Always a great meal. Been coming here since 1984. Good staff and a wonderful view of the ocean with outdoor eating.

Had to celebrate Father's Day this year with fish and chips. Found this gem in Carlsbad and was not disappointed! Although, looking for parking was crazy-we circled around 3x and finally found one within a 9 minute walk. Sort-of beat the lunch crowd as we were seated right away. Nice friendly crew, clean place and lively atmosphere inside. Didn't get an ocean view as the inside restaurant faced the streets but the day was sunny and warm. You still get that sea air. There is an outdoor patio to the left side of the restaurant which does have the view of the ocean. Ordered: - two piece fish and chips - clam combo plate - surfer burger with cheese - zucchini sticks appy - large pepsi and waters Fish was battered perfectly, seasoned and fried well. Fries were crisp and tasty. Burger was great, like what you'd get from a bbq grill cookout. We enjoyed our meal and had a good time spending Father's Day out by the sea. read more

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Awesome place and even better food! The fish in the fish taco was huge and cooked perfectly. Great sauce to go with it. Fish and chips, a classic and you cant go wrong. Clam Strips, great complement to change it up within the meal. All three items were shared between 2 people and we left VERY full. Great vibes if you can catch a seat by the ocean-side of the restaurant and can people watch, with the water in the back. read more

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Amazing outdoor, quick-service seafood spot right by South Carlsbad Beach. They've got all the favorites--fish & chips, clam chowder, fish tacos--and everything was super fresh. Portions are generous, and the service was friendly and efficient. It's not a big place, but tables turn quickly, so the wait isn't too bad. Perfect spot to grab a bite and enjoy a sunny day by the ocean with the family read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood favorites - Fish & Chips, Fish Tacos, Clam Chowder with all the condiments such as Tapatio, ketchup, and Tarter sauces - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

OH MY FISH & CHIPS! You're right on the beach, sunset, with some crazy amazing fish and chips done just right! Well worth the visit and wait if any. read more

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Love this place for their delicious fish tacos, views and simplistic approach to dining. Packs a big punch with a calming and inviting attitude. read more

The perfect beachside meal! With the recent sunny weather, we spent the day roaming around the coast in Carlsbad. We happened to come across Harbor Fish Cafe and were enticed by the crowd and amazing smells! They're located just steps from the beach. They're your classic casual seafood joint and are known for their Fish & Chips. We got the 2 Piece Fish & Chips and some Fried Zucchini. Wowie was this good! The fish was perfectly crispy, the fries were well seasoned, and the homemade tartar sauce was insane! Definitely some of the best I've had. Fried Zucchini is an underrated app and their version of it was 1000% something to write home about. They come in the form of long strips and are served with their house ranch. Perfectly done! Absolutely no notes. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fried Zucchini - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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This no-frills place by the ocean feels like pre-bougie Carlsbad. We have been coming here for years and recently stopped in again. The food was tasty and filling, just like we remembered. The service was also good, although they now seemed more dog-tolerant than dog-friendly. The fish tacos here are not like other ones in Southern CA. One is almost too big to eat! The spicy fries are also delicious. It isn't gourmet, fancy, or viral on social media, but it is solid and we enjoyed being back. read more

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Pretty awesome grilled fish Tacos and you can take them to the benches and enjoy a nice sunset dinner - love this fish 10/10 read more

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We were staying in Carlsbad and walked to this seafood spot recommended to us by our friends. It is outdoor seating only but with a covered awning so you're shaded. The feel is 100% beach seafood shack. The only thing that would make it more legit is if it were on a pier with a fishing boat nearby. We ordered clam chowder, a dinner salad (for health), a fish and clam combo plate, and a fish and shrimp combo plate. Portion sizes were ample. The combo plates had big handfuls of fries, a large piece of flaky white fish, and dipping sauces. It is a really solid place for casual fried seafood. read more

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I'm not a fried food or fish and chips kind of girl but I had to try Harbor Fish Cafe while in Carsbad. It is so convenient and inexpensive and my daughter was hungry. The seating is casual and we had an ocean view so that was GREAT. I actually liked my fish taco plate for $14.99! I would repeat since it's cute here read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

