We asked Bay Area Fish Market guests to share the memories they’ve made in our restaurants over the last 47 years. We were amazed by the outpouring of reflections, special moments and good times guests reached out to have recognized. We posted just a small selection to social media, but the full collection of memories shared for our Palo Alto location, and for previous locations like San Jose, Santa Clara, and Phoenix, are shared here.

Thank you to every guest who not just shared a memory, but who choose to make memories with us. It’s been our absolute pleasure to serve you.

Memories are alphabetic by the first letter of the name provided. Did we miss or miscategorize your memory? Email us at [email protected] to have it corrected. Please note San Mateo Fish Market Memories will be shared on a separate blog post.

Abbie Dorosin

Fun, welcoming and casual place every time! Reliable Louie every time! A Palo Alto institution that 3 generations of our family has enjoyed! Thank you!

Menu Favorite: Crab Louie

Akira

Ever since I moved to the Bay Area, The Fish Market has been one of my favorite local restaurants. I’m so sad to see that the restaurant is closing.

Menu Favorite: Cioppino and Louie Salad

Alan Mela

Living in College Terrace, Karen & I briefly knew the building when it was Uncle John’s Pancake House.

For a planned money-losing proposition, it’s been a long & wonderful affair.
Daughter Elizabeth grew up with you – favoring any food as long as it was pink. Her go-to was pasta con nova (until she discovered lobster).
Somewhere I’ve a photo of her at 2 just after burying her face in a slice of cheesecake …
Nathaniel’s tastes were simpler – pasta.
Ours ran the length and breadth of the menu – always excellent!

A whole lot of us always congregated there after games – and for any other occasion, or none at all.
Attached – the after-party for a classmates 70th birthday a couple months ago.
And Gift Certificate #0001.
Somewhere I have manager Thomas Fisher’s business card – redeemable for a free meal.

Been good to know ya!
Al

Alan Ratliff

My family would come and celebrate and bring our own angel food cake for birthdays and anniversaries. It was such a great place for many generations to celebrate together.

Thank you for all the gluten-free accommodations. It is what kept us coming back as well as all the friendly staff. My family will miss this place and all the beautiful memories we had here. Thank you so much for all your years of great service.

Menu Favorite: White fish and sides with veggies

Alicia Terry

Our family frequented the Fish Market for birthdays and other special occasions. As kiddos, we graduated from the fish-shaped pizza to enjoying actual fish dishes! Lots of wonderful memories at the Santa Clara location (and too many pictures to count in front of the big fish sign)!

Menu Favorite: Pacific Red Snapper!

Amy Sakai

I used to live in Palo Alto and worked at Stanford University Hospital. My parents would come up to visit and brought my nephew with them to visit. We would always eat at the Palo Alto Fish Market. Mom loved the shrimp and crab Louie salad which was huge plus the sourdough bread.
They are both gone now but I brought Mom up to eat there a few years ago. Thank you to you and your warm, friendly staff for the wonderful memories.

Menu Favorite: Pasta con nova and an artichoke

Angela Lee

Going to lunch with girlfriends and dinner with boyfriends 🙂

Menu Favorite: Berry Limeade Spritz, Crispy Fish Tacos, Ahi Poke

April Robinson

I’m am soooo sorry to see you go! Been coming weekly since you opened! Best restaurant in Palo Alto esp missing Lyla and Henry…❤️

Menu Favorite: Shrimp salad, everything!!

Barry Feldscher

I’ve had many memories over the years but I think this one stands out. These pictures were taken in Santa Clara during the Pandemic but after it reopened. “Hairy” loves and is loved by Charmy and Debbie.

Menu Favorite: Rockfish with French fries and coleslaw

Becky Peters

I started working at the Fish Market Palo Alto in my senior year of high school. Worked in the market, salad bar, as a hostess and cashier. Promoted to waitress and worked through college while commuting to SF State. I lived off-campus so my coworkers were my friends. We went on wine country tours, toured Anchor Steam Brewery and enjoyed many a holiday party together. The Fish Market has always been my favorite place to celebrate birthday meals, a rehearsal dinner and a delicious meet up with friends.

Bob and Mona Holloway

Patty, Debbie, Kathryn, Charmy, and Lisa – our “girls” that took such good care of us at the Santa Clara location! We miss them so much!!

Back in 2016 when my wife, Mona, was going through chemo and suffering terribly, they sang “happy birthday” to her while I recorded it on my phone so I could show her, since she couldn’t get out of the house during her treatment.

We’ll always remember the kindness of everyone there – from the hostesses to the servers to the very kind man who would clear our table after we ate! Our hearts are sad because of the entire NorCal restaurant closing, but we have wonderful memories that will last all our lives!

