Enterprise Fish Co. Santa Monica

Reviews 6

CJ

CJ Yu

I really wanted to find a new default spot on the westside with a great happy hour, and after trying this place awhile back, Im pretty sure Enterprise Fish Co will NOT be it. Sure the drinks are cheap, and their bar food is half off until 7:00p---but come on guys, if you want to put "fish" in the name of your restaurant, you need to make sure your seafood is fresh--theres no excuse esp when your restaurants literally two blocks from the ocean! The $1 raw oysters were what originally drew me in. Unfortunately, they were probably the fishiest, most stale oysters Ive hever had. I really was afraid I would get sick afterwards (luckily I didnt, but I do have a pretty tough stomach). What was a little weird, was usually when you go to seafood restaurants and order oysters, they shuck them so that the little oyster is completely detached from the shell. For whatever reason, this place doesnt do that. You really have to pull and rip the oyster from its little muscle on the half shell, and its really annoying--esp when you put it in your mouth and realize these oysters are definitely NOT fresh. I can see how this place may "unload" their less than desirable oysters during the $1 happy hour--but if thats the case, be upfront about it. If youre claiming to have quality seafood, it should be quality seafood no matter what time/price you get it at. I also tried the fried calamari, which was a bit better, and decent for the price--but I really cant recommend this restaurant to anyone unless youre just here for the drinks--theres definitely better happy hour deals on the westside. I will say on another note, the table next to us got their "Monday/Tuesday Lobster Special" which comes with two sides and a pretty large lobster for $30 i think, which looked like a good deal. If anyones tried that, let us know, because I would be willing to give this place another chance if the lobsters any good....

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DO

Don Weiner

I had been to this restaurant over 10 years ago, and didnt remember it as being anything special, so I never went back. But Im glad some friends convinced me to give it another try, as its now much better than I remember! The main room has a very "diner" feel to it, which isnt a bad thing, but the loud TVs in the sports bar area can get distracting. Our waiter was great, very attentive and had great suggestions. I ordered a glass of the Malbec, which was nothing special, it was just OK. We started with an order of the Calamari, which was probably the best Ive ever been served. At most restaurants, the calamari you get looks & taste like it came out of bag from the freezer. But here, the large pieces of various size look and taste fresh and homemade. Also, they are served topped with deep fried jalepaño slices, which give it a great spicy kick. For my entree I ordered the Bay Scallop Risotto, which was really good. Very rich and creamy, topped with perfectly-cooked large scallops. It comes with a choice of Clam Chowder or Salad, and I chose the Manhattan Clam Chowder, which was fantastic. Big pieces of clam and potato in delicious tomato soup base that was not salty at all. Great for dipping the bread they serve! I almost ordered the Lobster Rolls, but our waiter said that this was more of an appetizer dish with two small rolls that can be finished in about 4 bites. I really wish theyd add an entree sized lobster roll to the menu. For dessert our table shared the Chocolate Lava Cake, which was just OK. Ive had better, Ive had worse. But since we also had a birthday at the table, the waiter brought out a huge slice of their ice cream cake for us to share, and that was amazing. I will have to make a trip back here to try their happy hour, as the reviews for the drink prices and menu items look very positive.

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LI

Lisa Tran

This IS the best happy hour in Santa Monica. Great location too- right next to the Main St Bars! Parking is at this lot adjacent from Enterprise Fish Co. It is managed by 2 homeless people in wheelchairs. Whether you like it or not, they will direct you to an empty spot. I am EXTREMELY blind at night, so I didnt even see the guy and turned into an empty spot. Right when I got out of my car, he wheeled to me, demanding me to pay him tip. With no cash (because who carries cash anymore?!), I had to politely decline him... only to be cursed at all the way to the paying station. If my car werent some ghetto rice rocket about a year away from breaking down, I would have moved it to another parking station. But anyways, parking is $1 an hour. Happy hour is 4-7 pm and we came there for the $1 oysters. However, the poke, calamari, and clams also enticed us. The poke was ordinary.. a very small dish. The spicy calamaris were pretty good and filling, but not so amazing that I must go back to them. And the steamed clams were so bland that I started using the sauces from the other dishes to create some flavor for that dish. It didnt save it though. I will go back for the $1 oysters! They hailed from the west and were big and juicy. The horseradish sauce was biting, but complemented the oysters well. I think I slurped down 14. Damn these clams for occupying room in my stomach that couldve been for more oysters!

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LO

lorox loro

The Fish Co, as its known in short, is a long time established restaurant and bar in Venice, California. They specialize in fish and seafood (as you should have been able to guess from their name...) and have a full bar too. Special mention to their draft beers which are served deliciously cold in tall goblets. The seafood is always fresh and perfectly prepared. The decoration is wonderful, marine themes (large swordfish on a wall included) with a lot of fine woods. Again special mention to their fabulous mahogany bar counter. They also have a gorgeous outside patio that includes a fire pit and gas heaters. The only reason I gave this place four stars instead of five is the pricing which is a little above what most people feel comfortable with. Most entrees are in the $20 to $35 range. But theres a way around that too! Go there on happy hour (normally 4 to 7 pm Mon-Fri but they have a special Happy Hour on Saturdays starting at 9 pm) and order off their appetizer menu. They have a nice selection of seafood smaller fares of which the mussels in white wine sauce should not be missed. Popcorn shrimp and fried calamari are nice too. One reminder: make sure you get there early because their happy hour area is not so big and gets filled quickly.

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RE

René Baron

Die Schlange der Wartenden vor dem Eingang an diesem Freitagabend und das Ziegelsteingemäuer liessen viel Gutes erahnen, was sich dann als ziemlich lieblos hingeknallter Service entpuppte. Das Fischessen für sich ist in Ordnung, quadratisch, natürlich, einfach und gut aber ohne jegliche geschmackliche oder visuelle Rafinesse. Die Bedienung, genauso wie die auf einer Seite Sportsendungen zeigende Fernseher passen mehr zu einer Sportbar als zu einem Fischrestaurant dieser Preisklasse. Mir persönlich waren auch die Esskoyen zu eng. So ein gepfercht könnte ich hier nie einen Lobster essen.

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JO

Joe Ma

Extremely Disappointed ! After almost 30 years of frequenting The Enterprise Fish co. I can honestly todays disappointment means it was my last visit. The Food: while still fresh, the fish portions are about half what they used to be. I actually left there still hungry after ordering the grilled seafood skewer. My son ordered the fish and chips and it was all batter and the fries tasted like frozen fries. My wifes maitai (not happy hour maitai) was sweet and syrupy with no hint of alcohol. The clam chowder was so and so, but the worst was the soggy and watery cole slaw and the microwave really dry baked potato! All told, for the price and value, the portions were extremely small. You will leave hungry! Dont go there. The Service : we dined at about 2.30 on Sunday afternoon and sat in the patio, so it was NOT Happy Hour, we paid regular menu prices. Our waitress was very pleasant and friendly and only had TWO table including ours to serve ! yet, she hardly refilled our iced tea and never visited to ask if we needed anything else like the soggy bread and the horrible water butter it came with! Score : out of ten, a -1

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