4 stars for nostalgia alone. Carlsbad was my neighborhood for 5 years and I ate at Harbor Fish Cafe once a week during that time. That beach is still my favorite. The food is good. I am not going to say it's crazy great (although I feel like it used to be). And the prices have gotten pretty insane in the past 5 years. But I still love getting a cup of clam chowder and the giant fish taco or a 2-piece fish and fries plate when I am in town. And I have to credit Harbor with making me understand that I DO in fact love fries, I was just waiting all my life for someone to actually make them crispy enough. The staff has always been really friendly with me. I still feel at home here. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We came here for Fathers Day. Nice spot across the Ocean. Amazing Fish & Chips. My kids loved the food. The service was really good. Our waitress was friendly. The ambience as lay back. We highly recommended read more

Delicious food, massive portions, good service and overall great vibes. Dined with a group of coworkers and everyone enjoyed their meal. It was that 'need a nap' afterwards level of stuffed and happy. Would absolutely eat here again. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish and shrimp plate - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Walked right in after a sunset got the Wednesday night special. The fish taco is as large as a burrito and I had the grilled option with Cajun seasoning. Also substituted chowder for fries. The service was great and the food came quickly. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - The taco is as big as a burrito and very tasty - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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This was my 1st time at this place and I'm so glad I got to try it out . It's really small but all seating is outdoor and half of it has an ocean view . The staff is very friendly and attentive which I really appreciate. I was shocked at the portions of my meal, I couldn't even finish it . I had to try out the fish and chips and they are HUGE. I should have got one but I chose to get 2 and oops , it was too much food haha . My wife had the fish taco and I heard her multiple times saying , "hmmm, this is so good ". Honestly for the location , I thought the food would be a lot more money , but it was great value . We will be back ! PS the tartar sauce is the best ! read more

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The fish was delicious, fresh tasting and very generous portions. Location was just near the beach and open patio, seating which I liked. read more

We've been eating at Harbor Fish on vacation for over 20 years. Our trip to Carlsbad is never complete until we get our Fish n Chips! The restaurant is outdoors. It's a small, super causal place with paper towels on the tables. The best part is it never changes! There's something special about a place that always remains the same. We sometimes eat there, but sometimes get it to go and enjoy at the condo or on a bench by the beach. You can get one or two pieces for the fish n chips. It comes with their delicious homemade tartar sauce and a ton of fries. You can substitute a small clam chowder or coleslaw for the fries, but the fries are good! They are seasoned and crispy. I end up dipping them in the tartar sauce too! My daughter also likes the Harbor Fish Taco. It comes grilled or fried with their homemade white taco sauce and served with fries. Harbor Fish is always closed on Tuesdays! We usually plan our vacation week of meals and restaurants and have to remember what day they are closed so we don't accidentally miss out! Also if you can get there on a Thursday they have a special on the two piece fish n chips! read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish n Chips - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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I've been coming here since I was literally a baby and the food never changes. Best fries you could ever have. Best fried fish I've ever had. Idk what makes the ranch sauce so good but it is. Solid clam chowder. Don't get the salad. Yes, the staff has attitude there's no denying that. But when you live in a place with a million tourists coming and going and doing their acrobatics on the lawn out front and filming DIY music videos for tik tok... it can get very irritating very quickly. So cut them some slack. They just want to go to the beach but they have to stare at it all day and deal with the annoying-ness of people asking for a public restroom instead. Not much seating for how busy it gets but we never eat there anyway. Take it to go and eat at the many ocean view benches all around there. Be careful of the squirrels lol but really. I would be devastated if this place ever closed. It is the rock that never changes and the heart of downtown Carlsbad. read more

I got got the fried shrimp plate and it was 20% shrimp 80% batter, and half of that batter was straight RAW. You can tell based on the taste of the fries they don't clean their oil they fry in often. Shortly after eating I got food poisoning, no lie quite possibly worst food/experience ever. read more