May God bless all of you who showed kindness and care to all the “family”!

Love,

Bob and Mona

Menu Favorite: Alaskan Halibut

Bonnie Marie

I loved stopping by Fish Market Del Mar for lunch on a fun day at the beach. Nothing could be better to me than sunshine, surf and great food from the sea!! #LoveMyFishMarket

I choose the Original Fish Market (Palo Alto) to celebrate my one year heart and kidney transplant anniversary with my Mom Margie!! Stanford is keeping me alive and Fish Market helps me celebrate!!

Menu Favorite: Fish and Chips Combo Plate

Capt Ron

So many memories. I began patronizing The Fish Market Restaurants at the opening of the San Jose location years ago. I visited the Fish Market at least 3 times a week. I loved their oysters. I had a different relationship, myself being on the board of The Salvation Army, when The Fish Market Restaurants was very active supporting non profits. Those included The Salvation Army, local churches and school’s fundraising. At Rita Ledesma Grade School in South San Jose they provided their awesome Clam Chowder along with their tasty bread. They did this three years in a row that I know of. On two different occasions for The Salvation Army, they furnished the food for a buffet style dinner and [also] the employees to serve it to 200 attendees. A year or so later they provided The Salvation Army with 200 prepared and packaged Shrimp Cocktails at no charge. What more could you ask for than a Fish Market that goes that extra mile within the community. I can tell you The Salvation Army was so thankful as without expenses, we could take 100% of the proceeds to help those left fortunate. We were able to provide for more beneficiaries because of their generosity. They were my favorite Restaurant from their opening to close. Thank you to The Fish Market Restaurants.

Menu Favorite: So many. Loved Hamachi Kama, their Sushi and Sashimi. The fish was always FRESH.

Charles Prael

Been going to the Fish Market since I was just a kid – about the time they opened, as I recall. As others have said, FM was a place to celebrate life’s milestones – we did my 30th birthday dinner in San Diego after a bowl game. Gonna miss you guys. We’ll have to road trip to San Diego or Del Mar.

Menu Favorite: Duckett’s Buckett

Christine

So sad to hear that this awesome place is closing, we will miss the great friendly staff, stress relieving view and our comfort foods

Menu Favorite: Oysters Rockefeller

Christopher Seabrook

Born and raised in Palo Alto. My favorite restaurant, hands down. So many memories. Eating here for the last time is like visiting a dying friend . . . It’s a tragedy what’s happened to the modern world. So long friend…

Menu Favorite: Warm water lobster tail

Clements Family

Our go to family night out place with always quality service and quality food. Seeing our kids grow up and being adventurous with all the menu items and doing our oyster shots to cap it off.

Menu Favorite: Baked Oysters and Duckett’s Buckett

Darcy Huston

We are parents of 3 daughters and have shared many family meals here for birthdays and other celebrations. Although the girls are all in college now, we will miss the family atmosphere we had here.

Menu Favorite: Shrimp & bacon skewers

David Bertelli

I sadly read that The Fish Market will close.
I worked for a company based in Cupertino, CA, close to this restaurant. Me and several of my colleagues spent very good time there and I always recommended this place to the ones that were traveling to the Silicon Valley.
Thanks for all of those years of wonderful memories.
From a brazilian friend.

Menu Favorite: Fresh Seafood Cioppino and Clam Chowder

Debbie Corazzelli

After a 19-year marriage ended in 1998, I was single again, but hoped, as many of us do, at a second chance at love. It didn’t happen overnight, but in the summer of 2007, I met a seemingly wonderful man on an internet dating site. We exchanged a few emails and then started talking on the phone–once a day, then twice a day–and the calls kept getting longer–until we decided it was time to meet. I lived in Foster City and he lived in Santa Clara. I had already planned to help a San Jose friend pack for an upcoming move, so I suggested we meet that afternoon for dinner at the Santa Clara Fish Market. I’m an early bird, but he was even earlier than I, greeting me with a big smile when I pulled into the parking lot. We went in for dinner and I had the smoked fish sampler, since it’s always been my favorite; I also had a glass or two of liquid courage! It was a great first date at my favorite restaurant–and 7 months later, we tied the knot. It all started at the Fish Market! Now, 16 years since our first Fish Market date, we’ve enjoyed many more first-date anniversaries, good times and great food at The Fish Market in nearby San Mateo!

Menu Favorite: Smoked Fish Sampler

Dennis

All the Friday afternoons in the bar talking to all the regulars

Menu Favorite: Mahi mahi sliders

Dennis McBride

In 1989 my wife said she wanted to out to dinner with our 2 3/4 year old son. After we ordered she handed me a small present, inside was a small pumpkin and a baby rattle. This is how she let me know we would be having a second baby in October / November 1989. Every time I eat there I think of this night!

