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Anthony's Fish Grotto
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
1360 N Harbor Dr(between Ash St & Broadway)
San Diego, CA 92101
Neighborhood: Little Italy
(619) 232-5103
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
258 reviews for Anthony's Fish Grotto
Review Highlights
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"Try the sun dried tomato butter mmmmm." In 17 reviews -
"Their clam chowder is awesome too." In 42 reviews -
"...order the beer battered shrimp with rice pilaf and it never..." In 14 reviews
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258 reviews in English
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Review from Tinie T.
5/11/2012
Ooh, points for the views of the water!
Friendly service!!
Had the crab and shrimp louie salad. Mmmmm. It's like an In N Out burger, only without the massive carbs... and with the bountiful addition of seafood. By this I mean, the salad and In N Out burgers share the same thousand island dressing. The greens on your plate are topped with tender and plentiful seafood.
Salad has never tasted so good. My dining companion had the Mexican salad with chicken. I tried some too and it was so good! I might go with that next time. -
Review from Heather T.
Tucson, AZ
5/1/2012
My husband and I stop in here whenever we're in San Diego. The food is good and the waiters polite. This time, the bus boy must have stopped to fill our glasses at least five times. The waitress was very nice and sweet.
Before your meal, they bring hot rolls with sundried tomato compound butter. The butter is tasty, and the rolls are nice and warm, so you don't have to fight to spread it.
My standby is the sole with lemon-butter sauce with a baked potato and steamed vegetables. The sole is quite flavorful and tender, not rubbery. The vegetables are seasonal; this time, it was broccolini. The baked potato had the chives and sour cream in a ramekin on the side, so it wasn't slathered in so much that you couldn't see or taste the potato.
The desserts were quite good. I didn't order any, but my husband ordered a spumoni and a toasted almond blended drink. He had me try both, and both were good. -
Review from Kailey S.
4/30/2012
The first time I went here I was very impressed. My bf and I had our first date here and we like to return for our anniversary. Unfortunately we may have to change our tradition. After our last few times we weren't really pleased.
The bread and their sun dried tomato butter is great. We also love the fish taquitos.
I typically don't have all that many problems with my food but my bf, who loved the big bay combo when we first came, always gets that. The last time the salmon didn't taste very fresh. He had told the waitress and she assured him that salmon was a fishier tasting fish in general. What happened to the customer always being right.
We love the location of this place(right on the water) and the sentiment that it holds for us, but the service and food seems to have gone downhill since our first visit.
We may change our tradition to fish taquitos at lunch at their little outdoor snack bar type place. -
Review from Jessica C.
San Diego, CA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
$50 crabs without a claw, i couldn't believe it. Wine was cheap and ambiance was ok until a family filled with little obnoxious children were sat next to my husband and I. The crab cakes were pretty good, and the clam chowder, which is the only thing that earned this place two stars. Since it was our anniversary, we planned on paying a hefy price for a nice seafood dinner, but this place just wasn't worth it, WONT be returning here.
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Review from Eli B.
Reynoldsburg, OH
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Amazing food, amazing view, amazing service. Also located close to downtown and the airport. Great San Diego experience.
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Review from Gina S.
A fish 'n chips style restaurant on the water. My first impressions were that the staff were an older bunch and the decor in the place hadn't been updated since forever. We had great window seats by the water. Our server was really friendly and accommodating for the lil people at the table, making sure she had kids cups for them and was quick to bring out fresh bread with butter and an amazing sun-dried tomato butter.
We asked about their calamari appetizer; which our waitress confirmed our hopes that they were indeed the big calamari rings. We ordered calamari to share and I went with the northern combo with coleslaw. I had a choice of two servings of fish: cod, sole or salmon. I went with sole and salmon. My sister went with the chowder combo; cup of chowder and a half tuna sandwich with krab & mac salad.
It seemed to be taking a while for our appetizer, but before we knew it our entrees came out. Our waitress had forgotten about the calamari, she was sincerely sorry and asked if we still wanted it. After seeing our entrees we said we'd be okay. My fish entree was okay. I've had better tasting salmon, and the sole (which I've never had) was very thin and greasy. The coleslaw was by far better than the krab & mac salad.
I was a little bummed not to get the calamari, but I know my stomach was thankful; I could never have eaten both. -
Review from David C.
