Fast service, good selection, easy parking. My go-to for hosting seafood meals and apps.

This is a good local fish place for people that live nearby. The scallops were good Monterey Fish's business practices sadden me. We ordered 3/4 pound of scallops. The cashier proceeded to initialize the scale to zero; filled a 0.5 ounce plastic container with the scallops and weighed without putting the scale in tare mode. When I questioned the practice, the cashier could have explained to me about tare and demonstrated that I just missed it or corrected the price. Instead, the cashier stated he didn't charge for the package because only the big containers would cause a difference. Bottom line, we paid nearly a dollar for the package. Suggestion -- if you shop there a lot, look for a tare flag and/or the weight going negative, by the container weight, prior to weighing the product in a container. read more

Wonderful fish market and open on Sundays! I went for a whole fish and they had a few to choose from. The price for locally caught rockfish was so reasonable and they cleaned it for me. I was also tempted by their crab cakes and prepared foods. I'll be back! read more

Oysters were fresh from the farm as promised! BF placed another order for additional 20 oysters, and they gave them to us for free! For the whole 120 oysters, i think we only have a couple that were bad, but that was expected :) Will definitely return! read more

Excelente pescado fresco. Las personas que te atienden hablan español y te ayudan a elegir los pescados mas frescos y según el plato. Para una costeña es la mejor pescaderia de toda la zona de la Bahia. read more

I've always loved Monterey Fish Market, but parking can be difficult and my health has declined so it's difficult for me to shop in this area of Berkeley. Then I heard about their curbside service. PERFECTO! Simple and efficient. I'm thrilled they have added this service so I can enjoy their incredibly fresh seafood again. And if you haven't tried their prepared crab cakes, do yourself a favor and get some. read more

Good selection of local fishes. Prices are fair for the quality but certainly not cheap. The cheapest thing they had when i visited was Rockfish at $12 a pound. Most fish are in the $20-30/lbs range. Not too many different choices but what they had was quality. read more

Other than for sashimi-grade fish, I come to Monterey Fish Market for shellfish, oysters, line-caught cod, shrimp and other seafood cooking needs. Fish here is uber fresh, sweet and usually wild-caught. I love that they usually have at least 3-4 different types of oysters on ice, Manila and little neck clams, and tons of mussels. They are fresh, sweet and just perfect with some simple fragrant herbs and wine. I love that they also have poke, and marinated shrimp. Their fish are sourced daily, meaning you get the fresh catch of the day without going to a direct fisherman. It's not frozen and kept in storage long because they seem to always have lots of customers. Their garlic cilantro shrimp is perfect for a quick shrimp scampi linguine dinner. Oysters here are on point, without taking the drive an hour up to Tomales Bay. My favorites have been the Miyagi's and kumamotos because they are fat, briny and sweet! read more

I've been here a couple of times over the years. I'm always impressed the selection and reasonable prices. This is also a consistently good spot to hit up during crab season... cracked and cleaned, please! read more

I love Monterey Fish. Recently got some cleaned, cooked and cracked crab, and it was really delicious, and somehow cooked better (maybe a wee bit shorter in the pot) than my usual fishmonger in the city. Also got some steelhead trout on another recent visit, super fresh. More expensive than my normal place...I think around $19/lb. But, worth the price. I see from their website they operate a wholesale operation out of SF....sure wish they had a retail location in San Francisco because there is nothing like Monterey Fish in the city! read more

Felt very unwelcome at this market. After standing in its small space for 10 minutes without being acknowledged, my father orders the salmon on display. The guy at the counter leaves the counter, goes into their backroom, again for like 10 minutes, and comes out with some fish all wrapped up and *barely* visable. As he weighs the fish, he asks, "does it look okay?" My father takes a peek into the dark space under the snug wrapping and nods (ever the polite immigrant). When we get home (literally, blocks away), we realize the fish is no where near as fresh as the one on display. It had that fishy smell of not-so-fresh fish. The color's murky, unlike the bright pink color of the fish we picked out. boo! not cool. Monterey Fish Market, thanks for making us feel unwelcome and then making us wait forever in your creepy store for *bad* fish. the experience was worse than going to a used car salesman. At least you don't have to stand in a tight space with the salesman very obviously ripping you off. Despite the fact that I'm a frequent Berkeley Hort and Monterey Market customer, I will not be buying fish from here again nor will I recommend it to anyone. read more

