TJ’s Seafood Market

This is our go to healthy lunch place. The fish is so fresh.
We always have great service here. Friendly and knowledgeable. They always know what the best thing on the menu that day is.
Do yourself a favor and try the smoked salmon board. It’s huge and really delicious.
Although the fish gets top billing here, try the tacos. The braised pork is unbelievable, and the fried fish with coconut in a lettuce wrap is awesome.
We come here pretty much weekly.

On the Dallas Eater 38 list (as of May 2016)
I was in the mood for a lobster roll, so decided to pick up my dinner from TJ’s Seafood Market and give their version a try. I called in my order and it was ready by the time I got there. I tried:
–Cold New England Lobster Roll (Housemade Mayo, Celery, Red Onion, Bibb, on La Spiga Brioche, Served w/​Old Bay Kettle Chips, Petite/​$ 16,
): Yum– the lobster was super fresh, and the brioche was nice and buttery. The lobster roll had a great mayo/​lobster/​other ingredients ratio, and the petite was the perfect size for me. The chips were seasoned well, but since I picked up my order late, they were a bit soggy. I would definitely get this lobster roll again!
–Key Lime Cheesecake (Graham Cracker Crust, Vanilla Whipped Cream, $ 8,
): Good, but this is the fluffy version of cheesecake versus the dense and creamy version. I loved the graham cracker crust and that this wasn’t too sweet. The whipped cream also added a nice subtle touch. The key lime doesn’t have much of a bite though, so recommended for those who like a subtle key lime flavor.
Overall, I had a great meal at TJ’s, and would definitely come back for their lobster roll and to try other items. The restaurant isn’t that big, but there were a good amount of tables available. Parking was easy since I came on a Tuesday, but the lot is on the smaller side.

Gumbo review !!!
If you want authentic gumbo DO NOT GO HERE! Very watery and the roux is a negative 10. I would compare it to a watery rice seafood soup. Fresh seafood but NOT worth 12 bucks for gumbo. I wouldn’t pay 5 $ for it. Nice location in Highland park! Seattle feel inside

My bf took me here as a birthday dinner as I love seafood. I Had never been here before. We went on during the week and it was fairly empty, though all the booths were taken, so we got a table to the side. Although every other table along the side wall was empty, they seated the next party right next to us (the tables are close, you can barely squeeze in between) — so we could hear their whole conversation which was distracting and nothing we were looking forward to– so just one star for atmosphere. Overall this place is very casual– some are still in suits while others show up in hoodies.
The food was okay. I wasn’t impressed/​maybe my expectations were too high. I got the Costa Rican mahi mahi. It came with coconut rice, plantain chips and squash. The squash was wayyyyy too salty, the fish extremely spicy (I must have missed that part when looking at the menu). I like to have my food some kick to it, but not like that. So honestly, I would have liked to return my meal, but the server never showed up to check on us (despite it being slow and the server on the table next door checked up frequently). My boyfriend had fish and chips which tasted good, but hey, how hard would it be to mess that up! :) so 3 points for the food.
As hinted at previously, our server was also not great. He didn’t check in us if the food was okay (well he did, once we were pretty much done), nor did he refill any water and we also ordered after the party who was seated after us. So overall, very disappointing. Won’t be back.

Lobster rolls and ceasar salad are awesome — pass on the $ 10 bowl of stewed tomatoes they try to. pass off as Seafood Stew

This is only a review on the Lobster Roll. The Lobster Roll was ok and very expensive (26.00). IMO, the best I’ve had so far in order
East Hampton Sandwich Company (served cold but has warm butter) $ 16.00
Cousins Lobster (Cold and Warm versions) $ 16.00
Capital Grille (Cold) Don’t remember price
TJ’s (Warm) $ 26.00

What a precious little seafood restaurant!
We came in on Friday night and they only had one server, she looked like she was kind of struggling to juggle all the tables. There are only about 10 tables inside and a few outside out front. The restaurant has a fish market just on the other side of the counter from you, makes for a fun atmosphere and a very fresh feeling (don’t worry– it tasted fresh too!).
I had the crab cakes which were fantastic! I just love when crab cakes have more crab than filling– these did not lack any crab at all. Huge bites of straight crab, yum! They did come with a price– expect to pay at least $ 25 per person. The ceviche was also a hit as an appetizer.

I just paid 24.99 for a fish called Valencia. So tough my Wusthoff steak knife would not cut it.

