It was all aboard the nostalgia train. I use to work in Rancho Cordova many years ago and would always hit up the tugboat over there. I didn't know they had one here in Vacaville so I decided to give it a shot. From what I remember the fish was a bit wider than these long slender pieces. I done remember it costing this much to eat here as well. I got a 3 piece combo and some hush puppies and a drink and it was $30(crazy prices). The fish and chips were okay. We were provided tartar sauce and malt vinegar and that's it. No lemon :(. The fries were unsalted too. The hush puppies were good had LJ feel to them. I just think $30 was a lot for what I got. Also their fountain drink machine was out of order, so can drinks are close to $2. The service was great she brought us our food at the table and the air conditioning was blasting very cool air. Will I come here again, I dunno the prices are a little off the hook. read more

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I have come here every now and then for about 20 years at the same location. Pretty much the only London-style fish and chips shop in Vacaville. For years, I always left satisfied knowing I'd be back eventually. But the last time I came (about two years ago) something seemed off and I figure maybe it's an off day. Fast forward today, and I decided to get there for takeaway during my lunch break. The wife and husband team have worked there for years and are always friendly. I went with my usual Fish & Chicken combo which came with one fish filet, two chicken strips, chips (fries), tartar sauce, and ranch. Everything was made right away and I headed back to work to eat. I think the one of the few things that has been consistent with Tugboat over the years are their fries. They're basic, but I've always enjoyed them and these were no different. The fish was nice and crispy in the outside, but the fish inside was thin. I think the fish-to-batter ratio was slightly more batter crunch that drowns the fish out some. The chicken tenders are very thin and lacked a bit of that tender. I don't know if they pound the chicken down to get it thin, but like the fish the batter was more dominant. The ranch sauce was good. Tartar sauce was a little on the sweet side which I'm not a fan of. But it's more of a preference there and it's still decent. Overall, Tugboat doesn't seem to hit home for me like it used to. I noticed prices have gone up slightly, but price is never an issue with me if the quality matches. But it's just not the same anymore. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Fish & Chicken Combo - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

Any idea when they will reopen??? We love the fish and chips. Everything is always fresh and then people running it are super nice. read more

Fish on Fridays. An old family tradition when I was growing that I still do today. Since it's only me eating I decided to go to Tugboat for fish n chips. This batter style fried fish has been around for decades. I m glad this location is still in business. They have a variety of other seafood options including chicken,lumpia , etc and sides but the fish is my favorite. It's tucked away so not easy to spot if driving by. A small very clean restaurant with great batter fried fish. Not overly greasy, a nice golden brown crispy crunch meaty piece of fish. The owners are very sweet and polite. I recommend them if you have a taste for batter fried fish. read more

We've been in search of a good fish and chips for a minute since our favorite spot in Benicia closed down. Fish, shrimp, calamari AND fries had little to absolutely no seasoning. No taste at all. We wanted to like this place because we love supporting small mom and pop shops, but this was unfortunately disappointing. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Fish and Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

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This some nasty s*** I've already used 10 packs of salt and it's still nasty I don't come from but I'm starving so right now I'm going to eat it when you're very hungry don't go to the grocery store and don't come to tugboat The lady that took my order was nice Don't get me started about the ambience The carpet has 20 years of dirt on it read more

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Prices have gone way up!! 18.99 for 3 pcs fish & chips is crazy!! I am not sure if I will be back unfortunately!

Walk in the door you're greeted by the stale, non circulating air. Not even a fan. It's 88 outside. A woman wanted extra napkins, they only gave her 2. I think you may have to leave your first born to get more. Maybe the kid can. Cook better. Bring your own roll of bounty. Chicken tasted like nothing, the Fish tasted weak, unsavory, flat, dead, unflavored, bland ,tasteless. Yes I went there with the description. fries had zero salt, and I have NEVER in my life seen a straight prawn until I came to this establishment. Two meals was not worth $40. Try your own discretion. Everyone has their own tastes. Enjoy sitting in the booths, and chairs that are probably from a 1978 dennys . Don't wear shorts , you'll get cut by the cracks in them. I'll update my review i get sick from what food we did eat. Three things would help a lot. SEAS-A-NING! (Yeah I did that wrong on purpose.) read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - This is the chicken strip. I think they striped it of its dignity. - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

Excellent seafood options, and their food is always fresh. Their food never taste like it has been cooked in old oil. I like to go on Fridays. read more

You get good food at a decent price. the owners are super nice. I recommend to family and friends.

