These California seafood restaurants named among best in America, according to Yelp

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LOS ANGELES - Whether you're a fan of lobster rolls, crab cakes, or a good shrimp boil, you're bound to find something to satisfy your seafood cravings in California.

In fact, nearly a dozen of the best seafood restaurants in the U.S. are located in the Golden State, according to a new survey.

Yelp recently released its Top 100 Seafood Spots of 2024, which showcases the best restaurants that consistently bring diners the tastiest treats from the sea.

Two Southern California restaurants made the top 5: Holbox in Los Angeles (#3) and Hook & Anchor in Newport Beach (#5).

At Holbox, Yelpers say the seafood is so fresh you might find "sea urchin spines still moving" in the popular Live Urchin & Scallop Ceviche, a dish that "melts in your mouth like butter."

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Holbox has won Michelin Guide California Bib Gourmand awards for 2019 and 2021-2023; a James Beard finalist nod for Best Chef California 2023; and a Restaurant of the Year 2023 recognition from the LA Times.

"I’ve tried almost everything, even their tasting menu, and I absolutely enjoyed every one of the dishes. If I had to pick just 2 items off their regular menu, it would be the Taco de Pulpo en su Tinta and the Baja Fish Taco. I love the soft texture of octopus, and it goes well with any of the hot sauces they have on the counter. For every visit, I’ve had nothing but pleasant encounters with the staff and the chef as well," Yelp Elite member Natalie Y wrote.

Meanwhile at Hook & Anchor, chef-owner Wayne Magnusen drives to the airport to pick up freshly shucked lobster, flown directly from Maine, according to Yelp.

"We go straight to the source," Wayne told Yelp. "There’s no middleman, and that’s really how we keep that product fresh."

Some of the popular dishes include the Lobster Roll, Housemade New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Sriracha Mac & Cheese.

"Let me put it like this: I nearly licked the table to get the drips off my plate," said Yelper Julio V.

Yelp elite member Lance L. described the sandwich is "what lobster roll dreams are made of. The butter-poached lobster was top notch and the split brioche bun was complete perfection!"

"The lobster roll is phenomenal. Quite literally the best thing I’ve ever shoved into my mouth. Inhaled in less than 10 minutes. The sounds I let out when I took my first bite…. We are not messing around here! Prepare to be healed," Yelp Elite member Kara M. wrote.

Here are all the California seafood spots that made the list, along with their ranking:

Holbox, Los Angeles (#3)
Hook & Anchor, Newport Beach (#5)
Oceana Restaurant, Palm Desert (#12)
Seafood Boiler, Norco (#16)
Portofino, San Francisco (#19)
Nine Seafood Restaurant, Cerritos (#23)
Mariscos Costa Alegre, San Jose (#24)
Pampa-Rara, Apple Valley (#27)
Hawaiian Fresh Seafood at Centerpark Labs, San Diego (#29)
Hog Island Oyster, San Francisco (#86)
Star Crab, Ventura (#87)

To get the results, Yelp identified restaurants in the seafood category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning "seafood," then ranked them based on a number of factors including total volume and ratings of reiews between January 1, 2001, and Dec. 13, 2023. Only 10 businesses per state were included for geographic diversity.

Did your favorite restaurant make it into the Top 100 Seafood Spots?

You can see the full list by tapping or clicking here.