After spending the day at the beach, we wanted fried seafood and wound up at Harbor Fish Cafe. It's a straight forward menu, fish and chips, fried shrimp, clam strips. Servers were friendly and attentive. The fish was nicely fried, good batter and good tasting. The shrimp tasted fresh and nicely fried up too. read more

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

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This place has been around forever! I've had lunch here many times over the decades. One of the spots that still exists from the old days! My parents both grew up in Carlsbad, I'm so happy this place is still here! Service was good- food was good- no complaints! We tried the home brew - nice lager! read more

When at the beach fish and chips should be good right. Thursday special 2 piece fish and chips $13.99! Nice open air ambience and view of the beach. Fish and chips were kinda greasy or oily....batter was as thick as the fish. Overall it hit the spot and I ate it all. read more

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

Service was quick and friendly. Ordered a small clam chowder. Surprised by the spicy kick their chowder had. It was good but definitely not for everyone. Their giant fish tacos are giant almost like a burrito. The fish was crispy and not oily or soggy. Packed with cabbage and shredded cheese which I was not a fan, I think if they put some cotija cheese on these monsters it would give it that extra (chefs kiss). The mayo was just plain mayo taste, but a really good thin tortilla. Served with crispy seasoned Fries and salsa. The fries were good and even after they cooked down were still crispy. The salsa left something spicy to be desired for. It's basically like tomato sauce. read more

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Love this place great food great service and my favorite is their Clam Chowder I personally think it's one of the best places to eat some chowder, I come down here and get some every time pure deliciousness read more

Bad clam chowder! Literally on the toilet with the worst stomach pain i've had my whole life. Great service though ‍ read more

The fish and chips were pretty good. They had a thicker breading from what I'm used to but didn't have excess grease. The fish piece itself was pretty long but narrow. Food quantity for price I thought was fine with the location right off the beach entrance. Fries were pretty good. Drip coffee is 3 bucks a cup without refills so that's a bit annoying. Service was good and majority of seating is shaded also pluses. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish and chips (1 piece) - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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It hasn't changed in 10 years, which is good. Go for the grilled fish tacos. Bonus points if you get a table with a view of the ocean.

Friday afternoon and this place is full and busy. Grabbed zucchini to go. Staff friendly. Food great. Parked in the back. I was lucky, one guy pulled out as I drove in. The only problem with all businesses by the beach is poor parking. 6/30/23 read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This is always a great spot for fish tacos. It's very close to the beach with a casual outdoor space. I like the spicy grilled fish taco. The fried fish is amazing too. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Outdoor seating with a view - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Not quite sure about the relatively low star rating here.. I can be sometimes harsh when it comes to food and service, but it's always been great. Been here at least a dozen times since moving here. Yes, the clam chowder might look a bit on the smaller side but not worth complaining about... Fish and chips , the service, the seating, the people, and the view have been 5 stars everyone. read more

The best fish n chips I have ever had!!!!!!! My family has made this a must stop every time we are in Carlsbad. Food is fresh n hot and service is friendly and efficient, menu prices are reasonable thx Harbor Fish Cafe read more

Cute little cafe right off the beach. Service was good and food came out ridiculously fast. Food wise there isn't anything that sets this place apart from another fish and chips. The clam chowder was disappointing. It was bland and the size was small for $11. Two piece fish and chips is $20. Portions are on the smaller side here. read more

Meeting friends right near the waterfront makes for the great outside patio ambiance. the food was delicious!! Clam Chowder was very tasty and HOT temperature which is how it should be We all had a variety of the Fish Taco plate and a single taco was large - fresh tender white fish, grilled and placed in a large corn tortilla with traditional fixings. Servers were friendly and attentive- great service and priced well. We had a wonderful afternoon there! Yummy! read more

The service was impecable at this casual place. I enjoyed the Wednesday special - fish taco with fries. The fish taco was huge, absolutely delicious, and came with all the traditional SoCal fixings. I appreciate there was a kid's menu and regular mac-&-cheese for my picky son. It's a very causal place with outdoor seating and a bit of an ocean view depending where you sit. I'd definitely return! read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish taco special, kids mac-&-cheese, 2 fish meal - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Absolutely horrible service!! We go here every summer. Food is good but this year service was ridiculous. We went on a Wednesday at 1. It wasn't busy. There were several servers but the one we had was not attentive at all. He stood off to the side drinking from a cup, talking to the other staff. My husband got up 3 times and walked over to him & ask for more cocktail sauce, then had to get up to ask for a go box, then once again he got up to.ask for our check. We sat there another 5 minutes for him to come pick up our check. There are a lot of restaurants out there so if U still want a business Harbor Fish U better have a talk with your staff. It's not only abt the food it's abt service too!! I get better service at Taco Bell read more

