Weird Fish
Categories: Seafood, Vegetarian, Vegan [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mission2193 Mission St
(between 18th St & Sycamore St)
San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 863-4744
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Fri 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
Sat 9:00 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
Sun 9:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
140 reviews
Neighborhood: Castro
"So I'm supposed to be getting ready for the day, and I promised my friend I would only write my review of the Castro Theatre, but…" read more »
510 Reviews for Weird Fish
A great place for a dinner. They had a menu that it was hard to pick your meal from - there were so many exciting choices! Both for my semi-veggie and an acquired fish-lover like myself. The staff were, knowledgeable, attentive and caring, and made my friend and myself feel very welcomed.
I/we will be back!
First visit for lunch was great service and tasty food. Lots and lots of vegetarian options and some really creative combinations.
Good yummy stuff. small place with not a lot of room.
But the fish and chips is great.
Wine not so great (and expensive for what it was). Service not so great. Dessert definitely not so great.
Fish was okay though -- not the best, not the worst, but fine enough to try again sometime. Maybe.
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Weird Fish's tofu scramble a la carte is severely dependent on taste to be a gratifying meal for breakfast. It's good but it borders on being too simple of a scramble. Like two or three ingredients away from nullifying my lack of confidence in how good the food actually tastes versus how good it could potentially taste. I would argue the food is half-baked in a way that something really delicious is half-prepared. Think of your favorite meal minus the sauce or spices or prepared a little more hastily with the same fresh and delicious ingredients. Weird fish.
The tofu scramble with the sesame-ginger sauce tastes like a Pan-Asian stir fry served with only soft tofu as part of the meal. It's as simple of a tofu scramble as the scramble can come. That said, you cannot get away from eating without the sentiment you're eating a flavored slivers from an extra soft tofu block. Fortunately the tofu scramble is actually scrambled with sauce and tastes delicious. The sourdough toast is fresh too.
The Huevos option with the ranchero sauce isn't scrambled with sauce. Au contraire, the tofu scramble lacks any flavor because the margarine or oil it's scrambled with makes it taste bland. It needs something else than the red ranchero sauce poured over it. What about spices to accent the flavors? What about diced peppers? Olives and vegan sour cream and cheese? Mmm. It does come with a side of very fresh black beans and small corn tortillas. You get massive points for literally going the extra tofu block of catering to the vegan population, but go the extra step and make the meal as ornate as Huevos Rancheros are. It's too simple!
Maybe that's the point. It's simple. The decor is. The dark blues throughout the interior looks inky (clean/gentrified Mission St. inky) in the way in which you'd look up at the sky the hour leading after the sun sets and all remnants of light exits the horizon. Simple unlike its surroundings.
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This spot is a mostly vegetarian pescetarian's dream. I haven't adequately explored the veggie items on the menu, but I intend to. My problem is this: I've become a fish-and-chips (tilapia!) monogamist here. They are a stand-out example of fried food I'll not regret. I want to put in an enthusiastic "here here!" for the controversial half-yam half-potato fries. Delicious. And spicy clam chowder? Superb.
The crowd is diverse and lends to A+ people watching. I often see hip youngsters with (what I assume to be) their not-so-hip parents dining here . . . or maybe I'm a presumptuous jerkwad who's actually observing a polyamorous triad on a winter-spring date night. No matter. I think it is a safe choice for many scenarios--familiar menu items, moderate price tags and classy nautical decor. A good way to avoid a meal at Steakback Outhouse!
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This review is entirely based on the Clam chowder, that's all I had.
They put cilantro in their clam chowder so it tasted like cilantro. I've never heard of someone using cilantro in clam chowder but it seems like a "weird" idea, I didn't like it.
Blah, blah, blah over 500 reviews at the time of writing this post so I will not go into detail but Vegan's will enjoy the Tempeh and the Spicy Tortilla soup.
Save room for the Vegan "Cheeze cake"
The service used to suck but it is getting better.
Go and try it for yourself.....
My experience here was definitely... weird. Tried hard to like, like, like it but didn't. Maybe I'm just over food heavy with 'ideology'. Or maybe it was the self-conscious hipster vibe. Or maybe it was just that the food wasn't up to the hype. Or maybe it's all of the above.
