Headed up to La Jolla for a family fun day with the besties on Sunday, and they suggested eating at El Pescador. We have never eaten here so that's always a plus to us so we entered ............
Spanish for The Fisherman, El Pescador first opened its doors in Del Mar in July of 1974 by a 19 year old surfer named Jeff Norris. He only sold raw seafood until the locals wanted more options. The business boomed and in 1985, they opened on Pearl St. 30 years later they are still booming and looks like they are moving across the street to a larger space with hopes of possible liquor sales.
We got there a little early, so at the suggestion of the counter guy we ordered some clam chowder while we waited for our sandwiches. It looked delicious ,but was actually kind of bland. You could taste the potato and clams ,but it could have used salt or maybe more bacon. After the addition of some always helpful Cholula, it seemed better but still missing that special clam chowder-y-ness.
This picture sums up my feelings about these sandwiches. Can you see the fish? Exactly. Tons of places suffer from over addition of toppings and its sad. The lettuce, tomato, sauce, and avocado are welcome additions to any sandwich, but when they mask the flavor of the protein that they are meant to enhance, it's a real shame. The fish( you have many choices, the wife chose halibut) was nicely grilled and tasted very fresh. They also use a nice fluffy Mexican torta style bread that works well with the flavors.
I should preface this section with the thought that I love soft shell crab. I went with baited breath for those lovelies to come into season. So with that in mind I may have jinxed myself with getting excited about seeing them in the glass display and getting them on a sandwich. Thoughts of soft, crackling sea beasts bursting in my mouth. Their tender insides squirting out and mixing with creamy avocado and soft bread making my mouth salivate. That didn't happen so much. These tiny, delicate creatures looked as if they had been smooshed on the grill by an ape hand. Their fragile legs charred as if the were dancing on the devils grave. Gone was the briny taste of the sea in the mustards ( crab guts and brains) replaced with a chlorinated taste of poor quality salt, not to say they use poor quality salt. That's just a reference for you to get what I was tasting. To add to the sad farewell of these noble creatures, they are also outweighed by the accoutrements that were placed upon them. Too much sauce ( mayo or mayo based) and too much avocado , which I usually wouldn't say ,but when paired with the over abundance of the sauce made for a creamy, fatty, richness avalanche in my mouth. Those little blue bastards never had a chance.
I always give a place two chances. Whether it be service, ambience, food , or just plain bad vibes, I always go back one more time to see if I can be wowed. While not a stellar showing by the boys at El Pescador, I will return one day for round two.
Some interior shots. Small place with limited seating.
Maybe that's why the focus was off our food
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