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Monterey Fish
Categories: Food Specialty Food Seafood Markets Food Farmers Market Seafood Markets, Farmers Market [Edit]
1582 Hopkins St(between California St & Monterey Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94707
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
(510) 525-5600
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 10 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
41 reviews for Monterey Fish
Review Highlights
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"Friendly staff selling high quality fish, how great." In 4 reviews -
"The freshest and cleanest oysters." In 7 reviews -
"My favorite fish monger." In 5 reviews
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41 reviews in English
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Review from Gigi T.
San Pablo, CA
Updated - 4/20/2010
Oysters were fresh from the farm as promised! BF placed another order for additional 20 oysters, and they gave them to us for free!
For the whole 120 oysters, i think we only have a couple that were bad, but that was expected :)
Will definitely return!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/7/2010
Super. Fresh. Fish. Period.
BF went to order 100 Hog Island oysters for my bday gathering, they're… Read more »
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Review from Anita W.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
i confused myself at first because i thought they were located inside the monterey market, which is a block away from the actual monterey fish market.
this place gets extremely busy during rush hour, and the 2 guys who were behind the counter were busy taking orders and greeting the regulars. i overheard lots of comments from customers about their fresh fish.
i was having a bbq for my birthday and wanted to grab a few dozen oysters. i resorted to MFM since the places i had in mind sold out! i trekked out to berkeley from oakland in peak traffic hour. there were 3 different types of live oysters available to my own picking; hog island, kumamotos, and european flat oysters. ice was available upon request and one of the guys was helpful in picking out the hog island oysters for me. the pricing was a little more than other places, but it was worth it once i shucked those oysters after the grill! -
Review from Edi B.
Vallejo, CA
1/9/2012
$27lb for dungeness crab! Furreals?
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Review from lucie l.
Oakland, CA
The freshest and cleanest oysters. I have bought oysters elsewhere and have had to spend so much time cleaning the oysters that they are just not worth it. Here, you pick up the oysters of your liking, do a quick rinse, shuck and they are ready to eat. Almost pristine!
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Review from Robin H.
Emeryville, CA
12/18/2011
I was sold bad fish - my house still smells horrible.
For the first time in 20 years I was sold a bad, and I mean bad, piece of fish. I should have known better, all of the signs were there. Fri., Dec. 16, 2011. The store usually smells fresh and briny, never fishy which is a very bad sign. This time there was a fishy smell. 2nd., the fish did not look great. 3rd, I allowed myself to be talked into buying a piece of tuna that never should have been sold to anyone.. I had no idea until it went into the pan and the smell was horrible, in fact I cannot get the smell out of my house. The fish tasted horrible. I did not believe it - this has never happened before - not from Monterey FIsh. How much time did I waste preparing dinner only to have it ruined by Monterey Fish's lack of ethics in deciding to sell bad fish? Well, it was a substantial amount of time. It was stupid of them to sell bad product in this age of social media. I find it difficult to believe that the management of this company does not know that they are selling product that was impossible to consume. Now, how do I get the fish smell out of my house. I have never had anything like this - the smell is horrendous. I spent three hours, cleaning he kitchen, cleaning the exhaust fan and filters - it still stinks. Monterey Fish, your employees made a very bad call in selling fish that is not up to its purported standards. Unless those standards have slipped, and if they have, I will let everyone know - after all, it is the age of social media and you have severly damaged your rep with this one. -
Review from Robin C.
Emeryville, CA
1/18/2008
Poor Customer service.
A morning phone call confirmed the fish I requested was in and that it would be available for pick up.
Drove 2 hours in order to purchase 8 lbs of this fish. Upon arrival, I gave the fish monger my name, and the fish which was confirmed for was no longer available. After asking if there would be more tomorrow morning and if it could be picked up earlier, the monger rolled her eyes.
Product has been said to be good, used by the chefs of Berkeley's Sur La Table cooking demonstrations and such. However, after purchasing fish at Tokyo Market on San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, there is no comparison. Fresher fish, 2x the variety, decent costumer service, and lower prices by $2.00-$4.00/lb..
Monterey Fish is a tiny fish boutique with corresponding prices and attitude.Comment from Paul J. of Monterey Fish 9/16/2010
Hello- I regret that you had a poor experience at my store a… More » -
Review from Karl G.
