Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery

Best place ever food fresh lines long but worth the wait. The drinks are amazing as well as pupus. All in all a great experience. I will return one day

Tried this place based in the 4 star reviews. As others have said parking is inadequate, but there were lots of people there so we thought this was a good sign.
We ordered clam chowder, a steamed artichoke and the crab cake sandwich! Highly disappointed. Clam chowder was average (had tastier chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey). Artichoke was tasteless and not clean. I had to clean off the dark hunks of dirt between leaves. My husband’s crab cake sandwich was a average crab cake between an English muffin, served with a side of cold frozen packaged fries you can buy at your local grocery store!
Really wanted to like this place, but overall the food was cafeteria grade and expensive for what it was. Not recommending it.

It is Always fun going to Phil’s. I am Always pleased with the service. Choices, there are way too many options at Phil’s but that is ok. I always try something different.
Fresh Fresh Fresh I have picked up fresh fish from Phil’s from time to time when I am passing Moss Landing.
Phil’s = Fun

While driving from Monterey back to San Jose, I stopped for lunch last week. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry for an appointment and my time was limited. Parking was somewhat of a challenge due to the popularity if this restaurant but I eventually parked down the street about 100 yards away. That took about 5 minutes of my time. It would be my luck being in a hurry but when I walked in there was a line to order at the counter. The line moved quickly but that ate up about 10 minutes more which I didn’t have. Looking for something quick I decided on a large bowl of their New England style clam chowder. I had some the day before in Monterey that I just loved and wanted more.
I found a table and the food arrived about 5 minutes later. My cell service inside the building was terrible. It even prevented me from checking until I left in my car. Unfortunately the chowder was not as good as my dinner stop the night before. I am sorry but it is the truth. I will give it a 3. Perhaps other people like it more. To me it was average. Not bad just average. That’s too bad because I know this is a popular place to eat and I would think other items on the menu are better. I will give an overall score of a 3. I would love to return and try something else but seriously doubt I will have the opportunity.
I regret that I had to wolf the food down however I made my appt. in San Jose right on time.
This is a casual order at the counter restaurant that has outdoor and indoor seating. While the chowder was inexpensive other menu items are more on the high side in my opinion for such a casual place.

Just had a really bad lunch. So, disappointing after all the great reviews. My lobster roll was described as lobster sauted in butter. Could have fooled me! The sandwich was really dry, the lobster tough and pretty tasteless, and, not that it matter, the sandwich was small. I ate less than half. The fries were definitely forzen/​premade and the coleslaw, though a very generous portion, was flavorless. I added some malt vinegar that was on the table and that greatly improved the slaw.

If you like waiting in line for 45 to 60 minutes to place your food order, scramble to find a place to sit once you have ordered, have no recourse if your order comes out wrong (yes, you have to go back to the counter and wait forever before someone helps you), pay way too much money for mediocre food and eating in a very very dirty restaurant then Phil’s Fish Market in Moss Landing, CA is the place for you. And don’t get me started on the clam chowder that was filled with gross lumps of flour that were not incorporated correctly, lots of potatoes and not one clam!
For my money… head over the bridge and go to Sea Harvest. Good food cooked properly, clean restaurant and not overpriced.

Phil’s you aight.
I’ve come here once before, but that time I only ordered for myself a seafood cioppino. By the way if you’re not really a huge fan of tomato soups like me, this might not be the best thing for you even though it has a good amount of seafood. This time I came with a group of friends again, so that I can sample even more! Alright this place gets really packed even at 12, and the wait line to order even goes out to the front entrance. Menus can be found inside so you can grab a few for your group to look it over in line. Best chance of finding parking is to come early, otherwise finding closeby parking is really difficult. Also finding tables can also be hard as no one will seat you. It’s basically a free for all.
TIP: While your group is in line to order at the register, send someone from the group to do a stake out for leaving parties.
I ordered a Lobster Roll, and my group shared a large clam chowder, a bowl of clams, and a jumbo seafood platter for appetizers.
The lobster roll had a lot of meat I’ll give it that, but the bread came out really soggy. How am I suppose to pick up the roll to eat if the bread is too flimsy? Had to go fancy with the fork/​knife method instead. The large clam chowder was tasty, and I really liked the taste of the clams. I tried some of my friend’s order of 2lb mussels, which tasted great. Both the mussels and clams use the same soup base. The jumbo seafood platter, however, is not worth the amount no matter how big your group is. All fried seafood and artichokes are filling, and just get to be too much.
I saw other tables order some oysters or baked clams so will have to try those next time I come.

