FOODIE FRIDAYS: Where to find cheap seafood in La Jolla

THE PLACE:  El Pesador Fish Market

627 Pearl Street
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 456-2526

THE VIBE:  Packed with locals, standing room only, people eating outside on the wall

THE COST:  Fresh Fish Sandwiches under $9 - in La Jolla!

LOCAL WALLY REPORT CARD:  A

La Jolla isn't exactly known for their cheap seafood.  Right down the street you'll find plenty of restaurants charging $38 for a 6 oz piece of halibut sitting on a thin layer of risotto. But when I'm in La Jolla and want the freshest seafood, I walk a few blocks inland and stop in at El Pescador.

Part seafood market, part tiny restaurant, you can see the guys in the back room filleting the fish.  You pop some of this stuff on the barbeque and you'll never go back to supermarket "fresh frozen" again - which by the way has always confused me.  Is it fresh?  Or frozen?  Can it be both? 

Enough ranting, let's eat.  The fish tacos ($9) were filled with freshly grilled fish and topped with wonderful cabbage salad and creamy avocados.  While you'll never get me to change my mind that fried, battered fish tacos are the best (come on, it's deep fried, it's battered!), these grilled fish tacos were pretty darn good!  The fish had a great flavor to it and you could tell that it was super fresh, the salsa vibrant and the textures nice and contrasting between the soft tortilla and the crunchy cabbage.

You can also order fresh fish 3 ways - in a sandwich, a salad, or on a plate.  A dungeness crab sandwich is only $10!  Or do a combo of half crab, half shrimp for $8.50!!  See what I mean, this place is super cheap.  I decided to go with the sea bass, served up on a torta with some avocado ($10).  Absolutely delicious.  The fish was clean tasting, the lettuce and avocado a nice addition, and the torta fresh and soft.  Get this sandwich!

Next time you're with some friends you want to impress, tell then you'd like to take them to the best seafood restaurant in La Jolla and tell them it's your treat.  Then show them how cool and hip you are by showing up in flip flops and taking them to El Pescador.  Wow, you really do know what you are talking about!

Is Wally the hippest dude in town?  Find out by visiting Local Wally's Guide to San Diego!