The smell of fresh seafood hits you right when you walk in, which definitely sets the tone. We started off with the clam chowder was solid but could've been creamier. The fish and chips are very reasonably priced and taste super fresh, though the fish itself could be a bit more tender; it was on the denser side. The batter is nice and mild, letting the seafood shine instead of overpowering it. Prawns were plump and satisfying. We ordered the shrimp tacos as well and the flavors were good, but the tortilla felt a bit undercooked and took away from the experience. There's plenty of seating, which makes it an easy, casual spot to drop by. read more

Cook's Seafood - Fish and Prawns N' Chips, shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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I love fish and chips. I've heard lots of good things about Cook's Seafood, but I didn't have the chance to try it until recently (I was trying to avoid having too much fried food). Most of their menu option is fried. I did see some salad and a few options for rice as add on. I ordered the catfish fish and chips. The outside layer was soooo crispy and thin, it melted in my mouth. No scraping at all. I saw the cod version, and that one was thickkkkk. It made my catfish portion look tiny. No regrets about my choice, but I'll definitely be back to try the others. Service was also pretty good. They gave us water immediately after hearing that we've chose to dine-in (as opposed to us asking for one). read more

Cook's Seafood - Catfish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

I decided to try out this time old eatery after being near it many times but never stopping by. Came with my fiance. There's a nice parking lot! No issues parking. The store has 2 halves: seafood raw and cooked. The raw part is a fish market and I did not partake. We dined in at the food. There's a decent amount of tables, similar to a fast food place. Not to different from something like a KFC or mcdonalds inside the store. You place an order then wait. The plates are all paper so disposable. We ordered the beer batter cod. Wow this fish, the beer batter was ultra crispy. Way better than my expectations. More importantly, the meat is HUGE. Giant cod fillet logs. Never seen more value at fish and chips. The chips part was ok. Comes with tartar sauce. I'll be coming again for these smashing fish and chips! read more

Cook's Seafood - Beer batter Cod - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

We have been here a few times, it's usually busy and the last time we went it was not as they had just opened, by the time we sat down it was busy! It's been here a long time and I see why! Staff is friendly food is delicious! I always forget my photo! read more

Old time Cook's is a distant memory. The halibut and chips was little one-inch squares of haiibut $15 so overcooked it was like pieces of chewy leather. The crabcakes $25 were tiny. We were still hungry and had to order soup to fill up in the end. Nothing like the Cook's of yore. The fresh seafood very expensive. But there are few places to buy fresh seafood so in Menlo Park people will pay the price. Californians have to fight to preserve local salmon and open up traditional salmon rivers. read more

In my original review I had the fish and chips. Maybe it was an off day but they weren't very good. However, I've been back many times and I LOVE the shrimp tacos. My go to shrimp taco place in Menlo Park / Palo Alto area for sure. read more

Cook's Seafood - Fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

They nail all the food. Busy as all get out. Their cod fish and chips are fantastic. My wife like the sand dabs, my mom loves the cioppino cold. read more

Quality fish and chips as well as fish tacos. The place smells funny but that is not unusual for a seafood shop/market. The food can take some time but the quality is worth it. Nice crunchy cod is what we like. read more

5/15/2025 Cook's Seafood 751 El Camino Real Menlo Park, CA 94025 I went there with an old buddy for a late lunch on a Thursday afternoon. The place is on ECR close to Stanford. The ambiance is contemporary fast food, both exterior and interior. There is ample parking around the building. There is an order counter in the center of the building with an order board. With a fish market on the right and the dining area on the left. My buddy ordered the halibut and I had the Calamari and Chips with a 6 oz. Cioppino. Our food was brought to our table shortly. My Cioppino was loaded with seafood in a tasty tomatoey broth. My Calamari breading was nicely crunchy and very tender. The fries were okay but a little soggy. The halibut consisted of two thick fillets with a crunchy golden brown batter. I asked for cocktail sauce for my Calamari, this had a strong unpleasant clove taste. Great fast casual seafood value. Big menu selections, definitely repeatable. read more

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Decent though not outstanding food. Friendly staff. Dungeness crab Louis salad was good. Fries with the scallops and chips not so much.

