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El Pescador Fish Market
Categories: Food Specialty Food Seafood Markets Restaurants Seafood Seafood Markets, Seafood [Edit]
627 Pearl St(between Cuvier St & Draper Ave)
La Jolla, CA 92037
Neighborhood: La Jolla
(858) 456-2526
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
521 reviews for El Pescador Fish Market
Review Highlights
"i got the Chilean sea bass sandwich."
(in 33 reviews)
"Also, the salmon burger is amazing."
(in 44 reviews)
"I love their olive oil and garlic sea bass sandwich."
(in 15 reviews)
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521 reviews in English
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Review from Soha H.
Pasadena, CA
1/21/2012
Being a seafood addict, I've made it a habit to check the highest rated seafood restaurants in every new city we visit which led me to discover some really cool places, one of them is El Pescador.
Their seafood is exactly the way I like it: simple, fresh and delicious!
We had the grilled sea bass with olive oil and garlic sandwich and OMG it was so good that my husband and I gave each other the "we're glad we ordered it" look. Thick juicy fillets of perfectly grilled sea bass with lettuce,tomato & onion in tasty light bread..mmm I'm craving one right now.
We also had the oysters, it was very fresh and everything but what made it particularly special is their homemade horseradish cocktail sauce..exceptional!
We tried their crab sandwich as well and it was OK but nowhere as good as the sea bass one.
One thing to keep in mind: the place is tiny, they literally have only 3 or 4 tables. I don't think we would have found one if we went there at a different time.
We recommended the place to a couple of our friends and they were equally as happy. -
Review from Jennifer O.
La Jolla, CA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
People weren't joking when they said that this place is tiny! Despite its small size, the restaurant was packed with customers.
I ordered the sea bass sandwich and my friend got the halibut sandwich. As soon as you bite into the sandwich, you'll be able to taste the freshness of the fish. I liked how the fish didn't dry out when I brought it back home.
While waiting for my order, I saw other people ordering the clam chowder and it also looked really good. -
Review from Eunice J.
Torrance, CA
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I stumbled on this little gem with I was in La Jolla. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but you know that this place is good because of all the people lined up to eat. There's only like 12 seats, but the turnover rate is amazing.
TIPS:
1) Street parking is difficult, but there's usually spots across the street.
2) Get the Cioppino, not the Calm Chowder. The Clam Chowder is good, but not really special. The Cioppino on the other hand is one of the best I've ever had, with huge chucks of seafood.
3) Fish Tacos!
4) Get fish sandwiches not fish plates. Halibut is delicious.
5) Sashimi is no good.
6) If you have a large party, to-go is probably a better option.
I can't wait to go back again. :) -
Review from Colby P.
Washington, DC
1/25/2012
It's actually more of a 4.5 star rating
All of the fish is, of course, excellent. And the concept of choosing your desired fish (they had shark when I was last there) and your desired style: sandwich, salad or fresh by the pound, makes for a relatively stream-lined process of ordering.
Over the many times I've been the standouts remain: Scallop ceviche and the Scottish Salmon burger. Their clam chowder is pretty good too, but my New Englandness won't allow me to praise a Pacific clam chowder too highly. -
Review from Rebecca M.
Honolulu, HI
2/5/2012
So stinking good. Its a fish market so pardon the smell. Something I picked up on right away was the fact that the fish smell isn't very fishy. What that means is that they are all super fresh. There sandwiches are amazing. We had the salmon burger and the house swordfish on rice with avocado and salsa. Both were amazing. We tried there clam chowder which a little light but very wholesome tasting. Service was quick and kind.
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Review from Mari A.
San Diego, CA
2/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This place has UH-MAA-ZING seafood. Fresh as can be! Came here with coworkers on a lunch break one day and it was such an amazing yelp find! LOVE IT!
