Anytime we visit family in Newport - this is our go to spot!! The freshest seafood!! Everything is delicious and it doesn't hurt that you're right across from the beach Highly recommend trying this spot - it does get extremely busy on weekends! But worth the wait! read more

Very fresh fish and gorgeous views of crystal cove! Parking is quite limited and the line to order can get crowded during peak lunch hours on weekends, but there is usually available seating and their poke + bear flag burritos are amazing! This is a great option for healthy, clean, and sustainable seafood with high quality ingredients and generous portions. read more

Bear Flag Fish - 1/2 lb ahi tuna poke - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Best for your Bucks$$! Fresh food, fresh seafood whatever seafood you want or even clam chowder the best! Service is fast, food delivery is fast too and just the freshness on every bite with great view of ocean and breeze... very well lit! Just awesome . Well done guys! read more

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Bland, overcooked "premium" fish taco. Peruvian ceviche lacks lime and salt. Tuna poke tastes only like sesame oil. Yuzu lemon and salt would go a long way. Not what I was hoping for and I'm sure the fish started out as a fairly high quality. Location was great employees were very friendly. Kitchen a bit lost. read more

Didn't know there was a second location here with parking!! Parking can be quite filled, especially at sunset theres limited seating inside but outside seating available by the other restaraunts. We did it for there. The seafood plates are cooked fish. Got all the pokes available and fish tacos. The poke comes with chips, , but they dont give extra chips for ordering more poke/ guac (seemed the same amount as other plates). Service is fast! And its well staffed, plus great interior aesthetics. **Taco- Tuesdays have $3 fish tacos. Even though they look small, its well worth the quality with some lemon. The fish is surprisingly buttery. The tortilla is a bit small and thin but ultimately come here for the flaky fish which isnt like typical fish and chips. *Ahi poke- has a fish flavor but not fishy and no mercury taste. Nice bounce. Flavor of marinade isn't too overpowering, you can taste the fish. Fresher than other places I've had of lb poke spots Salmon poke- deep rich omega 3 oil flavor, again marinade isnt too overpowering. Tends to be salty creamy. Looked less fresh than the ahi poke but was still fresh and fatty. I think I like the ahi more as this one is very rich (good thing Ceviche- sadly this one felt off to me. Maybe needed more lime for me but the marinade was great, the fish had tinge of fridge cilantro taste which confused me. Texture wise feels a little older than the other too ( but is "cooked" by the citrus) Think some fresh jalapeño or onion would've paired nicely. Guac- made fresh, seasoned decently, pretty standard not chunky or anything Their squeeze sauce is kind of sweet and sourish. The hot sauces pack a punch, surprisingly the green one is spicier. The chips are fresh (no old oil) have a nice crisp and arent overly oily. Service inside was fast, but for some reason we were asked every 30 minutes if we were done when we were clearly eating. We only sat a table outside of the patio area because all the seating was taken, and would've been fine taking the plates in ourselves. So im not sure why we were rushed so much since it was nowhere near closing. Pretty much order at the counter and self serve water/utensils - fast casual. Outside seating available but note seating may be limited for big big parties, inside and patio were full. Overall fresh fish, great great view, busy. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Price 9.2025 - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

It was good but not wait-in-line-for-an-eternity good. Love that they serve it with chips! Took it down to crystal cove and had it while enjoying the ocean view on a hot day. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

This spot is walk up ordering and then you find a spot to sit. They did have a bar to order drinks from. Everything was so fresh! We got the ceviche and clam chowder to start. The chowder had large chunks of potatoes and was creamy! The ceviche was perfectly flavored. The Mahi Mahi burrito was huge! It had lots of toppings and fish. The Ahi Tuna poke bowl was my favorite! You got to choose your base, meat, and toppings. We got the half pound of tuna and there was so much in it!! We got the Tommy sauce on the side. They had a selves serve sauce and water station. It was busy the entire time we were there! They did serve the soup and ceviche right away after you ordered which I liked! read more

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My family goes to Newport every summer, and this place is a staple every time. The fish is amazing in every form. Normally we get the tacos, but this last time I got a burrito and it was also delicious. They also have great sides, like their chips and salsa, grilled asparagus, and even miso soup! We also love buying their fresh fish to grill up at home. They turned us onto Opah, which is now one of our favorite fishes. It's awesome to see they've expanded their restaurant and eating area and they now have an awesome bar too. The service is always pretty quick, and we usually get our food, eat it, then go up to the side counter to order our fresh fish to take home. So the line to eat-in is long, but we get the fresh fish almost right away. If you're hungry for fish tacos or looking for fresh fish to take home, absolutely check this place out. read more

