My first visit to seafood unlimited! Decided to try it out for happy hour. Our service was great! Margaritas were good! New England Clam Chowder flavor was great ( I just wish it came out hot). The fried flounder was hot and flaky but it could use some salt. read more

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Our waitress was Milan and she was amazing. I was torn between shrimp or fish tacos both being my go to when I go out and she said the shrimp were good and she wasn't wrong. They had some kind of creamy sauce on them that was so good. The oysters tasted really fresh. The couple next to use recommended the onion rings but we didn't get them this time. We weren't super hungry because of the heat but I definitely want to go back and try some some or just get the shrimp tacos again. read more

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This is my goto restaurant in the neighborhood. Great happy hour. The food is always good and the ambiance is laid back. The service is always good. The fish and chips are great, great fries. The crab cake sliders never disappoint. read more

Small, unassuming restaurant with great seafood/fish. Their Happy Hour drink menu plus food choices are excellent. Their oyster deal is also good and the oysters were big and juicy. if you interested in soft shells now is the time to go and enjoy. Also their lobster is worth it. They know how to make onion rings too. Will be returning many times. read more

I was stuck between 3 and 4 stars but I settled on 4 stars because while I didn't have a dine in experience the staff was very accommodating while trying to pick up our take out order. I was able to try Seafood Unlimited during the winter 2022 center city restaurant week. On the last day of the annual event we decided to order pick up and dine at home. We ordered over the phone seamlessly. During the pick up we were running a bit late and they called and suggested that we pull up to the front of the establishment and they would bring out our order and we made our credit card payment while in the car as well. Now the food, I ordered the fish chowder, buttermilk jumbo shrimp, and the molten chocolate cake. The fish chowder was a bit too salty but had lots of shredded fish in each bite. My Riesling paired really well with it, so after a few more bites I increasingly enjoyed it. The buttermilk jumbo shrimp was amazing, I enjoyed the batter and the thick pieces of shrimp. While the side of fries were pretty good, I would have preferred another side but it was a part of the restaurant week menu. The molten cake was delicious and they did not warm it up for us but instructed us how to get the full effect when we arrived home to indulge. We also got a pita and spicy humus appetizer included with the special, I'm not a hummus fan but the spice was great. Overall a good experience but again I was a initially thrown off by the saltiness of the chowder. read more

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I enjoyed a nice Wednesday evening dinner at Seafood Unlimited for Philadelphia's Restaurant Week. They offer a 4-course meal for $40 per person. My dinner party of 3 started off with a shared plate of hummus and chips (yummy). For my second course I ordered the mixed green salad (also yum). My third course was the sautéed jumbo shrimp fra diavolo over cavatappi. For dessert I ordered the carrot cake. The carrot cake was just okay. I washed it down with a mint-pomegranate mojito mocktail. It was delicious. Our serve KeeKee was was a pleasure. On the way out the manager/host/owner I'm not sure what position he played took a nice picture of us in front of an art wall located in the front of the restaurant. We had a great evening at Seafood Unlimited. read more

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I decided to celebrate national fried shrimp day 2022 at Seafood Unlimited. I hadn't been there in probably 15 years. It turns out I made the best choice I could have possibly made. I stopped by during happy hour and they have a great happy hour. Good discounted drink specials and plenty of discounted snacks. There is shrimp on the happy hour menu, but I went for the Jumbo friend shrimp entrée from the regular menu. The shrimp were actually jumbo, juicy, and perfectly fried. The best friend shrimp I've had in Philly since the days of Bookbinders. If you like fried shrimp, this is the place to get them! The entree comes with a generous portion of crispy fries and tasty cole slaw. I wanted to sample more of the menu so I also tried the New England clam chowder. A hot bowl of soup almost as good as what you get in New England. I ended my meal with the carrot cake dessert. It was a bit cold and would have been better served at room temperature. But all the expected carrot cake deliciousness was there in that slice. I ended up staying at Seafood Unlimited longer than I anticipated. The people at the bar were nice and the bartender, Morgan, is awesome. The fried shrimp were to die for! I'll be back to try more of the menu! read more

