Solana Beach Fish House

Wow! What an incredible gem we found. We read the reviews and decided to try it out. It exceeded expectations. The drinks we had were delicious from organic wine and tropical IPA. Then came our meal. We’ve lived in London and Minneapolis and we know fish and chips as a staple meal but the batter and airiness of this dish was the best we have ever had. The muscles appetizer (our fighter eats as a meal) was one of the best she ever had. Their take on clam chowder was delightful and delicious. Followed by a great dessert for a cherry on top of a great experience. We will be back when we are in the area.

Clean. Outside and indoor seating. Friendly staff. Had salmon sandwich and halibut blackened. Very good! Water bowl for dogs in outside patio was thoughtful. Fish house located in upper level of two story building. Walk down cedros after dinner is a nice stroll away.. will be back.

Customer service really makes a difference and this is one of those places that had great service! The host/waitress was super friendly and kept checking up on us. Another waiter that came out with our food was also helpful and friendly. We sat outdoor in the patio. And stopped by here before taking the train home. Because we were outside, a family was sitting nearby with their dog and it kept barking every time the waiter came out. This is why allowing dogs is not always great (some owners cannot control their dogs). I felt bad for the waiter having to put up with that too (even though the owners claimed the dog is friendly and won’t bite. Mhmm). I ordered the fish n chips (2 piece cod cause dang errathang is expensive. Mine was $16 something!) and it was delicious!! The coleslaw was disappointing (i agree with another reviewer, it wasn’t that tasty), the fish was amazingly crispy outside and tender inside and no strong fish taste, and the fries were yummy! There are plenty of hot sauces to choose from as well (Tabasco, El Chalupa, and Jalisco) on the table. My husband ordered the clam chowder and it surprisingly has dill in it but tasted different in a good way. I also tried a few bites of his salmon burger and it was delicious!! It’s pricey but I would come back because the food was good and service was amazing (and wait for food didn’t take long)!

R W

Had reservations at another place on the water, but they only had valet parking and we don’t let anyone else drive our car, so we cancelled our reservation and drove around looking for another place to eat. Tried another place, but parking was terrible. We just happened to go up the hill from the parking lot and parked and saw Solana Beach Fish House. We got out of the car and it smelled so good we decided to go in and try it. Sure glad we did! It wasn’t crowded when we went in and sat right down. It’s wheelchair accessible. Service was very good. The food was excellent. Our kind of place. Good food, good service and small and simple. Hubby and I enjoyed it very much. Update 10/30/25: Last day in San Diego and we wanted to go to Solana Beach Fish House again. It’s a gem! I got the shrimp and chips. Huge shrimp fried to perfection. The steak fries were just how I like my fries. Hubby ordered the salmon sandwich. Everything was yummy.

Kikue Fiora

I was craving some delicious but light food and their 2 fish taco plate hit the spot. The fish was light and you could tell the batter and oil they use is fresh! The plate came with rice, beans, a lemon and some hot sauce. The tacos were light and crispy and filling! My waitress, Olivia, was friendly and patient and the service was quick. I left feeling full but not bloated, which was surprising for how fast I devoured these tacos! Will definitely be coming back! See picture for gorgeous 2 taco plate

rully zombulovic

I have been going here for years. I remember the old man and his daughter. Always kind, always wonderful food, always fresh.In my opinion.The best in town. Sometime, I would drive out of my way just to come and eat here... My favorite is the calamari strips and honestly the best french fries. Cook to perfection.

c “cfl” lane

Yummm, a great lunch here and menu surprises. Reasonable prices and interesting atmosphere. Ample indoor seating and a few outside tables, parking nearby. We will eat here again when in town.

Mindy Starks

We got the 3 piece cod and calamari and clamp strips and everything was so delicious 😋 Staff and waitress were super friendly 10/10!

Dave R

We had a positive experience here. Both dishes came out well, and really enjoyed the Salmon kebabs. Good selection of beer on tab.

Karisa Barnes

The fish tacos did not disappoint! They were some of the best ones I've ever had and oh the variety! Our service was beyond amazing from Ellery! I found my new fish tacos spot when I come down to the beach!!!

