Had an only OK experience pre-pandemic. Decided to give another try. Cool interior space from an old machine works factory. Nice outdoor heated patio. Yummy Caesar salad with real anchovies and Parmesan crisps. Balanced clam chowder that's not too heavy. Will definitely come back! read more

Salt - Bloody Mary - Seafood Near Me - Arcata, California

So I've waited to visit this place more than once to leave a review. I visited in February 2020 (before they moved) and October 2020 (after they moved to their new location and during COVID). I would definitely suggest making a reservation on a holiday or weekend as it seems to get busy. The service is at least average to slightly above average, nothing to write home about. But what makes me leave this review is the stellar food. Both times it was insanely delicious, some of best meals I've ever had. I still have dreams about the halibut and black rice (my mouth is watering as I write this). It also has a really great atmosphere (see picture). COVID regulations let to spaced out tables and wearing masks except when eating or drinking. All staff were wearing masks. I would warn someone though that when we visited their new location in October, they didn't have their tap going so the beer choices were super limited. Wish they had some dessert too (but you can always walk a block to a local ice cream shop "The Scoop" which is delicious). Oh and I should mention that this is a fairly expensive restaurant, but the quality of food is worth it. Just seems more like a place to treat yourself for a special occasion rather than a regular thing. Overall, great place with great food. You will enjoy! read more

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Automatic 20% tip on table of six?!?! Service was poor because I think waitress knew her tip guaranteed. Way overpriced for grade of service and food. Used to be a really nice place to eat. Not sure why it has gone downhill so much. read more

Awesome food and excellent service ! I had the Crab roll and it was delicious... Taylor and Katie were the best

Dined here with husband and daughter. The ambiance is nice and had the option to sit outside. Some of the food was really good and some was meh. The cioppino was really good as was the raw oysters. My daughter's scallops were tasty as well. My halibut was just okay. The risotto was pretty bland and it wasn't very warm. And they give you a lot of it. The other side was fried cauliflower and it too was not very warm and a little soggy. Service was okay. I would have liked to have ordered another drink but by the time they came to check on us, it was time to go read more

Add this out-of-towner's name to the list of Salt Fish House fans. Arcata has a lot of restaurants for an otherwise sleepy little college town, but not all are that remarkable. Salt is one of the highlights of the local scene, with super fresh ingredients, pleasant service and a menu any fish lover would drool over. Our group of four was famished from a long road trip when we rolled in on a Tuesday evening. We immediately ordered the chowder fries, a delectable helping of crisp french fries and, you guessed it, house chowder poured over the top. This set the tone for all food to come in terms of flavor. My crab fettuccine (housemade pasta, brown butter, herb crème fraîche, red onion, bacon and spinach) was all kinds of wonderful. I cleaned my bowl. My friend's double cheeseburger was picture perfect when it came out and he enjoyed that immensely as well. My son loved his mac and cheese with bacon. I can't remember what the others ordered, but it was all smiles at our table. We finished it all off with dessert, which ended up being a mason jar key lime pie. It was very tasty but very sweet - a little too sweet for my taste buds. This didn't stop my son, who loved every bite we allowed him to have. Sadly, I can't give them a perfect score because they were out of so much. Two of us ordered the crab fettuccine, but they only had enough for one dish. Two of the beers we ordered were tapped out. They were out of our first dessert choice. And each time our server was totally unaware so after we ordered she had to come back and apologize before we went with our second choice. It wasn't her fault, but it was frustrating. read more

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The fish and chips are delicious! Love the outdoor seating. The staff is friendly!! It's one of our favorite places for lunch. read more

Food was delicious! 4 of us walked in and didn't have a reservation so they were able to seat us at the bar. The bartenders were very attentive and friendly. The other staff we came into contact were very nice too! read more

The best fresh seafood! We were looking for some fresh oysters and were recommended here and was perfect! The ambiance and staff were perfect especially Emilee. We got great recommendations and the oysters, Octopus, and drinks were exactly what we wanted! As a perfect night and definitely recommend and will be back read more