Got the crab sandwich and clam chowder and loved it both. They're completely comparable to Point Loma Seafoods if not better. The crab sandwiches are about the same, love the freshness of the clam chowder at El Pescador but the pesto tartar sauce over at Point Loma is just as good. Clam chowder is in my opinion hands down better at El Pescador and based on other reviews, looks like I'll be getting the Ciopinno next time! CAN NOT wait!
Actually, I think I'm craving this for lunch... ITS A COME BACKER!
Two things that make this a 4 star over a 5:
- PARKING: sucks
- SEATING: sucks
If you get lucky with parking, and dont mind either sitting outside or in your car or back to the office to eat, this is definitely worth going to. -
Review from Sally M.
I stopped in here after yoga to pick up something lighter so that I wouldn't undo the effects from my practice. I had my husband call the order in ahead of time. Our food was ready when I picked it it up, but when I went up to the register, the guy who was standing there (and I know he saw me walking up, it's a small place) decided that he would go talk to one of his coworkers. Fortunately, another guy saw that I was just standing there waiting and helped me out. He was ringing me up at the same time another guy was ringing someone else up and I think that's what may have caused me to be overcharged...
Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much the food was (since I didn't order it), but when I calculated it at home, I realized they charged me for the 32oz chowder instead of the 16oz chowder which is $5 more. So, pretty much, my coupon didn't get me any discount. I verified that the size container they gave me was 16oz as well. I'm debating on whether or not to go in and speak to the manager about this.
Anyway, we got the 16oz clam chowder, lemon butter salmon salad, and a tuna sandwich. Even though I had a 15% off coupon, the total still came out to about $28. It is pricey, but the food is good. The salad was smaller than I expected, especially since it was $11.95. I was expecting more salmon in the salad for that price. I didn't finish the salad though, so I guess the portion size was decent. My husband enjoyed the tuna sandwich and we both like the clam chowder as well.
I may try eating at El Pesacdor again, however, if I do, I will be sure to check the prices as they are ringing me up. If you try it, I still recommend ordering to-go since there are only a handful of tables to sit at and parking can be difficult to find. -
Review from Michelle T.
San Diego, CA
1/21/2012
I was surprised that such a popular shop would be so small and have very limited seating. Keep that in mind before you bring in a large group of people because there is a chance you may end up eating everything standing up and outside.
I came in here a while back and got the local yellowtail sandwich. The fish itself was very delicious and tasted fresh, though the quality of the sandwich was okay- it was difficult to savor the fish through all of the bread and vegetables, but regardless it tasted pretty good. I wish the fish could have been a tad bit more moist, but the quality made me enjoy it nevertheless. I must have been super hungry that day because the sandwich wasn't enough to fill me up. I definitely want to come back and try some of their other fish and dishes. -
Review from cedro t.
Meridian, ID
Ate lunch with Denis, the self proclaimed first employee of this wonderful la Jolla hot spot. If you're from Idaho and passionate about fish tacos (as most people are) this hole in the wall is the place to fulfill your taco desires.
After lunch Denis tried to sell me jewelry out of his van. Surfs up dude. -
Review from Gary N.
Country Club, CA
1/26/2012
Amazing food. There are so many reviews!
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Review from Allen H.
Fullerton, CA
12/15/2011
Fresh fish from the ocean 2 blocks away! AWESOME!!
This is a spot I have to come eat at whenever I am in San Diego. The fish sandwiches are the best by far! Choose your fish Yellowtail, Shark, Sea Bass, etc. Comes on a soft grilled torta with tomato's lettuce onions secret sauce and ask for avocados. SO DAMN GOOD. The Clam Chowder is damn good too, I seriously think its the best Clam Chowder Ive had so far. You also have to try the Gravlox, its smokey and peppery with some fresh lemon juice delicious!
The fish here is just really fresh and good, I bought 2 lbs of Chilean sea bass here and i told them I had to drive back up to north OC and they packed it in with lots of ice so it stayed nice and cold for me.
Cant say enough good things about them, the guys that work here really help you out. So tip them good! Them La Jolla girls are expensive LOL.
