Each year, we ask Orange County Register readers to choose their favorite places to shop, dine, play and do business in OC.
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Here are the top picks for Best seafood restaurant:
1. King’s Fish House
Huntington Beach, Laguna Hills, Orange; kingsfishhouse.com
When it comes to seafood dining, it looks like there’s no better place for Orange County residents than King’s Fish House and its daily-changing menu.
Known as “the house that seafood built,” the restaurant chain established in 1945 has a dozen locations in California, Nevada and Arizona, including three in Orange County. The Laguna Hills location near the now-closed Laguna Hills Mall has been around since 1997. The Orange location, near Angel Stadium and the Honda Center opened in 1998 while the Huntington Beach spot at Bella Terra shopping center was established in 2006.
The relaxed and family-friendly eatery with a quintessential American fish house vibe serves up an extensive menu of seasonal catches, live oysters, sushi, live shellfish including crab and lobster, a selection of dishes for kids and much, much more. The menu is updated daily to make sure only the freshest items make it to the tables. There are also plenty of wine, beer and specialty cocktail choices.
Multiple online reviewers at all three locations show their appreciation for the service as much as the high quality of the food, some pointing out servers who go the extra mile to make the diners’ special occasions exceptional.
With so many dishes to choose from, indoor and outdoor dining, it’s easy to see why the restaurant appeals to small and large groups.
“What started as a unique and quintessential American fish house in Southern California has become the community’s first choice for seafood — from the Southland and beyond,” the chain says on its website. “We invite you and yours to gather with us, celebrate, relax and enjoy a seafood dining experience of high quality, comfort, service and value.”
2. The Crab Cooker
2200 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach; 949-673-0100; thecrabcooker.com
Bob Roubian founded The Crab Cooker in 1951, and his family continues to run it today. The late founder was known for saying “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing,” and at The Crab Cooker that one and main thing is fish.
“We source our seafood with the knowledge that our own families will be consumers,” said restaurant manager Juan Viramontes. “We all eat what we serve, and we want it to be the best.”
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That means additive-free wild scallops, phosphate-free shrimp and fish packed without preservatives. The restaurant is known for cooking its seafood over mesquite charcoal, which reduces the chances of drying it out. Members of the Crab Cooker’s kitchen staff also hand cut vegetables, bake their own bread and make their own sauces.
Over the years, the restaurant has become a landmark, but If it’s your first time there, Viramontes recommends the Scottish salmon fillet with Romano cheese potatoes and fresh sliced avocado.
3. The Olde Ship
709 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton; 714-871-7447; theoldeship.shop
Douglas Collier opened The Olde Ship in 1993 with the intention of bringing a bit of Britain to Southern California and gave it its name because it’s on Harbor Boulevard. After he passed away in 2006, Collier’s son Simon took over and has been running the establishment since, serving up British cuisine in a family-friendly atmosphere.
“Coming aboard The Olde Ship is like taking a trip to Great Britain, albeit it more affordable,” Collier said.
That trip includes famous British dishes such as bangers and mash, Cornish pasty and, of course, fish and chips, which Collier says are second to none.
“We have our own light beer batter and don’t use sodas to puff up the crust,” he said.
The staff sources the highest quality fish possible — cod and haddock from Alaska, wild gulf caught shrimp and no pollock or other lesser substitutes. They prepare everything but the chocolate cake and ice cream from scratch, and the serving sizes are generous.
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