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Categories: Southern, American (Traditional), Seafood [Edit]
170 6th AveMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"Amazing Amazing Amazing! Went for a girls weekend, my friend knew the owner & he hooked it up! Alberto is so sweet & took care of us…" read more »
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Came here for a quick bite before partying at the Hard Rock Hotel. Nice outdoor dining. Had the swordfish sandwich and beer. Something like $16. The criss cross fries was some of the best. The swordfish was tasty. Do yourself a favor and order your food at the bar instead of waiting in the long lines like a sucka! Besides, you gotta order your beer from there anyways.
People thought this was:
Fish and chips....best i had in a long time...I wanted to try everything, but sadly, had room only for the orignal deep fried, breaded goodness, with cole slaw and fries that will make any hungry sailor happy. I could do without the dude singing Sweet Home Alabama...although it was a nice day for the song....
I came here with coworkers craving clam chowder on a bread bowl. When I came here, the place was packed with people. It took them awhile to finally got my food out while everyone else in my table already got their food. That was a bit annoying, but I tried to be patient.
So, finally, the food came. Boy, did I over ordered! I ordered the chowder in bread bowl and one halibut taco. I think I couldn't have been fine without the taco. The bread bowl filled me up before I was able to get to the tacos. Their portion is pretty huge.
Of course, they're pricey too. My lunch came out to be $16. Seems like everything around here is rather pricey.
Anyhoo.... overall food was okay, the chowder was decent, and the tacos was okay too. It's a 3.5 stars.
GREAT fish taco's. Im going back tomorrow to try other items on the menu. There was a lot to choose from so I cant wait! Service was very quick and friendly too!
Thought it might be too touristy by the ballpark but served up some quality fried foods. 4.5 stars
Cost to worth it rating: 3
Highlights:
- Fried batter: on everything from onion rings to oysters to fish tacos, the batter was stellar. Nicely seasoned with coarse cornmeal intertwined with the overall crust.
- Fish tacos: both grilled hallibut and fried were fantastic. Huge portions and plenty of shredded cheddar cheese. Fried version has 2 large chicken strip sized pieces
- Drinks: if you are in the mood for an adult version of a big gulp, get a 32 ounce draft beer. If not, there's bottled beers (I like Corona with lime myself) or go all out with the full bar in back
Lowlights:
- Flour tortillas: good for the larger size, but as a wanna be wheat free girl due to allergies, I'd prefer corn.
- Bird invasion: if you're seated outside, you may get winged visitors at your table.
Satisfied my fish taco craving and I'll be back.
People thought this was:
Really good food. Don't judge me because this is SO much food, but I had the clam chowder in a bread bowl (I was impressed, but don't expect it to be as good as San Fran), a fish taco (INCREDIBLE), and the cross-cut fries (pretty delicious)!!!
I think these are my new favorite fish tacos!!!
My boyfriend had the fish and chips. Fish was all right, nothing to scream about, but he enjoyed it.
My bacardi and diet was only $7.50 and it wasn't happy hour...well worth it. I'm definitely going back.
I had never had fish tacos before so I ordered the fried fish tacos. Might as well go for it, right? They tasted okay. I thought they needed a little more zing or something. The grilled shrimp tacos were okay, but not as good as the fish (maybe because they weren't fried:). The onion rings with their lightly herbed batter and the homestyle fries were good but nothing special.
I like the location and enjoyed people watching, however, the live music was a little annoying. The guitarist playing along with bass and drum tracks was a little much for 11am. He even had a heckler.
Tin Fish was highly recommended, but I wasn't sure if it lived up to the hype. It does have an awesome location near Petco Park and the San Diego Convention Center.
My friend and I went at 11:00am so we didn't have to wait in line. However, other times when we walked by the lines were long. I guess if there is a long line it must be good, right?
Great fish taco, perfect atmosphere before the Padre games, this is a fun place to have a drink before the game
Riding our bikes around Downtown and watching the Red-Bull Air Races, naturally gets you hungry.
Not having been to the Tin Fish in a couple years, we were excited to check it out again.
Oh man, two years was way to long to not have come back.
I had the Sword Fish burrito which was life changing good. I don't think I spoke a word till that thing was gone.
It came with cris cut fries that were really tasty and Cole Slaw that was pickled instead of full of nasty ass mayo.
I ordered a large Stone Ale not knowing I would be getting a 32 once beer, not complaining but it just made my ride home a bit harder.
