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- The United States Is Home To Endless Seafood Opportunities
Summary
- Honolulu, Hawaii is one of the best places in the USA for seafood, with fresh and tasty options that are worth the cost.
- Seattle, Washington offers sensational seafood with sustainable options, making it a haven for seafood lovers.
- Chesapeake Bay, Maryland is world-famous for its seafood, particularly its crab shacks and crab cakes that are sure to impress.
One major way that cities try to draw in tourists is with their restaurants. Major cities along the coasts of the United States undoubtedly have some of the best restaurants in the world, and in particular, the seafood joints are globally renowned. Not everyone is a fan of seafood, but there are many who love to eat creatures taken from the ocean. To distinguish the best from the worst, this article brings some of the country's most incredible seafood cities along with the absolute worst.
Naturally, most of the best seafood places are found within a few miles of the ocean, which means most of these featured cities are located near the coast. Still, with that being said, there are a few entries that break this trend in both directions. It is also worth noting that the northern half of the country (both east and west) has several more good entries than the southern half - but who knows, perhaps this list will help dispel the reputation of good homemade southern seafood? Without further ado, let's dig into this list of the best and worst US cities for seafood!
UPDATE: 2023/07/28 15:17 EST BY NOAH STAATS
The United States Is Home To Endless Seafood Opportunities
This article has been refreshed with new information for each respective city and tips for those wanting to taste amazing fish while traveling. What we've noticed is that throughout middle America, many chefs and restaurants have trouble sourcing fresh, tasty seafood. Perhaps, it's better to wait until people are on the East or West Coast to order seafood meals.
25 Absolute Best - Absolute Best: Honolulu, Hawaii's Heavenly Seafood Favorites
- Honolulu, Hawaii, is one of the best places in the USA for seafood.
- Many people mention the seafood being fresh, tasty, and worth the cost.
It shouldn't be a surprise that the USA's only island state ranks very high for the likes of seafood. Much of Hawaii's delectable fruits of the sea selection is composed of a sumptuous Hawaiian staple; delicious, fresh poke - and the capital city of Honolulu is one of the best places in the state to sample this dish.
Many of the city's small takeout joints offer this tasty fishy dish, including Ono Seafood, Ahi Assassins, and Maguro Brothers, with some even serving their raw fish straight from the boat to plate. Other seafood spots in Honolulu are also worth visiting, such as the various izakayas and sushi restaurants that serve up some of the season's freshest fishy feasts.
24 Avoid - Fargo, North Dakota
- North Dakota, as a state, ranks low for quality seafood.
- Although Fargo is the largest city here: don't order fish.
Fargo may be about as far from good seafood as a traveler could possibly be while in North Dakota. With not much but rolling flat land for miles, it's understandable that North Dakota ranks quite low when it comes to seafood. Fargo may be an incredibly pleasant place full of nice people but just seafood. Fargo is the largest city in North Dakota and is home to the Red River Zoo and The Fargo Air Museum. So Fargo may be a great place to visit, just don't order any seafood.
23 Absolute Best - Sample The Sensational Seafood in The Seaside City Of Seattle, Washington
- Seattle is home to the world-famous Pike Place Fish Market.
- Sustainable seafood is on the rise here, giving people a better meal for the planet and oceans.
Seattle boasts numerous glorious seafood restaurants, with Pike Place Market being a must-visit for seafood lovers. It offers a wide variety of chunky crabs, sumptuous shellfish, hearty salmon, and more. The market and its surroundings host excellent restaurants like The Walrus & the Carpenter, RockCreek, and the renowned sustainable sushi joint Mashiko.
One of the standouts of this city is that it has a world-class seafood market downtown, giving tourists and residents the chance to purchase their fish straight off the boat. Furthermore, Seattle, Washington, is a bit of a foodie haven, with new restaurants and bars opening monthly.
22 Avoid - Pierre, South Dakota
- Although beautiful, Pierre, SD, is not known for great seafood.
- The meat here, however, is very good.
