Mabel’s Gone Fishing in San Diego
Michelin Guide Recognized Mabel’s Gone Fishing has been called San Diego’s hottest new seafood restaurant and getting a table is difficult indeed, especially if you want to sit inside which is where the action is. We couldn’t get reservations but popped in and found some seats at the bar, a good strategy for those who procrastinate or don’t plan ahead.
MABEL’S GONE FISHING
3770 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
AT A GLANCE: Small plates with high price tags, trendy and vibrant restaurant filled with a young crowd of locals. Can get pricey if you are not strategic in ordering.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT MABEL’S GONE FISHING
So while Mabel’s gets a lot of attention and accolades as San Diego’s best and hottest new seafood restaurant it’s not exactly what you might expect. No fish and chips, no fish tacos, it’s not that kind of place. Instead think oysters and crudo, cheeses and charcuterie, all served tapas style.
Gin and Tonics, their specialty
We started off with a couple of different Gin and Tonics, their signature drink. I like watching bartenders who take their craft seriously and these were serious G & T’s, $16 each and worth it. Oysters were up next and with no price on the menu we ordered a half dozen. Of course, excellent quality and for the price conscious they were $3 to $4 apiece. Very tasty, worth it. Ambiance was very young and lively, noisy and festive, it’s the kind of place you rave about if you found it on vacation in some exotic location. There are some quieter outside tables on the sidewalk but that’s no fun, sit inside if you can.
Excellent oysters at Mabel’s Gone Fishing
Those who know me know that my brain is like a non-stop calculator so right around now I started looking around to see what others were ordering to see if I was choosing the best bang for my buck.
Of course this is futile for a first timer as I had no idea what to expect but the people next to me were served a full plate of goodies, bread, beans, crudo, a giant piece of fish, wines, dessert, I mean the food just kept on coming. Had I understood the menu better I would have opted for what they had, the chefs tasting menu at $85 pp with wine pairings at $45. At first that might seem ultra expensive but they left with food on their plates so the quantity of food was as impressive as the quality, something to think about.
Crudo which was so delightful.
Their crudo looked good so I ordered some for $18 and it was de-lish-ous. But serving size was small, so be forewarned. I swear what they had on the Chef’s menu was much larger but I didn’t want to be rude and keep staring at their food.
The person on the other side of me was a repeat visitor and had oysters, the crudo, and the whole fish that included the fish collar. That plate was impressive and at $50 one of the best picks. The two of them shared it and kept going on and on about how good it was (shut up, I know I should have gotten it). The plate wasn’t happy sized either, it was a full size entree so that’s something to consider.
Clams, a bit salty but still very tasty and cooked perfectly. That’s the $9 bread in the background.
We ordered the clams and bread at $26 and $9. The clams honestly were a bit salty but that happens and the bread, while good, was perhaps overpriced since you basically got 3 pieces of toasted bread for $9. The people next to us were getting served dessert in their tasting menu and I was very jealous.
Glasses of wine were about $14 to $15 apiece, a lot of options though the wine menu is very unique and I had no idea what each one was so don’t be shy about asking. In the end we spent $180 for dinner for two after tip.
IS MABEL’S GONE FISHING WORTH IT?
Absolutely worth it but with a caveat - if you have tons of money just keep ordering and you’ll have one of the best meals in San Diego. I don’t have tons of money so if I went again I would do what the people on either side of me did - either order the Chefs Menu at $85 and eat like a King (or Queen), or get some oysters and the whole fish and call it a day for a tab of about $75. I wasn’t unhappy with my selections, don’t get me wrong, but I could tell that the people who have been here before knew what they were doing and ordering smarter than I did.
One of the signs of whether a restaurant is worth it is whether you want to go back or not and I am totally ready to go back. I also want to give a shout out to their incredible staff and manager who helped us with a lost gift card, something most restaurants would have just claimed there was nothing they could do. That’s really something these days and I thank you again.