Old Fisherman's Grotto - Monterey, CA

If you ever find yourself in the Monterey Bay and happen to be near the Fisherman's Wharf area, you need to take a little walk down the pier and check out all the good eats! This post is somewhat late as this should have been posted along with my Big Sur visit but better late than never. Honestly, I just had to show you this little area where some great seafood can be had. This was the first place we went to when we got to Monterey...okay, we actually headed to the Expo first but then this was definitely the second place we headed to. Definitely!

Photo credit to Sister K

It's a funny thing, when you walk up and down the pier at the Fisherman's Wharf, there are these "sample" guys/gals out front passing out samples of their house clam chowder. Apparently, clam chowder is serious business in these parts. I mean you can't walk 3 yards without someone beckoning you to try their chowder.

Photo credit to Sister K

Along with a wide selection of seafood restaurants, there are also an equal amount of candy stores. Apparently, clam chowder and candy are compatible somehow. But how??

Taffy!

Photo credit to Sister K

Sister K and I never made it in here but this place is an oyster bar. We've never been in a place that serves mainly oysters. We'll be back!

More candy!

Before we headed up to Monterey, I did some research on some restaurants that the locals and Yelp highly recommended. It was worth my time to do so because I found this place...The Old Fisherman's Grotto. There were so many other seafood restaurant on that pier that it would have been difficult for me to know which one was better than the other.

Yep, looks good to me!

One of the cool things about this place was the view!

I don't know if I even took a breath once I sat down before I immediately ordered these and jumped all over it.

They were amazing! So fresh and so good! Heavenly if you like oysters!

Bread basket.

Photo credit to Sister K

Fried Calamari - oh these were free by the way. They handed these coupons out front along with the clam chowder samples! Yeah...I love Monterey!

Photo credit to Sister K

Water is Precious in these parts so if you want some, you have to ask! Makes sense to me.

Signs of good things to come...

...really good things!

Like Cioppino good! This was actually a little too salty but the seafood was again very fresh!

It was so good, we came back the next day for lunch and got an even better table. We saw this guy paddle-boarding with his pup. So cute!

We made it a point to come back because Sister K really wanted to try their house clam chowder. She wanted to order some the night before at dinner but we had already ordered too much. She said it was excellent!

Umm hmm, more oysters...we are crazy about oysters! I still dream about them.

Someone we know ordered a cheeseburger at a seafood restaurant. I'm not going to mention who...but someone.

I ordered the Seafood Pasta and it was pretty amazing except that it was also a bit too salty. Not sure what the heck is up with the sodium level at this place. Perhaps they wouldn't have to serve as much water if the food wasn't over the top salty. Still good though. 

We didn't have room for this...I cried a little tear!

Old Fisherman's Grotto
39 Fisherman's Wharf 
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 375-4604