Dirty, expensive, cashier she was so rude, I ask the food runner for salt and pepper she never showed up the food had no test 4oz sword fish was very plain 19.95+tax way too much for this plate
Will never return and will never recommend to anyone

Well, this is a really expensive disappointment.
The cioppino was unappetizing. It was as if there was a fistful of sand throughout the stew, which itself was really watery.
The shrimp wasn’t prepared like I’m used to in a seafood stew. They weren’t peeled entirely, which made eating them undesirable.
Apart from having an unpleasant grittiness in every bite, none of the clam shells actually contained meat. That was my husband’s dish. He was really disappointed. His cup of clam chowder was okay, and I’m really glad he got an appetizer because he would be extremely hungry right now otherwise.
I got the blackened scallops and they weren’t anything special. 10 little scallops that were okay, not blackened too much, with a delightfully bright sauce and capers. The garlic bread is underwhelming.
The cioppino wouldn’t be as bad if every single bite wasn’t gritty. Hard to believe it won any awards.

If you love cioppino then you must stop at Phil’s! there is usually a line out the door but it’s worth the wait. you place your order then wait for your food to be delivered to your table. they have seating on the patio that overlooks the pacific but beware of seagulls. parking is also a challenge but it’s all worth it. it was the perfect combination of heat and sweet, the tomato and red pepper was on point. there’s a ton of seafood as well. if you’re smart then you’ll bring your own pot and save $ 5 by having them make it in your pot. the «bowl» is enough to feed two people. we were lucky and came during strawberry season and had the shortcake, a perfect ending to our divine meal.

The clam chowder was amazing as was the
Kid’s pasta. My husband really enjoyed his fish and chips. I was extremely disappointed with the Caesar salad with bay shrimp. The shrimp are
Completely flavorless which was very concerning. Would go here again but would stay away from the Caesar

Went here after my wife’s cousin’s graduation at CSUMB to celebrate. Wasn’t impressed at all. Very busy as is expected for a Saturday. Not what I expected at all and not all that cheap for what you get.
Wife order the lobster roll on a hotdog bun! Yes, it tasted like it sounds, terrible and appeared to be crawdads. Tasteless, rubbery and bland. I could have caught these in the creak near my house and made better by just boiling them the right amount of time. Was supposed to have some type of butter sauce, maybe they just waved the butter over the «lobster». The side of coleslaw was dried out and appeared old with some type of watery substance that I believe was the coleslaw dressing?
I ordered the blackened sea scallops with side salad and fries. Sea scallops appeared to look appetizing, texture told me it was cooked correctly, just no flavor. It had the color of cajun spice, just not the flavor. Salad was served on the same plate so my «out of the bottle» blue cheese dressing mixed in with the sauce for the scallops. At least the salad dressing gave it some flavor. Don’t understand why they would place the cold salad next to hot scallops and french fries. French fries were standard out of the bag, so they couldn’t mess that one up.
My son had the shrimp alfredo, he just ate the shrimp and even told me that didn’t taste well. Obviously the pasta was terrible.
Nothing like the restaurants on the touristy wharf in San Francisco, Pillar Point or Bodega Bay. At least you could expect a palatable meal for the price you pay at those places.
For the prices you pay at this place, they could keep it up a little better. I get the rustic look, not the run down look. Oh, a nice touch is you have to pay for your meal before you get it! Guess they know how bad it is.
NEVER AGAIN!!!

This restaurant rocks! It is so awesome! I love seafood restaurants like this. I got the crab sandwich. We shared mussels, clams, and scallops. I want to come back and try more dishes. Fun, rustic fisherman’s atmosphere. Quick, helpful service.

We arrived about 6:30 pm last Sunday. No parking space available. Long line of people, but only waited for 20 minutes.
Bay shrimp cocktail, $ 4.75. I give this one only one star. It was not the way I want…
Large bowl of Manhattan, $ 9.95. 2 stars
I ordered the wrong item. What I want is Cioppino. This bowl of chowder was warm, but not hot enough. Not recommended.
Blkn seascape, $ 19.95. 3 stars
It was good. I wish they had separated the salad to another plate.
Although I didn’t enjoy the food this time, I’ll still come back and tried the famous Cioppino.

Best. Cioppino. Ever. A yuge bowl of broth, just swimming with a mountain of seafood and a great variety of it. Crab legs, scallops, shrimp, calamari, mussels, clams, whitefish… all fresh and oh so good. A lot of variety on the menu with something to satisfy anyone… even a vegetarian option (veggie burger) and salads. Fire roasted artichoke was also deelish. Casual seating and a patio option. We’ll be back the next time we’re going that way, but it’s even worth a special trip.

