I thought about having the jambalaya but then noticed on the menu that it was with pasta. Jambalaya should have rice. So I went with the seafood platter instead. This was a huge pile of panko-fried food, mostly calamari (both the rings and the squiggly bits) which was all excellently cooked. So were the two very large prawns. The equally enormous scallops, however, were undercooked. Also on the plate were two pieces of grilled (not coated) fish, snapper and salmon, which were a bit overcooked. As a plate of fried calamari (and shrimp) it couldn't be beat, but I did wish afterwards that I had ordered something else a bit less large, less heavy, and less fried. I also had a cup of clam chowder, which was not large and was quite adequate with clams and cream. Views from a window seat out over the harbor on a cool sunny day were a real plus, as was very considerate service. read more

The wharf is open! I went to the sunny, beautifully modern Firefish Grill. The view of the lighthouse and West Cliff Drive is stunning. The food presentation and taste were a whole other enjoyable experience. Evan gave outstanding service! read more

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Froze in this restaurant on a breezy, cool early spring day because the management insists on keeping the front double doors WIDE open (easily not more than 60 degrees inside). I asked the reason. Apparently, the management doesn't want to spend any electricity running their climate control system, even the overhead ceiling fans. That's what the hostess said was the reason. So instead, they kept the doors open in spite of three separate guest requests to close them. Come prepared to be cold or bundle up. Do you want to eat your $20 appetizer or $45 grilled halibut while sitting inside and still shivering? Come on down. The food was ok, but at these prices, not up to par. Oysters Rockefeller were cool inside while slightly grilled on top. Tasty, but technically cold. Improper preparation. Biting into a cool-to-cold oyster under the spinach topping was not what I was expecting. The grilled halibut with capered blurred blanc sauce was better, but actually a little dry. It would have been better had there been more sauce. Again, at $45, should have been properly cooked to flake, but "glistening" inside and sauced a little more generously. The plate as delivered was pretty to look at, so points for presentation. Will not repeat any time soon. Makai, further out on the wharf, is a better investment IMO. read more

Beautiful view of the water and very clean restaurant. The service was smooth. I had oysters and clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. read more

Firefish Grill - Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I didnt know that you are obligated to pay extra when you are paying cash. I walked in the restaurant around 350pm. I ordered a cocktail and an entree. Both my food and the mule were pretty good. However, nobody checked in on me after I ordered me food for 40min while I was there. The restaurant was only about 30-40% full at the time. When I signed my receipt, I also noticed that they are charging me extra because I am using my credit card. Is that even legal? I still tipped 18% just because I know the servers live on tips. But I feel really bad because I saved up for my once a month splurge with such experience read more

Firefish Grill - Receipt that shows non-cash fee - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Great vibe pretty decent food great place to get appetizers with a group of friends and watch people in the ocean read more

Firefish Grill - seafood chowder - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Everything about this lunch was amazing. From the views, to the service but especially the food. My daughter and I shared a bowl of clam chowder. BIG MISTAKE! Eat your own bowl! BEST clam chowder I've had, maybe ever. My daughter got the halibut fish and chips and I got the giant fried prawns and fries. All of it was cooked to perfection and tasted great. This will be our spot from now on. The server took the time to talk with us about where we are from and another nice lady who sat us was very pleasant to talk with as well. read more

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My food was better this time, grilled seafood skewer with rice and veg. Husband's steak and fried prawns mediocre. Service quite slow for us. 2 other tables that arrived after us were served their entire meals well before we were served. Something seems off. Seems to be adequately staffed, but definitely lacking energy and warmth Surprised to see 5 star reviews read more

Meal was fine, very well presented but upon receiving the bill, extra ancillary charges were unexpected. In today's world using cc to pay is expected and should be included in your pricing, not presented after with the bill. Although charging for bread service is also irritating, I appreciate the cost and thank you for our easily avoiding the calories by not ordering. read more

(+): waiting time of 20min for a Saturday evening; quality of the fish; menu options; lobster roll was decently great (-): clam chowder bread could use less salt (and a touch of pepper instead); the bread would be better if it was layered with garlic butter first; the sugar layer on the crème brûlée could be thinner (too thick and it makes the bite overly sweet which destroys the custard texture- it was thick in the middle of the dish & easily remediated if the sugar layer was tilted all around before torching) read more