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This was supposed to be the big dinner for our thirty fifth wedding anniversary. We drove 5 hours to get here and stood at the wait to be seated sign far too long after being seen by the staff. The host was sweet in that our online reservation didn't actually go through as we'd thought and she seated us anyway. Clam chowder was great as well as my wife's cioppino was excellent but my scallops were raw with inside and the batter that covered everything.... I mean everything, I couldn't distinguish a shrimp from a scallop or filet, was as bland as straight fried flour. Won't be back. read more

We ate at this location late at night. The mussels were definitely fresh and tasted great. The local raw oysters were good but sandy and small. The cod fish and fries were not very good at all. Overall, this was a 50/50 experience and much less than expected after it was hyped up by several locals who told us that it was a must. There is a lot of seating and the service was definitely great, friendly, and consistent. They have only a single restroom which is hard to get into when its busy. They have two entrances and parking in the rear and the front. Overall, I would not eat here again. read more

So... overall the place was nice, staff very friendly and attentive. My only issue was the $28 I spent on two crab legs. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but had I known what I was getting I would have ordered something else. It was my birthday, and I have a bit of a tradition of eating crab (my favorite!) on my birthday, so it was a little disappointing to say the least. My wife's food looked good, and she said it was delicious. read more

Salt - This was like two bites of crab for $28... - Seafood Near Me - Arcata, California

Second time here. First time was great but this time the Cesar salads were mehhhh. The appetizer garlic fries were great. Our server was not unfriendly, but she was definitely checked out and seemed to not care about our satisfaction. She did not come back to check if our meal was okay. I had to go and find pepper on my own. Disappointed this time. And we spent almost $100 ! read more

Mouth watering goodness! The Mushroom Rissoto was perfection. great service and the environment is peaceful. And take my advice...add scallops to the risotto. read more

7/6/19 We were camping at Patrick's Point (6hr drive from home) for the 4th with another couple, and that was great and all... but when we woke up on the 6th, they've already vacated without a trace. So we lazily packed up to head home too, and gf goes... "Wanna get a hotel and stay another night?" Hell yeah! ...So, easier said than done. Took an hour or so to find a hotel, cause you know, it was the 4th of July weekend and all, and dinner... well, I really wanted seafood cause we were immersed in the sweat salty sea air for the last few days and I think it got to me, but there weren't too many restaurants to choose from, and even fewer with seats... BUT, we lucked out with Salt! I was able to make reservations to dine in 20min. We got there on time and saw a group of 4 or so, kinda elderly, asking for a table. The hostess we talked to on the phone told them it was all full! Then we told her we have reservations for 2, and she grabbed the menus, flashed a smile at them, and seated us. From our seats I saw her turn away more people. We definitely got lucky that we called first, but now you know--make sure you got reservations! And after dinner, it was clear why--place is pretty good, modern looking, even kinda trendy inside, all in the middle of nowhere... 1. Cucumber Cooler $6: No sugar!, but surprisingly good. Refreshing, kinda likte a non-sweet lemonade with cucumber. 7/10 2. The Final Final $11 "mezcal + green chartreuse + luxardo liqueur + lemon + mole bitter": Smokey (as you'd expect given it's made with mezcal) and quite acidic. Has a big punch of alcohol yet not harsh at all. Peppery and with a refreshing garden taste. Slightly viscous and feels smooth. The high end cherry is a nice touch and pairs perfectly. 10/10 3. 1/2 lb. Chilled King Crab $25 "drawn butter + cocktail sauce": I've never seen crab served like this, but they basically took off half the shell of the main segment and removed the meat from the rest of the leg, putting it all into a jar on the side. It definitely made it easy to eat. I do kinda wish they left the pieces larger that were in the jar, but it was alright. They did definitely have one flaw though--the clarified butter was served far too cool, and quickly solidified before I could finish the crab. Anyway, great price for what it was. 7/10 4. Charred Octopus $16 "artichoke hearts + cherry tomatoes + pickled radish + sherry gastrique + parsley gremolata": Cooked well but I'd prefer even more char. The octopus does have a nice sweet taste, which paired well with the acidic salad. Nice plating. 7/10 5. Grilled Halibut $34 "roasted miso beet puree + ponzu glazed squash and fennel + basil cilantro chimichurri": Quite a generous piece!, but unfortunately the fish wasn't that well cooked. It was actually a bit dry for halibut, which should have been very buttery. Also, it could have been crisped more on the outside. The beet sauce also didn't work well. The fish was definitely high quality though. 5/10 6. Eggplant in Sambal Sauce (Seasonal Vegetables) $6.50: The eggplant was quite al dente, but very nicely grilled. Great flavor. Just wish it was a tad softer, but overall a really pretty and tasty dish of eggplant! 8/10 7. Crab Fettucini $29 "house made pasta + brown butter + herb creme fraiche + red onion + bacon + spinach": The pasta is hand made but yet has a mostly decent al dente texture (fresh pasta tends to be mushy at most places.) But unfortunately, that texture was a bit uneven and some pieces were softer than others. The sauce was pretty light, and personally I'd prefer it creamier and thicker. The crab itself, though quite generous in portions, didn't have a particularly strong flavor, so more seasoning would have helped. 6/10 5. Carrot Cake $9 "toasted coconut and pecans": Yeah, it's a carrot cake. Well, a carrot cake with a crap ton of nuts. The toasted coconut was generous too and helped offset the light sweetness. Nice frosting. Unfortunately it didn't have that super moistness of the best carrot cakes. 6/10 One last thing... wow............... EVERYONE (men and women) working is REALLY good looking here! I got no clue how they managed to pull this off cause again, this place really is just a small speck on the map if you can find it at all. I think basically every hot person within driving distance must be working here (and maybe even some not really within driving distance!) DEFINITELY appreciate that. Thanks manager! 4/5 #arcata #northerncalifornia #patrickspoint #seafood #americanseafood read more

