Carmichael classic! This place has everything you could want when it comes to fish and chips . It's so fresh and the batter is crisp to perfection read more

Food was delicious Generous portions Condiments were included free of charge and a few other surprises Free onion rings were added to our meal We will definitely return Oh yes staff were friendly and accommodating Looking forward to our next visit read more

This tugboat is better than the others because the batters are light, crispier and flavorful and Mom and Pop are most gracious

Great fried fish and friendly service. Everything on the menu looks great, but I love fish and chips and that's what I always order. Restaurant is clean. read more

"Fish don't even like that smell. "No, l do." "My dad's a fisherman." "He and my brother Doug, they go out to sea for months at a time." "And l miss them so much while they're gone that when they come back, l just hold on to them for five minutes each." "And they smell just like your hands." "It's the best smell in the world."~ 50 First Dates This evening we stopped in for a bite to eat at this quaint location and I was pleasantly surprised, from the food, to the decor and not to mention not only welcoming, but helpful staff! When you walk in the first thing you smell is fresh fish being prepared, I love that smell, it instantly made my mouth water for fried fish! I have been craving it for weeks, LOL just ask my boyfriend, I've been suggesting fish and chips each time we passed one! :P After looking at positive Yelp reviews, he suggested we try out this location, well I'm so glad we did! To start out with I ordered a Non Sweetened Ice Tea, it was refreshing and after squirting the lemon provided, it made it flavorful as well! For dinner I ordered the Fish and Clams, the clams were probably my favorite of the two, quite flavorful paired with the slight kick of their cocktail sauce and fried to perfection! I don't know if their cocktail sauce is homemade, but it's killer, even on my 2 bonus onion rings included, which were quite amazing btw and this is coming from a someone who wouldn't typically order onion rings! The fish I'm guessing was cod or haddock judging by the flavor I was picking up, flaked easy, fried just right and taste delicious paired with their tarter sauce! The chips "aka" fries were soft in the inside and tasty as well! I would highly recommend stopping into this well known spot, despite the line, we were served rather quickly and with a smile! The heat lamps in their outside seating area felt nice and instantly heated the seats, making our tushies warm! The customer ahead of us in line mentioned to us that this is her favorite Tugboat location and that we wouldn't be disappointed! It's been some years for me, but after dining here, I think I can agree and can see why the place was so packed, not just because it was a Friday! I'm looking forward to trying their Hush Puppies and Clam Chowder from their menu my next visit, yum! read more

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Delicious fish and chips! Limited indoor and outdoor seating, but the decor/ vibe makes me feel like I'm at the beach. Lumpia, chicken strips and fried bananas were great too. Whole family loved it here! read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Fish and chips and chicken strips - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

This is the best fish place in the area. It's definitely my favorite fish place. I've never had a bad experience there and I have been going there for years. The food is always great and the owner is super friendly. read more

Great Fish and Chips! The prawns are awesome as well! We try to go there often, the owners/staff are very nice people.

I think 3 Stars is a good review. I recommend this place. It's not heat lamp, pre-made stuff here. It will take a while to get your food. Mom and pop shop, with heart. They work hard because every thing they send out the door reflects directly upon them. Just make sure you're not in a hurry. Indoor, outdoor seating. Small space. But when I eat there, I feel like I'm at a good fry-stand on the coast. The ambiance, decor and food go together. When I'm taking out, I sit in my car and they bring it out. Free fried bananas on the side. This family will take your order, listen carefully, as English is a second language, and provide personal service like you're in their home. They never have a negative attitude. read more

Well I just ordered takeout for the first time from this location I will echo some of the comments made about the food and quality of service. The portions are more than ample. The only negative I have is that I specifically asked for extra malts vinegar with my 2 orders of fish and chips. It is delivery and takeout only. The young lady that took my order said that each order comes with x number of containers of malted vinegar and tartar sauce. It sounded like an adequate amount. I picked up my order and when I got home I had no malt vinegar at all. Seems nit-picky, I know but doggone it, it is an essential part of the fish and chips experience. Too late to go back, fries would be cold by then. Still giving 4 stars. I will be back. This place, unlike many places does focus on the customer experience. You can tell when calling in your order and picking it up. Clearly a good group of people. Please review your orders for completeness of all needed items especially since it is takeout. Can't always just "go back" and get missing items once I am back home. Got a sample of fried bananna with my order. Tasty! read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Our order when I got it home. Minus the malt vinegar. - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

