Anthony`s Fish Grotto

Anthony's Fish Grotto is a downtown San Diego staple. I walk by it just about every day, and for some reason, have never eaten. A buddy and I were going to grab a bite and had his dogs in tow, so outside dining was a must. What better time to try Anthony's?

Now, here's an interesting tid-bit. There are actually two different dining experiences, indoors (sit down) and outdoors counter, making your entrance like the first chapter of a choose-your-own-adventure book. We opted for outside, of course.

The menu is a pretty basic selection of mainly fried seafood dishes. It actually brought me back to living in New England, and the small beach-side eateries that abound. For me there was only one option. A fried seafood sampler which had battered nibblets of fish, shrimp, clams, and scallops. For the side option, I went with fries. I have to admit I was pretty impressed. All of the ocean critters tasted extremely fresh and were perfectly fried (not too greasy or over done). I scoffed that thing down like a...I dunno, a hungry ocean thing that voraciously eats a lot of other ocean things.

Service is standard counter service where English is not the first language, which adds to the charm. Plus, you're basically sitting on the harbor, to it's tough to argue with the view.

Anthony's is a cool spot with fresh food, great value for the $$$, and tons of charm. I can see why they've been around so long.