Sea Salt

My review update is not of Sea Salt, but the K2 Restaurant Group ownership, and their decision to close their doors.
You guys suck. This place was actually pretty damn good. But I’m guessing that K2 has hit some financial troubles, since they are dumping businesses left and right (Sea Salt, T-​Rex, and likely more to come).
Seems that yet again another conglomerate got too big for it’s britches, and got in over their head. Well the K2 Group is known to Berkeley and the rest of the East Bay as the «Armenian mafia» anyhow, with their gobbling up of various businesses, so for all observers here — it’s nice to see them get chopped down to size.
To all locals who live in the area, and used to patron this place — we’re sorry to see it go. To the mismanagement by K2 — nice job, you blew it.
Farewell…

RIP Sea Salt.
Your $ 1 oysters, tuna slider, and BLT (bacon lettuce trout) will be missed, but never forgotten.
This location is now the home of Longbranch Saloon

If you like oysters and margaritas, head over to Sea Salt’s happy hour. Note, the rest of the food on the menu is regular-​priced even though it is on the happy hour menu. Only the dollar oysters and the alcohol are at lower prices.
Even though it’s full priced, the fried smelt is worth it!
Note, the last time we were there for happy hour, the waiter was a bit snooty and fairly cold. He took a long time to bring out our oysters (25 minutes) and was difficult to track down to get our bill or to order more items. There were only two other parties in the restaurant at the time. Do you want our business or not?
It probably was a fluke. Maybe he was having a bad day, but it was a bit disconcerting. Also, one of our oysters looked like it was still a baby when they harvested it. It was about the size of a quarter. Guess when you order a whole plate of oysters you’re bound to get some bad ones.

Smelt (jpn. shisamo) were excellent, though as recommended, the Anchovy Remoulade (normal aside to the Fish Sausage Sandwich special) worked better than the green goddess dressing provided normally. Smelt are a very mild fish, so even just a lemon and salt addition is sufficent to bring out the flavor, whereas the Japanese traditional accompaniment would be to use soy sauce (jpn. shoyu) and a bit of citrus pepper mix (jpn. yuzu kossho). A reasonable portion for the price (about 12 pieces/​6 ozs.), although purchasing the smelt at regular Asian market retail would be normally $ 3/​lb as smelt are traditionally a bargain fish. A good number of females with roe intact were included, which is always a nice touch (the roe adds a richness to the normally trout-​like flavor.)
Fish & Chips were above average. Portions for the small serving were adequate. The True Cod was a little dry, and perhaps a day or two older than best (not bad for a Holiday service week, but should just be pulled or used in a soup stock.) Fries (skin-​on and medium cut) were acceptable, but nothing special. The standard «Spicy Ketchup» while made on-​premises, was sort of like a Sriracha mixed into a standard Hunts ketchup (on the sweeter+hot side) so I’m not sure that’s a good match for either the fries nor the fish. I ordered malt vinegar instead — which was more appropriate, but they could use a better brand with more depth.
Final aside was Grilled Corn, a Sea Salt take on Mexican street roasted corn on the cob. Nice to see, but almost ridiculously overpriced at $ 8 for one cob divided into 2 pieces. The chili butter was too weakly spiced, and feta cheese needs to be finely minced to stick better to the cob. Lime aioli was dressed on the plate, which was pretty, but doesn’t work for this item. Street corn is normally just fire-​grilled to a medium char, then brushed with melted butter (spn. manteca), smeared liberally with mayonnaise (to get the spices to stick — Japanese mayo works wonders as a substitute), then sprinkled with fresh lime juice and powdered spices (cayenne, chipotle, jalapeño, cumin, coriander, etc). Fix the same item by max’ing out the spices in the chili butter, put the aioli ON the corn, and finely grate the feta so it’s more granular and sticks to the corn.
My SO ordered the large order Steamed Mussels with Chorizo. About 1lb serving, reasonably generous, and the Spanish chorizo chosen worked well with the white wine and garlic (plus shallot) sauce as it was less oily and a medium spice with a sour overture that worked with the lemon juice in the sauce.

