Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto

Let’s get a few things straight-​if you are coming here it’s because you either heard someone who went here long, long, ago and has some fond memories of this place or when you arrived in Berkeley years ago this WAS the place. Don’t come here with the expectation that the memory you have of this place will be enhanced by revisiting it. If your previous experience is 5-​stars, then really, keep it intact and don’t return. Ok, you’ve been warned.
Price-​your gonna spend more than you’d like and your gonna say the prices are higher than the service, food, and ambiance are worth. Be prepared and bring your credit card. Most people don’t carry the amount of cash it will take to pay this tab. And, if your wise, you’ll bring your Southwest credit card so afterwards, you’ll at least be ok with the fact you earned some rewards points.
Menu-​you won’t have much luck scanning this menu and finding an inexpensive item that will fill you up. Eat a light meal before you arrive if you are set on a certain price and expect to leave satisfied.
Ambiance-​I know you like the nostalgia of it all, but some things should be updated. Change, in this case, would be a good thing.
Best advice-​really review the menu and other local dining options before selecting this restaurant so are completely familiar with what to expect before you arrive. Surprises are good, but unpleasant ones aren’t.

I’m only giving this place 4 stars based on how great the dishes were. The interior was dated but the food was full of flavor and very fresh. The server seemed about forgetful

Had brunch here. I had an omelette that was cooked to perfection. I also had their version of shrimp and grits. Surprisingly it was very good. The shrimp are here are HUGE! The décor is something out of the Moby Dick novel. I would definitely have to go back for dinner to see what they really all about.

Well, I guess this restaurant has been in business for 120 years, and the food tasted like it was for 120 year olds. In fact, every patron looked «mature.» Really disappointed in food quality at this establishment. My husband had been here when he was a Cal student in the 80’s, and said the food was very good back then. Being as this was my first and last meal at this restaurant, I guess food quality must have taken a dive since the 80’s.
We started with delicious warm bread, but everything went south after that. The sand dabs were bland, even adding lemon or the tartar sauce didn’t help. The calamari steak dore was the worst I ever had. The egg batter they put on it was falling off, flavorless, and tasted like a scrambled egg was thrown on top of the calamari. The mashed potatoes tasted like they came out of a box, and the carrots and broccoli reminded me of nursing home food that my grandma would have been served.
One big glaring food mistake was WAY TOO MUCH SALT. I am not a salt lover, but my husband is, and he even commented that the chef OD’d on the salt. It made the meal inedible.
Our server was a warm woman, and the ambiance was nice, which is the reason for the extra star. No stars for food, believe me!

My wife and I and our two friends made the decision a week or so ago that we’d like to have a nice Christmas dinner out. Being Christmas day however, the pickin’s…well, they were slim to none. We unfortunately ended up landing at this place. Our friend had had a prom here in 1958… or was he born in ’58, and was here in ’76? Anyway… we were a bit early for our reservation, so we sat in the bar until our table opened up. I don’t imbibe, but my wife and friends appeared to enjoy their drinks. My water actually tasted similar to H2O, so I assumed everything to be on the up and up. Well… you know what they say about ASSuming.
After having no bread and butter served to us until we asked twice, we ordered Toasted Cheesy Garlic Bread and something called a Shrimp Kiss for appetizers. The garlic bread was essentially stale sourdough and processed cheese warmed under a heat lamp. The shrimp kiss was passable as sustenance. Our friends ordered a Caesar salad and Iceberg Wedge, I also ordered a wedge. The Caesar salad was small enough that it could have been served in an eyedropper, the wedges again were just passable as something to give your gums a workout. Now for the fun stuff…
My wife chose the Seafood and Black Pepper Fettuccini… which was truly deplorable. Pasta WAY overcooked and stuck together like siamese twins at birth. The sauce tasted like it had seen its best days during the Nixon administration. She took a few bites… and then bailed on it. Handed it back to our waitress… who asked if my wife would like something else. She shook her head no… a good decision. This was an a la carte dish costing $ 24!!! RIDICULOUS.
Our friends ordered the Top Sirloin and Beef Medallions & Stuffed shrimp. Our friend asked for the Top Sirloin to cooked to medium… and literally got shoe leather. He sent it back before the plate even made contact with our table. He waited at least 25 minutes or so for his replacement, which wasn’t an improvement. A few bites later, and he too surrendered. I looked at him, and asked him if it tasted like ass. His response was, «Oh…I’ve had ass that has tasted better than this!» ‘Nuff said right there. lol
As for your humble storyteller, I ordered the Ribeye… to be prepared medium rare. What I got was WELL done… and believe me it hurts to use the word «well» in any sentence describing food here. I ate about half of it before also waving the white flag. If you have read my profile… you know I don’t leave food on my plate. $ 35 for a horrible piece of meat and 5 asparagus spears! I had to pay for potatoes on the side… and THEY were raw! If they could ever get the potato maker… and the steak dude to pool together their efforts, they’d actually have something here. They must have actually felt sorry for us, for they didn’t charge us for both the steaks, and my wife’s pasta disaster.
We would have had a more pleasurable dining experience if we had laid down under a horse and waited for him to pass his oats. Do I need to even state that we will never return? Worst experience I’ve ever had in a restaurant. EVER! I have no respect for the palate on any individual who willingly returns here for a meal. I think that’s a good one to end on.
‘Til next time…