Menu Favorite: Swordfish, Cobb Salad, Fish & Chips, & Creme Brulée

DT

We used to take the kids here when they were young. A lot of great memories. Thank you, Fish Market.

Menu Favorite: Trout, crab and salmon

Ed and Marsha Donati

My husband and I are in our 80s. I grew up in Palo Alto, and my parents were frequent diners at your Palo Alto location. When my husband and I got married, we moved to Santa Clara and looked forward to Friday night dinners at your location here. Sadly, Covid arrived and kept your restaurants closed. We kept hoping for the reopening of the Santa Clara site. After Covid we traveled frequently to your Palo Alto site. Your servers Charmie and Eric Strunk were our favorites—always great service and terrific personalities. You and all your staff will be sorely missed.

Menu Favorite: Salmon, Trout, and Key Lime Pie!

Fern Alix LaRocca

When I was young, I worked as a hairstylist and I cut Freddy Duckett’s hair. He invited me and others to the soft opening of the Santa Clara Fish Market. We were hooked and became regulars. Later when I began my career as a Financial Advisor, I took clients to the San Mateo Fish Market for business lunches. When I got married, my husband and I would frequent the Palo Alto Fish Market which we still do today. We loved the Winemaker’s dinners and chatting with diners at the bar while watching a game or celebrating birthdays in the dining room. The seafood was fresh and atmosphere was friendly. Sorry to see you go.

Menu Favorite: Oysters Rockefeller

Gary Fedler

My wife and I dated between the Sunnyvale and San Mateo [locations] and [I had] business lunches in Palo Alto.

Menu Favorite: Blackened trout with cottage cheese, and tomatoes

Gayle Hayes

So many business lunches before covid. Quality and service were always consistent. Great fish and even greater clam chowder.

Menu Favorite: Clam Chowder

Ginny Chu

We are devastated with the closing of the Palo Alto FM. Have gone there for 40 years…wish you could open a smaller location near Palo Alto using your great pieces of art & good food and service.

Menu Favorite: Rainbow Trout

Irene L

Consistently good food, great meeting place, many celebrations and great staff!

Menu Favorite: Tie between Duckett’s Buckett and Cioppino and seafood skewer

Jake P

Dear Fish Market, thank you so much for how you’ve enriched my life. I grew up on the peninsula and we always went to your Santa Clara restaurant and sometimes to your Palo Alto restaurant. Not sure what it is, but I guess when I find something I like, I stick with it. I have been ordering your Idaho Rainbow Trout with fishwife rice and au gratin potatoes since I was a kid 40 years ago. And, today, I still love going to your restaurant that favorite meal. I’m sure there are others on your menu that are really good, but I am always happy with that dish. Your food is awesome and your entire staff is just as awesome, if not more. I will hope for the day market conditions change and you are able to reopen here. Thank you again for many wonderful meals and memories I’ve had there throughout my life.

Menu Favorite: Idaho Rainbow Trout with fishwife rice and au gratin potatoes

Jean and Larry Bozman

Being here with our parents when they visited us from the East Coast.

Loved the diversity of the guests, young and old, Stanford students and parents, friends and family!!

Many good memories of visiting this restaurant — both from a long time ago and in recent years!! We will miss you!!

Menu Favorite: Shrimp Scampi

Jeff and Julie Terry

When I was a grad student at Stanford University, my wife and I didn’t have much money. We celebrated our anniversary every year that we lived here at the Palo Alto Fish Market. It was always great food at a decent price. It was the one thing that we splurged on every year. We always got the rainbow trout with sourdough bread. We have long since moved away to Chicago, but will never forget the Fish Market. We were saddened to hear of the impending closure, but we were fortunate to make it out for one last visit. Thank you for the memories. Best wishes, Jeff and Julie

Menu Favorite: Idaho Rainbow Trout

Jennifer V.

The oyster bar at the San Mateo location in the 90’s was epic with the familiar, Italian chef cooking up prawns, prepping oyster plates and baking cheesy bread right in front of my eyes. The cocktail bar was just around the side of the oyster bar, and the bloody marys were always well made. The chef’s humor, attention to detail and BIG HELLOS as I sat up on the stool will always be the most excellent memory of my visits.

At the Palo Alto location, my fiance’s dad had frequented it when visiting the VA.
When he became terminally ill, his dad still visited the Fish Market for fish and chips, clam chowder and a bubbling brew up until his passing.

