LaTia S.

I visited Fishscale for lunch. I always like to give honest reviews so, parking is a WHOLE situation since the restaurant is located on Florida Ave. Also, the restaurant is not very big so, I would plan for take out instead of dining in. Now for the great part. We were greeted immediately, very warmly and directed to the menu. It was Tuesday so, of course I went for the tacos Everything was cooked to order and I just could not resist the Japanese potatoes. The restaurant is very clean. You can see directly into the kitchen and even the bathroom, also very clean. The food was amazing, not too heavy, flavorful and most importantly FRESH! I had a ginger beer to wash it all down. Customer service was attentive and wait for it........ it's a Black owned business I will be returning, just got to figure out parking. Visit this place as soon as you can, you won't regret it!

Shantal W.

An amazing black owned and unique restaurant! The service and food is amazing! Ingredients are super fresh and your food is made when ordered. I would order before going in if it's your lunch break since they start making it after you order. Process: pick your meat and if you want it as a burger. You get to choose 2 toppings that are all made fresh daily. Pick your side and drink. Which are sold separately. I got the rockfish burger and chips. I chose the samba and cucumber-tomato relish. The samba sauce is SPICY!!!! So if you like a good tingle then I would try it out. The fresh cucumber and tomato relish was so refreshing in combination with the samba. Definitely loved the combo. The actual fish burger just melted in my mouth. The bread was crazy soft as well. 10/10 fish burger and definitely recommend trying this place out! Can't wait to go back and try another combo of toppings.

Kai M.

I decided to visit this place in honor of #smallbusinessSaturday This was my first time visiting FishScale at the recommendation of my friend and honey, I did not regret it one bit. Hospitality: The woman who took our order was great at making a first timer feel welcomed as she provided a breakdown of the menu and any substitutes available. Food: Let's get down to business...the grilled rockfish burger was topped with diced cucumbers and tomatoes (there were other toppings available) but I selected this. The fish was grilled to perfection and still maintained a juicy flavor which was oozing with the right seasonings.I thoroughly enjoyed my selection but of course my friend informed me that for my next visit, I should try the salmon burger and crab cakes. Looks like I'll be doing a couple more runs over there lol Overall this restaurant has a great vibes, good music, and tasty food...what isn't to love about that!!!!! Black owned and so worth the visit!

Mike R.

Wonderful place. Been meaning to try this place for a couple of years and finally made it here with the couple of the fellas. Black -owned... Up the street from my beloved alma mater, the great HU. We were originally going to go to a new soul food restaurant around the corner called "Doro", but there's no seating there. So we then proceed to walk around the corner in 20° BLUSTERY temperatures today (brrrrrr!!!!) and arrive inside of FishScale. We're the only ones there at the time save for the owners - and the one owner is an absolute gem. The other is the chef and he was busy working. Didn't say anything. The gregarious owner is Kristal and she greets us with a big smile and proceeds to run down her entire menu. I wasn't sure I was ready for all of that but we let her continue lol. Luckily it's not that large. She's clearly very passionate about her business. She's very personable and came over and engaged us in lots of good conversation during the meal. Her personality shines. Sandwiches, subs, fresh salad - all seafood based fare here. Deep River chips in bags. Reasonable prices. Good sized portions. One of my colleagues had a catfish sub (drizzled aioli on top). A riff on a Philly cheesesteak. The other had fish tacos, and I had a crab cake sandwich. Kristal suggested sweet potato fries since they don't have regular. Initially I was a little turned off, but she swore that I would never go back to regular fries because these were "Japanese sweet potato fries", and I was therefore intrigued. They were absolutely fabulous. She says the uncooked flesh is white inside. The potato cooked potato shows up kind of a banana yellow fleshy with a marvelous crispy skin having been grilled and drizzled with a savory sweet glaze of some sort. They were terrific, sure, but I'm still going to eat regular fries lol. The have some nice drinks including wine. I like this place. I shall return forthwith.

Fortunately, I live in DC and have access to " Fish Scales with such wholesome and delicious food. If you like seafood fish or just clean eating this is the place for you. You can get crab cakes, various fish choices, vegetables great potatoes etc, seasoned well with great flavors. On 3/29/2025 my stitch group joined me @ Fish Scales to celebrate my auntie's birthday and she was delighted. After eating her meal w/o a drop left on her plate, she sent kudos to the chef. She enjoyed her rockfish meal. I tried fluke fish for the first time. It was seared and seasoned to perfection. Thank you to such a courteous and friendly staff. The experience was wonderful!! You made my auntie's birthday a memorable one!!

Mekdela T.

TASTY FOOD! Honestly it's perfect - so glad I checked out this black owned spot. If you haven't tried this place, YOU SHOULD. I ordered via Uber eats and everything came packaged so well, the sandwiches traveled nice! Also, loved the writing on the boxes lol I ordered the Wild Caught Fish Burger with the Spicy Sambal and grilled onions. VERY GOOD. You can choose what kind of sauce you want on the burger, so if you don't like spicy, don't get the spicy sambal - ITS GOOD AS HELL, but spicy. I loved this burger. The Chesapeake Cheesesteak was EVERYTHING. It's a filling sandwich, and all the flavors blend together so well. I could eat this sandwich daily. The roll was also perfect. I'll definitely be coming back to this place, I really enjoyed my food!

Murphy M.

Really attentive service and the food was really fresh and delicious. I had fried rockfish and potatoes...yum! I watched them season and batter the fresh fish! Their tartar sauce was homemade and quite good. The inside is small but classy, well decorated, and clean with a few tables. Great addition to the neighborhood!

Andrew P.

