Recently went to Wild Fish after seeing it on PBS's program Check Please. My friends and I ordered the whole rock fish, fried calamari, and ahi tuna. Everthing was just ok. Not bad but not great. I was expecting great so I left disapointed. The only thing great was our server! Maybe it was an off night for the food? read more

Had the Bouillabaisse, it was fantastic! Service was great will definitely be returning.

Nice steamed mussels with foccacia, and my husband's gourmet "fish sticks" were great. He liked the lentil soup and Albarino wine; I liked the lemon tart (with Buddha's hand citrus) I had for dessert. I would have ordered them to hold the tonka bean scraping garnish if I had known what it was (it was only a tiny amount on whipped cream) but I would have been afraid of it if I had known (looked it up later). read more

Sweet little restaurant! Great food and good service. Brussels sprouts were amazing. The place was packed but servers did a great job making sure everyone was taken care of. read more

Wild Fish - Inside the restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

So delicious!! And now in OG!!! First dined with them in Mendocino Cty. So wonderful, we ate there both nights!!! Hope to return soon. read more

This was one of the best dinner experiences I have had in some time. I live in Santa Cruz and decided to venture out on a weekday evening as the food scene in town can be repetitive. This place radiated warmth as soon as I walked in. My guest and I were greeted by two cheery gentleman who went over and beyond our entire meal. The indoor aesthetic was very cozy. Jazz was playing in the background and it kind of felt like we were far far away from California. The food: where to even begin. Easily the BEST oysters I've ever consumed which did pair perfectly with the recommended Brut. The gluten-free popovers were a delightful surprise on the menu. Had TWO rounds of those babies. I chose the swordfish entree and it was so fresh and tasty. Lastly, we finished with a gluten-free love cake (?) and it was thick and easy to share. I didn't LOVE the smoked sable appetizer (mainly because it was chilled) and yet the flavors on the plate were complimentary and unique. I seriously can't wait to go back. Treat yourself...and maybe leave the kids at home for this gem. ;) read more

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Great service and great seafood. Live music was great touch as well. The popovers are a must have.

Food: we shared the shrimp boil -- spicy shrimp over saffron rice. Loved it! So flavorful. We also had very fresh oysters & a great mignonette. Ricotta salad was fresh and delicious with a lemon dressing. If I go back, I'm going to try the fish and chips -- so many people ordered it and it looked delicious!! Service: friendly but slow. Ambience: We ate outside and the ambience was great. Nice parklet. The inside is also pretty. read more

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Wild Fish not only serves locally and sustainably caught seafood, but also prepares their fish in a beautifully and deliciously. The flavor profile beat my expectations, which were already high because of the price point. I highly recommend the whole fish (tables around us kept talking about it after seeing it come out). There was nice live music and heated outdoor seating that provided a classy and fun atmosphere. Even though the food and ambiance were on point, the biggest highlight of our experience was our server, Brandon. He is clearly extremely passionate about fishing locally and and sustainably, and his enthusiasm is so contagious it makes me so happy to be able to support local fishing practices. Overall I highly recommend Wild Fish, and ask for Brandon to learn more about the delicate and beautiful underwater ecosystem that we all play a part in. read more

Wild Fish - Sablefish appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Very convenient to our Pacific Grove bed-and-breakfast two blocks away. Nice park let seating outside that was fairly well protected. Swordfish was excellent with risotto although I would've preferred a little more risotto. Petrale sole en pappilote was slightly dry, but lots of flavor. Sea bass (Corvina?) was super flavorful and yummy. Calamari was dry and blah but we have a hard time finding good calamari if it's not at the Crows Nest in Santa Cruz ! Altogether a very pleasant dinner and more reasonable than what I saw online at their website. ????? Also, fantastic is that (I think) all their fish is sustainable and local? Not sure that San Diego or South América is local. Maybe I misunderstood. Oh well. Good food!!! read more

Service excellent. Atmosphere just right! Food ok. Beet salad -cooked beets with squash and covered with apple butter and pomegranate seeds? Odd, not a salad. Popovers v doughy! Calamari excellent. Presentation of everything excellent! Wine list limited to local wines . A mistake we think. Many excellent Calif wineries! The dessert was also v good Creme Brûlée. We would return ! But would choose differently! Live music at 6:30 read more

Great food and people I had the muscles and they were wonderful. I really enjoy the food in this restaurant and it is a wonderful place to hear. Good music on a weekend. read more

Completely awful from start to finish. Slow service in a busy rescan be understandable but slow service in a slow restaurant can not. Food, incredibly, incredibly average to low in perceived value and even worse in flavor. Way better places to go than here and all within walking distance. read more