Fine points:
1. Soggy fries
2. Miniscule portions (but again, I'm not much of a pesco/vege-anything and I don't sport that cool lanky/scruffy Mission look, emphasis on 'lanky'). Very thin fillet was entirely consumed in FOUR bites. SMALL bites. I tried to stretch it.
3. Not cheap - $10 for two very thin pieces of fish and chips; $4 for any side; again maybe three bites tops.
4. Service was friendly (though server drew a blank stare when I asked if they had soda - a glass of wine is about $9. No way in a place like this.).
5. Mediocre flavors, despite the clever and creative sounding menu.
That said I admire what they're trying to do, going "green", etc. But again, I don't feel like I need to like the food or the establishment just because of it. It needs to deliver. There needs to be value, otherwise it just rings a bit empty.
I left disappointed and hungry and immediately had a croque monsieur at Tartine nearby and felt much better about what I'd just gone through.
P.S. Pacific Catch succeeds in what this place is trying to do, but with zero posturing while it delivers the goods. You know what I'm saying is true!
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Cool spot for some fish and white sangria at affordable prices. The fish and chips were good, but the fries weren't as crunchy as I prefer them to be. The service was great and the ambiance was casual and fun. I am definitely coming back to try the other items on the menu.
Sorry Weird Fish, but my Ceviche Salad was pretty darn awful (read way too acidic and saucy, sitting on a sad bed of greens. The only saving grace was my gf's Fish Tacos which I thought were four star worthy.
We came here on a semi-quiet Sunday afternoon and the place was full of a great mix of people. We were seated immediately and got to ordering. I also decided to give the Sangria a try and it was pretty run of the mill. The addition of the fries helped smooth over my depressing salad and to be honest all the fried goodness coming out of the kitchen made me second guess my order.
I think this is less of a "I'm trying to be good and order a salad," and more of a "damn the diet, order fish and chips" kind of place. I am definitely not giving up on Weird Fish....just giving up on their Weird Ceviche Salad.
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I've been coming here a lot since my first review. Everything I've had has been amazing, and I've even got a few suspicious fish dishes under my belt. There are a few things I still haven't tried, but you've gotta keep the mystery alive if you want a long and happy relationship, right? My favorites include the dijon-encrusted rainbow trout and the mashed yams. YUM.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/21/2007
I've been meaning to come here for months, since I heard about Weird Fish from one of the waitresses… Read more »
A CUTE PLACE (it's like eating in a nautically-themed Anthropologie) with sustainably produced but not so interesting food. Had the fish and chips: they were good, but not $13 good. And the ceviche-salad hybrid was lacking ... something. I'm not sure what, but it needed an additional element to balance out the lemoniness.
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Yum. Very creative fish and chips; some of the chips are from potatoes, other from yams, and all are salted. And my friend wasn't joking when he said the clam chowder was bomb. Diggety damn! Wow. That's some fucking clam chowder.
I definitely will try the fish tacos next time. They looked great.
The whole "we don't serve coke products, NO CELL PHONES IN DINING ROOM printed on the menu" kind of annoyed me. I swear our server looked at me like I was a filthy capitalist when I asked if they had coke, but I probably just imagined it. I'm just saying, if you already have Heinz ketchup on the table you've already botched the whole anti-corporate thing. Sometimes ideas go too far.
But I respect your right to be weird, Weird Fish. And although it's definitely not a cheap place, the prices were lower than I expected. Our server was helpful too; I'll be back.
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Wow this place is great. Its small, cozy, not too loud, and just very chill. The waitstaff are attentive, friendly, but still have a mission edge to them to make sure you don't feel like you are somewhere foufy.
Anyway, we came hungry, so we had the fish cakes (excellent), catfish hot wings (sounds weird, well it is, but its super super good!), and the spicy tortilla soup (which is very spicy, and very tasty). Next I ordered the "suspicious fish" which is their nightly secret special that they will only reveal a few details about. I told them I don't do dairy, they used soy cheese in it, and it was a knockout. Apparently they made some extra fish tacos and seeing how well we'd done with the rest of our feast, they gave them to us. Really really tasty. We got a pitcher of the white Sangria, it wasn't mind blowing, but it does the job and overall was refreshing.
I recommend this place to anyone who loves seafood, and any vegetarians as there are plenty of veggie options like soy cheese/tofu/seitan and even yam tacos...