Lived here for almost 10 years and I still haven't tried the local fish & chips. But it was a no-meat Friday, so I was like hey, let's try it out. I had zero expectations going in so I wasn't too disappointed nor was I impressed. The good: 1) Fish was a good size. 2) The breading to fish ratio was perfect. I absolutely hate it when there's so much breading! 3) The fish was cooked perfectly. Another place had rubbery fish so this was already a huge plus for me. 4) I ordered food for pick up and my order was ready in time. The bad: 1) I agree with some Yelpers; both the fish and the fries (and even the tartar sauce) could definitely use some seasoning. Seasoning is everything. 2) The fries were cold and they gave a very small amount. So it wasn't super terrible, but for a place that specializes in fish & chips you'd think they would be good at it... kinda, sorta? read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - 2piece fish & chips - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

It's pretty good order the Alaskan cod. Just your basic fish and chips, it satisfies the craving.

I love fish and chips. And the food is very good here. But they are pricing themselves out of favor. Nearly $20 bucks for a modest meal, and I think the portions have gotten smaller. Back when the price was reasonable, I was here every week. But at these prices, I could go to a sit down restaurant and enjoy the same meal in a cozy atmosphere. I wish they would drop the prices down, and I would become a regular once again read more

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_PPxeGxAv1/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng== Simple wonderful fried fish and sides You can't go wrong here read more

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Came by for lunch with my dad and sister. I've never eaten here but they both have and said it's really good so I was excited to try it out. I got the 2 fish and chips. It was absolutely delicious! Food was fresh and hot! Came with tar tar sauce and malt vinegar. It seriously was so good, some of the best fish and chips I've had. The last at the counter was really friendly. There was plenty of inside seating and the restaurant was nice and clean. :) read more

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I haven't been to Tugboat in many years, but yesterday, I decided to stop in for lunch after work because fish and chips sounded good. I decided to order extra food for the kids when they get home from school. I ordered the 8 piece fish and 6 piece chicken that came with fries, side order of clams trips and a large coleslaw. There are quite a few tables to sit down to eat, but I opted for takeout. Ordering was quick and the food was ready fast. The lady that took my order was pleasant. I also want to add that they offer crab cakes, potstickers and lumpia as well. As for the food, it is just mediocre to me. They advertise London Style Fish and Chips and I believe them because they are exactly like fish and chips in London, bland and no flavor. Even just a little salt would help, but whatever fish they used had no flavor as well. The fish is not the traditional filet look, but rather long strips much I thought were chicken strips initially. The chicken strips were also bland and could use some salt. I was warned when I went to London to not eat fish and chips because they are bland and had no flavor, well this definitely reminded me of it. The side of fries clams were pretty good, but the portion size was a little lacking. They did give a ton of fries (chips). I ordered a large coleslaw, but I'm pretty sure they gave me the small, but if it is a large, portion size is also lacking a little. As for dipping sauces, they gave plenty of tartar sauce (fish) and ranch dressing (chicken strips), there was a small container of cocktail sauce for the clam strips. I wish they gave some malt vinegar for takeout, but was not included. Again the tartar sauce and ranch was bland, my son even said it was like they diluted them with water. The kids didn't mind the bland taste of the fish and chicken strips and thought they were decent, but my wife and I definitely feel they are lacking seasoning. Unfortunately, it will probably be many years before I come back as I would rather have the fish and chips and chicken strips from Long John Silver or make it myself. read more

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Easily the best fish & chips around! Big pieces, lightly breaded, COOKED PERFECTLY and an assortment of seafood to choose from if you want to pair it with your fish or go separately. Grew up as a fish & chips fan & most places let you down with their version, one way or another. I'd rather wait to come here, when cravings hit, than settle for anyplace else. read more

Been coming here for years .If you like deep frieed sea food this place is excellent.

The food is ok, at best. The inside of this place and the bathroom are dingy and danky. It's an old, bare-bones place that needs some serious updating. The menu is literally all fried food. The serving size could be better, with the fish being cut into thin strips... They have no to-go boxes. Probably not coming back. read more

absolutely love this restaurant ! food is delicious ! staff is amazing and so kind ! the interior is so cute aswell ! i wish i knew about this place sooner because ive been coming in once a week for the past month now ! read more

This is the most unseasoned fish I have every ate. This is horrible. Totally waste of money and gas to drive the 10 mins it took. You know what's even worst...I tried to look at order and felt like she was ushering me out the door. They actually gave me 2x as much as I order fish and scallops. I got 2 of those and a order of shrimp. They are decent size but still this food had nothing. Because she rushed me..I was hoping that condiments were on there. But just catch up and target...no hot sauce or malt vinegar. How are they even surviving selling this bland food. read more

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Rude ass women. She's annoying. We bought a family size of fish which is 9 strips, calamari, and mushrooms she gave us four packets of malt vinegar and two containers of tartar sauce Not worth is. Never going back to this TRASHY place read more

