Joao’s Tin Fish Bar & Eatery

This place is really yummy had seafood combo ciopinno n lobster bisque I will definitely come back

I cant believe they closed, this place was actually good! I enjoyed the food they had. A nice place to eat brunch after attending The Rock, I enjoyed their waffle fries and their Portuguese sweet bread.

I did not eat there this trip, but will check back. It is now
Roseville Cozinha
Can’t rate, but can’t post with out a rating, so being a product of the modern US school system where everyone is a winner, I go 5, and will adjust if needed when I eat there, soon.

Wow, the tacos aren’t tacos here. They are mini burritos. I was stunned when the waitress told us the «market» price of the tacos were close to $ 7/​each. But then I saw the taco, and it’s not Robio’s-sized. It’s an 8-​inch giant taco (my eyeballs take precise measurements) with generous portions of fish.
— Chips and salsa– fried tortilla (more doughy, less crunchy) with delicious salsa (very tangy and fresh tasting)
— Tin Fish Combo– 3 pieces fried cod, 2 fried shrimp, 2 fried scallops, few pieces of fried calamari, slaw, and waffle fries. I liked the breading on the seafood. It is lighter like a bread crumb coating versus the beer-​battered thick coat. All of the seafood was juicy. The slaw was very good– it’s a non-​mayo-​based slaw with a sweet and tangy vinegar. The cocktail sauce was also delicious– it had the perfect horseradish kick.
— Tacos (salmon, fried cod, mahi mahi) — I’d prefer corn tortilla to the flour one. All tacos come with cheddar cheese, ranch, pico, and cabbage. The fish was good, but I’d almost rather just eat the fish on its own without the tortilla.

My boyfriend and I stopped in to Joao’s the other day and were pretty impressed. He made his own taco sampler: garlic shrimp (yum!), calimari (okay for me, he enjoyed it), and we both had mahi (pretty tasty).
Their pico de gallo was tasty, and as someone who hates tomatoes, that is really saying something. The chunks were chopped smaller than I was used to, and I think they may have added a few more spices. I was impressed. The house hot sauce was good too.
However, they serve their tacos on flour tortillas. While they certainly tasted fine, I personally prefer corn tortillas.
All of this being said, if you come to this restaurant, you HAVE, HAVE, HAVE TO try the Piri Piri Shrimp. Waiter, I’ll take 20! Oh my gosh. Small fried shrimp tossed in a sauce made from Sriracha, mayo, and sweet chili, served on a bed of cabbage. We both about flipped for this. It comes with a wedge of lemon, definitely spritz some on if you’re into that. Flavor explosion in your mouth!
All of the employees were very friendly. Definitely a plus.
To top if off, it was a really trendy atmosphere. We sat at a table tucked in the back corner and loved it. They have lots of vintage photos on the wall in the «bar» area, it looked like they had a patio area and a lounge, but we didn’t have time to check it out.
Seriously, get the shrimp!

I really enjoyed dining here with hubby & friends. It’s tucked away inside Liberty Station in Point Loma so if you are just driving around, even within Liberty Station, you could miss it.
Here’s what I loved:
–Drink menu is quite large for cocktails, beer and wine. The bartender makes a sweet & strong Sailor’s Punch! Being that my friend & I were in the Navy together we just had to give it a try and one drink each was plenty for us! Hubby tried a local blended brew which was very good as well.
–The seafood! If you don’t want seafood there isn’t as much to choose from but if you want seafood this stuff is good! We had the calamari (made in thick strips, the way I prefer them) which comes with a tartar sauce and a kicky cocktail sauce. Hubby & I both had the two different kinds of fish tacos and the portions were big. Two tacos for each of us and we each only ate one taco. My friends split the fried seafood platter which had shrimp, more calamari and scallops — all of which they gobbled up.
–The service. Friendly, helpful, fun and just the right amount of attentiveness. Perfect!
It looked like they had some good desserts too but we were too stuffed to go there.
I wish I still lived in San Diego so I could be a regular here…