Overall, lunch was pretty good — my only gripe was with my «Classic Caesar salad with fried calamari». What appeared to be a generous portion of calamari turned out to actually be approximately half deep-​fried jalapeño slices, artichoke hearts, & even carrots instead. Wasn’t bad, but these veggies are cheaper than calamari & weren’t noted in the menu. Mentioned it to the waitress, but no accommodation was offered. :/

I definitely would NOT recommend this restaurant due to the treatment of an extremely rude Hostes that has no clue about restaurant etiquette or how to treat loyal customers.
My Husband, a Berkeley native, has been going to Spenger’s every Thursday afternoon with friends for over 30 years. He is a long-​term regular of this beloved old establishment and has dropped plenty of money there over the decades. I do not frequent the place and suggested that we stop by for a drink this afternoon since we were in the area meeting friends for Christmas lunch, hoping to bring in some holiday cheer. The hostess desk was unattended when we arrived, so we seated ourselves at the bar. We both ordered a drink and I told my husband that I needed to use the restroom. I followed the wall signs which said that the restrooms were under remodeling construction. I went to the reception desk to find the alternative restroom, but AGAIN, the desk was unattended. I found a busy waitress and asked where I may find a restroom and She kindly directed me to the other side of the restaurant. I saw a white Paper Sign on the wall labeled «Restroom.». I went to the restroom and another woman followed in behind me. I finished my business and went along my way to rejoin my husband for a holuday drink. On my way back to the bar I heard a woman yelling, but I assumed she was yelling at someone else because I had done nothing wrong and couldn’t imagine why someone would be yelling at a customer under ANY condition. Since it was a long path back to my seat, the yelling turned into screaming, and as I took my seat she got into my face, saying that I had used the Men’s restroom. At this point, everyone sitting nearby stared to see what malfeasance I had created. Deeply Embarrassed, I apologized and she turned in anger as if I had robbed her. I was confounded as I admitted that I did not know the restaurant and the temporary signs for men and women were poorly marked. We left the place as soon as possible as our time there was completely ruined. Obviously I won’t be back and I will relate this story to anyone who suggests going to Spenger’s. The name of the non-​attending receptionist was Sylvia Alvarez. Perhaps if she had performed her job a recrptionist she would have been able to direct me to the proper restroom and this unfortunate incident would never have occurred. We greeted her goodbye on our way out. My husband will probably continue his patronage but it will be with a very nasty taste in his mouth. I wish the best for Sylvia and hope she treats other customers with a little more kindness during the construction job, especially during the holidays.
Sincerely,
Maria Romano

Great for Events | Great Food | Nautical Décor
$$
I went here for an American Alpine Club (AAC) holiday dinner event. I’d say there was about 50 to 100 of us, and we took up the main room area as well as next to the bar area.
Nice ambiance — dim lighting, spacious booths for additional sitting and nautical themed décor. They had some cool artifacts and photos you could take a look at.
For our large party, we had three long rows of conjoined tables. We ate buffet style, too. LOTS of DELICIOUS food. Salmon, bread, caesar salad, spring salad, chicken, broccolini, potatoes… etc.
I can’t comment on the service because we were in an event, but the facility was perfect for this and the food was yummy.
Parking is right across the street. The lady at the booth said they DO take credit cards even though the sign says no.

My family has been coming here for decades and it has changed ownership throughout the years, but the food has remained consistent.
My dad and I are fans of «The Scatter» which simply consists of a mountain of fried bay shrimp, fries and coleslaw. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Today was the same visit we’ve always had. The one difference was the awkward dance/​trance music playing in the main dining room. This place screams Rat Pack, 50’s classic music and it would greatly improve the ambience by changing the tunes.
Our server Lorraine was very attentive and brought refills before we asked for them. I don’t know why Spenger’s has such a low Unilocal rating. It’s not fine dining, but it is classic kitschy fun.

