The Fishery

The Fishery in San Diego pairs the seasonal bounty of the sea with local produce, handcrafted cocktails and a celebrated natural wine list. Founded by Judd Brown out of a commercial-fishing background, it evolved from Pacific Shellfish into a neighborhood restaurant. The kitchen emphasizes simple, honest preparations that highlight whole fish, shellfish and seasonal produce; the menu is guided by what arrives through the kitchen door and the team "plays their hits and then improvises with the seasons." Proprietors Annemarie Brown and Nick Lorenz expanded the program to an award-winning, travel-inspired wine list and an enlarged cocktail bar. The restaurant sources whole fish from Alaska down to the Sea of Cortez and shellfish from the East Coast and New Zealand, reflecting its wholesale roots and close relationships with fishermen. Open for twenty-five years, The Fishery combines family history, market sourcing and an evolving bar and wine program and has earned Reader's Choice and Critic's Choice mentions and praise from San Diego Magazine. The dining room occupies an open-floor converted warehouse designed as a "fish boutique" with a restored 1930s antique fish case and an expanded bar. Seating and design emphasize openness and a market-to-table presentation of seafood, creating a casual, lively and family-rooted vibe. Cuisine is seasonally focused seafood driven by the daily catch and local produce, favoring simple, honest preparations that let high-quality fish and shellfish shine. The menu balances classic seafood plates with seasonal improvisations and a complementary cocktail and natural-wine program. Mike Reidy serves as Executive Chef. Specialties include King Crab; Seafood Tower; San Diego Rock Crab Bucatini; Whole Fried Sculpin with Squid Ink Aioli; Summer Scallop Ceviche; Sicilian Crudo; and the Opah Smashburger.