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Loved the look of the place, well lit and good ambiance. There were reservations for 12 people. There were a few things that were wrong, for a party of 12 they should have had two people on service for the group, secondly the meal came out parceled...meaning everyone wasn't eating together. I don't think that the kitchen is big enough to cook for a party of more than six at one time therefore they really shouldn't accept a reservation for more than six (maximum) Thirdly, when you're paying a high price for a meal, it better be hot when it comes to the table. Both my partners and mine were lukewarm. Limited menu options but what is offered looks good but is lacking originality. Maybe try making the French fries from scratch and add some special spices to them to be more unique. The same with the calamari. I ordered the tomato and stone fruit salad...the greens and the dressing was good but the tomatoes were not flavorful and the stone fruit was bland as well. Very disappointed in the food. The drink menu is broad and the have a nice variety of drinks to offer. Maybe come for an appetizer and a drink and it would be better, definitely not for a large group. read more

Food & ambiance was spot on- our server was polite & efficient but I noticed a stand-offishness by pretty much all the staff. We loved all our dishes. Overall, we really enjoyed it. Walked in without a reservation & seated pretty promptly. read more

Such a wonderful atmosphere, delicious food. Staff is amazing. Fish and ChipsNo complaints here.

Came in here for dinner one evening while on vacation upon the recommendation of a friend. I ordered a dozen raw oysters on the half shell. They had two kinds of raw oysters - so I had six of each. The oysters were delicious! After I polished the oysters off, I ordered a bowl of their clam chowder. When that arrived, I added black pepper and hot sauce. The clam chowder was also very good! I had planned to ordered the King Crab entree for my dinner - but after the oysters and clam chowder, I was full! The place was very busy when I visited! Service was good. The only thing I will ding them on is the cost. The oysters are $3.00 apiece, therefore a dozen is $36.00. My bill for dinner with tip was around $50 for raw oysters and chowder. #SaltFishHouse read more

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Came at 7:50PM for dinner. They said they were busy, "unexpectedly busy". They had tables available online and in their patio, she said it was an hour wait but they close at 9 PM. My husband went to talk to her and to ask why their online reservation had availability as early as 8:30, she didn't know what to say but offered us a table at 8:45PM really? You couldn't tell me that at the beginning. DISCRIMINATION! We aren't white. We saw several families leave after we walked back to our car. So disappointing! If you don't want to serve families who aren't white then just say that! read more