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This is such a gem. Small and intimate - good happy hour and fun mosaic decor. Also nice jazz music in the background. But! The star of the show is the food. If you are lucky enough to catch the soft shell crabs on the menu-do it! Best I've had - not breaded and fried but sautéed and you can test the lovely crab with a squirt of lemon and a dash of salt. I would recommend this place as a local gem for tourists and locals alike. I'm so happy we now live a half block away. read more

Incredibly fresh seafood, lovely service, and terrific happy hour (and entree prices, too!). Just love this neighborhood gem! read more

Seafood Unlimited - Seafood Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My husband and I stumbled upon this gem this past week. I cannot say enough wonderful things about not only the food but the amazing husband and wife owners. They took the time to personally talk to all of their patrons in the restaurant that night. And we overheard him complimenting his employees. Something I feel that doesn't happen very often these days. If you happen upon this restaurant I would highly recommend the fried shrimp. I guarantee it will be the best shrimp that you have ever had! read more

Good name for restaurant check, neat interior design check, the food well read on for the Pro-Tips : Calmari stuffed with crabmeat appetizer - When I was looking over the apps I saw this and the price tag of only $8 I was quite intrigued as this item goes for much more everywhere else and said, "Ok, I will play this game let's see what this is all about". Well, it is literally one tube of Calamari which yields five bites. Not bad but I felt like it was a tease much like most of the dates I go on. That being said this item is listed under NIBBLES on the menu, they aren't kidding (good but too small a portion bottom line). 10oz Steak w/ Chumichurri sauce, fingerling potatoes,asparagus - This was one of there specials for the day and honestly there was nothing wrong with it but when I go out and order steak I want it to be at the level where it is not something I feel I can easily make at home. I would not order this item here and obviously you should order seafood at a seafood restaurant rule number one. Artic Char with Bok Choy and Lobster mashed pototoes - The waitress explained the fish to be not Salmon but the offspring if the papa fish was a Trout and the mama fish was a Salmon you would have the outcome of Artic Char. Well, I do not recall ever ordering this before so I split this with a friend and again it was alright. This may sound werid but this next sentence perfectly sums up my experience with this dish. After grabbing one or two bites of it I was not enthusiastic about picking up my fork to have more bites of it but forced myself to do so as we were splitting the bill lol. The Lobster mashed pototoes were great though of the two spoonfuls I had. For wine it is BYOB and this restaurant is CASH ONLY. I am glad I got to check this restaurant off my list of places to try as I always wondered how the food is there walking by it. My recommendation is come for a happy hour if you want with a bottle of wine and go for there unlimited mussels special when they have it or discount oysters / clams deal they most likely offer but I will not be returning for dinner. As always people SYOY!!! read more

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Stumbled upon this place en route to a different restaurant, but happy hour! We stayed because the buck-a-shuck oysters were good. Also had the clam chowder and fish sandwich. Fiance thought the chowder was too rich; I loved it. He thought the fish sandwich was awesome; I thought it was above average. Oysters were solid for a dollar each. Will return. read more

Me and the missus visited Seafood Unlimited on a rainy Saturday after catching a show at the Academy of Music. I have been receiving emails from the restaurant and I curious about the happy hour menu. Got lucky and scored a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. Upon our entry we observed three patrons at the bar and the rest of the place was empty. The venue offered a nice seating area in the front of the restaurant, a small bar area, and more dining in the back of the restaurant. The host seated us our server came over and introduced herself. For our drinks I went with the happy hour beer and my lovely dining companion ordered the Spiked Arnold Palmer. My beer was fine although I never asked what it was it tasted like a lager. The missus was not impressed with her drink. She told me to taste it to see if I could taste any alcohol. I took a sip and did not taste any booze. We stuck with the happy hour menu and ordered fried shrimp, New England clam chowder and fries. It wasn't long before our food arrived and we blessed the meal and got to it. The fries were tasty. The shrimp were lightly battered and tasted yummy along with the cocktail sauce. The clam chowder was not a hit. It looked good, plenty of clam, bits of bacon, potatoes and a creamy sauce. I have no clue why it tasted like lemon was added. I forced the missus to taste it and she agreed that she tasted lemon. My companion would've stopped there, but I talked her into trying the buck a shuck oysters and the ahi tuna lollipops. I'm not sure frying ahi tuna is a preferred method for cooking. The tuna ended up having more of a chewy texture. The taste was okay. We split the oysters they tasted fine. I'm glad I tried the food for myself. I think this is one and done visit for me however. read more