My wife had a Shrimp quesadilla, that had huge shrimp in it.
We shared a couple crab cakes that were a little disappointing, they were over fried and almost flavorless.
Overall everything was pretty flawless.
Good for eating outside on a sunny day.
People thought this was:
My fiance and I went here for a casual dining experience and that is exactly what we got. I didn't know beforehand that you order at the counter like a fast food place. You are given your drink in plastic cups (wine, beer, non-alcoholic, etc) then you sit and a server brings you your meal on plastic plates with plastic utensils. I got the seafood combo and my fiance got the fish tacos. We were overall pretty pleased with our meals. The fish was fresh and not too embellished with sauces, etc. However, we could have picked up a few fillets from Ralph's and made the same thing ourselves for a lot cheaper. When I go out I like to experience something I couldn't make at home. This was not one of those times. However, the location and music (live at the time) is great and the staff is very friendly. Since it's near Petco Park, we'd definitely go again on game day to grab an $8 32 oz beer. However, the $17 seafood combo was not worth it all things considered.
The greatest fish taco in the universe. Huge, gigantic, and stupendously immense tacos filled with fresh delicious fish. The coleslaw is pretty good too--not your usual creamy junk. Big fan!
People thought this was:
One of my favorite places to visit while in San Diego. I never thought I'd like fish tacos but this place definitely won me over for life. The mahi-mahi and the swordfish are phenomenal and spiced to perfection and the cabbage, dressing, and corn tortillas put them in a class of their own. I've never found a place in the same league as them and they've got great atmosphere with their outdoor patio and live music.
People thought this was:
Awesome clam chowder. Don't bother getting it in the sourdough bread bowl it was kinda dry and hard bread. Go for the regular bowl. The soujp is outstanding! Some of the best I've had. The fried shrimp and fish was good and so was the cross cut french fied potatos. Good prices and lots of types of beer.
People thought this was:
Delicious Fish n Chips every time. We took a friend visiting from NYC here and she loved it ( there was a live band playing at that time ). The waffle fries that accompany the fried fish goodness is absolutely superb.
People thought this was:
We were looking for a quick bite to eat before partying in SD on a friday night.. we stumbled here to order some yummy fish n chips... We ordered the combo... It was soooo good. I thought the portions would be more.. but it wasnt what I expected. The fish was a litlle overcooked.. but the scallops and calamari was mouth-watering delicious! Last.. the fries.. I heart criss cut fries with the seasoning!!! yummmers!
People thought this was:
After spending over $300 bucks at the designer wherehouse sale at the convention center, my daughter and i wandered across the trolley tracks so I could spend more money. We went to the Tin Fish for a snack. My snack after dropping too many c notes was an absolutely delicious double belvedere and tonic ... oh yea and I had some pretty damn good ceviche as well (( ; My daughter ordered the cheese quesadillas which were only 5.95. She got 3 huge quesadillas and really enjoyed them. We sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and the trolley passing by every five minutes or so .. haha As we enjoyed our company, my daughter informed me that she knew two guys who worked there. I will spare those of you with teenagers and those who are expecting children as I was then privey as to why and how she knew them ... thank goodness for my excellent drink. I will be back to enjoy more food and drink .. alone
People thought this was:
Stopped by here for dinner with my Aunt Mags after we went to a event at the Hard Rock Hotel. The Tin Fish looked casual and quite inviting, so we thought we give it a try. I ordered fish and chips and my Aunt Mags ordered a Fish Taco. We both thought that the fish was really good., it tasted fresh, moist, and seasoned well. The chips...hmmm...in my opinion it was overly salted for my pallete. The cole slaw was quite good...light, fresh, and well seasoned.
Overall, I would definitely come back again...it's a good place to chill with friends over good food and conversation in a casual setting.
People thought this was:
I really like the fish tacos here. It's a casual place that is reasonably priced and has a fun mix of tourists and locals and people watching sports. The method of putting your order in at the bar is a bit strange, as it seemed to just make things take longer. Just like my last review of Bronx Pizza I wish there were half stars so I could give it 3.5
People thought this was:
I used to really like this place, but somehow it has let me down twice in the one week time span that I've been there. Not in the way that service sucked or the food wasn't fresh, but just that the taste didn't jump out anymore.