First of all, I just wanted to give our server Maile a huge THANK YOU for doing such a great job waiting on us. If you can request her, do it, you won’t be disappointed. My wife and I were with 2 of our visually impaired friends, and she was so accommodating and patient with taking their orders. There was a very small mix-​up on one of our friend’s orders, and she had the manager comp his meal even though she totally didn’t have to… now that is SERVICE.
On to the food. The piri piri shrimp appetizer was actually very tasty. Sorta like a honey walnut shrimp dish you’d get at a Chinese restaurant, but more tangy. 3 of us had the sea bass, 2 of us with the avocado lime butter, 1 of us got blackened. I thought it was just OK, only because the sea bass was cooked more than I would normally like. It was basically well done. The waffle fries were great, salad was good. My other friend had the mahi tacos, he said that he liked it, but I don’t know if I would ever order them after seeing them. Just seemed like they were overpriced a bit, although they use premium fish in them.
We took out an order of malasadas, they were just OK. Nothing to write home about.
I would’ve given 5 stars, but the food just fell a bit short. Our server really upped the experience, but for $ 20+ per plate, I expect the fish not to be overcooked.

I must say that i think this place is going a little downhill. I used to be really happy about the prices and the meals. We went here last night and I wasn’t all that impressed. We love the salmon with the tin fish seasoning. It is what we both always get. Lately the salmon has been more fishy than usual and they got rid of the mashed potatoes.
We came here last night to use up the last of our gift cards for here. We used to love this place, but I don’t think we will be back for a while.
I am going to miss the clam chowder.

The cioppino here makes me want to move to San Diego… along with the many other benefits!
I hesitated ordering the cioppino because I wasn’t planning on spending $ 15.99 for my meal, but I had to get my seafood fix so I decided to go for it. Holy cow!!! The broth in the cioppino is one of my top 2’s on my non-​existent broth list. It is some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted and complimented all of the fish in the soup. The most surprising part was the spiciness, which my husband wasn’t too pleased with but I really enjoyed it. The downside was the amount of mushrooms in it. I’m not a fan but I knew it added to the flavor of the broth so I just picked away… and away! Lots of mushrooms. The other downside was that they certainly don’t serve near enough bread to sop up the broth, but the waitress gladly brought more when I asked. I highly highly recommend the cioppino dish if you’re a fan!
As for the restaurant as a whole, it wasn’t crowded at all, so I’m not sure if we came on an off day or if it’s always that way. Regardless, I enjoyed the multiple flat-​screens in the bar area since we were there to watch the NCAA championship. They do have an oyster bar and what looks like a counter to order fresh fish to go. Our service was excellent and very accommodating. I also noticed the outdoor patio area is large and looks right out to the linear park and bay which is just beautiful but too cold for my Tucson blood!
Know before you go: Prices are «market» for the fish, which usually means high in my book. And if you like Mai Tai’s, make sure to get one. They’re excellent!!!

Came here for work lunch and I’m glad I wasn’t paying b/​c it’s a little $$. However, everything was great and very fresh.
Started with calamari and ceviche. Both were excellent. Decent size portions for 7 ppl. For lunch I had the salmon taco with fries and slaw. For $ 9, it was a decent size and a good quality taco. But again, not sure I’d pay that much if paying on my own.
It’s a beautiful restaurant, but very random location. I’d come back to check out happy hour specials, or if someone else was buying.

We had a gift card here and were in the Point Loma area craving some seafood so popped in. We came with the puppy and were seated on the patio. The patio has no heatlamps, or lights for that matter! It was pitch black and freezing and uncomfortable. Do not attempt to sit on the patio at night. We bought our dog all the way home and came back to sit in the restaurant.
The waitress and hostess was the same person and the service was lack-​luster. We started with some cocktails that were pretty good. I enjoyed the French Martini with Vanilla Vodka and Chambord, and hubby loved his Blueberry Martini he was embarrassed to order.
We started with some Oyster Shooters. I am trying to become a fan of oysters, I really am. Oyster Shooters are not a good way to do that. They come floating in vodka and a mixture of tomato juice and seasoning. You’re supposed to shoot the entire thing but that’s impossible. Whose mouth is that big?!
For dinner I got the salmon. If anyone looks at the menu on their website, prices are off and $ 2-​$ 4 more expensive at the restaurant. The salmon was actually very good, fresh and perfectly cooked. The side vegetables and mashed potatoes were good. The Avocado Lime butter went well with everything. My husband got Yellowtail with the Portuguese style (make sure you LOVE onions if you order this). I guess the only thing I can really complain about is the below average service, since the fish was fresh and everything was pretty good. But with the vast amount of options for fresh seafood in San Diego, I feel you need to separate yourselves a bit better than Joao’s.

