House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer: The Name Says it all!

Laguna Beach has a new restaurant in town, and this Newbie has finally found a place to call her hometown bar! The House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer, a new establishment in Laguna Beach, has it all: great food, LOW prices, ocean-view, locals vibe and of course....fresh fish and cold beer. Can you ask for anything else?

The House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer opened 7 weeks ago. On Friday, my husband, Scott, and I decided to head on down to the beach to check it out for ourselves. Obviously, word spreads fast in this town. The place was filled! Families munched on huge plates of fish, kids colored place mats, singles mingled at the bar and couples eyed the extensive beer list and dipped into appetizer bowls.

We smiled instantly. "This looks like our kind of place," Scott observed. I nodded in agreement.

The smiling hostess showed us to a table on the indoor patio, that served as a perfect vantage point for the setting sun (pic of view below), the town of Laguna Beach below and the activity all around us in the dining area and bar (common, you know a little people-watching is always a Must when vacationing! ;) ).

We started out by ordering the Appetizer Special of the Day, a Hamachi Collar Bone fish selection, that came out hot, presented with a savory Asian sauce and scallions. The fish was light, moist and flaky. Ok, let me correct myself, we started out ordering beer, then we ordered our appetizer :).

The beer list is extensive, both bottled and on tap. I choose a beer with hints of strawberry and Scott gets a Chimay Triple White Ale, followed by a Kona Longboard Loger. The selections are unique to other spots in town, and true to name, are served Ice Cold. There is even an organic beer section. Go House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer! And for those of you who aren't so inclined to hoppy beverages, their is also a full bar, with lots of fun sea-themed specialty drinks.

Scott and I make short order of our Hamachi. At absolute insistence from our server, who is so passionate about the fish dishes its hard not to take her advice, we also order a half scoop of the Ahi appetizer. It comes served raw with a spicy soy, finely chopped onions, seaweed and won-ton chips for scooping. YUM! The combination of the ingredients make for a savory mouthful. I will come back for this appetizer alone!

Not long after our appetizer plates are cleared, two giant plates emerge from the kitchen. Wild Sea Scallops, fresh from Bedford, Massachusetts are set in front of me. A plate of Opakapaka is sat on the wooden tabletop in front of Scott. The seafood comes served alongside abundant portions of rice (he chooses potatoes instead) and grilled veggies. We cannot believe the size of the entrees for the price! The chef makes the seafood according to order: broiled or blackened. We both opt for the spicy blackened. The kick of spice that doesn't overpower the fresh, grilled-to-perfection taste of the seafood ( I can vouch for both, cause I stole a bite!). The dishes are delicious.

We finish the night off with dessert. The choice is hard: I narrow my selections down to Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, Carrot Cupcake or the "Adults Only" Beer Sunday. I settle on the exclusivity of the sunday and am happy with my selection. The cute concept is chocolate ice cream served with a glass of Raspberry Framboise. What girls doesn't want to end a meal with chocolate and raspberries? It's the perfect last bite to a perfect night.


If you're looking to scope out a REAL locals treasure and have a tasty/fun dining expereince without breaking your wallet, House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer is the place to head! The House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer hosts a weekday happy hour for dine-in only, 4:30-5:30pm, with ridiculously low $3 dink and grub specials! Live music on Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 9:30 pm. Take a look around while you're there, chances are you'll see me there! To make reservations, visit www.houseofbigfish.com!