San Leandro, CA
11/21/2008
I worked here on and off for years while I was a student and in between other jobs. Rest assured you will find no fresher fish than at Monterey Fish! The retail shop is a small division of their business, but they mainly sell to the best retaurants in the bay (Chez Panisse, Slanted Door, Downtown, BayWolf - some of my personal favorites on their very long list of high caliber restaurant customers)
Sure fish is relatively expensive, but think about it this way: its WILD meat! Where else can you go buy wild meat? Its not like you go to even the best butcher and find wild beef, pork, duck, chicken or whatever else. I mean, it takes a tremendous amount of effort for fisherman pull crab off of the ocean floor, hook tuna in the pacific, or black cod off the dangerous waters of Alaska! Wild fish is so much better than farmed in both taste, health value, and quality ...and its worth every penny.
Paul Johnson is a great guy. Very environmentally conscious and focused not only on sustainable fish, but making his store green: they recycle food waste for compost - which by my estimate must be over 90% of their garbage by mass (very little plastic or other waste). He wrote a book/cookbook about sustainable fish called Fish Forever - you can find it at the store or online.
I had a great working experience with Paul and his family, and all the guys that have worked there over the years.
Good people and good fish - if you live in a 100 mile radius (yes there are customers that visit every weekend from Napa for this fish!), you need to check this place out! -
Review from Eileen P.
CA
3/21/2009
What a gem, and so close by!
Didn't know what I would cook tonight, but when I saw the petrale sole, I chose that. In and out of the market in about 2 minutes, the easiest errand all day. Friendly staff selling high quality fish, how great! I paired the pan-fried petrale with the lemon and thyme au gratin potatoes from Gregoire, and a side of broccolini, and everyone raved! Easiest and most delicious quick dinner lately. This will be a repeat performance. -
Review from Hugh B.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2006
Pescetarians unite! Monterey Fish is the one and only entity that can motivate me to brave a round trip across the Bay Bridge simply to pick up a key ingredient for a meal. They are far and away the best fish monger you'll know, with friendly staff that are knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly to boot.
While on any given day they might only have 30% of the varieties of fish you're used to seeing in your neighborhood Whole Foods or Andronicos, it will undoubtedly be uniformly fresh, reasonably priced, and you can rest assured your little fillet won't be another nail in the coffin of some poor over-fished species. For folks with a long drive home, they'll gladly pack it in ice for the road. -
Review from Lillian B.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 9/6/2011
I want to apologize for my poor review. I went to Moneterey Fish today and they were very kind and took care of my problems with the lobster; so now I am a fan again and am sure I will be treated with respect as I have been a long time customer. It was with trepedidation that I went back; because I never had such an experience with lobster; but they made good on it and I have called my guests and we will try again in a few weeks again. thanks for listening.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/4/2011
On Sept. 3rd I paid 25.77 for a louzy lobster that they said weighed 2 lbs and had a leg riped away… Read more »
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Review from Tony L.
San Leandro, CA
10/26/2006
This place has several things going for it, but what most people would be interested to know is that their fish is second to NONE in the East Bay. I've heard a lot about Tokyo and a couple other places, but I'll always go here when I want to serve the best fish to my guests at home. I make sushi at home a couple times a month and all my guests agree, the fish is better here than any other place I've gotten it from (this includes when I used to live in Seattle and got some of the most amazing Salmon you've ever put a knife to).
They've got a knowledgeable staff that I happen to think are pretty cool. I've brought them beer and sake as thank you presents for giving me such great cuts of fish. I don't order huge amounts all the time, so it's cool to know that they consistently give out the best fish regardless of whether you order a pound or ten (I've ordered both, lol).
Give this place a try tonight! -
Review from Bean B.
Berkeley, CA
10/22/2007
This is the first fish monger that I have been to that has SUCH fresh fish that it doesn't smell fishy!
The Oysters I bough were so fresh that when I shucked them and squirted a little lemon juice on them, they flinched.
They only sell sustainably harvested fish. Need I say more?? -
Review from Greg J.
