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    Fish 101

    4.4 (1.5k reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Fish 101 Photos

    Business Info

    FISH 101 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Fish 101

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    Elisa N.

    FISH 101 @ ENCINITAS Parking is available on the street, right on the main strip of Encinitas. My friends and I visited on a Saturday evening, and the place was definitely packed. Once you walk in, it's pretty simple, you grab a menu, decide what you want, go to the cashier to order, and then get a number. You can choose any available table. We ended up getting a table and tried a variety of items: shrimp tacos, fish tacos, clam chowder, and a burrito. Most of the food was really fresh and flavorful. The clam chowder could have had a few more clams, but at $10, it was still solid. The burrito was massive filled with beans, rice, and everything else you could imagine, for just $14. The vibe of the place was lively, with lots of people coming in from the beach. The service was decent, and overall, the atmosphere captures the classic Encinitas energy. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

    One dozen fresh oysters.
    Nancy C.

    We first visited Fish 101 a few years ago, and the fish tacos here were memorable enough that our family had to visit this place again during our most recent Legoland visit. Both parking and an empty table can be a bit tricky to find, but don't let that be a deterrent. The food here is worth it. Other recommended dishes are the fresh oysters, the filling shrimp burrito, and the poke bowl. Remember to arrive early (I.e. before 5pm on a Saturday).

    Fish and chips
    Diana V.

    The fish and chips was pretty good, both crispy, definitely not soggy. My mom got mahi mahi tacos and said they were just ok. The parking situation here is abysmal, especially now with the construction. I'd plan to Uber next time for sure.

    baja fish & brown rice
    Rika L.

    Super friendly people & affordable eats on the beach! only thing I dont like is how the lettuce and cheese just look so carelessly on and extra.. But not mad at it. Just one taco is filling as well! The interior of establishment was a chill cozy vibe. Will def be back

    Fish taco
    Ace D.

    Fish 101 in Encinitas is a fantastic spot for fresh, flavorful seafood in a casual, beach-town setting. The fish and chips are crispy and perfectly cooked, and the seafood tacos are packed with fresh ingredients and bold flavors. The staff is friendly and attentive, making the experience effortless and enjoyable. The laid-back atmosphere makes it a great place for a quick lunch, casual dinner, or a stop after a day at the beach. If you're craving quality seafood in Encinitas, Fish 101 is a must-visit.

    Baja fried fish burrito and Baja shrimp burrito and side of fries with best condiments!!!
    Bella D.

    Fish 101 became a regular stop when my parents lived here, but after they moved we haven't had a chance to come back. We planned a whole day trip around being able to come eat at Fish 101! It's the best fish/shrimp burritos... EVER! No place compares to the fresh, delicious meal, every time. Always a great place to eat, kind servers and feel relaxed and just enjoy. One of only a handful of places that we leave feeling satisfied every single time!

    Poke starter & chips and salsa
    Nevin A.

    I am glad we stopped at 101 Fish. It was such an awesome place in Encinitas. The restaurant had both indoor and outdoor seating. The staff were very friendly. They have good team dynamics which created cozy and relaxing vibe. Although there was a long line to order the food, we got many of our orders right away, once we were seated. We got many delicious dishes, -White clam chowder bowl 5/5 -Small chips and salsa 5/5 - Poke (starter) 5/5 -Side of coleslaw - Grilled shrimp plate with brown rice and coleslaw 5/5 - Grilled shrimp tacos 5/5 - Grilled mahi plate with white rice and seaweed salad 5/5 All the dishes were fresh, flavorful and the amount was very generous. The service was top notch. I will be back for more indeed.

    Decor
    Helen H.

    This is such a warm and cozy dining spot! I loved every bite of what I ordered. The clam chowder was delicious and savory. The mahi tacos were so fresh and well portioned that every bite had all the ingredients listed. Prices are also reasonable for a decent meal. The people that work here are so gracious and polite, making the experience very positive. They have indoor and outdoor self-seating and ordering takes place at the counter. Parking can be challenging as it is located on a busy street and one must drive around and park in a residential area.

    Iced Lemonade
    Jennifer V.