So I felt a little bad about posting such a negative review, and I have gone back a few times. FWIW, when I've bought fish there since, it's always turned out well. But this time I decided to get oysters again and had the same issue. Out of six, maybe one looked edible, but the others scared me off of that. In one the liquor was a weird, opaque gray color and in two others it had leaked out so they were sort of dried out and weird looking. The thing about fish is you can tell a lot by looking at it, and you can always give it a sniff before you leave. But oysters, you have to trust, and that's the problem. Obvs I won't buy oysters there anymore, but it also colors everything. I don't know what's involved in ensuring quality with oysters, but whatever it is, either the retailer or the supplier are doing something very wrong. I'm now two for two, with the purchases being widely separated in time. Maybe I'm just the unluckiest oyster fan, but I doubt it. read more

Monterey Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Berkeley, California

Poor Customer service. A morning phone call confirmed the fish I requested was in and that it would be available for pick up. Drove 2 hours in order to purchase 8 lbs of this fish. Upon arrival, I gave the fish monger my name, and the fish which was confirmed for was no longer available. After asking if there would be more tomorrow morning and if it could be picked up earlier, the monger rolled her eyes. Product has been said to be good, used by the chefs of Berkeley's Sur La Table cooking demonstrations and such. However, after purchasing fish at Tokyo Market on San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, there is no comparison. Fresher fish, 2x the variety, decent costumer service, and lower prices by $2.00-$4.00/lb.. Monterey Fish is a tiny fish boutique with corresponding prices and attitude. read more

monterey fish has been modernized from the old times. before, it looked like a fishmonger's delight: rows of fresh and frozen fish on beds of ice. stretched out on long tables. the buzzing flies added an aura of authenticity. today, it's just 2 referigated enclosed units in a clean, sterile environment with the daily fresh fish within. (about a dozen fish available daily). fresh whole oysters available: miyagi (.75) san simeon (1.25) the fishmonger on duty shucked one miyagi to show me how it was done. having fried fish in the past personally, i knew it couldn't be an impulse thang. all the ingredients had to be ready for a decent meal. it's nice to know montery fish is around should i need top grade fin fish and/or raw oysters in the shell. picked up a cookbook ($20ish) produced by the owner. some interesting recipes inside. only negative here is the lack of street parking. read more

I worked here on and off for years while I was a student and in between other jobs. Rest assured you will find no fresher fish than at Monterey Fish! The retail shop is a small division of their business, but they mainly sell to the best retaurants in the bay (Chez Panisse, Slanted Door, Downtown, BayWolf - some of my personal favorites on their very long list of high caliber restaurant customers) Sure fish is relatively expensive, but think about it this way: its WILD meat! Where else can you go buy wild meat? Its not like you go to even the best butcher and find wild beef, pork, duck, chicken or whatever else. I mean, it takes a tremendous amount of effort for fisherman pull crab off of the ocean floor, hook tuna in the pacific, or black cod off the dangerous waters of Alaska! Wild fish is so much better than farmed in both taste, health value, and quality ...and its worth every penny. Paul Johnson is a great guy. Very environmentally conscious and focused not only on sustainable fish, but making his store green: they recycle food waste for compost - which by my estimate must be over 90% of their garbage by mass (very little plastic or other waste). He wrote a book/cookbook about sustainable fish called Fish Forever - you can find it at the store or online. I had a great working experience with Paul and his family, and all the guys that have worked there over the years. Good people and good fish - if you live in a 100 mile radius (yes there are customers that visit every weekend from Napa for this fish!), you need to check this place out! read more

When I buy fillets, I tend to shop at the farmers' markets (e.g., at the Hudson Fish Company). But I've been cooking whole fish as of late. For some reason, the farmers stick to fillets. Monterey Fish is top of the line. I love the whole rockfish that I buy from them. My only complaint (a really tiny one) is that it seems to take forever for the crew to scale and gut my fish. In France, the same operation takes about 90 seconds. In Berkeley, patience rules. read more

Walked in the door and took a look around, the place was so small and the selection to match. This place wasn't even worth getting anything there, so I look for another place on line. read more

Good fish, but at high prices. And attitude, attitude, attitude! I quit going. The last straw was: I asked the counter guy when shad roe would come in. He said May, which surprised me, I've always seen it in March. I said so, and then he went into a long rant about how they don't sell farmed salmon. I repeated that I wanted to know about shad roe, not salmon, and he just ignored me and continued the farmed salmon rant. Other counter workers were listening now, and I gave up and walked out. And they all laughed derisively at me, as though I was the deluded one! There are better, cheaper, and friendlier places nearby. And easier parking too. read more