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Good food and service. Server was very prompt and sweet. Food came quickly. Children meals were large. read more

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I hadn't been to Firefish in years. Still had excellent greeting at the door, swiftly seated. I love the ocean view. The food was excellent as remembered. The clam chowder could be a little more chowder like, missing a little something but it did the job. The pesto pasta was delicious! read more

Food and service is amazing! In my humble opinion it has the best calamari on the wharf. My family just got appetizers, but we could not stop ordering the oysters because they were so good. I definitely recommend if you want fresh seafood and a good view of the ocean. read more

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Our friend's 89th birthday lunch at Firefish last weekend was truly beautiful, especially thanks to the thoughtful attention of Lance (mgr). He must have seen me outside trying to get my friend's wheelchair over the curb, because he appeared out of nowhere and helped lift her. He wouldn't necessarily have known we were headed into Firefish, he was just being helpful. We were indeed headed in, however, and he immediately seated us in a quieter section, and told us she could stay in her chair if she desired, and quickly make room. This was her first time in a wheelchair there, and it was a great relief to her to be able to stay in the chair rather than trying to maneuver out of it. Our food and drinks were delicious (crab cakes; teriyaki salmon salad; fish & chips; Bloody Marys), our server was helpful, the view is amazing, and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch & conversation. As we were leaving, Lance surprised her for her birthday with a gorgeous slice of cheesecake & raspberries to go, which just happens to be her favorite dessert! She lit up with happiness, it was just a perfect moment. What made this extra special is that we didn't ask for anything, Lance just saw things that might make things better and did them. We felt so cared for. It truly made our splurge worthwhile. Gratitude to Lance and the entire team at Firefish, who gave us a lovely gift that day. read more

I came here on a Monday night around 7:45 with wife and 3 kids, the restaurant was 80% full, but no wait. During the week they have a dinner special $19.95 for an entree, and you can add a salad and dessert for $6.95 more. We ordered all the food, and asked kids meals to come out ASAP, we also ordered Oysters Rockefeller. After getting the salads we patiently waited for the oysters that never came. Kids meals came out sporadically, the wifes dinner showed up, but mine never did. The server asked if we ever got are oysters and we said no, he said they would make it "on the house" for us, but we declined as it was getting late. I helped eat my wifes meal as she didnt care for it, but after 10 minutes my dinner never came. At this point the kids were done and ready to go, so I took kids to the car and told wife to settle the bill and box up left overs. When she came out to the car she told me they only "comped" the oysters and my dinner, because we never received them. The servers excuse for such a poor night was new employees that were handling bringing food out of the kitchen. While that might be true, its still his job to make sure we got everything, and never once did he mention why my dinner was missing or check in on how we were doing. They still charged me $6.95 for the salad and dessert portion of my dinner, even though I never got the dessert. The kids also had 3 lemonades and my wife had a cocktail. I have previously worked in restaurants, and if this would have happend, I would have also comped all the drinks, and I definitely wouldn't have charged the $6.95 for the salad I was served when they forgot to give me the rest of my meal. That is how I always judge a place; what do they do to make things right when they mess up, and this place fell well short of making it right. The only positive was the clam chowder sourdough bowl my child got was really good. read more

Camcorder and scallops Monterey were a 5 according to my wife. Teriyaki and rice were a 4. Great service.

Very nice staff. There was amazing and quick service. The food was very good. It offers beautiful views of the water and I 100% recommend

The food was honestly terrible. You betta off choosin anotha spot on the wharf. Not worth it super overpriced for mid ass food. Spend your money elsewhere get more bang for your buck. read more

Yesterday was my wedding day. After a very hectic morning with family, my husband and I drove down to Santa Cruz. After checking into the hotel, we walked down to the wharf and were having a great time. Up until dinner here. The host was great, put us at a nice table with a window view. The server was not attentive at all, and was almost rude. It was almost impossible to get a soda refill, at one point the server walked past me 7 times with my empty glass sitting there. When I was able to get his attention, he acted like I was inconveniencing him asking for a refill. We had come here last summer for dinner and everything was great, but the service has gone way downhill. Food was mediocre. I got the seafood platter, the breading was bland and the calamari was chewy. The clam chowder was good, garlic bread was great. Entrees were mid. Probably won't go back. read more

