“Fish 101 is the post-beach seafood counter Encinitas runs on — fresh fish, big portions, zero ceremony.”

Where Herb & Sea is asking you to dress up a Tuesday, Fish 101 is asking you to rinse the sand off your feet first. This is a counter-order joint on San Elijo where the point is the fish itself — not the room, not the concept, not a raw bar moment. You walk up, you order, someone drops your plate at the marker number. That's the whole transaction, and it works because the fish earns it.

The salmon here gets consistent love for a reason — cooked through without drying out, the kind of result that sounds simple until you've eaten at enough spots where it isn't. The arugula salad with thick-grated parm and lemon vinaigrette is the sleeper move on the menu: sharper and more interesting than it has any right to be at this price point. The mahi mahi bowl has its fans, though if you're particular about seasoning, lean into the sauces and lemon on the side rather than expecting the kitchen to do all the work.

Portions are big. Prices are moderate. Both of those things are real.

The honest downsides: this place is small. Seating is limited, parking on San Elijo is tight, and there's no host hustling to find you a table. Lunch on a weekend, you're rolling the dice on a wait. The workaround is simple — go early or lean into takeout, which is genuinely built for this format anyway. The coast is right there.

For the neighborhood, Fish 101 fills a specific role that no amount of chandeliers can replace. It's the go-to after a morning at Cardiff Reef, the easy weeknight answer when you want seafood without a reservation, the spot that feels like it belongs here rather than dropped in from somewhere else. San Diego has no shortage of ambitious fish kitchens. This one just gets out of its own way.

Fish 101

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