Bear Flag Fish Company

Two stars because the roll was yummy.
I am currently sitting outside this restaurant watching my mom eat a salmon citrus roll. The roll was tummy, nothing to die over.
But the SERVER who brought the roll to our patio table was nothing short of a BRAT.
He brought out the roll. We asked for soy sauce. He said «you can go inside by the door and get it». So the my mother asks «can you get it for me?» The server turns around grows his hands in the air and sighs, as if to throw a tantrum. He brings the sauce and she asks about chop sticks. He ignores us, turns and goes back inside.
Unacceptable. We have never had food from here before, and regardless of the sushi roll being tastey we will not return because of his server.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon. It was a little more packed than I expected, but that’s only because their food is amazing. The fish is fresh and everything is super flavorful. I had the fish tacos and doused them with siracha. The pricing is reasonable as well.

SO into bear flag. Can’t wait for the HB location because driving to Newport from Huntington seems like it takes forever (especially when you’re hungry for poke!)
Getting the half salmon half tuna poke is my favorite, and since they have a bar, I will usually indulge in one of my favorites– a Michelada!

I hate to write a bad review, but today I was pretty disappointed in what I received from bear flag. I used to live on the peninsula so I’ve been going there since it opened.
Last year I moved about 30 miles away to care for my mother and today I decided to take her for a drive drive, pick up a bear flag burrito, and go watch the waves while I ate.
I don’t care for pico de gallo so ordered it without as I always have, but with extra Tommy sauce. When I came to pick up my order, I waited for them to answer the phone to take two orders. I could see my burrito sitting there. Not only was it cold, but it was filled with pico de gallo, and no extra Tommy sauce.
Driving 30 miles, paying over $ 13 including the tip, I don’t think it’s too much to ask to get the order I paid for.

My aunt and cousin brought me here. I thought it would be sit down wth service, which it isn’t. It’s up to the counter, order, then they’ll bring it to you.
They have a small fresh fish counter, but the bulk of the business is a restaurant. Sort of healthy/​fresh fast food style.
There’s a wide range of options, from dish tacos, burritos, poke, octopus, etc. The menu seemed a bit confusing to me, but I figured out that I could choose the style of cooking for my fish, so I went with a blackened salmon burrito, which was wonderful.

Service was pretty bad at the register. The girl was just straight up rude. Unlike the fish they serve, her attitude was NOT fresh.
Customer service is a huge deal to me. Everything else could go well, but when your staff isn’t welcoming. there’s just no reason to return.
What we ate:
–Cucumber salad — lacking in flavor
— Salmon and Ahi Poke– Really good
— Large seafood plate with grilled Mahi Mahi, black beans and grilled veggies — good but not memorable
*Management needs to make a trip to Clevel in San Diego and take a que from the service team.

Love this spot! I’ve been here on
several occasions and it never disappoints. Try their Poke, Guacamole, and mussels. They’re super good!

There aren’t too many places that I can honestly say Has NOTHING so so or even ok on the menu but all excellent… But this place deserves it and the line outside the door daily only proves my point. Fresh seafood and the sushi bar is awesome. Ai the sushi chef is pretty rad and takes care of you!

I had high hopes for Bear Flag and I was totally let down. I got the Bear Flag fish burrito, the burrito had absolutely no flavor whatsoever, the only flavor I could taste was the fish which was burnt to a crisp. It was almost un-​edible, there was supposed to be a special sauce in the burrito which was non-​existent. I got the poke as well which was awesome, but it didn’t even come with rice which is a deal breaker.
All in all this place is overpriced and lacking in flavor, there was no distinguishing factor that would bring me back to this establishment. Overhyped and under delivered.

