CrabMango

Amazing place for tourists. They always have the 2 for 1 tacos Monday through Thursday 3-5. Such an amazing deal! The atmosphere is amazing, you can sea the coastline while eating! All of the employees are amazing. The food is impeccable. This is the heart of Ventura.

Harry Engel

They go a long way with their history and reputation. Ventura is a hotbed of fish tacos. And Spencer Makenzie’s has gained notoriety for their fish tacos. Is it the best in Ventura? Some would say yes. Others would say they have competition. Nonetheless the fish tacos are good. Really good. And if you’re on the fish tacos trail it’s worthy of a stop. Was quite impressed with their fish taco. Was not so impressed with the Tuna version of the fish taco. Not sure why clam chowder is on the menu, but it was met with delight. Street tacos were solid. Veggie tacos as well. Great staff with a good attitude and upbeat energy.

+7

Mateo “Jedi Master”

Quote from my son: “the only seafood chowder I’ve ever had that beats this clam chowder bread 🍞 bowl is back home in Maryland and it was crab chowder.” The fish, calamari, & carne asada tacos were excellent but I would concur with my boy that the clam chowder is a must try!

Sarah Haight

Update: I love this place. I think I just ordered the wrong thing or had a bad experience. Get the Brooklyn style, skip the bell peppers, get the grilled fish. Their ahi thing with the avocado and the wonton chips is pretty amazing as well. I crave this place. I thought I’d update my rating. This place was just ok. They have a decent beer selection, fun and interesting flavors. The staff are all very very young people but they were nice. The tables were sticky, what you'd expect from a fast food spot. The food was just ok. I had to dump a lot of hot sauce on my fish tacos to taste anything. Very bland and needed salt. The quality seemed good though, fresh ingredients. I wouldn't even bother with the peppers and cabbage. I took them off. Too much, and dulled the flavor of the taco even more. The fish was not too fishy or anything. Seemed high quality. The shrimp had good texture. Maybe the vibe just wasn't there for me? It was crowded and loud and sticky. Why did everything seem so sticky? Lots of kids in here, that's probably why. I would go back here though, if I was looking for a crowd pleaser, something cheap and fast. Nothing wrong with the place, just not my favorite spot. Next time I'll probably do take out and head over to the beach.

Madison Christian

Cool local spot for fish tacos and whatnot. Solid food, local beer, nice peeps, chill Vta vibes. The play is to park at Transmission Brewery on Front St., have a beer on tap, then walk 3 blocks to Spencer Makenzie's. Trust me on this. You're welcome. 😎

grant I

Cool taco shop. Enjoyed a world famous fish Brooklyn style and a beef taco. Washed down with cool beer. Nice lunch. Resonable amount of seating with both in and outside choices. Taco down my friends.

+1

Chad Markowitz-Jolly

Place was a cool, local, small business vibe with a big business presence. You could tell people come from all over for these tacos, and I can see why. Can see the beach from there and is within a 3-5 min walk to get onto the beach. We went during two happy hours I think. So beers were like 4-5.50 depending on which, tacos were BOGO, so we each (2 of us) got one tempura fish taco and 1 grilled fish taco. Then we got 3 shrimp wontons and 3 jalapeño wontons. Tacos were delicious. I think the fish is so light and flakey that for me, the tempura one was better. Just because the texture made you realize the fish was there. The grilled you can taste the fish, but because of the light and flakey texture, the avocado made it feel like one buttery flavorful taco of goodness. (That isn’t a bad thing at all). Lemon is for sure a requirement on these in my opinion. But you really need to try their hot sauces. Each that we had were so difference from one another but all delicious in their own way. Totally different flavor profiles which will elevate the tacos in different ways. I loved the hottest one. One critique for it was that because of the type of hot sauce and it not being full of preservatives, there needs to be a lid so you can shake it well and thicken it back up. The wontons were also really good. Think of a flat, ravioli like crab ragoon. But these had the sweet chili sauce on them already. The jalapeño one was better because of the texture. Shrimp one was delicious too, but I think they need to chop the shrimp up into small diced pieces instead of one, odd mouth feel, piece of little shrimp in there. Outside was busy when we came up so we went inside, but by the time we were done eating, they cleared the line. So it for sure can be busy, but they move quick!! Nice people working there. Friendly staff, nice vibes. Will go again to try the burrito!!

Andrew McCauley

Some locals showed us this place and we absolutely loved it. It has the best fish and shrimp burritos as well as fish tacos around. It has some great outdoor seating if you wanna watch the passing traffic and also some comfortable indoor seating as well. Their sauces and salsas are amazing and well worth the wait. The line moves pretty quick so if you see a line at the front don’t worry about it you’ll get your food in good time.