Hint*
Parking sucks sometimes, I park at Jack in the Box and just walk over its not far at all.
-420- -
Review from Krystal L.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011
A bit disappointed in their sea bass sandwich. The fish was a bit dry :( maybe it's because I ordered to go?
I feel like the sandwich was missing something..maybe I'd like it more if they toasted the bread. -
Review from Holly C.
La Jolla, CA
1/16/2012
Great fish tacos. Any fish. Any seasoning
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Review from Kirby D.
Austin, TX
1/19/2012
Fish Soup and Cocktail shrimp are to die for! The cocktail sauce is amazing to. Reminds me more of a salsa than a cocktail sauce tho. All of the workers were very friendly made everything so easy. Its a little pricey but totes worth it! I like to put sriracha hot sauce in the soup to make it extra spicy.
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Review from Karen L.
Irvine, CA
12/19/2011
We got this idea for lunch from a top ten list of San Diego. Helpful staff did not make up for the dry fish tacos. The chowder was just OK - we will have to come back to try some sandwiches before we write this off our list of future visits. From the crowds maybe we just hit them on an off day...
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Review from Albert W.
10/17/2011
Overcast day. Late lunch. In the mood for some soup.
Our hero went to El Pescador Fish Market with high hopes based on the absurdly radiant reviews on Yelp. Another Yelper actually warned him that she felt he would be disappointed. She definitely wouldn't be disappointed in her prediction after reading this review.
Our hero was actually fairly pleased by the chowder. The consistency was just right -- not too runny and not overly thickened with corn starch. There were quite a few chunks of potatoes and clams in the chowder and it tasted fresh and hearty. The ceviche, however, kind of sucked. It tasted rather gritty and was too finely diced for our hero to make a reasonable assessment of all its ingredients. His dining companion described the ceviche as more of a "seafood flavored salsa" than anything exceptional. For La Jolla (and anybody who would consider ceviche an exotic dish), it might be excellent; but compared to most Mexican seafood roach coaches in less desirable neighborhoods, Fish Market's ceviche doesn't stand a chance.
PROS:
- Good chowder.
- Nice selection of fresh fish.
- Good touch of authentic seafood flavor for the La Jolla community.
CONS:
- The service is less than friendly and perhaps even mildly annoyed to cater to customers.
- Very limited seating. -
Review from Aluna Y.
La Mesa, CA
1/12/2012
Great little place to buy some fish, or just to sit down and eat it.
They have a good choice of fish meat and seafood.
It looks like a taco shop, not a dating spot.
However, it is not important - you go there for the sake of the taste.
Will be back -
Review from Angela V.
Rosemead, CA
11/30/2011
I absolutely LOVE this place!
I came here for the first time with my aunt and I fell in love. The workers here were super friendly with big ol' smiles! (I love good customer service) I got the salmon burger and ever since the first time I got it, I always seem to crave it. It's mouth watering.
The only thing I didn't like about this place was that it was super hard to find parking. The parking space was soooo small so we had to drive around like 4 or 5 times around the block until someone came out so we can steal their parking spot!
Also, its kindaaaaa pricey. About $10-11 for a burger, but it was seriously delicious!
I would definitely come back again because I'm constantly craving it. =) -
Review from Christopher C.
San Diego, CA
10/10/2011
I've had food here twice. The first time I don't really remember (Man, I need to write reviews right after I go places 'cause I have a tendency to forget...) although I do remember it being pretty good and of course La Jolla is a great place to take a nice stroll.
The second time I had it. A friend of mine brought me the Halibut sandwich to study for finals week. Best study session ever!
Despite the car ride, the halibut was still moist, not dried out. It had amazing texture and flavor. I didn't even feel the need to use the extra sauce we were given since it was soo good.
Got to come back here sometime! -
Review from Dung N.
San Diego, CA
12/31/2011 1 photo
I can't believe I've never heard of this place before! My friend knows I'm a foodie, so I met him here for lunch. It was packed! I didn't know it was also a fish market...He ordered me the halibut sandwich and said they forgot to toast it, so it's supposed to taste better. I thought it was good anyways....next time. :)
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Review from Elena C.
