By Natallie Rocha / The San Diego Union-Tribune / March 13, 2025
The Port of San Diego signed off Tuesday on a prominent local restaurant group’s planned takeover of the waterfront lease held by the Fish Market Restaurant.
The Brigantine restaurant group — a family-owned business that has operated in San Diego County since 1969 — will assume the lease for the Fish Market’s location on North Harbor Drive. Brigantine’s private deal to acquire the Fish Market brand was announced late last year.
The sale marked a new era for the nearly 50-year old Fish Market restaurants, a family-owned seafood business. The Brigantine restaurant group intends to continue operating the downtown and Solana Beach eateries under the Fish Market brand.
Currently, the Brigantine operates 20 Southern California restaurants, including the Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar, Ketch Grill & Taps and Miguel’s Cocina. The group already has a strong local presence on San Diego’s waterfront with its $25 million Portside Pier, a multi-concept dining complex on the Embarcadero.
“The Brigantine is a trusted partner that has done an excellent job of transforming Port restaurant properties into incredible dining destinations for locals and visitors alike,” said Chair Danielle Moore, Port of San Diego board of port commissioners. “As they assume operations for The Fish Market restaurant at its premier location on our waterfront, we look forward to the Morton family bringing their expertise to a longtime favorite dining establishment on San Diego Bay and we thank The Fish Market for its decades of success.”
The flagship restaurant on North Harbor Drive has a lease that expires in February 2028. Any lease extension with the Port typically comes with a requirement for capital improvements and enhanced public access.
A spokesperson for the Port of San Diego said the negotiations for a new long-term lease will commence once the agency receives a project submittal from the Brigantine outlining their improvements.
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Great! Another OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE restaurant for San Diego’s waterfront that only a mere fraction of county residents can afford to eat at.
So you think all the restaurants owned by the Brigantine group are OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE?
Well Chris,
I suppose everything is relative. Lunch menu has $9.oo for a cup of clam chowder (not a bowl, a cup), and $12.00 for a wedge salad, yeah that is expensive to me. I realize that may not be expensive to everyone, but yeah, I think it is. After all, last I checked, you could buy a head of lettuce for about a buck, why should a wedge of it with dressing run you $12?
Those are pretty much the same prices The Fish Market has been charging already. If I’d say the FM was a a bit higher than that.
Now if they’re going to put in a much higher end restaurant, then that remains to be seen. Since there’s already a Brig/Ketch/Miguel’s/Portside combo down the street, who knows?
The Brig and Miguels seem to be ok price-wise; but the Ketch is very expensive for very mediocre to unpalatable food… Fish Market was not cheap but definitely had great food and the prices were reasonable given the quality of the food. I will miss it .
Ketch was pretty good when it first opened, but we opt not to go back these days.
As long as they keep the quality of fish and seafood, it’s a win for me. When I dine at these type of establishments, I’m prepared to spend some extra dough. It is what it is.
At least this location is being taken over the The Brig group and not CH.