- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Fishwife Seafood Restaurants
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
76 reviews for Fishwife Seafood Restaurants
Review Highlights
"My favorite fish place in Monterey."
(in 15 reviews)
"The sand dabs were light and in a creamy lemony artichoke..."
(in 2 reviews)
"...sure you stop by here for some fresh fish when in Monterey."
(in 5 reviews)
Loading...
76 reviews in English
-
Review from G M.
El Cajon, CA
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fish n chips...mmmmm.
Wow! What a find. Awesome prices and nice atmosphere. Probably pay half the price for an equal if not better meal away from Cannery Row.
The fish 'n chips are California style. I think this means it's not a batter type coating but a cornmeal type coating, then deep fried. Really, really good.
The oooonly reason I didn't give it a 5-star is that the chips were a little on the "eh" side. It would be super if they had steak fries.
The hubby ordered salmon. The salmon was served on a bed of rice a some kind of honey-mustard type sauce on top. Fresh, sauteed spinach and garlic. Mmm...
Ordered a lava cake to go.
Will definitely partake again! -
Review from Jessamyn W.
Monterey, CA
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I went here the other day with my mom. In general, this place has decently priced, nice tasting seafood. I had the fried calamari. The calamari itself was awesome, but I felt there was too much black beans and not enough fries. I had Sparky's Root Beer, which tasted great!
I though the decor was cheesy, but my mom loved it. It was also a bit loud, loud enough to make having a conversation difficult. Overall, it was an okay experience. -
Review from judy n.
1/28/2012
Came home for lunch to my gf's house, and this is her favorite comfort food type place...
The salad was fresh.
garlic bread was ok.
Cheese flautas were good, a bit dry though.
the Calamari with spicy tartar sauce was the better of the dishes she got us.
good place to go, especially since it gives her some nostalgia along the way. :) -
Review from Sherwood R.
Auburn, CA
1/21/2012
Fishwife has been a favorite for some years. It has pleasant atmosphere, good food, reasonable prices, helpful staff. My wife and I have tried several of the sea food dishes on the menu and all have been tasty. One small but important suggestion, if you go there in on a chilly evening have a sweater or wrap as the chill comes through the plentiful glass windows. I'd advise making reservations as it is a busy place.
-
Review from Anthony P.
Marina, CA
11/9/2011 2 photos
I took my mom and brother here the other day as it is one of their favorite places. They would probably agree with the Yelpers 4 or 5 star reviews. I on the other hand would give this place 3 stars.
When we entered the empty restaurant the people behind the counter look at us, continued their conversation and greeted us once they were done. We had our choice of seating and decided to sit by the window. Our server was an odd older gentleman. I kept seeing him stare at us from the corner of my eye, but overall he was nice.
I ordered a bowl of clam chowder which was very good, not the best, but good! The clams were plentiful which is something I pay attention to when eating chowder. They give you a small piece of garlic bread to go with the chowder. wish the would give you more. You need to pay additional for more bread. Before I could finish this large bowl of chowder, my Fishwife Combo Wrap came out.The menu said the wrap comes with a small salad. There was nothing small about it! The salad took up half the plate and came with a side of ranch. The wrap itself consisted of sauteed scallops, shrimp and crab in lobster sauce with rice and beans wrapped in a flour tortilla. The overall flavor of this dish was good but he flavors of the scallops, shrimp and crab were kind of hidden by the amount of lobster sauce that was on top.
Summary: This place is okay. Service and food is okay. I'm not saying I will not go back, but this experience didn't really give me a reason to want to go back. -
Review from Cindy H.
Seaside, CA
1/7/2012
You know this place gets a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews, but when you really look closely, it isn't really the best seafood around. One thing it has going for it is the location out here in Seaside, where there aren't really that many outstanding seafood choices. But on the whole, the dishes tend to focus on fried items, and the list of broiled or cajun or whatever is pretty limited. If you don't want to drive farther, then try the Barramundi which is excellent.
-
Review from Ron B.
Moraga, CA
1/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
We came here before and food was much better. This time, it was regular seafood, a bit on the greasy side.
-
Review from Tommy E.
Hercules, CA
10/16/2011 2 photos
Very good food.
Recommendations:
- Barramundi Celestun
- Coconut Flan -
Review from Matt B.