Food 5 stars.
I am a sucker for tropical plays on fish dishes. Personal favorite at home go to is lime jasmine coconut rice. Bam on the menu, with perfectly melt in your mouth a light crisp on the outside to hold in the moisture inside happy halibut. The red fish was great too, just more grilled than I like. Lettuce wraps were a little over on the salt, but all of it was delish. They fly in fresh daily. However, nothing that was mentioned was on the board and we were rushed through ordering and wine etc. So, flowchart?
Service 3 stars.
They close at 9, and do not seem happy if you stay a minute after. Asking for the check after presenting and paying, like chill dude. Table was dirty. You touch the silverware then put it back down. Wine presentation was, actually any attention would have been nice. But we do not want to hear your life story if we have to be in and out in an hour and are trying to have a conversation that you kept interrupting. It was just overbearing.
I would go back with more time alloted. Like at Lunch! Ha!

I have been wanting to come here every since I moved to Dallas. Seafood is near and dear to my heart, especially moving from Seattle. So to stumble across a place with the freshest seafood in the Dallas area? You can bet your boots, I was excited!
This place is adorable; quaint, clean, and a vibe that’s laid back with a touch of class. We started with the shrimp cocktail, followed by the lobster roll and the trout. I’ll start with this– ALL the seafood was extremely fresh tasting! Now that’s aside, let’s get down to business…
Shrimp Cocktail– about 6 pieces of shrimp served, with a handful of dressed lettuce. «where’s the rest of it» was my first thought! Alright, fine. maybe I just need a reality check that appetizers are meant to be small.
Lobster roll– Loved how the lobster was chunky and not drenched in a mayonnaise sauce or slathered with anything heavy. In fact, I think it may have had a light drizzle of butter, but other than that, it was stuffed inside a heavily buttered brioche bun and had a few green onions a top. Again, portion size. About 5 inches in length and I still left about half the bread remaining on my plate, since the meat to bread ratio was off. I’ve had a few lobster rolls in my days that were great quality, but for a steep $ 25, I would have at least expected that to be stuffed a bit more.
Trout– Lightly pan seared and topped with a chunky tomato reduction. Less meaty than I expected (more flat than other trouts I’ve had), but still a refreshing dish!
I really wanted to LOVE this place; in fact I do love this place, the concept, their light flavors, and their quality. But, at the end of the day, I do not love their prices. I don’t know if it’s because I’m from Seattle and we can get great quality for an affordable price, but this meal put us $ 70 with no drinks… *le sigh*

I really wanted to love this place, but I just didn’t. I came here for lunch on a Saturday with my husband and mother in law. I had my heart set on the lobster roll I’d heard so much about.
There were only 3 tables seated when we arrived. Walking in, it’s a great little place and has a clean, minimal look to it. It’s a small restaurant so there were only two servers working which should have been sufficient for a place that seats no more than 30 people at capacity.
We ordered pretty quickly, and soon after the dining room started to fill up. I got the impression that the server did not put our order in right away because it took more than 30 min to get 2 sandwiches and 1 crab cake.
My petite lobster roll was very unimpressive. My plate arrived with a sad little 4 inch roll with maybe 1oz of lobster and a small portion of quinoa next to it. Even on a petite roll for $ 16 I’d expect a stuffed roll of lobster… and it was just perched on top. The roll was nice and buttery, but I finished it in about 3 bites. The quinoa was not seasoned at all. I was very disappointed.
They didn’t do much better on the crab cake. The server had raved about it, but my husband said there was no seasoning in it. Then the sautéed spinach was entirely too salty.
My MIL got a tuna sandwich, which she did not care for, but I enjoyed (and ate ½ of bc mine had been so disappointing), but then again… it’s tuna fish. I can make that myself.
Maybe the kitchen was off its game. I’m not sure. But we won’t be back.

Impeccable service. They greet you at the door, welcome you like family and offer you tons of delicious sounding options. I went for their lobster roll. The bun was buttery and soft and there were generous portions of soft, delicious lobster. I would have preferred more mayo on mine, but I think that comes with preference. The only real downside? The sandwich was itsy bitsy with a super small side (siracha cole slaw) and somehow racked up a tab of $ 20 bucks, without a drink. Still this sandwich was delicious, and proved to be a great way to indulge for the day. Next time I’ll be back for one of their daily specials so I can get more bang for my buck! Worth checking out.

This is an updated review for TJ’s. I’d like to say that my second dining experience there improved, but sadly I must report otherwise.
My dining companion has a dairy allergy, so always checks with the server to find out which dishes have dairy, and if they can be prepared without it. He asked if the mussels could be made without dairy, and the server replied in the affirmative.
My meal came out first for some reason, so I ate while my dining companion watched. My food was delicious, but I like to have the entire table served at the same time.
About 5 minutes later, my friend’s mussels came out, and he asked, «Okay, just confirming that there is no dairy in this, right?» The server said, «Oops, I forgot to tell the chef that.»
You have one job: To make sure that the customer’s order is transmitted to the kitchen. FAIL.
So back goes the plate. I finished my meal, and then it was my turn to watch as my companion ate. This was a less than satisfactory dining experience.
Simply put, the waitstaff here is sloppy. There is no excuse for this, as both times I ate here the restaurant was not at all busy, and there were fewer than 10 people eating. Perhaps experiences like these are why the restaurant is not full.
So come for the fresh fish, but don’t stay for dinner, as the service is a disappointment.

