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    Tugboat Fish & Chips

    3.4 (170 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Tugboat Fish & Chips Photos

    Business Info

    TUGBOAT FISH & CHIPS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Fish & Chicken Combo
    Paul W.

    I have come here every now and then for about 20 years at the same location. Pretty much the only London-style fish and chips shop in Vacaville. For years, I always left satisfied knowing I'd be back eventually. But the last time I came (about two years ago) something seemed off and I figure maybe it's an off day. Fast forward today, and I decided to get there for takeaway during my lunch break. The wife and husband team have worked there for years and are always friendly. I went with my usual Fish & Chicken combo which came with one fish filet, two chicken strips, chips (fries), tartar sauce, and ranch. Everything was made right away and I headed back to work to eat. I think the one of the few things that has been consistent with Tugboat over the years are their fries. They're basic, but I've always enjoyed them and these were no different. The fish was nice and crispy in the outside, but the fish inside was thin. I think the fish-to-batter ratio was slightly more batter crunch that drowns the fish out some. The chicken tenders are very thin and lacked a bit of that tender. I don't know if they pound the chicken down to get it thin, but like the fish the batter was more dominant. The ranch sauce was good. Tartar sauce was a little on the sweet side which I'm not a fan of. But it's more of a preference there and it's still decent. Overall, Tugboat doesn't seem to hit home for me like it used to. I noticed prices have gone up slightly, but price is never an issue with me if the quality matches. But it's just not the same anymore.

    Fish and Calamari
    Neez I.

    We've been in search of a good fish and chips for a minute since our favorite spot in Benicia closed down. Fish, shrimp, calamari AND fries had little to absolutely no seasoning. No taste at all. We wanted to like this place because we love supporting small mom and pop shops, but this was unfortunately disappointing.

    The carpet is filthy they have seat covers over the seats at least the ones that are terrible No I check that back they're all terrible
    M H.

    This some nasty s*** I've already used 10 packs of salt and it's still nasty I don't come from but I'm starving so right now I'm going to eat it when you're very hungry don't go to the grocery store and don't come to tugboat The lady that took my order was nice Don't get me started about the ambience The carpet has 20 years of dirt on it

    This is the chicken strip. I think they striped it of its dignity.
    Carrie J.

    Walk in the door you're greeted by the stale, non circulating air. Not even a fan. It's 88 outside. A woman wanted extra napkins, they only gave her 2. I think you may have to leave your first born to get more. Maybe the kid can. Cook better. Bring your own roll of bounty. Chicken tasted like nothing, the Fish tasted weak, unsavory, flat, dead, unflavored, bland ,tasteless. Yes I went there with the description. fries had zero salt, and I have NEVER in my life seen a straight prawn until I came to this establishment. Two meals was not worth $40. Try your own discretion. Everyone has their own tastes. Enjoy sitting in the booths, and chairs that are probably from a 1978 dennys . Don't wear shorts , you'll get cut by the cracks in them. I'll update my review i get sick from what food we did eat. Three things would help a lot. SEAS-A-NING! (Yeah I did that wrong on purpose.)

    2piece fish & chips
    Arielle G.

    Lived here for almost 10 years and I still haven't tried the local fish & chips. But it was a no-meat Friday, so I was like hey, let's try it out. I had zero expectations going in so I wasn't too disappointed nor was I impressed. The good: 1) Fish was a good size. 2) The breading to fish ratio was perfect. I absolutely hate it when there's so much breading! 3) The fish was cooked perfectly. Another place had rubbery fish so this was already a huge plus for me. 4) I ordered food for pick up and my order was ready in time. The bad: 1) I agree with some Yelpers; both the fish and the fries (and even the tartar sauce) could definitely use some seasoning. Seasoning is everything. 2) The fries were cold and they gave a very small amount. So it wasn't super terrible, but for a place that specializes in fish & chips you'd think they would be good at it... kinda, sorta?

    Fish and scallops
    joey p.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_PPxeGxAv1/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng== Simple wonderful fried fish and sides You can't go wrong here

    Vanessa C.

    Came by for lunch with my dad and sister. I've never eaten here but they both have and said it's really good so I was excited to try it out. I got the 2 fish and chips. It was absolutely delicious! Food was fresh and hot! Came with tar tar sauce and malt vinegar. It seriously was so good, some of the best fish and chips I've had. The last at the counter was really friendly. There was plenty of inside seating and the restaurant was nice and clean. :)

    The chips that came with the 8 fish and 6 chicken strips meal
    Jonathan S.