So good. Not too saucy and the fish is fresh af. I’ve tried their salmon burrito and ahi tune poke with chips. Perfect lunch/​afternoon snack with their Snow Weizen. My mouth is already beginning to water just by typing this review. That’s how good this place is.
I definitely want to try their chowder next time. Boyfriend wouldn’t let me last time we went –_–

While on a weekend getaway in Newport my boyfriend and I decided to try out Bear Flag. We got there about an hour after they opened, so there was already a line but it moved quickly and there were seats available outside. The inside ordering and bar seating is a little cramped and with all the food choices it can be a little overwhelming, for me at least.
We decided to order a few dishes to share. We went with the New England Clam Chowder, Grilled Artichoke, Ceviche, and Poke (half ahi and half salmon). All that came out to about $ 35 (no drinks). Not bad!
Since we’re from West LA there are a ton of poke places and options. The poke here was good, but not the best. We also enjoyed the flavor of the ceviche, except this style was a little dry for my liking. The flavor was there, but I do enjoy all that delicious extra lime juice that this ceviche did not have. The clam chowder was thick, rich and creamy. My boyfriend really enjoyed this dish, but for me it wasn’t as flavorful. Lastly, the grilled artichoke. The cashier got really excited when I ordered this because it is one of her favorite items. The artichoke had great flavor. Just the right amount of smokiness, salt and tangy lemon.
I don’t know when we’ll be back in the area, but I would definitely come here again.

I was looking for some places to eat for lunch in the area and I stumbled across this place because it was super close from where I was working at. It’s in the Lido District of Balboa peninsula and I believe that this is a new location. In terms of parking, there is street metered parking but there are tons of parking spots available in the parking lot next to the restaurant. When I first arrived, it was super busy because it was lunch time. Another interesting thing that I noticed is the demographics of this location. Usually when I associate poke, I think of Asians because we, Asians, loooooove poke haha. But at this poke place, there was a lot of Caucasians and it was just an interesting observation (probably because it was in Newport LOL).
Anyways, I ordered the ½ lb of salmon poke and it comes with a side of chips. There’s also tuna poke as well and they are the same price. Total cost was $ 9. I didn’t feel like getting the burrito or the clam chowder but I’ll consider it next time when i come here. For $ 9, it’s a little pricey in my opinion because you can easily get a lot more food at other poke places but hey, try something new! Though, a lot of their food options were a little overpriced from what I usually pay for food. I will say that their poke is super, super fresh and really good quality. I was amazed by how delicate and fresh their fish was when I was devouring my poke and chips. For here, I believe that the price you pay for poke at this place is for the great quality of their salmon and tuna. Since it’s Newport, all the fish looked sooooo good and you can tell that everything is hand-​selected. I ended up being really full after my poke and chips, which was quite surprising for the amount that I ordered!
Definitely will come back to try their burrito and clam chowder~

I took a coworker to Mama D’s for a birthday lunch today, only to discover they are no longer open for lunch. I have had Bear Flag Fish Co. bookmarked since before they moved to their present location. It was really easy to find free parking in the lot next door. I’m sure this is not the case on weekends or at night. First timers are a bit confused walking in but we figured out that you order at the counter and then get served at the table. The layout is pretty cool with the choice of eating at the bar, inside and outside tables. Very cool people watching if you like gorgeous women in yoga pants. Why, yes. Yes I do.
The girls at the register were somewhat helpful and we were able to put a lunch together. Not too expensive for the quality and the portions were pretty big. I had a small bowl of the cioppino soup which was outstanding. Piping hot, fresh seafood and a delicious broth. I also had a small mixed poke plate with both salmon and tuna, a side of marinated cucumbers and pickled seaweed salad. The cucumber salad was iffy but everything else was fantastic.
Service was a bit muddled with dudes trying to find which food gets dropped off at which table. «Twenty three… who has number twenty three!!!» Maybe not the best system.
I’ll definitely be back for more beer and poke.

I have been to and reviewed to the other location. I have also gone here multiple times and I have received the same location. Both options are great. I just want to let you know this is the same review as the one in the other location. Thank you for the meal.
This is probably the best market and restaurant for fish in the Newport Area. They offer a variety of plates, to burritos, and sandwiches. Bear Flag can customize your fish plate in any way you want it.
List of fish available:
— Opah
— Salmon
— Sea Bass
— Swordfish
— Wahoo
— Abalone
— Lobster
— Shrimp
— Mahi Mahi
— and etc.
Ways you can plate them:
— Grilled fish plate with a side
— Burrito
— Salad
— Sushi Grade Sliced
— Tuna and Salmon Poke
— Chips and Guacamole
— and etc.
You can get a really healthy plate or a unhealthy plate. When I come here I usually come here for the Poke Salmon, and Clam Chowder, then it would be the latter of an unhealthy plate. They have a optimally great choice of poke considering there is only was flavor. They were market style so it is considerably awesome. It does have a good spice in it as well. As much as I love this place, the Poke trend has blocked me from going here repeatedly because of the distance and competition, but if i’m in the area, I would definitely stop by for some poke.

