Whether you've waited in line for soft-shell crabs in the Chesapeake Bay or savored sushi in New York City, you know there's something special about finding the right spot to enjoy seafood. From ceviche to grilled salmon and towers of shellfish, the top-rated seafood restaurants in the United States serve up mouthwatering dishes across diverse cuisines like Japanese, Latin American, and Mediterranean to suit every palate.
Of course, certain areas of the country are known for particular delicacies. California's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, for example, makes it one of the best states for seafood. The Los Angeles area serves up everything from caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns while San Francisco is a mecca for fish tacos, ceviche, and sushi. Further north, Seattle is legendary for its shellfish, showcased at the famed fish counter at Pike Place Market.
While Chicago may be best known as a pizza capital, many flock to the city for its king crab dishes; a bit further south and east, you have Miami and its sought-after stone crab season. Southern locales like New Orleans boast fresh crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico and the two noncontiguous states have their own signature offerings, too: Alaska is known for its pollock and salmon, while Hawai'i is known for its poke.
Dining at a seafood restaurant can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to a new city or offer comfort food in your own hometown. To celebrate the best options near you, Stacker used insights from Yelp to compile a list of the highest-rated seafood restaurants in Santa Cruz.
Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included. Data is as of June 14, 2024.
Keep reading to discover your highest-rated local seafood restaurants for your next special meal out!
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
