2 Southern California seafood restaurants ranked among the nation’s Top 10


Two California eateries are near the top of the list of the best seafood restaurants in the U.S., according to Yelp.

The online review site has released its 2024 list of the “Top 100 Seafood Spots” in the country, based largely on the reviews and ratings of its online community. Most of this year’s entries are located in coastal states (perhaps as expected), but plenty of Yelp’s users say great seafood can still be found in the Midwest and South, if you know where to look.

In total, restaurants across 25 states and D.C. made the list, with California and Florida tying for the most entries at 11 apiece. North Carolina, South Carolina and Nevada also made good showings (seven entries each), with Texas trailing closely behind (six).

Coming in at No. 1 in the country, however, is a “strip-mall restaurant” in Virginia, according to Yelp: Blue Seafood & Spirits in Virginia Beach is currently the top-reviewed seafood spot on the platform, earning an overall Yelp rating of 4.8 stars thanks to hundreds upon hundreds of highly favorable reviews.

“Everything about this [restaurant] is amazing!” one recent reviewer wrote. “From the cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, the delicious food and wonderful wine selection … this place is a must!”

In Southern California, Holbox in Los Angeles is ranked 2nd, and Newport Beach’s Hook & Anchor is ranked 5th.

Holbox Los Angeles
Wood Grilled Kanpachi Collars Baja California Kanpachi collars, saffron rice, black beans, handmade corn tortillas, avocado & pico de gallo from Holbox on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Take a look at Yelp’s top 25 below, then head over to the site for the full list of 100 well-reviewed restaurants:

  1. Blue Seafood & Spirits – Virginia Beach, Virginia
  2. Bajamar Seafood & Tacos – Las Vegas, Nevada
  3. Holbox – Los Angeles, California
  4. 167 Raw Oyster Bar – Charleston, South Carolina
  5. Hook & Anchor – Newport Beach, California
  6. Happy Snapper Seafood Restaurant – Orlando, Florida
  7. J Crab House — Kissimmee, Florida
  8. Mr. Shuck’s Seafood – Brunswick, Georgia
  9. South Bay Wild Fish House – Astoria, Oregon
  10. Los Tortugo’s Seafood Market – Port Isabel, Texas
  11. Dockside Seafood Restaurant – Jacksonville Beach, Florida
  12. Oceana Restaurant – Palm Desert, California
  13. FreshCo Fish Market & Grill – Miami, Florida
  14. Joe’s Oyster Bar – Port Isabel, Texas
  15. Xi Yue Hui Seafood Hot Pot AYCE (All You Can Eat) – Brooklyn, New York
  16. Seafood Broiler – Norco, California
  17. Indialantic Seafood Company – Indialantic, Florida
  18. Scooter’s Fish House – Navarre, Florida
  19. Portofino – San Francisco, California
  20. The Crawfish Hut – Burien, Washington
  21. Stewby’s Seafood Shanty – Fort Walton Beach, Florida
  22. Albany Fish Company – Albany, Georgia
  23. Nine Seafood Restaurant – Cerritos, California
  24. Mariscos Costa Alegre – San Jose, California
  25. Matunuck Oyster Bar — South Kingstown, Rhode Island

In compiling its 2024 list of the “Top 100 Seafood Spots,” Yelp’s team limited its rankings to restaurants within the platform’s seafood category, concentrating on those with reviews that frequently mentioned the word “seafood” specifically. These eateries were then ranked based on criteria including each restaurant’s Yelp ratings and volume of reviews as of Dec. 31, 2023. Yelp’s analysts also limited the number of list entries per state, for purposes of “geographic diversity.”

More information, along with a map of each restaurant’s location, can be found at Yelp’s official site.


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