I am a fan of Bear Flag Fish Company @ Newport Beach. I meant I WAS a fan…
Did they move? What happened to this Bear Flag Fish Company?
I wanted shrimp cocktail and my friend took me to this restaurant. The line was long, but it moved pretty fast.
We ordered shrimp cocktail, poke, clam chowder and a small fish plate.
Shrimp cocktail: it was seriously nothing special and borderline disappointing. I was expecting fresher and tastier shrimps. The cocktail sauce was meh.
Poke: it was mixed with seaweed, black sesame and black sesame. the poke was very bland the fish was slimy and veiny. I don’t usually add soy sauce to my poke, but I had to do it. The chip is better than the poke itself.
Clam chowder: served with a slice of bread, it was better than my poke by far. Still not that great though :(
Small fish plate: the small fish plate is true to its name… ti was very small. It’s probably better to order the big fish plate. The halibut was overcooked and bland. My friend was disappointed with his lunch.
2 stars! The quality of Bear Flag Fish Company is going down :(I am no longer a fan
Bear Flag Fish Company is not yummylicious!

It’s pretty exciting to go to Newport Beach. I remembered the times we would visit our daughter at UCI and come down to Newport from Irvine and eat at one of their fine dining establishments. Today we chose to go to Bear Flag Fish Company. It was a little challenge getting parking but after about an half hour I was able to squeeze my rental truck into a Nissan Leaf parking space. I just hope we wouldn’t be towed or ticketed bc it won’t be a cheap fine.
It was a one block walk to Bear Flag and about half way there, I noticed the patrons of Bear Flag were eating on the sidewalk or wherever they can find a spot to eat their meal. As we got closer, the line was out the door.
It was a typical windy, overcast, cool day at Newport and I had no problems with waiting. At the end of all this wait is a great meal ahead of us. Took about a ½ hour to finally get to order our food. By that time, my stomach was growling for some good poke. I ordered a salmon and tuna poke with a side of white rice, greens and cucumber salad, and extra avocado and Diana ordered a grilled halibut with rice and greens with two iced teas.
Seating was another challenge. Everyone was trying to get a place to sit. Luckily there’s was a spot near the line where a couple was eating and nobody noticed they got up but I did. Quickly I secured the two spots by putting our sparkling waters, utensils and napkins. Our order came out a few minutes later and I was ready to chow down again. The salmon and tuna poke was perfectly seasoned and the fish was totally fresh. Before I took a bite, I made sure I forked some avocado with the poke. The cucumber salad was sweet and salty on top of refreshing. My wife cut a piece of halibut and placed it in my plate. The piece of fish had a nice grilled lemony flavor to it. I even dipped the fish into her side thousand island dressing. Man was that delicious. After I was done eating, I wasn’t quite satisfied but at this point the place had became way too crowded. I just didn’t want to wait another half hour for my food.
I will definitely come back to this place bc their food is fabulous but next time I will come here for lunch at 11am so it’s not so busy.

OMYWORLD this place has such a great atmosphere and delicious food. I caught up with a friend here who I hadn’t seen in years and it was lovely to just sit down and enjoy a great meal together! There’s a great patio area and the inside is decked out in an ocean themed manner. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ with fake sharks hanging from the ceiling.
I got the Bear Flag Burrito but I probably should’ve gotten the specialty one bc that one has poke inside! WAHH a burrito with poke??? yes it is true! Okey dokey yo (if someone gets this, I would be muy happy). So next time I know to get the specialty. However, the bear flag held it’s own and was really delicious! The sauces they have there are AMAZING as well. I will definitely try the poke burrito next time! Till then, goodbye my love.