This place is a great stop for some goof fish in a fun atmosphere. go figure - with a name like that.
Their fish tacos is kind of turning into a staple for me!
I come here mostly for brunch, definitely the best place to get a vegan breakfast in SF. Lunch is really good too, they have three different types of vegan "fish" sandwiches: tofu, tempheh or seitan. I highly recommend the seitan. It's really dense and not spongy/bready like that crap you're always trying to make at home. I'm also a fan of the fried yoyo's (pickles) and desserts.
I'm not crazy about their dinner because all they really have is the "fish" and chips, and that gets a bit boring. I need my seitan between some bread with chipotle vegenaise!
It's a pretty small place, so sometimes you might have to wait, especially if you have a party of more than 2.
Get the pea shoots! Tasty fresh greens with soy and ginger. The rainbow trout is bomb-diggity! The vegan desserts are mad good!
- This fatty sez: THEY GIVE YOU PLENTY OF FOOD NOM NOM NOM - how did you get a dinner plate and not have enough to eat?
- All you hatas who are mad because you ordered the Hell Fish Tacos and they were made of seitan need to get a clue. Or at least ask what something is before you order it. Dang!
I love this place.
If you are looking for a place with great decor, a friendly personable wait staff, and very decent food, give Weird Fish a try.
From the pressed tin encased epoxy tables to the treasure chest in the bathroom, the decor in this place is just right.
The wait staff wears every day cloths and are unassuming, but totally delightful and helpful. They have that delicate balance of casualness and professionalism that is so refreshing.
The menu is small and manageable, which I love. The food is very good (not incredible) and priced reasonably.
Overall, I have enjoyed my dining experience on every level whenever I have been to this place.
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So delicious! Try the B-stack, it's the best!
Weird Fish is one of the cutest spots in San Francisco. Bonus, pescatarians can order everything on the menu!
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This place is TINY - like Darin I tiny. But full of attitude and flavor! Again, like Darin I. Enough of that.
I had the (cat)fish and chips and it was scrumptious. The fries are a mix of yam and potato and they were salty and I love retaining water so props to that. The fish was not overly greasy despite being fried which was another plus.
My dining companion/hot piece of ass raved about his blackened catfish sandwich and spicy tortilla soup. I tried both (because I'm a "foodie") and they were totes yum.
So why 3 stars?
The service was pretty lackluster. And I'm not one of those girls that usually bitches about bad service because I've been there, done that and know what it's like to have a bad day.
But no one was very attentive. Took a while for them to take the order despite not being busy. Took a while to get the check. Got my leftovers packaged up and they were left at the front until I finally decided to grab them myself. Basically it seemed like everyone working there was over it. And yeah, I've been there and understand but we were pleasant and not difficult and it wasn't busy so suck it up and look alive.
I'm starting to sound like my mother. You bitches are in for a treat once I begin menopause and start hitting the bottle!
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Very good indeed. I had the rainbow trout and it rocked. Communily snug atmosphere and really, really, good vegan dessert. I will be back. I didn't even know they had breakfast.
My fish was somewhat bland but the date's rainbow trout was delicious. Agree with the chick below who said "and [they] weirdly pushed dessert on us. What is this, a car dealership?" But that dessert was delicious, so maybe the guy was just being a good citizen? I'd give this place a 3.5 but it's more of a 4 than 3...I long for the Pitchforkification of Yelp's rating system.
Ultimate vegetarian comfort food in a cozy spot. "Fish & chips" with tempeh or seitan?! Really? The yam/avo/pepita Wako Taco is suspiciously delicious. Steely Dan po' boy kicks out caper sass over buttery steelhead flesh.
Unfindable unless you know where it is; horsefish is more art & less sign than to be helpful.
Trying to be hard to be weird.
Food was disappointing. Not all that exciting.
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Self-consciously funky, yet earnest. Service surprisingly smooth. Cleanliness not an issue. No real wait on a Friday evening. I could give them a bit higher rating because they're kool, but that wouldn't be fair to other less hipster-oriented places.
Clam chowder was tasty enough, if not particularly remarkable. The fish 'n' chips lacked a bit -- slightly soggy fish, definitely soggy chips. Some were yam, though. Taste was okay, though. Blackened catfish was better, and I liked the side of spinach with dates. Good thing this is an inexpensive place.