I frequent this restaurant many times and this is the first time i've had any issues. We had a disappointing experience with my son and it was meant to be a special lunch. We both order fish and chips. I ordered the two piece halibut. My son ordered the three-piece helmet. After pain and sitting down, our meals were brought out with only the fish and no fries. The portion also did not reflect the value of a $20 me. Why would you go to a fish and chips restaurant and not have fries? When I asked a server about the missing fry, she explained that they were out due to a late delivery. This was never mentioned when we placed our order. Had we known we would've had chosen something else as fries or keep part of the dish After I question, why didn't you mention something before we paid? I then asked can you offer anything else as she said she can offer alternative such as a salad clam chowder, onion rings, and potato salad. We ended up selecting onion rings and soup, but this does not make up for the initial lack of communication. A lady spoke to Maggie, the manager on Wednesday unfortunately the conversation did not resolve the issue and no refund or immediate solution was offered I was told I would receive a follow up call by Friday which did not happen. When I called the girl on Saturday, I was offered a six dollar credit towards a future visit. I found this resolution, disappointing, especially as a frequent customer. From a customer service standpoint, I believe the situation could have been handled differently, starting with clear communication at the time of ordering and a more appropriate resolution afterward. Just very disappointing when it was supposed to be a special lunch I wish I took a photo but when I was looking at the plate of just three pieces, it was shocking read more

We love Cooks !! Always an amazing meal! You will not find a better fish&chips ! I alway get the Halibut and the prawns !! Yummy steak fries!! Super friendly staff! Always winning when you eat here! Their fish is top quality, crispy crispy crispy! Flaky fish! Never disappoints read more

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The quality seems to have gone down, FishnChips - Fish batter was over fired and hard, It was potato wedges (not fires) and that was also meh. The King Salmon fillet was no good. Not worth the price read more

Amazing Fried fish and steak fries!! Would highly recommend! Fresh and tasty, reasonable too

Located in Menlo Park along El Camino, parking is plentiful but vacant spots may be limited. Do note the smell outside of the restaurant was pretty pungent. Fish (cod) and chips (4.5/5): the fish was absolutely spectacular. It was so crispy. The inside was a good balance of texture. The fries were alright. I wish they were more crispy though. Tap to pay is accepted. Overall, Cook's Seafood has some great seafood entrees. The food is delicious. read more

Cook's Seafood - Fish (cod) and chips - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Just the best. Order Alaskan Halibut. The Alaskan Cod is also excellent. I've never been anything but extremely pleased with their food.

I've driven past this place a bunch of times and finally decided to stop in and I'm glad I did. I ordered the fish and chips, and everything tasted freshly fried, not like it had been sitting under a heat lamp. The fish was flaky and cooked well, and the fries were crispy and satisfying. If I had one small critique, it's that both the fish and fries could've used a bit more seasoning. read more

I enjoyed going to Cook's Seafood while in town for 2 weeks and the customer service each time was exceptional. Also the seafood was top quality and the fish prices were much cheaper than LA !! The hours on Yelp is incorrect. They are open at 9 am. read more

Cook's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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So I'm typically not a big fish and chips guy but gotta say the halibut fish and chips are great. Massive hunks of fish and u can see that they're clearly using great ingredients. Also always get clam chowder, I'm from Boston so my standards are high, maybe too high, but this place does a good job, definitely one of the better clam chowders I've had on the west coast. read more

We love Cook's Seafood. It's such a favorite, has been for many years, and now we can shop on Sunday! Our favorite is the Cioppino - loaded with seafood and has a tasty tomato flavored broth. One of the best we have in the Bay Area without the astonishingly high prices. We also like the fish and chips with the crispy batter and two large pieces of fish - it's a great value and the batter is crisp and delicious. We also think the fresh fish market on the other side of the restaurant is excellent value. The fish is always fresh and delicious. We're so happy they are now open Sundays so we can pick up our fish in the morning for dinner! We also love the staff - many have been there for years and know us by name. We're so happy to have the feel of a village fish store in our urban area! Try them, you won't be disappointed. read more

A few times a year I will have a craving for fish and chips. Where do I go? Cooks seafood. I have been going here for many years and my experience is always consistently good. After you order they give you a number to put on your table and they bring the food to you. The steak fries are done right, and the fish is always crunchy on the outside. Usually I get the clam chowder to go with it and it's consistently good too. Highly recommend. read more

Cook's Seafood - Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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How far they've fallen. These guys are selling Tilapia and trying to pass it off as Halibut. Never again!!!