Tanya Botten

Wow! What an incredible gem we found. We read the reviews and decided to try it out. It exceeded expectations. The drinks we had were delicious from organic wine and tropical IPA. Then came our meal. We’ve lived in London and Minneapolis and we know fish and chips as a staple meal but the batter and airiness of this dish was the best we have ever had. The muscles appetizer (our fighter eats as a meal) was one of the best she ever had. Their take on clam chowder was delightful and delicious. Followed by a great dessert for a cherry on top of a great experience. We will be back when we are in the area.

Linda Woods

Friendly staff. Fresh food. You can choose what spices you want for your grilled fish. Try the Brussel Sprouts, you won't be disappointed.

t diamond

The grilled fish tacos are a great item. I had the clam chowder different seasonings than I have had, and it worked. Very delicious. The service was responsive. I do recommend this place

Margueritte Gilvey

Clean. Outside and indoor seating. Friendly staff. Had salmon sandwich and halibut blackened. Very good! Water bowl for dogs in outside patio was thoughtful. Fish house located in upper level of two story building. Walk down cedros after dinner is a nice stroll away.. will be back.

Jessica You

Customer service really makes a difference and this is one of those places that had great service! The host/waitress was super friendly and kept checking up on us. Another waiter that came out with our food was also helpful and friendly. We sat outdoor in the patio. And stopped by here before taking the train home. Because we were outside, a family was sitting nearby with their dog and it kept barking every time the waiter came out. This is why allowing dogs is not always great (some owners cannot control their dogs). I felt bad for the waiter having to put up with that too (even though the owners claimed the dog is friendly and won’t bite. Mhmm). I ordered the fish n chips (2 piece cod cause dang errathang is expensive. Mine was $16 something!) and it was delicious!! The coleslaw was disappointing (i agree with another reviewer, it wasn’t that tasty), the fish was amazingly crispy outside and tender inside and no strong fish taste, and the fries were yummy! There are plenty of hot sauces to choose from as well (Tabasco, El Chalupa, and Jalisco) on the table. My husband ordered the clam chowder and it surprisingly has dill in it but tasted different in a good way. I also tried a few bites of his salmon burger and it was delicious!! It’s pricey but I would come back because the food was good and service was amazing (and wait for food didn’t take long)!

I’ve been coming to the Fish House since the 90s and it never lets me down. Whether we dine in and enjoy the classic fish house decor or get take out it’s always a nice meal. I introduced my husband to this restaurant and it’s now one of his favorites! I’m thrilled this restaurant has stood the test of time and remains a solid choice for good eats in Solana Beach.

Highly recommended! Excellent fish choices, good service, fair prices on wine and beer. We went back twice on a recent Carlsbad stay. We will be back!

This place was an amazing find on our vacation! I had the Cajun fish tacos, they were delicious! We had guacamole and chips appetizer also very good. Others with me had teriyaki kabobs, salmon, and fish and chips, everyone enjoyed their dinner very much! Fish was fresh and tasty. Service was excellent, very attentive. We were there on a weekday evening so it was not too busy. We will be back!

Megan Dietz

I’ve been coming to the Fish House since the 90s and it never lets me down. Whether we dine in and enjoy the classic fish house decor or get take out it’s always a nice meal. I introduced my husband to this restaurant and it’s now one of his favorites! I’m thrilled this restaurant has stood the test of time and remains a solid choice for good eats in Solana Beach.

Jaici Duncan

This place was an amazing find on our vacation! I had the Cajun fish tacos, they were delicious! We had guacamole and chips appetizer also very good. Others with me had teriyaki kabobs, salmon, and fish and chips, everyone enjoyed their dinner very much! Fish was fresh and tasty. Service was excellent, very attentive. We were there on a weekday evening so it was not too busy. We will be back!

Anna Wilkins

We found this place in search for seafood by the beach. Very nice, quiet local restaurant. We had their ceviche and seafood special. Very fresh ingredients, loved the acidity level. Churros for dessert were delicious as well. Polite and friendly service. Dog friendly. We will be back.

Decent spot for some fish. Service was a bit slow but there was only 1 guy working. Also only one bathroom. Tacos were good, chips and salsa/guac were only ok. Probably could use a bit more salt. Something about the guac felt off. I’m not sure I would go back but maybe we didn’t order the right thing. Also not much seating on the patio as it’s in a strip mall.

