Barbara's Fishtrap

Looking for classic fish and chips? Barbara's nails it. Crispy batter, tender fish, and perfectly cooked chips - they hit all the right marks.There was a bit of a wait on Sunday afternoon (about 30 minutes), but the service was friendly and efficient once we were seated.Tip: Cash only!Tip: The fish and chips plate comes with 4 large pieces and easily serves two.Another tip: For a quicker experience, consider ordering at the to-go window and enjoying your meal at the picnic tables outside.

Barbara's Fishtrap is a casual restaurant, with a take away fish-fry counter. It's right next to the beach in Half Moon Bay.Barbara's is a solid option for deep fried seafood. Costs are towards the higher end for a casual setting. Their fried calamari, fried prawns, fried scallops and french fries are cooked to order. They feature crab during crab season.We got a mini Fishtrap Tempura for $27.95, which features two deep fried scallops, two prawns, fried calamari, two deep fried zucchini slices and french fries alongside lemon slices, ketchup and tartar sauce. For some reason, the fried cod was missing from our order. The 'mini' was bigger than expected and heavy. Less tempura and more a classic deep fried fish fry, the coating was thick and greasy. We also grabbed a seasonal crab cocktail for $21.95, which was essentially a small scoop of crab salad with light mayonnaise and lemon slices. It was fresh, and tiny.We waited about a half hour in the line and another half hour for our to-go order to emerge from the kitchen.In all, a solid, old school seafood shack experience in Half Moon Bay.

We visited Barbara's on the windiest, rainiest day and it was absolute perfection. Barbara's has been on my list for a while now and I'm so glad we finally made it!There is a parking lot right across the street and we had no problem parking. The restaurant is literally on the water; cute, homey and warm. There was also a good amount of outside seating in their patio, perfect for when the weather is a bit warmer. There are big windows surrounding the entire restaurant with gorgeous views of the pacific.Of course we had to order their award-winning clam chowder and fish & chips. We also got 1lb of their steamed mussels which was plenty for 2. Everything was so fresh and piping hot!! The clam chowder wasn't too creamy, which was very unique; more of a potatoey flavor and FULL of goodies. I really appreciated the extra side of garlic sauce/soup for dipping the mussels. The fish was flaky and I loved the thick cut fries.The server was amazing and everyone was so warm and welcoming! As we left, it was literally thunderstorming and we all just stood outside and watched the wind and rain go by for a minute. It was beautiful.All in all, I loved everything about this experience and 5/5 for all the food. We will definitely be back when the sun is out so we can take a nice stroll along the beach after a full, hearty meal.

First -- the location.. Dangerously close to me. Incredibly cute and quaint looking building/space but has tons of indoor and outdoor seating. Love the various hang out spots on either side of the building + the proximity to the water. Picturesque spot for a meal. Second, the menu has toooons of food to choose from, including award winning dishes like clam chowder and fish and chips. Everything was an easy 5/5. Wow were we amazed at the experience since we thought we were going to walking up to a huge line with a decent wait on a busy Saturday -- noooope. We were amongst a group of 4-6 people and got to order within seconds of walking up to the To Go area. Our food came out lightning fast -- shout out to the 2 gentlemen at the To Go counter rocking and rolling with friendly demeanors. My partner's mom treated us to dinner and we ordered: -Fish and Prawn Combo w/ Fries-Mushroom Tempura-Side of Slaw + Cokes -Veg. Tempura Platter w/ Fries (forgot to take a pic) -7 Ocean Prawns Tempura w/ ColeslawLarge portions, huuge and succulent shrimp. Their tempura batter is SO on point. 2pc fish for the combo platter -- incredible. flaky, crispy, not oily, delicate but meaty. fries looked basic but were cooked to perfection. The malt vinegar they offer on the side @ the self serve area is a *must* for the fries/chips. couldn't stop eating tbh.. And they hooked the sauces upppp (i didn't even think to ask): couple each of tartar, cocktail, ranch. Packaged very well for the ride home but they should have thrown everything into a large paper bag to avoid us carrying 4-5 little baggies. Must come back again soon to try the other seafood options I was eyeing!