Okay then! What I last considered an ‘instituion’ was a total let down when I took my Mom here recently. We were here on a weekend in between shifts, so 2 or 3:30 I suppose? We got the shaft in between shifts, I have to say.
OWNERS of Sea Salt, are you listening? Your servers, bartenders, cooks, and overall quality and atmosphere, most importantly FOOD is slippin.
I’ll give you a few more chances, because I love the concept and have such good associations and memories, but have been so terribly let down by Sea Salt as of late.

We came here yesterday cuz I craved for Oysters. HH oysters for a buck each? Wohoo!!! We were here last time with a friend and remembered enjoying their food especially the lobster rolls! Yum!
Last night we drove all the way here for dinner because of that good impression it had on us. I still would always consider this for oyster HH but am not sure if I want to come here for their clam chowder. The clam chowder had a good flavor but wished it was a bit on a thicker side and had a little bit more clams in it. The lobster rolls is always good.
The Kentucky Five cocktail for $ 6 on HH was a good pair for my oysters!

The only redeeming quality about this place is their $ 1 oysters during happy hour. We ordered 2 dozen of the chef’s choice, and they ended up giving us an extra one. The broth in the black steamed mussels could have used a lot more flavor. The fries were thick and bland. I wouldn’t say the server was very attentive either.
Bottom line: I would only come back for the happy hour oysters if I was randomly craving them and didn’t want to travel far.

I came here during their happy hour Mondays. $ 1 oysters and $ 3 drafts until close. What else can you really hope for?
I ordered like about 15 oysters, saving some room for a squid and octopus ceviche, tried a clam shooter, and needed some space for my Racer 5. This is like a perfect dinner! Except I shouldn’t have ordered the ceviche. It might be just my personal tastes in seafood, ceviches are a bit too overwhelming and covered the natural flavors of the ingredients. I’ve had it at La Mar, I’ve had it here, I need to just give it up. On top of the flavors, my seafood feels a bit too overcooked, had to chew my squid and octopus a whole lot more before swallowing. The clam shooter wasn’t sized correctly, I think they put too much bloody mary in my shooter. Generally I don’t need to take two gulps to eat my shooter. Moreso, I would prefer a non-​soupy shooter, I was expecting seasoning and small amount of sauce/​juice over the clam, not two shots of bloody mary. Oysters were very fresh, it is chef’s choice, so oysters big and small were served for $ 1 each. I’m not skilled enough to taste the difference among breeds, but I can say that I didn’t bite into too many parts where I feel like I’m eating sand and I didn’t get sick after. They are darn fresh!
The sad part is just my server was very slow. I think she was new, but to check everyone’s ID for about 2 minutes each? I’m sure you’ve seen a California ID before and it shouldn’t be too hard to check the birthdate. Moreover, she should check back with our table sometime in between, not just take our order and come back near the very end. Wasn’t too consistent. My friend wanted to see the dessert menu while we were looking at the regular menu and it took her the entire meals time to get us the dessert menu. If she came back to check on us, I wouldn’t have to tell her to remove one of the clam shooters (I ordered two but only 1 came). Another server brought us our drinks and 10 minutes later she brought over the same thing. Overall, nice friendly owner who actually checked in with our table more often than our server. It’s still different though.

I came here in March and was pretty impressed by their entrees. We ordered the salmon, the trout, and fish and chips. The salmon and trout were juicy but crispy on the outside and the fish and chips dish was perfectly done. I would definitely come back.
The patio area was nice but there were ants everywhere :/