Came back on Valentine’s day for a delicious, but affordable meal.
As much as I wanted to try something new, I couldn’t stop thinking about the Cioppino and clamari tacos I got last time so I ordered them again. I definitely did not regret it. Had a great meal and our server TJ was great!
Very attentive, nice, and charming. Even gave us a little kitty valentine’s card with our bill.
I have to say, this place is one of my favorites!

Great feel inside Joao’s — a hip and modern décor with fair prices. Rave reviews from my girlfriend and her mom. My girlfriend loved the fried calamari because it was so tender and not chewy. Thanks to a quick tip we got the must order periperi shrimp which was awesome especially at half off for happy hour. Rich flavored sweet/​tangy sauce on crispy shrimp. Other must orders are the clam chowder and try one of the fish tacos! Classic five star experience for us. Great food, service and ambiance. Get to Joao’s asap especially at 3 – 6 on weekdays and 4-​close for happy hour!

Disclaimer: You should know that I am under the influence of a strong Margarita while writing this review. While I am a cheap, easy date, I protest that this is not influencing my ability to correctly assess this wonderful meal.
While I was not fond of sitting under the flight path for Southwest Airlines, Joao’s certainly makes the experience more tolerable. We had a wonderful meal that was made that much better by sharing the company with our two dogs out on the patio.
Starters: Calamari app $ 9. Excellent. Plump, generous portions, lightly breaded. Comes with a marinara dip and a chili sauce. Had to ask 3x for tartar sauce, which made me a bit miffed. But not your ordinary calamari. Definitely a step up, we enjoyed it.
White clam chowder. Very creamy. My son vacuumed it with relish. I would have too, but…
I ordered a Swordfish sandwich with a side of avocado lime butter. An excellent choice served on a really wonderful tasting sourdough bread. Very moist and flavorful. The fish steak was perfectly grilled and generous portions. I would order this in a heartbeat.
Mahi mahi taco and ahi taco. Love at first sight. And huge. The mahi mahi was by far his favorite. The ahi is done so that it is seared on the outside and raw on the inside. Plenty of cheese, as others also have said. It also came with fries and a cabbage slaw that was not mayonnaise based, but rather sweet and sour with a hint of cilantro. A little too sweet for my palate.
Fried oysters. The dinner portion had about eight oysters, and Mr. B was quite impressed. He said they were freshly shucked then lightly breaded and fried. The tartar sauce was also quite good. Mr. B said he would definitely order these again.
While pricey, the pain was diminished by presenting a
coupon for $ 25 that I bought for a whopping $ 1. The bill still came to over $ 60, but we brought home plenty of leftovers too. That certainly ups the anti for value. And the service was good, while not perfect. But at this point in my Margarita, what the H***, who cares?
I would return, but mais oui, with coupon in hand again. And our wonderful experience was complete after a romp with the puppies in the parade grounds/​grassy area across the street, after the fact.

I was a little nervous when I first walked in here… They have «fresh fish» cases (two of them), but both were empty of fresh fish. Didn’t think was a good sign.
The other thing that was a put off was the two «fishing» videos they had running on two of the several TV’s. I didn’t find watching HOW my fish was caught (and butchered) particularly appetizing.
With all that being said… The food was plentiful (large servings), and delicious!!!
Like many other reviewers we had the Peri Peri shrimp to start. Really good!!! Interesting flavor… Sweet and creamy. But not off putting.
I had the Mahi Mahi tacos… They were HUGE! Lots of fish. My wife had the fried seafood combo… And everything was good. The cod, was huge, as was the calamari. The waffle fries and vinegar cole slaw was a great addition to the dishes.
Arty our server was great! Thanks! He bought us out a couple of the fries dough with cinnamon and sugar… OMG!
Looking forward to going back on Sunday for the Portuguese breakfast!