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Wife and I got food poisoning from here. Ordered Mahi Tacos, tuna poke and grilled artichokes. When trying the poke the texture seemed off. Not to mention when we then go to the mahi, it smelled a bit stronger then what were used to. We go to the bear flag in Newport all the time, we were closer to this location and can here instead. The final straw was when the artichoke came, it was cold and not cooked. Heard a few people next to us complain as well. Bear flag is typically a good option for a meal but maybe not this location read more

Went in with strong recommendations to try the poke burrito and could not have been happier! Salmon quality was amazing! Burrito was high quality all around - avocado was ripe, rice was well cooked, lettuce was fresh, and Tommy's sauce was light and the perfect touch. Restaurant itself is beautiful. Amazing natural light coming in the massive glass walls. Perfect temperature with many open segments allowing ocean breeze and smell to aerate the dining area. Great service. Saw some complaints about the wait times. We went during lunch rush and were greeted with a quick moving line and fast service. Great experience all around, will be returning frequently. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Poke Burrito - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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nice place and you can see the beach closed to this restaurant. ambiance is great and the cashier ( forgot to ask his name ) is so nice and explains throughly. order in person and pay and they will deliver some of your orders to your table. good taste for poke and tacos ~ fishes are so fresh which is good!!! just a bit comment for guacamole: may be make a bit stronger taste by adding more cilantro, jalapeños, red onions, and lime... read more

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What I tried to submit this through their website, but the submit button doesn't work so they clearly aren't actually interested in my feedback... so here it is: Horrible. I came in at 745 and ordered clam chowder and 2 tacos. I checked in at 20 minutes and the blond that took my order sounded like she wanted to help me but a manager? with red/brown hair said "that's our wait time" and proceeded to talk to the blonde about her piercings. I inquired again at 25 minutes because my order wasn't on the screen. They asked the kitchen guys who had no idea about my order. By that point I asked to cancel my fish tacos order and might as well cancel the soup because it was now cold. No one tried to save the customer relationship. It was "void" and oh-- I can't print you a receipt. Now I have to monitor my credit card charges to see if it falls off because I have no evidence that the tip was refunded. Horrible customer service. read more

Service was good, staff is nice and friendly. The place is also clean. Food portions were okay, not like other poke shops that pack your bowl. This place is also pricier w limited topping options and you can only choose 4. I dont think id come back just cause its pricey for less, and parking is HARD to get. Its in a little plaza on a busy street. Theres a lot next to it but it was packed and everywhere else you have to pay for parking. The sauce on the tuna was great though! read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

This place is good if you ONLY order premade sushi or poke. I can't really wrap my head around the model here...you wait 20-30 minutes to order. Service is slow and not notably friendly. After you wait this long to order...you sit and wait for your food. I ordered a shrimp burrito and it took about 40 minutes to get to the table (this is not an over exaggeration, by the way). After reading the reviews, this seems to be a common issue. So you are about an hour to 1.5 hours of a wait deep to sit in a crowded restaurant and eat in pretty much a takeout setting (serve yourself water, etc.) I was soooooo close to walking out. My burrito was ok (NOT worth the wait). Only got a second star because I've ordered poke here before with no issues. Y'all seriously need to do better though, as I personally will not be back unless I feel like wasting another hour or so of my time. For the wait and the price, I could have just gone to a sit down restaurant and probably have been out faster too. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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got the tacos and a burrito, it was alright. a little overpriced for kind of mediocre food tbh. i think the best thing to get was the poke nachos because the poke was actually really fresh, but everything else you can skip. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I have been to this location a few times and find that they are very consistent. Had to write a review today. The food is very good and the ambiance does not disappoint. The service is excellent and the staff is very helpful as well. Will keep coming to this location whenever I get a chance again. read more

While the restaurant was beautiful, the food was not worth the price. When other poke places have a limit on toppings you can add, it's for higher quality side options like avocado, krab, seaweed salad etc, while the cheap toppings, like cucumber, radish, corn etc are unlimited. The bowl was 20$ but you were only allowed to get 4 toppings, all of which were vegetables options. While that price is only slightly above average for poke, for 20$ I don't want to be nickel and dimed over cucumber. The fish was delicious though! If I were to come back, it would be to buy the fish à la carte read more