I went to TJ’s Seafood with my bf on a random Thursday night. I like how small and fresh the place feels. It almost makes me feel like I am in Maine somewhere having seafood straight from the water. It just has a clean interior atmosphere.
We had a nice server that started us off with Chardonnay and two cups of gumbo. The only bad thing was that from our two bowls, I didn’t have any shrimp and my bf only had one shrimp. I also didn’t like how thick the roux was, but that’s just me being a picky Creole from Louisiana.
I decided to go with the Crab Cakes, Cole Slaw, and Broccolini. The crab cakes were superb. They tasted so fresh and were actually real crab cakes with a lot of crab, instead of just a lot of breading. I only wish they were bigger. The broccolini was soft and delicious. I didn’t eat the cole slaw due to all of the mayonnaise.
I also had a taste of the Mahi Mahi Tacos and they were absolutely divine. The fish had a lot of juiciness and good seasoning! The quinoa salad that came with the tacos were just ok.
Overall, I enjoyed my casual, but nice dining experience here and I will definitely return! The seafood was fresh and the menu had a lot of variety.

Come for the food, not the ambience.
My halibut tacos were a pleasure with every mouthful. The red quinoa salad had a subtle but pleasing flavor, and made you feel healthy for eating quinoa (and it’s so fun to say!). The key lime cheesecake was about four out of five stars itself; nothing entirely novel, but good enough to meet expectations. I just prefer table service, and here you have to get up and order at the counter like you’re buying fish to take home, which is weird. Then you sit back down and a server will come over and take your drink orders. It would be one thing if TJ’s were priced as one might expect with counter-​service prices, but fish tacos are $ 19.00, desserts about $ 8.00, etc. I’m just not into pricey seafood that’s this casual unless I can hear the waves and taste the sea salt on my lips.

Was the food great? Oh yeah!
Do you need to sell your kids in order to eat here? Maybe.
I was feeling «ballin’ status» and wanted to splurge on a good lunch so I came to this place by myself and ordered the lobster roll and fisherman’s soup. And water…$ 35. No joke-​As soon as I left, I was hungry again BUT the food was extremely good. You can taste the freshness in the seafood and I was told that the lobsters are never frozen and get to fly 1^st class to the restaurant. Okay, maybe not 1^st class but I’m sure at least business. :P BEAUTIFUL restaurant. Small, but very beautiful.
The roll for the lobster roll was very rich and decadent and had a nice lemony taste not to mention that it was stuffed with meat. (That’s what she said?) It makes me sad that I have to refinance my house in order to eat here again but I would love to come back.
What always cracks me up about places like these is when I see families leave with food left over on the plate. The portions aren’t huge to begin with since the actual dishes are usually filled with pretty items like fennel salad with cous cous and crab cake foam or some ish, but I have to stop the ghetto in me and not 1. lecture them about wasting food, OR 2. not steal their food mid-​bite.
Maybe when I start bankin’ some more I can come here. Until then, chicken of the sea for me. :)

TJ’s Seafood Market is a fresh seafood market/​restaurant in Highland Park that is known for having fresh, daily seafood that can be purchased, taken to go, or dine in at their restaurant.
My Overall Rating — 4 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — TJ’s is a pretty unique restaurant. Daily specials are listed on their blackboard, and you find a bevy of fresh seafood behind the counter. There’s also a small dining space in the front of the restaurant in case you are dining in. It’s bright, open, and clean. However, space is limited both in the dining area as well as parking outside. It may be tough to find parking when it gets busy. ½ Star.
Service — You place your order at the counter (dine in, to go, or fresh seafood) and if dining in are presented a number. Once you find a table a separate server will take your drink order and bring out your meal. The staff is very friendly, and our servers were very efficient and nice. Drinks were always filled, plates removed and replaced with clean ones. They were great. We did have a mix up with an order that didn’t make it in, but eventually it came out, the owner/​manager took our feedback, and everything was fixed. They’re great here. 1 Star.
Food — TJ’s has daily specials, fresh fish you can cook to order, and an infamous lobster roll. You’ll find an assortment of oysters as appetizers. On my most recent visit, I ordered steamed mussels and claims. Well, they turned out to be steamed and tossed in a delicious garlic cream sauce along with some bread for dipping. It was amazing — we even ordered extra bread for that delicious sauce. I also ordered their daily special crawfish étouffée. It was just a tad salty and the crawfish still small, but still very delicious. And of course their lobster roll is excellent. When the roll is as good as the lobster, you know you have a winner. And TJ’s doesn’t take their sides lightly, their spinach & mushrooms are a perfect combination to any fish. The only negative is TJ’s is not cheap. But then again the food is tremendous quality and you get what you pay for. 1 ½ Star.
Will I Return? — Yes. The food is good enough to warrant repeat visits. You’re paying for fresh, quality seafood that is delicious. I know other DFW restaurants have better lobster rolls (as I’ve been told), I think TJ’s does so many other things well that I would return to try other items without hesitation. 1 Star.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.