We stopped at this restaurant for lunch because it had good reviews and served plenty of fish and seafood options. My aunt had the Paella. It came with a side salad and a some crusty bread. She said it was fine. I ordered the Yucatan burrito with side salad instead of rice. The burrito was pretty good. It was rather geasy at the bottom and so large, I was only able to eat half of it. It came with a really nice, spicy hot sauce. Upon receiving our check I was a bit surprised that the side salad substitute was an extra $2. No big deal, but still. I would probably come back to try out the other options on the menu.

Natalie Van Raalte

Decent spot for some fish. Service was a bit slow but there was only 1 guy working. Also only one bathroom. Tacos were good, chips and salsa/guac were only ok. Probably could use a bit more salt. Something about the guac felt off. I’m not sure I would go back but maybe we didn’t order the right thing. Also not much seating on the patio as it’s in a strip mall.

janna k

We stopped at this restaurant for lunch because it had good reviews and served plenty of fish and seafood options. My aunt had the Paella. It came with a side salad and a some crusty bread. She said it was fine. I ordered the Yucatan burrito with side salad instead of rice. The burrito was pretty good. It was rather geasy at the bottom and so large, I was only able to eat half of it. It came with a really nice, spicy hot sauce. Upon receiving our check I was a bit surprised that the side salad substitute was an extra $2. No big deal, but still. I would probably come back to try out the other options on the menu.

Came in for a weekday lunch with friends. The waitress was very nice and kept checking up on us throughout the meal. I ordered the scallops burger on their lunch menu and the rest ordered off the regular menu. I thought my $14 burger was good but nothing special really. This place has a lot of good reviews though.

Sharon B

Came in for a weekday lunch with friends. The waitress was very nice and kept checking up on us throughout the meal. I ordered the scallops burger on their lunch menu and the rest ordered off the regular menu. I thought my $14 burger was good but nothing special really. This place has a lot of good reviews though.

Mark Sardina

They had many different choices of 🐟 fish. I got the Cod and chips platter. Personally for me, not enough flavor of seasoning to the fish. Was very Bland, my wife said it was the tartar sauce was the issue? Homemade based? Huge platter fries were delicious and the beer 🍺 on tap was spot on. My wife got the calamari plate, I believe. Excellent service, great staff.

I'm not sure how this place has high-star reviews. Makes me wonder if the reviews are artificial or incentivised, but who knows nowadays? Anyway, the food is totally blah. Nothing special at all. Definitely not 5 stars. Not even 4 stars. 3 stars at best. It wasn’t sickening or anything, but just not very good. I'm a local and was curious about this place. I saw the high reviews and was excited to try it, but then I was super disappointed so I wanted to share my experience. I love seafood, and if you do too, I would consider avoiding this place. Fish was overcooked and overfried in all 4 tacos that my table got. We got beer battered fish and grilled fish. The battered fish consisted of tiny pieces of fish drowning in batter. Seemed like 80% fried batter and 20%fish. The batter was super thick and overwhelming and I was looking for the fish inside. The grilled fish was overdone and rubbery. On a positive note, the shrimp was done very nicely. The kitchen staff knows how to flavor and grill shrimp. Succulent and flavorful. Not overdone. But as for the tacos, pasta, and salad, totally blah. Pasta lacked flavor. The Ceasar salad was bland and generic.. the dressing tasted bottled. The staff was nice, but they were definitely understaffed and I felt sad for the two people running the front. But they were very nice, professional and hardworking. At one point, there was only one man serving and bussing while a woman who seemed like the owner (she was helping herself tea in the back, so I assume she was the owner) was just sitting there at a table, watching everything, and not offering to help her team. The server seemed stressed, but I would have been stressed in his position too. There just wasn't enough staff, which definitely may have affected the quality perhaps. God bless the workers. The owner should consider hiring additional staff and investing more in quality control and taste testing. It''s not very wheelchair accessible. We had an elderly+disabled person with us. I had to move tables and chairs to allow her walker to fit through the tables. The only ramp we could find was 3 or 4 stores down. So if you have a disabled person with you, plan accordingly. Keep in mind, this was based off of only one experience. It was the first and last time I would go there. Maybe it was an off day? Either way, i'm not willing to go there and spend my money to find out if it can be better. Incredibly expensive for blah food. For 3 people it was over $100 before the tip.

Jonathan Koretoff

Usually really good, but realllllllllly disappointed in the food today after deviating from our normal. Poke bowl pretty ugly and small for 16.95. Ceviche borderline rip off for the size and chips (about 14 dollars)