Okay: That’s it. No more shucking around — seriously — we’re DONE.
Why?
Because:
You (heretofore refers to «Sea Salt FOH & BOH staff») don’t smile when you see me or my par-​tay at the door, much less welcome us or our dollars inside, exert any kind of warmth or friendliness.
You don’t change the salt in the ramekins until we arrive for oysters, drinks and dessert.
You don’t SEE the breadcrumbs in the dangerously depleted aforementioned ramekins of salt that God only knows how many fingers have already dipped into without being turned over between table service…
You don’t notice me futzing and fussing over the salt and turning it 90 degrees, slowly, cautiously… to 180… and gracefully rolling my wrist so that I’ve done 3×360 revolutions without displacing more than a *few grains* of salt until I finally have to mention that «it looks like you missed this one.»
You serve me a dozen oysters; the first that I sample leaves me with shell fragments and tastes waaaaaaay off. The second, which I inspect FIRST has cloudy liquor, is not completely severed from the shell AND HAS THE ENTIRE ADDUCTOR MUSCLE STILL INTACT AND ATTACHED TO THE REST OF THE OYSTER. As do all of the others that I bother to look at (which is most of the dozen) and I realize what a lazy mother-​shucker you are.
I’m calm, the tab for everything was paid… but if you don’t ah… shell OUT any effort for me, babe, this is where it all ends. For-​evah and evar. My child and his [theoretical future progeny] are hereby banned also, on principle.
Plus, Cadet said the oysters (which were his idea, this time) tasted «yucky» and you made something that could have given me and my baby sick — like, — in the hospital, bad shellfish, BAD — that’s unconscionable.
You are responsible for who sanitizes, inventories, preps, prepares, plates, hosts and serves my food. When all of those people fail to spot food that ought not be served, you have failed me.
Two things I’ve learned in this life:
* When you really want to seduce your lovah, you break out the good stuff: Wolford, La Perla, Kiki…
* If you don’t care at all, you come to bed (or the table) in flannel lumberjack pajamas from college and dirty, mismatched socks — applicable to both genders.
So stop trying to pass those stained, gnarly, frat-​house abominations off as something sophisticated; I’m getting out of this Oyster Bed, permanently.
Oh, yeah — YOUR SMELT ARE ALWAYS FLACCID!!!

If you are an Oyster lover, you will LOVE the Happy Hour at Sea Salt. Knowing that I have a deep sea kinda love for oysters, the HH king brought me here on a nice weekend day in the East Bay. Yay!
We sat on the patio under heated lamps and ordered from the Happy Hour menu. The $ 1 Oysters and $ 3 Drafts are enough to keep this girl happy, but I HAD to try the Bloody Mary Oyster shooter. Oh man, that was too much for a girl who loves Oysters and Bloody Mary’s. ;)
The oysters were great, the first time I came here — I realized they only had Tabasco and I like my Oysters with a little more of a kick. The second time here I ordered the oysters with side of fresh horseradish. It was what they had and pretty damn good. I mixed the horseradish with a little cocktail sauce for a spicier kick.
The bread here is really good as well. I mixed a little of the horseradish with the butter to make a nice little spread. I highly suggest it if you like it hot, like I do.
I will most definitely be back, I’ve already been twice in the last week. Also $ 1 Oysters are my favorite and I love the Belgian beer they have on tap.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon right when happy hour started. I thought it was going to be crowded but it wasn’t, which was great for us since we were worried about getting a table. Parking was easy even though it was street parking.
Our server was very friendly and when we were seated we immediately went for the $ 1 chef’s-choice oysters. They were pretty good. Some of the oysters were extremely small so that was the only disappointing part. There were three of us and we ordered about 30 oysters total. We also got a round of oyster shooters and those were pretty delicious. I got the beef and bacon slider and it was pretty flavorful. The potato chips that came with it were yummmmy. I wish there was more! Oh and their house made aioli was good too. I was actually really full at the end of the meal with all the oysters and oyster shooters. Definitely would come back if I was in the area again for happy hour.

I’m writing a review purely on the basis of the Monday happy hour — $ 1 oysters, a large outdoor patio that’s friendly to dogs, very helpful staff and $ 6 cocktails make for an awesome dining experience.
I’ll definitely be back — with friends!

