-year-old had to be coaxed into trying the chicken and chips, because the chicken was real pieces of meat, freshly battered and fried, and she is used to kiddie-style ground up/frozen chic-o-bits type fare.
My experience has been that the cooking at Al's improves with each visit; don't see how it can get much better than this, though.
You could drive by this place and not even know it was there. The inside is really nice, I assumed the owner must be from Cuba by the decor.
After setting out to find the best Fish n Chips spot in the area. My brother recommended this place. We ordered 2 orders of 4pc fish and chips, It was so much food. These are large pieces of fish we could not even finish one order. The fries were actually a little cold, I mean like they were pre-frozen and they were not able to thaw in the hot oil. The fish was okay.
I was a little disappointed because although the fish and chips are cheaper here than the other places, the quality of the fish was not so great. I looked at both the paper menu and the board menu and I could not find what type of fish it was.
I will go back to try some other items on the menu.
Super yummy fish tacos! You can get them grilled or fried, be forewarned that the fried ones are quite heavy, and delicious. They make everything fresh here, I've seen the girls chopping onions and tomatoes for thier pico de gallo and they dip each fish fillet in batter and into the fryer only after you've ordered it. I've also tried the grilled fish burrito, which was delicious and the garlic calamari, also fantastic. They also have chicken and steak for you meat eaters but I haven't tried those yet ( I gave up meat for lent). The BF is quite partial to the fried chicken tacos though and when we brought our co-worker here she discovered that the crab enchiladas are in fact made with real crab, always a plus! Kind of in the middle of nowhere Redwood City but worth the trek through a random residential neighborhood.
UPDATE: Try the grilled fish tacos, I like them waaay better than the fried ones. They have better flavor and you don't feel like you just ate a ball of grease afterwards.
Service great, Food great, Music great..
I enjoyed eating there the fish and shrimp were fresh in taste and cooked very well the atmosphere was welcoming.
Loved it
Thanks Al
My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night for some delish fish tacos. We had talked about coming here numerous times, and since we are just down the street, it was a no brainer to finally get ourselves up there! We each got two fish tacos, one regular grilled and one cuban grilled. WOW. Soooooo good. The regular comes on a corn tortilla, the cuban on a flour. I can't wait to go back and try more of what they have to offer. I loooove me some fish and they had some great meals to choose from, outside of the fish taco norm. We sat and had some beer and enjoyed our tacos. Minus one star for waiting forever, and then only bringing two to me, and one to him as they needed to wait to make the second one of his order. I ended up waiting an additional ten minutes before they finally brought his full order. Granted, they were busy, but still.... that was lame.
I have only eaten here twice, and both times I had the same thing: shrimp tacos..and they are delicious. The shrimp are fried and its in corn tortillas with cabbage and this yummy spicy cream sauce. They really are quite good.
The only reason that I gave three stars is that the people that work here are not friendly AT ALL. No smiles, no nothing. Sorry, am I putting you out by coming in here to buy food? I get the sense they get a lot of their business from the surrounding neighborhood. Maybe they can afford to not be welcoming. I am not asking for a hug, just service with a smile.
Corn dog lovers know the delectable treat that is the fresh, hand-dipped corn dog delight.
Well, batteredNfried fish aficionados will have an analogous feeling of joy as the kind ladies of Al's dip their fish first in the batter, and then into the hot oil.
The feeling is just FRESH (Despite the greaseeeee)
Apparently the fish tacos are dandy, for those who want to prolong their lifespan. The only real method that extends human life is the ultralow calorie restriction. Can a life be measured in discrete units of energy converted (calories eaten), as opposed to minutes and years? Al's is not the place to discuss this. Shut up and fill your face with the best fish on the peninsula (TAKE THAT RoseNCrown)
Just visited Al's for the first time tonight. After years of eating fish tacos in Baja I've become a little hard to please in the fish taco area. Typically they are average at best. BUT I was very happy to say this is one darn good fish taco, not exactly Baja style but tasty none the less. And the very flavorful Cuban style black beans and rice was an extra bonus.
Will have to give a STRONG recommendation for people to try Al' if you are in a fish taco mood. If you have never tried a fish taco, give it a go you will like it. Took me a while to try one after I moved to San Diego but now I'm a lover of them.
Profound quote of the day: The San Francisco Bay Area is under-served by good fish taco joints. I mean...head to San Diego and you can drown in good ones (and I ain't talkin' Wahoo's). So when one finds a good place, it's like finding the big J in the sky. Al's Fish N' Chips serves smokin' good fish tacos! My mouth is watering just thinking of them, and my hands are shaking as well. OK, my hands always shake, but....
Al's is a Cuban-inspired place, albeit with not a lot of Cuban dishes. Located in a relatively obscure and out-of-the-way part of Redwood City, it is nevertheless worth it for anyone passionate about fish tacos who is within a 25 mile radius of Redwood City to give Al's a shot. Since I'm feeling too inarticulate to write complete sentences anymore, let's just go with a few descriptors of Al's fish taco product: crisp yet not crunchy, with fish that's delectably fresh tasting, a "secret sauce" that's creamy and flavorful yet not thick and overpowering, crispy cabbage...and a product that's wrapped in half-foil so as not to inevitably fall apart. In fact, when I hit the "3/4 of taco complete" mark, I scoop up the remains at the bottom of the foil, tilt it upside down on my plate, and mow down the remainders with a fork.