Pittsburgh, PA
5/11/2012
Had a great dinner at Anthony's. Our waitress Rose was very nice and professional. I had the surf n turf (sirloin\lobster tail\baked potato); my friend had crab cakes\baked potato. We both LOVED our dinners. The surf n turf was cooked as ordered and the crab cakes were full of fresh crab meat. Yes, we were tourists but a local citizen recommened the restaurant. They have a large menu with very reasonable prices. We also included dessert, which we never get and our bill was sub-$70, which included an appetizer and non-alco drinks. Great food and great prices! Thank you Rose for a memorable meal!
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Review from Rose A.
San Diego, CA
4/1/2012
Not sure why so many people say the food is mostly fried, I did not really see that on the menu. Perhaps their reviews were from years ago when they did have a lot of fried seafood on the menu? t sure doesn't seem to be the case now.
They had a small fried food selection and a hefty amount of fresh seafood fillets on the menu as well as pastas, seafood salads and steak combos.
For our appetizer, we had the mussels in bleu cheese broth and they were amazing. While it is hard to pass up the sun-dried tomato butter we dipped our bread in the bleu cheese sauce and slurped that up. Plenty here to share.
I hate to admit it , but we had the oysters on the half shell too, they were so good. Fresh, briny, icy cold. Yum.
For dinner my friend had the Barramundi ( a sustainable catch fish) done blackened style. It was so moist and delicious. The side of Broccolini with a really fresh tasting baked potato was a perfect accompaniement.
I had the wedge salad with bacon bits and avocado to start with, delicious!
Then I had a perfectly cooked piece of Sea of Cortez Flounder (also not on the watch list for seafood) with a really good tartar sauce. I had the the rice pilaf, so-so and the broccolini as my sides.
We shared a huge dessert of Apple Crisp with ice cream.
They lose a star for the decor....it is a bit dated but our waiter (who gave us some of the best service we have had anywhere) told us that a redo is in the works.
I will re-review when that happens and maybe they can get that elusive five star rating from me. -
Review from john W.
2/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's Denny's but with fish. We were beat after spending a good couple hours walking around the Midway, and wanted a place to sit and enjoy a beer.
We did get to sit, and enjoy a good beer. Surrounded by Oldsters.
The food was meh. Super greasy. Not terrible tasting, but greasy.Listed in: 100 reviews in 2012
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Review from Edie G.
San Diego, CA
4/23/2012
Anthony's has a nice selection of sea food. At this particular location is nice to bring out of town friends. They are always impressed as you you can have both good sea food and great ambiance.
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Review from Lee U.
Daly City, CA
4/7/2012
I would have given this place 3 stars but my experience did not have a good start. I called in for a reservation and arrived a few minutes late on a Friday night. Despite this, I still had to wait almost 30 minutes! The restaurant was super loud with big parties with too many kids. I guess every family in town for Spring Break ended up here. My husband's crab and shrimp louie salad was ok. They could have, at least, used a healthier lettuce, like Romaine, and not just iceberg. My fish combo platter had a generous portion of 3 types of fresh-tasting fish. I liked that it was served with baby broccoli. It might be bland for some, but I liked that it wasn't too highly salted or seasoned. Best parts of the meal: the fresh bread and both red and white clam chowders (not because we had the free coupon, but they really did taste good).
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Review from Nicole W.
2/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Old school anh fried food. This reminds me of a place my grandma would go and that was the average age on the saturday lunch we went to.
View is what you pay for. Staff is very friendly and attentive.
Food is just average - basic fried, clog your arteries, nothing fancy food!
Calimari was not awesome. Sauce was just so-so
Shrimp po-boy had humungous shrimp - which was cool - but they fell out of the bun.
Bread was tasty - sun dried tomatoes spread was pretty tasty too.
Beers were just the right thing to enjoy the view!
I'd say stick with the fishette and enjoy the view from the protected deck! -
Review from jennifer c.
Stateline, NV
4/6/2012
I had dinner here last week,had a geart experience all the way around.I had the lobster trio,it was DELISH.My waiter Conrad was EXCELLENT,even though he had like 10 tables.I will be back often.Don't forget to try the zabione cake.
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Review from Kris C.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here to grab a bite to eat prior to going to the airport. I was tired and frankly was being lazy. I was not expecting much and I already had the feel that this was not going to be some wonderful culinary adventure.
Everything was so incredibly average it was weird. The best way I can describe this place is the feeling of being back in high school at the cafeteria, except this time there is assigned seating. I went with a friend; we had fish tacos, crab louis salad, club soda and a Buckler. 41 dollars later our meal was over. Way over priced for what you get. Quite a shame too because the building overlooks the ocean.
The service was pretty good. Nothing to really complain about there. I would not go back. -
Review from Danny N.
Miami Beach, FL
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fave place in San Diego when I travel. Gotta love the view
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Review from Chris A.