First visit: fish taco and garlicky shrimp taco. Man those tacos are oversized! The fish was a-okay. Nothing special. The garlicky shrimp was much better than the fish, but the accompaniments (cabbages, etc.) just didn't dazzle.
Second visit: calamari, fish & chips. Definitely not a british style fish & chips. Honestly, that fried fish tasted like it was frozen. Maybe it is. The calamari was just okay. No tentacles, which is a shame because that's the best part.
For fish tacos I think you'll get a better bang for your buck if you go to Fred's. If you must got to Tin Fish, I probably would suggest the garlicky shrimp.
this is one of san diegos little secrets.
you need to come here with a group of friends before a padre game for the full experience. they have 8$ 32oz drafts of GREAT beer and after a few rounds, you are wasted walking to the game!
great patio with nice views or the gaslamp area and just a fun time
For a tiny fish & chips type of diner in a really good location, I thought Tin Fish was okay. We were starving so we ordered the ceviche, which came with really good chips. We could have stopped there but we also got 2 bowls of clam chowder (decent...I've had better but it did the job) and a 1/2 order of fish & chips.....that was okay too. Nothing special, but again, it did the job. For all of that plus 2 drinks, it came out to about $35 including tax and tip.
We ordered our food at the bar and ate in the bar area. There were several sports games playing (there were like 5 or 6 flat screens on the walls). There's also an outside patio, but because I was slightly hungover, I didn't want to sit outside with a bunch of loud families. The service was really good....so that gets a whole star on its own.
People thought this was:
For a little dive place... Prices are way high...10.00 for a beer, 12.00 for fish n chips...
But the food is good and the location is clutch. By the trolley. My homie Big Wayne would always come here before games (But not now considering that Wings Pizza n Things is open) But this place is good. They have tons of apps that will make you want to eat everything.
People thought this was:
Warm sunny days are well spent if you have the afternoon to sit at the patio and enjoy some awesome fish tacos and a tall one. An awesome location. Can't get enough of those waffle fries.
People thought this was:
Great fast food seafood joint in Downtown San Diego. The fish and chips are awesome but what really sets this place apart in my opinion is the cole slaw. Ususally cole slaw is mayonnaise based which I don't care for at all, but Tin Fish's cole slaw is a vinegar based recipe which is delicious. Bern doesn't seem to like it, but that's because she loves regular cole slaw. They also have criss-cut fries with a special seasoning which is also very good! Other than that, Tin Fish is an awesome place to eat, especially right before a Padres game because it's only a block away from Petco Park.
this review is strictly for their shrimp po'boy, cod po boy, garlicky shrimp burrito, cod pieces and waffle fries, huge fried prawns, fried salmon and halibut pieces, their fried calamari, their chicken tacos, their fish tacos, their calamari tacos*, their soup bowls, their vinegar slaw, their service, their proximity to the gaslamp and the convention center.
if youre looking for a place to "tailgate" during baseball season this might not be the best spot. its popular amongst people who like good food and tall cups of good beer. the lines get long and the food takes forever in a day. prolly cause when you eat here youre biting into 30 plus years of fish knowledge, fish cooking skills, and restaurateuring type stuff.
the word is tinfish and the game is overpriced. at least i faked myself into believing i can afford their ish to eat all that bread more than a dozen or so times. the gaslamp is big, go explore.
People thought this was:
Delicious fish tacos. $3.95 for a huge a la carte taco on a flour tortilla with 2 pieces of fish. A great value that is filling. The location is great and the clam chowder in the bread bowl is great.
Good location super nice people. The tin fish is one of those restaurants you come back to over and over again. I got the fish and shrimp basket
This place was obviously created to bank off of baseball games and conventions, which it is ideally located for both of. Sadly I wanted to go here for the longest time, having passed it several times on my way to other places. When I finally got the opportunity it let me down big time. The fish tacos have to be the most bland generic fish tacos I've ever had. It's hard to make truly excellent fish tacos, but to make bad ones I feel it would almost take an effort. The cheddar is awful the fish is bland, even the sauces lack character and it's all in an average flour tortilla, when most fish tacos are in corn tortillas.
I actually had the fried salmon fish and chips, which was decent, but I also tried everyone else's meals, and the were ALL awful, but mine. Beyond all this, it's not even reasonably priced. Just plain don't go here if you can avoid it. I can see no reason to want to ever visit again.
People thought this was:
We came in during a Padres game-- playoff against the Rockies.
