The Fish Market - San Mateo

Pesto was a bit too herby... But shrimp was plump and good. Still sad to see this place go. thank you for your

Saying goodbye to another great old eating place in the bay area. The fish market was predominant in the bay area, as far south as San Jose. I remember the days when players from the SF 49ers would come here for meals after practice and after games.It was good times at the Santa Clara fish market. We would sit at the oyster bar, and my friends Bob and Pedro would cook us up a storm. A nice house chardonnay, some cheesy bread, oyster shooters, Rockefeller, mexicana, on the half shell. Pesto pasta, shrimp linguine. Dungeness crab, salmon, trout. The list goes on.Now the days have ended here for the fish market restaurant in the bay area. They have announced the closings of the last 2 fish markets here in northern California. San Mateo on 9/20 and Palo Alto on9/13.Visit while you can. By far the atmosphere at the San Mateo restaurant is more homey and relaxed. We love eating by the water. And this location is by the water.Gone is the oyster bar, you can no longer get some of the items I mentioned above or just abbreviated food items. If you like oysters, the only item they have left are the Rockefellers.No half orders anymoreOn this day we sat at the bar. I had oysters Rockefeller (only 4 per order now). Clams and mussels in a wine garlic sauce, garlic cheesy bread and a glass of anchor steam beer (2). Also closing shop after over a hundred years in business. Another story to be told thereAs always the cheesy bread melts in your mouth. The bread is covered with cheese and garlic. We got a double order, so we could take some home, still good the next day, all you had to do is warm it up slightly. I think they skimped on giving you shellfish. I remember the bowls having more quantity of clams and mussels.All in all a great visit. We will visit again before they closeThe location in San Diego is overlooking the bay at the naval base, near a huge statue of a navy sailor kissing a woman(ala life magazine) and the USS Midway. I very relaxed venue.Visit while you can, just like when San Francisco lost "aliotos". Although it became very touristy.

Got seating on patio with great views but got a bit chilly in the evening.Starters were great, loaded Rockefeller oyster, quite small piece of octopus for $19. Had halibut which was very good but pricy for what it was $42.Service was outstanding.

Everything about this place is great! I made reservations for a large party and had no issues with it. When we got there it wasn't crowded at all. Happy hour had great prices and we sat for dinner. Service was great and attentive just enough.

This review is bitter sweet - we received an email after I registered as a frequent diner... I didn't know they had such a program. Sweet because the food was as good as ever - I've been a patron for decades. Bitter because...This San Mateo branch of Fish Market is closing for good on September 20th. The Santa Clara branch was our favorite - that closed last year. The Palo Alto branch is also slated to be shuttered Sept 13th. Fish Market is retracting to their SoCal roots leaving NorCal for good.Change is constant - doesn't mean I have to like it. This is very sad. I will surely miss Fish Market.

The New England clam chowder was great! The fish and chips were also good. The fish didn’t have thick batter on it and the fries were crispy. The cole slaw, however, didn’t have much dressing and only tasted like shredded cabbage. The strawberry short cake was good but there weren’t enough strawberries for the size of the biscuit.

Very nice place ☺️I wish they had more dishes without fish. My partner is allergic to fish, I'd love to see in the menu something for people like him Otherwise it's an awesome place ???

Great seafood restaurant with good service and atmosphere for business, date night, etc Expect to spend more than average for better than average everything. Environment was suitable for intimate conversation. Service was attentive and helpful. Food was very good. Going on the list of must must eat at when in the area.

Thanks Simon.. He has turned this restaurant arounf & much improved..All was good. For sure will return

Went here with a bunch of coworkers for a team lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Based off the rating I was a bit skeptical but I don’t think it reflected with our visit. We started off with the cheese bread which was a hit. I got an order of their garlic prawn linguine.The cheese bread was really good. I’m generally a huge fan of bread, this one definitely hit the spot. The linguine was good. It started off bland but once I mixed in the cheese and a touch of salt, it was great.We had a nice view of the lake. That made the experience better. Finally, the service was really good. Our server was attentive and got us everything we needed.If I am in the area, I’d come back and check out their other items.

Nice seafood spot. Ample seating. Waterfront seating have the best views (we made it for sunset). Bar and inside booth & table seating too. Happy hour specials available. Features famous Boudin sourdough bread. Definite recommend, especially if entertaining guests.

Fantastic place! The view of the water is perfect. The fish are fresh! The chef is very skilled and the fish were cooked perfectly! I love Brussel sprouts and this place has made me fall in love with it again! ?Service it really nice.

Very limited options for vegetarians, arguably none for vegans, but you should anticipate that going to a place literally called "The Fish Market." still, the atmosphere was great, the staff was friendly and attentive, and my experience was overall very positive. i would personally go back just for the cheesy garlic bread alone, but the snickerdoodle ala mode was also an 11/10. pix included.

This location on the water is such a fun treat! It’s tucked away on San Mateo and has two stories, the back patio is so cute by the water. We went on a weekday for happy hour (which is only at the bar) and it was fairly quiet at 5pm, by 730 pm it was a third full. Apparently on the weekends there could be up to a one hour wait! Makes reservations for the patio -its a highly desirable spot! Not many gluten free options. I ordered the Sole, cauliflower (delicious balsamic reduction) and green beans (boiled over cooked, pearl onions were delectable)! I’d come back just for the views!

Disappointing. The quality of the food was not worth the price we paid. My fish was not fresh and not prepared well. The sides were bland. The clam chowder was alright but a bit watery. We ordered appetizers for the table but they never came so no opinion on those. Some people in my group ordered fries and those seemed to go over well. So, I guess skip the seafood and go for the fries.