    Absolutely loved my experience here! From the moment I walked in, this place felt amazing. The service was truly great - everyone was polite and respectful, and made the whole visit enjoyable. But the real highlight was the food. Honestly, it was better than expected! Every dish was delicious and surprising in the best way. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area! My only gripe is parking. We were lucky to snag a parking spot nearby. Check it out--worth every bite!!!!

    Alisha O.

    I was in the area and craving some fish tacos so I gave this place a shot! I liked that they came with 3 tacos, the guac had great taste and the green salsa had a good kick to it! I def recommend the Brussels! I kept seeing all of the reviews and they were really good ! The restaurant was nice. The service was fast.

    Ahi poke...yum!
    Rhondi S.

    Wow, service is hit or miss. This time was a miss... I had to wait 20" just for my clam chowder, hubs got his mahi mahi plate before me.

    Grilled shrimp tacos
    Julie A.

    Gosh I love this place! Grab a menu and get in line. Place your order and grab a table. If you bring your four legged pal sit out front. Today we ordered tacos and a side of french fries. I enjoyed the grilled shrimp tacos. Each taco had three juicy shrimp on them with cabbage, diced tomatoes and that delicious white sauce. My husband enjoyed the Baja fish tacos with the beer battered fried shrimp. There's a decent piece of fish on each taco. You can't go wrong with anything you order. Parking is a bit difficult right now. The street parking is impossible and there's construction being done on the space across the street. It looks like that space is hopefully becoming parking. There's one handicap in the back.

    Grilled shrimp burrito.
    Sarah S.

    I went here for a Saturday lunch. There was no parking lot, so I parked in a nearby neighborhood street. It wasn't too bad finding parking, thankfully. I ordered the grilled mahi mahi fish tacos ($13.95). The tacos were unfortunately bland, despite the pico de gallo and sour cream topping the tacos. The mahi mahi seemed fresh, but lacked seasoning. I put the tomatillo on the tacos, but it still was bland, so I used my friend's chipotle crema. Thankfully the chipotle crema was spicy and tasty, so it saved the tacos. If only the tacos had that sauce on the side. My friend's grilled shrimp burrito was bland too, so I also had to use the chipotle crema. Unfortunately I don't think the shrimp was as fresh as the mahi mahi. It was hot outside, but thankfully they had fans blasting in the outdoor seating. There is also plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor. I also have no idea how long it took to get my food, as the restroom line took over 15 minutes (there was only 1 restroom). Overall, it was a subpar experience food-wise. I'm still on the hunt for the best fish tacos in San Diego.

    Mahi mahi tacos with pico and a side of guacamole.

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Oh yeah. This is the place. There's something for everyone. Best Mahi grilled tacos I have had in a long time. Fresh Fish 101.

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    8 months ago

    The food is too notch, if you ever go there pls get the salmon burrito so good, the best burrito I ever had

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    Page 3 of 39

    Ask the Community - Fish 101

    They used to have amazing fresh oysters, daily sashimi specials, and decadent soft serve. Then during covid this all went away. Anyone know if this stuff has come back to fish 101 post covid?

    Are they doing delivery during the Covid-19 situation?

    Yes, to a smaller, limited area though

    Which type of tacos are the tastiest?

    They have a FISH of the day & it varies but their grilled fish tacos are the best. I think I had Swordfish tacos a while back & they were so good!

    Is there a good view from the patio? Thanks!

    The back patio is fenced in, but it's a very cute environment. I believe there are some chairs and tables in the front of the restaurant, but those are facing the street.

    Is this like a fast food restaurant or a real restaurant with a server that waits on you? Do they have a bar...or is it like soda machines that you get up and fill yourself?! Are there baskets and paper plates or real plates?

    Real restaurant Not really waiters. You order at the counter and sit and the bring you your food.… Read more

    Are Dogs allowed?

    Dogs are allowed in the front patio. We've taken our dog there several times but there is limited seating and it is somewhat cramped. Not sure about the back patio.

    View All 9 Questions

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    4.5(481 reviews)
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    If you haven't tried the spicy surf and turf burrito here, you're missing out. It's the perfect…read morebalance of heat and flavor. Since the location is in a small plaza, parking is definitely a challenge when it's busy. I highly recommend placing a mobile/phone order ahead of time so you can just grab and go. Highly recommend!