Spenger’s is a Berkeley classic! But, they’ve changed ownership a couple times, so if you’re like my parents who remember Spenger’s from their time at college, things might be a little different now.
Spenger’s today is very good, but also pretty pricey. They have a good selection of both seafood and steaks, although I will admit that I was a little disappointed that their «signature» dish (shrimp scatter) is a basket of deep-​fried things… seems a little out of touch with the rest of the menu and ambiance! I went for the seared scallops and was totally stuffed on the four huge scallops they gave me. Their entrees all come with good vegetables and sides, which are really nice. The bread to start is a little uninteresting, but I’m not judging them on the free bread.
A lot of people have mentioned poor service. I’ve never experienced that here. In fact, I came in on Thanksgiving (they are open on Thanksgiving, and it was surprisingly busy!) and everyone (hostess, servers, bussers, etc.) were all incredibly nice and attentive, even though they were in on a holiday. I’ve always been impressed by Spenger’s and while I would never call it a five-​star restaurant, it’s a really good place for a nice dinner.

Food is delicious. Service, uh, may depend upon the server. Our experience:
Host, good
Food server, we waited for about ten minutes before she introduced herself.
I made it clear that my son’s order was to have no greens, yet it come out with a parsley garnish. I pointed it out, she asked if he had food allergies, I told her, «No, he has sensory issues.» So, it’s not enough that my clear request was overlooked, but, then I had to justify it. About midway through our meal, we had another 1.5 hours before our train arrived. I told her this and said we need to hang out for an hour or so, but before I could say Bloody Mary or may I see the dessert menu, she said, «You can walk. There’s lots of stores around here.» Well, this was not an option, since my son’s feet had blisters, so, I said, «No, I meant hang out here.» «For an hour and a half?», she asked. Seeing her reaction, I said, «No, just another twenty minutes.» Twenty minutes later, she was clearing our plates, getting our check. I gave the Landry’s Select Club card, which earns you points towards discounts and confirmation of its recording at a restaurant is usually by an email within ten minutes. Not only did the club credit not show on the receipt, it’s now two days later, and I still have no confirmation.
Also suspicious is the fact that her name was on the invoice, but not on the credit card receipt. First time here since it went corporate. Food was very good. Service may depend upon the server.
I have made a formal complaint to Landry’s Select Club site.

A friend’s good memories of here a couple of decades ago brought me here. This was my first time, but I hoped to claim the same experience. But so sorry, friend. This is one of those times we shouldn’t have tried to «go back».
The reviews opened my eyes to what I should expect. So I ordered cautiously. The lunch special, a cup of clam chowder and calamari steak for $ 14 was good enough for me, but not the most memorable. Honestly, I’ve had better tasting calamari, needed lots of lemon to shine, albeit very tender. The toasted almonds were nice, the lemon butter too bland and frankly not necessary. But thankfully the clam chowder was a good tasting one.
However, Mr. B’s fried oyster app ($ 12) tanked. Four, I say 4, sorry little oysters, greasy and bland, placed on a most horrible bed of goopy cole slaw. Not even close to being good, let alone overpriced. I mourned for those little oysters and their probable inferiority complex, so mistreated, so diminuative. It must have been that haughty cabbage monopoly, always trying to steal the limelight. A complete fail, so overrated, so over priced, especially when compared to my own calamari entrée.
I do have one other nice thing to say. Spenger’s is classy inside, full of old time charm. The taxidermied game fish that were mounted on the walls, the cases filled with detailed wooden ship models, very nautical interior with rich wood paneling, the elegant bar and penny tile flooring, lovely. Good job Landry’s for keeping the original location alive, now go work on the oysters.
Would I return? Nope.

I read so many negative reviews on here so when a family member invited us to meet the for dinner I expected the worst.
From the moment we walked in until dinner was done it was nothing but the best!
Service was excellent, bread, salad, entrees– all perfect! There were six of us dining and we all ordered different menu items– all of us loved our food! My salad was amazing, the steak was juicy, tender and delicious, the side fresh asparagus were fresh and prepared perfectly. My wife’s steak and lobster tail were amazing and so were all the rest of the dinners that we ordered.
I would certainly go back again!

4 words for you… DOLLAR OYSTERS ON WENESDAYS.
5 more words for you… HAPPY HOUR FROM 8PM-​CLOSING
I have been going to this place with my family since I was a kid. We would stop here every time we visited my brother’s while they were in college. I accidentally stumbled across this place after beer tasting at the Sierra Nevada Taproom down the street. Although I wouldn’t say this place has the best sea food in the world, I am very happy that that they serve dollar oysters. I come all the way from San Jose just to eat here (and have a few beers next door). Highly recommended.