Much like its peer, Fargo, in North Dakota, travelers here are unfortunately still extremely far from any semblance of pleasant seafood. Travelers may need to settle for other forms of protein unless they want to risk stomach discomfort or worse. However, seafood aside, Pierre, South Dakota, is a rather pleasant place. Travelers to Pierre, South Dakota, may not be able to look forward to good seafood. However, they can still look forward to visiting the Cultural Heritage Center and the Flaming Fountain.
21 Absolute Best - Crab Shacks Central At Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
- Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, is world-famous for its seafood.
- Much, if not all, of the seafood at local restaurants comes from the surrounding waters.
Along the Atlantic coast are a number of top-tier seafood hotspots, and one of them is in Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay area, in particular, is notably famous nationwide as a delectable seafood hub home to an incredible number of delightful seafood restaurants that all leave hungry visitors with very little to be desired.
And tourists who arrive in summer will be in for even more of a treat; the shore of Chesapeake Bay is lined by quaint crab shacks in summer, offering award-winning crabby creations that'll make mouths water. Don't forget to try out the area's famed crab cakes either - they come seasoned and in a variety of forms, such as broiled or fried to absolute perfection.
20 Absolute Best - Boston, Massachusetts: Great Seafood Since the Revolution
- The Boston Harbor is where much of the local seafood is brought in.
- Boston is one of the most visited places in the North United States.
Millions of tourists come to Boston Harbor every year to see the spot where the Sons of Liberty exclaimed their dissent to Britain's rule by dumping crates of tea into the harbor.
The Boston Tea Party exhibit itself is pretty lame, but the harbor has other advantages. One of these is the amazing seafood that is available in Boston. Most of this food is caught right off of the coast, and almost every seafood place in downtown Boston knows how to cook it to perfection. Seafood is just one of the many things that the city of Boston has to offer.
19 Avoid - Miami, Florida Has Lost Its Seafood Touch
- Miami's seafood is often overpriced and not as flavorful as surrounding Florida cities.
- Many visitors complain the presentation of seafood in Miami is lackluster.
It's surprising that the state of Florida doesn’t have a very good reputation for its seafood. The entire state is surrounded by water, so you would think that some of its coastal cities would be able to rustle up some good grub.
According to several travel websites, the seafood in Miami is especially sad. Miami is one of the biggest cities in the state, and it is home to a diverse group of people. Under normal circumstances, this would lead to a vibrant food scene, including several great seafood restaurants. It is unknown why this hasn’t happened in Miami, but reviews of the major seafood restaurants in town are abysmal.
Dining out in Miami, Florida, is known to be incredibly expensive. Especially with seafood, many guests complain of overpricing and lackluster flavor and presentation, which is something to keep in mind. Perhaps it's better to try chicken, steak, and non-fish meals.
18 Absolute Best - Check Out the Zoo and Seafood in San Diego, California
- San Diego is known for having some of the freshest seafood in California.
- On top of food, this city boasts endless attractions, including the iconic San Diego Zoo.
San Diego just has everything. This Californian city is one of the places at the top of many bucket lists, and now "great seafood" is one extra excuse to visit. San Diego has everything that every other coastal California city has, plus a lot of really popular tourist attractions like the San Diego Zoo. It appears as if it is also a great place to go for seafood on the West Coast. There are several famous seafood restaurants in the city, and people routinely drive down all the way from LA to visit them.
17 Avoid - San Francisco, California
- Although incredibly progressive and beautiful, San Francisco's food scene lacks substance.
- Seafood is caught in the Bay Area, but many San Francisco restaurants aren't presenting it in an exciting way.
If being the most progressive city in America came with an award, San Francisco would have been in the running for the past four decades. The city is incredibly liberal, and this has allowed San Francisco to develop a bustling culture that is unique from everywhere else in the country.
The popularity of the city brings in a lot of people, who inherently bring with them their own unique cooking skills and recipes. This has led to a vibrant food scene in San Francisco, but unfortunately, that does not include a bunch of good seafood restaurants (yet!)