Cypress, CA
4/14/2012
Came here w/my brother and my wife. Food was ok. Nothing great, but not bad either. Prices were a little high in my opinion. Had crab cakes and they were again, just ok. I think for being so close to the sea I expected much better quality and I just didnt get that. Not knocking the place, but It was alright.
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Review from Brenda T.
Ontario, CA
When ever I'm in San Diego I make it a point to have a meal here at least once. The location can't be beat - right on the water with lots of windows to view the sunsets. On my most recent visit, I chose the lobster tail and grilled shrimp. Excellent! The lobster was tender and flavorful and the shrimp, grilled in a choice of sauces, was very good. Service was superb. Be sure to get the warm bread and the tomato herb butter - yum! Also I highly recommend the fish and chips. Superb!
If you don't want to pay the dine-in prices and have the table service, there is a walk up window with outside seating where you can get limited menu items. -
Review from Danielle B.
San Diego, CA
1/18/2012
I stopped in for happy hour earlier this week. I sat in a booth overlooking the water at sunset, it was great. I was nice to sit and watch the boats in the harbor, very relaxing.
They have $3-5 dollar drinks and apps. I ordered the coconut shrimp, which was really good and the shrimp bruchetta, which was only ok. I also tried the fish Po boy, which I really enjoyed and I had a couple of sangria's. Their Sangria's are really good and only $4.I loved the butter that they serve with the baskets of bread. I actually really enjoyed my servers, they were both friendly, attentive and informative. My bill was less than $20 and I left fat and happy. I would definitely go back for happy hour. -
Review from Tracey S.
Morongo Valley, CA
5/6/2012
We stayed in San Diego for our Anniversary. I am a huge seafood fan...my husband not so much but agreed to go and try Anthony's as it was across the street from where we were staying and was recommened. When we walked in I though the decor could definately use an upgrade so I was a bit leary continuing. We had a nice table by the water and a great waiter named Ben. Very helpful to all my hubby's seafood questions. I ordered the Blue Marlin drink...very strong they definately do not water down the alcohol which is good when you are paying for a drink. They brought out warm bread with sundried tomoto butter....to die for!!! Hubby ordered the Salmon with Basil cream sauce pasta dish. He loved it and it was a huge portion. They were having a special on a lobster tail plate which is my favorite. Great meal the lobster was so sweet and the steak was cooked perfectly, my baked potato was amazing and I dont' say that about potatos because is sounds silly but it was really good. We would definately go back our next trip down. I forgot to mention we got the seafood taquitos, really good and I got the cole slaw, very good.
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Review from Craig F.
Los Angeles, CA
4/3/2012
Subtle hints of dive restaurant, dated decor, but a jaw dropping view you won't see many times in your life. The menu has classic seafood items, prepared as they should, as fresh as can possibly be. They are famous for their fish and chips, don't miss these or the coleslaw. Can get crowded, call head for reservations.
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Review from Brett T.
Fallbrook, CA
1/29/2012
Loved some things about this place and was not happy with a few things. First off there food is not very good. A lot of it I have a feeling comes out of a can, is frozen, or comes in a bag. I asked the waiter what grade of beef they used, and he answered he did not know. This was a red flag since his name tag said he had been working there for 35 years!! He said he would find out and his answer was that the cooks did not know either. Was I the first to ask this, I think not! Well I ordered it any way, my fault, and it was tough, even though I ordered it rare. I rolled the dice and came up snake eyes! Damn! I couldn't resist the steak and lobster. The salad was extra and came out of a bag, and the blue cheese came out of a can. The food reminds me of sizzler. But I have not eaten there for over 20 years.
On the other hand the views are great, especially the sunset, with window seat. Staff seems very kind, as well as our waiter. The place is awesome. Good vibe. But the food sucks! Well I did like the complimentry birthday mud pie, god I hate to be ungratefull! -
Review from Daniel K.
Tysons Corner, VA
3/14/2012
I had no real beef with this place. My fish was good, the rolls were tasty. The sides were OK. Prices were a little high for a goofy family style place. Nice views of the bay. If you're down at the bay and need a quick bit this is an ok place to go.
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Review from MIchael C.
San Diego, CA
3/1/2012
My Dad, who was originally from SD, but was in town for the night, wanted to go here and I had a feeling this place wasn't going to be great.
The food was so mediocre and the place looks like its still the 1980's. I feel like the fish there wasn't even fresh when the ocean is literally under them. Very basic cooking that had no creativity, a menu that also seemed like it was 30 years ago, and poor ingredients in their food.
