Pete’s Seafood and Sandwich

My boyfriend and I came here on a chilly night. He ordered the lobster bisque and paired it with a Sculpin IPA. I had a bowl of clam chowder. Great ambiance, laid back, and tasty thus far, but I have to say, where the heck is the bread bowl for the clam chowder??? I love me some bread bowls! It’s CA, yo! Should I bring my own bread bowl next time?
I’m excited to try the cubano and the other various delicious sandwiches. :D

Lobster Roll…$ 17 before tax. Had to continue my lunch at Jack-​in-​the-​Box. Should have eaten there first. Pretty good though. All lobster albeit cold. Just wish it was bigger than the fork. Some fries at least? Definitely has potential just not worth a return trip. They sell cardamon café cookies, maybe they should team up the lobster roll with some curly fries from the neighbors acronyms the corner #jbx.

Our first time trying this place and we loved it! Let me start off by saying thee best customer service ever. My family and I came by around lunch time on Saturday after seeing a lot of great reviews.
We ordered crab roll, meat loaf sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, clam chowder and a large fry.
My other half said he loved crab roll it was fresh and lite on the mayo just they way its supposed to be. The chowder was perfectly flavored with the right amount of clams in it. I had the pulled pork and it was tender and moist with tons of pork too. They were definitely not shy on the meat. The BBQ sauce comes on the side and it complemented the sandwich well. My son had the meatloaf sandwich that I was lucky enough to try and it was by far the best I’ve tried. I’m not one who likes meatloaf sandwiches but this one change my mind. We definitely will be back again.
Lastly the owner was wonderful and friendly. He made us feel at home and always checked on us. Overall the food is great and staff was fantastic!!!

Had the Lobster Roll and Fried Mushrooms for my 1^st visit and I wasn’t disappointed! The Lobster Roll tasted great, but was kinda small for the $ 17 market price. I’m def coming back to try their Crab Roll, NE Clam Chowder, and Hot Veggie Sandwiches!

I was liking check ins one day I noted one of my San Diego Unilocal buddies check in at Pete’s. I quickly bookmarked it so I could check it out on my next visit to San Diego. I decided to make this the business lunch spot for a meeting with employees. They all know the boss is a crazy foodie who takes pictures of everything he eats. They also expect some unique food for our business lunches and I know Pete’s would fit the bill.
I was excited to have their lobster roll which in pics looked great. We got in just after opening and got some good seats. The inside is nice and bright. The overall feel inside is minimalist but not in a bad way. The service is very good and the owner even stopped by our table to ensure all was going well.
So I ordered the Lobster roll and a cup of clam chowder. The chowder was creamy and had good size chunks of very tender clam. It was delicious and was devoured quickly. The Lobster Roll was amazing and I felt like I was in Maine. The roll was slightly sweet with a butter taste and just a hint of garlic. The lobster was plentiful and was mixed up with just a slight bit of mayonnaise and spices. The lobster was fresh and had such a great sweet taste. It was a welcome treat and I enjoyed every single bite.
There were four in our party so one of the guy followed suit and ordered the same thing as I did. One of the other guys ordered the Shrimp Po Boy which he said was delicious. The other guy ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I was caught off guard when he ordered non seafood item but hey he is from Yuma. He said it was also very good.
Their food is very good but I got to say the parking is a drawback. I had to park a couple of blocks away as there is no dedicated parking only on street parking which due to other restaurants can fill up quickly. I will definitely go back but will try and time it to miss the lunch rush to ensure I can find a close parking spot.

It’s not really that they don’t do what they do well. It’s just that they couldn’t make a not-​that-​picky seafood-​neutral person like me want to come back next week.
I tried:
Clam chowder — A-​OK
Lobster roll — smallish but good, meaty
Fish sandwich — fish was fried well and flaky, but overall just ok. Feel like it needed more

Local neighborhood gem the freshest lobster was lucky enough to meet Peter totally took care of us let us sample things that we are curious about the clam chowder very very traditional very very good add a glass of wine or beer)))
Well be bck. Great spot

Popped in here for lunch this week and it was totally delicious. A little on the pricey side for one smallish lobster roll and a bowl of chowder ($ 25 or so), but despite being a small «roll», it was *packed* with lobster. Overflowing, even. So I guess you can’t complain about that!
The lobster was incredibly delicious and the «roll» (a slice of toasted buttered white bread) was buttery and the perfect compliment.
The clam chowder was perfect, in my opinion. I could’ve eaten the whole bowl myself, but we split both the lobster roll (due to price, I could’ve easily eaten my own) and the chowder, served with my favorite, oyster crackers (I like how they crack open, okay?).
The presentation on flimsy paper plates must be an east coast nostalgia thing, but I really didn’t care because the food was so good.
Service was fantastic, really friendly and inviting.
I can’t wait to go back and try the fish & chips. So happy this place is nearby!