My fiance’ and I visited the Palo Alto location on 12/31/22 during the mass rain storm.
We visited to celebrate the new year and to commemorate his dad by ordering fish and chips, clam chowder and brews. The comfort food was relief from the storm.
We recalled dad’s love of the Fish Market and ours as well. I even saw high school friends that day whom I hadn’t seen in 20 years, yet the adoration of the Fish Market gave us a moment to reunite.
The Fish Market’s strong-rooted and positive, restaurant culture is what kept us returning. Fish Market will be extremely missed yet its snapshot memories will be forever infinite.
Thank you for bringing fabulous eateries to the Bay Area. Alla Vostra!
With Gratitude.

Menu Favorite: Cheesy bread, clam chowder, prawns rustica, seared ahi tuna, oysters.

Jim Dike

I visited the Bay Area on business over the years. I always made a point to have dinner at The Fish Market. Being from Minnesota, there was nothing like it back home. Thanks for the great memories and meals!

Menu Favorite: Anything off of the wood fired grill

Jim and Jen Fuller

We’ve dined at or done take out from the Palo Alto Fish Market over 1,000 times during our 35 years here (this averages to slightly over once every other week so this number, 1,000, most assuredly is low). We will miss FM dearly. One of our favorite memories is dining in the tent in the back during the pandemic. Henry could count on us showing up at least once a week! When it got chilly, we wore coats!! But great food and wonderful memories!!

Menu Favorite: Nearly everything

Julie Pope

Working for the fish market every summer since I was 18: San Jose, Del Mar & San Diego locations 🙂

Menu Favorite: Sole Dore

Julio & Susie Arevalo Maggio

We have many [memories]. . .anniversaries, birthdays, holidays & [visits] just because we love it there…

Menu Favorite: We have many, especially the shrimp, cod, etc. We try to change from time to time, but whatever we’ve had we LOVED it.

Karen DeMello

In Spring 1982 I went to The Fish Market in Santa Clara for lunch with coworkers. “Lent Lunch” was born. We have continued this tradition, missing in 2008 when Liz Parrish was in the Iditarod (we celebrated in Anchorage instead) and during the pandemic when restaurants were closed (we zoomed instead). Liz passed away in 2021 but the rest of us have carried on the tradition in Palo Alto. I’m so sad to see that this restaurant is closing. Liz’s sister is visiting in August, so we will regroup for a dinner of 40+ years of “Lent Lunch” memories. Thank you for the fabulous food, spectacular staff and AMAZING outside flowers for all of these years.

Kathleen Branyon

42 years ago, on Aug.10, 1981, we had our rehearsal dinner at The Fish Market – Palo Alto. We were married the following evening, Aug. 11, 1981, at Beth Am, in Los Altos Hills. We later moved back to Mountain View (1998–2019), and The Fish Market was the location for family gatherings, birthdays and anniversaries! Our daughter was raised on Fish Market Red Snapper & Clam Chowder. When she moved away to go to college, we packed a FISH MARKET COOKBOOK with her books. She treated her friends to FISH MARKET Clam Chowder when she was homesick!! WE LOVE FISH MARKET PALO ALTO!!!!

Menu Favorite: Panko Calamari Steak, Oysters Rockefeller

Ken Lum

We enjoyed all the employees at the Sunnyvale location. Chris, Sergio, Katherine, Debby, Pattie, Charmy, Jeff ,Romero, just to name a few. The Fish Market will be missed.

Menu Favorite: Cheezy bread

Kevin Conahan

In 1981 I moved to Palo Alto from LA. The only cooking job I had had in Los Angeles was at a seafood restaurant called The Seagull. I was coming to town to stay with a friend and to go to culinary school in San Francisco. I went to the Fish Market in Palo Alto applied for a job and was hired on the spot. I was hired as a Pit Cook. Within a couple weeks I was on the mesquite broiler cooking hundreds of pieces of fish a night to perfection. The whole restaurant watching us. It was a wonderful place to work. I worked with all wonderful people – front of house and back of house. And I keep that memory dear to my heart to this day.

I went on to work in some of the finest Seafood houses in the Bay Area. And then on to other bigger things in the restaurant world. My start with Big Time Seafood House restaurants was The Fish Market Palo Alto.

I must say I’ve been pretty heartbroken seeing The Fish Markets in the Bay Area closing one by one, leaving Palo Alto and San Mateo. Now it breaks my heart that both of those are going to close down with the one that I started my career at. In fact just about every restaurant I worked at in the Bay Area is gone now. I was fresh 18 yrs old in 1981. I’m now 60 in 2023. Thanks FM.

Menu Favorite: Halibut Mesquite Grilled

Kirky Beesley

Met my beautiful wife there. Back then it was know as “fishing off the company pier”.