Monterey, CA
1/25/2012
Great place. I've been going here for years. Friendly waitstaff and excellent seafood. Try the Mazatlan fishermans bowl.
-
Review from ed w.
Monterey, CA
8/1/2011
I don't get why some people think this is such a great deal. First there are several seafood restaurants on the Peninsula with a more consistent quality.
The label of "Fishwife" connotes some older ethnic (preferably Sicilian in Monterey, but most ethnicities will do) wife going down to the docks each day, and cannily picking out the freshest locally caught seafood available. If there isn't anything fresh, she dosen't buy. If it is fresh, she takes it home and prepares it lovingly the way her Mama taught her.
This isn't the way the Fishwife does it. They will cook up any old thing, fresh, somewhat fresh, somewhat frozen, somewhat flash frozen, somewhat dethawed, somewhat microwaved, you name it. Now we know why the dishes are great one night, and horrible the next. When they are on, they're good. Hope that you get in that night and select the right dish. Better yet, go to a quality place like the Fish House in Monterey, or the Village Fish House out in Carmel Valley and don't risk your hard earned bucks. -
Review from David L.
Frontenac, Saint Louis, MO
1/16/2012
This place is terrific! The Calamari was a great appetizer and my Snapper was likewise excellent. The place is clean, server friendly and the prices very reasonable. I definitely coming. Back!
-
Review from Mindy S.
Salinas, CA
11/21/2011
There isn't anything from this restaurant that I don't like.
-
Review from D G.
Sparks, NV
7/26/2011
This is one of the best seafood restaurants in the Monterey Bay area. I grew up here and have been coming to the Fishwife for over 15 years. I no longer live in CA but stop by every time I visit.
I always order the calamari appetizer and it never disappoints. The spicy tartar sauce is amazing. Recently my dad had some wonderful oysters on the half shell here. He is really picky about his oysters and he said they were very fresh and delicious. The Seafood Portafino is also a favorite of our family.
It does get really crowded so if you can, go early for dinner to avoid the wait. -
Review from Dwight M.
Philadelphia, PA
10/8/2011
If I could give this place a negative rating I would. We went for lunch and I must say it was the worse food ever. I had a "shrimp poboy" basically poorly friend shrimp on a soft roll with mayo and lettuce and not ripe tomato. My girl had some kind of calamari ravioli in a very bad red sauce. It was so bad she sent it back and ordered a friend shrimp appetizer that was just as bad. Bad food. For all I can tell the pictures are not real.
-
Review from Jim U.
A simple cafe in Seaside with a sea shack feel that offers up above average and generally delicious seafood with a few culinary surprises thrown in to boot.
I began with an order of clam chowder which was creamy and quite good. There was a nice clean taste, and the clam tasted fresh. They did a nice job sieving the soup. For the main course, I went with the barramundi entree. The Latin influence was obvious. On the bottom of my plate, there was an amazing mix of black beans and rice that came together so cohesively well, that I would have been happy with just a plate of that. This was topped by a crispy tortilla, upon which three large cuts of barramundi were placed and dressed. The sauce was a cilantro, lime sauce featuring achiote! I needed to look that one up -- a true surprise. The flavors came together really well, and I was quite pleased with the dish. The barramundi, in particular, was very fresh, but one slight is that it was a bit overcooked.
The casual ambiance of the restaurant makes it work great for a lunch spot. What is so impressive though is that the quality of the food here is a bit better than the usual lunch spots in the area. Definitely recommend! -
Review from David A.
San Juan Capistrano, CA
1/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'll go ahead and rate 5-stars before I get the food. Never disappoints. Great service. Delicious food. Basic inside, but the food will not disappoint.
The clam chowder is the best, although the Cajun style fish dishes are equally as good. -
Review from Heather J.
Laguna Beach, CA
5/23/2011
Thanks to Yelp I found this place!! AHHHH-MAAAA-ZZZING!! I haven't had seafood this good in such a long time & I didn't even realize it until I tasted the amazing calamari & prawns with the just as amazing fries... here at the Fishwife Seafood Restaurant. The calamari was some of the best I have ever had... & I am a calamari connoisseur so trust me... get the calamari!! The prawns were equally as yummy & good. The portions were perfect & the service here was amazing. The restaurant itself it pretty small not dive-y more just kick back seashack-y beach-y casual if that makes sense haha. Also the gentleman who served us was very helpful & extremely nice. As we were leaving there was a line outside of the door so I am not the only one who thinks this place is AHHHH-MAAAA-ZZZING... we will definitely be coming back when we visit again :)
-
Review from sharon g.