This is usually my go to place in HMB since my last visit was very memorable. I realize inflammation has hit all part of dining on this occasion although the server was pleasant with a smile, each request was met with a "no", "it's additional" or part of their daily special. I was really disappointed. I went ahead and ordered the calamari and fish fried with fries and a Diet Coke. The calamari with tentacles and rings were nicely coated and fried. And the two pieces of fish coated and fried stayed warm when I got to it. Cutting into it was flakey as it should be. It came with tomato based and mayo based cocktail sauces. The sauces helped with taste of the fried items. Overall the food experience was good. I guess next visit, my selection will be very selected in the distant future.

Arrived on Saturday at about 3 pm and thankfully was able to find parking in their lot really quickly. The lot tends to fill up around meal times so we got lucky. Also there wasnt a wait so we got seated immediately, despite the dining being kind of small. The takeout line was surprisingly long, though they did have some seating outdoors.We ordered fish and chips as well as a cup of clam chowder. Both items came out piping hot and super fresh!! The chowder was super tasty, not overly creamy (non-dairy!), and I love the peppery seasoning they put on top. Fish and chips had 4 pieces(!) of fish and they were fried perfectly, flaky, soft and tender on the inside, but crispy on the outside. Wish they would give a bit more fries though! It's always a fun time being in HMB getting fish and chips at Barbara's fish trap!

A beloved local institution that doesn't live up to hype for me. I grew up in a similar coastal area eating lots of fresh fish, so while the food was fine, it wasn't worth the 30+ wait and high dinner bill for me to return or recommend. We ordered:- free bread for the table was sourdough but wish it had been warmed - corn fritters on recommendation of a lady leaving: interesting and yummy- calamari appetizer: a good portion and had an interesting cinnamon-like spice, but needed more acid - clam chowder bowl: reminded me that I don't really like clam chowder - sautéed garlic prawns: $27 for 6 shrimp and mediocre fries Logistics:- indoor sit down seating, walled and roofed patio sit down seating, a few picnic tables outside for the takeout window - a small parking lot directly across the way but it was full and tight

A classic. Barbara's has been on this little slice of the coast for ages, and it really never disappoints. For me it's not a matter of whether I will return, it's what will I order the next time I'm here. We got: - fried artichokes - I've not found a place that does these better than Barbara's. - fish and chips - classic, standard, delicious fare. Comes out piping hot with flat steak fries and two cups of tartar. - cup of clam chowder - PACKED with clams. I would order this again, maybe as a bowl. I don't think they offer a bread bowl option - classic burger - pretty standard stuff, came with a partner who's not big into seafood! - key lime pie - delicious. Could go a bit heavier on the graham cracker crust, but a perfect way to cap off the meal. The tartness of the key lime pie pairs well with the dense fried food. They used to be cash only but now take cards with a fee. There is a small lot for parking across the street (designated for them) but it fills up very quickly on weekends. They have a to-go counter that is also very quick; take some fish and chips to go and sit on the beach! Love this place. Hope it never leaves.

Experience: 8.8/10 Came here on a Sunday at around 11am where there was not much of a wait. The parking situation was nice as there was a small lot in front of the restaurant where you can park your cars. The restaurant is located on the side of the harbor and you can see the ocean when looking out. The place gets packed easily so it would be best coming early or you should expect to have to wait. The Food: We got the fish and calamari combo and the large clam chowder. The calamari was crisp, and I loved the spicy marinara sauce that came with the dish. The batter is in between a thick and thin batter, and is super crispy and is fried amazingly. The Chips were great too, as they were crispy and fluffy on the inside. The fish however was a little bit of a miss for me as it was not as crispy as I expected. The fish quality however is very nice and is super flakey on the inside. The chowder is amazing as it is packed with a bunch of clams. It was creamy, savory and thick which is how I like my chowders. Others may find it too thick for their liking but personally is one of my favorite chowders that I have tasted. Overall: I would highly recommend coming here if you are craving fried seafood and a bowl of chowder! I do think I may have gotten a little unlucky with the fish, but the oceanside view, food quality if amazing. I would come here again!.

Get the scallops - thank me later. I would even only buy the scallops at this point too. It was sooo darn tasty - made everything else forgettable. The wait was long during the dinner rush +40 mins. But there are places to sit while you wait. The parking is a big tight and street parking is sometimes difficult.The service was friendly and accommodating to requests for hot sauces and goes into the menu item - but they move fast. The place gives a mom and pop shop feel and looks like a local favorite.