SALT Fish House in Arcata

Every single time Ive gone, they were closed an hour or more earlier than their site says. Ive tried to go 4 times and each time theyve been closed super early. How am I supposed to support a local business if they arent open? No tips from me 😂

Mediocre at best. Pretty cool atmosphere. Very hip looking place. Prices would lead you to believe you were going to get higher caliber food. I have eaten there several times now, and only once enjoyed my meal. My raw 20 dollar smash burger that I specifically asked to be well done (because they use Cisco systems ground beefthat took 45 minutes to make for some reason was the last straw. Never going back. The wait staff was friendly, and I felt bad for them having to deal with customers receiving high priced sub par food. Cant be fun. They didnt make me pay for the burger thankfully!

I can’t remember that last time I had this dissatisfying of a dinner experience. The Seared Scallop entree was $30 and was 3 scallops with some burnt pancetta pieces. Salt’s portions have never been amazing but this felt price-gougy. I know how much scallops cost at the Co-Op.I couldn’t taste the Mezcal in a Mezcal Margarita, I honestly believe there was half a shot in it. And it ended up being $16, $2 more than their specialty cocktails.This place has gone way downhill. As an employee at Hotel Arcata, we will no longer be recommending Salt to any of our guests.

My new fav place in Arcata. Great oysters! A variety of three to choose from. You cant go wrong with anything you order. They have great cocktails and can make any into a mocktail. Decorating is amazing. Would for sure take a date here.

Very bouchie ...the portions were disappointing since the menu is really pricey our service was awsome. I would say great place to impress a date or business venture. But if your hungry not so much

i order tuna burger it was delicious, this place just becomes one of my favorites a little slow to bring it but it was worth it ,great service too

Cozy atmospheric upper class resturaunt right in the heart of town, great oysters and cocktails!

The two upsides to our experience at Salt: the cocktails and our server.However, the food was a major disappointment. The “house made tomato sauce” for the calamari makes it taste like you’re dipping your calamari in tomato soup.. no thanks.The summer rigatoni should just be completely scrapped off the menu. Completely dry, gritty and flavorless. I would understand the lack of sauce if it was compensated with olive oil or a melty cheese. Instead we spent close to $60 alone on two plates of pasta that we couldn’t even eat.I was really looking forward to eating here. The atmosphere is beautiful, our server was some of the best service we’ve had in town, and my cocktail was delicious. I wish I left feeling like I could recommend this restaurant to others.

Great atmosphere but our scallops were undercooked, calamari was rubbery & clam chowder...literally did not have 1 chunk of clam in 2 bowls! Not horrible but for the price, definitely disappointing

Great location and great service. We had the cioppino which was excellent. We sat outside under heat lamps and were very comfortable.

I was absolutely enthralled with my experience at Salt for the second time at their new location in Arcata under the head Chefs. We had the pleasure of dining with one of the head chefs Kaitlyn Smith and got to enjoy many of the delights from the menu in which she selected. I also got to learn about her approach to recipes and ingredient sourcing which was really exciting. The ambiance was very relaxing and the service was great. Absolutely would recommend to anyone that loves seafood!

Accommodated us as walk ins. Server was attentive. Chowder was tasty. Octopus was disappointing as it was flavorless and over cooked. Baked oysters were very delicious.

The restaurant has a wonderful outdoor seating area and an excellent wine list. The seafood is great because they feature local catches.

Summer rigatoni was very dry and crunchy! We asked for bread and it was never served. The scallops were nice but not great.Tomato salad was good.

Good food. My 10 year old daughter, the clam chowder connoisseur, believes that they rank higher than Spinners out of Gold Beach. Which is really saying something coming from her!

Stopped in for an early dinner, Derrick our waiter was terrific. Food was ok, scallops delicious but pricey and very small portions. Oysters also miniscule, clam chowder was good. Glad we tried it , will probably not go back though

Best calamari, house sauce. Cocktails are legit all day. Couldnt find a better spot!!!

Two thumbs up for the Smoked Steelhead Dip!

Looks upscale, and the wait staff tries for upscale. But the food - mediocre. Service - above average but nothing special. And when I asked for pepper on my salad, the waiter dropped off a little pepper shaker. Wheres the fresh-grated pepper, applied by my wait person? All of this would have been okay if the price hadnt been so high.

Not cheap, but well prepared.I’d say it’s worth the $$$.