3.5 actually We loved their restaurant in Mendocino for many years and were happy to see they are still in pacific grove after closing the mendo site. I think maybe going on Monday may have been a mistake but still it was not the same. The waiter was very nice but knew nothing about anything on the menu and didn't even know which oysters were on our order after we'd already asked him and he went back to the kitchen. Also it was $30 for a half dozen. That's $5 an oyster. I know it's the Bay Area but for real?! Also $4 just for 4 slices of bread They charge for the gin. Then they charge again for making it a martini. That would amount to a $22 martini. Really. Only 3 tables seated in the whole place but the service was still spotty. The sablefish was deemed a success but my halibut was way over cooked which was a shame because the quinoa and coconut brassicas with it were perfect. Never asked if we enjoyed our dishes. After another long wait and two times the waiter was going back to kitchen for dessert clarifications, we just bailed. They were out of three of the most desirable desserts. It's just a matter of time before they are not open on Mondays. No one goes there and the staff isn't up for it. Sad. Miss the Mendocino vibe. Way overpriced and not good enough for me to even cut it some slack. read more

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We have been dining at Wild Fish pretty much since they opened, and our experience has always been good. Several weeks ago, we brought friends there for a dinner on a Sunday night. First, we noticed it was very warm in the restaurant, uncomfortably warm. After we ordered, later we were advised they were out of the item two of us had ordered. When our food came out, my dish (filet of sole) was dry and tasteless. The others were similarly not impressed with their dishes. The worst part was this: We ordered Focaccia bread, which was hard and stale. We have ordered this before at this restaurant and it was always warm and fresh. My wife and I were embarrassed bringing our friends there. We noticed the owners were not there this time, and that may explain the terrible experience we had that night. read more

This was not our first visit to Wild Fish. In fact, we had been there several times in the Fall of '24 and had fine meals. We opted to go early to avoid crowding. After quite tasty cocktails, dinner was a HUGE disappoinment! We started with their calamari appetizer. This serving was half the size of the basket we enjoyed last year. My husband chose the clam chowder which was chowder but clam in name only. Tasted like potato soup with maybe a drizzle of clam juice. Oh well. I had the Sablefish Collar appetizer as my main and it was really scrumptious, as was the salad with melon. My husband's halibut was OK, but too dry. For dessert we opted for their house-made apple crumble served in its own iron skillet. It arrived lukewarm and the "crumble" was soggy, pasty, flavorless fine breadcrumbs like might be used to bread fried shrimp. Service was spotty bordering on negligent. We'll not go back. read more

We tried Wild Fish July 22, 2023 for the first time and were pleasantly surprised.The husband and wife owners are outgoing and like to walk the restaurant and talk with customers -- time permitting. Our server was new and did an excellent job. He made certain his tables were well cared for. The owner's passion is to source fresh local fish that isn't frozen. They display the fisheries, and location for all to observe. See picture below. The chef adds various creative local ingredients to complete the dish. The care and love creating the food may give you a more relaxing evening. The outside seating has enough heaters to keep you warm. The space feels like you are eating in an outside bistro as featured in European movies. We started the evening off with fried sablefish collar that was moist and flavorful. This was yummy. Next was a passion fruit ricotta salad and smoked fish chowder. The creamy risotto complimented the fruits. The smoked fish chowder was light and flavorful. The entrée was seared ahi and vegetables. Wow. Dessert was a decadent sticky toffee puddling with ice cream. We were surprised to find out we were dining during a Carmel Jazz festival. I believe the festival is also next weekend. The Lighthouse Jazz Quartet did an excellent job giving us music. There was a small musician cover charge which could have easily been a lot more. The owner of the Carmel Dance Center brought several students to add dance to the music. The women added elegant, and even humorous, dance to some of the songs. The Girl From Ipanema was done with about four women that danced as a team whether they were individual or a budding flower circle. We strongly recommend you give Wild Fish a try. If you are coming for music ask the restaurant if your evening has music. read more

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Food was disappointing as it had such promise from reading the menu description. The steamed mussels were tiny and flavorless. Fish N Chips were just okay as batter didn't have much seasoning and not as light as expected. read more

We loved Wildfish! Great service. Friendly staff. Good portions. Delicious fish. The perfect combo for our evening out. We ordered their focaccia bread but soon realized it came with two of our orders already so we took it home. It's delicious! read more

Wild Fish - Steamers comes with bread - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Came here for dinner while In town. Service was prompt. Ambiance was casual though can get loud if the restaurant was 100% full. Ordered the swordfish burata which was very good. We had a nice salad with lots of ingredients. Bouillabaisse was very good with lots of seafood and a nice broth. Prices were typical of the area. read more