10/17/2011
I am so stoked on this place.
Actually, I'm really surprised I haven't written a review yet. I cam here for the first time over a year ago and I thought they were awesome and went back just the other day. I highly recommend the bay shrimp sandwich (get it with avocado), but pretty much everything is good.
Unlike a lot of other places in La Jolla where you walk in and someone is immediately stroking your upper-middle class ego, the people who work at El Pescador treat you like a person. They're polite and friendly, but not fake or overly concerned with your every miniscule need.
For food this good and people this great, El Pescador gets five stars. -
Review from Chris K.
North Hollywood, CA
10/14/2011
Was very highly recommended as a top fish monger's stop in La Jolla. I had the clam chowder which I thought was bursting with clams, clams and more clams.
The fish tacos were a bit dry. Make no mistake on the selection and quality of their fish, it is abundant. Crab was tasty and fresh!
This is great quick lunch spot in beautiful La Jolla! -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Diego, CA
11/23/2011
It's a quaint restaurant, and just like the name suggests it has a seafood market sort of atmosphere. The food is prepared fresh and has a clean seafood taste. But not overly strong as if the seafood's been sitting there for a long time.
I tried the salmon burger, tacos, clam chowder, and they've all been fairly satisfying. -
Review from Dylan T.
San Diego, CA
9/15/2011
I've lived in San Diego now for 4 years and have become enthralled with the culture of the city - including the cuisine. The city is littered with small fish markets, fine dining seafood, and great sushi. I heard about El Pescador from friends over the years and finally decided to see what all the fuss is about.
When you walk into El Pescador, located in a small strip mall in La Jolla, you observe a limited number of tables, a display of the day's fresh catches on ice, and a dozen of the restaurants young employees. The reputation around town and consistent crowd of happy eaters kept me hopeful.
The employees and management are all very friendly and laid back. I asked for recommendations based on the usual favorites and what was freshest and split the following with a friend so I could try out the menu:
Salmon Torta, Snapper Tacos and an assortment of sashimi.
Oh my god. If I wore panties - they would have dropped. Needless to say I reached for the back of my knees to see if I needed to pull my boxers up. Not only were my Salmon sandwich and Snapper Tacos cooked to perfection, I was stoked to discover that every piece of fish on my plate must have been ripped out of the water that day. The fresh fish was fileted with care and attention, the garnishes were great. I was informed that the amazing torta bread holding together my salmon sandwich is made fresh at a nearby mexican bakery.
Before leaving, one of the managers came to my table and asked how everything was - inquired and found out it was my first trip to "Pescy". When he heard how stoked I was, he brought over another small dish for me to try.
I rip apart restaurants like it's my job. But when I come across something as good as El Pescador, I give credit where it's due. I will be a regular at El Pescador! -
Review from Betty L.
Saint Louis, MO
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was there on a Saturday around 11 with a small group of friends. The place has 3 or 4 tables and we were lucky that no one else was there. Though the place did fill up not long after we got there.
I had the seabass sandwich with avocado. it was delicious. The seabass was juicy and tender. Love every bite of it. We also had oyster on the half shell, claim chowder (yummy!), cerviche, and salmon sandwich.
I'll have to come back to try the other sandwiches. -
Review from Debbie O.
Los Angeles, CA
11/5/2011
This place has very decent prices for fresh seafood. It's a very small place, so if you come at a bad time, you would definitely have to stalk people for a table.
I would recommend the sauteed mussels, medium shrimp, halibut, and swordfish. If you're really hungry, get the plate, but the sandwich and salad are pretty good portions already. The sauteed mussels are a great deal. For $10.95, you get a medium bowl of mussels with the yummy sauce you can use to dip with the bread. The way they prepare the medium shrimp is heavenly. I would probably get the plate with it since the flavor goes well with rice. Both the halibut and swordfish are good choices for sandwiches. It's not dry at all but instead very fresh. For a sandwich ($9.95), I got about 5 pieces of fish, which is a really good deal!