Bear flag was one of my places to visit for poke. For some reason I thought they had a wide variety of poke dishes, but there weren’t as many as I thought.
Anyways there’s plenty of parking in the back plaza. I did come on a holiday so there were a lot of spots open, but there’s also street parking.
I of course got the poke which was good. I’ve had better but I’ve never had poke in the area before. But the tuna is SO fresh. Never had poke that fresh before. And it comes with chips on the side.
My boyfriend got the bear flag burrito, which was a safe choice kind of burrito if you don’t know what you want. He also got the cioppino soup that was pretty tasty.
I wanted to get the clam chowder but it was too hot that day ._​_​_​.
Overall it was a pretty good experience. The line is usually long and the seating is pretty crowded so make sure you come early to beat the rush.

Situated in the lido district of the iconic balboa peninsula, this fairly new location has already drawn a band of loyal followers. They offer storefront metered parking and luckily there’s ample parking in the neighboring lot adjacent to the restaurant. Being that it’s lent season, my dining choices on a Friday afternoon have dwindled to a handful of middling selections. When this place popped up on my Unilocal radar, i was naturally intrigued and ready to get my grub on. When I stepped inside, it had the typical appearance of a casual fish market type establishment, with fresh seafood selections under glass display cases and life size aquatic art sculptures adorning the walls and ceiling. There was a flashback Indie rock selection playing from the overhead speakers and a group of hungry diners already building up an impressive queue. I used my wait time appropriately by perusing the overhead menu and also took the opportunity to ogle at their specials for the day. When I saw the grouper burrito on the «specials» chalk board, I was sold. Grouper is one of my favorite fishes and I was curious how it would taste in a burrito form. Served with fresh buttery avocado, fluffy rice, crisp lettuce and their tangy Tommy sauce, this substantial burrito was not only satisfying but phenomenally good. The flakey chunks of grouper were perfectly grilled and oddly enough, it didn’t taste like a fish burrito at all, which was a good thing, a really good thing. Truth be told, I think I could eat that burrito on the daily if I had my druthers, but at 12 $ a pop, it’s not the cheapest burrito I’ve ever devoured. Nonetheless, I’m a firm believer that you get what you pay for and this was the Cadillac of burritos IMO. Now onto the other items I sampled which included the poké, clam chowder, ciopino and fresh salmon sashimi, which I voluntarily selected in order to reserve a spot at the sushi bar. Yes, it was packed and I didn’t want to be relegated to the dining trough outside with the large amounts of food that I was juggling. The salmon and tuna poké was fresh and agreeably good. I’m not the biggest fan of poké but if you’re a fan you will most likely enjoy their offerings here. The ciopino was quite delicious. Tangier and sweeter than I expected but not cloyingly so. The clam chowder had generous amounts of clams, which was nice and the soup base was thick, creamy and chunky just the way I like it. The salmon sashimi was also very fresh and melted like butter in my mouth.
As I was dining, a surly couple tried to weasel a seat at the sushi bar next to me. Of course they tried to bypass the long line but refused to order sushi items. Be warned, they’ve got rules and you best follow them. If you don’t order sushi or sashimi, you gotta get in line and you can’t sit here. To cut a long story short, that couple left empty handed.
Overall, I had a great experience here and I’m glad to have found a new local joint to enjoy fresh good quality seafood at fairly reasonable prices.
Until next time…
Happy Eats!

We just ate an Excellent lunch at Bear Flag Fish Co. — Super fresh Fast Casual Dining (order and be seated and they bring your meal to toe table). We shared a New England Clam Chowder which was excellent — well flavored and seasoned and tons of clams in it. Hubby got the seared tuna tacos and was flipping out over them. I absolutely loved my grilled halibut tacos as well. We are from the East Coast of Florida (aka grew up catching our own fish and eating it hours later) and are very much fish snobs. Crazy fresh and delicious. Must try in So Cal! Will probably return before we head home.

Everything was great, seafood was very fresh, flavors on point, pricing was fair.
We drove down from LA after seeing their posts on Instagram and sooo happy we did!
Food
Tuna Poke (unbelievable)
Peruvian Ceviche (above average)
Shrimp Cocktail (fresh and flavorful)
Fish Tacos 1 whitefish 1 salmon (unbelievable)
Guac (above average)
Topped off with a ridiculous michelada from what looked like an incredibly well stocked bar! Add the ocean air, great friendly service this place is a can’t miss!