Waited about an hour for our food and the staff was closing down the restaurant while we were waiting for our entrees. Cocktails were okay, I got the mezcal one, and it was pretty sweet for my liking. I got the risotto with scallops. The scallops were great, and the risotto was okay, but the portions were pretty off. Way too much risotto. My finance got the halibut and was not very satisfied. They brought out the entrees like 10 minutes apart. Ambiance was great. read more

The food looks good but taste is just ok. Calamari were chewy, clam chowder was a bit too liquidy, cioppino was just ok with overcooked shrimp, and gelato was just ok. In total, cost about $75 but we didn't walk out feeling like it was worth it for that price. At a minimum, the gelato should have been presented more appealingly! Plus the spoons provided were soup spoons!... way too large and uncomfortable for eating gelato. It's a 3-star place, definitely NOT 4 or 5 star as others have rated. Took away the third star because both of us had an upset stomach afterwards read more

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Went here for a corporate lunch and had a great meal. I had excellent fish tacos, and a fun (nonalcoholic) mixed beverage. I recall everyone enjoying their meals. The space was nice, but a bit crowded. My chair wasn't exceptionally comfortable. But these are little things. I can tell that this restaurant cares about their product and their service. read more

Being from out of town we weren't sure where to go for a nice night out. This place fit the bill. The shishito peppers were in a soy sauce that was tasty. A very large portion. (Salted caramel gelato was also a very large portion.) Crab pasta was fresh and home made. We had a tomato and stone fruit salad that needed less arugula but that was a minor complaint. Very new and modern space made for a nice ambiance. It was also nice to see a woman chef running a well oiled service and cook staff. read more

Went to dinner last night for first time at Salt , ate outside on patio . It was pleasant with the heaters although metal chairs for outside in chill weather with no seat cushions is a question. Anyway Salt is a very good fish house. You have to give the owner and his wife kudos for bringing professionalism to Humboldt with Salt and Campground . The food we selected : Cocktail very weak Oysters: excellent Salad with apples and toasted pecans: excellent Poke very good but lacking that Asian flavor. Flat bread with onion jam a failed culinary creation, I'm afraid. Cioppino good but lacking enough seafood, perhaps crab and prawns. And no side bowl for shells ;) Service and ambience excellent! I will most definitely go back! Octopus next time! Service excellent by Derek. I recommend Salt read more

The whole meal was a progression of disappointment. See pictures for the rest of the dishes. TLDR: some seafood are fresh some are not. Dishes were not on par with the price tag. Also, "These are not my personal favorite" is not an appropriate answer to customers. If you know they aren't good then why put them in the menu? Are they overpriced? Depends on the dishes. Are they worth the price? Not with these ingredients... If you are in the area and want a nice place to seat, this place is okay. Just not for the food. 1/5 for the ingredients 1/5 for the dishes 3/5 for services 3/5 for ambient read more

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After checking in our hotel, we met up here with my partner and his girlfriend. Had a couple from Thailand as my guest on this business trip. My recommend this place. Nice ambiance and friendly staff is why the here stars. I ordered a fish sandwich, it was good at all. Lacked the seasoning and for the price and quality of the fish, wasn't worth it. I realized, Eureka is charging San Francisco prices for food, but lacks the flavor. Will definitely come back maybe just for drinks. Grateful for our friendly server. read more

Terribly overpriced for what is served. I had the crab carbonara which was mostly sausage and two tiny pieces of crab. Creamy egg sauced noodles with sausage shouldn't be $32. But it was the saltiness that really threw it. The shrimp toast was nothing fancy- if you like paying $19 for savory French toast- go ahead and do you. I will say one of my companions had the catch of the day which was perfection. And the waitstaff dealt with a very picky member of our party with kindness and grace. That earned an extra star here. The waitperson did disappear after that never to return again however. Overall, I'm unimpressed and won't be back. read more

The ambiance is very nice, and the staff is friendly. The smoked octopus was amazing! But that was about it. We were really wanting fresh seafood, and maybe this just wasn't the spot to get it. We got the seafood tower and it was lack luster when it came to the shrimp and crab. (Pretty sure we saw them get a Costco package from the fridge for the crab). I ordered a glass of Riesling and got a glass of sauvignon blanc, I would have corrected it, but it took 20mins to get the first glass, and I didn't really want to wait longer for the correct one. We also order the bread, which again was soo good, but unfortunately was undercooked and doughy. Overall it was ok. Like I said maybe just not what we were hoping for. read more