I was really excited to try this place. My husband and I got the fish sandwich, chowder bowl, and shrimp po boy. I was really tempted to get the lobster roll. The person next to us got it and wow I couldn’t believe how tiny it was and for $ 17? No thank you.
Chowder: I had high expectations only to be let down. There was the smallest amount of clams and potatoes. For $ 7 it was a total rip off. It was a small portion and still I didn’t even finish it. Major disappointment
Shrimp po boy: It was good. The remolaude was the best part.
Fish sandwich: My husband said its «not bad»
They are on the pricey side and if the food lived up to the price I would be content.

It takes a lot for me to write a review but this place is AMAZING! READ IT AGAIN, AMAZING! The lobster roll is INSANE, you eat it and instantly feel like you are on the coast of Maine. The owner Pete is one of the best parts of this incredible establishment, he makes you feel like this is your home and he seriously puts all of his good vibes and love into what he does. He imports his insanely light crispy batter from the east coast which makes all the difference, no gross greasy fish and chips here. He really let’s the proteins shine and it’s all quality.
There is good beer on draft (Ballast/​Sierra Nevada… for now) and TVs, which we are currently watching the playoffs on (Go Hawks!). You literally can’t help but smile being in this place and best part, Pete just got the permit for an outside patio!
Safe to say this is my group’s new spot!!!
You are awesome Pete, thanks for a great experience!

I absolutely loved this place!
Went there for lunch today and decided to go for the lobster roll.
I noticed one reviewer complaining about the choice of buns. Pete’s uses the classic split-​top New England-​style hotdog bun. The sides of the bun is toasted, hot and buttery. The perfect juxtaposition combined with the sweet lightly dressed lobster meat! Nothing like the type of hotdogs buns you would pick up at your local market. The perfect vehicle to transport heaps of succulent lobster meat to the old «pie-​hole»!
I chatted with Pete, the owner who told me that he grew up in the business back in Boston. I asked where he was getting his lobster and he told me that he still has a lot of connections in Massachusetts. So, the lobster, cod and clams all come from New England.
Now, the lobster is Market Price, so just ask before ordering to avoid sticker-​shock. It’s Maine lobster and it is piled high with zero fillers. Although I won’t be spending the money on a roll for lunch that often, I didn’t feel like I was getting ripped off at all. The bun was overflowing with tail meat and big honk’n chunks of claw meat. I feel like I got what I paid for. There are plenty of offerings here in the $ 8-​$ 10 dollar range which I plan on trying soon.
I ordered the coleslaw as my side and it was prepared just how I like it. Cool, crisp and lightly dressed. Not watery or mushy at all.
I have only one complaint and it’s really more of a suggestion. This place has beer on tap, but it really needs soft drinks on tap as well. When I’m on my lunch break, iced tea is my beverage of choice. Although the bottled stuff they sell is pretty good, give me a tall glass filled with ice and refills!
Good job Pete! See ya’ soon!

Awesome new addition to San Diego. I’ve recently visited Boston for New England clam chowder, and I can attest that what they have here at Pete’s is as authentic as it gets! The portions are very favorable. The seafood in my chowder was very meaty and plentiful. The soup was savory, and tasted genuine. The staff is one of the best I’ve experienced. I received great hospitality from the cashier to the server bringing me food. All smiles all around and everyone seems genuinely happy to be at work. It definitely creates a welcoming environment. The venue is very open with a decent amount of seating for a small restaurant. Don’t worry there’s seating around the corner and plenty at the bar. This place does take reservations too even though its an order at the front then take a number and seat kind of place.

