Endless Summer Eats: Bear Flag Fish Co.

AKA The Food That Makes Me Miss My California Hometown

*A little disclaimer: Voiceover will be added next week. I am wrapping up back to back work travel, so audio will be included at a later time. Thanks friends and happy eating reading! 😅

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I find the act of writing about restaurants from my hometown daunting. I question everything due to a visceral fear of judgment from other locals.

You recommended WHERE for the best [insert food]!? It’s clearly from [insert place]!

These opinions we all hold become facts, no room for interpretation or disagreement. Because who are we really if we can’t even be trusted to evaluate the best bites?

We also judge our neighboring haunts for the most minuscule of transgressions. I recall a recent conversation with coworkers in our new hometown who vehemently claimed that our favorite nearby restaurant “sucks.” When asked why they felt that way, they each had their reasons: Too many walnuts in the salads or the audacity of bacon jam on a burger. Tsk tsk. Rather than ordering different entrees, this locally-owned restaurant is now forever branded with a “that sucks” label, at least in this word-of-mouth community. 

Why do we do this? 

Ignoring these fears that give me pause, I am going to boldly attempt something I’ve never done before: Let me tell you about one of my favorite restaurants in Orange County, California, the place I still consider home, despite my current Indiana residency.

A spring business trip back to the OC landed me in Huntington Beach, a city where

Jacob

and I lived together during our early dating days; it’s also where I did most of my waitressing. In fact, it would’ve taken five minutes to walk from my current business conference to the front door of the final restaurant I worked at (which has shut down since my tenure). No stranger to this neighborhood, when I got a break in my packed schedule, I boogied on down to Pacific City—one of my favorite shopping centers in the world, and indulged in the most SoCal food I could think of: Bear Flag Fish Co. 

Jacob and I in Pacific City circa 2019: We love this place so much we took our engagement photos here.

Bear Flag is all about local and sustainable seafood delivered in a down-to-earth environment. They utilize their own fishing fleet consisting of three boats with two-man crews, then process their seafood in Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach’s next door neighbor. You can buy fresh fish from the counters of any of their three locations or sit down to eat and drink. The inside of each restaurant is unpretentious and always buzzing (especially at the bar). The endless cast of characters who frequent Bear Flag are mesmerizing to people-watch as well: sit anywhere and you’ll see junior lifeguards and their families, real housewives, surfers, townies, and everyone in between.

The Seafood Counter at Bear Flag Fish Co. in Huntington Beach, CA

Even at 3 pm on a weekday, the bars, both regular and sushi, were completely occupied. It was February and a little overcast, so I opted to snag a window seat inside rather than brace the arctic-like 60 degree weather on the Pacific Coast Highway adjacent patio. It doesn’t matter that temperatures had recently dropped to negative degrees in my Indiana hometown: You can take the girl out of California, but the moment we return, 60 degrees becomes cold again. I ordered a glass of sparkling rose and my two Bear Flag Fish Co. staples: Ahi poke and a fish taco.

Sparkling Rose and Beach Views at Bear Flag Fish Co. in Huntington Beach, CA

• Bear Flag’s Ahi Poke is my favorite. It is simplicity in fish form. Supple cubes of ahi are tossed with soy, Sriracha, sesame seeds, and green onions. You order by the pound (or half pound like I did since I was dining solo) and are served your poke with a generous portion of thick tortilla chips. No muss, no fuss, just a plastic bowl of ruby-like sustainable ahi served in the tastiest of ways. It is truly all about the fish.

Ahi Poke and Fish Tacos at Bear Flag Fish Co. in Huntington Beach, California

• I had to order a fish taco, foregoing my usual preference for shrimp in a moment of retroactive homesickness.  When in SoCal, amirite? It was just what I wanted: a fresh tortilla with lightly blackened white fish, topped with cabbage, pico de gallo, and their house “Tommy” sauce, a blend of mayo and hot sauce. Refreshing and uncomplicated. This is summer on a plate. 

I was too full to order sushi, but I definitely recommend it! They have some interesting rolls that highlight the freshness and versatility of their seafood, including a citrus salmon roll with delicately shaved lemon slices on top and a spicy hurricane roll that pairs yellowtail with jalapenos and crunchy garlic chili.

Hurricane Roll and Citrus Salmon Roll at Bear Flag Fish Co. Photo: Pacific City

Bear Flag Fish Co. has meant so much to me over the years. It was a place of respite after long shifts of slinging bottomless mimosas to ravenous brunch-goers, the perfect pregame before traversing upstairs to the bougie bar and lounge, The Bungalow, and a go-to spot to wow friends visiting from out of town. Today it was a gift, a peaceful reminder of home. 

So, my OC locals: How’d I do? Have a better spot for those seafood staples? Let me know so I can swing on by next time I’m out west! 

Fresh fish in an endless summer.

Ergo Yum.