Barbaras Fish Trap in Half Moon Bay is one of our favorite seafood restaurants in the Bay Area. I lived in London for a year during my Sophomore year in college and have had many fish and chips dishes. So to say that I have a discerning palate for fish and chips is an understatement!
This restaurant is ALWAYS busy and packed! It doesn’t matter what time of day you come or what month you visit. There is always a line of people – both locals and tourists, look at the photo below! They are an institution and if you happen to stop by Half Moon Bay and want some seafood, you just HAVE to stop here.
The only thing about this restaurant is that their dishes average about $15 to $25, and they take CASH ONLY. So before you put your name down on their list, make sure you stop by the ATM as well.
During the summer, their takeout counter (on the left side of the photo below) is opened every day, but during the off-season, they are only open on the weekends. So if you want take-out on the weekdays like we did, you will have to order inside the restaurant.
The reason why we like the fish and chips at Barbara’s is that the batter is very light, unlike a lot of other restaurants that make them very thick, and the cod is very fresh and flaky – just like how we like it. If you don’t want chips, you can also opt for rice pilaf and cole slaw.
The restaurant has 6 picnic tables total – 3 on the left and 3 on the right of the restaurant. We always eat at those picnic tables as it’s nice to sit outside looking out to the harbor. It has such a relaxing feel. If you want, you can actually purchase seafood directly at the harbor from the fishermen! We have bought fish before and it was delicious!
Last time we ordered their combo plate and they also have excellent calamari and shell fish. Every time we drive down to Half Moon Bay, we always look forward to eating at Barbara’s. Here is their address and phone number:
Barbara’s Fish Trap
281 Capistrano Road
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 728-7049
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