16 Absolute Best - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and East Coast Bias
- Philly has some of the best seafood (and cheesesteak) in the United States.
- Food is a staple of this East Coast city and will continue to dominate for the foreseeable future.
The city of Philadelphia is famous for a lot of things, but the great seafood available in this coastal city isn't one of them. Almost everyone knows that Philadelphia was an important news and shipping hub during the Revolution, but what they do not know is that this Pennsylvania city got its start as a fishing village.
Colonists would come to Philly to trade the pelts and crops that they harvested in exchange with Britain for goods and food that the fisherman pulled from the Philadelphia Harbor. A lot has changed since then, but Philly’s obsession with seafood has not.
Some of the best seafood selection comes from the East Coast. Philadelphia, PA, is known for fresh, delicious seafood menus at its restaurants, making it a perfect trip.
15 Avoid - Topeka, Kansas: Because This Makes Sense
- Although a growing metropolitan area, Topeka, Kansas, is NOT known for good seafood.
- Due to its location, Kansas often doesn't have access to fresh fish, impacting taste.
As mentioned, most of the entries on this list are from the coast. It is probably unfair to hold cities in the interior of the country to the same standards as cities that have fresh seafood harvested for them a few miles offshore, but this list would be incomplete without a passing reference to this dichotomy.
Despite being thousands of miles from the sea, many Midwest areas do offer some seafood restaurants - though many of them aren't very highly rated. Topeka, Kansas is a good example; the city is home to half a dozen seafood restaurants - none of which are reportedly very good.
14 Absolute Best - Good Southern Cooking in Charleston, South Carolina
- For home-style seafood, Charleston offers some of the best in the nation.
- Here is where people can find soul food recipes and experience a major fishing hub.
A lot of the entries on this list are from the Northeast, but now we get to move south for some old-time Southern cooking. Out of all the cities in the deep south, Charleston has the best reputation for its seafood. Charleston is the capital city of South Carolina, and it has been around since before the American Revolution.
It got its start as a major merchant and fishing hub, and not much has changed since then. Since so many fish are being brought into the Charleston harbor, it is only natural that they have a few good seafood restaurants.
Charleston, SC, offers some of the best and most flavorful seafood in the United States. With a booming fishing industry and access to water: there's nothing that can beat this charming Southern city.
13 Avoid - Houston, Texas: All Beef and No Seafood
- Although everything's bigger in Texas, the seafood is not worth trying.
- Beef/meat is better suited for this demographic/location.
It's initially very surprising to see how bad the reviews are for seafood in Houston, Texas. Houston is the largest Texas city that is close to the ocean, so you would naturally think that it would be an important center for the state's seafood industry. After giving it some thought, however, it's clear that there is no such seafood center in the state of Texas.
It would seem that because Texas is famous for its cattle industry, the state’s reliance on beef has hindered the development of other foods and recipes. This includes seafood. Therefore, it is not surprising that the seafood restaurants in Houston have such a bad reputation.
12 Absolute Best - Provincetown, Massachusetts, Off The Coast of Cape Cod
- This entire state is known for fresh, delicious seafood.
- Provincetown, Massachusetts, is one of the lobster hubs of the United States.
A lot of the entries on this list are from major cities, but big urban centers aren't always the best places to get good seafood. Sometimes, the best seafood restaurants are found in little seaside towns like this one: Provincetown - a famous gem among New England tourists thanks to its location on the very tip of an archipelago surrounding Cape Cod, and also the home of a very vibrant, open community.
Provincetown is also home to the Lobster Pot - commonly cited as one of the best seafood places in the area. It is also consistently ranked by travel sites as one of the best places to get seafood in the entirety of New England.
11 Avoid - Denver, Colorado: No Good Seafood Miles High
- Because of Denver's remote location, it can be hard to find fresh, tasty seafood.
- Colorado lacks access to most fish served in restaurants, relying on nearby states.