Berkeley, CA
8/31/2008
OK. I never thought I'd find fish at affordable prices. And the fact that it is truly FRESH and not "previously frozen" makes it even more remarkable. They have amazingly great selection given that all of their fish is so fresh and the prices are lower than what you'd pay at Safeway for "previously frozen" fish from anywhere but here.
One time when I was at Lucky, I actually saw them taking frozen fish out of those vacuum sealed packs that you find at Costco and laying them into the case to look as if they were fresh fish! Of course, if you read closely, it said "previously frozen", but I never realized that they are selling the same stuff that you can get from Costco.
From now on, when I am making a meal in which the fish is the highlight, I'll be heading straight to Monterey Fish Market. -
Review from piercival ..
Berkeley, CA
5/14/2007
If you don't have a brother-in-law who is a commercial fisherman (yes, I do, but he's often hard to track down) then this is the place to go for your seafood.
Everything here is fresh and much of it is local. The prices are fair and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly.
Best Fishmonger in the Bay Area. -
Review from Anisha K.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2011
Went there for the first time today with my friend who lives in the neighborhood. The service is friendly, the staff is knowledgable and the selection is great. I needed halibut for ceviche and the price was $5 less than any SF market for local. Also, the cured anchovies were so delicious.
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Review from Cornelous S.
Richmond, CA
7/11/2011
fish is always fresh, but its good to check and don't buy the scraps. the opah is good one of the only places that has it. could have a little more selection. fun place to hang out. the cook book is great and there is a great idea rack of cook books under the shelves in the corner with dry goods.
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Review from cindy s.
Berkeley, CA
11/1/2011
We shop here at least once a week - I think it would be hard to find fresher fish, without buying it directly "off the boat". Great staff, always willing to offer preparation suggestions. Fun vibe, great neighborhood!
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Review from Victor G.
Oakland, CA
10/28/2009
monterey fish has been modernized from the old times. before, it looked like a fishmonger's delight: rows of fresh and frozen fish on beds of ice. stretched out on long tables. the buzzing flies added an aura of authenticity. today, it's just 2 referigated enclosed units in a clean, sterile environment with the daily fresh fish within. (about a dozen fish available daily).
fresh whole oysters available: miyagi (.75) san simeon (1.25) the fishmonger on duty shucked one miyagi to show me how it was done.
having fried fish in the past personally, i knew it couldn't be an impulse thang. all the ingredients had to be ready for a decent meal.
it's nice to know montery fish is around should i need top grade fin fish and/or raw oysters in the shell.
picked up a cookbook ($20ish) produced by the owner. some interesting recipes inside.
only negative here is the lack of street parking. -
Review from Tim C.
Berkeley, CA
8/15/2008
The owner and all the guys who work there are all into sustainable fish catching and care. I just had a crab salad they made there...unbelievable. Beautiful, quality stuff. And yes, if you go there you can park in my lot across the street while you shop.
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Review from Gabby K.
Oakland, CA
6/10/2008
5 stars. thats right, 5 solid stars.
i called at least 10 other stores today, wildly looking for live crabs. Silly me, the girl who wants a serious crab feast on a tuesday waaaaaaaaay after crab season. I got no after no and numerous offers of crab meat, "good lucks".
poo.
finally i called monterey fish. mind you, ever call i make sounds as if its a prank call.. im surprised i didnt get hung up on.
"hi, do you have crabs?"
"yes"
"live ones?"
"yes."
"dungeness?"
"yes, we have several left today."
"holy cow, im coming right over!"
5 in a bag, for a SICK OMG SO CHEAP price...tonight we feast on crabs!
the rest of thier fish looked on point, the counter boys were effing cute for fishmongers & oh so helpful.
ill be back, perhaps with bells on...but definitely the place to go for crabs.
a line was formed behind me, people were called by name.. quite the place.. seems i got in on some sort of awesome secret hidden fish spot! yes, hidden next to the awesome monterey market....
oh, and i got a free crab mallet. im not sure what im spozed to do with it, perhaps battle the crabs before sending them to their boiling doom.? -
Review from TL C.
Philadelphia, PA
10/12/2007
fish heads fish heads eat them up yum . la la la la -- oh the songs of my childhood.