Really nice, bustling spot on a random block of San Pablo (unless you count proximity to Good Vibrations as something other than random). I had La Abeja for my cocktail — I’m a sucker for any drink with egg white, like a pisco sour. It was good enough for a second.
My friend and I also shared the corn with chipotle butter (nice and charred, but I didn’t taste much chipotle), mussels (always good, but no match for the mussels at A Cote), fries (love the spicy ketchup, though the fries were on the soggy side), and the black cod (delicate and delicious in a nice broth with great mushrooms).
Eager to go back to try more…

Love!

Sea Salt is la lame. .. oh wait, that’s more appropriate for Lalime’s, their other restaurant which we rather enjoyed (
)…
Short version: Very hit or miss food. Bad service.
Long version.
We’d made our reservation about an hour before we arrived. Not in the system, but they weren’t too busy so we were seated immediately. A minute later there’s a crash and splash of a water glass being dropped onto our table. Luckily it went perpendicular to where we were seated so we didn’t get wet.
Our waiter arrives and with no welcome or introduction just asks if we have questions. We hadn’t had a chance to look at the menu so we didn’t and he looks like he’s about to leave when we blurt out our drink order.
He comes back after we have our drinks and now we do have questions. My g/​f is pescatarian (fish & veggies. no meats) and tells this to the waiter. She had heard great things about the Walu so asked if she could make some substitutions because it had chorizo and she wasn’t a tomatillo fan. She specifically mentioned some of the salmon sides. This seemed to throw our server for a loop.
He talked some about asking the chef, maybe /​maybe not and so the g/​f says she’ll just have the salmon. The server says she can get the walu ($ 24) with the salmon sides. OK, problem solved?
My clam chowder ($ 9. see pic) came out first and it tasted good with nice crunchy bacon bits, but the clams were overcooked, tough and rubbery. The broth was on the thin side too, which I don’t mind, but I do prefer it thicker.
The fried smelt ($ 6. see pic) were excellent! Freshly fried and piping hot with a nice dipping sauce.
Our entrees came out and as I was putting malt vinegar onto my fish and chips the g/​f asks me «Is this meat?» pointing to a dark item on her plate. I tasted it. It was the lardon. .. I guess that whole «no meat» thing slipped by after the long side dish discussion. We flag down the server and he apologizes and then, after thinking a moment, asks if he can bring another plate to put the fish on and then the lardon-​free sides would be brought out. Odd, but we politely went along with it. (see pics before & after side removal)
A few minutes later a bowl comes out with sautéed brussel sprouts. I asked the delivery guy if the other sides were coming. He was confused and then I explained that she was supposed to be getting all the salmon sides (less lardon) with her walu. I said I thought I remembered creamed corn. He said he would check and after more times goes by our waiter arrives with a small bowl of creamed corn. By this time she was almost done with her fish (which was perfectly cooked, but rather skimpy. size of maybe 4oz filet).
My fish and chips ($ 15. see pic) weren’t very good. The two small pieces of cod ($ 15 for that?) were bland and I wished for a salt shaker. The spicy ketchup and not-​very tartar sauce couldn’t mask the blandness. The fries, however, were quite tasty. They were a thicker cut variety, but smaller than steak fries, and perfectly cooked.
The water guy filled the glasses at the table next to ours looked at our table and then walked away. Our water glasses were ¼ full. I called to him before he got too far and was able to get refilled.
As we left, I peeked at the menu and saw that turnips should also have accompanied the salmon, but maybe our table was getting a little crowded with all the bowls so they decided not to send that out?
Food: 3 stars. Hit or miss flavors. Small portions.
Service: 1 star. I expect this kind of service at Red Lobster, not at a place charging ~$ 25 – 30 per entrée. They need to get some of the Lalime’s staff over here for some training pronto!