Al's also serves fish and chips--as the restauran't's name would indicate, burgers, salmon, chicken tacos, etc. Alas, I've never had anything but the fish tacos. Yes, they are that good. Oh, and they recently started making chips...as in "chips and salsa" chips, not french fries, which they also have, of course. Get the chips fresh and hot...they're simply the best product you will have ever tasted, along with their fresh salsa.
Atmosphere of the restaurant: nothing to write home about, but it's not bad. Fairly clean, flat screen TVs playing a weird assortment of programs (Food Network one week, basketball the next), and usually a bit of 98.1 Kiss FM in the background, although one of the behind-counter people appears to like KOIT-FM (painful yes, but how about those EXCELLENT fish tacos while you're listening to Anita Baker)?
Staff can either be indifferent, OK, or great...depending on who you get. A young and lovely woman named Delilah (girlfriend of Al, the owner) is simply awesome. You'll know if you get her--very energetic and friendly.
Any and every Saturday we're in the Bay Area, we make Al's a ritual.
Salud!
Daaaayyaaam Good fish and shrimp tacos. You can order the fish or shrimp fried or grilled, but I was craving Ensenada style tacos. The fish taco could have a tad more fish, though it was really tasty with that sauce. NOW, the shrimp tacos had large almost prawn size shrimp and was perfect! I have been dreaming about going back ever since I finished that taco... My bf loved the salmon plate too, comparable to the plate at Back A Yard cafe in Menlo Park.
Small mom and pop's joint, friendly staff, cooked to order= Winning Combo!
Based on fellow 650-yelper reviews I wanted to like this place so much, but it fell a little flat atleast from the fish and chips side. The steak queso was quite good, as was the fine selection of cold beers. The fish, a bit soggy with very little flavor, the chips, even less so. Its a cool neighborhood "joint" very friendly staff and customers, a menu to please everyone in the familia. Will go back and give the fish taco's a try.
Great service, yummy yummy FRESH fish tacos (served battered and fried... don't complain..just don't eat McDonald's for a week and you will be fine).
Food takes 10 minutes or so because they are really making your food when you order it.
This pregnant lady was oh-so-happy to have delish fish tacos...oh and the calamari was extra-goody-licious too.
I love the secret sauce that seems to go on everything. It is some sort of mayo spicy chipoltle creamy goodness.
It's not cheap, but it is tasty and fresh.
Great fish tacos, the battered fried kind, very crispy and good, with a citrusy sauce and cabbage on top. The fish taco special comes with cuban black beans and some plain rice.
A nice place for lunch and to hang out talking with friends. It's I guess a little bit of a dive in atmosphere, with very plain tables and the TV going. But, it's comfy.
So we went there and the waitress was sitting outside she didn't greet us just went straight to the register. She took our order, we were hungry and the food was done rather quickly. The calamari was not breaded which was a bit weird but ok I gave it a try.... It was ok but the dipping sauce (an aioli sauce) was wayyyy too rich. Her fish tacos were ok... but they threw in too much of that chipotle aioli sauce and it was a bit gross. The tacos were overpriced. I would not really recommend this place.
I went to Al's Fish and Chips today for the first time. It was a pretty good place and I would go back again. My husband told me about this place and he said that he likes the chicken and chips. I checked it out on yelp and was a little nervous because I didn't see a ton of great reviews but I was pleased with my order of the 2 piece fish and chips. The fish was good and they give you a whole bottle of tartar sauce. The two piece was a good choice because I was full after the two pieces. I had a bite of my husband's chicken and it was ok, I'm glad that I stuck with my choice of fish and chips. They have a wide variety of beverages (beer, soda, water, gatorade). I will be going back to this place again.
It's so nice to have a local place where I can get spicy Cuban beans & rice and delicious fish tacos; and my British husband can get some damn good (properly British) fish & chips. Nirvanna for us both. Plus it's within walking distance from our house!
Yuck yuck yuck. I rarely have fish n' chips because it's not exactly good for you but I like to indulge every once in awhile. I got my order to go and when I got home I was so sad, the fish was waaaaaay undercooked and the chips were obviously from the freezer. I ate one piece of the fish, three fries, threw the rest away and cried face-down on my bed.
I am particularly partial to the shrimp tacos. Big battered fried shrimps in a bed of cabbage and salsa/sauce. The fish and the carne asada tacos are also good but for me, the shrimp tacos are the best. This is my place when I have a fish or shrimp taco craving. I've been here on consecutive weekends!
Wandered into this with high hopes. I had been told by some neighbors that this was the place for fish and chips. Boy were they wrong.
They get one star for cleanliness, and the other for promptness in serving me.
The fish and chips were just shy of acceptable. I could tell the quality of fish was a bit sub par, and it was just greasy, greasy, greasy. The fries were pretty good though.
The lack of the other three stars is a result of the people that run the place being SO unfriendly. I don't think I have ever seen such poor customer service in a little family owned business. They seemed downright put out to sell me food. Because of this, I will not being returning.
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Soul Food
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Seafood
Redwood City, CA
Category: Seafood
Redwood City, CA
Category: Mexican
Redwood City, CA
Category: Mexican
I usually have lunch in downtown RWC but sometimes…
Lunch spots in the Redwood City-Belmont-Foster…
Great VALUE for the dollar...that's what we like,…