I don't know if Monterey Fish sells fish heads -- I think they are probably just a little too tony for that. But despite the tony location and the tony prices the staff is always friendly.
I can't say much about the fish but this is Berkeley's go to place if you like raw oysters (and you have a friend who can shell them or if you can do that yourself even better) -
Review from Courtney S.
Alameda, CA
2/5/2011
Finding Monterey Fish Market has been life-changing for our family. I LOVE seafood, but always lacked confidence in my skill set for preparing it at home. Well, 75% of the problem was the yucky fish I was buying at the supermarket. The staff here is fantastic, the fish is SO fresh, and reasonably priced. (Fish is not cheap, and if you're looking for cheap fish you're getting what you pay for) I feel good knowing that they'll only sell fish from healthy fisheries and that which is caught responsibly. I'm now one of those people that grills a waitress on where their salmon comes from. I just wish they were closer to me so I could stop here more than 1x/week. For now, I'll settle for my weekly Saturday trip. Thanks, Monterey Fish Market for making me a fish snob!!
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Review from Annie F.
8/23/2008
Paul Johnson knows how to sell great fish. I wish I was there more, but it's true quality, very fresh, and sustainable.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Joe P.
El Cerrito, CA
8/14/2007
Great local gem to have. The fish is great, varied and fresh. A little pricey, but worth it. Plus, the friendly staff, albeit very young, is always knowledgeable. Selection is limited, but I like that b/c it makes me try things I would not normally buy. Probably the best fish in East Bay.
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Review from Benji T.
Oakland, CA
2/3/2009
Last Saturday I needed to get some crab for a party I was throwing. I'm sorry I didn't invite you but things have been tense with us lately and I was hoping that we could find some time where just the two of us could talk and figure out why there is this distance growing between us. We could do lunch or whatever. Your friendship is important to me and I want to work through this but it just didn't seem appropriate to invite you when we're dealing with these tough issues.
But anyway. I needed to get some crab for this party I was throwing and was recommended to come to the Monterey Fish Market. I went to high school just right around the corner from here so coming back to the friendly neighborhood was a treat itself. When I walked in I was greeted by the staff's playing of Hank Williams greatest hits on the PA and I knew then I was in the right place. I mentioned I needed some cooked crab and the gentleman helping me advised that since it wasn't crab season so much anymore I should get a pound of the crab meat; already cracked. Ok, I thought. Why not? I guess he felt bad that I couldn't get the original request fulfilled so he threw in two (2), fully cooked crabs...for free!
The cost of a pound of crab meat and two cooked crabs you ask? 25 bones. Not bad at all. Thanks guys, keep on honky tonkin'. -
Review from Allie S.
9/8/2009
I just got back from a month in the San Juan Islands (WA) where fresh Dungeness crabs are as numerous and accessible in the summer as liquor stores in Oakland. I went up to Hopkins St. for plants, but the nursery is apparently closed Thursdays.
Walking back to my car I decided I had to check out Monterey Fish, took one look at the $26/lb lump crab meat and turned around to walk out when I saw live crabs in a tank, from Washington, for $7/lb. The very friendly boy behind the counter caught me two of them and sold 'em to me for $5/lb. I left a happy girl.
I know they were wastefully shipped down here but our crab season isn't until winter and waiting until then didn't seem like an acceptable option at the time.
Docked a star for the gray-haired weirdo Berkeley woman balancing the book on her head standing smack in the middle of the store, getting in everyone's way and freaking the staff out. She meandered out five minutes later without buying anything and promptly got in her Subaru Outback. Please leave your eccentricities at home if they get in the way of my dinner. -
Review from Ryan C.
12/11/2009
This is a great seafood shop with quality stuff. They care about the sourcing and the sustainability. No chilean seabass here! Most of the stuff is local. We got some Tomales Bay mussels that were small but turned out to be oh-so tasty! The staff is very friendly and helpful.
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Review from Ayelet B.
Danville, CA
7/12/2009
Absolutely LOVE this place. I wish I lived closer since I would get all my fish there. The fish is absolutely amazing and the service is fantastic. The staff is super friendly and helpful. I've been a few times and all the fish has been incredible from tuna to halibut to sole.
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Review from jen n.
