Escape Fish Bar

Went there during the holidays when a friend was in town. We walked in on a whim since I saw oysters on their menu. absolutely amazing!
They have a few tables and is a complete hole in the wall kinda spot. The servers were a hoot to talk too.
Highly recommend for a quick dinner.

I was hungry while in the gas lamp area so I decided to turn to Unilocal in hopes of discovering somewhere good to eat. The reviews were great so I decided to go in and see this place for myself. Ryan did a wonderful job throughout our entire visit. I decided to go with the grilled salmon plate, my buddy ordered their mussels along with a seabass tacone (their take on a fish taco). The mussels came out before either of us expected them, and I must say these are the best mussels I’ve had in my life. Ryan also made sure our drinks were never empty.
My salmon plate looked and tasted marvelous. The vegetables were steamed and slightly seasoned and the rice was that was infused with cilantro and lime. I’m a southern California native and this was among the freshest fish I’ve come across. I wasn’t able to taste my pals meal but it looked awesome and he could not help but rave about all the flavors inside. All in all it was a great experience and I will be sure to bring friends and family in the future.

Let me preface this by saying I chose to eat at this place because of the raving Unilocal reviews.
I hardly ever WRITE reviews, but this one I CANNOT pass.
I write this review from my bed, with a hot water bottle over my stomach. PLEASE READ.
Despite the restaurant being completely empty on a Sunday lunch service (post-​thanksgiving), I trusted the wisdom of fellow reviewers and walked in.
I ordered the sea bass grilled plate. I needed only one bite to realize the fish was still undercooked. I immediately called the waitress, who was super attentive and took the fish back so it could cook a little longer. I said there was no need for her to re-​fire the order, that the chef could just continue to cook that same piece of fish (I hate waste). When the fish came back, it was more thoroughly cooked, but not all the way. I left on the plate the piece of the fish I thought was still undercooked.
The bed of sushi rice was very vinegary, I think it’s because of too much lemon. The veggies (carrot, broccoli and green beans) were steamed a little, so they very crunchy. I like it crunchy, but there was no sauce to tie it altogether. (Am wondering if grilled veggies wouldn’t be a tastier option).
There’s wasabi in the home made horseradish sauce :(This info was NOT on the menu, neither the mentioning of the veggies. Plus, plate presentation was poor, unattractive.
And the restroom — OMG — had to be the filthiest I’ve been to. Some bleach would do the trick guys, make sure you clean the walls too, and the air vent. On my way out the restroom, I glanced over to check cleanliness of kitchen — do you know those brow stains of fat that stick to the stove top/​oven? It was covered by it!
But the main reason I’m writing this is because today, less than 2 days after eating some potentially undercooked fish, I woke up with STOMACH FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS. Although it’s very hard to pinpoint the specific cause of such symptoms, I can’t get it off of my mind how the undercooked fish + lack of cleanliness of this restaurant might have caused it.
I was so wishing for a good seafood restaurant experience, and by no means I wish to demoralize this place, but my experience was truly awful.

A unique and delicious meal! Three of us had the grilled fish plate, one with blackened swordfish, one with shrimp and one with sea bass. One of us had the crab cakes, and one Land lover had the burger and fries. The portions were great, flavors were fantastic. My husband even left either recipe for the carrots. He also enjoyed the house hot sauce. The homemade sangria was good too.
Great place! The manager and chef came out and made sure our meals were to our liking.

I walked bye this place at first. I stopped to read the menu and the waiter approached me to answer any questions I had. I expected high push and hype — all I got was laid back and a courteous thanks for looking. 5 minutes down the 5^th and I turned back around to give this hole in the wall a chance; I am SO GLAD I DID!
The oysters were fresh and very tasty. The swordfish tacones was excellent and an incredible value– $ 12 for a huge wrap. Wish I was here for more than 48 hours; I would be back. Next trip to San Diego I most certainly will return. Ryan, the waiter made the experience a perfect one. Thanks Escape Fish Bar!