Menu Favorite: Day old sourdough bread

Kimberley Wong

My father loved eating here so much (at least once a week) that I really got bored with eating fish all the time. Since there were no other meat options, I’d sneak over to McDonald’s to buy a burger and bring it back to eat when my parents ate their meals. The restaurant was ok with it. But most of the time I had Shrimp Louie Salad. At that time the option was Louie Salad with crabmeat/shrimp mix, only crab or only shrimp! I did love the decorations including the boat in the entrance with fresh seafood stored on ice.

Menu Favorite: Shrimp Louie Salad

Kirstin

There were never better owners than those who owned the fish market in the 80’s and 90’s —such pride and care about their product. Such high quality fish and recipes! My memories have faded over the years about specific moments, but never have I ever eaten better than when I was an employee at The Fish Market!

I loved how they made us take a long involved test to make sure as servers that we’d be knowledgeable enough to represent the FM as ambassadors. And I remember Freddie, the owner, who was so charismatic — he made sure to encourage us to stay positive and to approach each customer with care and respect. Martin was such a character and so full of pride of place . . . Most of the managers were amazing humans too and I learned a lot about professionalism from them.

The overall vibe was super positive and . . . oriented towards the goal of getting a high quality product to the customer. We once toured the Farallon Fishery location to get a sense of the effort and care that went into that epic “catch to table” experience so the customer could have the freshest fish experience.

I also remember learning about wines for the first time when a winery brought in over 50 ramekins of ingredients to smell and taste. So we could identify the special qualities of each wine — anything from peaches to chocolate, pepper, melon, coffee, etc. I gained a huge knowledge base about wines that day, 40 years ago, and I still store wines in my basement and enjoy wine tasting. This training helped me to speak knowledgeably about wines to my FM customers and upsell as well. Managers had contests on who could sell the most wine on a given night and I often won — but I felt good about it because my customers drank well under my watch ; )

The FM employee parties were awesome, too — we once had a volleyball tournament at the Santa Cruz boardwalk in the mid 80’s, very memorable. Events like that created some deep friendships and bonding between many employees. I grew up as a person by being an employee here. I remember how supportive many on staff were of their very young and “inexperienced with life” staff. It took some patience for your staff, I am sure, but many of us learned a lot about being better humans by working here.

I remember we also had a tragic death of one dear and beautiful young person on our crew…and every single employee showed up to the service (they closed that afternoon) and we all supported each other in our grief. That was the FM way, they fostered that kind of environment.

It is so sad to know that you are throwing in the towel. What happened? I wish you could find a buyer to keep the legacy going. I mean —you’re the epic Fish Market Restaurant!! How could you not continue on?!

Sending all my best your way during this transition. And I guess I remembered more than I originally thought I would. I am sad, but full of appreciation for your work ethic (and more!) impact on my early life. And your amazing food! I went on to open my own art business and I took good care of my customers in many ways because of The Fish Market’s profound influence.

Menu Favorite: garlic prawns, pesto prawns, cheesy bread, cioppino, mahi mahi, cheesy potatoes, clam chowder, oysters rockefeller, ichiban ahi, etc etc etc

Kuefer Family

Our family has gathered to catch up and celebrate holidays at The Fish Market. The food is always delicious but it is the staff who made our meals special throughout the many years! We will miss The Fish Market and wish the very best for the entire staff!!

Menu Favorite: Sea scallops and key lime pie!

Lillian & Diane Bru

The Fish Market was my mother in law’s favorite restaurant ever! We bought her gift cards all the time so when we didn’t take her she could go on her own…Relda always took great care of her!

Menu Favorite: Alaskan King Crab

Linda Darnall

Celebrated my 70th birthday here in March 2023. A wonderful memory at Fish Market Palo Alto! My favorite restaurant!

Menu Favorite: Salmon

Lindy Sherwood

When I met my future husband in 1989, he was already a regular customer for lunch every Thursday. He and a group of buddies got together religiously, sometimes played dice, many times sharing a glass of wine and good stories. Over the years some moved away, and other fish market customers joined the group. If I complained about the weekly boondoggle, he would say he was ‘working’ even if sitting alone. As an architect, he was ‘thinking’ about projects and/or meeting new prospective customers. The weekly ritual was sacrosanct. My daughter would always look forward to the chocolate fish mints he would bring home wrapped in a napkin.

We would also frequently have dinner there with family and friends, he was well know among all the staff and owners. We spent many birthdays and family events at the Santa Clara and San Jose location. When I began working at Palo Alto Square, it become a periodic lunch spot to take clients.

We divorced but his weekly Thursday lunches continued with a group of guys that I had never met. When my ex-husband passed away in December just before the pandemic hit, I met the new group at the Santa Clara Fish Market to plan his memorial. Even the bartender was involved. We were hoping to have it at the restaurant. Then Covid struck and the weekly gatherings came to a halt after 30 years.