Lastly, they also sell fish collar and belly for a very good price. Usually, at Japanese restaurants, fish collar can be quite expensive, but this place has them for very cheap! The seafood here is so fresh, my breath smelled of fish for hours afterwards! -
Review from Jennifer T.
San Jose, CA
10/8/2011
So good. Boyfriend and I stopped here for dinner. Delicious. I tried to order the cheapest thing on the menu so his wallet would not be empty afterwards. I had the Salmon in Lemon Butter as a sandwich, and he had a plate of sea bass ( which comes with rice and veggies). Delicious! Get the sandwiches here, so good!! It was juicy not dry at all, and the taste of fish literally melts in your mouth after a few bites. They know how to prepare fish :)
POSITIVES about this shop:
- Not smelly, because typically fish markets smell so... fishy to the point where you do not want to eat anymore.
- Freshness in food, no rotting smell from food.
- Good pairing of herbs and lemon to complement taste of fish.
- Every bite was heaven. GOOODDDDD!
NEGATIVES:Parking is not good here! And the drivers are not able to park. A lady stole our parking in the 6-7 car lot, and then reserved a table in there before even ordering. Talk about aggressive!! Boyfriend and I just ended up parking on a street near the back of the shop and just eating in our car since it was getting cold out. The interior is like a small shop, set with a few tables and chairs, so most customers end up eating outside next to China Chef, bringing it back home, or eating it in our cars (like what we did).
The parking is bad so that is why I give it 3/5 stars & we had to end up getting to-go which was unexpected of this trip. Along to top it off with rude customers, I was not pleased with the atmosphere. -
Review from Lloyd W.
San Diego, CA
11/14/2011
It is "the" place to go for the Freshest thing from the Sea!
Sandwich and Salad both come with Great portion of fish steak or fillet
specialties has just the right spices added
and Sashimi is as FOB as it gets! (that's "fresh off the boat !!")
Oyster's recommended!
... But ..and it's a big But
$$$ !!
plus it's really no bigger than my living room
good for casual eat outs,
not so much for your entire family with grandmas and grandpas
when I get hired by Google,
I'd order this every Tuesday instead of fish taco!
ps. sure, I'm a fan for the clam chowder =] -
Review from John M.
Seattle, WA
12/29/2011
Very good. Similar to Bear Flag Fish Company in Orange County with fewer tables, no outdoor seating and even harder parking.
Food was excellent. Wife had a "sampler" salad that included two kinds of shrimp, crab, smoked tuna, smoked salmon and one or two other items. Like Bear Flag, they offer slices of avocado for $1. -
Review from Denise K.
8/27/2011 3 Check-ins Here
So fresh, and so scrumptious!
Their selling point is that everything is so basic and simple that it allows you to focus on the delightful flavors of fresh seafood without getting distracted by seasonings or sauces. I love the simplicity!
Oysters. Delicious.
Clam Chowder. Delicious.
Treshire Shark Sandwich. Delicious.
Peppered Smoked Salmon. Delicious. And probably my favorite.
Perk: BYOB!
Minus: There are only 4 tables to sit at. Most likely, you'll hafta wait.
I can't wait to go back! -
Review from Paula D.
8/11/2011
Today I had the best grilled fish tacos I have ever had in my entire life. Seriously the very best. The fish was grilled with an amazing spice combo, the cabbage was fresh and tasty and the avocado slices were at the perfect state of ripeness. They didn't skimp on the avocado and overall it was a magnificent party on my taste-buds.
The spousal unit and the son had the olive oil and garlic special. The daughter had the calamari sandwich. They all disappeared in very short order and all were happy with the food.
This is not your fancy pants La Jolla dining experience, but if you want some good eats leave your fancy pants at home and go get some awesome pescado!. -
Review from Annie Y.