Taco Tuesday! I think the fish tacos are $ 2
BUT ITS BOMB SO ITS WORTH
I got the fish tacos and poke .
the poke was expensive ($ 12!!!) for a small but it was good but not worth the price. I could have gotten Costco poke for more at the same price .
anyways
the poke is
it comes with tortilla chips which brings an interesting salty flavor to it (this was my first time trying poke with chips)
the chips were good too
and the fish taco is the best
the fish tastes really clean and the tommy sauce isn’t smothered all over (I don’t normally like sauces of that kind, but I think it makes the taco)
y’all have to go and try the tacos. it’s expensive if it’s not taco Tuesday. go try the fish tacos

This place is beyond 5 stars in my opinion. I’ve been here about 3 times now twice at this location and once at the other, and all times the food has been super fresh. I usually get the poke but it can be a little to spicy for me so today I went for a grilled salmon burrito and it was amazing! The place also attracts a diverse crowd it’s pretty hip in my opinion!

I finally found my way to the new Bear Flag in Lido down the street from the old location. It’s the same yummy food but this location has much better parking and plenty of outdoor seating.
Everything on the menu is delish from the fish tacos to the burritos. Lots of other people feel the same way I do since everytime I have been here or the Crystal Court location the line is always out the door. They also have some awsome fresh fish that you can pick up to prepare at home. I could eat here every day and be HAPPY.

BEWARE OF THEIR SHADY BUSINESS PRACTICE!
I was in the area and was craving poke. I was limited to the places I can go as Newport Beach is not an area that specializes in poke. I was able to find this place on Unilocal,which surprisingly had pretty good reviews. I noticed that the market price of the poke varied depending on the season so I decided to call beforehand and ask how much it was for a half pound of poke. The guy on the other line told me that it was $ 8.49, which was a pretty decent price for that amount. Despite what I read from the reviews, there wasn’t a lot of people there and I avoided waiting in any lines. When I asked for a half pound of poke, the guy went straight for the ahi poke. I was craving salmon; however, he stated that they were all out, which was fine since I just wanted some darn poke! He then charged me $ 10! I was NOT upset about the price; however, I was surprised to how he came up with that amount. When I told him that someone had told me that it was $ 8.49 for half a pound, he mumbled and said something along the lines of «with tax and I packed it tight, it will ROUND UP to $ 10». He also said, «if you want it to be exactly at $ 8.49, I CAN TAKE SOME OF IT OUT»!! I was so shocked and appalled, I didn’t know how to respond! I simply said that it was fine and just walked out hoping that it was worth the $ 10. Now look, I am not complaining about the price since when you do the math, tax on $ 8.49 would mean that I would’ve paid an extra 50 cents, but it’s all about principle! I’m not sure if he charged me a flat rate of $ 10 because I already had a $ 20 bill in my hand or maybe he did «pack it tight» as he had claimed, but he should have kept his word and charged the correct amount instead of «rounding up» the price.
As far as the poke itself, I would agree with several Unilocal reviewers who stated that it was lacking in flavor. I prefer to have stronger flavors that truly bring out that quality taste; however, it was far from that experience. It wasn’t horrible; however, it could have used a little more seasoning. All in all, I probably will never come back here not only because of their shady business practice, but due to their immensely disappointing quality in taste.

I have been meaning to come here since before the poke craze was everywhere, but never found myself out in the OC. When the opportunity rose, I was so excited to try this place –and boy am I glad that it did not disappoint in the least bit!
There’s two parking lots in the plaza, so that was very convenient instead of driving around looking for street parking, which I feared. I loved the open outdoor space for seating, which was absolutely perfect on a sunny day. The line went by quick as I stood there deciding what to order.
For two, we ordered ½lb of ahi tuna poke and ½ salmon poke along with a 12oz New England Clam Chowder ($ 3.95) in a bread bowl (additional $ 2 and totally worth it). The poke is market price for about $ 8.50 for half an pound making my total around $ 25. All poke orders comes with a huge plate of chips to go along with it and you’re welcome to ask for more if it’s not enough. Both poke were so fresh, flavorful and delicious. Honestly, I couldn’t pick between the two and just kept going back and forth between them. They went so perfectly with the chips –nothing more is needed as the sauce is superb. The clam chowder was full of seafood flavor and yummy as well. With the soup all soaked up in my bread bowl, it made finishing the bread so satisfying. I can’t wait to be back and try some of their other plates, but the poke is the bomb!