It had a great crowd inside, I really couldn't have cared less about the game (being a Cardinals fan) but it was a lot of fun to be a part of the action. Sure the home team lost, but people where still having fun and I met a few other people from Missouri inside.
We ordered tacos and calamari and was very happy with both. The bartender was a lot of fun and I shared a beer with fellow Cardinal fans in a neutral zone!
It did make me gulp when we got the bill.
I didn't know the Tin Fish existed until my coworker told me about it. I stopped in for a pre-Madonna concert drink and snack and now I make an effort to stop by whenever I don't feel like hanging out at my regular drinking/snacking establishments (which happens more often than you'd think). The waffle fries are *really* good!
People thought this was:
I love this place, its the best....fresh fresh fresh!!!! A great place to relax and watch the game!!!
I am not craving to go back, but they definitely give you good portions. It's a good place for a casual dinner after work with some buds or after a ballgame. The good selection of fish tacos are huge, and the fries are pretty darn good.
People thought this was:
Best grilled fish tacos I've ever had. My favorite is the grilled swordfish. I ate here almost every day while vacationing in San Diego.
My secret hangover cure???? Tin Fish fried fish taco's. So huge, you only need one.
Try the chips and salsa, too. The chips are kind of soft and flaky. so great. And the hot sauce they have is outta this world.
I love you, Tin Fish.
People thought this was:
A best-friend from high school and I met up in San Diego, a first trip for the both of us, after 13 years of not seeing each other. Wanted to try as many seafood venues as we could, and a local chowhounder recommended this place.
We were here between 5p-7p, and it was very busy (tourists and locals crowded up the place). I recall it was game day, too... Ordered at the walk-up counter and waited to be served at a table; it took us forever to secure one. Fried items dominated the menu. Neither of us were impressed with our platters- I can't even recall what I had, it was that unimpressive.
People thought this was:
no,no,nooo! They are nice people that work there but people please! The food is over priced. I guess it is ok for those tourists wanting a quick, paid by their company lunch...but I would rather go somewhere else to get fish tacos that are even better and have some money left for drinks and dessert. Plus you should have tortilla chips as a side...not criss-cut fries!
People thought this was:
The food is ok - but WAY overpriced. They totally take advantage of their location, knowing that desperate convention-goers will pay to NOT be in the convention center for those quick lunch breaks.
Was a little turned off that when I ordered a "taco Platter" it was served with French Fries and Coleslaw. Weird.
They do have the advantage of having a HUGE outdoor space - all the restaurants on 5th have COVERED patios - but at Tin Fish you can actually sit in the shade OR the sun and it's great for people watching.
Please read this before you go there and spend your hard earned money! If I could leave all stars off of this review I would. My wife and I have been customers of this establishment for some time now until this happened to us.
We ordered some food there before a baseball game on April 26th 2009. The food got delivered to our table and on top of my wife's fish taco was a METAL NUT! The server took the taco back and I told him to let the manager know about this. 10 minutes later the poor kid comes back with a new taco and tells me he told the manager/OWNER. We then waited 10 minutes and still no manager so I asked the same kid to go and get him for us. You would think if something like this happened it would be automatic for the owner/mgr to come and apologize and maybe even comp her meal. Later on one of the servers said he stated he was too busy to come and talk to us.
When the owner finally came to the table he said sorry about that the nut fell on top of your taco because it came loose the previous night when they were cleaning and someone bumped into it then he started to talk to others around him to try and get off the subject. I asked if he would consider refunding my wife's meal, and he stated no I cant do that we at least made her a new one. We were speechless and could not believe what came out of his mouth. My wife asked the question what if I would have bitten into that? He had nothing to say, then proceeded to go to another table to sit and chat with friends for over 10 minutes. Remember he didn't have the time of day to apologize to us. So I know that his brother works the bar and he is the better half of the two. The brother knows my sister in law "Sarah Star", so I told him about it before I left and even though he was busting his butt he stopped to listen in shock and refunded my wife's meal. He said he could not believe it and would talk to his brother the owner about it. So in short we nor any of our friends will ever go there again before a game to enjoy a beverage or a meal.
People thought this was:
My favorite is the garlicky shrimp burrito! Crisscross fries and cold slaw are great too!
People thought this was:
Just wanting to add to my previous opinion........I am now addicted to these fish taco's. mmmhhh mmmhhh Good!
Maybe I am once again biased to the dog friendly patio....or maybe it is the really delicious ala… Read more »