San Mateo, CA
7/21/2010
3 months ago I would have given them 5 stars b/c I was so psyched with the freshness. But then I got the nasty fish. Served it to guests, b/c by the time I got home it was too late to either change the menu or go back and get different fish. I'm fussy about fish b/c I used to live by the ocean and get my fish from boats coming in to port. It's so awful serving ammonia smelling fish. I'm still preserving a star and if I find a way to assure that my fish is fresh I might go back. But I hate to stick my nose in the fish in the store, and the whole store smells like fish anyway so it doesn't really work. And asking "what's fresh today?" will only get you 'everything, we get our fish at 4:00AM off the docks', BS replies. So I'm still looking for a reliable fish place where I can get fish ALL THE TIME every week and know it's fresh. Any ideas? I've really tried A LOT of places.
Comment from Paul J. of Monterey Fish 7/27/2010
Hello- We regret that you are less than satisfied with the… More » -
Review from Angus D.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2010
Probably the best fish mongers in the Bay Area. The fish is reasonably priced, and the quality is excellent. Short of buying fish from the fisherman, this is as fresh as you're going to get it.
They sell wet fish, shell fish, oysters, and have tanks of lobster and crab. They also have a small selection of smoked fish and other dried groceries you find in these types of stores.
I was in the neighborhood for other reasons traveling from San Francisco, and I'm so pleased I visited. There are only two equivalent options in SF, Swan Oyster and San Francisco Fish Co. but the prices are a couple of dollars higher per pound.
Well worth the travel - highly recommended. -
Review from Anne D.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2006
I usually head over to Berkeley once a week to do my food shopping and Monterey Fish is always on the agenda. The place is very well run and the fish is excellent. Always super fresh and handled with care.
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Review from Noah S.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2007
Local fish market with great, fresh fish and great people. You'll feel good coming in here, and your stomach will feel better after you've cooked for meal. This place, and Tokyo Fish are hands down the best places to go for fish in East Bay.
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Review from Jan C.
El Cerrito, CA
3/11/2010
I love Monterey Fish Market - the quality, the service and the neighborhood. Have never had less that a great experience here. And the prices are reasonable.
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Review from Sarah W.
Oakland, CA
7/15/2009
Nice selection of fish and seafood plus terrific customer service. They even gave me plenty of advice about how to cook the sole! The prices seem fair, and the location is great.
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Review from furtivos h.
Sausalito, CA
3/17/2011
excellent selection, very friendly staff
always great, no downside to this palce
for all things marine, go here -
Review from Lynne C.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2008
Monterey Fish Market gives me East Bay envy. Anytime I can get the excuse to cross the bay bridge, I inevitably find myself swinging by here for their selection of sustainably caught, fresh fish. And if we are having company for dinner, I call ahead to see what is available and build the menu around what they have. I also love the "Fish Forever" book that the owner wrote...although more for the fabulous information on how, where and why to eat sustainable fish than the not particularly foolproof recipes. I wish they had a place in sf! Fish lovers take note - they are not open on monday's contrary to the yelp info...
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Review from jenna p.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2005
is it a sign of cruelty if you just love those tanks of lobsters? i dont care if it makes me a nerd, but i think crustaceans are just amazingly cool. they are cool alive, and they are also very cool when i am eating them with some gorgeous melted butter and garlic. in any case, monterey fish is a very high quality, serious fish-monger sort of place and i approve of it.
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Review from RJ T.
Berkeley, CA
11/10/2009
I am a very fussy guy when it comes to seafood. I spend 4 months of summer on Martha's Vineyard where I only buy fresh fish. When I moved to Berkeley 5 years ago, I spent a while testing every fish market - a disappointing task. In a lucky turn of fate, I live 3 blacks from the best fishmonger in the Bay Area. Monterey Fish Market is a jewel. The fish is fresh, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I don't mind if they don't have a wide selection. What you get is fresh...if you need advice on how to fix it, they will suggest a recipe. Did I mention that he fish was fresh...!!!!
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Review from Liza M.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2007
Great, locally owned place for your fish fixes.
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Review from B H.
San Francisco, CA
9/26/2007
My favorite fish monger. You're assured to get the freshest fish here because they are the distributor.
