Bear Flag Fish Co.

Southern California’s gorgeous coast and popular ports guarantee year-round access to a wide range of fish and shellfish – a bounty that has fueled countless beachfront restaurants and generations of lucky customers. As one of three brands from a small local restaurant group, Bear Flag Fish Co. has three locations across Huntington Beach (Pacific City) and Newport Beach (Crystal Cove and Lido Village), a fourth planned for Costa Mesa, plus two sister restaurants called Circle Hook and Wild Taco. For nearly two decades, the mini-chain has become known for raw, grilled, and fried seafood dishes spanning traditional American, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Mexican recipes.

Bear Flag’s menu includes nearly 20 appetizers ranging from various types of sushi, sashimi, and poke ($22-$26) to a Peruvian ceviche ($18/pound), calamari ($21) or vegetable ($14-$18) salads, shrimp plates ($14-$24), sauteed clam and mussels ($17-$25), several variations on chips, pico de gallo, and guacamole ($9-$16), plus clam, fish, or miso soups ($6.25/12 oz. to $18.50/32 oz.). These prices aren’t cheap, but in the year 2025, that’s the reality of seafood – restaurant or otherwise. Various tacos range from $5.75 to $7.25 each depending on the type of fish, with burritos at $13.25 to $16.25, and grilled seafood plates running $15 to $19 for either 1/3 or 1/2 pound of fish. Grilled shrimp ($18-$28), seafood salads ($14), and seafood sandwiches ($15) are also available, plus a small selection of beers, hard seltzers, and sakes.

Before discussing individual dishes, we feel compelled to note that we didn’t like the Bear Flag service experience in Huntington Beach. Without using tablets or smartphones, guests line up at a front counter, order verbally (and using paper and pens for poke bowls) from hanging menu boards, then bring back a numbered sign to await their meals at outdoor or indoor tables of their choice – old-school, but fine. Putting aside the challenges of ordering from an overhead menu, our cashier showed no enthusiasm for ringing up orders, made no effort to suggest or sell drinks, and didn’t point out that guests need to grab their own napkins and plastic utensils before their meals arrive. Practices like these are poor for any restaurant, leaving customers without items they would have wanted, and businesses without additional revenue. Thankfully, our food didn’t take long to arrive, and after going through the ordering process once, we would be better prepared for a second visit – assuming we wanted to return afterwards. (Our dining experience didn’t improve when parents at an adjacent table blew vape smoke in their kids’ faces and loudly carried on about their mullets, but those were more Huntington Beach issues than Bear Flag’s.)