Fish 101

Fish 101 is my absolute favorite place to get fresh fish.The Sockeye salmon is wild caught and delicious.The Brussels sprouts are crispy and drizzled in balsamic glaze.And everything i've eaten here has been delightful

Great food. Clean. Good view you can see the ocean from a distance if you sit outside. Attracti e people working. Would come again for sure.

Excellent food, service was topical, would definitely visit again, sorry I didn't get the fish tacos cause they looked absolutely delicious!!

Very filling fish and chips. Hot and fresh!

Hello?? It’s super good. I highly recommend their poke, it’s just like what you’ll get in Hawaii. And I liked that sticky rice and spicy mayo were perfect as well. Fish and chips were so so good, very fluffy and the fish melts in your mouth. Fries were 4.5/5, solid and I’ll eat it again and again but it won’t be my favorite. I don’t even know which dish was more delicious. Highly recommend.

Fish 101 is always a great experience for me and my family. Service is good and the place has good ambience, even if it can be a bit tight and ordering could be a bit smoother. The menu offerings are the star though. They seem to do so many things well here, from clam chowder to fish sandwiches to seafood tacos and burritos. I think the only order I had that was mediocre was a bowl I got one time, but that was only mediocre relative to the other great offerings found here. Anyway, this has been a favorite spot for me and my family for a couple of years now; highly recommend!

Awesome restaurant. It has been there for more than hundred years. The grilled shrimp taco is great with their green salsa. They even have their own brand merchandise.

Fish 101 is a great place to go in Cardiff when you're in the mood for seafood. I've been there a few times, had a few different dishes and each one came out hot, fresh and delicious. The fish taste fresh, veggies also prepared fresh, and the latest side dish I've tried was the tomato and coconut milk soup. Wow, very flavorful! Fish 101 is usually crowded but the service is still very welcoming and friendly. The workers are always busy, clearing tables, delivering your meals to each customer, and making sure the atmosphere is comfortable and clean. Ive only tried a few dishes so far but Ive seen many customers devouring many of their other dishes. I highly recommend Fish 101, you won't be disappointed.

My niece and I came here and had the best lunch! Salmon was cooked perfectly, the broccolini was fresh and the arugula salad had fresh thick grated parm with amazing lemon vinaigrette!

Seriously fresh and welcoming. People were waiting before opening. Delicious 😋 accommodating for shellfish allergies if you let them know!

Delicious fish tacos and oysters! Literal ocean-to-table with ocean views too! Highly recommended!

Awesome staff. Fresh, clean food. Can’t leave without trying the dole whip.

the best fish I’ve ever had in my life. and it’s not too pricey and they always have super quick service.

The quintessential laid back, simple California seafood restaurant with solid food and a large following just across from the San Elijo and Cardiff State Beaches. Located at the center of an area next to the very popular beach boardwalk, this is one of two locations of the restaurant. Our favorite is their fish and chips. For $16, you get 3 large pieces of battered fish and a huge pile of French fries. The fish is tender and flaky, and the battered shell crispy. We also liked the grilled romaine lettuce. On a sunny Saturday, there’s a constant line of people waiting to place lunch order, but the wait is only about 5 to 6 minutes when both cash registers are open. Parking is not easy when there’re so many people on the beach, but we found that there’s often a spot or two just in front of the restaurant.

My daughter and I wanted the coolest place along the beachfront, where all the cool 😎 people hang out after or before going and walking along the beach. This is the magic spot FISH 101 - we ordered the classics: 3 pc Fish & chips, and three mahi mahi tacos 🌮 Both were just perfect 👌🏼 Don’t forget the malt vinegar on the fish & chips (GO 🇬🇧!)

Katherine Rodes

My niece and I came here and had the best lunch! Salmon was cooked perfectly, the broccolini was fresh and the arugula salad had fresh thick grated parm with amazing lemon vinaigrette!

Perception

Seriously fresh and welcoming. People were waiting before opening. Delicious 😋 accommodating for shellfish allergies if you let them know!

Maddie Heller

the best fish I’ve ever had in my life. and it’s not too pricey and they always have super quick service.

Rockyyy

Awesome staff. Fresh, clean food. Can’t leave without trying the dole whip.

Leslie Lucero

Excellent food, service was topical, would definitely visit again, sorry I didn't get the fish tacos cause they looked absolutely delicious!!

Jessica Alexander

Very filling fish and chips. Hot and fresh!