3.5 stars overall So this place is interesting; I had super high hopes because I love seafood; and I absolutely love some fish and chips; but this was okay, nothing magical; but nothing terrible The interior smells a bit fishy hence I deducted a star; it's fairly clean; easy to order; but the fish itself also smelled fishy (and you know the rule of thumb, fresh fish shouldn't smell like fish, and if it does it's old). We'll that was a bit disappointing but again not horrible They have pretty good selection of items and plenty of parking out front; pretty easy to order at the counter and wait for goods; we took it to go. Overall, I felt it was fairly decent experience so if you are in town wanting some seafood, check out this spot and judge for yourself Their customer service is fantastic; and if you do order fish and chips ask for some malt vinegar! read more

Short and sweet visit on a Saturday. Came here after stopping by my favorite spice shop, Penzeys spices, in Menlo Park. Walked into this simple unpretentious half seafood restaurant and half Seafood market. Staff greeted while looking at menu and ready to eat items in the glass cooler. TBH I didnt look at the menu up above as I saw exactly what I wanted. I've always ordered the fish n chips many times since my last review almost 14 years ago. I have been there many many many times. This visit turned into a 5 star. Everything was in line with: + Nice friendly greeters and staff. + Simple basic furnishings that was clean and uncluttered. + Clean, not sticky tables (good wipe down). + Easy ordering bc staff was helpful. + Ice machine is my favorite ice (nugget) + Shrimp Louie salad was fresh $6.99 (small) + 3 pc fish and chips ($16.99) was served hot and filet was thick and moist. + Crinkle fries served with fish plate was warm, fluffy and pillow soft. + The tarter was not over pickled or too much vinegar. + Tarter sauce was creamy and reminded me of McDonald's tarter sauce. + Clean lobby and clean uncluttered dining areas, even outdoor seating, + Uses thick paper plates for fish n chips and if I recall foil, if you want to cover plates. + Self serve water and nugget ice dispensers. Nugget ice is my fav. + Drinks are offered in another glass cooler. I have no reason to not stop by. Just fyi, they are closed on Sundays. read more

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This was my first and Last meal at Cook's ! I ordered halibut fish and chips (which had been highly recommended.) The fish was heavily battered and tasteless and cold in the center. The chips appeared to have been reheated, too. I'm glad I did not eat the whole serving. Later that afternoon I became very sick, which lasted through the night. I called to speak to the manager who was not there. I requested a call back; there has not been the courtesy of a return call. Diner beware! read more

Hadn't had Cooks in a really long time and since we were in the area we stopped in. It's a little bit different than I remember, but the quality and taste is as stupendous as ever. We love the service and familiar simplicity of this restaurant. I have fond memories of coming here with my Mom as a kid and it's really nice to be able to come here and experience the same good food and atmosphere all these years later. The best fish n chips in town! read more

Large pieces of fish (I had the halibut), sort of dry on the inside but with a really crispy outside. Fries were hot and crispy. Cole slaw was good. Tartar sauce was delicious. Nice staff, clean but old establishment. read more

Cook's Seafood - Halibut, 2 pieces - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

A weekly must for us being originally from England Delicious fish and chips and wonderful pleasant service from the gals The place is always so very clean Yes we love Cook's and so do our friends ! read more

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I being a regular customer because my husband said fish and chips are the best , and they are sooooooo delicious ,today we went and for some reason the service was horrible they NEVER charged us for sauce, I can understand totally they have to charge for it, however they charge you when they want ,I used the sauce for the fish and shrimp no for the fries and if you don't do the meal they say they can't give any sauce, I really love the taste of this place, the people who take the orders need to have a little common sense. I don't see any sign that explains they charge for the sauce if you do a meal " come on". So , do you charge o not charge ?Depending of their mood or what? They made my munchies a little bit sad but wth, I like the food no the people of this place. read more

We always just go in for fish and chips with side order of shrimp, everything tastes so good , soooo good. And the staff are great and along with service , space is just right for a seat and enjoying your meal. read more

We had halibut and shrimp today. Both were over-breaded and over-cooked. Neither was as good as what you'd expect from the frozen aisle at the grocery store. We may have gotten a rookie cook, but that's no excuse. Sorry to say, we won't be back. read more

I can't believe I've never been here given my intense love of all things fish market. What a treat! At such reasonable prices! Cook's is both a casual order at the counter restaurant and a fish market. Kind of like a brunch place that also sells donuts, but more sea-oriented, if you will. Their menu is pretty strictly seafood (no burgers or chicken/pork entrees like some other fish and chip joints) so be aware if you come with anyone who's not a big fish person. The fish and chips were standard but excellent. The chips were hot and full of potato. For the fish, they offer both halibut and cod, and you can choose the number of pieces you pay for (which I love - customize it based on how hungry you are!) The staff is friendly and fast. I will come back to try their lobster pasta and fish tacos, but who are we kidding here? I'm just going to eat more fish and chips next time :) read more