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Had dinner there last nite and it all wet well.Tanya at the bar knows how to make a Margaritta...several, then a dozen oysters,fresh and tasty..a great menu I settled on the scallops they were meaty ,large and tender washed down with some white wine. I recommend this place and noticed that several of the reviews above were very long boring and inaccurate........I am not an influencer,I am a diner,a patron and a customer....".I speak for the mind not the ear"! ha ha ha This is a great boutique restaurant a short walk from home...........................................Try it ! read more

Met an old friend there and ate at the bar. Great Happy Hour specials- 4:30-6:30PM. Very friendly, outgoing bartender Morgan who doubled as our dinner server. Oysters on the half shell were so fresh, jumbo shrimp cocktail- huge prawns and so cold! My friend had the fried seafood combo. He really enjoyed it. I'm off the gluten these days. It was offered to me broiled (such a great accommodation) but I chose the seared salmon with the most amazing pesto on top. Delicious!! I also saw another table (all three diners) enjoying the fried soft shell crabs. Looked delicious! Very friendly, intimate place to go and enjoy. Heading back ASAP! read more

Small and unassuming place that turns out great seafood. We love the "buck a shuck oysters." They are favorable and very meaty. when soft shell crabs are in season they know how to cook them. They even offer lobster at a good price. Happy hour is a good deal too. read more

So what you need to know is it's CASH ONLY. It is BYOB! On Mondays they have ALL YOU CAN EAT MUSSELS for $13.50 from 5:00pm-9:30pm. You choose between 3 different sauces, marinara, garlic and Thai green curry. Ok now back to my review. I made reservations online for dinner during restaurant week and when we got there there was no wait. We were quickly seated. It's a small place on the inside and surprisingly it wasn't packed at all. The service was very quick. We were in and out in 1 hr. I guess that's necessary when a place is so small. Everyone was nice and helpful and on it. Empty plates was removed as soon as we were done and we didn't wait long between each dish. FOOD Complimentary Bread: not warm. Just a plain roll. Nothing special about the butter. Simple and to the point. Arancini (Fried risotto balls) with marinara sauce: was veeeery hot and delicious! I've never had deep fried risotto so that was a nice change. Salmon Croquettes: it was pretty good too. It wasn't fishy. Everything worked well together. Thai Red Curry Hummus and Tortilla: nice airy tortilla with delicious hummus. Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup: I could taste the ginger in the soup but I was veeery pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. Ahi Tuna over rice noodles: it was also good but I found that there was too much sauce with the pasta. It seemed like the Tuna wasn't seasoned but it was a good piece of fish so it didn't need it! Tiramisu: good Pumpkin Bread pudding with caramel sauce: sooooo warm and delicious!! You must get it! So I will definitely go back to this place on Mondays because it's such a sweet deal. This place has food from all over the place, you see Spain, Italy, Asia, US and so on.... it's definitely an eclectic menu. read more

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Best deal is happy hour $1 oysters and reduced price drinks, the rest of the food was "meh", crab cake slider and shrimp scampi were flavorless. Also, they had a serious service issue the evening we were there read more

We've been twice now, once last week for dinner, went again this past Wednesday for happy hour. First time I ordered fried shrimp and catfish duo. Delicious , perfectly fried and not overly breaded. Hubby had scallops with mushrooms with jasmine rice. He enjoyed his too but found it overly salty. We both ordered clam chowder to start and mine was so salty I couldn't eat it. For happy hour this week we had crabcake sliders with fries and fried shrimp. The shrimp were delicious, the sliders, meh... the service was good, but really slow. Will probably go again though , read more