This place is way over rated. It could be a 3 to 4 stars if prices were half lower or if the exteriors were nice, if the service was great… etc.
First, the food.
We ordered Cioppino for 2 or more. When ordered, I asked if this size could feed 3, the clerk said yes but it was in fact the same size as ordering 2 Cioppino bowls but slightly more expensive (48 $)…why? I didn’t feel good about it at all.
Taste: Way too sweet. Sugar or ketchup added in the broth, obviously. Frozen shrimps. The rest (mussels, scallops, crab) tasted very fresh and were perfectly cooked. 3 stars at best. I had way better Ciopinno in Los Gato, San luis obispo, half moon bay, SF …
Fire roasted artichoke: Tasty, well seasoned but extremely oily. 2.5 stars
Second, the place: we sat outside (inside was full). You feel like you are eating in jail; everything is fenced (old black fence), the exteriors are old and not great looking.
Don’t get me wrong: it’s a nice seafood joint. You could call this «a hole on the beach», it’s fun, OK for a drink and they serve «OK» food. My only issue is that prices are those of a nice seafood restaurant… and that doesn’t add up (22 $ per dish, 3.5 $ for a raw oyster? really: p ?)
Service: non-​existent. Tables outside ain’t cleaned right away so bunch of seagulls come, poop on your table. etc…
Be ready to line 25 minutes to order your food.
Their bar is great.

The cioppino ! If you haven’t had it, get it. Then try some other stuff in the menu, but you must first delve into this fantastic bowl of seafood goodness! Fish, crab, mussels, clams, scallops, squid, scrimps, all in a tomato broth. At first it looks impossible to finish this bowl but after you start, you can’t stop until the bowl is empty! Add beer or micheladas (barkeep on duty was killin these things) very good!
Try some oysters or cherrystone clams (big) and you’ve got a solid experience!
Garlic bread per bowl and more sourdough slices available self serve. If it’s nice out, you can dine in the backyard and view the ocean as the waves come in!

I’ve had this placed bookmarked since I started working at the VA Hospital in 2010. It’s funny b/​c my friends and I ended up here by chance, not intention lol.
We were supposed to go to Monterey to eat and kill time there while waiting to do taxes in Santa Cruz for the afternoon, but when I saw that we were passing by Moss Landing, I said to my friends that I know I had bookmarked a place around here b/​c one of my coworkers recommended it – sure enough it was Phil’s.
We came in good time (around 11ish) b/​c by 11:30 — 11:45 the line was picking up real quick.
The place itself is pretty spacious and it shares its space with a fresh seafood market that sells fresh/​farm-​raised seafood, marinated seafood and condiments… love that seafood smell haha
There were so many items to choose from on the menu… even though I have sensitivity to some seafood (most especially crab and lobster), there were quite a handful of items I could still choose from.
After spending some time looking at the menu and asking fore recommendations from the cashier, we ordered:
–Half dozen fresh oysters-​great fresh taste… loved how there was no grit whatsoever…
–Grilled halibut with rice pilaf-​very delicious fish, but I wish the fish was a bit softer in texture, I felt like they overcooked it just a little bit
–Lobster roll-​Friends say that it was delicious, especially with that garlic butter sauce
–Clam chowder bread bowl-​Mmm, clam chowder in a bread bowl almost never fails me… haha…perfect for a cold/​muggy da y
–Strawberry shortcake– The strawberries were nice and sweet, and I liked the whipped cream on top-​tasted like it was made in-house…the cake itself could have been a bit softer in texture though…
Total: $ 80…well-spent though haha
The indoor dining area was already starting to get packed, so we took a number and seated ourselves outside. The outdoor area is covered by glass, so there was no rain/​cold wind touching us, plus, they had heated lamps or whatever they’re called all around the outside dining area.
This place is well known for their Cioppino. Almost every table we walked pass by had either the small (which still looks pretty large for one person) or large (feeds 2 – 3 people) Cioppino. This was the reason why my friend recommended this place to me, but luckily I didn’t…there was so much shellfish on there that if I had eaten that instead, I don’t know if my stomach would have tolerated it that much. Looked absolutely delicious thought and too pretty to eat haha.
Parking lot is small, so come in before peak time (lunch time). The staff is friendly and helpful as well.

Fun atmosphere, pretty much out in the middle of no where, but very busy place! We came at 4:30 and almost all the tables were filled and there was a long line to order.
Atmosphere– 4 stars
Lobster roll– 3 stars– wasn’t the best
Fried artichoke hearts– 5 stars!!! I never thought I would have ever liked those but my fiancé ordered them so I gave it a shot.
Location– 4 stars– like I said in the middle of no where, but you can walk to the back and get an awesome view of the sunset on the beach
My next time here I’ll get the clam chowder, looking around, it looked pretty popular. And I’ll definitely get those fried artichokes again.

After watching yet another food networks shows, Bobby flay’s we just had to check out this location.
So when we decided to spend the weekend in Monterey, this would be our first stop for lunch! Good thing we came here at 11am, there was no line and plenty of seating! But by time the time we left, the place was packed! (Saturday afternoon gloomy December day)
My husband ordered their famous ciappino, which he thought was decent. I ordered the lobster sandwich and its quality was better then most. We ended up finishing up with the red velvet cake and it was ok.
Service was just ok. Nothing special but we would return.