I love their poke salad here!!! It’s always fresh and consistent! I also tried their salmon sandwich and it’s pretty damn tasty too! Don’t forget to get your fresh coconut water to make you feel fancy AF! They stamp a bear in it! Bonus points for that!

Came in during the weekday lunch rush although the line was lengthy I was able to order in fair time.
I ordered the smoked fish plate, fish taco and a bloody mary. Everything was perfect from the portions, to the sauces to the drinks.
My sweetie had the Bear Flag fish burrito… yum!
Everyone’s super chill and the staff was great.
I loved that the had a small fish market, next time I’ll be sure to purchase some fresh fish.
I would absolutely recommend this spot to friends, family and my pescatarian buddies.

Tried this place out thinking it will be really good with the long lines. I’ll just say this place is not worth the drive just to eat fish. The halibut was kind of rubbery and really didn’t taste any seasoning. The clam chowder was decent. It had sand grains in it so be careful chewing on it. Don’t want to chip your teeth. Poke was slimy and stringy. Poke is much better at other places. Not recommending this place to anyone.

AHI POKE SALAD!!!
Everything else is ok…
All i need is a 2lb container of the Ahi Poke Salad and a Coke… Seating ain’t great. so be prepared to find a spot with a nice view and enjoy…

This place is the bomb! We went on Sunday around 6PM and the line was out the door. They ran out of chips and salmon, so we got ahi tuna poke. The tuna was very fresh and well seasoned. I was really disappointed that they ran out of the chips because I wanted to try their sevich.
They have 3 sizes:
Small: ½ lb
Medium: 1 lb
Large: 2 lb
This place is self seating. It was a little difficult to find a place to sit inside due to its popularity. There are a few tables outside, too.

Delicious fish!
Their poke bowls are amazing, just get some tortilla chips and a beer and you’ve got the perfect snack.
Their tacos are finger-​licking good. Definitely order a couple of those next time you’re in.

There’s a lot of new poke places popping up, a lot of them drown their fish in various sauces and there’s a lot of options for add ons. Its a great bang for your buck but all the sauces and add ons take away from the actual fish. Bear Flag is my favorite place to get poke because the fish is very lightly seasoned — the quality of the fish is so fresh that they don’t need to add a bunch of different sauces! But if you do want more sauce, they make their own sauce which is great too. Usually a pound of poke is $ 17 and comes with a side of tortilla chip but you can also order half a pound.
I’ve also had the cucumber salad and seaweed salad which are both great but the seaweed salad here is probably my favorite seaweed salad of all time because its so fresh. I tried the poke burrito which I didn’t like because the fish needs a little more flavor to compete with everything else inside the burrito.
Note: During busy hours, this place is PACKED so be prepared to wait for the register and fight for seating.

One of our «go-​to» spots whenever we’re out in OC! Bear Flag is a must if you’re a fan of fresh fish and delicious food. We always get an order of the Ahi Tuna Poke, with housemade chips and guac. Their fish burritos are BA too!
It’ll be 6 – 12 months before I’m back and I’m already daydreaming of their Ahi. #1stworldproblems

Their salmon poke and chips are my all time favorite thing to snack on. The fish is fresh and tasty.
A lot of people, including myself, are a little surprised to bite into a fish burrito and not taste a lot of sauce or seasoning. I’m guessing they don’t add anything because the fish is so fresh there isn’t a reason to cover it up. I respect that, but I do like my spices and I think the lack of spices or sauce makes their burritos a little bland. With that being said, they’re still good, but I think they could be better.
They added a sushi bar since the last time I’ve been here. They have some pretty awesome rolls and they are worth trying out.
Lines are long, menu is a little disorganized, but the staff is nice and the food is good.