Oh boy, another 5 star review. There seems to be, apparently, a quite a few of these restaurants. We use to frequent the one in Rancho Cordova quite a bit before COVID hit. We went there but due to unforeseeable unwanting circumstances, we decided to drive the extra 14 minutes to try out this Tugboat! Annddd, we are so glad we did. We really appreciated the great customer service. Being Koreans we appreciate the fellow Korean hospitality. However, in this case the owners and staff (Koreans), were really just simply amazing to everyone and anyone who came into their establishment. Loved their little outside patio area. Simple and downright cozy. Also appreciated their attention to making sure everything was constantly clean and sanitized. The portions are always generous. The batter not too greasy. The fries/chips just right. Thank you so much for your hospitality and great service. Love your fish and chips!! read more

I love these guys. Always clean tasty fish fillets. Love the extra onion rings they give you. Crispy crunchy fish . Usually I'll use them for filets for fish tacos . But when it's hot in the car , sometimes it doesn't even make it home. Yummm read more

The nirvana of customer service has been within reach at Tugboat off Madison near the Manzanita/Madison split and I'm ashamed it took me fifteen years to try it. They are outdoor dining and take out capable with curbside as well. As for the norm of what I normally eat, fish and chips is generally something I avoid because frying it just right, ya know... so it hits the spot, can be difficult and if done poorly becomes a vile belly bomb. So, on with the review...I was hungry but limited myself initially to the fish/calamari combo just in case the order was incorrectly cooked or flavorless. For a joint like this, it was delicious and cooked perfectly. So, I went back and ordered a side of oysters and fried zucchini. I was not disappointed. Also, the exquisite gentleman who I believe runs/owns the place is the most attentive and exceedingly kind person I've met in years. Notably, he was extremely thoughtful and communicated so well that I was tempted to hang out and get to know him a bit, but I had a dentist appointment down the road and had to leave after I was done eating. To say the least, his customer service level was so exceedingly good that it was emotionally rewarding. Someone else who was eating there mentioned that this guy has been running this place for more than fifteen years. I can only imagine how incredibly diligent and passionate he is about taking care of his customers for 15 years with a seemingly unachievable caliber of consistent customer service and flawless execution in food prep day after day makes me want to encourage this guy to be our next city manager. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Outside patio with cool breeze with my "large" unsweetened ice tea. Awesome. - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

I came here today as I had to stop next door at the stereo shop. I got the 3 piece fish and chips for $8.99. That wait was a bit but I did not mind. The food came out and was dropped off by the nice lady who I presume is one of the owners. The fish had a nice golden crust and definitely had been fried in clean oil! It was tasty and the fries were the small thick variety. They are generous with portion size and threw in an extra onion ring. When the man who did the frying had a chance to come out, he gave the few of us dining there a fried banana fritter for free! Oh joy! What a nice generous touch. I gleaned from other reviews that this is the best Tugboat in Sac. I have not tried the others but I could def. agree and see why. The owners are super cool and ask if your meal was good. A new addition to my Ace list of top places for it's genre of food. Highly recommend this location! I cant wait to try clams, oysters, shrimp and other items. Bound to be just as bizomb! read more

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Great food & super nice staff. Lady at front counter is very pleasant & make you feel welcome to be is her establishment.

I will definitely be back!!. The food was amazing and fast. Customer service top notch and very kind. I enjoyed the fried banana it was amazing Thank you!! read more

My favorite place for fish and chips!! I'm glad they made it thru the pandemic and are still doing a fantastic business! read more

Pretty sure the fish is talipa which I don't care for because it's mushy. The chicken strips were tasty! Good texture and not greasy. The service was wonderful. Fast and friendly. It's a small place with only a couple of inside tables and we had a nice older couple that we ended up chatting with. I'd go back and have the chicken and maybe try something else besides the fish. read more

Loved this location!! It was a very warming experience. He was so polite and gave us more than what we paid for !! This is the only tug boat we will go to read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Gave us onions rings with our fries and extra fish ! - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

YES, THEY ARE OPEN during this Corona craziness, and YES IT IS DELICIOUS. It's hard to find good fish n chips, and their portions are generous and really good. Go!! read more

* Good customer service * Hot food * Tasted good * Served in a timely manner * Yes I recommend eating here read more

Good service and great food. Was looking for some good fish and vegetables they did a great job.