First introduced to me on a scandalous evening back in summer of 2007 Weird Fish immediately impressed. In a typical SF "No Reservation" fashion we were expecting quite the wait on a busy Friday eve. Instead, the waitress greeted our sidewalk wait with a glass of red wine, and a peek at the menu: crusted Ma-hi, mashed sweet potatoes, fried pickles and a suspicious fish oh my!
The quarters are tightly packed into a quaint locale, warm light, tiny bar, and amazing tables made of the building's original ceiling tiles. Enjoyed by friendly service, quit wit, and friendly customer/waiter banter this has become my official "First Date" restaurant. If I don't get a second date out of it at least I get a great dinner...
Great food with a sophisticated taste that stops short of pretension keeps Weird Fish a neighborhood friendly place to gather friends and impressionable enough to bring out of town guests. And who doesn't love the name.
Try the suspicious fish dish at least once, and as printed on the menu: "No we can't. Sorry. That's kind of the whole point"
I love you, weird fish.
I feel weird loving a fish joint.
But for all it's pescatarian leanings, there's plenty -- nay, a dizzing array -- for a vegan to choose from.
And: it doesn't smell fishy! Hoorah!
best affordable breakfast on mission street...hands down.
and at that...best little-to-no-wait slightly-secret mission breakfast.
best BIG mimosas for like $3.
best tofu scramble (when sesame soy, spinach & mushrooms are added. and sometimes cheddar).
best most personable staff!
fried dill pickle spears.
pescetarian / vegetarian heaven (if you're not wanting suuuuper healthy...lots of fried stuff) !
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Small place, great food.
Got the "Yo-Yo" fried pickles with tasty chipotle dipping sauce for the appetizer. Then 2 "Hell Fish" fish tacos...or at least thought I was ordering fish tacos until my tablemate told me "seitan" was not the name of an exotic type of fish, but rather, a fish meat substitute. I'm a dumba$s. Damn tasty fish substitute, regardless! Got the red beans and rice...both good.
Cheesecake for dessert. Holy crap, was that some good cheesecake...
All the food was cooked and served hot as hell...had to wait a few minutes for things to cool. That's my only real complaint...haha.
Service was excellent.
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I would give this place three and a half stars if that were an option, but since it's not . . . I just couldn't quite bring myself to give four.
They just failed to impress me somehow. The decor was very cute, especially considering how little space they have to work with. But the place is so small, so we waited quite awhile for a table. We shared a pitcher of the white sangria, and that was probably the best part of the meal.
My vegetarian friend was very excited about the multitude of veggie/vegan options (for which I would have given an extra half star). I had a fish taco and a wako taco (with yams). They were pretty good, but at 5 buck each they should have been bigger and more exciting. The amount of fish was tiny! Aside from the sangria, I just thought they were overpriced.
Sure, they accommodate those of the vegetarian and vegan blend, yet my review of the restaurant partitions the aforementioned and restricts itself solely to my personal experience-an uncanny theme, eh?
The place is extremely cramp; perhaps the very thought of having a party larger than 4 come through was immediately rejected by the restauranteur.
Unfortunately, this 'intimate' set-up allocates plenty of waiting around-which is exactly what happened when I went here along with three of my friends (try over an hour on a weekday evening).
The only saving grace to the awaiting of Jesus' return was the waiter who came outside to take our drink orders-and allowed us to drink outside-'just make sure you don't walk too far from our door.'
When we were finally seated, we ended up sitting next to the man who helped decorate the place (owner?). He was quite convivial and immediately distracted us from the fact that the place specialized in over-priced fish and chips.
* * *
Okay, if you're going to serve fish and chips on newspaper, don't put wax paper over the newspaper!
* * *
Overall, the place was decent-minus the questionable prices and the aforementioned fish and chip presentation.
The waiting staff was very friendly and servile.
I don't know if I'll ever come back, but this is not to discourage others from trying the place. Just don't be surprised at how familiar this part of the Mission will avail itself to you as you wait for a chance to try their mystery fish.
P.S. When did suspect, non-descriptive fish items become appetizing?