AHHH I can’t believe it took me this long to finally go to bear flag :(*stupid me*
As you know when it’s a brand new year the most common new years resolutions are losing weight, eating healthy, working out. basically anything healthy. Well… if you follow my IG or Unilocal page you know how much I love food, but age is definitely catching up because these last two weeks of binge eating made me feel horrible! *hence why I’m on a 2 day juice cleanse*
So because of this my husband and I (well actually it was my idea lol) decided to go on a clean pescatarian diet. Meaning vegetarian + seafood… most simple way I can explain it. Which meant when we were deciding where to go for lunch I brought up Bear Flag for many reasons: 1. I bookmarked it for years 2. They serve seafood 3. The reviews are amazing and 4. It’s 10 minutes away from my house.
My husband and I came in around 11:30 w/​our dog Thor and I ordered while my husband and Thor sat in the patio. (PS there’s A LOT of outdoor seating and it is pup friendly!) I ordered 1 pound of salmon/​tuna poke, a small clam chowder, and 2 bear flag burritos: one with opah and the other with mahi mahi.
The cashier handed me my poke and some chips w/​my number. As we were waiting I got us utensils and a lot of hot sauce… they have a GREAT hot sauce collection which made me so happy inside. We were eating the poke and I was so shocked with how fresh the fish is. I have had poke in California and I’m never truly satisfied like I am when I’m in Hawaii. However I have to say that the poke brought me back to Hawaii… it was so fresh and perfectly marinated. Shortly after our food came out and EVERYTHING was great. The clam chowder… seriously? I wasn’t going to order it because it’s not the healthiest thing, but the cashier said it was amazing so we had to. I AM SO GLAD WE GOT IT! AHHHH it was SO freaking good. A lot of clams, minimal potato, perfect seasoning, great creaminess… omg perfection. The burritos… OMG once again SO FREAKING GOOD. I liked both equally the same… actually let me rephrase I LOVED both equally the same. There was a lot of fish in the burrito, perfect amount of sauce, grilled burrito… once again. PERFECTION!
I would HIGHLY recommend Bear Flag to everyone and anyone who loves fresh seafood and I will DEFINITELY be back again!!!

Let me first say thank you to my mom for getting me out of my comfort zone of always choosing Seabirds in Costa Mesa as our dinner stop before heading back to UCLA. If you know what I mean, sometimes it’s so hard to scout out new food territory when you already know a place that’s delicious and satisfying. I cannot be more happier right now with trying Bear Flag Fish Company!
From the ambiance and atmosphere to the food and the down-​to-​earth service, this restaurant is a real gem. Don’t get me wrong, it was crowded but for this quality of food, I was expecting it to be overflowing, especially being close to the coast. Thank you that it wasn’t haha — allowed us to fully indulge without feeling overwhelmed. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night? I’m not really sure.
As for the food, I was 100% sold on ordering the cioppino after sampling a small bit. It’s not your classic cioppino stuffed with various types of seafood but boy is it good. The broth is light yet so flavorful and slightly spicy. It’s packed with chunks of fish and layered with various types of slow-​cooked vegetables. It’s chunky; it’s hearty; it’s oh so delicious. I also ordered a wild Alaskan salmon taco. You definitely get your money’s worth. This taco is not skimpy on the fish. Rather it’s cooked perfectly — tender, meaty, and plump. Let me not forget to include that the condiments (avocado, cabbage, sauce, pico) were generously slathered on also. Quick tip: get the seaweed salad and put some on top of your taco! If you have extra left, just eat it with a fork. Chopsticks will only slow down the process.
I seriously can’t wait to come back. You not only feel the love put into the restaurant but also the food and customer service.

Ah I love it! Even more than North Shore Poke in Cerritos! The poke here is fresher and I don’t know I just loved it!
I ordered 1lbs of poke on an impulse…
That was a lot of poke.
Not much to say, just come! Poke, rice, and avocado and you’re set.

Before all these assembly line poke joints started popping up in the OC, Bear Flag was one of the few places you could get poke. I stopped by to give it a try based on all the high reviews on Unilocal.
I ordered a half pound of the ahi poke and a salmon burrito. I thought both were lacking in flavor… the poke sauce could have been improved. It tasted very simple, like sesame oil and soy sauce. The burrito was more like a wrap. It was very light and fresh, with ingredients like tomato, lettuce, and avocado. As a result, there was no strong flavor that stood out.
The experience was kinda disappointing, but I think it’s because I prefer the heavier and stronger flavors of the new poke joints. You might enjoy it here if you prefer lighter and less Asian flavors. There’s also a fish market located inside if you desire grilled fish.