    I decided to stop by Los Tacos in Encinitas after reading all the great reviews about this specific…read morelocation! The parking lot has plentiful parking but was completely full as I was leaving around 12pm. There were tons of order pick-up spots and 20-minute max parking spots that help with the flow. The restaurant was impeccably clean with a growing line of lunch-goers. The workers were very efficient and the line moved quickly. I also noticed the apparent owner/manager talking to regulars and greeting customers as they walked in, which I really liked to see! I was served my order to-go in less than 10 minutes and ended up unexpectedly using the other 10 minutes after taking my first bite--after that it was hard to stop. The burrito was the perfect size (not too large and not too small). My original breakfast burrito was wrapped in a fresh hand-made tortilla filled with fluffy eggs, the perfect amount of bacon, cheese, soft fresh potatoes, topped with the avocado salsa verde which went perfectly with everything. I even ended up sipping the salsa (it was that good) between bites of the burrito. I was also blown away by the clean and fully stocked salsa bar. So many options (including non-spicy ones for those with gastric limitations too!) and they even offered radishes, carrots, and pickled onions individually wrapped with care. Everything tasted fresh and home-made. After 7 years being away from San Diego, Los Tacos delivered exactly what I had been missing. This location really blew me away and I will definitely be back to see what else it has to offer.

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    Pavlos Tacos - Bacon omelette it was meh

    Pavlos Tacos

    4.4(127 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    Pavlos Tacos quite literally serves THE BEST FISH TACOS I have EVER had in my ENTIRE life... and…read morehaving been a pescetarian for 14 years, I have had a LOT of fish tacos -- believe me. You HAVE to stop by and try their fish tacos for $3/taco on Tuesdays! Somehow they are SO fresh, even though they are battered. A battered fish taco that somehow is insanely delicious AND also tastes kinda healthy?? And they were sizable too -- I only needed 2 fish tacos to get full. I didn't know that existed, but now that I do, this will certainly be one of my go-to spots! My boyfriend also said their surf & turf burrito was the best he's ever had... and if all that isn't enough, to top it all off, the customer service + atmosphere is 5 stars as well! Pavlos himself is the SWEETEST man -- so down-to-earth, genuine, and super duper cool... and when we walked in, my first thought (spoken aloud) was, "Wow, this place is so CLEAN!" I can now absolutely see why this is a neighborhood favorite. Go to Pavlos Tacos today. You won't regret it! Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Atmosphere: 10/10 Cost: 9.5/10

    I started coming to Rico's 20+ years ago and when they rebranded as Pavlos and kept most everything…read morethe same I didn't expect much to change menu wise, which I thought was kind of a shame. Why not upgrade some of the aging furniture, design, infrastructure? oh well, just a name change. Why not take the chance to make changes since ownership was staying the same? Some of those items were stale and new r&d items could be added, but maybe too much change would drive customers away. To update my old Rico review I started coming here 20+ years ago and since that review is 15 years old I have changed my mind on the Justin burrito. Why was I eating 4 different types of carbs? Why even have lettuce? Also why no sour cream since were throwing everything in the kitchen sink in there (sans meat). The justin burrito is like seeing a fat vegetarian, sorry not sorry. I think I was just eating becuase I was bored and hungry and had a fast metabolism, always eating beyond satisfied. I'd much rather eat perfect bites to a satisfying amount rather than overindulge on chasing balance. I still haven't met Justin, but my fear is after all these decades of eating these massive burritos maybe he's no longer around. The decor is mostly the same, the menu is mostly the same, the staff, etc. etc. Prices have gone up and to me more than the times. 20% on the Justin and 30+% on breakfast burritos. How is the Calidilla (quesadilla wrapped CAB) $17? i'm fairly certain the quesadilla portion isn't equal to an equivalent price increase versus the standard $7 cheese quesadilla becuase I weighed a CAB and quesadilla and the Calidilla and 1+1 does not equal 2 and the price difference isn't proportional Something that I did notice is that my usual favorite California burrito has waned. I don't think anything specifically has changed, but probably my level of love for it. I found the fries to be a little less crispy, the meat a little greasier, tortilla a litte dryer, hot sauce a little milder. The nostalgia is hard to recreate and even harder to explain to others, but alot of things were amazing just becuase I was in my early 20's. I still feel like it's not a taco shop or an ertos. I call them Mexican fast food leaning more towards a restaurant now. $13 breakfast burritos is wild.