A real beautiful hole in the wall… as good as it gets!
The only suggestion I’d have for the chef is make your fries a bit crispier… perhaps double fry them?
The mussels… oh the mussels… :)
And the fish and chip… brilliant crust and high quality fish.
Next time I’m in town I’m going to get the stew…

The bruschetta appetizer was very good. The sea bass and the snapper fish and chips were both over cooked. Service was friendly but a little slow. Overall I’d say average.

This place knows seafood! I had the red snapper tacones, blackened. Delicious! And the meal was more than I could eat.
I’m from Maryland where seafood is king. This was just as good. Andrew was my server. He was excellent as well.
You need to check it out.

Great tacones and beer
The server was very courteous and attentive
We ordered the swordfish tacones and the fish and chips both really good

I ordered take-​out. I’m guessing it’s different for a sit-​down meal, but the fish and chips were soggy and limp (both chips AND fish). Ceviche was in a separate bag: it leaked, bag full of fluid, no juice for ceviche.
I may try the place for a sit-​down lunch, but won’t do take-​out again.

It’s my birthday and I’m so glad I came here!!! It’s so easy to miss this place if you’re not looking for it. Came here for lunch with my girlfriend and the great Unilocal reviews were right on. The chowder, the oysters, and tacos were delish!
It’s a small place but the service and food is so worth coming to this little gem hole in the wall…

Great happy hour specials, super mediocre food! I ordered a very colorful salad, full of wonderful veggies and the waiter gladly accommodated my request to try two dressings on the side because I’m a little indecisive. My friend also enjoyed her salad.
Great people watching spot in the Gaslamp, especially if you get to sit outside! Seating can be hard to come by, though!

Let me preface that the service was wonderful. Friendly, professional and timely.
I ordered the grilled fish plate with locally caught seabass. Though the fish was good, the broccoli and string beans were not fresh, to the point that they smelled rotten. Additionally, they overdid the lemon on the rice and the pickled cucumber was too sour, but that could be my personal taste.
Based on the high reviews, I’d like to think that my experience was an exception to the rule. I did notify the staff (five stars for accepting constructive criticism in a professional manner!) and hopefully nobody else experiences this problem.

Would’ve walked pass his place if it wasn’t for the Unilocal reviews. The restaurant was busy and no hostess. Waiter served as hosts, they said 20 minutes wait but they didn’t asked our name LOL. We had to give them our name and our phone number. The décor was minimal, The restaurant was small but it was adequate.
It was worth the wait. We at the Philippines clams steamers, sword fish taco wrap, grilled salmon and grilled shrimp. It was pricey, $ 25 @ for Shrimp and Salmon plate with rice or French fries — at least the taste wasn’t disappointing. No kids menu. Overall, for a touristic area, food was delicious. Call to make reservations.

Really great food and service !! Will definitely be back. Came here because a friend requested it plus I was craving some good seafood. It’s a small place and apparently they fill up quickly. came here on a Sunday at 730 but they didn’t have a table available til 830. Ended up calling us at 750 letting us know someone cancelled. Came in and table was waiting for us.
I ordered the shrimp bruschetta (amaazzzzzing) and the cup (it was HUGE) of chowder. The chowder was really tasty and totally different than you’re average chowder. It had a kick to it and made with coconut milk. The waitress Let me try it beforehand which I appreciated! It was topped with a nice sized piece of fried fish. Tried the fries and wow. That curry ketchup is delicious too. My boyfriend had the fish and chips with seabass. Huge piece of fish!
Overall a great place! Check it out :)

Come here to get the Tacones, and the fish & chips. The value is great and the portion will keep you filled up for probably 2 meals. I would pass on the calamari and soup. Calamari was pretty bland in terms of the breading and the soup with the curry flavor was just too strong. The wait staff is super friendly and helpful, and the place is dog friendly.