"So deliver me, deliver me Baby take this heart, set it free" (Tom Petty) When a restaurant advertises "Giant Fish Tacos", you sure expect them to deliver on that promise. Well Harbor Fish really came through with the goods. We had a wonderful lunch yesterday. They were pretty crowded, but we had two seats on their outdoor counter. My Spicy Carlsbad Fish Taco had a huge chunk of grilled fish, spicy slaw, onion, cilantro, and cheese on a folded tortilla. In truth, it was more like a sub sandwich or big burrito in every dimension. The taco came with spicy fries, but we swapped them out for regular fries. It was a great value for $18.99. The taco was amazing (and yes, it was spicy), and the fries were crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and terrific. My wife's Shrimp Salad was six chilled shrimp served over a bed of romaine with zucchini, tomatoes, cheese and choice of dressing for $12.99. These were no shrimpy shrimps -they were big and plump and cooked to perfection. We shared a large soda (and I mean LARGE) for just $3. Service wasn't great, the crucial "Check-back" was very late in the game. By my eyes, the patio was under-staffed, so maybe that was understandable. The patio was crowded, and truth be told, that counter was too crowded for the number of chairs they have set up there. Maybe reducing that number by one would be a good idea. Harbor Fish is a very popular destination, and my cousin (who is a native) raved about it. She was right on the money about the place, read more

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As our last meal before leaving Carlsbad, wanted to make this our last stop. We opted for the Harbor Fish Combo plate, Shrimp Salad, Harbor Taco and kids cheese quesadilla. Nothing fancy or over and beyond. The fish and fries *chips* were largely portioned. The fried shrimp was definitely the winner in the Harbor Fish Combo plate. The shrimp salad was refreshing but nothing extraordinary. The cheese quesadilla was unfortunately not a win for the kiddo. Perhaps could have opted with some type of meat (i.e. chicken or shrimp) in the quesadilla. The clam chowder (not pictured) was decent/ok. Not much to rave about. It was good with sufficient amount of clams. Flavors was about average. Ambiance is definitely nice if sitting on the south table area as it has the ocean views. Recommend sitting on the south (left) side of the restaurant entrance when dining here. Service was ok, not great. Felipe C. served our table. He did check on us but nothing over and beyond with friendliness. Overall, give this place 3 stars as the food was good and portioned enough to share each meal. read more

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I can't say enough good things about this place! If you haven't tried it -- TRY IT! The fish and chips plate is my absolute favorite. I don't know what it is about their fish, but it never disappoints -- crispy, flaky, and always cooked just right. The seating area is small, but if you're lucky enough to grab a seat facing the ocean at sunset... it's chef's kiss. Such a vibe. There's a parking lot just west of the café, but it fills up pretty quickly. Luckily, there's plenty of street parking nearby, so it's usually not a big deal. The staff is always on it -- super friendly and fast with the food. Whether you're a local or just passing through Carlsbad, read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Come here all the time for the 2 piece fish dinner with family. Ordered food tonight to go and I got the worst plate ever the 2 fish pieces are small and flat almost no fish. Sad I got for my dad who is here from Nor Cal visiting brag about how great the fish is and large pieces but I got worse fish plate ever!! read more

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Horrible customer service very rude waitress seemed like she didn't care about service us but was nice when the check came and was waiting for a tip, the food was okay casual but nothing special, clam chowder tasted artificial read more

Everything was amazing. The shrimp cocktail to the Fish! The clam chowder was delicious! I couldn't believe it was that flavorful. The clam chowder large and the shrimp cocktail could have been a meal by itself. The local beer was ice cold too. Oh btw the service was awesome! Joshua was very friendly and mindful. U have to come here if you're in Carlsbad! read more

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View is great close to water.We ordered fish they didnt have much choice.mine grilled taco; made me sick sauces very just cheap.french fries super low quality oil.service fast but not best smily faces just wanted quick order.food is zero location 5 read more

Service was good. Barely no wait to get in on a Sunday evening. Food was just okay. Decent portions , clam chowder was too peppery, definitely NOT New England clam chowder (I'm from New England). Clam strips were mostly "stripped" of clams. The fried shrimp were really good and the fries were delicious. The fish was a lot of batter and less fish. Just okay. Won't rush back. read more