Mussel Monday's are totally worth it! All you can eat mussels in marinara, garlic-herb or green curry for only $11.95. The garlic herb and curry were my favorite. Marinara was a bit bland. We also tried the falalel-crusted trout. Unfortunately, it lacked both flavor and crisp. If not for the great value of their mussel special, I probably would've given a lower rating. read more

Seafood Unlimited - Falalel crusted trout over bed of couscous - Seafood Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I thought the food was ok, the atmosphere was cool, the prices were reasonable and the service was really, really nice. read more

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I have eaten there now for the third time and this was by far not as good as expected. The fried combo was ok but slightly over cooked, the seafood fettuccine with marinara sauce pasta was over cooked pasta was sticking together Taste under cooked. The appetizers were good, place nice well light. Reasonable prices. read more

It's a bar (check out happy hour) with six stools. It's a restaurant. It's a market. Reasonably priced. Lots of regulars. Good happy hour drinks and bar menu. Dinners are fresh, well-prepared, and feature generous portions. The scallops were HUGE--my mom loved them. I enjoyed my broiled bluefish. You can choose any fish they have in the market and choose how you want it prepared. I like getting exactly what I want. This is a good neighborhood restaurant. read more

Some of these other reviewers are a little harsh, take it for what this place is and don't be such a crybaby. This spot is awesome! Great food, friendly service and a very unique atmosphere, how could you not be thrilled to eat here? If you're not the type of person that has a stick up their ass ALL the time, you'll love it! read more

I've enjoyed visits here over the past few years and I'm so glad they've survived the COVID shutdowns! Tried a recent menu addition, Arctic Char served over shrimp risotto, and it was delicious. Also had the happy hour popcorn shrimp, which were good. The outdoor seating setup here is excellent and the indoor dining room has a front window that is open when the weather is nice. read more

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Great food. Enjoyed oysters , blackened tilapia and more. Artistic atmosphere & friendly people!

Overall rating 'Just good'. A little pricey for dining in a converted row house. Not very comfortable. Service great! Food is good but not worth the price. I don't appreciate 'cash only' restaurants. read more

Nice cute adorable place in the heart of center city. I enjiyed the ambiance. The bartender was so sweet. I kove a good host. The food was tasty nothing too special. Everything definitely tasted home made. Great intimate setting for a date a night or solo night on the town. read more

Seafood Unlimited - Shrimp cocktail, tempura veggies was delicious - Seafood Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Been going to SU for more than a decade. Food has always been delicious and fresh. My only issue is that they used to be BYOB and now are not after COVID. Other than that we always have a great experience and a great meal! read more

This seafood restaurant has been in the same location in the Rittenhouse Square area for at least four decades. It is STILL our regular go-to for a great meal...whether eat-in, delivery, or pick-up. Owner David Einhorn always resources the best daily catches of everything,--from colossal shrimp to sea bass to lobster to the catch of the day. We do mostly take out and Streeter during the pandemic, but still love this Philly neighborhood institution. Whether a classic fried seafood platter, or a creative twist on a favorite fish steak or filet---David, his knowledgeable, friendly servers, fair pricing and consistently great seafood always make for a fine experience. Go! read more

Great food and great service. Love this place it has quickly become my favorite seafood restaurant

We were here three or four years ago and though unglamorous in looks, the seafood was pretty good, so on a cold night when we were starving and didn't want to walk too far, I felt this would suffice. Once we were seated at our wobbly, smeary little table, I saw to my chagrin that it was tawdry pre-fixe menu, I wanted to take my family and bolt, but our water was served and the owner was standing around in this small space and we were trapped. As an "amuse-bouche" we were served filmy hummus likely from Trader Joe's with crumbling chips. Secondly we had a salad, which was small, but thankfully good, because this was the only fish any of us could eat. Unfortunately , my son had a chowder that tasted like Campbell's. Next came our main dishes, two of them sea bass that had been frozen, thawed, breaded and fried and placed atop canned vegetables. One of my sons had the rubbery steak, which tasted like it had been sitting in water, probably to defrost it, so that it had no taste at all. My husband had a mushy salmon on overdone noodles soaked in a bath of soy sauce. The desserts were a joke. They didn't even bother to take them out of their supermarket foil tins to try and trick us. The runny key lime pie was hilarious. I'll post a photo of that doozy. Obviously the owners know about the supermarket origins of the food, and the staff are complicit, too. It's a tiny place, and every one in the wings knows that no food here is freshly made. We all felt as if we'd been had. I'd had the foresight to order a $20 bottle of warmish plonk straight after I saw the food, so that when we left $250 poorer, I was numb to the pain. read more