This is an old favorite spot I frequented many times after hanging out in Newport Beach but first time having a nice sit down at Crystal cove one under the wonderful sunshine in January. The seafood plates are also so fresh and healthy. I could not leave home without the ahi poke with chips. Excellent for satisfying the seafood cravings. Busy just as the OG but always worth it. read more

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4.5/5: $31.14 for 1 pound of salmon poke. It is average-high price, but it's worth it every once in a while. 1 pound is good enough for two people. I'm always craving their chips and poke. The fish is so fresh, it melts in your mouth. They give you a good amount of tortilla chips (2 big bags) and it's a perfect way to get some protein and enjoy the beach. There's always a huge line here so I'd recommend you call ahead and place your order then. By calling and ordering ahead, I got to skip the big line and go straight to the register to pay. Only reason for the 4.5 rating is that it was hard to know I had to go to the register for to-gos. I wasn't really sure what was happening when I got inside, it was really chaotic. But I got the attention of a worker after about 5 minutes who was able to help me out. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Got yellow w tail plate. Was sick all day sitting. In the toilet . Tried calling the restaurant 3 times to alert about the possibly bad greens or fish but no one answered read more

I've never been to the Crystal Cove location, but since we were at Reef Point, grabbing tacos for lunch was the move. We came for $3 Bear Flag Tacos on Tuesday, and they were just as satisfying as always. We ordered 10 tacos to share (2 is usually enough for me). We also ordered chips with pico de gallo and guacamole, but the tortilla chips were disappointing (across all stores); they tasted somewhat stale and flavorless. Not salted. I wish they would taste better, because I love ordering their salmon poke. They had the self-serve Bear Flag sauce station, which is not available at the Newport location, and plenty of water and clean bathrooms. The Crystal Cove setting is beautiful, with more seating available than the other Bear Flag spots. Outdoor seating is especially nice and feels more relaxed. Just be aware that parking can fill up fast in the plaza, so you may need to walk from a farther spot. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Chips with Pico de Gallo & Guacamole and Bear Flag Tacos - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I was really excited to try this place. The aesthetics and even the hype my sister gave me clue that it should be worth trying! The service first of all was not friendly at all. The guy we ordered with didn't put the order in correctly and was constantly giving a hostile attitude. I still didn't give it too much thought since people could just be having a bad day! However, getting the food I got it was salmon burrito with extra sauce, salmon poke with chips, chips and guacamole, and a poke bowl. The bowl is a 7.5/10 the quality of the fish isn't soft enough and cut too large, there also isn't enough seasoning in the bowl. The toppings are very bizarre especially beans inside a bowl. They need to have better and fresher toppings. I The salmon poke bowl was a 2/10 The salmon poke bowl was awful, the fish was smelly, cut way too large, very chewy, and isn't seasoned well. Very disappointed in the quality of it. I tried eating a lot of it but it gave me the I k to even try anything else. The burrito wasn't anything special I give it a 7/10. Honestly, they just mask the quality of fish with the sauce and the rice. It was okay but not sensational. Honestly the area is just nice and it's disappointing because I would think being so close to the ocean would require better results and fresher fish. Don't come here if you want to be disappointed. If you're okay with long lines, bad service, and disappointing food. Then you can come give it a try. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Salmon poke burrito - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Parking: plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. Do not park in this lot for the beach, they keep an eye out to tow. Food: Ahi tuna & salmon poke: they sell portions by the pound, chips included. Chips & guac is $10 and chips & pico is $8. I'd recommend getting additional chips if you're with more than 2 people. Oysters: $3.50 per oyster. Shucked and served w sauce and lemons. I didn't ask where they're sourced but they're on the smaller side. Ambiance: you order at the counter and seat yourself. They have a full service bar and have self-serve condiments and water. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, I'd recommend coming before 12 on weekends, it's gets really crowded in the summertime. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Poke by the lb comes with chips - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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I've heard great things about Bear Flag so we decided to stop in today to get some lunch. We walked right in and ordered tuna poke, salmon poke, chips and guacamole, and a fish taco. The poke was so fresh and good they also give you chips on the side which are thick chips so you can scoop the poke and the chip doesn't break. The guac was really fresh and tasty as was the fish taco! So glad we decided to stop here for lunch today! read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Showed up on a Sunday around 5pm and it was busy inside but the line was moving pretty quickly. Ordered 1 lb of salmon poke, 1/2 lb ahi poke, a large seafood platter with yellowtail, salad, and mixed sautéed vegetables. Food was good, I'd come back if it wasn't too busy. There weren't any seats inside available at the time, but I'd try hot foods if there was space available. Staff was very friendly if you have any questions or want recommendations. read more