Not bad. New, clean and bright atmosphere. Love how they wrote on the windows in paint to make it look like a «beach fish shop» this along with the red baskets and paper cups make it feel pretty authentic. (However you don’t totally reek of fried food after you leave the place!)
There is a few good fish and chips places here in San Diego and I think this place could be top 3. I had the shrimp po boy… It was ⁴⁄₅. Loved the remoulade and it was necessary to have it. The lettuce was perfect thin shredded. But… the bread was the wrong type. You need a half open bun not two pieces! Every bite I took half the sandwich fell out. It was a great sandwich though.
The Cole slaw was not to write home to mom about. She would be mad at me if she knew i was eating the stuff they had. Was perfect if you had it on a primanti brothers of Pittsburgh sandwich but as a 3 $ side it was not worth it!
One thing I am skeptical about is that the quality will not be the same in two months once they get their feet off the ground. Enjoy

Was so incredibly excited to try this spot!!! I ordered simply a bowl of clam chowder.
Um. B– it was just okay. Many clams, many potatoes, but not much of a ‘chowder’ consistency.
I’m still excited though, I will try other menu items and post a review when I do!

I was stoked to try out this place, especially after reading mostly good reviews. Unfortunately my experience didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
I decided on the fish and chips and a cup of course, while my gf ordered the lobster roll. Our order came out within minutes, which had me a little worried.
First off, the chowder came out nice and hot, was thick and creamy, with a decent amount of clams. The fish however, was warm at best, and the chips were room temperature. They definitely weren’t fresh, and had been sitting out a while. They also forgot to include any tartar sauce, so I had to flag our server down to get some.
My gf said her lobster roll was OK, but lacked seasoning. She also had my slaw and said it was pretty dry.
I finished my fish, but barely ate any of the cold, listless fries. I walked out still hungry and feeling less than satisfied for the amount of money spent.
Maybe we just caught them on a bad night, so I’ll probably give them another shot.

Love this place. But Pete, get some better signage!!! People need to know where you are!
I order the kid’s fish n fries (it’s just enough for me to enjoy with the chowder) whenever I come here. Fish is flakey and the tartar sauce is yummy. Chowder is fresh. Pete is always working hard, cooking up everything as it’s ordered.
Great spot for lunch. Looking forward to exploring more of the menu.

I like a good fish sandwich, and I wanted a grilled fish one, but given the are still trying to figure out which fish they want to use for their grilled version, I decided on to go ahead and order their fried version made from cod with all the fixings. I also ordered a side of pasta salad. The sandwich was $ 9 and the salad $ 3.50.
The fish sandwich came served on a lightly grilled brioche bun which was very moist and tasty. It held up well to the generous amount of lightly fried and breaded cod. The cod was very good. It could of used a little seasoning, but other than that, the fish arrived piping hot, with a light crispiness, and with tender succulent white cod inside. In a nutshell, the cod was very well prepared. The house made tartar sauce was very good, the shredded lettuce and slice tomatoes were fresh, and the that wonder brioche bun was a winner.
The pasta salad was terrific. It was cooked to a nice al dente and was served cold. I’m not sure what they dressed the salad in, but it was very good. It came with small pieces of cheese, cherry tomatoes, celery, and a great light dressing. I had the opportunity to try a sampling of their clam chowder and if you like chowder, this one is a must try. It had a very good viscosity. It was not to thick nor watery, but just right and its flavor was very good and came with tender potatoes and pieces of clams.
Another great addition to North Park!

Good place with a lot of potential. This is the 3^rd place in this spot in the last 4 years. I always thought it was cursed because it’s cut up awkwardly to be enjoyable for people to want to dine here. Well I ran here when I saw fish n’ chips, chowder on the menu and that their website is
. I grew up in Boston and have serious cravings for this kind of food.
You have to order at the counter and take a number. Not a good concept for this style of place or the way their set up. The money is in beer and wine and this set up makes it a pain in the ass to want to hang out here and enjoy some drinks. The bar is too small. I had to order a Sculpin, fish n’ chips and a cup of chowda.
Sculpin is always delicious. Wish they had grapefruit Sculpin. Chowda comes out friggin’ pipping hot and they got the cheap oyster crackers. Chowda is good, but a little thin for my liking. If they used some more heavier cream, I’d be walking down at least once a week. Clams are perfectly done. Nice big fresh chunks of clams done right. Would of liked some more potatoes.
Fish n’ chips come out next. Look beautiful. Quality fish that breaks a little too nice. Any time you stick a fork in a piece it breaks apart too easily and hard to dip. The fish was a little soggy on the outside. If they crisp it up and add a lemon wedge, they’ll be back in the game. The chips were too greasy and soggy. They looked done and darker, but I got some that were cold and under cooked. Kind of a mystery. Cole slaw was decent. Cocktail sauce was boring. Would think they’d make their own everyday and fresh with more horseradish.
They’ve only been open for 3 weeks, so I’m going to give them another month to try again. I honestly think they need to close off one of the doors and maximize this space better to make it more comfortable for the customers and knock down that wall. Just seems stiff and that long wall cutting the place in half is awkward. If they want to have that Boston/​New England experience, I’d love to see them add a fried clam basket, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches to the menu. Hopefully I’ll be back soon and bump up the stars.