I now live in San Carlos and frequent the Fish Market in San Mateo. A group of ‘dog park’ friends and I have been having lunch there together every couple of months.

It is with great sadness to learn that the restaurants are closing. I’ve been to nearly all of them over the years and have become very sentimental.

Thanks for the many memories!

Menu Favorite: Linguini and clams, French bread and many others items

Lyla Phelps

. . .I posted on Next Door that we were closing and please come visit us to say goodbye. I got over 500 responses and every night I work people have been coming up to me to thank me for letting them know and telling me how much they are going to miss us. So many have said that I waited on them since they were children and now they have kids too. I have been trying to tell everyone thank you for coming in for so many years.

&

I have worked at the Palo Alto Fish Market for 43 years next month. People always ask me how can I work there for so long? I am proud to have worked for Fred, Bob and Martin for so long. They will always be The Fish Market to me. I met my husband at the FM Palo Alto and my daughter was the youngest hostess to ever work in PA then she met her husband working in Del Mar. Thank you so much to . . . Dwight, Toby, Simon, Henry and Juan. We had a good long run and our founders would be proud of us!

Mara

I have eaten here for over 30 years to celebrate major milestones and events for myself, partner, family, business associates, and co-workers. I will miss this place immensely, because it was a part of my growing up.

Menu Favorite: Oysters Rockfeller, Grilled Rockfish

Marcella Bonaldi

What an awesome place to come for just fish. Love it!! Workers here are awesome too. I’m very upset that you are leaving and closing forever. That really hurts.

Menu Favorite: Halibut

Maria Luisa Alvarado

We usually visit fish market when we celebrate an important date. We are going to miss this place

Menu Favorite: Combo skewer

Marie Matuszak

My co-workers introduced me to The Fish Market in Palo Alto in the late 70s. I then introduced my boyfriend to this fabulous place (we’ve now been married for 41 yrs). When The Fish Market opened in Santa Clara my parents started going every week. My mom always ordered the lighteater’s plate with all coleslaw. We had countless family dinners there. My parents befriended a man who bussed tables there. We all grew to love him. After my mom passed away in 1997, I continued taking my dad there. He was always greeted warmly and treated extra special by the man bussing tables. My dad passed in 2009. My husband and I have taken so many friends to the San Mateo location. When we first started going to this location we saw the man bussing tables who was so kind to my parents. He’s amazing and we reminisced about my parents. He remembered so many details about them, and that brought happy tears to my eyes. We continue to go there; it’s our favorite place. We are so sad it will no longer be there after September, so we will go as often as we can until then. The Fish Market is not just a place that serves our favorite meals. It is nostalgic in the fact that we’ve been going there for over 40 years, and always brings happy memories of my parents. I truly feel their presence whenever I’m there, and I will sincerely miss that with my whole heart. Thanks so much for the memories, and may all of you have good fortune.

Menu Favorite: Trout

Mark Haas

Way too many dinners with my dad at several locations. He was a pilot and has flown around this world more times than I can possibly imagine and he LOVED your place. I moved away and was always hoping for a Sacramento location near me. Your experience was always 100%, nothing less. From every employee, to every meal, and every espresso. Thank you.

Menu Favorite: Fresh oysters and clams, Mahi Mahi, every other fish dish, your espresso

Megan Fogarty

Over 35 years of getting clam chowder and crab for Christmas Eve! What will we do?? [Three] generations of Fish Market love!

Menu Favorite: Clam Chowder

Michael Montano

I was a regular at Blossom Hill for years then due to work change became a regular in Santa Clara. Met lifelong friends at both locations and have been to every location over the years luckily. I will miss the food, the people and all the memories I have made at the various locations over the years! Will visit Del Mar and San Diego when I am in SoCal!

Menu Favorite: Blackened Trout

Mike

Birthdays and anniversaries at Fish Market Santa Clara were always the best.

Menu Favorite: Shrimp Pesto Pasta Bowl (1985)

Monique

The most amazing staff and food- it always felt like home

Menu Favorite: Lobster, Crab cakes, Cheesy garlic bread with crab, Clam Chowder, Hazelnut mousse

MRJ

For at least fifty years The Fish Market has provided excellent food, consistent quality, friendly excellent service. It is really too tooooo bad that they need to vacate. A big thank you and all the best to all the staff.

Menu Favorite: Skewered prawns & the garlic cheese bread

MrJ

Been eating at the Fish Market in Sunnyvale before it closed, and the one in Palo Alto, for decades but the Garlic Cheese Bread has been a well kept secret. After all these years the Palo Alto location manager introduced us to this at XMAS and now it has become the standard order whenever we eat there. They sell the mix too, but the combination of the mix, the bread and the commercial oven cannot be duplicated in the typical home kitchen.
Menu Favorite: Apart from the FISH dishes, their GARLIC CHEESE BREAD is outstanding!!