What I like about this market, in addition to the very fresh and fairly priced fish, is the friendly and helpful staff. They Without fail they are cheerful and clearly care about their customers. The shop is modest in size but they emphasize local sources and sustainable fish consumption (see their website). They also tweet specials on a regular basis and to my delight this week have featured soft shell crabs at a low price - I stocked up twice for dinner. They offered to clean them as well no charge. They have a nice selection of oysters, clams, smoked and prepared fish, fillets, and whole fish with specials depending on the catch/season. I like to shop for my evening meal same day usually, so a stop in here and then for produce at Monterey Market is all that you need for a superb meal. read more

What a gem, and so close by! Didn't know what I would cook tonight, but when I saw the petrale sole, I chose that. In and out of the market in about 2 minutes, the easiest errand all day. Friendly staff selling high quality fish, how great! I paired the pan-fried petrale with the lemon and thyme au gratin potatoes from Gregoire, and a side of broccolini, and everyone raved! Easiest and most delicious quick dinner lately. This will be a repeat performance. read more

The fish is absolutely gorgeous. The prices are high, but reasonable for the quality. I am bit disappointed with service and detail. I ordered a pound of wild salmon and asked if it could be deboned for me. The guy at the counter said it already was. When I got it home, it wasn't deboned. Since I don't know how to debone or even own tweezers, I struggled with pulling the pinbones out with my fingers before I basically just had to cut out chunks that had bone in it. Waste of fish and money. read more

Great fresh fish and local catches. The store is a bit tight and feels fish mongery - dont wear your nice shoes. (Why would you to the fish market??) Workers are friendly and knowledgeable, and prices are not cheap but fair. Note - they don't clean fish for you on Saturdays. So if you want whole fish and don't want to be scaling and gutting, go on a weekday! read more

Expensive, but worth it. Particularly the black rock cod. Good for you and tastes like butter. I try to shop here once a week. Also, if you have a little drive to get here, dont worry.. they give you small bags of ice to keep your fish fresh... read more

Probably the best fish mongers in the Bay Area. The fish is reasonably priced, and the quality is excellent. Short of buying fish from the fisherman, this is as fresh as you're going to get it. They sell wet fish, shell fish, oysters, and have tanks of lobster and crab. They also have a small selection of smoked fish and other dried groceries you find in these types of stores. I was in the neighborhood for other reasons traveling from San Francisco, and I'm so pleased I visited. There are only two equivalent options in SF, Swan Oyster and San Francisco Fish Co. but the prices are a couple of dollars higher per pound. Well worth the travel - highly recommended. read more

Pescetarians unite! Monterey Fish is the one and only entity that can motivate me to brave a round trip across the Bay Bridge simply to pick up a key ingredient for a meal. They are far and away the best fish monger you'll know, with friendly staff that are knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly to boot. While on any given day they might only have 30% of the varieties of fish you're used to seeing in your neighborhood Whole Foods or Andronicos, it will undoubtedly be uniformly fresh, reasonably priced, and you can rest assured your little fillet won't be another nail in the coffin of some poor over-fished species. For folks with a long drive home, they'll gladly pack it in ice for the road. read more

Good lord this place is amazing. They tweet their fresh fish every day so you can check out recipes before you hit the store. They ask if you want ice to keep the fish cool. They ask if you want a plastic bag so it won't leak all over your other groceries that you keep jammed in your backpack. So much service with big smiles. I find the prices really reasonable for what they offer, which is VERY fresh, high-quality fish. Their smoked trout is half the price that you can find it in Berkeley Bowl and is so delicious--I'm addicted! The folks working there are great, especially considering they have to deal with bourgeois north Berkeley people all the time. They're so on top of things and so fast that I'm usually out of there before I want to be! read more

This place has several things going for it, but what most people would be interested to know is that their fish is second to NONE in the East Bay. I've heard a lot about Tokyo and a couple other places, but I'll always go here when I want to serve the best fish to my guests at home. I make sushi at home a couple times a month and all my guests agree, the fish is better here than any other place I've gotten it from (this includes when I used to live in Seattle and got some of the most amazing Salmon you've ever put a knife to). They've got a knowledgeable staff that I happen to think are pretty cool. I've brought them beer and sake as thank you presents for giving me such great cuts of fish. I don't order huge amounts all the time, so it's cool to know that they consistently give out the best fish regardless of whether you order a pound or ten (I've ordered both, lol). Give this place a try tonight! read more