For a while now I have been on a search for the holy grail… The best lobster roll in town
I love them. Dallas does pretty decent lobster rolls but I’m always left slightly slightly disappointed at the amount of fillers (mayo, celery etc)
Until I came across TJ’s seafood market.
Honestly, as I posted my fb photos of lobster rolls for my Dallas friends to see, I was told time and time again to try the one at TJs so I can’t take full credit for discovering this Mecca.
I’m no stranger to TJs but as its closer I shop at the Preston location for my fish needs. The Preston location doesn’t have an eat in area so the lobster rolls have evaded me.
Until Sunday…
Me and the hubby were in the area so decided to stop by the oak lawn location. It’s beautiful inside, modern and clean with no typical fishmonger smells. The staff seemed amused by my excitement and where happy to indulge my giddiness.
We ordered the oysters which where super fresh and delicious. The lobster roll of course was the crowning glory and boy was it GREAT.
NO fillers!!! Just full chunk pieces of lobster on a perfect (lightly) toasted bun. I wanted it to last forever. Unfortunatly I pretty much inhaled it in my excitement.
My quest is over fellow countrymen. I’ve found the holy grail… the best lobster roll in Dallas.

Not your hole in the wall seafood joint with mayo slathered lobster rolls.
Here’s the deal on the food:
What separates TJ’s from other local seafood restaurants? It has a nicer, more upscale ambiance including, cloth napkins, actual ceramic dinner plates, and silverware… opposed to paper napkins, a paper lined plastic basket or foil, and plasticware. Presentation of all their well-​made food is also gorgeous!
What separates TJ’s lobster rolls from other folks’ lobster rolls other than a higher price? It is tastier, full of buttered lobster meat, NOT slathered in mayo, lovingly placed in a warm, toasty, buttery challah roll, AND accompanied by sides of a higher standard. Potato chips? I think not! Think perfectly grilled asparagus and herb roasted potatoes… Mmmm! Just thinking of it puts me in a trance and makes me crave lobster! :-) Their grilled fish entrees are also very good and delicately cooked. Salads are fresh and just lovely!
Service and set-​up:
Here’s what you do — you walk in, order your meal, find a table (unreserved), order your drink from the server, your food/​drink are brought to you, and then you pay your server at the end. Maybe it’s just me, but at such a nice place, it is a little odd to walk up and place your order and THEN sit down at a nice table to have your food brought out. This isn’t Jason’s Deli, is it?! The first time coming here was confusing. Do I grab a drink from the cooler or sit and the waiter will take my drink order? Hmmm… I don’t know! However, I can say after knowing what to do, it’s not confusing. Service is always impeccable and the staff directs people on what to do after ordering so you don’t fumble around. I really wish there was more seating. It’s a small place. If you are bringing a few folks, call ahead for a reservation.
Parking:
You will be lucky to find a parking spot in front of this joint since it is a busy area (which I have been and did a happy dance when I got it)!!! However, you have two other options — park behind the building (which I have done) or valet (which I have not so I can’t tell you what they charge).
What it boils down to:
Come here when you are in the mood for something above an average hole in the wall which offers succulent seafood, want to impress someone (date/​family/​work), or just indulge a little. ;-)

A strip of «casual tony» blankets where Oak Lawn turns to Preston and gay bars and old apartment buildings quietly change to stately lawns and faux antiqued McMansions: you can feel the wealth.
On a Memorial Day Monday, I was craving a patio and a treat lunch and TJs was one of the few places open near my house.
I braced myself for disappointment as I ordered the $ 25 lobster roll lunch, which came with two sides. I chose asparagus and field greens.
I sat outside and enjoyed a white wine ($ 10), the cool breeze and quiet might have infused the idea of some European sea side charm into my sinful mid day meal, but everything was pretty damn good: Challah roll fresh and buttery, lobster meat clean and abundant but with some tough pieces.
The asparagus was large and cooked an emerald green with both enough crisp and tender meat. The sweetness of the dressing complimented the butter on the roll.
This was a simple European style meal where the quality of the produce is the star. TJs is better than just average, but
you pay for that edge and for the quiet ambiance of being in a rich neighborhood.
The overly toted Luke’s lobster in New York City charges $ 22 for a slightly smaller roll with just chips, less meat, but all tender morsels.
Still, we are a little lucky to have TJs in Dallas, (think a snottier Rex’s) if you
can afford a $ 40 lunch that includes one wine.
Aside:
You never know what kind of lucrative elbow you might rub in a joint like this.