Went here with the family to grab a bite to eat after touring around the city a little bit in the morning. When I had passed by it the previous night, it was stuffed to the brim, but there was only one other person there when we came for lunch. Part of the reason may be the slightly higher prices, but we decided to check it out anyways.
After reading through the Unilocal reviews, I decided to go with the seabass tacones and a side of rice. The tacones were pretty massive and the dish came with two, so it was definitely worth the $ 18 price tag. Those along with the rice were quite filling. I did enjoy the dish but have to say that I wish the chipotle sauce they added was a little lighter because it seemed to overtake the rest of the flavors of the dish, which wasn’t ideal. Also, the rice was a little lackluster, but tasty nonetheless.
My parents and brother really enjoyed their dishes as well – as they tried the salmon and haddock.
Overall, this place will set you back a little bit of $ but the portion sizes, friendly service, and quality food are worth it.

This place was an awesome place for lunch!!!
Jamie R. from Naples and I had lunch here 10 days ago, and we loved it. There’s a small outside patio in the front of the restaurant, and we were able to get some shade and enjoy being outside for our lunch.
Brooke, our server was super. She attended to us, and left us alone enough so we could enjoy our time together.
We each order their tacones (think large taco and wrap combined). We split a grilled salmon and grilled swordfish each. Price was fantastic at only $ 12 each. See photos.
Quality and quantity were great. Good flavors. I will definitely return!!!

It’s one of the many selections in the downtown Gaslamp area. It’s close enough to Horton Plaza, humble in its digs (kinda smaller than I had anticipated), and not too hard to miss with the giant fish sign. Came here with a co-​worker for lunch in an effort to satisfy a non-​sushi, fish hankering. The Unilocal reviews seemed to promote this place highly for the fresh quality.
First of all, I love places that put cucumber or fruit in their water. Follow that with excellent service — the girl was fantastic. The venue was… okay. It’s like a long narrow, shotgun style restaurant with the back half taken over the bar and kitchen (understandable though for being in the Gaslamp hotzone). I’d say it’s more of «catch up with a friend for a quick bite to eat» spot — not somewhere to take your date or a business client that you want to play fancy with.
I ordered the fish salad with cod; co-​worker opted for the tacones with swordfish (I forget). Both were beautiful in their presentation and filled with lots of fresh greens. The fish was fresh and tasty. Cooked very well. I just wish they gave just a littttlle bit more fish for the price of the lunch. What was amazing were the pickled vegetables. I love pickles and anything pickled. These were fantastic, fresh, with just the right amount of tang and crisp. I’d definitely buy a bottle to take home.
The prices are a little on the higher side, but I’m guessing it’s to cover the cost of the fresh fish (and probably the venue heh). Overall it was pretty tasty. Satisfied the urge for fresh fish. healthy. and provided good times with my friend.
I’d recommend coming by for lunch to give it a shot. Sounds like there are other dishes from their appetizer menu that would be tasty. Not the best I’ve had in San Diego, but it wasn’t bad. Overall: 3.75. Might come back for the fish and the pickled veggies.

This tiny gem is probably one of the busiest restaurants I’ve ever been in. It is located on the busiest street of Gaslamp Historic Area. This place has approximately fourteen (14) service tables but rockingly hitting the service and definitely knows how to make their customer happy.
If your’re a fan of seafood, this is the place to be. Fresh catch is available and generous portions too. The variety of seafood menu is phenomenal and lots of choices to offer. The hospitality without a doubt is one of the terrific service I’ve ever seen for such quite sometime. Mercedes is superb and extremely knowledgeable. She is insanely serving the tables hand in hand.
I’ve been drinking cocktails so I directly ordered the main course. For tonight’s visit, I ordered the CIOPPINO a bowl of mixed seafood broth in a fresh tomatoes, chardonnay, butter, garlic, garnished in shallots and oregan served in massive french bread. The entire meal was well seasoned and perfectly balanced. I love the sour and sweet tang. Above all, the main components of the dish is fresh and delish.
I can’t wait to be back and I strongly suggest to visit this place whenever you are in the area.