Cities in the United States go through trends. In the past decade, cities like Detroit, Michigan, have appreciatively declined while places like Denver, Colorado, have become significantly more affluent. As more and more people and money flood into Denver, it will have more things to offer.
One thing that it does not currently have in abundance, however, is good seafood restaurants. The Rocky Mountains separate Denver from the sea, and that has apparently been enough to keep good seafood out of the Mile High City. It just isn’t feasible for sea creatures from the Pacific Ocean to make it over these mountains and remain fresh.
10 Absolute Best - Join Stephen King in Georgetown, Maine
- Maine's expansive coastline gives its seafood some of the highest quality in the US.
- The seafood in Maine is world-renowned, bringing people from all corners of the Earth.
Despite the fact that Pine Tree State does not have any national acclaim outside what it gets for being the homeland of celebrity author Stephen King, the residents of Maine are very proud of their state. Among the many things that Maine is known for and the locals rave about, one of them is seafood - particularly lobster. There are several cities along the coast that boast good seafood restaurants, but Georgetown might be the best. On a list of the best seafood restaurants in New England, Georgetown had three of the top ten entries.
9 Avoid - New York City: The Big Apple Has Everything but Good Seafood
- Although one of the best city's in the world, NYC lacks quality seafood and affordable pricing.
- Many complain the seafood throughout the Big Apple tastes bland and lacks freshness.
New York City is the largest city in the USA, and it isn't even close. Anything that you could possibly imagine, you can get in New York City. The Big Apple has a seemingly unlimited variety of shops, tourist attractions, and restaurants. This includes several seafood places. But quantity does not always equal quality.
New York City rarely shows up on lists of the greatest seafood cities in the country, and you are much more likely to get a bad seafood place than a good seafood place in NYC. It's also been heard that some neighborhoods in New York City have better seafood than others.
Oddly enough, New York City lacks good seafood almost unanimously. Many tourists come here expecting amazing seafood only to be shocked by overpriced bland fish.
8 Absolute Best - Join the Hipsters in Portland, Oregon
- Portland has some of the best seafood in all of Oregon.
- This city is bustling with new restaurants, talented chefs, and unique menus.
When people think of Portland, Oregon, they don’t normally think about their seafood. This is a mistake. Portland is nationally renowned for being one of the super progressive cities in the Pacific Northwest, and there are a ton of vegetarian and vegan options at just about every restaurant that you can go to. This is true even in the best seafood restaurants. Even if you're not a vegetarian, it's super cool that the city's seafood places are offering some different options. According to many sources, the seafood options in the city that offer real seafood are also very good.
7 Avoid - Providence, Rhode Island: The Scourge of New England Seafood
- As one of Rhode Island's biggest cities, Providence doesn't impress with its seafood.
- Most of the good seafood restaurants in the Northeast are in Massachusetts.
It's surprising to say that seafood in Providence, Rhode Island, doesn't have a very good reputation. Rhode Island isn't a very big state, but most of the state is coastline, and Providence is really their only major city. Apparently, most of the good seafood restaurants are in Massachusetts and other parts of the northeast, so the best fisherman doesn't even try to sell their wares in Providence. The only ones that do are usually in a subpar catch, thus lowering the value of the meal. It is hard for Providence to compare with the seafood in Boston, so it looks like they don’t even try.
6 Absolute Best - Baltimore, Maryland Has One Thing Going for It
- Although a city of heartache, Baltimore is known for fresh, delicious fish.
- Because of its waterfront location, many people consider Baltimore's fish the best in the state.
As a city, Baltimore, Maryland, has unfortunately suffered a serious downslope in recent decades. Years of economic struggle and mismanagement have seriously lowered the standard of living in Maryland’s biggest city. However, despite this, one thing that they do have going for them is the great seafood.
Baltimore remains one of the major port cities on the East Coast, and there is a flourishing fishing industry along the coast of Maryland, and seafood restaurants in Baltimore take advantage of these natural resources. There are also two restaurants in the city that are consistently ranked as the best places to get seafood on the East Coast.