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    4.6(314 reviews)
    0.9 mi
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    I wasn't sure what to expect from a taco place next to a gas station, but this spot was a great…read moresurprise. The restaurant was super clean and a perfect place to try something new. I ordered the tacos de papa, and my daughter had the birria tacos--both were excellent. The hot sauce was especially good and really brought everything together. Being from out of town, it's hard to know which taco places are worth trying, but this one definitely is. I would absolutely recommend it and will be coming back next time I'm in town. Thank you!

    I've seen this place numerous times on my way to the Starbucks and finally decided that today's the…read moreday to try this place. We went at 1:30 pm today (Friday). No drive through. So my bro and I went in and ordered food for the rest of the fam. This place is set-up more for take out rather than dining in. The lady at the register was super nice and friendly. We ordered the carne asada and shrimp rancheros plates that came with rice, beans and a flour tortilla. Also two burritos, cabeza and fish. And a coconut flan for dessert. Pros: Convenient location Food came out very quick Great customer service Coconut flan was absolutely delicious The shrimp rancheros were also delicious, very well seasoned & cooked perfectly. Cons: The burritos were much smaller, not as filled as other burritos from other Mexican restaurants. The carne asada was over cooked and dry There was only 2 pieces of fish in the fish burrito that were so over fried that it was hard and inedible. We had high hopes for this place, but our first impression fell flat. Not sure if it would be worth it to try and go again.

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    Encinitas Fish Shop - Lobster Lumpia, Fish Shop Shrimp Taco, Fish Shop Shrimp and Oyster Shooter

    Encinitas Fish Shop

    4.1(1.4k reviews)
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    My favorite stop on my recent trip to the San Diego area…read more Encinitas Fish Shop was recommended by one of my local SD work colleagues. I grabbed an Uber after work on a Thursday and headed north 11 miles. As I arrived at the Fish Shop, I could smell the goodness inside and saw the line waiting to order. The restaurant is on one side, with an open bar on the other. Ordering is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Pick your fish, pick how you want to consume it (plate, sandwich, salad), and pick your sides and drink. I went with my work colleagues recommendation of a blackened sea bass sandwich with onion rings and a Marg. That choice was FANTASTIC!!! You seat yourself once you order and place the buzzer given to you by the counter person on the unit on your table. Although busy, there were still tables available (bar and restaurant, plus out front). As the NBA playoffs were on, I sat inside. Everyone working here was friendly and as I already stated... my meal was the best I had on this San Diego visit. A bonus was a gorgeous sunset just 3 blocks down from the shop. I will be back to Encinitas Fish Shop when I next visit San Diego.

    It had been a while since I'd had oysters and it sounded really good. Years ago, when I lived in…read morePacific Beach I used to go to their Thursday $1 oyster night at that location. I moved to North County and a few years later they opened Encinitas fish shop. I have been for the oysters in the past but it had been a long time. I looked it up to make sure they still had oyster night and sure enough they do. The price is now $1.25 but that still feels like a good deal. They had 4 different types to choose from. There was only about 7 people in front of me when I got in line including a family. There was an older couple ordering and it took about 20 minutes for them to complete their transaction. The rest of the line moved ok after they were done, but I probably waited about 40 minutes just to order. I ordered 3 of each kind, a dozen. Then I went to get water. They were out of ice. I sat in the window seating and waited. It took a bit, but it was a nice day so I didn't mind too much. A girl came out calling names but it was very difficult to hear her. I finally heard my name and she dropped off my oysters. I asked for more cocktail sauce and she left to get it. She brought it back but immediately left and never told me which oysters were which. I had to flag down another employee and he told me which oysters were which. In the past, I haven't liked some of the choices, but this time they had a whole different selection and I liked all of them! They were so good and fresh. I don't know why I waited so long to return. I'll definitely be back for more soon!

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