San Francisco, CA
Service was good. Food was ok. It was a good experience but I'm not sure I'm convinced to return.
-
Review from Kimberly C.
Palo Alto, CA
4/22/2011
YUMMM for their clam chowder! So creamy, fresh, not too salty and has the perfect amount of clams..mmm..those perfect clam bits that aren't rubbery but just has the perfect chewing texture..ahhhhhhhh I want it now. Too bad its 100 miles away from me :(
-
Review from Dave K.
San Mateo, CA
10/11/2010
Good, casual food. Seafood with a salvadoran twist. Good eats. Oysters were nice appetizers too.
You sit where-ever there is space, so the atmosphere is a little funky, but the food was good and my family (kids, and grandparents) were all happy. -
Review from Tylor M.
3/22/2011
It took me a few months, but I finally popped in here. Not much to say about the place. It's small and unassuming, but the service is great and the food is great. I approve and I will probably be back whenever I feel like seafood but don't wanna head all the way downtown.
-
Review from Earlene C.
East Bay, CA
I love dishes that are served in a bowls. I also love dishes that are a variety of foods to satisfy my indecisive, ADD stomach! The Fisherman's Ensenada Bowl was everything I needed and more - Fresh Tilapia, Scallops, Shrimp and Calamari corn mealed and fried. DELICIOUS!! Served with black beans, pico de gallo, veggies and rice. This ain't no Long John Silver's! You can taste the freshness of it all.
I am definitely coming back to try some of that seafood gumbo. -
Review from Michelle S.
Sacramento, CA
9/13/2006
Make sure you stop by here for some fresh fish when in Monterey! They have two locations...one in Seaside and the other in Pacific Grove.
I tried the one at Seaside. The restaurant is simple. You can see the kitchen when you walk in. I had the Cajun Catfish here and it was yummy. Comes with beans and rice. Also ordered a bowl of their gumbo. The bowl was huge and their gumbo is the best I've ever had (better than the ones in New Orleans, would you believe). It was SPICY with generous amounts of chicken pieces and sausage. Don't miss out!Listed in: Weekend in Monterey, I Saw It on Yelp!
-
Review from Cynthia K.
San Jose, CA
5/28/2010
Big Bag of Awesome! Get in my face. Love this joint. To people who give it one or two stars because of the decor... uh.hummm.
Read the story about this place it's been open since the 1940's and it' s hoppin' ever since. -
Review from Carlos B.
Monterey, CA
8/6/2009
Many people want romantic and elegant dining, ambience, location and fancy preparations, especially when they are vacation. Some of them might be put off a bit by the austerity and more basic menu choices found at the Fishwife.
They might be happier at a place like Roy's or any of the other more foodie sorts of places around the area, or even at touristy spots that fancy the dishes up and have a view to offer.
I believe the Fishwife is the best restaurant deal on the Monterey Peninsula. That is a big statement, but it succeeds on every important point, namely the food and its cost.
The fish has always been fresh, the cornmeal coating on the fried items crunchy and different. The menu is reasonable and most offerings are simply good, basic fish dishes. Nothing foo-foo, no stacks of fishbones steeped in starfish pee, it you get my drift.
The lack of fancy overhead, I believe, allows for the food to be the thing. You see city employees, local merchants and working people both blue and white collar filling the place at lunch. Most of the dinner guests seem to be locals as well.
Ditto on the review of the oyster poor boy.
A nice non-alcoholic drink is the raspberry iced tea. It is very flavorful, but very tart. Add sweetener as you like. It seems to go with everything and is a better accompaniment than plain water of coffee. It is not cheap Kool-aid stuff.
Interestingly, more people like the Seaside location over the beautiful Asilomar setting. I only have eaten in Seaside, many times when I worked there and I go whenever I am back in the area.
Contrary to what some will tell you, Seaside is not a scary place. Not so photogenic, but safe enough.
So, if you are vacationing here, head out there for lunch and check it out. You may well want to go back for dinner. -
Review from jemille c.