Wow, I was blown away by how good the clam chowder was. The perfect balance between creaminess and broth. The contents inside the clam chowder are perfectly cut in size and very flavorful. We were tempted to order two quarts of it because it was just that good!The fish and chips on the other hand.. It was pretty mediocre. It wasnt bad, but the breading was not crispy at all and the fries were very soggy as well. Maybe it could be because of the to-go container it was in? Either way, it was not very satisfying.

We got fish n chips and fish tacos. They were excellent. Fish tasted fresh and drink options were nice too. Great atmosphere, solid service. Did not disappoint!

Omigod, this place is wonderful. The oysters are exquisite. The fritto miso was perfect. Hot and crispy and delicious. Im so happy Im moving to Arcata!

I couldn’t believe how disrespectful the staff was this evening. I have never had this kind of experience in an upscale restaurant before. I don’t think I will ever be recommending this place again nor going here anymore. This is nothing like what you’d expect in a nice restaurant. I only saw beautiful advertisements of this place with you and the local bank and am disgusted by how I was treated. Please advise. There’s no room for a place like this to be in Arcata if that is how they treat guests. Never again.

I had high hopes for this place given the location, ratings, look, etc. I must say that I wasnt blown away by anything. The service was decent, a bit slow. The food was decent, but overpriced. Overall, it wasnt bad, but I wish we would have picked somewhere else to eat.

Drinks,food, service excellent. Enjoyed new York steak,calamari and mixed vegetables. Bar knows magical concoctions...clean.great time. Highly recommend this gem.

Nice modern decor and environment. Well presented and prepared food. Can be a tad pricey, but thats too be expected at a higher caliber establishment.

Just had a drink there and it was amazing. Got to talk to Katie, one of the manager, and she was awesome. Super kind and friendly. The owners are great as well

We were staying in Arcata one night and needed a good place to eat. Salt Fish House served us well. The food was amazing, cocktails absolutely perfect, and the service and atmosphere top notch.I would recommend a visit to this trendy, delicious restaurant if you are in the area.

The poke bowl was good. Not sure anything else was worth the price though. If you just want crab and oysters sure, but otherwise kind of bland and plain.

Food was fresh. Drinks were tasty. Great customer service. Nice atmosphere.

Wonderful indoor & outdoor dining, great seafood, fish tacos, fish & chips, and more. Great customer service, excellent outdoor seating for lunch and dinner, outdoor heating too!

Hate to say it but very underwhelmed by this spot. Service was friendly but inattentive. Poor cleanliness. The food was hit or miss, and a bit overpriced. We sat outside because we had our dog with us. The table was still dirty when we were sat and didn’t get silverware, napkins or sharing plates until after our food arrived - which we had to ask for from the food runner. Also the floor underneath the table wasn’t cleaned prior to us being sat, and besides food and trash, I found a piece of broken glass. Would recommend sweeping underneath tables especially when you know the next guests have a dog with them.On a more positive note, their heat lamps kept us very warm and the XO fried rice was great!

Went to the Ace across the street and decided to stop in for lunch. I had a cup of clam chowder and the fish & chips.Service was great and friendly and the food was fantastic.The clam chowder was a bit different than Ive had before because it had peas and carrots in it, but it was great nonetheless. The sourdough bread was good too, not sure if its sourced or made in house, but delicious.The fish and chips were also good. I typically dont use tartar sauce because I dont like the taste, but theirs was so good that I ate tartar sauce for the first time.My only complaint is the thin cut fries. The flavor was really good, but hard to grab and eat with my big hands when theres tiny cuts, but thats just a personal preference.

I’ve been here for lunch and dinner and I think they are a great place for lunch, it doesn’t get too busy and the menu is not as expensive as the dinner one, although they have less options. For lunch I always order shrimp cocktail, even though is not on the menu 😉. The fish tacos are really good, the order comes with 3. The ceviche tostadas are very tiny and do not taste like real ceviche but the fish is fresh and they could be a good option if you are not too hungry. They have Scrimshaw on tap. Bloody Maries have good flavor but they are served in a small glass. Staff has always been great. The patio is a nice option for a drink on a sunny day. Nice bathrooms.

Expected more from this restaurant. We now live in the SW, but are spending a few weeks here to enjoy the coast. We spent much if our lives in the NW so we know good fish. Not so much at this restaurant. Our friends fish in the fish sandwich was not cooked well.The fish( and chips )we had was not hot all the way through. I just wonder if it was precooked and battered then heated up in some way. Wait staff nice.