I got ½ pound of tuna and ½ lb salmon poke. It was okay. I thought it was a bit much on the sesame oil or whatever oil it was but it gets boring fast. Definitely want to come back and try their other foods.
Also, there needs to be a better line system because I got cut twice because when you get to the register it just randomly splits and I know the person working the cashier saw that I was next but still disregarded me. If it was anyone else, I’m sure they would of said something but I’m a patient person so I didn’t care for it.

Bear flag — is always the buzz & the place that people advise tourists to go try if they are in this area. (i am definitely one who does this HAAHHA)
But reasons why bear flag is great & why only 4 stars.
1. Serve alcohol & great beer options
2. seafood is so fresh — like straight from the ocean in the AM fresh!
3. Their poke (salmon & tuna) are so good and it also comes with a side of chips (deep fried thick ass chips). The best poke on the mainland.
4. The sauce — the big bottle with an orange cap — also orange-​Y looking sauce is delicious! I love it on everything here !
5. Had the salmon burrito for the first time. It was indeed a very fresh salmon tasting burrito. I think it was too fresh for me. I literally could taste the fishy-​ness of the salmon which I did not like.
6. The seared ahi tuna salad was delicious. Comes with two sauces (sesame soy sauce & mayo based sauced) and huge chunks of seared ahi tuna!
But…
7) LINES CAN GET SO LONG
8) Hard to decide what to order — the menu is not friendly for people who do not know fish (so ask or go with people who do know what to order)
9) I think there’s a missing «wow» factor — but great/​best option/​place for good priced fresh fish — especially the poke

My parents have never been to Balboa Island in Newport Beach so we decided to make a day out of it. Of course I was in charge of looking for places to eat and have coffee at. We came here for lunch before heading to Balboa Island and we absolutely loved it. My dad is pretty hard to please when it comes to eating out and such but he surprisingly enjoyed having lunch here.
We came in at lunch rush but the lines moved pretty fast. The girl who helped us out was a delight — super friendly and smiley and very knowledgeable about their menu and specials. She recommended the fish of the day so my dad got the Yellowtail Plate with white rice and black beans. Yellowtail was grilled to perfection — tender, juicy, and flavourful! My mum and I decided on ahi tuna and salmon poke. All their poke selections are served with chips so there’s no need to order more chips unless you want more, of course. I love that their poke isn’t doused in soy sauce and whatnot like in most poke places in SoCal. We also ordered their guacamole. I thought it was just okay but that’s because I’m picky with my guacamole and I usually like it lemony and with more onions and cilantro.
Overall enjoyed a quick lunch here with the family. My pup and I loved the outdoor seating as well. I’m sad that this place is all the way in Newport Beach but it gives me all the more reason to come back for their poke and chips!

Yum! Had a delicious 1 pound tub of salmon and tuna Poké for about $ 17. It comes with a side of salted crunchy tortilla chips. It’s very casual– you order at the register, and then find your spot, get your own water and utensils. The big 3D shark and Marlin hung from the ceilings are fun!
There’s a parking lot too.

Ohhhhh say can you seeeeee, by the halibut in my burrito baby !!
Grilled halibut to flakey perfection! This place never seems to disappoint! Whoever came up with the idea of putting high end fish into burritos should get a noble prize! I’m a happy camper every time i walk in this place. They say it’s hard to break bad HALIBUTS, so do yourselves all a favor and get her early to order it. They usually sell out of this god of a fish by 3pm.

Came for Taco Tuesday and the line was to the door! Luckily, there was more than one register open so the line moved fairly quickly. I tried the salmon poke, tuna poke, and one of each of their taco tuesday specials: ahi and basa.
For $ 2, the tacos were so. darn. good. They weren’t too small, and they were generous with the fish portions. It was a bit excessively saucey, but didn’t detract from the overall dish too much. Their green habanero sauce is a must on the tacos.
The guacamole, which my table got to share, was a bit shabby. For the price of that and the paired chips, almost around $ 7, it was neither Chipotle-​quality nor too cheap to disregard. It tasted just like mashed up avocados-​which I’m not complaining about-​but ain’t nobody got time to pay for that at a restaurant!
The tuna poke was good but not as good as the salmon poke. I prefer salmon in general so that may have been why, but both were impressively fresh nonetheless. Both are market price, usually $ 10+ for a smaller size packaging, so if your table is sharing, you should share the poke and NOT the other sides like guac!
Good vibes overall but come early for seats!