San Diego, CA
1/18/2012
Fresh fish...what more could you want? How about fresh fish that's prepared for you? I've tried the swordfish sandwich, cioppino and clam chowder and they are all worth a try. Parking can be difficult if you're to lucky enough to snatch one of the spots in their parking lot.
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Review from Alyssa K.
San Diego, CA
9/19/2011
El Pescador is hands down one of my favorite seafood joints in San Diego. Not only are the staff easy on the eyes and incredibly friendly, but they are serving some of the freshest, tastiest, and best prepared fish in town.
Although everything I have tried has been amazing, my favorite is the Ahi Tuna sandwich, which is deliciously seared and incredible in flavor especially when paired with the torta roll, tomatoes, green onions and lettuce. I also love the salmon burger. The cioppino is a definite must at El Pescador. Their fish tacos are some of the best in Southern California, fresh and flavorful, not ruined by heavy layers of breading and fried beyond the point of recognition as is surprisingly common elsewhere.
Although it is not the most spacious dining establishment in town, it makes up for its small size in big flavor and seriously good customer service. I highly recommend El Pescador to anyone wanting one of the greatest advantages of living in America's Finest City: fresh, local, and delicious seafood. -
Review from Alice T.
11/22/2011
Meh, the prices are good, and the seating is limited, but the food portions just aren't great. All of us got the salad + fish of choice, and the fish piece was pretty tiny albeit very fresh and tasty. I'll probably have to get either the plate or sandwich next time to get a little bit more substance.
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Review from Katrina L.
San Diego, CA
8/24/2011
The food here is good - it's fresh and wholesome. But in terms of pricing in comparison to flavor El Pescador is really hyped up.
I came here tonight and had the shrimp and crab cocktail, clam chowder, and the scallop ceviche. The shrimp and crab cocktail contained three medium shrimp and 3 tablespoons of crab. The shrimp was fresh so it tasted great but for 8.95 I wish I had more.
The clam chowder was probably the best thing I had ordered. It had more pieces of clam in it than other restaurant's chowders. I wanted to bring it home and dump some sweet corn in it to give it something extra though.
The scallop ceviche was fresh and tasty. This is where I got the most bang for my buck - one of the guys behind the counter hooked it up and give me more than 8 oz worth. I found myself wanting some tortilla chips to eat this with.
The pricing here is pretty high, its about $13-16 for a plate containing rice, salad, and grilled fish. It's 8.95 for two fish tacos here with some cabbage salad. I've gotten a grilled ahi tuna sandwich here before and it was good - the greens were crisp and fresh, and the fish was moist. That's one thing you can trust about eating at a Fish Market - they KNOW how to cook their fish.
One thing killed the pricing justification for me was that there were few tables for people to sit down and eat. So while I was enjoying my meal and conversation with friends, there were about 3 people eyeing our table and one person just stood behind my friend's chair and watched her eat, waiting for her to finish and leave. It made me feel rushed and really killed dinner for me.
The guys behind the counter are nice. They hook it up. Plus they look like wholesome sufer dudes.
I hope El Pescador has plans to expand their area soon, otherwise I'm not sure I would come back. It's worth it every once in awhile, but I mainly came here to show my friend from out of town what La Jolla is all about. -
Review from Tan C.
San Diego, CA
9/25/2011
My first and second visit to El Pescador were about a day apart, and for good reason. There are lots of great things about this place, but the main factors that keeping me coming back are the sandwiches on the black board menu, the oysters, and the fresh clam chowder.
Here are three things to give you a better idea about this spot:
Atmosphere: El Pescador is a fish market first and a restaurant second. It's because of this that there are so few tables and chairs. If you get caught in the lunch or dinner rush, you might end up in a stand off with another party because people get crazy once a table opens up. Or if you'd rather get away from the hustle and bustle, there are a few benches outside.