I'm not a harsh person and rarely give 3 or less stars. But this place was okay, as we were just looking for somewhere to eat later in the day. Your basic fish n chips, clam strips n chips (or fries) along the beach. The setting alongside the beach is nice. Other than that, exceptional service, and decent food. I wouldn't mind returning. But will look to visit other places to eat at before coming back . read more

My Go-To location for fish and chips. This place gets slammed and sometimes service gets impacted, but I think they try to please.

Great fish and chips with an ocean view! Meal was surprisingly not greasy or dripping in oil, which I loved. Got the harbor combo plate which comes with 1 fish and some fried shrimp and fries. The clam chowder was good but too pepper-y and kind of spicy?? Street & neighborhood parking only. Has 2 bathrooms. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Just because the restaurant is on the ocean doesn't mean the fish is good. Slow service even with 5 servers standing around I had to get up twice to ask for something. Better if you go elsewhere with your money. read more

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

My favorite fish taco place of all time!! Love everything about it! So yummy!! Fast service & location is amazing too, right on the beach. Can't wait to go back!! read more

God was delicious and sitting on the patio with delicious food, a cold beer and looking out at the ocean..... what could be better

Fish is ok , view great if you are in the right spot. Staff unfriendly. Obviously they do not like their job .

Always a must when I'm in Carlsbad. Food is always very fresh and staff is very friendly and great spot to eat at sunset! read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - A must stop when I'm in Carlsbad!!! Very fresh and great views. - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This place has been here since the 80s! So happy they are still around! They have a great location and casual vibe. They have a covered open air patio, so it's nice to feel like you're outside without the sun beating down on you while you eat! Plus you get to people watch! I got the 1 piece fried fish plate and hubby got the Clam combo (clam strips with 1 piece fried fish). I definitely finished my plate, no problem! I think it was cooked just right. I like that the fish was long and I just used my hands to eat it. It didn't fall apart! That's a plus! The fries were done to my liking, crispy! Nothing like getting soggy fries, right? So no worries here! This is definitely one of my go to places for fish and chips! Then afterwards, you can walk off your meal at the beach! read more

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

Group of 8 weren't able to sit with an ocean view but the food made up for it. Good reviews of the Fish and clams as well as the Fish and shrimp combo. Street noise is a bit of a challenge. read more

Advertised to close at 8:30p. They shut the gate on me at 8:11p. The unfriendly employee said she has nothing to do with Yelp. Terrible way to treat an out-of-town visitor. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Perfect spot for something quick, had the Spicy Fish Taco as the sun lit up the ocean. Food was good, view was great and the service was excellent. read more

Absolutely loved this place. Outstanding fish and chips. Great crunch without being overly breaded. Mild white fish with great flavor. A capers tarter sauce that is a perfect complement to the fish. Creamy coleslaw- really good. Crunchy French fries. Also loved the clam chowder. Not as thick as some, but fresh, flavorful and addictive. Next time I'm in Carlsbad guess where I will be eating again? read more

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Good service, ocean view, and good food, I had the hamburger which was very good, wife had fish sandwich that she thoroughly enjoyed, would recommend this place read more

First time here- the wait was short and the view was beautiful. Menu was straight to the point- and food was delicious. collette was an amazing server and super insightful! will be back. I overheard over servers being knowledgeable and helpful in regards to food allergies. our server was knowledgeable about doing free options for me and I heard another server doing so as well. overall super professional, happy to be here, great staff. Audrey was awesome as well! read more

Best fried fish and shrimp I've had. The breading and quality is out of this world! I will definitely come back next time we're in town

As someone who hates seafood. I love their burgers always so good ! The waitress with the red hair was an angel