Salinas, CA
8/22/2007
So my boyfriend and I went here for a late lunch on Monday. There was no one in the restaurant so there was no wait to be seated. As you enter the restaurant, there is a counter where you can order take out and to the left side is where you can sit down to dine, they also offer outside dining. I would not suggest outside dining here, Seaside isn't the prettiest place.
Once greeted, the waitress gave us the option of where to sit, we chose to sit near the door because it was a bit hot inside. The waitress then asked for drink orders, I ordered water and my bf ordered raspberry ice tea. The raspberry ice tea was very different than anything i've had, and not in a good way. So i suggest you not order this if you are assuming it will taste anything similar to nestea raspberry ice tea that is offered at numerous establishments.
As for the appetizers, there was nothing out of the ordinary aside from the blue lip mussels. The appetizer was placed in a shallow bowl, where the mussels were surrounded by a light cream sauce that was accompanied with tomatoes and jicama. This dish also had a side of garlic bread which was great to soak up the yummie sauce.
For the main courses, the menu different types of salad and soups, fish and chips, pastas, and specialty entrees as well as specials of the day. The menu was not too spectacular or different. I ordered the pasta primerivera that had baby everything..the seafood was soo small (clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, and some type of white fish). The noodle is something i've never eaten, it was the size of a fettuccine noodle, but was thick and not to my liking. The sauce was a tomato base with green and red peppers the dish also had a big clump of tomatoes and jicama in the center. This dish also offered two slices of garlic bread. The best thing on this dish was the bread, and it wasn't even that great!
As for my boyfriend, he ordered the shrimp cleopatra which consisted of a white caper based sauce. The plate was also accompanied with black beans, broccoli, and rice. The shrimp was tender and was a lot bigger than the shrimp that was offered on my plate. I guess size does matter in this case, because it was a lot tastier than my dish. But it seemed weird that this dish was accompanied with random sides, black beans with shrimp? Well i guess its something that is common, but I found it strange. And the broccoli seemed to be undercooked. The only thing that I did enjoy on his plate was the shrimp and black beans.
Overall, I give this restaurant two stars because the food was not up to par. And the ambiance was not too great, it seemed too cramped even though there was no one in the restaurant. But I must say that the service was great, the waitress came by to check up on us often and cleared out our plates when finished and refilled our drinks when they were low. If I was to go back I would definitely order the mussels! But this is not likely since there are so many other restaurants in Monterey that I would like to experience. -
Review from Vik S.
San Jose, CA
12/11/2006
My wife and I like to cruise by this pleasant seaside gem after she gets her hair done in Silinas.
Try their Tostada Salad - HUGE HUGE HUGE...and yummy
We usually opt for the catfish plate and the prawns plate. ($9.95)
Both seafood coated in crackly cornmeal batter, perfectly cooked. Comes with sides of beans, fries/salad- overall a nice place with above average food and service. -
Review from Anna C.
8/3/2007
Wow, that is fresh fish.
I got the wild salmon and it was sooooooo good (way better than the one I got at Fish House).
Also got some cactus gelato... sounds interesting, but really isn't.
The service was a bit weak.
But despite everything, GREAT FISH! -
Review from George D.
San Jose, CA
6/2/2009
I was a bit skeptical about this place but hey four STARS!!
My friend and I made the stop and were very pleased. The setup for the restaurant is a bit strange. It's like 3 food places in one. FishWife the restaurant, fastfood and then then the Mexican place.
The FishWife restaurant is small but very elegant-nice. Friendly staff and cute outdoor tables for a nice day.
We had the Tilapia Cancun and cajun spice crab ravioli *special* Very good!!
A great place if you've had enough of the pier places full of people. -
Review from Emily C.
9/3/2009
We actually had some reservations about coming here just because we didn't know what to expect! But if you're a die-hard fan of seafood, then this place didn't disappoint.
It's more of a laid-back joint rather than a uppity seafood restaurant. We started off with the crab cakes which were top notch. And then had both the lobster bisque AND clam chowder. I preferred the chowder more, just because it was chunky and I like that. Now the main entree was also humongous (we ate WAY too much. You had to wheel us out of there). One thing I didn't understand was why it came with rice AND beans AND veggies. Wasn't too big a fan of the runny beans, I guess it added a Latino flavour? The veggies were kind of gross, but the main courses was the fish which was great. I had the Mahi Mahi. Can't complain! -
Review from Marci K.