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The clam chowder is no joke! Croutons are usually more decorative than tasty for me...I usually pick them off. Not here! They are soo tasty, I almost asked for more! If the croutons were good, can you imagine the chowder. The rest of the meal and dishes was also very good and excellent portions! A must try when in Santa Cruz! read more

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ordered fish stew, was delicious, but not enough broth. sand dabs were fresh. this restaurant does veggies perfectly. lightly salted and crunchy. dinner salad was average. dinner for two 89 bucks . no drinks..kinda pricey so I went for lunch, good menu..all entrees 20 dollars...more reasonable. worst thing is the horrible loud MUSIC! cant people eat in silence any more??? turn it OFF! read more

Amazing clam chowder! Best I've ever had! The crab cakes with risotto are amazing as well.

First time here,as normally we head to Rivas. Went with my husband and our teen. My husband and i both had items from the locals special. I had the steak and pasta with a sherry cream sauce and capers(love a good caper) and my husband some sort of fish coquette with risotto and steamed vegetables-which he ate it all and loved it! The teen had the clam chowder and considers herself an expert on clam chowder. She wasn't too impressed and said it was watery, few clams and not too flavorful. In her opinion Phil's is still number one for clam chowder. Since I'm not a teenager and don't consider myself an expert on anything , my dish was super flavorful. The only downside was the steak strips were not tender, but what should I expect for a meal that cost $18.95‍‍ Was a great view, seemed super clean,had a very nice server, and reasonable price. A good bang for your hard earned cash. We will def go back! read more

Firefish Grill - Clam chowder and strawberry lemonade with a view - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Beautiful, upscale restaurant located on the Santa Cruz Wharf, with breathtaking views. Large, inviting bar (separate from the restaurant) with a good selection of wine, beer and cocktails. Service in the bar and restaurant was impeccable--friendly and knowledgeable, without being intrusive. Food was superb: We enjoyed the clam chowder, sand dabs, crab cakes with risotto, fish and chips and the seafood grill. A basket of bread is complimentary. An open kitchen allows you to see the food being prepared. We will definitely be back! read more

Our bloody marys were delicious!! Food and service were ok. Can't go wrong with fish n chips, burgers, calamari and shrimp. Clam chowder was tasty. No line during lunch time on a Saturday. Kind of cool to eat on the pier. read more

Service is amazing can't go wrong with atmosphere and is great location on the water. Prawn cocktails: prawns definitely could've been cleaned better kinda lazy. Crab cake was $20 for a singular crab patty. The servers brought out ice cream for my birthday was sweet! There should be a better standard of food for location. Moscow mule was also very sweet. Pina colada was great. read more

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Delicious! Went for a walk on the wharf and stumbled upon this place since it had great reviews! We were impressed. We were immediately sat with a beautiful ocean view and drinks and food arrived quickly. The food was delicious and overall ambiance was perfect- clean, aesthetic, ocean view! We will definitely be coming back! read more

Firefish Grill - Halibut fish and chips - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I grew up in Boston but due to a series of events, eventually ended up in California. I haven't been in Boston since 2018 so that's also the last time I had half-DECENT lobster. This place though? PHENOMENAL lobster rolls. WTF. Seriously, Pacific Catch? Trash. Every self-proclaimed seafood restaurant? GarBAGE. My wife even loved her shrimp/prawn dish. We're back home in Cupertino, still talking about this meal. Again...WTF. I don't even leave Yelp reviews. I simply cannot be bothered, even if the food's mid. I had to break my no-review habit for this meal. Good lord. Someday I'll make it back to Boston and make a beeline for Legal Seafoods and/or James Hook. For now though? This is my must eat spot in Santa Cruz. read more

Firefish Grill - Lobster Roll, DEMOLISHED. - New American Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Food and service were excellent! Ambiance was a little bright. Suggestion: seat clients throughout instead of next to each other, if possible. read more

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2026 will be here in a few months, and I hope the services will be improved by then. Food was mediocre, and the table by the windows gave us a good view. Probably not coming back though. Again, the service is unbelievable. read more

The food was cooked wonderfully and came out in a very timely manner. Our server Summer was so sweet and accommodating. Our bartender Jameson was very personable, friendly, and attentive which was very much appreciated. We love the window seating in the bar area. Such a nice ambience. Can't wait for our next return! read more