Taste: I love their salmon burgers. The ingredients are simple and fresh, but surprisingly, they combine for a very unique taste. It's juicy and delicious down to the last bite. Everyone else who has visited this place seems to agree as well. The market side also offers a nice variety of fresh fish and seafood, each so tempting that it's like going into a candy store.
Service: Ordering takes place mostly over the counter and they'll call you when it's ready. The staff is really friendly as well so don't feel pressured if you can't decide off the bat what you want. For the most part, this place is styled in a self serving manner so the napkins, water, utensils and trash bins are available while you eat.
****
El Pescador has been one of the best decisions for food in La Jolla for me. They're reasonably priced and can offer something different if you're tired of chicken and beef. Try visiting at hours other than lunch and dinner if you want to beat the lines. -
Review from Julia P.
7/8/2011
This was a really cool place and I would have given it another star if it wasn't for the fact that the restaurant itself is extremely tiny. There were only about 6 tables and there was a line going out the door. That being said, I had to eat outside on the bench which I was lucky to get in the first place.
I had ordered the oysters, jumbo shrimp and a crab sandwich and I do agree that it was extremely fresh, however, the oysters were a little bland and didn't have the salty taste I usually like. I probably won't come back here because of the inconvenience of trying to look for a seat and also because the guy behind the counter was kind of rude. At first, he told me I had ordered too much food, and then when I had took away an item, he told me I had ordered too little?
I kind of think this place is overrated...... -
Review from joan h.
7/23/2011
With so many excellent reviews, we made the drive up to La Jolla from downtown SD just to check this place out. It was a lovely day, so we parked several blocks away to have a stroll.
Upon arrival, we confirmed what has been said in previous reviews -- this place is small. Maybe 6 tables? (In retrospect, this is a great spot for a grab 'n go picnic style.) We had to wait for 2 parties to leave so that we could push some tables together. Despite the 4:30p time, there were quite a few people in line. I don't think the staff was fully in synch that day, as several orders were confused, some items forgotten, or took too long to prep. The clam chowder that I received was from an old pot, as it was mildly lukewarm. My friend's chowder, which was ready 15 minutes later, was piping hot. Too bad I'd already finished mine, otherwise I would have asked for a redo.
Overall, I enjoyed the sauce that came with my shrimp cocktail - nice and spicy, with plenty of horseradish. Out of 5 people, 2 really enjoyed their meal. Consensus is that the seafood is fresh, but the sandwiches need lemon, mayo, sauce...something to help it pop. So, we may or may not come back to give this place another shot... Until then I'm sadly one of the few 2.5 star reviewers. -
Review from Ying Y.
Chicago, IL
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is amazing. I have both bought food to eat in and also raw fish to go. Both were incredibly fresh and tasty.
I esp like the fish sandwiches with their tomato and garlic sauce. The fish is always cooked perfectly moist and has a really tasty grilled taste to it. The crab sandwich here is also a steal. They use huge pieces of fresh lump crab meat so that the sweetness of the crab really shines. All of the other things that go into their sandwiches are also high in quality from the tasty fresh bread to the always awesomely ripe avocados (yes, it is always worth adding the avocado when they ask).
I wasn't as impressed by the soups. I had both the cioppino and clam chowder. The cioppino had a delicious tomato flavor and tons of fish, but I was sad to see there was no crab in my portion. It also didn't have the same flavor profile I've enjoyed with other cioppinos. The clam chowder was a disappointment. This is the only case where the Point Loma place is better.
I am sad my boyfriend no longer works in San Diego and I have no excuses to visit anymore. -
Review from Lisa W.
8/8/2011 1 photo
They have good clam chowder, maybe the best in SD that I've tried. (Nothing beats Boston though) Really delicious clam chowder. They had big chunks of clams, didn't have bread bowl at the time, but they gave us sourdough bread. I also got the fish tacos, you can tell the seafood here is really fresh. I love their fish.
Bad thing: really tiny, really busy, really noisy, not enough seating, hard to eat fish taco sitting on the bench outside. I think it's perfect for takeout.Listed in: Clam Chowder