Gilroy, CA
3/6/2007
OK, I know that this is one of the best loved restaurants in the area, but it's not one of my favorites. Here's why -
Small tables... long wait on weekends.... and most of the dinner entrees taste the same (any fish/seafood item you choose is either deep-fried or served with tasteless pico de gallo and black beans).
So why did I even give them 3 stars? Well, the seafood IS fresh... and they serve up a very tender calamari steak.
I just wish they would add some variety to the way the prepare the dishes! Be bold, not bland! -
Review from Christina J.
San Jose, CA
2/13/2009 7 photos
I am only alittle confused about the type of food served. I was told it was 'soul' food, ppl are saying its 'Mexican' ???. LOL. but that's not the restaurants' fault.
I had cup of their lobster bisque; tons of flavor and very smooth & savory
A shrimp poor boy sandwich; corn fried crusted shrimp (they weren't small shrimp either) with southern style potato salad :) The salad was very colorful with additional red & green crunchy veggies
I tried a piece of the fried calamari my company had. Ohh jesus, so amazing! -
Review from L.C. C.
Marina, CA
7/22/2009
The Fishwife in Seaside totally beats the one in Asilomar.
It's a cute and casual place, go to the restaurant side tho for a better dining experience or even better, sit outside in the patio area.
I ordered the deep fried (lord help my heart) oyster sandwich which was very tasty. Perfectly battered, not overdone, and they used these gigantic oysters (4-5 big ones) that filled every nook and cranny of the sandwich bread. i could have been bad and ordered the french fries, but i had a salad to go with it that complimented the oysters perfectly. deep fried oysters+deep fried french fries=too much deep fried goodness in one sitting. Oh, and stick around for dessert. I recommend the mango cheesecake.
Go here if you like fresh and well prepared seafood in a casual and friendly setting. -
Review from Linda A.
Monterey, CA
8/10/2010
Great food, fast service, cozy atmosphere.
Never had a bad meal. Regular customer for several years. -
Review from Angelica F.
Sacramento, CA
4/10/2011
Great service for a small seafood shack...Very good food. Had the pesto pasta with spicy chicken...was the best....Also the baja fisherman bowl.
-
Review from N H.
Brentwood, CA
12/9/2008
My Family and I ended up eating here Thanks to out GPS device. As visitors to the Monterrey area we had no idea where to eat. It was excellent food. It looks a little odd from outside, especially because it is connected to a Taqueria but it was Yummy. Fresh Clam Chowder, yummy fish dishes! It's like a little California-Hispanic Flavor to your favorite Seafood dishes. Not too spicy and not boring at all.
If I were to make one comment, it would be to separate the sit in portion and the Take-out portion of the Restaurant so that it doesn't appear to be a Deli/ Taqueria. -
Review from Katie P.
San Diego, CA
1/6/2009
My favorite fish place in Monterey.....
I ate here growing up!
For something healthy, try the Sea Garden Salad with grilled Cajun Snapper!
My dad loves the ciopinno, he's nuts for it!
We always share the Chocolate Torte, it is soooo rich and delicious.
O and... I prefer the restaurant in Seaside, it's more cuddly and comfy. But, if you are a tourist, go to the one in Asilomar, then you can walk around on the beach after!
They also take great care of their employees. We've had the same waiter for almost 12 years now! Who is a waiter for 12 years? That's crazy! -
Review from D H.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2009
I stayed at a nearby hotel & this place was recommended to me by the receptionist as a good place that was nearby and where the locals go.
We got free calamari due to the recommendation from the nearby Best Western & it was pretty good. Very big pieces of calamari that were tender vs. the small curly pieces that other places usually serve. It was so tender & the pieces so big that we were wondering if we were really eating calamari.
For dinner I had the Cajun catfish which was very good...came w/rice & beans which wasn't anything special, plus broccoli -- a full & satisfying meal.
For dessert I ordered a 'special' raspberry sorbet & I thought it lacked flavor so I wouldn't order that again.
Prices were affordable & I would consider eating here again if in the area. -
Review from Melanie N.
Belmont, CA
8/31/2010
Is this restaurant being confused with another nearby? All 4 of us disliked our meals. We ordered the wrong things or went on the wrong night? How can all the yelpers be wrong?
-
Review from Kerry L.
Redding, CA
2/17/2011 1 photo
Nice for a beautiful day. We sat outside. Great fish. We will return when we are in the area.