Like every year, I had to support a black business for Juneteenth. So, I decided on this place... though, next time I'll try to get there while a march isn't happening on the street that it's on. From what I can tell, Fishscale has a relatively small menu, but it's great stuff! I had a Rockfish burger with jalapeno sauce and grilled onion sauce, and Japanese sweet potatoes. The burger was outstanding. I loved texture of the bun, I loved the flavor of the fish and how the sauces worked with it. The sweet potatoes looked like regular potatoes, but they were indeed sweet like sweet potatoes. That sauce that was on them... WHEW. I forget what it was called now (and I can't see it on their site right now) but it was really delicious! I am looking forward to going back and having more of those sweet potatoes, and trying their catfish cheesesteak! I do wish more sweet potatoes came with one order though!

Shakira R.

When I first heard of black-owned Fishscale, it was via an image of the Chesapeake Cheesesteak. I was a bit skeptical because it wasn't beef. ​ ​ ​Here is the thing, I think of myself as a cheesesteak expert. I am originally from south NJ & due to the proximity to Philly, I grew eating my share of cheesesteaks. When I first moved to VA 20+ years ago, I learned that it is called a steak & cheese sub, & often the taste was just a backward it was called. ​ ​ ​I preordered & walked from my sister's to take advantage of the warm day. ​ ​ ​While I briefly waited on my order, I inquired about the signature aioli on the side. The chef saw my "Foodie Est. 1985" (designed by me) t-shirt & asked, " How are you a foodie that orders sauces on the side?" ​ ​ ​I answered, " I like to taste my food before adding the sauce." I believe great food should be well seasoned on every level. ​ ​ ​I bit into my cheesesteak & wow, my thoughts about cheesesteak should only be beef changed! The Maryland Blue Catfish was fried and seasoned with caramelized onions & green peppers with provolone cheese. The cheese pulls that I was able to achieve with each bite were perfect. I regret not having the setup to video properly. After that 1st bite, I put on the signature aioli, and I found myself pouring it on! All respect to chef H. Brandon Williams. ​ ​ ​The secret sauce to a great cheesesteak is the bread, which is just as important as what is on or between the bread. My Chesapeake Cheesesteak bread was soft with a slight crunch! ​I almost greedily ate the whole sandwich, but I restrained myself & walked back to give my mom the last bite. She ate the bite and said it was a good cold. You know something is delicious when you can eat it cold! ​ ​ ​How do you get yours? Fishscale is located on Florida Avenue NW between LeDroit Park and Shaw neighborhoods, cross the street from the Metro PCS that plays Go-Go! ​ ​ ​There is limited seating for dine in, so I recommend either ordering for pickup on their website or having it delivered via Grubhub, Seamless, and Uberears ​ ​

Hammed A.

I had been wanting to try FishScale for some time and once I finally did, I'm glad I did. It's on Florida Ave in the Le Droit Park community in DC. I had previously heard about it and also passed by many times over the last year however wasn't able to visit due to parking challenges. As a fish and seafood lover I am even more obsessed with fish sandwiches. FishScale clicks on all cylinders. According to their website the seafood they acquire is sourced from sustainable wild fish in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. I met one of the co-owners, Brandon, who prepared my sandwiches. I appreciate the conversation I had with him and attention to detail. Actually, I'm glad I stuck around and watched him prepare my food. I commented that it is not often you get to see restaurants prepare high quality food. Usually if it is high-quality food it's prepared in the back kitchen however the set-up at FishScale allows you to get a glimpse of the food prep. Brandon seems to be a cool guy and so does his staff. The food here is exceptionally fresh. You can tell fresh seafood in particular. If you know, you know. Another tell tale sign of fresh seafood is the lingering smell of it once you get home (if you're doing takeout). I ordered takeout and my ride was 25 mins, so by the time I arrived home it still had that freshly prepared smell. The portion sizes are very appropriate. I ordered the following menu items: 1) The Chesapeake Cheesesteak (made with blue catfish) 2) True Blue crab cake sandwich 3) Jerk Salmon Cheesesteak 4) CharmCity single-serving wines The inside lobby of FishScale is also very welcoming and has a warm ambiance. Check them out. If you are a fish sandwich lover or even a casual fish sandwich enthusiast, give FishScale a try. I will definitely return.

Kesha T.

I've driven past this place too many times to not stop in at my first chance. I'm glad I finally had a taste of their offerings. I enjoyed a Mahi Mahi burger with sauteed onions, cucumber and tomato relish, and pesto. The bun is toasted and light which was perfect. It's a fish burger, so it's nice to not feel weighed down by the meal. It was nice chatting with Crystal, the owner. I learned that Chef Brandon, who was working the grill and dressing the burgers, is her brother which is cool in it's own right. They were both pleasant and welcoming. There seemed to be regulars, or just friendly customers which is a good thing to see. The upbeat variety of music was a nice touch. Fishscale is clean and comfortable, just the type of spot to pick up a tasty fish burger. I'll be back when the crab burger is in season.

Vina Y.

Love this place! The owners are really friendly and take their time to explain all the different fish options. They've got options to make your fish pan seared or fried, in a cheesesteak or sandwich and it's all delicious. You can tell there's a lot of care and love for the food; it shows in quality and taste. I got the rockfish, pan seared, with lettuce, tomato, and aioli. The fish was tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked. Also had the fried potatoes which were smashed and fried to crispy perfection. You can get delivery but it's best fresh and it makes me wish they had a location closer to me.

Brian C.

Wow! Just got carryout here for lunch and loved every bite. I started with the Japanese sweet potatoes, which have a nice crispy skin to them and good flavor. For the sandwich I went with the Chesapeake cheese steak, which is made with local catfish. The fish was so perfectly cooked and seasoned, and was quite delicious. The staff were also very friendly. Bonus points to this restaurant for embracing sustainable practices too. They have information on their web site about their seafood sources, and I also appreciated that the to-go containers are compostable if you have access to a composting service.