My dad agreed that the place was better when he was around SD. -
Review from Warren B.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
4/27/2012
I went here for lunch 4-21-2012. I was in San Diego for my birthday and this restaurant was on the itinerary. First off, service was quick and professional. We got an inside seat overlooking the San Diego bay which was very nice. As far as the food it was good but not great. The stuffed mushroom appetizer was off the hook though. Fresh crab stuffed in 1 huge portabello (or something like that) was so awesome! I could have had 2 of these and called it a day! Now the salad I had was just so so...blue cheese dressing did not taste like blue cheese and the salad did not taste super fresh so I sorta disappointed at this. The I had the Teriaki Steak and Lobster tail which both were ok but the quality of the steak itself left something to be desired. Also the lobster was overcooked and it did not seem particularly fresh but all in all it was ok. I would not say I would not go here again but I would probably like to try the numerous other seafood places in San Diego before I ventured back here.
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Review from Peter M.
Alexandria, VA
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good basic seafood restaurant on the San Diego waterfront. View is great when there is light to see the bay, and window seats are available on most Monday nights.
Service is good and portion size is good. Bread and dried tomato butter was a nice accompaniment. I had the Thai lettuce wraps, which were very good. Side salad was drowned in dressing. Panko coated Cod was not too bad, but not boneless and a bit oily.
Parking out front is free after 6pm. -
Review from Charles M.
Bakersfield, CA
1/17/2012
This place is definitely a tourist trap. The location is great and the view is tremendous but the ambiance is that of outdoor seating at a jack in the box. Furthermore I ordered the squid steak which was about a quarter inch thick and had not been pounded as it should. That gave is a gelatinous consistency which was horrible. I asked the server about it and she said it had been pounded. It was not and I know that because I cook squid frequently. What a shame for a famous restaurant.
Someone should look for new management as it has so much potential. -
Review from Don D.
Burbank, CA
11/27/2011
Go somewhere else...
There is nothing lite and fluffy about this place...
It has a bad 1970s feel to it... really bad.
The food is SO greasy, and the gal who served us was not the friendliest...
when we flagged her down for some more cocktail sauce she began with "what's the problem?" (I guess there a lot of problems there...)
Do yourself a favor... go somewhere else-- we did get a seat right at the window.. a beautiful view.. the hostesses are very friendly... and then it drops off a cliff into the abyss.... -
Review from Virginia E.
Fontana, CA
2/25/2012
I went here with my girl friends ...costumer service was great , drinks were great, food was soo good, and dessert was delish.. can't wait to go there again....
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Review from Eunice mae L.
Daly City, CA
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Happy hour before my flight!
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Review from Eric B.
San Jose, CA
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Touristy, but with friendly service, a great selection of fresh fish, a full bar, and a gorgeous view. I grew up in San Diego and Anthony's was our go-to place for years, so I have a real fondness for the place. Keep your expectations middling, and you'll have a good experience. I go just about every time I'm in town, usually after arriving at or heading to the airport.
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Review from Chantel B.
San Diego, CA
11/8/2011
Hmmm what can I say to make it short n sweet...
Rents wanted to come, even after I warned them about negative yelps, but hey, they are old school and hard headed lol.
Short wait, nice server... but how DARE you charge 25 bucks for blacken fish and a baked potato comparable to Dennys on a good day?? Ohh cause I can sit on top of the water and look at cruise ships sail by???
My mom hated her drowning bbq salmon and my dads steak was OK at best.
Bottom line.... don't charge Mister A's prices with Mister McDonalds quality!! -
Review from Jason B.
Sparks, NV
3/4/2012
You pay for the view. The food is not that good. Chowder was ok, sourdough bread is not sour. Service was very good. So, if you want a nice view of the harbor, go for it.
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Review from Helen N.
San Diego, CA
8/28/2011
Get the Oysters, Bread, and One glass of Anthony's wine. Yummy!!!
Great service. Get a table right away next to the window. Enjoy the ocean view. Cool!!!Listed in: Best Happy Hour
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Review from Cherie C.
Las Vegas, NV
9/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to start by saying that I RETURNED what i ordered. It was the grossest thing i have every had. What makes it worse is that is was the waitress recommendation. For those wondering it was the
Shrimp Ranchero... YUCK. And to make our experience even worse is that i left hungry. it had taken so long to get our food that if i would have ordered something else the kids would have been out of control and i didn't want that so i left hungry.
I will now also tell you that my daughter liked her chicken strips and the calamari was good not great. But the best thing about this place was the view.