Stopped by here yesterday with my buddy cause we were craving some fish. Glad we picked this spot! I'm on a poke kick recently and we decided on the 2 different types of poke they had here. Both the tuna and salmon were tasty! We paired this with their chips and guacamole. It was cool to not add too much to the fish like your typical rice and toppings, very refreshing. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Poke - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

My husband and I popped over to Crystal Cove last night for fish tacos on Taco Tuesday. Bear Flag now charges $3 per house fish taco now but it was still a deal. We ordered 4 between the two of us and chowed down. The sauces can be found where they have napkins and utensils. The sauces make the taco! We enjoyed our last minute meal and loved every second of it. The service was great as usual and we were able to find a table easily. Traffic was light because it's now off-season and we found plenty of parking in the lot. Great choice for a Tuesday night. Cheap eats still exist in OC. They are open until 9 pm. read more

Bear Flag Fish - $3 house tacos on Tuesday! - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Hit Bear Flag Fish Co. around 11:30am on a Saturday, perfect timing. By 1:30 when we left, the line was out the door and doing laps. Had a couple beers and the famous Bear Flag taco plus a Bear Flag sushi roll. Heads up: if you order the roll from the counter it's pre-made (not rolled fresh like the bar), but honestly.... still very good and hit the spot. Atmosphere is cool. I love the ceiling decor, the mounted fish, and that laid-back surf vibe works. Non valet parking on a busy Saturday is a bit of a circus, so either get there early or bring patience, I'd not a fan of pay to park...like me. Great spot, fun energy, solid food. Just not totally convinced it's always worth the crowds -- timing is everything here. Looking forward to the new store on 17th in CistaMesa, in the old Santa Monica seafood location in 2026. read more

I must say, the food here is very fresh. Delicious , well seasoned and sides are great too. The prices here are honestly pretty phenomenal. No wonder they are always busy. Truly always a great experience especially with a beautiful ocean ambiance at the crystal cove plaza. Great spot , great food and good times. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

After reading the mixed reviews on Yelp before visiting, I figured I'd either really enjoy the poke or be highly disappointed. Unfortunately, it was the latter. We arrived around on a Thursday around 12:30PM and there was a pretty sizable line. We waited about 20 minutes before placing our order and waited another 15 minutes or so for the food to be brought out. We ordered the poke bowl with half salmon and half tuna. I typically enjoy both salmon and tuna poke, but I found the tuna to be a bit too fishy for my taste. Also, flavor-wise, I felt like both fish options were lacking the savory sauce that normally excites me about poke. I also found the rice to be a bit clumped together We also ordered some of the chips (non-bear flag branded) on the side, and they were a bit tough/had a bit of a strange taste to them. Overall, if you used to Hawaiian style poke, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. read more

Very disappointing experience. The food quality was extremely poor and far below expectations. The service was an absolute disaster from start to finish. To make matters worse, half of our order never arrived, and after waiting 45 minutes with no updates or explanation, we had no choice but to cancel the missing items. The staff seemed disorganized and uninterested in resolving the issue. Waiting that long for food that never comes is simply unacceptable. Between the terrible service and low-quality food, this was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've had in a long time. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone and definitely will not be returning. read more

Came in hoping for a nice seafood lunch and left genuinely put off by how dirty this place is. The walls are disgusting, covered in grime and buildup that looks like it hasn't been wiped down in a very long time. The bathroom was in an unbelievable state, filthy beyond what I'd expect from any restaurant serving food. Tables sat uncleared and sticky, and I never once saw staff wipe one down between guests. Everything felt dirty, from where you sit to where you eat. For a place handling raw fish, this level of neglect is a serious concern. I couldn't relax or enjoy the food knowing what the general cleanliness was like. read more