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Highly recommend the fish and chips. The battered fish came out hot, fresh and crispy. My boyfriend is not gluten free but he thought it was delicious too! It was perfectly satisfying, did not feel like a heavy meal even though it was a large portion. The staff were incredibly nice and accommodating for gluten free, plus our waiter actually said most of the menu is gf. read more

Great food great service and live music Excellent experience We will definitely return to try more fresh fish from local sources read more

Wild Fish - Sable soup and mussels - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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I've always liked the wild fish though it is quite expensive. The menu is innovative, but sometimes I just want something simple. Case in point: their aïoli has quite a kick to it and lots of jalapeño peppers. I'd love to see a homemade tartar sauce next time. The fish tacos, too, as opposed to the usual three were fried lightly, but served with a very spicy aïoli Again, I like my tartar sauce. I think it's a bit of an overkill with the jalapeño. Something that was a little distressing, was our waiter . While the service was OK, his insistence on standing next to our table while we are engrossed in conversation was distracting and interrupted the flow of the conversation. He did it again and I was a bit curt with him. I think service staff should be able to 'read the table' and never interrupt especially to ask if everything is all right need to anticipate the guests. I posted this on social media wondering if maybe I was just too harsh with the server, however, the responses I received agreed with me. Do not interrupt your customers conversation. read more

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Quality food in a cozy/casual setting with friendly service. Smoked Sablefish(Fermented shimeji mushrooms, mostarda, ponzu) - smoky and savory, an unique and delicious appetizer. Steamers(Salt Spring Island mussels, white wine, garlic, butter, tomatoes, aromatics, grilled sourdough bread) - the mussels were fresh and sweet. The sauce was perfect for bread dipping. Whole Fish(roasted Chilipepper Rock Cod, chimichurri, green salad, lemon vinaigrette, crispy potatoes, garlic aioli) - the fish was prepped well and I could tasted the freshness. The crispy potatoes were decadently yummy! Bouillabaisse (White fish, clams, mussels, shrimp, saffron rouille, grilled sourdough) - this was the more disappointing dish of the night. Although the seafood was decent, the broth tasted a bit simple. Lemon Tart - standard tasting. Overall, a pleasant and relaxing dining experience with good food. read more

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The food is always delicious at Wild Fish. Fresh daily fish, calamari is the best around and the potatoes- OMG. Service is lovely and Ambiance is perfect for a fairly quiet dinner with friends or a date night. read more

The guy with a British accent who wouldn't give me his name was so rude, I would never eat here even if you paid me. I booked this restaurant in error. He wouldn't give me the chance to explain the error, called me a liar, hung up on me then proceeded to charge me $100 late fee without giving me the chance to explain why and the situation. I guess they need the money more than I do. With this type of hospitality, I wouldn't be surprised if this restaurant closes soon. AVOID! read more

Great meal! Fish tacos, sable fish collars and popovers !!! Loved the wine selection and the staff! Service with the heart! read more

Wild Fish - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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The place is cute with charm and nice jazz music playing all day long. The servers are friendly and efficient. That said the food was disappointing. The seafood chowder was not really a chowder but more of a fish soup. It didn't really have any flavor or much ingredients besides chunks of boiled fish. The fish tacos had decent chunks of cod which were tender, but under seasoned and there wasn't much beside an aioli glaze to provide flavor. The calamari was actually good with a generous helping of squid that was nicely prepared. Perhaps it was a bit too salty but the rest of the food was kinda flavorless (so it was an interesting contrast). Anyway I don't think this place was as good as the reviews would indicate. read more

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An excellent restaurant! Service was attentive, and dishes were fresh, well portioned, and attractive.

Fantastic is an understatement! We arrived early for our reservation and got seated right away, had a great seat at the window, felt very private! The food was outstanding, the service was outstanding! Cocktails were top notch. I told my husband I will be dreaming and craving the oysters. Will be back very soon! Bringing my mom in next:)! read more

Wild Fish - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT. Would give it a no star if I could. Made a special trip from San Francisco to try this place and made reservation online and even received confirmation. But when we arrived the place was dark in spite of our reservation and hours posted on the website. Called but no answer. Fortunately we ran into the landlord & he asked someone from the kitchen to come out. Person said they were closed for the day. No posting on the door & nothing on their website to state that they would be closed, so why take reservations? We even received a follow up to confirm reservation the day before. Several other people came by looking to dine there and also left unhappy. So be warned, they apparently care little for their customers. read more

Great food, fantastic cocktails, awesome staff & ambiance. We loved what they did with the bar area.