Chen Dow

The quintessential laid back, simple California seafood restaurant with solid food and a large following just across from the San Elijo and Cardiff State Beaches. Located at the center of an area next to the very popular beach boardwalk, this is one of two locations of the restaurant. Our favorite is their fish and chips. For $16, you get 3 large pieces of battered fish and a huge pile of French fries. The fish is tender and flaky, and the battered shell crispy. We also liked the grilled romaine lettuce. On a sunny Saturday, there’s a constant line of people waiting to place lunch order, but the wait is only about 5 to 6 minutes when both cash registers are open. Parking is not easy when there’re so many people on the beach, but we found that there’s often a spot or two just in front of the restaurant.

Paul Segal

My daughter and I wanted the coolest place along the beachfront, where all the cool 😎 people hang out after or before going and walking along the beach. This is the magic spot FISH 101 - we ordered the classics: 3 pc Fish & chips, and three mahi mahi tacos 🌮 Both were just perfect 👌🏼 Don’t forget the malt vinegar on the fish & chips (GO 🇬🇧!)

Noisy environment due to tight seating and sonically bright walls and furnishings. Fish was pretty good but the brussels sprouts were over-roasted. I like seaweed salad so that pleased me.

Love their Poke! Wish I had some right now! The food is fresh and delicious. Small but clean and friendly environment. It can be a little slow, but good things come to those who wait!

Fresh food, great quality and price, nice staff, love the location(s). My family loves this place and everyone I bring here loves it too. I hope nothing changes and that this place stays the same - it's perfect.

jerririgger

Love their Poke! Wish I had some right now! The food is fresh and delicious. Small but clean and friendly environment. It can be a little slow, but good things come to those who wait!

David Sturgiss

Noisy environment due to tight seating and sonically bright walls and furnishings. Fish was pretty good but the brussels sprouts were over-roasted. I like seaweed salad so that pleased me.

Justin H

Fish 101 is always a great experience for me and my family. Service is good and the place has good ambience, even if it can be a bit tight and ordering could be a bit smoother. The menu offerings are the star though. They seem to do so many things well here, from clam chowder to fish sandwiches to seafood tacos and burritos. I think the only order I had that was mediocre was a bowl I got one time, but that was only mediocre relative to the other great offerings found here. Anyway, this has been a favorite spot for me and my family for a couple of years now; highly recommend!

The food is fresh and so good! Always worth the drive to have a lunch or dinner here. The crew is friendly and pretty funny too

Pricey but good food and portions

The poke bowl was great….the mahi burrito-okay. The staff were the best part of the meal.

My favorite is the GRILLED SHRIMP BURRITO. It tastes more like a sushi roll than the Mexican burrito taste you might expect, especially because of the rice. I could eat it every day. I like ordering a side of Chipotle Cream Sauce. That stuff is epic. The Fried Fish Tacos and the Fried Shrimp Tacos were delicious, and my daughter really liked her Fish & Chips. I wouldn't recommend parking in the few spots in front of the store. The road is always crazy and backing out onto it can be daunting. Who knows, maybe the Adrenaline Rush would be your favorite part. 😁 The side street next to it always has available spots just in case. This is such a cute, casual place to eat. Or, I love taking the food with me and enjoying the breathtaking view on Vulcan.

I always pass by Fish 101 and finally made it a point to stop and eat here. Walk in, stand in line to order, then find a seat. They will deliver the food to you. There's outdoor seating too and you can watch the sunset. Food: Mahi Mahi Plate with 2 sides; broccolini and fries. Spicy Ahi Bowl with Rice Overall, the food was delicious. I ate all of my Mahi Mahi and Broccolini. Wasn't a fan of the fries. The Ahi bowl was also delicious. You can tell that the fish they serve is fresh. The workers were all nice. Definitely will return.

+6

I like Fish 101, it's just a bit overpriced, in my opinion. It's $14 for a bowl of rice, black beans, and a couple small pieces of fish like mahi mahi. And they try to upsell you on adding avocado. It's delicious, no lie, I just feel like restaurants are contributing to the inflation issue by overcharging. There's no reason a small bowl of fish, rice, and beans should be over $15 with tax, plus tip, but people keep paying it, and so I suppose nothing's going to change.

baja shrimp and fish tacos were good. 3 taco for 11.99$. a little expensive. there was no chip or fries. we bought separate crispy fries as side for 3.99$. the amount was small. friendly staff. challenging to find parking.

I'll start with what I didn't like for the sake of the reader. This place is very small, with limited seating. Parking is also tight. There isn't really much service here. You order from the counter, and someone will drop off your food by a marker number. After that, you're on your own. I had a party of 4, and all of the appetizers dishes I had to bus myself. I asked for appetizers to be sent out first, and the main dishes 2nd, yet everything came at once so we had no room on the table. Aside from that I loved the food. The oysters were very fresh and tasted really good! The burrito was fat and filling! The poke was delicious as well!