We can down to Santa Cruz for Woodies on the Wharf. Just hung out at the bar and it was great. I think I may have had thee best Mojito ever. Also it was Enricos first day. I requested Enrico make my 2nd Mojito , 5 hours in his first day. Ordered calamari and garlic bread. Garlic bread could've had cheese on all of the slices, but was good. Calamari was delicious, but oil in deep drier needed to be changed. It was a good time. read more

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Inflated prices. Specialty cocktails on the menu and on the happy hour do not show the price you will pay, you have to ask. Final bill has an extra fee if you pay by credit card. More than 3%. If the price is cash only that should be crystal clear up front. Food itself was okay. Our bill for 3 drinks, soup and salad before tip was $93. read more

Bathrooms were disgusting. Ordered the seafood platter. Three Calamari rings and the rest were the full squids. Grilled fish was hard. Nothing came with the platter. No coleslaw no fries. Something was in the tea. No small plates for the appetizers. Waitress not friendly at all. At least the chowder was amazing and the only reason they get 2 stars. Not worth the money. read more

Not "perfect", but pretty good. Had the fresh catch one night and the fish and chips the other. Fresh catch was petrale sole and it was beyond amazing. The fried pacific snapper was really delicious, but the "chips" tasted a bit freezer burnt. My wife had the sand dabs and they were incredible. So, it's really something you have to try and try again given the opportunity. I guarantee, you'll find more than enough items on the menu to fall in love with. read more

For starters, the gentleman who was my party's server was solid. Aside from that, this place was a nightmare. When we arrived the place wasn't packed, but it also wasn't super busy to the point we shouldn't have waited an entire hour for our meal. I can respect if the staff was doing their best with limited people working that day, but it was just too incredibly slow given the wait time. In addition to this, aside from my meal which was Clam Chowder in a Bread bowl which I'd give a solid 3.5/5, all of the other items that my party ordered was disgusting. Fish and Chips had literally no flavor. A seafood platter that one of our members ordered was to fishy. The Bloody Mary was unable to be consumed where our waiter didn't looked surprised and refunded the drink. Lastly, a friend who ordered the Lobster which was the most expensive item in the restaurant had little to any meat and was incredibly dissatisfied. The atmosphere was tense as practically everyone who came in was either unhappy due to the long wait times or they didn't care as they were enjoying each other's company. I personally was content with my dish, but taking into account everything else I know I'd never go back to this place again. It earns a 1/5. read more

This has always been my favorite restaurant on the Wharf. The food is consistently good and you can't beat the view of the ocean. The menu has a wide variety of both seafood and non-seafood options, which was especially great for me when I was younger and the only seafood I would eat was shrimp. Now that I do eat more seafood and have had more of it from the menu, I can say their seafood is just as good - if not better than the other items on the menu. Some of my menu go-to over the years have been the garlic bread, clam chowder, fresh salmon entree, and fettuccine with prawns. The seafood entrees are reasonably priced and very fresh...seriously check out the window into the kitchen when you're walking up, lots of fish! The floor to ceiling windows make any spot in the house a good one (no direct ocean view from the bar), but if I'm not too hungry I'll usually wait for one right next to the window. read more

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We participated in a Thanksgiving walking event several years ago and Firefish Grill was the end point of our route. The location was excellent. We had a good time and been keeping up the tradition ever since...that is, until COVID descended on us uninvited. This year, we hit the Resume button and once again came here on Black Friday eve. We were drop-ins but luckily the wait wasn't long. They had a heat lamp which was warm enough for dining al fresco. The food was pretty good. I really liked the Parmesan Crusted Chicken and the side of fries. My wife said her fish was quite buttery. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We took our time and were not rushed once. It was certainly an enjoyable dinner for us! read more

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Sad to say the food wasn't that great but you get a very nice view of the ocean by the window. The waiters a bit condescending since we weren't dressed nice but the drink I had which was Mai Tai Was really good! Price was a ok but I wish they treat customers better and the order correctly since r my son asked for French fries and was given mashed potatoes instead for the side order. I might try the other resto next door the next time I come visit that area. read more

Great service, great views and good food. Babe had the snapper and I had bay shrimp louie. Both were really good. Reasonable prices too. Overall a great experience at this restaurant on the Santa Cruz wharf. read more