Went with my family, and everyone was impressed—even my brother who is a picky eater. Food: delicious flavors, unique combinations, and plated with a sense of design. Recommend the octopus and the stone fruit salad. Besides the calamari and the bucatini with clams, not really a kid-friendly menu. Service: the servers were helpful and friendly, the hostess found a table for us indoors instead of outdoors. Space: wear warm clothes. Good for COVID-19 as the inside is well-ventilated as it is opened to the outdoors from two sides. The outdoor patio has metal chairs and is not heated, I would not have chosen a reservation for the patio if I had known.

SALT is a refreshingly innovative fish house. They are not serving the same fish & chips or fish tacos as every other place on the West Coast. Here you will find fun and playful takes on seafood. I very much enjoyed a smoked albacore pate, and a very well seasoned seared scallops. I will definitely be returning next time Im in town.

Everything we had was good to great - Seafood Tray, Scallops, Chowder (amazing), Octopus, Shrimp Toast (a little sauce heavythen the Palomish and Green Surfer (amazing as wellfor drinks

I love this place. I’m the official chef at home and I really don’t like to go out for dinner and get something I can make myself easily. This place is a rare finding where I could enjoy the food and feel that I’m having a very special meal.

Upscale open and lovely decor, good food friendly staff. Oysters very tasty.

Definitely the kind of place that you need to make reservations otherwise youre sitting on a bar seat by the doors. The cocktails and beer selection is quite extensive. Also noticed that they had a good selection in of proper Japanese whiskey. Ordered the oysters on the half shell to start. The kale ceasar salad had fresh ingredients but you look on didnt taste the dressing too much. My husband ordered the clam chowder which he enjoyed and hes not a chowder fan. I should have ordered the same. He ordered the fish tacos and I ordered The Chilean sea bass.He ordered the Eel River Blonde while ordered the Paloma (ishmade with a local white whiskey instead of tequila.We had two bartenders helping us. One was in training and didnt share the specials which would have made my husband pick the special.They had 3 dessert options which didnt paprika so I had a port instead. Luckily, Humboldt Pie is a close walk and so we had that instead.

Excellent food and great service! Love that they source seafood sustainability so don’t be disappointed if they don’t have your first choice! We got the oysters, Chilean sea bass (substituted for the halibutand the shrimp mole with polenta and kale. Everything was delicious. We will definitely go back!

We had a good meal with attentive service. They have some very good wine choices by the glass that are reasonably priced in my experience.I would recommend making a reservation in advance of your visit - they were busy when we were there and every time we passed by.They also appear to be building a patio section out front, so you might soon be able to enjoy more space and outside dining on nice days.

It was absolutely amazing. The seafood was perfect & the staff were all so friendly

This place had the potential to be really great. The recipes seemed interesting and the food tasted good. But there was dirt on the salad greens and all of our dishes were served cold.It was the end of the night on a holiday weekend, so they were super busy and Id cut them some slack, except our pretty disappointing meal for two still cost me 100$.For that price tag you have to do better. It wasnt worth it and I left frustrated.

Loved this place so much we tried to come back the next day! The food is freshhh and delicious! Happy hour deals were great and highly recommended. It seemed to fill up fast, and had no tables available the second day we tried to come by, so reservations to be sure. Nice selection of local beers and drinks. Fast and attentive service from the wait staff. Cute decorations and vibe with table and bar seating. Wish this place was closer as Id be there all the time!

When I received my dinner I resisted the urge to say something. $25 for one and I mean one crab leg. No other sides or anything. Spent $50 here on one crab leg, two drinks, and a small side salad. Dressing for the side salad was awful. One glass of wine and a coors to drink. Crab is served “chilled” basically so they can precook it and don’t have to cook to order. Served with a cold “butter” that is somehow magically completely liquid cold but is still butter and taste awful. Cocktail sauce taste like spicy ketchup. Crab was barely edible. I was so excited for this place and it was an expensive, colossal let down. Service was good and restaurant interior is nice. I would recommend going somewhere else for dinner.

Delicious food and wonderful service. The fish and chips where amazing. The fish was moist and the batter was crisp but not grease soaked. Fries where well seasoned and just crispy enough while not being shoestring style.

Wonderful experience. Great service from our waiter. Husband had a delicious lemon drop martini. Grilled octopus appetizer was great. It was my birthday and I received chocolate chunk cookie with salted caramel ice cream and Carmel sauce.