Get the fish and chips. Not bad, and right on the water. Definitely skip the $18 fish taco (singular) unless you are visiting from the Midwest (seems to me like that's exactly how they'd do fish tacos). Like seriously who puts sharp cheddar cheese in a fish taco. Somehow it was dry too, though it had plenty of cabbage slaw. Worst fish taco ive had in California. Avoid this place. French fries and 1 fish taco should never be $18, especially when they are desabridos. Unfortunately that was my 3rd and last visit. So much potential = ( read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - $18 Carlsbad fish taco (singular) with undercooked tortilla and sharp cheddar cheese. - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This was really not great at all, our party left pretty disappointed. We love fish and chips and this really just lacked flavor, we also thought the cocktail and tartar sauce were really bland. Such a bummer as this is a really nice prime location next to the beach I wish we would have chosen somewhere else for lunch. I will say that service was super great both employees who helped us were awesome. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish & chips - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Food was great, especially the soup just a warning, it comes out extremely hot. The fish and fries were fresh and flavorful, and the portions were solid. Service was okay, not amazing, but the food definitely made up for it. Nice spot with a great location by the water read more

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This little gem is a must try! The fish and fries were amazing! The fish was tender yet crispy and very good in size, the fries were so crispy yet tasted baked, so good. The jumbo shrimp did not disappoint! Very large in size and all meat, not breading. We also tried the Cole slaw which was tasty and fresh. Service was excellent, all staff were very friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend this place. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - 2 Piece Fried Fish and Jumbo Breaded Shrimp Plate. - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great fish and chips! The clam chowder is ok, it was thick and didn't seem to have the right texture of the chowder which was disappointing. The location is in a busier area and the out door patio is nice. The staff is friendly and welcoming as well. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Hands down the best fish tacos / fish and chips I've ever had. The fried fish is so fresh and crispy. Whenever I'm near this side of California I always stop by just for this place. Service staff is friendly and kind. Ambiance is perfect for a seaside fish joint. Highly recommend! read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - 1 Piece Fried Fish - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Sad to give this place an average review, but it is what it is. 4 stars for the view, 2 stars for the food. The service was good! HUGE fish taco, but just was bland and not tasty. The fish and shrimp combo was ok. The salad and French fries were the best part of the meal! Love that they have locally brewed beer and ocean views, but don't expect much from the food. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish and shrimp combo - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

If you're in the mood for a fish taco the size of a small log, Harbor Fish Cafe is the place to go. A slab of fish, half a cabbage shredded into crunchy slaw, and some magical sauce to hold it all in a sweet corn tortilla. Served with a mountain of seasoned French fries by a friendly, quick, and accommodating staff. Very tasty and very filling - enough for two meals. read more

Burger was delicious. Service was great. Zucchini was way overpriced. Almost 9 dollars for three spears. Getting fries with my burger next time. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Cheeseburger and zucchini. - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Food was generous, prices were more than fair and environment and setting were so nice! Service was efficient and low key read more

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Beachside restaurant in Carlsbad California. Parking is a little difficult so I would definitely recommend walking or taking a rideshare. Also, it is outdoor seating only. It is covered and some of the seating does have views of the beach. It is a casual atmosphere. Thankfully, even in August the weather is nice so sitting outdoors is comfortable. The menu is small and has mostly fried seafood options. I would definitely recommend trying the house beer. It is delicious. For my meal I have the fried shrimp. They were big and very good. My spouse had the fried fish. He was not able to finish all of it because it was a very generous portion. The waitstaff was very nice and we enjoyed the views. read more

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Decent seafood, but definitely better places to eat in Carlsbad. If you're walking the beach and downtown Carlsbad area, this is a good spot to pop in for a beer and maybe a snack/appetizer--especially if you can lock down a table with a view of the beach (which is hard with the limited amount of seating) but I wouldn't recommend it for a full meal. Don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad--but it also wasn't very good. It was just average and lacked flavor. I will say, the clam strips were pretty disappointing. They were small in size and again, pretty flavorless. Service was good--I'm seeing a lot of recent reviews commenting on rude staff--but we didn't have that issue at all. The hostess let us sit where we wanted and the server was attentive, kind, and checked on us often. If I stopped in here again, it would definitely just be to have a beer and enjoy the views. read more

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