Seafood Unlimited - Key lime pie and hot lava cake - Seafood Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I haven't been here in a few years, but had a great meal here recently. The place has underwent a huge remodeling job which may or may not please every one. The inside is a cross between the Magical Gardens on S. St & a subterranean ice bar. Lots of blue, which is my favorite color so I don't mind it. Kind of tiny inside, w/ a small bar as well. Started with a Sturgeon General's Pale Ale, a lovely beer made for S.U. by Phila. Brewing Co. Got the Seafood Empanadas w/ Chipotle Remoulade and yes they are delicious. Flaky dough, savory filling and for once... a chipotle sauce that packs some real heat! The New England Clam Chowder was another pleaser; so good that I wanted to lick the empty bowl. I got the garlic soft shell crabs as entree and man was it good! Served over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes w/ roasted asparagus, I could have not been happier. The only thing I didn't care for was the bread they served. It was a challah roll (warm, but still tasted a bit stale). We each got our own, plopped down on a small plate by our waitress w/ a pat of prewrapped butter. I would have preferred a nice basket of Italian bread, but this was minor compared to the quality of the other food. Service overall was good and we all left happy! read more

As other reviewers have said, this place is tiny from the outside, and not much bigger on the inside, but the food is absolutely terrific. The raw clams were so very fresh. The Sauteed Scallops & Mushrooms Over Rice (we substituted pasta) was rich and flavorful. The fish of the Fish & Chips was light and flakey and the chips were great: hot and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The tuna, asked to be done rare, was actually done rare and was quite tasty. The calamari stuffed with crab meat was terrific, particularly the sauces (NB: It's not stuffed, fried calamari). NB: Does not take American Express. read more

The soft shell crabs were smaller than we expected. Service was great. Veggie teriyaki was good. Oysters were very good.

I am from Florida and they have the best fried shrimp. Period. This place will do anything to make you happy, so just talk with Dave if you have a problem. Note: I hate reading reviews about silly things that could have been fixed if you just ask. So speak up when you eat out people and give'em a chance to make you happy. read more

I can't believe I never knew about this place! I was a bike messenger for 3 years, stationed 3 blocks north at 20th and Chestnut and passed it daily, unaware. Apparently it's been around since 1971, too. Discovered it this summer getting Brown Betty's across the street! ha Now that I know about it I stop in at least once a week. I could eat mussels for dinner every night and never get tired of them. Have had some problems with quality at some establishments in the city. I'm glad to find a new place to add to my rounds. Better yet: Mondays are All-You-Can-Eat mussels. As far as I know this is the only place with a deal like that. One of my other reasons for making this a regular spot is they have both New England AND Manhattan clam chowder. The staff will mix them together for you, making Rhode Island clam chowder, my favorite, and something else you'd be hard-pressed to find in Philly. Finally, I love the low-key atmosphere. The Isaiah Zagar mural on the wall behind the bar brings a little bit of South Philly funk to Center City. The staff talks to you like you're a regular and will meet any request happily (so far - I haven't gotten too adventurous yet). There's a fish store too. Which reminds me, the chef is kinda rude, but all chefs are in my experience so it only adds to the ambiance. Phinally, I've watched more Phillies games up at the bar than I have on my flatscreen at home. If its slow the owner will sit down with you and talk baseball. That alone is enough for me to keep coming back. read more