    I haven't been to Tugboat in many years, but yesterday, I decided to stop in for lunch after work because fish and chips sounded good. I decided to order extra food for the kids when they get home from school. I ordered the 8 piece fish and 6 piece chicken that came with fries, side order of clams trips and a large coleslaw. There are quite a few tables to sit down to eat, but I opted for takeout. Ordering was quick and the food was ready fast. The lady that took my order was pleasant. I also want to add that they offer crab cakes, potstickers and lumpia as well. As for the food, it is just mediocre to me. They advertise London Style Fish and Chips and I believe them because they are exactly like fish and chips in London, bland and no flavor. Even just a little salt would help, but whatever fish they used had no flavor as well. The fish is not the traditional filet look, but rather long strips much I thought were chicken strips initially. The chicken strips were also bland and could use some salt. I was warned when I went to London to not eat fish and chips because they are bland and had no flavor, well this definitely reminded me of it. The side of fries clams were pretty good, but the portion size was a little lacking. They did give a ton of fries (chips). I ordered a large coleslaw, but I'm pretty sure they gave me the small, but if it is a large, portion size is also lacking a little. As for dipping sauces, they gave plenty of tartar sauce (fish) and ranch dressing (chicken strips), there was a small container of cocktail sauce for the clam strips. I wish they gave some malt vinegar for takeout, but was not included. Again the tartar sauce and ranch was bland, my son even said it was like they diluted them with water. The kids didn't mind the bland taste of the fish and chicken strips and thought they were decent, but my wife and I definitely feel they are lacking seasoning. Unfortunately, it will probably be many years before I come back as I would rather have the fish and chips and chicken strips from Long John Silver or make it myself.

    They gave me someone's order and it's all unseasonably seafood. How are they even in business
    Wan G.

    This is the most unseasoned fish I have every ate. This is horrible. Totally waste of money and gas to drive the 10 mins it took. You know what's even worst...I tried to look at order and felt like she was ushering me out the door. They actually gave me 2x as much as I order fish and scallops. I got 2 of those and a order of shrimp. They are decent size but still this food had nothing. Because she rushed me..I was hoping that condiments were on there. But just catch up and target...no hot sauce or malt vinegar. How are they even surviving selling this bland food.

    Fried Seafood Combo, delish

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    27 days ago

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    3 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    1 month ago

    You get good food at a decent price. the owners are super nice. I recommend to family and friends.

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Prices have gone way up!! 18.99 for 3 pcs fish & chips is crazy!! I am not sure if I will be back unfortunately!

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

    It's pretty good order the Alaskan cod. Just your basic fish and chips, it satisfies the craving.

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Been coming here for years .If you like deep frieed sea food this place is excellent.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I go here a lot I always order the samething which is the shrimp dinner with regular white it's everytime

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Our order came out fast and hot. The fish was crisp with a tasty batter. My clam strips were excellent - just like we had in New England.

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    2 years ago

    I got the one fish combo. Everything was fresh tasting and delicious. The whole meal was excellent!

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Good fish and a really nice owner. They are my go to place for fish. I like that they have a decent list of meal options.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Tugboat Fish & Chips

    What type of fish do they have?

    It is Swai....

    Is this the same restaurant that used to be in Solano Mall?

    May not be the same owners but yes, it's the same restaurant

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    Barzar Eatery

    Barzar Eatery

    4.8
    (330 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Last chance to have food at Barzar Eatery tomorrow, Sunday, 7/26! They're closing after tomorrow…read moreand then hoping to reopen... closer to the Bay Area proper! Come early or you'll likely not get to have what you're eyeing on. When: Saturday dinner at 5pm (came when they were opening door) What: Chicken satay, pork satay, beef satay, seafood laksa, hainanese chicken rice, fried spring roll Experience: Superb food!! It is a lot of food, but we wiped out all of it among two adults and two young kids. The satays were SO GOOD! Hands down the best I've had in the USA, and on par with the best satay places I've had in Southeast Asia! Our favorites including both kids were beef and pork. So tender, so flavorful and delicious even without using the peanut sauce. We even got another two orders of each to take home! Seafood laksa was such a big portion with good amount of seafood. If you've had Singaporean or Malaysian laksa, this is different. Different in a good way since the owner chef is from Indonesia. The Hainanese chicken rice was tasty. Turmeric rice was different since I'm used to the ginger chicken rice, but the poached chicken was very well made. Under the chicken skin was a layer of gelatin which happens when the chicken is poached and then cool in a meticulous method. Together with the ginger scallion oil sauce, it was umami! Fried spring rolls were crispy and good flavor of meat and vegetables inside. Together with their house lime chili sauce, it was a party in the mouth! Looking forward to their opening at their next location!

    I made it here about thirty minutes before closing and made an effort to quickly order off their QR…read morecode menu/tab. (I also paid using the online services, but I did see someone paying in person.) I was drawn to Bazar Eatery when I saw they had Laksa; I ordered the Seafood Laksa. Ever since I had it in Singapore, I've been hoping to find somewhere that serves this soup. It was nice to find somewhere that serves it, but it doesn't compare to the flavor of the laksa I had in Singapore. (Maybe it's a different variant of the dish, but I preferred the more coconut heavy broth flavor that I had over there.) I still enjoyed this dish overall though. I also tried the Hainanese Chicken. It really wasn't anything amazing, but this could be due to the dish being served with regular, white rice; they had run out of turmeric rice for the day. I also had the kumquat sparkling drink. The menu notes it's sour, but I didn't think it was overly so. It was still more sweet than sour in my opinion. I enjoyed the drink, and it tasted like they used real fruit rather than artificial syrups. I think the portions are a bit small, particularly in the case of the Hainanese Chicken, but it's nice that they served complimentary shrimp chips. Service came off as genuinely welcoming/friendly, even if we weren't checked on after the food came out.

