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Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

By Jill Schildhouse

December 20, 2024

Finding fresh seafood in Phoenix can be difficult. Next time you have a hankering for coastal cuisine, consult this list of restaurants. 

When you think of Phoenix, you probably don’t equate it with fresh seafood—it’s a desert, after all! But there are quite a few restaurants serving up seafood pulled straight from the water the day (or two) before that’ll have you rethinking your perception of ocean-based ingredients in land-locked areas.

Here are seven spots where desert dwellers can get a taste of the coast around the Valley.

1. Buck & Rider

The Buck & Rider team has figured out the logistics of getting seafood from fishermen worldwide to the tables in its restaurants—in Phoenix, North Scottsdale, and Gilbert—within 24-36 hours. In addition to the lobsters from Maine, oysters from Alaska and the East Coast, and scallops from the Massachusetts coast, the restaurant sources Ora King Salmon from New Zealand, Turbot from Spain, Hamachi from Japan, and more. 

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

A fisherman making a fresh catch for Buck & Rider restaurant in Phoenix. (Buck & Rider)

“We go straight to the source, working directly with fishermen and do whatever it takes to serve our guests the finest, just-caught fish and seafood,” says Adam Strecker, CEO and founding partner of Buck & Rider. “We have built relationships with fishers and sustainable farmers from every coast of the U.S. and across the globe to fly in seafood seven days a week.” To accomplish Buck & Rider’s mission, Strecker and his team use a refrigerated Sprinter van to pick up the freshly flown-in deliveries from the airport and bring them to the restaurants for the chefs to prepare.  

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

A customer of Buck & Rider restaurant in Phoenix digging into a fresh meal of fish, green beans, and white wine. (Buck & Rider)

2. King’s Fish House

Family-owned and operated in Tempe (plus locations in California and Nevada), King’s Fish House tempts patrons with an authentic American seafood experience that features first-of-season products and live shellfish on ever-changing menus. All of its products are sourced directly from its exclusive seafood distribution center, which allows the restaurant to hand-cut and select the highest quality seafood that is then flown to each location multiple times per week. 

“From tide to table, we leverage nearly 80 years of relationships with fishermen and lobstermen to provide high quality, variety, and value to our guests,” says King’s Fish House Tempe general manager Michelle Stahley. “New product arrives multiple times each week, allowing us to get seasonal catches and guest favorites into our restaurant faster than other restaurants in the area with no extra handling along the way.” 

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

Exterior of King’s Fish House in Phoenix, Ariz. (King’s Fish House)

3. Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey 

At Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey, an off-the-beaten-path gem in Phoenix’s Melrose District, the commitment to freshness is unparalleled. It takes pride in being one of the few restaurants that orders based on necessity, rather than overstocking, ensuring that every dish features the highest quality fish available. This is accomplished by placing daily orders or holding off until the fresh fish runs out, ensuring that everything served to guests is at its best. 

Sandfish selects options from various regions around the world depending on what’s in season. For example, bluefin tuna is currently exceptional in Spain, while red snapper is incredibly rich and fatty in Japan. “At Sandfish, we believe that the essence of great sushi lies in the freshness of our ingredients,” says owner/chef Engin Onural. “We prioritize seasonality and sustainability where possible, working closely with our vendors to ensure that every piece of sushi we serve is not only delicious but also responsibly sourced. This allows us to bring the true taste of the ocean to our Phoenix community.”

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

An array of fresh seafood dishes and a beverage from Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey in Phoenix. (Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey)

4. J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician 

While you may immediately think of meat at J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician, it’s also known for its fresh seafood dishes—so fresh that it’s flown in daily from around the country, including California, Maine, Florida, and Hawaii. Executive Chef Jacques Qualin meticulously selects the seafood purveyors where he sources ingredients, with a focus on sustainable seafood that is sourced straight from the docks. 