I've wanted to stop in here for some time now. Finally had the craving for fish n chips and went for it. This place is all outdoors. Nothing fancy other than the beautiful ocean right there. Was greeted right away. Noticed that there were only two guys working the place. Was handed menus and told to sit wherever we wanted. The place really had a picnic vibe to it. The menu wasn't overwhelming with choices. Which was perfect. Everything looked good. We decided on the fish n chips, of course, and a cup of clam chowder. The chowder came out in a little, and I do mean little, plastic throw away dollar store container. The soup was hotter than hot, and very peppery. Not bad though. Was it worth the $6? Not really. Also went with a piece of toasted sourdough. Not bad for a $1. The fish n chips were huge. They looked like they were freshly breaded. The plate had a side of ketchup and tater sauce. The fish was nice and white and flaky but lacked in flavor. My husband found them a bit greasy. Even after squeezing lots of lemon, it didn't seem to help. The tarter sauce was like mayonnaise with relish mixed in it. As for the help, after the two guys brought out our food, they never came back to the table. When we were half way through our meal, we noticed a possible shift change and this woman finally asked how our food was. That when I was able to get the lemon. Would I recommend this place to someone, it wouldn't be my first choice. But the location was the reason why I gave them 3 stars. read more

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We were seated immediately by a friendly host and he got us a spot overlooking the Pacific. He wiped the table for us as we sat...nice touch for an outdoor eatery. The menu has a lot of options but fish tacos were all my son and I wanted. He got the traditional with grilled fish and I got the spicy with grilled fish. Both were delicious and HUGE! I added a large iced tea, which was fresh and good. It's not a fancy place but somewhere you absolutely need to visit. You won't be disappointed. read more

Had a good experience here. Stopped here before headed home to grab some dinner and enjoy some ocean views. Staff was attentive and friendly. They are quite efficient here . Their fish and chips were so tasty-- that batter! Hot, fresh, crispy, and tender cut of fish. Their clam chowder wasn't so bad either. Also got a salad, I remembered the menu said it was grilled shrimp salad, however what came out was more of shrimp cocktail. I didn't make a big deal out of it because they were pretty busy and the place was quite packed. So, the salad was just ok for me. I appreciate the freshness of the veggies though. A good place to stop by if you're on the way to SD or back to OC and feeling hungry for seafood with a view. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

almost on the beach. Nice view casual place. Good neer. The food is OK, if you like greasy food you will love it. read more

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We have driven by this place many times over the years and finally decided to stop by. The beach was packed post Covid so we ended up parking a few blocks away. They have outdoor seating but unfortunately because the weather has been so humid, the patio was very hot and steamy. I had the fish and clams combo. The fish was good but my piece did have some silver parts. I would prefer no silver parts on my fish. The clams were good especially since I've been craving clams. My husband had the big fish taco and he thought it was pretty good. Table service was good and the food came out really fast. read more

Harbor Fish Cafe - Fish and Clams Combo - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Solid three stars. I hadn't been back in almost 15 years, and I was happy to finally get to revisit as friends usually choose Harbor Fish and Chips. This type of food isn't something I would normally seek out on my own~ I ordered the spicy grilled fish taco plate, which came with spicy fries. It was a pretty one-note dish as the fries, fish and slaw had the same cajun powdered seasoning. The fish was a bit dry and overcooked. I really dug the slaw; it gave a refreshingly light bite to an otherwise heavy dish. If I ordered it again, I would ask for 2 of the 3 components to have the spice and leave one plain. The taco itself was obscenely huge... so huge in fact, that I have never seen a corn tortilla of that size before and it looked like a burrito when it arrived to the table. Everything was clean, the employees were patient and super friendly. They made sure my water cups were full (no refills at the moment, so they bring new cups to the table). And I liked that the water was filtered. Oh, and expect a wait time because everything is cooked to order. We loved how fresh the fries were! Overall, I will definitely keep this in my rotation to bring my out-of-town friends to enjoy. Pros: - location and ambience - limited menu (those who know me know I don't like overwhelming menus. Do 1 thing and do it right) - friendly - made to order Cons: - parking - a bit pricey but expected for the area - mostly fried and heavy foods on menu - only al fresco dining (nice for sunsets!), so birds were everywhere - food is pretty average but you stay for the view read more

every time I come to town to visit I always stop here to get the fish tacos and we sit at the beach and enjoy it but this time we went and ordered two fish taco meals and try to get a corndog kids meal, but he wouldn't sell us the corndog kids meal unless they saw my kids which was playing on the sand so we had to go get the kids to pack them up to come order a corn dog and then they didn't even give us ketchup just mustard. read more