Fish 101

Most counter-service seafood joints give you two options: fried or deep-fried. Fish 101 actually grills their fish, and it changes everything. The tacos — mahi, ono, or salmon depending on the catch — come with a cabbage slaw that has bite and purpose, not the limp shredded filler you'd expect. This isn't beer-battered comfort food; it's what happens when someone cares about the protein enough to not hide it under batter.

The oyster bar is the move if you're waiting for a table on the patio. They shuck to order, so you're not getting last Tuesday's bivalves on ice. The chowder is cream-forward but doesn't drown the seafood — actual chunks of fish, not just potato filler.

Counter-service means you order at the register, grab a number, and post up on the patio while they bring everything out. It's casual enough that nobody cares if you're sandy from Moonlight Beach, but the kitchen runs tighter than most sit-down spots in Encinitas. The fish and chips — cod in a light batter — are genuinely good, but you're here for what makes this place different: grilled fish that doesn't taste like an obligation.

Downsides: the King Salmon burrito costs about $10 more than the standard options, and parking on the 101 is always a gamble. Go early for lunch or accept that you might circle a few times. But once you're on that patio with a grilled mahi taco and a local beer, the parking stress evaporates pretty fast.