Nathan C

My girlfriend and I used to visit the Santa Clara Fish Market back in high school. It was always a treat and we felt like such “adults” going out to eat. We continued in college, as young adults, and up until the location’s closure. We enjoyed visiting for about 20 years, miss that location, and will miss the restaurant.

Menu Favorite: Cheesy garlic bread

Pat Gutierrez

Back in the early 80’s a group of 8-10 of us would have lunch every Friday at either the Palo Alto or San Mateo location. One of the group moved back to New York so we would send her a group post card (which was always on the table) to let her know we were continuing the tradition.

Also, my best friend, her sister, and their roommate all worked at the Palo Alto location. Their roommate, Karen, did all of the flowers outside at many of the locations.

Menu Favorite: Anything mesquite grilled and the au gratin potatoes

Patricia Black

Have eaten at The Fish Market (mostly Santa Clara) too many times to accurately count! . . . In the mid-1970’s, the Santa Clara one was a place for my co-workers and I to go for lunch and stay until the dinner crowd arrived. My husband and I are sad to know the great food & service of this wonderful place will no longer be an option!!

Menu Favorite: Cheesy garlic bread, fish n chips, halibut and swordfish

Patsy Mercado

Our family has loved eating at The Fish Market for the last 25 years – you’ve been our regular go to place and we will miss you and our friends – no one can replace the ambiance you delivered for decades. Best of luck in your new ventures. Thank you.

Menu Favorite: Fish kebabs

Patty

I [visited] mostly The Fish Market Santa Clara probably at least two days a week, every week for years and years and years. I also have been to the Palo Alto location a few times a year. The people at each location have always been so kind and so helpful and so nice. And so efficient and so friendly. I am going to miss all of them so so much. They’ve always paid attention to me, have always checked on me to make sure everything was OK and if I needed anything else. . .I want to recognize the manager, Henry, the hostess Kathy, the servers Will and Yanni . . . and Juan, and Ryan . . . and everybody else who has served me in these two locations. . . I thank all of you and everybody for all the kindness and joy and great food that you have given me and others for so so many years.

Menu Favorite: Fresh fish, fishwife rice because it reminded me of my mothers recipe in a way, and au gratin potatoes, fresh veggies

R.M. Pan

So many birthdays

Menu Favorite: Sand dabs

Razya

Romantic lunch with my sweet Bae ❤️

Menu Favorite: Garlic cheesy bread with crab

Rita and Bob Delue

We been enjoying The Fish Market for years with our Aunt and Uncle who live in the area, it’s a favorite family get together location

Menu Favorite: Cheesy garlic bread with crab

Rob O’Connor

Loved the dark chocolate covered fish shaped mints in the glass topped box near the fish counter. They were perfect after a fish dinner and the price somehow remained at 2 for 25 cents for four decades.
Thank you

Menu Favorite: The Combo Louie Salad

Ron C.

Worked in the pits, oyster bar, and market in 1987-88 or so. So many things learned, memories, and at least one life long friendship made. For years it was our place to go to mark life’s milestones. You’ll be missed.

Menu Favorite: ichiban or tiger prawns

Rose

We have 40 years of memories. From joyful graduation or birthday parties to sad, funeral lunches, shared here at The Fish Market. This has been our to go place for 40 years. We are all saddened to hear The Fish Market is closing. We love the food and the staff. Thank you Dwight, for your heartfelt wishes to your customers. We all wish the best to you and your staff.

Menu Favorite: Prawn linguini

Sheralee Hill Iglehart

The Fish Market is the most favorite restaurant for celebrating birthdays with friends! I have dozens of photos of our birthday lunches there! There is no place else we can go for “fresh fish daily.” When my son came to visit, we (as a family) would go straight to The Fish Market as soon as it opened for lunch! The halibut dinners . . . with the two sides and bread basket we’re always delicious and healthy! We enjoyed sitting in the sunny, bright veranda chatting and chewing delicious fish with trimmings. We do not want the fantastic fish market to close! We have loved eating fresh fish there for over 30 years! l have our wonderful memories with photos but life will not be the same if we cannot eat at The Fish Market!

Menu Favorite: broccoli, carrots, corn on the cob, and the best clam chowder and coleslaw

Sherrie Osborne

Coming here periodically with my mother and sister when they came into town. My mother loved seafood and it was always such a treat to bring her here. Thanks for the memories.

Menu Favorite: Grilled salmon

Simone

The SC location was our hang out…..we, and many friends over the years, spent many a happy hour at the bar or at the oyster bar. Our fondest memories are when Bobby ran the oyster bar….good times, man! Over the years, we’ve met new friends and lost a few. We cherish our memories and will miss the FM so much!