Like many folks I evolved into an adult eating at Spenger’s. My kids and I would eat shrimp scampi and a bowels of clam chowder every other Friday — my pay day. I had not been into Spenger’s for 20 years and was yearning for some of that famous clam chowder.
On Tuesday, 9÷29÷14 I went into the bar and ordered a small chowder and it cost me $ 12…no problem until I got home and started eating. I found a large, thick, white broken finger nail in my chowder. OMG! it was so gross. I immediately called and spoke with the manager Anthony. I told Anthony I wanted to come in the next day and get my money back.
When I arrived and talk with Anthony he looked at the finger nail but didn’t keep it to show the chef tossing it onto the floor. He stepped away to get my money and when he returned I asked him why he didn’t keep the nail for evidence. He told me, «I said I would take care of it», in an anger tone.
I asked him why he was angry. Not only was Anthony rude but he did not offer any apology. This place is GARBAGE and the health department need to be made aware.

As a kid, this was the place to bring my date to make me feel all grown up. As an adult, I’ve visited this place a few times only to be dissappionted with the quality of the food. The focus seems to be mainly on the nautical theme.
With no exaggeration whatsoever, very recently we visited Spengers for lunch. First thing I noticed about the menu were the prices. One word, Overpriced! I ordered the lunch special of Clam and Mussel Linguine. I’m not one to send food back but after this incident I may start. The clams and mussels were miniscule, smaller than a dime.
The linguine was very dry and very salty! I ate it because I was hungry. I’m sorry I did. It was so salty, that I’m convinced it was the cause of the migraine that I got within 30 minutes. I don’t normally get migraines but I did after eating there.
That will be our last visit.

Taking a walk down memory lane with my Dad at Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto! We used to meet our best family friends here for dinner and drinks when I was a kid. It’s definitely changed and these reviews are TERRIBLE, but we had a GREAT TIME and the food was YUMMY! I don’t know why they have such bad reviews. Maybe it’s because everyone remembers it from before and doesn’t give it a fair shot as what it is.
It felt cute and cozy in one of their little booths. We tried the Shrimp Kiss to start, Dad had the Fresh Halibut and I had the Seared Sea Scallops [pictured above]. The fish was a little dry, but my scallops were sweet and tender! It can be a little expensive, but the food was fresh and delicious.
It wasn’t very busy and our service was prompt and attentive. I’d like to try their Happy Hour like everyone says!
Overall a great night out with my Daddy!

Where to begin just left. Spengers is a historic icon for Berkeley. In its day it was host to the glamorous and famous. Have been taking my family there for 25 years
It was sold to Kuleto group they spent a lot of money on refurbish and remodel. Now it sits a mere shell of what it was Today a normal bad day. Sat at bar with family. Slow service, poor drinks, flat beer, flat tonic. Mentioned to manager for the day said he would check on it and went to the kitchen to hide. Noticed people banging into locked exit in front. Checked rear exit locked also just a small violation of fire codes 2 of 3 exits locked. Found manager (still hiding in kitchen). Hope he unlocked them. I digress 2 stars only for happy hour taco’s and hamburger very good. Oh forgot restroom a total disgrace

Service: Fast, great waitress!
Ambiance: Loud, but okay.
Overall experience here was great, but food was not. Food here is not worth the price you pay. Food tasted as if you were at a fast food restaurant. Heres my breakdown of the food me and my family got:
Cornmeal Catfish (20 $): Catfish was soggy, fried skin was peeling off, no flavor.
Captain’s Platter (20 $): Fried Cod, Shrimp and Fries. Was the only thing that was okay, but for 20?! Your better off at Popeyes
Black Medallion with Stuffed Shrimp (30 $). Steak was dry and no flavor. Same goes for the shrimp, not worth it.
The Scatter (20 $): Same as Captains platter minus fish. Again, better off at Popeyes.
Stuffed Salmon (30 $/?)n: If you got this far, you already know what to expect. No flavor, no good.
Would not recommend. Never coming back.

Spenger’s has been a Berkeley landmark off I-​80 on University Avenue. The property originally housed the Spenger’s fishing business and family home since 1890 and a restaurant was added in the 1930s and has been expanded to its present state. The 2001, the Spenger’s was designated as a City landmark.
From the outside, the building is plain except for some nautical fixtures as a prelude as to what’s inside. The interior is fairly large and is decorated in a nautical theme, with model boats, pictures of fish and several large mounted swordfish. Our group checked out the menu and ordered the following for our lunch:
Fried Calamari Frito Misto — Yes, it is frito misto so the dish contained onion rings, sweet potatoes, and zucchinis. So considering it was not a pure calamari dish, the price might be on the higher side.
Blue Crab and Corn Chowder — nice presentation. Tasty with a good amount of crab
Mussel and Clam Fettuccini — black pepper fettuccini with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and Boursin Cheese crostini. The clams and mussels were cooked well and well-​seasoned dish.
Flamed broiled cheeseburger with fries — Nothing special about this cheeseburger.
Overall, service was efficient and friendly for our group of eight. Food was good depending on the items ordered.