You can find good food at Fish 101. While not innovative or imaginative, you can get classic dishes with large portions for acceptable prices. It is an easy recommendation. We stopped by for lunch and luckily found seating. It is a bit limited in seating. Staff was friendly and patient as we decided our order. Ended up getting the Poke with Tortilla Chips, Mahi Tacos, and the Baja Fried Shrimp Burrito. They nailed the classic Hawaiian Poke flavor, though it could use a tad more seasoning. And the amount of Poke was a bit small, it doesn't help that it's served on a giant tray in a small bowl (it makes it seem even less than it actually is). The tortilla chips were standard issue restaurant style. Nothing special there. The Mahi Tacos had the classic baja taste and the fish was tender and juicy. My only gripe is the typical "soggy Dorito" type of tortilla used. I hate this type of tortilla but it's the most common one you'll run into. Lastly the Baja Fried Shrimp Burrito. This thing is massive. I could only eat half and had to pack the rest for later. It also had the classic Baja flavors here and was seasoned nicely. The shrimp, while not that sweet, were large, and had a nice bite/texture to it. Unfortunately the breading on the shrimp gets soggy. It would be nice if they figure out how to keep it crunchy long term so it provides a nice texture change from the all soft stuffings in the burrito. While there are some minor short comings, Fish 101 is an easy recommendation. The portion sizes should leave you filled without breaking the bank. Try to avoid peak times to ensure a seat otherwise be prepared to get take out.

Came here with friends after surfing late night dinner. It was busy but the service was great. They came buy delivered the food to out table and made sure our plates were picked up as we finished. Most had Poke bowls, fish tacos, shrimp burrito but I had to try the Yellow Curry Special with shrimp and fish.

donny blaze

I'll start with what I didn't like for the sake of the reader. This place is very small, with limited seating. Parking is also tight. There isn't really much service here. You order from the counter, and someone will drop off your food by a marker number. After that, you're on your own. I had a party of 4, and all of the appetizers dishes I had to bus myself. I asked for appetizers to be sent out first, and the main dishes 2nd, yet everything came at once so we had no room on the table. Aside from that I loved the food. The oysters were very fresh and tasted really good! The burrito was fat and filling! The poke was delicious as well!

James AVM

You can find good food at Fish 101. While not innovative or imaginative, you can get classic dishes with large portions for acceptable prices. It is an easy recommendation. We stopped by for lunch and luckily found seating. It is a bit limited in seating. Staff was friendly and patient as we decided our order. Ended up getting the Poke with Tortilla Chips, Mahi Tacos, and the Baja Fried Shrimp Burrito. They nailed the classic Hawaiian Poke flavor, though it could use a tad more seasoning. And the amount of Poke was a bit small, it doesn't help that it's served on a giant tray in a small bowl (it makes it seem even less than it actually is). The tortilla chips were standard issue restaurant style. Nothing special there. The Mahi Tacos had the classic baja taste and the fish was tender and juicy. My only gripe is the typical "soggy Dorito" type of tortilla used. I hate this type of tortilla but it's the most common one you'll run into. Lastly the Baja Fried Shrimp Burrito. This thing is massive. I could only eat half and had to pack the rest for later. It also had the classic Baja flavors here and was seasoned nicely. The shrimp, while not that sweet, were large, and had a nice bite/texture to it. Unfortunately the breading on the shrimp gets soggy. It would be nice if they figure out how to keep it crunchy long term so it provides a nice texture change from the all soft stuffings in the burrito. While there are some minor short comings, Fish 101 is an easy recommendation. The portion sizes should leave you filled without breaking the bank. Try to avoid peak times to ensure a seat otherwise be prepared to get take out.

Gary Giffin

Came here with friends after surfing late night dinner. It was busy but the service was great. They came buy delivered the food to out table and made sure our plates were picked up as we finished. Most had Poke bowls, fish tacos, shrimp burrito but I had to try the Yellow Curry Special with shrimp and fish.

Dawn

My favorite is the GRILLED SHRIMP BURRITO. It tastes more like a sushi roll than the Mexican burrito taste you might expect, especially because of the rice. I could eat it every day. I like ordering a side of Chipotle Cream Sauce. That stuff is epic. The Fried Fish Tacos and the Fried Shrimp Tacos were delicious, and my daughter really liked her Fish & Chips. I wouldn't recommend parking in the few spots in front of the store. The road is always crazy and backing out onto it can be daunting. Who knows, maybe the Adrenaline Rush would be your favorite part. 😁 The side street next to it always has available spots just in case. This is such a cute, casual place to eat. Or, I love taking the food with me and enjoying the breathtaking view on Vulcan.