+10

This place really is a vibe! I really have to give it to this establishment for getting the restarting code cracked; amazing food, speedy service and a super friendly staff. Noah, my waiter gave me s…

This place really is a vibe! I really have to give it to this establishment for getting the restarting code cracked; amazing food, speedy service and a super friendly staff. Noah, my waiter gave me…

This place really is a vibe! I really have to give it to this establishment for getting the restarting code cracked; amazing food, speedy service and a super friendly staff. Noah, my waiter gav…

Been coming here for years- every time I head to Santa Barbara or Solvang this spot is my first stop! staff is friendly! Food is delicious and reasonable- and atmosphere is nice.. I always get the …

Good tasting seafood at reasonable prices, able to accommodate large parties although there may be a wait.

Never been to Ventura before. Just checked in to the motel down the street looking for dinner. Saw Spencer Makenzie’s with the ’world famous fish tacos’ in the subheading. I’m hooked! The place is gr…

Never been to Ventura before. Just checked in to the motel down the street looking for dinner. Saw Spencer Makenzie’s with the ’world famous fish tacos’ in the subheading. I’m hooked! The place i…

Went here for lunch while we were staying for the weekend at the nearby vintage trailer hotel and we loved it! Food was great. Ambiance is great and very upbeat beachy vibe. service was very quick…

Went here for lunch while we were staying for the weekend at the nearby vintage trailer hotel and we loved it! food was great. Ambiance is great and very upbeat beachy vibe. Service was very quick…

Went here for lunch while we were staying for the weekend at the nearby vintage trailer hotel and we loved it! Food was great. ambiance is great and very upbeat beachy vibe. Service was very quick…

No pretense to this downtown spot. Just walk in, order at the window and wait for some terrific grub. There's an indoor dining area, but try for an outside bench for the beach experience. The W…

The food was fantastic. We ordered fish tacos and fish and chips. Both were delicious. There was no line or long wait time, but the dining area was full, so we got our food to go, which was fi…

The food was fantastic. We ordered fish tacos and fish and chips. Both were delicious. There was no line or long wait time, but the dining area was full, so we got our food to go, which was fi…

Tried both fried and grilled fish tacos. Yum! Even got a side of grilled veggies that were great. We ordered two tacos for the price of one. Could have one taco each. Big! Great sitting outsid…

Tried both fried and grilled fish tacos. Yum! Even got a side of grilled veggies that were great. We ordered two tacos for the price of one. Could have one taco each. Big! Great sitting outsid…

We sat outside at this little local place. Not fancy but the battered fish was really good. It's obviously popular with the locals. Their parking lot is small but there are lots of places to park n…

Very cool spot, very pleasant staff, fresh and tasty food. Sitting at the bar, small dining area, or on a large and breezy patio. Awesome choice for a relaxed meal.

My go-to spot for lunch or a quick dinner when in Ventura for a concert or convention. I usually stick with a tempura fish taco and a tempura shrimp taco. The sauces on the counter are all great. The…

My go-to spot for lunch or a quick dinner when in Ventura for a concert or convention. I usually stick with a tempura fish taco and a tempura shrimp taco. The sauces on the counter are …

My go-to spot for lunch or a quick dinner when in Ventura for a concert or convention. I usually stick with a tempura fish taco and a tempura shrimp taco. The sauces on the counter are all gr…

My go-to spot for lunch or a quick dinner when in Ventura for a concert or convention. I usually stick with a tempura fish taco and a tempura shrimp taco. The sauces on the counter are all gr…

After getting some tiki drinks at Ventiki, we needed dinner and a friend recommended Spencer Makenzie's. What I liked was that you could order at the window and casually dine on the patio, or you c…

This place is overhyped and overpriced. I come here every now and then to see if it gets any better with time yet it seems like the quality just diminishes. They need to work on frying the fish all…

the happy hour deal (BOGO taco) is hard to beat! it only applied to the same taco so we got one Grilled fish taco and one Tempura fish taco (the world's famous taco) for only $7.95. we …

the happy hour deal (BOGO taco) is hard to beat! it only applied to the same taco so we got one grilled fish Taco and one tempura Fish Taco (the world's famous taco) for only $7.95. we added avoc…

Love this place, but for the clam chowder my first visit and it was great. This time the chowder was awful. All it was, was potatoes and milk. The clams were almost non existent. Just tiny piec…

Not sure what happened here! I used to love this place for a quick fish and chicken taco. Chicken taco was fine but the fish taco was not good. I ate it since it's so expensive for 2 tacos but ther…