This is our go to place when we are in the mood for fish & chips! The food is always fresh & delicious and not heavy at all like a lot of fried fish places. We had the lumpia, 2 fish & calamari combos, and 1 fish & prawn combo. It was soooo good. My favorite sauce is the cocktail sauce, has just the perfect amount of kick to it. We'll be back! :) PS we all dug into too fast to take pictures. Next time for sure! read more

Genuine service by Wade. The server and cashier. He was really good. That's itFish and Chips. read more

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I went to the stereo shop next door and I saw this fish and chips place it looked so inviting So I entered and I ordered fish and chips with prawns so I got my order and it had two pieces of fish very thin more batter than fish I asked what kind of fish they use and they use sway they don't use cod they said caught cost too much right now and also the prawns look like tiny shrimp they had no taste all their deep fried food here seems to be more batter than the actual product and it has no taste to it it has no taste as far as salt either they do offer vinegar malt, ketchup, Tartar sauce, and red fish sauce as well the amount of food seemed to be lacking as far as the main product the quality I would say is about a 3 out of a 10 the tasting of the food is about a 3 out of a 10 the price was fairly okay but I wish I got what I paid for instead of a filler, I don't think I'll be back I want Cod thick fish tasting the fish with big giant chunks of fish I don't want a paper thin deep fried piece of generic fish if that's what you're after come here if not go elsewhere read more

Fish and chips were great! The young man that took my order was very nice! They even threw in a deep-fried banana to try! I'll be back!

By far the best fish & chips restaurant around. I've been coming here for over 25 years and it's always been amazing!

I have been wanting fish and chips for a while but no one in my house will eat fish except me. Since I was by myself I decided to try this little hole in the wall out. The fish was delicious and the staff were amazing. I was doing take out so the man behind the counter asked which car was mine and would bring it out for me. Thank you so much. read more

The first thing you'll notice as you approach this business is the wonderful 1950's architecture of the tiny building: the front windows cantilever up and out towards the curved corners of the roof line. The framing of the facade is evidence of a classic 1950's Dairy Queen design that was used across America at that time (I believe that this building dates back to 1959). If you were around back then (Peggy Sue was but I wasn't), you might remember a Dairy Queen ad that ran at drive-in movie theatres during intermission and the Dairy "Queen" that descended from the DQ in the sky that looks suspiciously like this Tugboat: - Watch "Dairy Queen Drive In Movies 1950's Commercial HD" on YouTube https://youtu.be/UH9z4RKYC3s But enough about the building, let's talk Fish & Chips. I ordered the two piece with fries (chips) and it was chippie perfection. The batter was light and crispy, not greasy at all, and the fish was hot and tender. With a little squeeze of lemon and tartar sauce, this fish hits the spot! The fries were A-OK and a couple bonus onion rings even topped off the basket. Service was courteous and friendly and the food was even brought to the table outside (the dining area is tiny with a non-stop line). Part way through the meal, the young man that brought out the food even came back to check on everything and offer refills...this is a counter service chippie mind you and you just don't encounter service like this anymore! This Tugboat is doing everything right and I highly recommend you check it out the next time you have a craving! Still reading? Are you wondering why some of the Tugboats have a number in their name (sometimes found on the menu) and just how many googly eyed little "Tugs" are still afloat? There's little info available about these businesses, but from what I can tell there are still 10 Tugs still afloat...including one in El Paso TX (that must have been some kind of storm to fling that little boat all the way out there). I was able to find one Tug with #30 in the name so I'm assuming there were at least that many at one time. Trying to find all the tugs may not be as intense as the search for the Titanic, but there are still 5 unaccounted for (assuming there actually were 30 total). Do you know where they are? Does your heart still go on? Are you king (or Queen) of the world? Wow, you are pretty hardcore to still be reading! Here are the deets: 10 Tugs still chug-tugging along: Tugboat Fish & Chips No 2 4363 Hazel Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 4 10861 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 6 1900 Fruitridge Rd, Sacramento, CA 95822 South Land Park Tugboat Fish & Chips No 7 7135 Greenback Ln, Citrus Heights, CA 95621 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 8 7909 Walerga Rd, Antelope, CA 95843 *Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? 7601 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael, CA 95608 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 12 150 G St, Lincoln, CA 95648 Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? 658 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123 Blossom Valley Tugboat Fish & Chips No 16 1989 Peabody Rd, Ste 1, Vacaville, CA 95687 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 22 5501 Dyer St, El Paso, TX 79904 A moment of silence please...these 15 Tugs have sunk: Tugboat Fish and Chips No ? (Sunk) 4801 Brainerd Rd, Chattanooga, Tn Yes...Chattanooga TN is a long way from the rest of the fleet! Tugboat Fish & Chips No 5 (Sunk) 1221 Alhambra Blvd Sacramento CA 95816 Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 4910 Watt Ave in North Highlands 95660 Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 1850 W Redondo Beach Blvd  Gardena, CA Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 8047 Broadway Lemon Grove, CA Tugboat Fish & Chips No 18 (Sunk) 3100 Fulton Ave Sacramento, CA 95821 Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 1265 Colusa Ave Yuba City, CA 95991 Tugboat Fish and Chips No ? (Sunk) 9671 E. Stockton Blvd Elk Grove, CA 95624 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 20 (Sunk) 150 Longbrook Way, Ste F, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 Tugboat Fish and Chips No ? (Sunk) 6661 Stanford Ranch Rd, Rocklin, CA 95677 Tugboat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 4060 Douglas Blvd Ste 105 Roseville, CA 95746-5934 Tug Boat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 1216 Broadway Placerville, CA 95667 Tug Boat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) 2721 Del Paso Road Sacramento, CA 95835 Tug Boat Fish & Chips No ? (Sunk) Inside the Solano Mall 1350 Travis Blvd Fairfield, CA 94533 Tugboat Fish & Chips No 30 (Sunk) 1750 prairie city rd. #140 Folsom,CA 95630 Now promise me you'll never let go...Jack? read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Chippie goodness! - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