Save your self and go to Tokyo Fish. Reasons why you SHOULDN'T shop there: Do not recycle anything, at all Phase out more affordable fish for higher profit thing fish (150% more profit per pound) Can't get an order right Poor service Say rude things about customers read more

The freshest and cleanest oysters. I have bought oysters elsewhere and have had to spend so much time cleaning the oysters that they are just not worth it. Here, you pick up the oysters of your liking, do a quick rinse, shuck and they are ready to eat. Almost pristine! read more

This is the first fish monger that I have been to that has SUCH fresh fish that it doesn't smell fishy! The Oysters I bough were so fresh that when I shucked them and squirted a little lemon juice on them, they flinched. They only sell sustainably harvested fish. Need I say more?? read more

By far one of the best places to purchase fish! I like it even better than Toyko Fish Market. My favorite so far is their tuna. I haven't tried their swordfish because they don't cut it and I can't see myself eating a pound of fish in one go. The freshness and quality is what won me over. read more

OK. I never thought I'd find fish at affordable prices. And the fact that it is truly FRESH and not "previously frozen" makes it even more remarkable. They have amazingly great selection given that all of their fish is so fresh and the prices are lower than what you'd pay at Safeway for "previously frozen" fish from anywhere but here. One time when I was at Lucky, I actually saw them taking frozen fish out of those vacuum sealed packs that you find at Costco and laying them into the case to look as if they were fresh fish! Of course, if you read closely, it said "previously frozen", but I never realized that they are selling the same stuff that you can get from Costco. From now on, when I am making a meal in which the fish is the highlight, I'll be heading straight to Monterey Fish Market. read more

I really love this neighborhood market and shop here regularly. The selection is all top quality and the people are nice. However today the person helping me was wearing their mask around their nose, not over it--as a customer I expect proper mask wearing in order to give this business a 5. Will give them another chance to get it right--this is the last item I still buy in person rather than grocery delivery. read more

First time here on yesterday! Was on a search for some Sand Dabs! When I read and saw photos that this fish monger has them sometimes, I called and when I was told they had them I went in pursuit!! Parking was challenging due to the nearby Monterey Market across the street but I parked in the neighborhood and walked down because it was such a beautiful day! The sand dabs though smaller than what I expected were very fresh (they had just got them in that morning!!) and tasty!! So thankful for Yelp and GPS in my car!! I was able to satisfy my craving and find a great local fish market at the same time!!! read more

Ok when you go for Dungeness crab and their out. Don't go back and get a large can and open and say you have more. WTF!!!! DUDE fresh isn't freshly opened. Now I know why I stopped going. SMh read more

This is my go to fishmonger. I love living in the area where I can walk down here and get fresh fish from people who know what they are doing. Delicious fresh healthy and local. What could be better. Pro tip check out the garlic parsley shrimp. read more

Came here to pick up oysters for my company picnic. This is their wholesale location but they still take walk ins for smaller over the counter purchases. It's a pretty industrial setup, but they had a great selection of fresh local seafood at reasonable prices. They're tucked all the way in the back of Pier 33 and only take cash or check. Definitely coming back here if I ever need to buy a larger amount of seafood again. read more

Very friendly and helpful fishmongers - actually stopped what they were doing amid a rush to provide some pointers about cooking whole rockfish and branzino. Had the rockfish last night and it was delicious! A little service goes a long way. I don't live around here so I doubt I'll be back all that soon, but hey - there's an amazing pizza place next door so I guess now I've got my reasons... read more

If you don't have a brother-in-law who is a commercial fisherman (yes, I do, but he's often hard to track down) then this is the place to go for your seafood. Everything here is fresh and much of it is local. The prices are fair and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Best Fishmonger in the Bay Area. read more

Economy got you down? Just spent your last unemployment check? Lost your home to foreclosure? Well, there's always dungeness crab season to look forward to! Yeah, it won't solve any real problems, but access to local, sweet crab is a definite plus to living in this state. I read about the first catch in the Chronicle, and sure enough Monterey Fish Market had fresh crabs that day. You can buy it live, or cooked and cracked (the best way to go, if you ask me). This market is a great choice for seasonal, fresh, quality fish and the guys that work there are always pleasant and helpful. It certainly beats a trip down to the docks. read more