One of my "go tos" every time I'm in Ventura California! It's a great little joint on the edge of downtown with limited parking but great food and beer selections!!! My go to are the fish tacos and…

Stopped by for tacos & a burrito after a bike ride. Fresh, tasty, good sized potions (2nd 1/2 of burrito for later dinner...) Reasonable prices; three hot-ish sauces, that will leave your lips tin…

Stopped by for tacos & a burrito after a bike ride. Fresh, tasty, good sized potions (2nd 1/2 of burrito for later dinner...) Reasonable prices; three hot-ish sauces, that will leave your lips tin…

I went to Spencer Mackenzie’s with my husband for lunch on a Sunday. Pretty busy , I had a grilled fish taco and a ahi tuna taco.My husband had Carne Asada tacos .We love their food.Give yourse…

I usually only leave positive reviews. I have no idea why people would wait in line for these fish tacos. Even bad fish tacos are typically good. These were underwhelming. Large rubbery tortillas, …

Tortilla was dry and too big for the filling; sauce was lackluster. The side of grilled vegetables was generous. It’s an affordable option for Venture and has a fun atmosphere but not a very good…

Honestly used to love how fresh and delicious the fish tacos were, but this place has changed. There was so much white sauce overpowering the fish taco, hardly any fish at all, and a ton of the veggie stuff they use that was noticeably NOT fresh and should not have been served. It saddens me to see places like this sliding down and it is a sign of the economic times we are in.

Dar

If it wasn't called the best fish taco, this would be a 4 star because my expectations were very high and I was highly disappointed in the end. Ordered one fried fish, one grilled fish taco and one tuna. The presentation is very subpar with very little color that pops and had even a ginormous chunk of slaw that I had to remove. As far as flavor the grilled one was a bit fishy but the biggest problem is all the sauce is at the bottom instead of being spread out. And raw bell peppers don't really add any flavor. Wish those were grilled at least and seem like an after thought. The tuna was decent with the sauce being the star. Didn't know what Brooklyn style was but it was a spicy sweet chili sauce. The one pro is that the tacos are on the bigger side but couple of the tortillas were over crisped for my liking

Tim Wienand

Real choice to have a room temp bagged tortilla as your taco vessel, not a good one, just a choice. It’s hard to rate, the Brooklyn Sauce, cabbage slaw and sweet chili fire sauce all super good, but that was the best part. The grilled fish was dry and the tempura was over fried in bad oil. Overall, should have trusted the recent review referencing white people tacos, very much. Also glad I hit the happy hour, would not have been stoked paying full price for this

+2

We have been clients of Spencer Makency for years but last night we noticed the chips were not the same they used to serve. The chips did not have the same crunch and flavor. Hope they can go back to…

We have been clients of Spencer Makency for years but last night we noticed the chips were not the same they used to serve. The chips did not have the same crunch and flavor. Hope they can go bac…

Great food but honestly this place is way over priced. It's not exceptional and high end but they do charge like it is. We have done several times but it's really too expensive.

This was a brand new try as wifey and I love fish tacos and the reviews were exciting ! We tried not to go overboard with the ordering while trying one of most styles of tacos. We ordered the W…

The food is good. It was all fresh. The service was terrible. I shouldn't have to ask for my drinks when the food arrives. You should be checking in on your tables to see if they need anything abou…

It just looked like the sort of place that might be a local gem. But it was only OK. It appeared to be the sort of place that could not decide if it was a diner, a fast food place, or a full ser…

Alexander

Ordering Is little confusing, we wanted to sit inside but when ordering he asked "do you want takeout or to go" than after paying we were informed you can't sit inside after ordering from the counter, same thing happened to other family as well. "Grilled" fish taco wasn't grilled it had no grill marks and tasted frozen(which is ok). World famous might just mean "everyone know about that scysco fish"

G X

I like the fish and chips mostly the fish part, their sweet chili sauce is good, that’s my positive note. Now, I said no cilantro 3 times, they gave me a cilantro burrito, not much else, no salsa in it, no onions, flavor less, just a heap of cilantro, I had to do surgery for 10 minutes to remove them. I’m not happy, I made sure the girl taking my order understood me, I was polite and clear, but I guess someone didn’t or did it on purpose.

Called in for a phone order at around 3:50/4:00 - told 10 minutes - I got there and waited over 30 minutes for the food. The place was not busy at all and I had to ask a few times about the status …

Food was good, service was terrible. Apparently, if you order outside in the very blatant "ORDER HERE" window. You are no longer able to sit inside. Despite there being no signs stating this "rule"…

Tipped you guys 20% BEFORE I got my food at the point of sale and waited 45 minutes for my order to arrive. Folks who ordered after me got their orders sooner.