Menu Favorite: Garlic prawns, the salmon ball (years ago), soup, EVERYTHING!!!

Stella Zimmer

We came in 1988 from Germany to the Bay Area to work here for 3 years for HP.
As a newly wed couple we had a wonderful and exciting time and one of our favorite restaurants was the Fishmarket at Santa Clara- we loved the fresh fish. We came back for a vacation in September 2023 with our adult children and had dinner Sept 13 in Palo Alto realizing that the restaurant will close the same day. We were so happy that we could share the experience and that we could have dinner a last time. Good luck for all the employees and the owners and thanks for the great food and atmosphere

Menu Favorite: Appetizer: smoked salmon & tartare sauce; Entree: blackened Mahi-Mahi

Steven Weissman

I worked at the Palo Alto Square as a teenager (1985-86) and remember trading clam chowder for movie passes with the kids from the Fish Market the BEST

Menu Favorite: Clam chowder

Susan & Tim Robinson

Husband proposed to me here 39 yrs ago! Special place for us!

Menu Favorite: Crab Louie

T C

In the 80s, before I was born, my dad worked at a tech company close to Fish Market PA and he would frequently go there for the sack lunch special with the smoked salmon, sourdough bread, and clam chowder. Many years later when we had moved far away, he brought our family to Fish Market during Bay Area trips and reminisced the good times. Years after that, my sister moved to Palo Alto for school and lived nearby so we would always go when I visited. I would make a point to get the sack lunch special. Our family even had my sister’s graduation dinner there this year! My sister is now the same age my dad was when he first started working in Silicon Valley and having his frequent lunch breaks at Fish Market. We’re sad that as she begins her career now, this mainstay won’t be in our lives anymore but 33+ years of history with our family will never be forgotten! Thank you for the delicious food and wonderful memories. ❤

Menu Favorite: Clam Chowder and Cioppino. My dad loved the Shrimp Scampi!

Tammy Lerch

I worked at the Santa Clara Fish the summer of 1981 as a hostess when I was 20. My sister, Terry worked as a server with Charmy, Patty, JJ, and Tinker along with many others.

Menu Favorite: Combo skewer, Louie salad, au gratin potatoes

Terry Lerch

I loved working there and being a part of the staff! It was back in the early 80’s, I worked with Charmy, Patti, Tinker and so many other fun hard working peeps. Thanks for the great memories.

Menu Favorite: Oysters Rockefeller

Tim Benton

We brought a Team of Little League and their Families to San Mateo one Night in 2001. We were taken care of so well we began lifelong trips to Fish Market. I personally landed twice a week 2012-2015 for Oysters in Palo Alto and that began a Great Friendship with employees no matter where they moved.
We have brought so many friends to Fish Market Restaurants. We have been to all of the Locations thru the last 20 years. I actually picked my work apt to be near San Jose location. All my Family and Friends in the North will sure miss the Fine Seafood Meals we came to expect from Fish Market. I will Miss but always Cherish the Fiends I met thru The Fish Market!

Menu Favorite: OYSTERS!, Petrale Soul, Ceviche

Tom Chiavetta

Been going there since summer of 1976! Have taken many friends there over the years. Will really miss the Palo Alto location.

Menu Favorite: Not a bad dish of fish in the place!!!

Tracy Liu

It’s been over 35 years, but I have fond memories of working as a cashier at The Fish Market Palo Alto as a high school student. I remember the “uniform” we all wore (red or navy polo shirt with jeans – 501s for me!), the 25 cent chocolate “fish” mints at the cashier podium, the enormous menu that changed and was printed daily, the sense of camaraderie of the staff (from the waitstaff, to the fish market guys, to the cooks, to management), and the delicious chowder and sourdough bread I enjoyed on my breaks. I loved the energy and the hustle and bustle of the weekends, especially. The Fish Market Palo Alto will always be a place closely associated with my youth, but I have enjoyed visiting over the years whenever I return to Palo Alto to visit family and friends. Palo Alto will simply not be the same without The Fish Market

Menu Favorite: Dungeness Crab Cioppino

Unknown

My parents used to take us to the San Jose location after we got our school report cards back to celebrate!

Menu Favorite: the shrimp cocktail

Warren Newsome

Annual crab sale & pictures in the lobby

Zee

I’m from the Midwest originally and this restaurant was my introduction to how great seafood could be. I had to visit before you closed. And am go glad I did. Thanks for the memories❣️

Menu Favorite: Halibut

Zimran Ahmed

First Dungeness crabs I had in California and still the best. We’d wait for every season. Nicest staff too.

Menu Favorite: Crabs