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Our lunch today: Fish & Chips from Tugboat!! Fried to perfection! Golden & flakey their signs say it's comparable to fish & chip London, I haven't been to London, but it looks like it could come from Europe, right?? We also had fried oysters & chips too! It was great service, food came out nice & hot, and quick! They brought out ketchup cocktail sauce & tartar sauce. Prices are awesome for what you get, definitely will be coming back soon!! read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Cross section of the fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

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This place is SOOO GOOD!!! WOW, I WASNT EXPECTING IT TO BE THIS GOOD. I HIGHLY recommend the fish and mushrooms. I wish I would've come here sooner so I could know how good the loompias are. read more

Deliciously fresh. Yummy onion rings. Good fries. Delicious fish. Filling! Still have 2 for lunch tomorrow. Friendly cook. Clean place. Efficient help. Worth coming back. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

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No ambiance at all but I really enjoyed the Fish. Very crispy and not greasy or salty. Very friendly service

I had the seafood sampler, this was so good. Wish I had a picture. The people that work here are really nice. I was greeted by the gentlemen at the front counter and was even greeted by one of the cooks from the back. The gentleman though seemed really nice, and greeted all the guests, not missing a word of what they had to offer here. I felt genuinely welcomed. Come here for Fish and chips, come here for food. I will be back read more

In addition to the phenomenal fish & chips here, the staff is literally the best! It's a family run business, and the entire family is so friendly. And great customer service! They always have the biggest smile and it makes the already tasty fish and chips that much better!!! read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Tugboat! The best fish & chips in town! - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

Came here an hour before closing. Owners are very nice, however, did not enjoy the meal. Got fish and chips and large cole slaw. The cole slaw is good. No issues. The fish came out warm... not hot. The chips were soggy and warm as well. Nothing special. Breading was fine and fish had decent flavor. But it was just not hot enough. Should be out of the fryer, hot. Soggy warm fries with no crisp to them, well did not finish the meal. Wife felt the same way. 1st time at the location. We won't be back. Wanted to like but just a little below average. read more

I was hungry and craving Fish and Chips and this place seemed to have recently received a good Yelp reviews. We placed a to-go order... When we got home, we were ready to dig in! At first sight, the fish looked good and crispy, but upon my first bite, it was extremely oily, tasteless, mushy fish...Yuk!!! The onion rings were cut so thin that I felt like I was eating oily batter. It was so bad, that after a few bites, we threw it all away. If we had eaten there, I would have most definitely asked for a refund. Wasted money and a ruined appetite! read more

I got the chicken combo. The menu online says $8.99. That's old. With Cole slaw it cost me $20. The food was pretty good BUT I got a fried scallop in my basket and I'm allergic to shellfish. Not a good night. I'd recommend but make sure you're getting what you ordered and the right price read more

This place was so good! I went for a car service next door and decided to grab some lunch. The staff was extremely friendly and appreciative of my business. I order a fish & calamari. It came with onion rings, fries, a huge piece of fish, and calamari. The fried portion of everything was sooo good. The fish was buttery and so soft. Portions are generous! I am going to come back! They also do curbside pick-up so you don't even need to leave your car. Overall, excellent experience. 10/10 read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Fish & Calamari. Portions are generous. I couldn't even finish this! - Seafood Near Me - Carmichael, California

The fish is mushy and tastes like fresh water fish. My guess is that they use something farm raised. Giving a bad review doesn't come easy because the owners are so nice and accommodating. Long missed are the days when fish and chip joints served a great product wrapped in real newspaper...along with the crunchy crisps of fried batter. The search continues. read more