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    Barzar Eatery
    Barzar Eatery
    Barzar Eatery

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    Wah Shine

    Wah Shine

    4.0
    (652 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    This was our first time at Wah Shine, we were a party of 8. We ordered the Egg drop soup, the Won…read moreton soup, a pork and a shrimp fried rice, a kung pao chicken and a kung pao shrimp. The servings were generous. The food was fresh and delicious. The Egg drop soup felt like a warm hug. I especially enjoyed the pork fried rice, I am used to seeing it with the bbq pork, which this one was not that did not take away from how good it was. The Kung Pao chicken could have had the veggies chopped smaller, but it's no big deal, it had plenty of peanuts which was a nice surprise. The service was great our water cups were never empty and empty plates were collected at an appropriate time. The staff was kind and very inviting. The place itself is a little outdated but the service and food make up for it. We will most definitely be coming back to Wah Shine. Sorry no pics.

    Horrible restaurant the food is ok, but I can't even come in and enjoy with my family. THEY DO NOT…read moreHAVE A BABY CHANGING STALL. How do you come into a restaurant without no bay changing stall. It's ridiculous. They expect me to put her on the dirty floor. I came on a rainy days because my girls love Chinese's food and I have a 1 year old. I went to the restroom to change her diaper and boom nothing. I had to leave the restaurant while it's pouring outside with my little one to change her in the car. We both got very wet ... I'm very disappointed... I'm coming from Vallejo and heard great things. Making sure not to recommend this restaurant to any one in my family.

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    Interior
    Interior
    Mooshi shrimp
    Mooshi shrimp
    Hot-and-Sour soup, extra spicy, with chicken, prawns, tofu and bamboo.  Tasty, and about a 3/5 on heat.

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    Hot-and-Sour soup, extra spicy, with chicken, prawns, tofu and bamboo. Tasty, and about a 3/5 on heat.
    Backdoor Bistro and Wine Bar

    Backdoor Bistro and Wine Bar

    4.2
    (844 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    We had a lovely lunch here. The staff was super friendly and attentive. The food was delicious -…read morestand outs include the Mac n' cheese and fried polenta and the salads. (I'd skip the fish tacos.) We had a baby and two dogs so sat down outside. They couldn't have been more accommodating. Also very willing to accommodate special food requests. Overall a lovely experience and we will definitely go back.

    Back Door Bistro, Vacaville: 2026 Jul 10 (4.29 of 5)…read more Ladies Gathering!! The service here is a 4.5 of 5. We had different servers who attended to us and they're both friendly and looked cheerful. We got there towards the end of Happy Hour and was presented with their Happy Hour menu. The menu is small, easy to read and has almost everything we'd want for that time of day - including the drinks. The food is a 'hit' or 'miss'. Here's my review: Drinks: Both the Arnold Palmer and the Cadillac Margarita were good. My lemonade tea wasn't overly sweet and I could definitely taste the lemonade. The pitcher of Cadillac Margarita looks innocent but may give someone a slow and powerful buzz if you're not used to the drink. (4.75 of 5) Charcuterie: This a complete appetizer board. Overall, there were some hits and misses, however, we agreed this is a well thought out appetizer board. (4 of 5) Crispy Brussels Sprouts: This is the best dish here, featuring deeply caramelized, dark golden-brown edges and a nutty, earthy flavor. Their Crispy Brussels Sprouts is also the best we've had. The seasoning is on-point, allowing the texture to show off its crackling, crunchy bite on the outside, contrasted by a tender, melt-in-your-mouth interior. (5 of 5) Seasonal Tacos: "Oh WOW!" The explosion of spicy and tangy flavours balanced by contrasting textures makes this dish "pop". (4.75 of 5) Beet Salad: The colours were lovely, but this beet salad was over-salted. The vibrant dish featuring beets as the main ingredient, balances the earthy sweetness with contrasting textures and flavours. If this wasn't too salty, it would have been more refreshing. (3.75 of 5) Coconut Lime Bouillabaisse (halibut, jasmine rice, spinach, snap pea, pickled shiitake mushroom, coconut lime broth, basil oil): Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Bouillabaisse means seafood. The only seafood we noticed were chunks of halibut, which were delicious. This dish looks and tastes more like an elevated Thai soup dish that cost too much. (3.5 of 5) After walking in, we decided to sit outdoors because of the loud music that was playing. We're glad we did. The overhang on the veranda was well positioned with plants and flowers softening the cement walkway. The weather was pleasant - with a gentle breeze blowing down the corridor. Parking is easy if you arrive early enough. One last note: Back Door Bistro in Vacaville was featured on "Check, Please! Bay Area"

    Photos
    View of seating
    View of seating
    Power bowl  California Benedict  Lemon ricotta pancakes  Pineapple mimosa
    Power bowl California Benedict Lemon ricotta pancakes Pineapple mimosa
    Back Door Bistro, Vacaville: 2026 Jul 10

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    Back Door Bistro, Vacaville: 2026 Jul 10

    Tugboat Fish & Chips - seafood - Updated August 2026

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