The best thing about this place is the outdoor patio. The view is nothing special and the area is kinda weird and really nothing special either. It is more like a big barren golf course than a fancy restaurant area. But the patio is super cool. It’s a bit higher than the street level and the wait staff is spot on! You’ll drive right by it if you don’t know where you’re going. There’s a cool field next door. In fact, there’s a lot of fields. It’s a bit weird. lol.
The drinks are mundane and there’s nothing really special about Tin Fish. It’s just another hangout with a corporate feel. But not a bad experience.
Oh and I can’t comment on it YET, but I hear they have awesome oysters at low prices!

I had never heard of Peri Peri shrimp until eating here, but man have I been missing out. That sweet and creamy sauce it’s served in can accurately be described as lick-​the-​very-​bottom-​of-​the– bowl-​disregarding-​how-​ridiculous-​you-​look-​good. It was definitely the best part of the meal worth single-​handedly coming back for.
Mahi burrito not as much, but definitely had some potential. They just loaded it with more cheese than a Green Bay home game making it a tad tough to stomach if you’re not in love with dairy. Next time I’ll have them chill a bit on the cheddar, but other than that it was pretty darn solid.
Give ‘em a go when you’re out this way, and do the Peri Peri as an app. No matter what else you order you’ll at least leave a bit happy.

I love and respect how this Tin-​Fish has the Portuguese vibe going, the walls are covered in the nicest family photos of real people that own this place and REAL vintage tuna fisherman photos the men in these photos built San Diego when it was «Tuna Harbor» Some of the TV’s are playing some BAD-​ASS footage of tuna fisherman of San Diego back in the day… it’s awesome, I could watch it for hours. This place already has soul and an identity, because it has not forgotten who they are.
The fish is of course fresh and the service is down home and friendly. What keeps me coming back is the great food, the great location, (right at the foot of a bay-​park in Liberty Station, there is a ton of parking and fresh air. And the sunny patio is relaxed)
Everything we’ve eaten here has been great. I keep coming back for the Cioppino (at $ 14.00 it’s a steal)…it’s one of the best I’ve had. Great semi-​spicy but sweet tomato stock, full of shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, and chunks of white fish, it’s delicious… and I’m from the bay area where this iconic soup was invented, so with that credibility statement… here is another, my wife is from Brazil and knows a good cod-​fish-​fritter since they serve them in Brazil… and they are very good here… sadly they are WAY OVER-​PRICED, OVER 3 dollars a fritter and they really need to be cheaper. I’d advise you to get them during happy hour to get more value out of that particular dish. Come on Joao! 12 dollars for Bolino’s???
I’d give this fish joint a five star rating but they have refused to get their outdoor bar up and working… with this location and with the great weather of San Diego to not capitalize on this already 75% finished bar is a huge business mistake.
1. Liquor sales would damn near double.
2. People would make it a place to grab an app and cocktail.
3. «People draw people» its already kind of a out of sight out of mind location, the outdoor bar would add a reference point and give this place more character.
4. It’s already built, it’s your space, you already have a liquor license, capitalize on it… please I want to enjoy the patio bar!

This restaurant had really good fish. the tuna was cooked right and we got the portugese flavored sauce, which had tons of onions (i hate onions) but they made it work!
i also go the fish tacos, and it was surprisingly good. usually the fish in the tacos tastes like chicken (cough-​cheesecake factory) but joao’s fish taco’s fish tasted like fish! the crisscross fries were soo good, i think i ate those all first then my fish tacos!

I was back here two days ago for happy hour once again. It earned it’s fifth star because I finally tried their food, Courtney our waitress remembered me from last time and also remembered I ordered the blueberry martinis!
I’d coordinate more happy hours here because they were very accommodating with the size of our group as it got larger throughout the evening by putting more of the tables together for us. Parking is plentiful and it’s pretty easy to get to. You’ll probably find me back here in another few weeks because their location, service, food & drinks are all awesome!