This place is terrific when you're craving fried seafood. For my first visit I ordered the seafood combo with fish, oysters, scallops, shrimp and fries. Reasonably priced and generous portions. But more importantly, everything was cooked just right. Fries were crispy outside but tender inside, with some small ones which were pure crunch. Yum. The tartar sauce was especially delicious. They do charge for additional sauce. The cocktail sauce was just so so. The dining area was not too full so I felt safe eating my food there. Which is always best with fried food. Give them a try. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Fried Seafood Combo, delish - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

My family comes here every now and then for the fish and chips, but I get chicken strips. We all love how crispy their batter comes out, other places don't compare for the crunch. Nothing crazy amazing, but a solid food choice if you're craving fish n chips. Whenever people are thinking of ordering fish n chips at another restaurant, we tell them to order something else and promise to take them here the next time we go out. read more

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This review is only for their lumpia catering. I placed an order for pick up and they did not fry up the lumpia until I got there which ended up being 15mins of me sitting there. So if you want it picked up at the time you called pre pay or else you'll have to wait. Their lumpia is the same frozen ones from Costco. read more

Yes, I should've read the reviews before I went there. I usually do, but I didn't this time. very bland very greasy. The fish is probably less than an eighth of an inch thick so basically no taste at all french fries bland. Everything is horrible. read more

I go here a lot I always order the samething which is the shrimp dinner with regular white it's everytime

My husband loves the fish but never enough tartar sauce is given to enjoy all of it. You end up eating the last piece dry unless you want to pay for extra sauce. She doesn't care if it's not enough for you. They also serve very little fries with the orders and they're really bland. Today we ate there for our last time!! We've decided there are better places and friendlier service. The lady who takes the orders is so rude and given the service of the food being what it is makes it a good choice for us to go elsewhere. read more

Great food decent prices nice portions Best fish and chips ever!!! Orders are ready quickly read more

Our order came out fast and hot. The fish was crisp with a tasty batter. My clam strips were excellent - just like we had in New England.

Just had a wonderful meal of fish & chips prawns and onion rings. Absolutely delicious and the very best fish, prawns and onion rings. The batter was light and crispy giving the perfect crunch in every bite. Everything was fresh and flavorful. Staff at restaurant are very pleasant, courteous and nice. Prices are reasonable and you get a lot of food for the money. Small place in a shopping center. Sorry I missed pictures of the food -- we were so hungry it went faster than I thought! Highly recommend and I will be back!! read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Drinks of all kinds - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

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Came for dinner on Tuesday and even though the sign read they close at 9pm the lights were on and the door was open at 7:52pm and the worker said they were closed. This will be my last visit here. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - It was around 7:50pm when we were told the restaurant was closed yet the sign says they close at 9pm. Never eating here again. - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

Was good not too oily at all as I thought it will haha. I just like the variety instead of only fish and chips. read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - About everything - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

Sitting here and the customer service is pretty sad. They confused my 4 orders with chips instead of rice. She flat out said I was wrong and I ordered only 2 with rice. Then why do I have all fries then? She did not offer to fix their mistake. Or even care that we had no rice. This place is outdated Food was mid! Save your money. Never coming back read more

I got the one fish combo. Everything was fresh tasting and delicious. The whole meal was excellent!

Good fish and a really nice owner. They are my go to place for fish. I like that they have a decent list of meal options.

They only serve pollack fish WTF! I tried them anyways based on the reviews and was very disappointed! No seasoning on the fish or breading. Like ZERO! Fries was nasty too. I asked for hot sauce and the lady put up her hand and waved "we no have hot sauce" WELL YOU NEED SOME DAM HOTSAUCE WITH THIS BLAND ASS FISH YOU SERVING!!! Will take my butt to Soultrans in Vallejo. At least it tastes like something. Don't waste your money if you want some seasoned food. If you looking for bland than this is your place! read more

Tugboat Fish & Chips - Nasty fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Vacaville, California

This place has reliably good fish! And the pricing is fair as well. We have yet to get anything less than a tasty fish meal. The service is OK, and the dining room is just OK as well, but you don't go for that. Just get your fish to go and enjoy it at home! read more

It was aight. Got the fish and chips and it was tasty but could have benefited from more fries Not nearly enough. I also felt a bit sick afterwards. Not sure if it was just the amount of fried food at once or something more sinister probably wouldn't go back unless I REALLY wanted fish and chips and that was the only option read more

Food is delicious! I love a good ol fashion fish and chips. This place is affordable and not stingy with the sauces. My only wish is that they deliver other than that this is a great spot ! read more