Bad news: Seafood Unlimited is a misnomer. Seafood Unlimited should always be a misnomer. There is nothing unlimited about edible seafood and very well there shouldn't be. Still I tried this place for the promise of a happy hour menu...which turned out to be identical to their regular menu. The only unlimited thing at Seafood Unlimited was the shellfish. The $1 oysters were totally tasteless. As in no salt whatsoever. A friend in the restaurant business tells me that this happens when oysters are placed in ice but the ice melts and rinses out all the flavor. Translation: this seafood restaurant that doesn't know how to store oysters. On the plus side, the flavorful Clams were also $1. We moved on to the Crab Stuffed Calamari which was, for lack of a better word, YUMMMMMM! We moved on to Crab Spring Rolls, which were crammed with moist crab, but sadly the deep frying sucked out all the flavor. But props for not skimping on an expensive ingredient. We concluded with the Mussels in Thai green curry but this was one of those unfortunate situations where putting two mediocre things together doesn't improve either one. I know I deserve a scolding for expecting decent seafood in a city known for the lack thereof. Just keep in mind that there are definite, well-known limits to the quality of seafood in Philly in general so I actually almost feel guilty docking them (no pun intended...). read more

Our waiter was great and none of this is his fault. He was right on point and considering how sick he was, amazing. Love to stop by when he is well. This goes straight to the owner. When you have an employee that is so clearly that sick and waiting on clients in a very intimate setting, maybe you, as the owner should send him home, pay him for a sick day and work his shift. I run a small business and I would never let anyone work that sick, especially around food. Disgraceful. read more

Background: - Came here on NYE, a Saturday night, winter time. - Party of 2. - Restaurant has been around for 40 years. Overall, I wouldn't be opposed to giving this place a second shot. Seems like they have their ways and are successful since they've been around for 40 years. In future visits I would be more specific about how I want my food prepared. I would also come here only under very casual circumstances...lunch, happy hour, Sunday afternoon food/beer date with friends, or if I just wanted specific seafood and was in the area. I would not celebrate any special occasions here as the atmosphere is plain. Read on for deets. Atmosphere: - Small restaurant. Pretty quiet. About 6-8 tables of varying size total. Orange/warm colored walls. Little to no decor. - Very simple, ultra casual style. Good place to go if you want seafood, but don't feel like dealing with high-end prices or pretension. - They played really romantic-ish music while we were there which was strange for the restaurant since it's very casual and it was NYE. Gave me the impression they tried to make up for the plain walls with the music. - Quiet atmosphere. I could comfortably talk to my dinner date without yelling. - Because of the size of the restaurant, the 2-seater table we sat at was really awkwardly placed. - Clean bathroom. Food: - I ordered 6 raw oysters as an appetizer ($9), and lobster and beef tenderloins for entree ($30). - The oysters were very good. In my mind, it's hard to screw up something raw! They came chilled over ice with lemon and a marinara sauce (standard). Shells about 3-3.5" size - good size. - The entree came with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Lobster was a good size, but not tender enough. Beef was over cooked. Side vegetables were very good. Asparagus cooked right and bright green, and mashed potatoes, standard comfort food fare. Service: - The owner/head waitress/hostess (small place, so not sure) was very friendly. We had trouble spotting the restaurant from the street (it's very small and tucked in between a couple businesses) and called the restaurant for help. The owner saw us at the corner and navigated us to the restaurant over the phone. - Our waiter was very nice, but seemed overwhelmed or distracted. Missed standard cues such as: introducing himself, clearing empty plates or glasses from table, didn't leave us with salt and pepper on the table (had to flag him down), served lobster without drawn butter (had to flag him down). - Spilled my martini on the table. - Waiter also spilled water in front of our table and splashed us. Not too big of a deal, it was just water, but he already striked out a couple times. - I mentioned that the beef was dry and all he did was quickly mumble, "Sorry." Drinks: - Ordered their specialty winter drink, an apple cinnamon martini ($8/9) and then a mango martini ($8/9). - Apple cinn drink was unique, but I wouldn't order it again. - Mango martini tasted like it was made from actual juice. Flavor actually reminded me that of those huge cans of apricot juice. Would not order again. read more