Came by for some dinner ~6:30pm on a Sunday with some friends. The toughest part was finding parking which took about ~20 minutes. When we got in line it wasn't too long of a wait and we were able to browse the menu while waiting and looking to see what fresh fish they had at the moment. The decor was nice and there was plenty of seating both inside and outside the restaurant. These are the things we ended up ordering... - 1/2 Lb Ahi Poke - 1/2 Lb Calamari Salad - 1/2 Lb Shrimp Cocktail - 2 Bear Flag Tacos - Grilled Blacken Mahi Salad - 1/2 Lb White Fish Ceviche Unfortunately this time we didn't get any Salmon Poke since they ran out before we got there, otherwise we definitely would have gotten it. Some highlights were the Ahi Poke, super fresh and good seasoning, and Bear flag tacos, good portion size and tasty, wish the fish was crispier though and that there was a sauce to go with it. Staff was friendly and each of the poke came with chips. Unfortunately we got the bottom of the bag cause a lot of the chips were either smaller or broken. Food came out pretty quick. It was tasty and fresh. Bathrooms were also clean but the soap dispenser in the women's bathroom was broken. Overall not bad, I would come back and try other items on the menu again. read more

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This is my happy place. I don't think I've ever had a bad meal at Bear Flag. Of course, not all dishes are equally delicious, but the hits just...hit! My go-to are: - Salmon poke: fresh and flavorful. Eating it with chips and their signature sauces (Bear Flag sauce and Tommy sauce; don't miss!!) is such a fun way to enjoy a poke. - Bear Flag fish taco: so light and balanced. Again, grab the sauces!! - Lollipop roll: the cucumber wrap makes it refreshing, and they don't skim on the fish. - Clam chowder: pretty good, but not always consistent. Some days, I found it a little salty. Other days, it was good. - Ceviche: also decent. I don't love or hate it. The place could be crowded and busy most of the time, but the line moves fast. I don't mind the crowd since it's a testament of how amazing the food is. There is plenty of seatings outside for bigger groups as well. Regardless, come early, or they might run out of the salmon poke closer to the end of the day. Now, what were the names of the must-try sauces I just told you again? read more

Have been here a couple times and I have mixed feelings. Fish is definitely fresh and I love that it's local caught. Great ambiance and drinks at the bar. With that being said, I don't necessarily feel like the food is unique or special. Everything I've tried is on the blander side each time I've visited. Specialty burrito is good and love the different fish options. Poke is fresh, but I've had better Hawaiian style poke, kind of tastes like nothing here. read more

Bear Flag Fish - Interior - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Enjoyed lunch here in Newport Beach. Lots of great choices. I had the red snapper & yellowtail tuna tacos. I recommend the snapper with Cajun seasoning. Also enjoyed the ahi poke bowl and the hurricane sushi roll. Everything was delicious 9 out of a 10. Service was a bit slow but they were super busy. You can also get your favorite cocktails here. We sat outside on the patio to enjoy the beautiful weather at the beach This place is also very dog friendly so bring your best friend . read more

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My friend and I tried it, but will not be returning. I give BFF 3 stars strictly for the cleanliness and organization. The staff, or should I say the young blond lady that took our order wasn't bad, but there was no sense of welcoming from her. She just took our order. No greeting, no thank you, nothing. When our food came, same thing. No greeting, no "here's your order" or "enjoy". Who ever it was just placed the food on the table and left. As for the food, my fish was as bland as the staff. My veggies were over cooked, but hurray for my rice! It was the only decent thing on that plate. Finally, there is nothing worse when dining in at a restaurant with hot soup served in a plastic bowl. That's not ok! read more

Bear Flag Fish - Super hot soup served in plastic. No!! - Seafood Markets Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Great fish! I got the Mahi blackened, with veggies- it was so good I convinced my family to go the next day and I got the same thing! Can't wait to try the poke next time. Generous portions, but skip the black beans. The veggies were so good it made up for it though! read more

Well, after coming to Bear Flag for years, it's sad to say Bear Flag has fallen off. I used to always look forward to it after a long day at the beach, but the past few times the wait has been long, and the burrito tortilla is repeatedly stale. Not to mention, they stopped serving the Tommy sauce with every plate. Now you have to ask for the Tommy sauce?! It was such a bummer when I waited 90 minutes for my burrito and it came out without Tommy sauce. Why wouldn't they just serve tommy sauce with the burrito and increase the price by $.50? The bathrooms were dirty, and the fish on display does not look appetizing. read more

I've been coming here for years and it just keeps getting better! Everything I've had is always amazing but obviously the speciality burrito with ahi is the way to go! The service is always awesome and don't stress if the line is out the door, it moves fast! Only downside is when they are busy they run out of seating but there's an awesome outdoor area to the left where you can sit and eat! read more