The fox is super fresh, but way overpriced. $82 for 12 oysters (normally $3 each) , 5 shrimp and leg and piece if a king crab was just a little pricey. Good, fresh, but spent $100 on food and left not full read more

Salt - Seafood tray $82 - Seafood Near Me - Arcata, California

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Pretty much ruined my New Year's Eve by eating here. Super expensive and the WORST service I have ever experienced in Humboldt. Management did not respond to the letter I wrote them. You want good seafood? Go to the LoCo Fish food truck in Mckinleyville or Eureka *added a star for really good cocktails and french fries. read more

SALT used to be great! I had a great meal at SALT last year and six months ago. But the meal last night wasn't very good and parts were bad. The good part: The Poke appetizer was very good. The ahi was fresh and the aioli tasty. Now the bad parts (the rest of the meal): 1. The fried calamari were tasteless and overcooked. By the time we received the calamari is was lukewarm. If I didn't have more confidence in SALT, I would have said they were microwaved and were a leftover from the previous day as the texture was stale. This calamari ranks among the worst I have had for years. 2. The fish and chips entree we ordered was similar to the calamari. The fried fish tasted old and was boring. Long John Silver's fish and chips would have been better. Luckily the fries were excellent. 3. The glasses of wine was good but the pourings have gotten small. They now charge 1/3 of a bottle for a glass of wine, but if you're even getting 1/5 of a bottle, you're lucky. I don't know if SALT has had a change of management or a change of chef, but the meal last night was so different from previous experiences, that I would recommend people stay away. SALT is too expensive for such a bad experience. I hope they can fix the problems as it has been top notch in the recent past. read more

Boyfriend and I decided to go here for our anniversary dinner. Once seated outside we were basically forgotten about. No one took our order for drinks and we were seated for over 20 minutes. Waiters even walked by. Nothing. Got up and left to get Vietnamese food instead. read more

One of the nicest restaurant in town and the most upscale. Fresh seafood and employees are very friendly. The portion is pretty big for a seafood restaurant . Seems like everyone is getting the crab dip for starter but the grill oyster is good too especially with garlic butter. read more

Vegan paradise! And tasty for us omnivores, too. I particularly like the hummus wrap. read more

Great dinner, great service. All around best meal we had in Arcata/Eureka. Oysters were excellent.

We went at happy hour and the menu was good, the service was great and the patio was really comfortable.

Recommended by a local, this recently opened joint (2015) situated in along the Arcata main street square carries a hip vibe. Restaurant actually below ground level, packed at 7:00p, best to get reservations. We sat at the bar: the hostess, wait staff and especially the bar attends are very friendly and attentive...however, the kitchen is probably overwhelmed and entrees took more than 1 hour to arrive. Grilled oysters $3 ea, garlic butter flavor is great, citrus is ok Cod and chips $16, 3 pieces of cod and baked chips, fries were a bit dry and in-n-out-esque Seafood Paella $25...good but over priced, Portion leaves one hungry person wanting more food :) Mac and cheese $6...GET THIS, Parmesan encrusted cheesy shell pasta offers happiness especially when you are washing it down with prosecco. (Written by husband) read more

Salt - Grilled oysters (citrus and garlic butter), seafood paella, cod and chips, prosecco - Seafood Near Me - Arcata, California

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Simply a must! The ambience is spectacular with great decor! A little bit chilly outside on a December night so we sat inside! A fire place would be a great addition to this great establishment! read more

Great food and service! We were pleasantly surprised. We typically wouldn't try a place like this bc my wife doesn't like most seafood. The fish and chips were a little too salty but crisp and fresh fish. The clam chowder is thick and creamy. I just tried a cup but could have made a meal of it! I usually don't like most restaurant clam chowders bc they put too much flour in it to thicken it. The seafood jambalaya had a great mix of fresh seafood and the spices were perfect! We will definitely be back! Minus one star for dirty restroom on a slow night. read more

Salt - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Arcata, California