On July 28, 2015, Chef Andrew
Gruel made his sustainable seafood mark with the opening of the fifth location
of Slapfish after beginning his journey back in 2011 with a food truck. The
success of bringing sustainable, quality seafood to the masses is a fine
business example to show to budding college students of the UC Irvine Campus
right across the street. To quote Marty McFly from Back to the Future, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish
anything.” This location is also making use of reclaimed materials and strives
to earn the 3-Star Certification from the Green Restaurant Association just
like its sister locations.
It’s time to slap you silly
with some amazing seafood!
Ultimate Fish
Taco is your choice of grilled or fried fish topped with cabbage, avocado
puree, and pickled onion on a corn tortilla. The grilled fish was succulent and
had an almost blackened seasoning to it, but was not overbearing. The fry
batter was tempura-style with light and crispy outside. The fish was tender and
succulent on the inside. Eat bite was a delicate balance of savory, creamy,
sour, and salty along with crunchy and soft textures. Rating: 4.5/5
Organic Salad is your choice of
seasonal fish with spinach, arugula, cabbage, carrot, tomato, cucumber, and
drizzled with tomato vinaigrette. It was like a low-carb version of fish and
chips. The grilled fish was succulent just like inside the taco with the blackened
flavor. The salad itself had a lot of character from the crunchy texture of the
cabbage and carrots and the refreshing and cooling flavor of the cucumber. It
could use a little more vinaigrette so ask from some on the side. Rating: 4/5
Shrimp Roll is your choice of
grilled or fried shrimp topped with your choice of tartar, fresh salsa, awesome
sauce (creamy chile sauce), or jersey sauce (creamy lemon herb). The shrimp was
perfectly grilled with a good snap to them. The awesome sauce was creamy and
spicy and works well with the grilled shrimp. The jersey sauce might be a good
choice as well. Rating: 4.3/5
Hot Pop Fish Bites are fried fish
tossed in a sweet & sour glaze and served with a side of jersey sauce. The
glaze gave these fish bites an Asian flavor with a ying-yang playfulness of
sweet and spicy. This would be awesome over rice (possibly make into a bowl
option). Rating: 5/5
The Anteater is a premium Angus beef
patty topped with fried sweet shrimp, chunky lobster sauce, and served on a
brioche bun. Bring on the napkins because this puppy is messy! The fried shrimp
would be better with either a tempura batter or maybe grilled instead of the
panko coating. The panko made it heavy and awkward to bite. The burger itself
was very juicy, tender, and flavorful. Rating: 2.8/5
Chilled Pickles are a perfect side
to your meal. I’m not a pickle person but still loved these! They had just the
right amount of sourness and saltiness with a crunchy texture. Rating: 4/5
Fish & Chips (single or double
fillet) is your choice of grilled or fried whitefish served with tartar sauce
and natural cut fries. Now, these are really good fish and chips. The batter
was light and crispy. The fillets were huge! The fries were fantastic! They
were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Rating: 4.5/5
Chowder Fries are natural cut fries
smothered in creamy clam chowder and bacon. Ask for a fried egg topper for a
real foodie experience. This was my favorite dish on the menu. The chowder was
thick and creamy and acts like a gravy of sorts. The bacon added the salty and
smoky element. The egg yolk added a velvety layer. This spells food coma, in a
good way. Rating: 4.8/5
Lobster Roll is lobster tossed in
hot butter with a dash of lemon mayo. It was served in an authentic lobster
roll and piled high over the top with a healthy serving of lobster meat. The
succulent flavor of the lobster will transport you to the East Coast. All you
need is a gentle sea breeze. You can also get it protein-style as well
replacing the roll with a lettuce wrap. Rating: 4.5/5
Even though it is across the street
from UC Irvine, doesn’t make it just for college students. Let this modern
seafood shack show you the fresh flavor palate of our oceans.
Atmosphere:
5 out of 5 stars
Service: 5
out of 5 stars
Décor: 4
out of 5 stars
Food: 4
out of 5 stars
For more information:
4249
Campus Drive
Irvine, CA
92612, United States
+1.949.737.2090
Hours: Daily
from 11am to 11pm
Parking: Free
2 hour parking in marked spaces
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