I've seen this all the time, and wanted to check-it-out. Today is the day. Today, I'm at Cook's Seafood in Silicon Valley this Friday. I'm surprised that they actually have a Fish market with the freshest Seafood up in here. I'm having me some Alaskan Wild-caught Halibut Fish & Chips. Usually I'm used to Cod, Pollock, or Perch. This is my first time having Fish & Chips made out of Halibut, I actually really like Halibut just as much as Snapper or Mahi-Mahi Tuna. The Halibut was better than expected, and hearty. The Fries resembles more like traditional British Chips. The Batter was incredible, and extra crunchy. And I can't forget about the Malt Vinegar, a few splashes of that and I'm all set. This what I'm more used to for Fish & Chips. I was thinking this was going to be a 3.8-4.3 stars, but I give this 4.2/4.3 stars. read more

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Wow.. I wish I knew this place better Cod dish and chips: 5/5: fish was very thick! Batter was just enough! Fries were good too. Clam chowder: 4/5. Not a must have, but if you are craving for it, it wouldn't disappoint. Plenty of parking! Will be back! read more

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I am a huge seafood lover. And when I discovered that cooks seafood had the halibut fish and chips ! That's a plus! So good. So good in fact that I went back three days in a row there was a hiccup on the third time I went where they accidentally gave me cod, fish and chips instead of the halibut (I could tell because I have a mild cod allergy. And the tenders were a touch oilier and more of a flakey texture than firm). I took this to go, but I called cooks and let them know right away and they said I could just come in again and get halibut when I'm around. I replaced the chips with potato salad, one time which was good and the following time with macaroni salad because I'm not a huge fan of french fries. Put the third time when I got the cod by accident I didn't get the fries. They were pretty good. The people who work there very nice. The restaurant is consistently busy with people eating in, but then a lot of people picking up to go orders which is always a good sign. The fish very fresh. I was not disappointed at all. I will be going back whenever I'm in the area and I will always be ordering the same thing which is the halibut fish and chips minus the chips. As far as the ambience goes, it's just a no-frills restaurant, but everything is fresh. They also had fresh crab on the menu which I may try next time, but I like their halibut so much. I might not venture out to try anything else. I say if you're going there for your fish and chips, spend extra money and get the halibut. They also give you tartar sauce unfortunately I don't like tartar sauce. So I just asked for a bunch of extra lemon. Fresh lemon on the halibut amazing. I'll also add that the pieces were huge. I'm so happy. I tried this place. It's hard to find somebody who does breaded halibut. When I was in England working for three months I ordered fish and chips everywhere and I liked cooks seafood, fish, and chips. Better than most fish and chips places I had over in England. Definitely order the halibut and get extra lemon read more

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I am a french fry girl and the steak fries at Cook's are superior to most. I do not enjoy fried seafood, but when I come in here, I ask for what is freshest, grilled. Today were beautiful grilled scallops with extra lemon and of course a hearty portion of the amazing fries. The grilled scallop butter, ketchup and some tartar sauce makes a unique dipping sauce for those fries! Service is no frills at the counter and you can't beat fresh grilled seafood, accompanying side, tax and tip for under $25. Wish they had brewed iced tea. Nice quality, inexpensive eatery! read more

Cook's Seafood - Grilled scollops with the amazing steak fries - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

What an interesting concept -- this is a restaurant and a market! Location is easily accessible with a parking lot to pull right into. Every order is placed at the counter as soon as you come in, with minimal wait. They also have a spacious dining area for you to enjoy your freshly made order. On the right hand side there's a corridor that leads you to their seafood market with some shelves of pantry stables. I had the 1 piece fried halibut with 1 piece fried cod, substituting fries for salad $17.49 The halibut was so juicy and delicious with the tartar sauce while the cod was more on the lean side but still good. Both were fried well without too much batter $17.49 is not bad, especially for people who enjoy this with fries. If I lived closer, I can see myself trying everything on the menu! So much seafood, gotta fry them all!! Oh and they do have grilled versions as well for people who care about that read more

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The BEST! Food is always superb! Good service. Location is kind of out of our way but it's all worth the drive. And the fresh seafood market is a big plus! read more

This place is right next to the Safeway on el Camino in Menlo Park. I see it bumping on all evenings and was still quite easy to find parking. When we entered, there was a long line of people waiting to order but don't get discouraged. This place is very effectively managed and the lines move quickly. Service is also quick and good! Ordered a Cloppino. It smelt great, tastes fresh and delicious. Very densely packed with fish, definitely not skimping on fish portions. Ambiance is okay. It's pretty much like a food hall but clean. There is a store next door, if you are inclined to buy some fresh fish. Would definitely recommend giving it a try! read more

Cook's Seafood - Cloppino - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

Wow so many options! Was driving by on El Camino when I saw this place and just had to stop. Chowder my favorite!!! It's delicious $20.0 ish but it's filling :) glad I found this place! read more

Cook's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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