The friend that we were their with recommend the spot and was sorry she did. She remember it being a lot better then it was. -
Review from Derrick Z.
Shiprock, NM
2/22/2012
we asked about 10 people where to eat in the area. majority of the people suggested anthony's. it was around 8pm.
if you love greasy food this is your kinda place. we were not impressed. i ordered some combo platter and it was grease over kill. i didn't finish my food. i made several trips to the bathroom! lol. my wife ordered fish tacos. she didn't finish her food either. we finished our drinks, paid, and left.
although the view was very nice and the ambiance was very nice. it's too bad their food stinks. -
Review from Hyacinth G.
Chula Vista, CA
3/2/2012
Fun place. My family comes here every once in a while. The service is really nice and pretty fast. Great for big groups, we usually come in with at the very least 6 people. We never wait too long to be seated. Don't expect too much from the food. It is very basic stuff. The view is always great and it is SUPER kid friendly. My friends and I are all 20 but we still love getting crayons and the kid's menu just for kicks. x) The people are so nice that they gave me a free balloon and a "birthday" dessert even though it really wasn't my birthday. I really don't agree with the food being greasy. The food is fine. If it ever was not cooked to my family or friend's liking they were always more and pleased to fix it for us and apologize. Again, don't expect too much from the food. If you want some really good food I'd recommend Fish Market.
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Review from Raiza G.
Goleta, CA
9/8/2011
SSSOOOOO super tasty! My husband's mother has been coming here since she was a kid and I just had it for the first time... so grubalicious!
Great views of the Harbor and we watched dolphins being trained by Marines as we ate lunch... pretty amazing! -
Review from Matthew H.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2011
Came here with my family on vacation for the weekend. This place was packed! Seems to be a little bit of a tourist trap, but it was definitely worth it!
The food was super legit from the calamari to fish to shrimp to the clam chowder it was all amazingly good! Our server was super attentive and very nice. She definitely provided some great service.
One issue is my father and partner went to the front bar to order drinks before being sat and the server was flustered and it took 10 minutes to even order a drink... Definitely do not recommend the front bar for a cocktail.
Oh and did i mention the view? It's amazing. -
Review from Aimee W.
San Diego, CA
8/2/2011
Sooo unbelievably disappointing... I should always listen to my fellow yelpers...
I was super craving fish and didn't want to drive to the shore (1st mistake) so we decided to try Anthony's... The hostess was very sweet and friendly asked us if we wanted to sit inside or outside, since it was a nice evening we sat outside (2nd mistake). At first the service was prompt, we received our drinks quickly and placed our order
I had the Barramundi - it had a chili dry rub, and was WAYYY over seasoned. I like salt but this was the saltiest fish I have ever tasted. Not what you would expect for $23!! The sides were unimpressive, frozen french fries, and bland green beans... After we got our food our server was no where in sight... we had to hunt him down like 40 minutes later... No one even asked us how our food was.
Conclusion: Restaurant needs, a new updated and FRESH menu - better service. I'm $60 in the hole and never going back again.... -
Review from Chris M.
San Diego, CA
6/20/2011
Worst dinner in San Diego. My wife and I dine out a lot, and were looking forward to hitting a 'highly recommended' seafood restaraunt on the water. Best thing about the place? The view, great view of the harbor. The worst thing? The only thing worse an the service was the food. Poorly cooked and seriously overpriced.
The decor was, as another reviewer suggested, cafeterialike. The outside seating looked good if during the day for a quick lunch. Oh wait, forget quick in this place.
The service was horrible. She took about 20 minutes to get around to our drinks, then left again, then came back after another ten for the appetizer order, but basically refused to take the dinner order so we could 'think about it'. Lady, i've been thinking about it for half an hour now, pretty sure I've got it down. She wasn't rude, and the place was busy, but there were plenty of servers and bartenders. Not sure why everything was served at snails pace. I think she checked on us once the whole night and it was an effort to flag her down.
We were in a medium sized group and had a large sampling of the menu. My dauhgter is picky so had the chicken strips, which were burnt the first time and still overcooked the second. The crab cakes and clam chowder were horrible. Good bread and butter, best part of the meal. Calamari was average. I can't even remember what we had for main courses as we just picked at most of it. Skipped dessert. According to a few sources Anthony's has the best seafood for the last 14 years. I'm going to have to disagree..., I'd rather eat my shoe.
Advice to the owner, get fresh fish, hire a new chef, lower the prices slightly and when you can, improve the decor. You have a seafood place on the water for pete's sake!
Advice to everyone else? There's The Fish Market just down the road, great food there. I won't be going back to Anthony's.
