Phil's Fish Market & Eatery - Seafood restaurant in Castroville - 10700 Merritt St, USA

Well, my friend kidnapped me after a long day of work.. she brought me to this place and OH MAN!! I had the Calamari appetizer and it was better than good. It had its own fresh unique taste... you gotta try it.. that's of you like Calamari.. my friend had the Fish (Cod) and chips.. she loved it. She took half of it home because it was a bit on the larger sized portion.. afterwards, I was returned to my car safely. I'll be going back again soon. The cashier/ waiter knew his dishes.. I'll go with what he advises next time.

We were there twice in the same weekend. They have outdoor seating with gas lamps to keep us warm. Dog friendly is a big plus. The seafood is fresh and portion is generous. The restaurant is always 80% full but still easy to find a spot. Recommended to stop on the way to Monterey or Route 1 South.

We were looking for a Fish and Chips restaurant and didn't feel like going to Monterey. We decided to visit Phil's Fish Mkt and discovered a quaint and inviting restaurant. The workers were quick to hapily greet us and helped us with our orders. We settled on Fish and Chips, plus Clam Linguini. The wait was not long. The Fish and Chips were good. An order came with five pieces of Cod. The ClamWin Linguini came with what seemed like an endless amount of Clams. It was delicious. My wife had contemplated ordering the Ciopino, but the price seemed a bit high. But the price was justified, after we watched someone get served with a large serving at a table nearby. This will definitely be on our radar on a future visit.

We used to often visit this restaurant, when it was located at the previous location, while driving to Carmel. This was our first time visiting the new location and what a disappointment it was. This is when you notice the lack of passion in a business. When the owner is purely interested in, putting some stained old, dirty tables and chairs and open the doors to his patrons. This location was devoid of the fresh fish showcase (like its previous location) which made customers enthusiastic about this restaurant. One felt that the seafood they were eating was just as fresh as what was showcased. Although the old place was not fancy, it still looked much more appealing and had better service than this location. Extremely disappointed in what we experienced.

I ordered the crab cakes, fried, I have had them before although this trip they were extremely oily and salty. Even recalling this dining experience makes me light headed. Other dishes are certainly delicious, but I don't recommend getting the crab cakes. Just like the original location in Moss Landing, they have plenty of space to dine, probably triple the amount of space including the outdoor part.

It was our first time visiting the new location. They are still expanding and working on it - like the frozen cioppino being sold from the truck in the parking lot. The service was very friendly and accommodating.

Let me tell you something. I like Swordfish. Like a lot. If I had to choose a specialty spirit animal I like to eat, it'd have to be a swordfish. I have had quite a few swordfish steaks in my life, and I gotta give it to Phil's. They know how to deliver! The steak was perfectly prepared, grilled like a spy under millitary investigation, and thicker than 3 day old clam chowder. It was joined by some crispy, freshly made french fries and salad cut from the finest of the greenery eats that Castroville has to offer. Last but not least was the strawberry on top! It was sweeter than an orphan being adopted by a loving family and ending up becoming a billionaire charity founder. It was absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to come back and try it again!

Really yummy! Alfredo could use some more salt but we were able to add some :) service was 10/10 and the fried zucchini was delicious.