Epic Birthday Weekend Eating Part 4:
Island Creek! Hooray!
Kushi! Hooray!
Wellfleet! Hooray!
Fresh oysters. Delicious oysters. Novice raw oyster fan approved! What made this an epic stop on my birthday? Oysters! Hooray!
The service was average, with over worked waitstaff, who did their best to provide top notch service. Definitely earning their tips.
The food itself was average. For the price I thought everything was beautifully presented and good. My Manila clams were delicious, with fennel sausage and pureed cream tomato topping. My dad found his salmon on artichokes well done but nothing too special. My mom had a Bacon, Lettuce, Trout sandwich that looked like the best thing on the table (if I liked sandwiches.)
Dessert was a strawberry cobbler that was a bit too much like frozen strawberries in Hershey’s Strawberry syrup for me. The gelatinous mixture had three blobs of pastry floating in it which was… strange…
I might not be willing to come back and pay for the dinner but I will be back for happy hour dollar oysters from 3pm-​6pm and cocktails though!

We came back for an Unofficial Unilocal Event. I am upgrading because they willingly put up with us, they are doggie friendly and they have amazing cocktails. What more could a Unilocal addict ask for?
The «Mini» Lobster Roll was excellent and even though you think its small it really is just the right size. The home made chips are a fitting match and their fresh slaw is crazy good.
My husband had the Fish & Chips. You cant go wrong getting a fish dish at a well known fish place. He loved them and the custom Mayo they serve on the side is great for dipping your fries in. Yeah, I’m one of those weirdos that likes dipping my Fries in Mayo.
They made us a special cocktail called «The Pink Lady.» One of my favorite types of cocktails are ones with Champagne in them. This one was one of the best I have had.
The oysters were fresh and delish and the prices are incredible for happy hour.
We had a great time and will be back again for more amazing cocktails, oysters and fish.

Reasons Why My Sister is a Sweetheart #6,837: She treated me to Sea Salt!
In other words, she hooked me up with…
… The most amazing «Chips and Dip» I have ever had in my life. The combo of salty House Cured Salmon Roe with rich Crème Fraiche and warm, crisp Homemade Potato Chips blew me away.
… A big bowl of Bar Nuts. (Cashews, Peanuts, and Walnuts tossed with pieces of fried onion and curry spices — delicious!)
… A perfect-​for-​me sized Ahi Tuna Slider. (Liked it but it was a bit dry and I would’ve preferred it rarer.)
… A Bowl of Cheeks (fish cheeks that is). While fun to say, these were actually a little too chewy for me. (*insert obligatory joke about soft cheeks here*)
… A Pork Pâté Banh Mi. While I’m not a banh mi purist, this twist on it just wasn’t working for me. The ingredients (fresh bread, pâté, spicy sauce with capers, and cilantro) seemed like they would go well together but they didn’t mesh somehow.
… A bite of Grilled Local Squid with Italian Butter Beans, and Basil Almond Pesto. A great dish!
My other sistahs G and M had the Cheese Plate, Country Line Little Gem Lettuces Salad, Southern Bluefin Tuna Tartare, and Fried Oysters. They seemed happy as, well, clams!
… My dessert was especially memorable, a Lemon Pudding Cake that I ordered to go. It was actually more like a scoop of light, spongy, lemony mousse that went extraordinarily well with the mascarpone sherbet, blueberry sauce, and crisp extra virgin olive oil cookie flecked with sesame seeds that it came with. Equal parts sweet, slightly tart, and salty with a nice mix of textures too — what more could a girl want?
Well our server knew. He dashed outside after me and gracefully and solemnly proffered a cloth napkin. And on top of the napkin?
A disposable spoon.
(Now THAT’S what I call service!)

Every table at Sea Salt has a different ramekin of salt — ours was a beautiful light pink Murray River sea salt from Australia. After spreading a pat of butter on my complimentary artisan bread, I sprinkled some salt on top, and entertained myself with licking while I waited for my food. (
)
I ordered the pan seared loch duart salmon, grilled to perfection and served with a vegetable medley of sliced asparagus, english peas, and baby carrots. (
) The wonderfully crisp skin of the salmon was topped with a basil aioli.
The salmon was flaky and perfectly cooked, and the vegetables were tender and juicy. I stole the salt container from my dining companions and covered my veggies with a layer of delicious salt. I’ll deal with the repercussions of high cholesterol tomorrow.
At the end of my meal, I had devoured the container of salt, and there was nothing more than a few sprinkles left! :(