Kelvin, the long-time owner, and his staff always make us feel welcome! We enjoyed the steamer clams appetizer, the halibut and sablefish entrees, and the strawberry rhubard crisp for dessert...everything was prepared to perfection and we can't wait to return! read more

We came to Lover point park. I searched Google for the best restaurant near me, so it came out to me ? Wild fish Restaurant We ordered the fish chowder, fish tacos, Bouillabaisse seafood. The fish tacos were okay but the portion size was small Bouillabaisse with fish filet, clam, shrimp and mussels but the mussels weren't fresh when I bites it was terrible taste. Please make sure seafood is fresh for the plate you charged 42.00. The service wasn't bad . This place on the Lighthouse Avenue so ..no view of the sea .. have candles on table ! Pricey no problem but if the seafood please make sure it is fresh. I don't want to complain but I need to feedback so hopefully it will be better.., read more

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Farm to table fresh fish with a menus that is always changing with the seasons. Wild Fish is a true gym in Pacific Grove. The staff is super nice and the owners Calvin and Liz are great people. Oh and they have a Jazz band on the weekend! We have been to Wild Fish multiple times, some have been perfect and amazing but on a busy weekend for some reasons things are just not up to par. Example: my fish has not been cooked 100%, meals do not come out at the same time and items we have ordered have been forgotten. If you are planning to go on a weekday then 5 stars you will likely get but on a busy weekend and being a local, I would pass hence why I give 4 stars vs 5. read more

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Over priced and over rated. Service was average. Ambiance was nice , but you had to sit in the bar section to get the happy hour special s.lm a local and have dined at every seafood restaurant around t own .This place has along way to go. read more

Came here a few days ago. Food was ok, but definitely nothing to write home about. The prices are very expensive. I always compare my seafood to Monterey Fish House, and this place cannot compare to the delicious and i expensive food of that place. Won't be back. read more

Awesome service and sooooo delicious fresh fish. All four of us rate Wild Fish 10 stars!

I am SO not a fan of leaving negative reviews but they really got me messed up at this place :'( My partner and I made a reservation for our anniversary, when we got to the restaurant it was clear they had not reserved a table for us, host made it clear they didn't care about our reservation. They proceeded to sit us in the completely empty back room of the restaurant. My understanding is that when one makes a reservation they reserve a table for you, and most likely a pretty good location for a table, not for example next to the bathroom or in an empty back room. They then proceeded to ignore us for about 7 minutes. We didn't get a greeting or anything from our server. When she came by she immediately asked us for our order, tho we had 7 minutes we were still figuring out our game plan, we asked for water, and she looked visibly annoyed. She then completely forgot about our waters, and took another long ass while to come back and we had to ask for water again. By that point we already were on the brink of walking out, but we didn't. Food: got the focaccia, and it was SO stale! Really not good at all, and barely a focaccia, the structure of the bread was all wrong way too dense. And they served an ungodly amount of whipped butter with it that tasted not good either, like cheap butter that was left out too long, YUCK! Salad was PHENOMENAL, such a gorgeous salad, light and refreshing, sweet and savory, if only just a bit too bitter. Entrees: we both got fish obvi, partner got the whole fish and I got the fish with the crème fraiche caviar on it. Both our dishes came with potatoes, his were perfect and fluffy and crispy, and mine were super undercooked and hard, raw! My entree had way too many elements, way too much going on, ended up eating maybe half of it. Partners whole fish was too much fish, it was tacky honestly. Like most places in pacific grove and Monterey, I feel like they're playing at being upscale but the food always just falls flat for me. Dessert was pretty damn good tho I was surprised the chocolate cake was so rich and melt in your mouth good. Really underwhelming for such a special occasion :( read more

Wild Fish - Chocolate cake with coffee ice cream - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California

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Tommy and I drove up to Pacific Grove to check out some antique shops, and ended up finding Wild Fish restaurant right after they closed for lunch at 2 PM. I checked out their menu and saw they offered a vegan entree that sounded really nice. They didn't open back up for dinner until 5PM. We went to the Monterey Aquarium and drove back to Pacific Grove about 4 PM. I shopped a few more stores and finally at 5 PM went and opened the door to an amazing restaurant experience, The owners, Liz and Kelvin Jacobs, were as awesome as the food. Loved hearing about their move from near Ft. Bragg, CA where they had a restaurant, to Pacific Grove after visiting the Monterey Jazz Festival. Liz is from New Orleans, and Kelvin is from England. The restaurant is cute, and we loved the chandelier near the front door that reminded us of Chihuly. They commissioned a new art glass artist to make it. Beautiful My vegan dish was inspired, and Tommy's rock cod was as good, according to him. Next time we're in the area, we'll stay in Pacific Grove, and dine at Wild Fish again. https://www.wild-fish.com read more

Wild Fish - My vegan dish which included squash, mushrooms, beans, and a delicious broth. Also Tommy's rock cod entree. - Seafood Near Me - Pacific Grove, California