I would recommend the tacos or sandwiches over any of the burritos any day of the week. The sandwiches have large portions and are pretty incredible. The shrimp cocktail is good. I love the plates esp when eating there versus take out. You usually get a little larger portion when dining in.

While the food was fresh, and the service what I expected, the food was bland and simple. I had the grilled shrimp tacos and my wife had a Mahi Mahi bowl. Both came with a green sauce. Neither of us could detect a flavor from the sauce. Her comment was the bowl had plenty of rice but was short on beans and fish. My shrimp tacos had plenty of shrimp and cabbage, it was lacking in flavor. The price was good and the portion plentiful, the taste was meh.

I live 3 blocks away from Fish 101 Cardiff and I eat here twice a week. Every time, the food is super fresh and enjoyable. My favorite items are the tuna poke and fish & chips. The restaurant has a quant atmosphere and the waiters are very nice.

I’ve been twice now. Poke bowl was amazing. Seafood curry tasted good, but shrimp was overcooked and it could have used quite a bit more vegetables. I did ask for no potatoes thinking they’d replace with other vegetables, but I doubt they did. I’d still go back!

Doug Welch

While the food was fresh, and the service what I expected, the food was bland and simple. I had the grilled shrimp tacos and my wife had a Mahi Mahi bowl. Both came with a green sauce. Neither of us could detect a flavor from the sauce. Her comment was the bowl had plenty of rice but was short on beans and fish. My shrimp tacos had plenty of shrimp and cabbage, it was lacking in flavor. The price was good and the portion plentiful, the taste was meh.

CJ B

I’ve been twice now. Poke bowl was amazing. Seafood curry tasted good, but shrimp was overcooked and it could have used quite a bit more vegetables. I did ask for no potatoes thinking they’d replace with other vegetables, but I doubt they did. I’d still go back!

owen dinh

I live 3 blocks away from Fish 101 Cardiff and I eat here twice a week. Every time, the food is super fresh and enjoyable. My favorite items are the tuna poke and fish & chips. The restaurant has a quant atmosphere and the waiters are very nice.

Hamid Figueroa

I would recommend the tacos or sandwiches over any of the burritos any day of the week. The sandwiches have large portions and are pretty incredible. The shrimp cocktail is good. I love the plates esp when eating there versus take out. You usually get a little larger portion when dining in.

Average fish tacos. Nothing too amazing - they come three to a serving with some type of milky dressing, chopped cabbage. Meh.

I was really looking forward to fish tacos. But the mahi-mahi tacos were bland. The fish really didn’t have any seasoning. The ratio of cabbage was very good and the lime was nice. The salsa cream was also nice but overall I’ve had better. I got fish and chips for my kids, and the fish was also bland .

Why dont restaurants update their menus on Google? This happens all the time. 1.25 for oysters on the website 3.00 at the restaurant. Big selection of salds online 2 options at the restaurant. The service was good. The food is good and a decent value. I had the poke bowl it was a good portion but needed a little siracha sauce. I would eat there again.

John Thornton

Why dont restaurants update their menus on Google? This happens all the time. 1.25 for oysters on the website 3.00 at the restaurant. Big selection of salds online 2 options at the restaurant. The service was good. The food is good and a decent value. I had the poke bowl it was a good portion but needed a little siracha sauce. I would eat there again.

The servers were very nice and the food tasted very fresh- I ordered a fish bowl. However, the food has ZERO flavor. The rice was dry with no flavor, my fish had no flavor. It was so hard to finish it and I had to drench it in sauce. It actually made a little nauseous. 😞

If you like bland and flavorless this is your place. Mahi mahi bowl didn’t have much flavor. Served with a lemon slice thankfully, but no pico de gallo which it said on the menu it was supposed to come with. Very disappointed. Should’ve taken a picture. Waste of $15 plus tip. I’d say to go elsewhere if you are visiting. On the plus side the service was good and it was busy. Should have ordered something else perhaps. Family friendly.

The fried fish is like 80% breading with just a tiny piece of fish in the middle. Total rip off.

We were just there about 2 min ago. Zealand was super cool and nice. However, the manager and the head server were not very polite at all. I'm an older Asian and not from CA. That was our first stop after a long drive from AZ. Very unwelcoming. We would not go back there. I had a small doggie in my sling only to order then I was going to go outside. They both were after me only. But after the people who brought in a big dog when they were ordering. Where did they get the idea that I didn't know the pet policy ( dinning in the patio only with pet)?? And why do they have to be so rude when they could address in a nicer gesture. And went did they only have to tell me but not to other customers? Not so cool. I feel they owe a BIG apology!

The most tasteless fish tacos I have eaten in my entire life. Their salsa is green water. We tried both the mahi grilled and salmon grilled. If I have to put siracha on to realize I am eating anything they have failed. 🥲