It’s never a good indication that you’re going to like a restaurant whose main focus is seafood, when you open the door, and an «off» smell assaults your nose and senses. Should’ve listened to our instincts and turned back then. We didn’t and should have. Too bad we didn’t.
Having lived on the East Coast of New Jersey, we are big fans of lobster rolls. Who puts elegant lobster on a hot dog bun? Pete’s does. I suppose you could argue it’s a regional thing whether or not a lobster roll is served on a hot dog bun, but it’s not what I’ve been accustomed to. And who doesn’t serve the lobster hot and buttery, but rather — cold and exceedingly, cloyingly mayonnaised? Pete’s does. Eww.
Today’s price for a lobster roll was $ 17/​each (market price). I don’t mind paying that for an excellent lobster roll, but there was something wrong with my dining companion’s lobster roll, as well as her teensy tiny cup of clam chowder ($ 4). She normally loves clam chowder, but this one could not be eaten. It had a film over top that had to be stirred in. Eww. Further, even after 5 minutes, it was still scorching hot, no matter how much she stirred it to cool it off.
For me, getting past the cold-​mayo-​bound seafood was difficult. I ate mine anyway, even though I literally loathe mayonnaise, because at least mine was passable. Not great or even enjoyable… passable. While mine was filled with tender lobster, hers was filled with lobster that was overcooked and tough. She couldn’t eat it. She was grossed out.
I flagged down the wait staff and told them of the situation. Pete came over to say he would make a second one for her. It took literally 10 seconds to deliver «another one» to the table (which I believe was actually the same one). This second lobster roll also was tough. By then we were both over it and I asked for, and was subsequently offered my money back for BOTH the lobster roll AND the clam chowder. The clam chowder was not eaten, except that my daughter had added the oyster crackers that were provided with the chowder.
In the end, when the cashier literally dropped cash on our table (my refund), she didn’t include the price I paid for the clam chowder. I approached her at the order desk and asked her why, since it wasn’t touched, except to add crackers. Plus, she had already agreed to refund the chowder as well. She told me it was because there was nothing wrong with it. Excuse me, but there was something wrong with it. My daughter couldn’t eat it! For $ 4 you’re going to nickel and dime me?
The space is laid out very odd. We actually entered through the wrong door and were promptly greeted with «doufus» looks from both seated customers and staff. Why didn’t the designer blow out the middle wall that completely separates the 2 rooms? It doesn’t work. Whatevs. They probably saw our *crinkled bunny noses* because of the smell. Not a good start. Not a good end. In the end, the $ 17 for this lobster roll cannot be justified.
We won’t be returning.

While doing my fitness today on a 6 mile I spotted this place and did an about face whuT WHAT? I am a chick who loves fish sammiches and well they have them. AND clam chowda, my other favorite! I had worked up an appetite I think i earned it right? SURE I went for it and that was worth every damn calorie!
THE BEST FISH SANDWICH ever ($ 9). The fish was very fresh and lightly battered. It almost seemed baked there was no grease factor (bravo). The bun was a delicious brioche buttery bun and it came disassembled so to speak with shredded lettuce and finely sliced tomatoes and with a side of home made tarter to spread on to your liking. WELP I assembled that mo fo like a champ and chomp. HEAVEN i tried not to inhale it, it was so damn good. All of the factors played into the component and it was simply perfection.
I started with a small cup of chowder ($ 4) and i don’t mean to brag or anything but i have judged 3 clam chowder competitions and these guys had a damn tasty chowder. Great consistency, delicate perfectly cooked clams with NO GRIT (bravo) good tender potato ratio. These guys got sumpin sumpin going ON.
The market price lobster roll was $ 17 today just to give you an idea. Maybe next time it did look awesome.
New kids on the block you rock!