J DeLuca Fish Company

Super Saturday fresh seafood market at 3am
Great selection of tuna, halibut, mussels, clams, bonito, mackerel, etc.
Great cleaning services too
Friendly staff, can’t beat the pricing anywhere
Went there again, going to make this a monthly thing!

What a fun place! If you wanted the freshest fish you have to come here. They bring in fresh fish every morning from I believe 2am to 6am. We couldn’t get up when we wanted to and got there at 5:30. There was still lots of beautiful fish left. They will even scale and filet it for you. Be prepared, come in your worse clothes and make sure you have sneakers or even better rubber boots!

Ice and ice chest is not necessary. They have styrofoam boxes and ice for you.
Make sure to bring CASH with you.
It’s $ 1 per fish for cleaning.
Floor gets very wet and full of fish blood & scale so be aware!
We got there @3am thinking they were about to close but people were still coming in when we left @3:40am.
I’ve already made my next shopping list; tuna collar! Broil that bad ass sized collar with S&P and throw some lemon juice on top! But only if I could get out of the bed @2 again…

I had been wanting to check this spot out for years. But convincing and coaxing myself out of bed at 3am on a Saturday morning to be there when it’s open to the public and the day’s catch is fresh and plentiful is easier said than done. Thankfully I finally dragged myself out of bed and to the docks because this was an awesome experience all the way around! Sight, sound, smell, taste, everything! They say variety is the spice of life and the variety of seafood here is extensive and fresh. The Early bird gets the fish here because they are open at 2am and closed by 8am. So get there early, bring cash, and support your local fish monger. Eat Local and Eat Fresh! SYOY

I must say this is one of the most wonderful places to get FRESH fish at a an EXCELLENT price. The hours are 4am to 6am on Saturday at San Pedro Harbor and is well worth the time and effort. I’ve been going for at least 6 years and would not go anywhere else for fresh fish. They have lobster, crab, fillet of sole (my favorite) etc… Check it out you won’t be disappointed.

If you’ve never made it out to the Saturday morning San Pedro fish market you are really missing out. Fresh fish for a fraction of what you’d pay even at COSTCO. This is the only time these vendors sell directly to the public. They are wholesale companies and you will often times find yourself picking out seafood next to local restauranteurs who are looking for the freshest product available to serve to their customers.
You will find the following tips helpful for your first visit.
1. Get there early. Things sell out and it gets a lot more crowded the later it gets. We leave Culver City around 3:30AM.
2. There are usually 4 or 5 vendors open so be sure to comparison shop (price, selection, quality and freshness).
3. You will also find other satellite vendors selling vegetables, tamales, sweets, etc.
4. Bring cash. Period.
5. Have fun!
All that being said we have found J. DeLuca Fish Company to be the best vendor there by far. Their quality is the best and they are very nice and accommodating. We buy salmon, sole, snapper, squid, octopus (frozen) and blue fin tuna (but get there early for the tuna). They have other varieties available also, fresh and frozen. If you buy a whole fish, for a nominal fee (20 cents p/​lb.) they will filet it or cut it into steaks, whatever you want. But they won’t have everything, no one does.
Check them out and start eating more fresh fish!

The best fish market in Pedro! We came late…9 am… didn’t know the ins and outs of a wholesaler. My bad. First guy we spoke to said they were done and had nothing left… ok, come back next Sat morning. As we were walking away, the owners son asked what we needed. He said that they had frozen and a couple pieces of fresh tuna left over. What a score! Even though they were all leaving, he took care of us. Not only stayed late but hooked us up big time. We ended up grabbing a 20lb box of snow crab, a 9 lb tuna loin and 2 bags of frozen sea scallops. For more than half off! Big win! This place is a must for seafood! Go EARLY Sat mornings… like 5 – 6 am. They’ll hook you up! Never going anywhere else. Thanks Ryan… you made my day.

Good selection, fresh and good service. After you choose your fish they will cut it any way you like. They actually gave me some scraps to feed the seals that were lined up just behind the meat cutter in the water.

It’s about time I give DeLuca’s a review!
This fish market is the only thing that gets me out of the house willingly at 3 in the morning.
DeLuca’s is just one of several fish markets located together at the San Pedro docks. I’ll buy once in a while from the other vendors, but DeLuca’s is my favorite place to go.
Prices vary, but it’s still always less expensive than buying from a regular market.
On (early) Saturday mornings, some of the vendors are open to the public. You’ve got to get there early (3am-​7?) to get first pick! Even at 3am, it gets pretty busy there, especially for holidays.
Buying your fish here is waaaay cheaper than going to a traditional market. It’s worth staying awake & taking the drive for the great prices.
We first heard about the San Pedro fish markets from my cousin Ron who’s a die-​hard foodie. He comes with a carload of buddies all the way from Simi Valley. They buy whole fish & divvy it up.
I’m lazy when it comes to food prep.
I love that I can get certain items cleaned & ready to cook or freeze.
We usually buy 20 swai filets to freeze.
We’re sashimi freaks. Party times require a chunk of ahi tuna or salmon.
Review bonus– Baked salmon recipe. Brush on some honey and sprinkle norigoma furikake (seaweed mix found at Japanese markets) and bake for around 12 minutes.
Voila!
Other items that might be picked up are shrimp, squid, live crabs, catfish, or whatever else catches our eye. My husband once saw those little baby octopuses that he loves to grill up at K-​BBQs. Yeah, that sure was fun for me to figure out how to prep… o_​O
Anywho– I highly recommend a visit to the nice folks at DeLuca’s!
P. S.–Wear old shoes or flip-​flops. Wet floors!