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

Grilled lobster and other dishes from J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician. (Grace Stufkosky/J&G Steakhouse)

These fresh catches are transformed into mouthwatering creations, such as a chilled shellfish platter, oysters on the half shell, tuna tartare, Peekytoe crab cakes, Miso Yuzu Glazed Mero Sea Bass, Alaskan King Crab Merus, grilled Maine lobster, and J&G’s most popular seafood dish, a whole Dover sole filleted table side. 

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

The popular Dover Sole dish from J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician. (Grace Stufkosky/J&G Steakhouse)

5. Harumi Sushi

Over the last decade, Harumi in downtown Phoenix has earned its reputation as one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Valley by offering high-quality sushi and seafood at an affordable price. The process begins with careful selection—Harumi chooses fish based on seasonal freshness and origin, often sourcing from diverse areas such as bluefin from Mt. Fuji, yellowtail from Nova Scotia, and salmon from the south of Scotland.

Harumi receives daily shipments of fresh seafood from renowned suppliers (including those used by Nobu) to ensure that guests enjoy the freshest fish. All seafood is paired with specialty ingredients of the highest quality, with some key elements sourced directly from Japan for a truly authentic experience.

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

Bright sushi dishes at Harumi in Phoenix, Ariz. (Harumi Sushi)

6. Nelsons’ Meat and Fish Shop

Looking for a place to purchase fresh seafood that you can cook yourself? There’s no fresher spot than Nelson’s Meat and Fish Shop. “It’s a tribute to my Grampy, who helped me catch my first fish,” says Christopher Jon Nelson, who opened the Phoenix location in 2017, and later a second store in Scottsdale. “I chose to open the shops because I couldn’t find any quality seafood in the Valley.” Nelson has been in the hospitality industry since he was 14 years old, and his first job was shucking oysters in Virginia.   

“We source from around the globe, and unlike most retail stores, we don’t buy by ‘species’— rather, we purchase seafood when they are harvested to ensure our ultra-fresh quality for our guests,” Nelson explains. “We get shipments in daily. We like to chase the seasonality of seafood like Florida Stone Crabs on October 15th, Nantucket Bay Scallops on November 1, Soft Shell Crab out of the Chesapeake Bay in the Spring, and Wild Salmon Season in early June.”

And while the shops aren’t restaurants, they do offer hand-prepared food that sells out almost every day (think lobster rolls and poke bowls). Plus, you can enjoy the patio seating at both locations. Sign up for the newsletter to know what’s available weekly.

7. Chula Seafood

In 2015, this family-owned and -operated distribution business and restaurant group recognized the need for fresh fish in the desert—and Chula Seafood, which has been fully immersed in San Diego’s local fishing industry for decades, was the right group to get the job done. With its own commercial fishing boat, which specializes in swordfish and species off the California Coast, Chula Seafood features the bounty that its fisherman brings in daily to the Chula Seafood Warehouse located on Driscoll’s Wharf in the Point Loma Harbor.

Here, amazing catches of the day, such as yellowtail and bluefin tuna, rockfish, spiny lobster, California halibut and black cod, grouper, and white sea bass, are processed and prepared for their destinations. And thanks to longtime relationships with the area’s other commercial fishermen and vendors, Chula Seafood is able to obtain unique items such as sea urchin and shark. Trucks then depart from the Chula Seafood Warehouse with these fresh-caught treasures in tow—and two to three times a week, they make deliveries to their Chula Seafood locations in Arizona.

Find the freshest seafood in Phoenix at these 7 restaurants

Catch of the day outside of Chula Seafood. (Chula Seafood)

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. x?republication pixel=true&post=&ga=G NWLBHRL

 

READ MORE: 8 Arizona restaurants that are over the top (in a good way!)

Author

  • Jill Schildhouse

    Jill Schildhouse is a native Phoenician and award-winning lifestyle writer and editor who regularly contributes to such publications as Reader’s Digest, AARP, U.S. News & World Report, Taste of Home, and Southern Living. Jill has visited 43 countries and is always planning her next adventure.

CATEGORIES: FOOD AND DRINK
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