I ordered fish and chips. The fish was soggy; the chips were made from fresh potatoes, but were nothing spectacular. My friend ordered fish tacos, which were below average for the mission. Guy at the table next to us wore a bike helmet while eating and the waiter was a little spaced out; so the place kind of delivered on the weird part.
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i had very high expectations for weird fish because, A. its called weird fish, B. we at my house made vegan fish n chips last week and they were AMAZING, and C. there's a mer-horse hanging in front and well, everyone seems to be raving about it.
but the tempeh fish n chips were mediocre, expensive (two little tempeh sticks for 8 bucks, 3 for $11) and not like actual fish n chips in the least (no tartar sauce?). the seitan buffalo wings were like weird (haha, weird) chewy rocks with a little flavor. and my friend spent the whole night puking, which may or may not have been directly related to the quality of food.
did i mention it was expensive? i'm sure the fish is good or something (and "sustainable", lol). but if you want vegan fish n chips, invite all your friends over, get a case of beer and make these: http://vgml.blogspot.c... and this tartar sauce: http://vegancookalong.....
ya'll will thank me later!
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..i wish there was a rating between 3, which seems a little too low, and 4, which seems much too high...anyway...i will conform. i went to weird fish with a coworker on the last day of school and i just kept saying "wow, ive never even heard of this place" to which he responded "well, that's because all these hipster assholes are always standing out front blockin the entrance." well, ok then. with that said i really enjoyed the fish...especially the buffalo boys. as a pescatarian (yeah,i said it) i often wonder what the non chicken version of the type of buffalo wings you would find in say...kezar pub...and i found them! they're at weird fish. drowned in tabasco sauce and able to be fully dipped in blue cheese. yum. and for that reason, im glad i was wearing my hippest pair of skinny jeans and vans when i went into weird fish. i would definitely return. maybe next time i wont go with the surliest person i know.
Where to begin?
Sit down and have to ask for menus
Menu looks good but they only have two kinds of fish left for the day..not good for a fish restaurant!
Get the fish and it is pretty much tasteless!!!
We are still hungry after our main meal so we opt for dessert which was the special of the day, peanut butter cake, and it was good! Especially since it filled us up until we could hit a nearby taqueria, where we could get a real meal.
I had a few hours to kill in the Mission yesterday, so I found myself wandering the streets looking for a non-burrito bite to eat. As I approached 18th street, I remembered that this place that all of my friends like was somewhere around there... Weird Fish.
I had heard that they serve really yummy vegetarian food, despite having "fish" in their name, so I was kind of excited. After perusing their surprisingly small menu, I decided on the spicy tortilla soup ($5 for a "bowl", which is actually more of a cup) and fried plantains with red beans.
The soup was shockingly spicy, and thick. When I think of tortilla soup, it's always a little clear with pieces of veggies in it, and lots of tortilla strips. This one seemed like a pureed version, with a slice of avocado (to cut the heat, i assume), vegan sour cream, and a small pile of chips on top. I did detect a hint of cilantro, and I had to add some salt, but it was still pretty good. I would have definitely appreciated faster water refills with this one. The plantains and beans, on the other hand, were absolutely perfect. I caught myself portioning off my food to make sure that the last bite I took would be of plantain.
The total came out to about $10, including the 5% that was added for health care, which I think was totally reasonable. Those plantains were good! Some of the other items seem a little more spendy, but maybe they're worth it. I'll probably find out soon.
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Came here for dessert when I was in the city for the weekend. Tried the vegan raspberry cheesecake.
Less than 72 hours later, I'm back in New York contemplating another trip for a cheesecake fix.
Light bulb flashes. I call the restaurant.
Me: "Do you ship your cheesecake?"
-Pause. "Um, I don't think we ever have but we might be able to. Where would we be shipping to?"
Me: "New York. Is that possible?"
-Pause. "Okay .... well, I think we could if we pack it with dry ice."
Anyone know where to find vegan cheesecake this good in NYC? Anyone?
5 stars for the cheesecake
3 stars for the vegan pumpkin bread (they were out of the chocolate chip)
3 stars for the cappuccino (decent, but I've been spoiled)
Can't comment on the main courses but I'll be back
UPDATE 5/9/08: I've found organic vegan cheesecake paradise in New York at Blossom in Chelsea.
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Small but really cute decor.
Fresh fish and flavors.
Must return for more.
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