H Salt Esquire Fish & Chips

Second time I ordered food for to go, and at both times, the young male cashier was impatient in answering my questions. I hope he learns better customer service. Single star due to cashier’s attitude.

This is my absolute favorite place to get fish and chips. It only took one time to get hooked! The fish is fantastic but the shrimp is the reel deal; they’re perfect! I also love the fried zucchini. I still need to try the rest of the menu but I definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves fish and chips!
The place is small and you pay at the counter before you eat. There are only about 5 tables inside but it’s cozy not cramped.

Food
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$ 17.87…
0.99 — Hushpuppies
10.10 Big Ben — 4 pieces of fish and chips
2.50÷1.85 Onion Rings (daily special discount)
6.85 Captains Catch — 1 fish, 3 shrimp, and chips
Our tray was accompanied by a container of tartar sauce, a tube of ketchup, and a tube of cocktail sauce. I could hear my veins crying out in distress with every oil-​soaked bite. As enjoyable as the food was, and it was solidly made and tasted pretty decent, I was thinking I’d only return if I was in the mood to try their shrimp and cocktail sauce (versus the usual provider Popeye’s) or popcorn chicken, one of their new products. If I was from across the pond and fish & chips was part of my staple diet, I would come here, as they’re stolid, but my childhood nostalgia consists of phở and mi, so no dice.
To note, their hushpuppies are pretty amazing though. It tastes like chicken noodle soup in every corn-​filled, crumbly bite.
Décor
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Old school, wood paneling, gilt-​frame windows, and plenty of maps of England and its many coat-​of-​arms. They also had four snake-​leaf air plants, which I thought was a nice touch. Cafeteria-​like seating, easy to clean and comfortable enough. Salt and malt vinegar on every table.
Service
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Freshly-​fried food that you can hear gurgling right after you place your order. They have two workers, the cook and the cashier, and the service is straightforward. It’s an order over the counter and pick up your food at the counter sort of deal. I like it in a no-​muss, no-​fuss kinda way.
Extra!
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I picked up a coupon from my local newspaper. The daily special pretty much matched those prices and the coupons were for things like $ 2 off Big Ben or $ 1.50 off Captain’s Catch.

pretty good but obviously oily. fries could be a tad more crunchy. old looking place and im not sure how long they use their oil for but it’s pretty good :)

WARNING: DO NOT USE YOUR PLASTIC Here!!! They charge you for it. They don’t TELL you when you hand it to you. «Ma’am, using that will cost you $.15. Do you still want to use this?»
FREEZING COLD here. NO HEAT in the Winter time. Mostly a takeout trade. Pitied the couple eating their order here.
I would have used the cashish I had with me.
Nope, they hide their «warning» sign to the right outside of your field of vision and half hide it with condiments and utensils.
I’m giving them 2 stars instead of 1 or 0 because their customer service is goid. I think it is a hard working asian family owned franchise business.
I drove into the complex after my 50 mins massage at American Institute for Massage Therapy (thank you Mr. Jason as well as Calvin and Greta!!!). Here to do Mel’s Square Dance PLUS calls workshop year round.
Decided to try here.
Don’t bother.
The food is only OK.
Crispyish but super greasy cod fish pieces. Served in a cardboard server, not newspaper which WOULD be authentic and absorb some of the grease.
French fries are ok and get cold fast. I just took them home and crisped them on aluminum foil heater and finally crisped them. Then they were good.
My server (son of owner, bless you.) was polite and gracios. «Do you want your fies salted?»
My server’s graciousness earned them a star when the food and venue experience deserved 1 or 0 stars.
Wish them well, but I won’t be back.

I just so happened to be in the parking lot when I noticed this place and thought to myself, I haven’t had this place in a long time and since I was hungry, I thought I would give it a whirl. The employee there was not friendly AT ALL is why I am giving the 2 stars. I kept asking him questions just to see if you would come around with a smile and his answers were all like «yeah», «yeah». And of course no smile. He was into his game he was playing on his phone. I thought to myself, you need a new job dude. lol. I am not sure how people stay in business with this type of attitude. SMH
I asked him if I could have ranch dressing rather than tarter sauce and he gave me a look like I was asking for a million dollars. Unbelievable!
In any rate, the fish was good but the fries tasted like it had been sitting for some time and quite frankly it was blah. I doubt if I will go back.

I was in the process of writing a superb review. I kept clearing a clicking sound, It kept going for 5 minutes or more. I looked up and saw the employee cutting her nails. How gross. I scanned my plate for finger nails. I deleted the good review and checked my plate one more time for flying finger nails

My wife was craving fish and chips but since I count calories I wasn’t really wanting to go anywhere for it, then I remembered this H Salt Esquire a few miles away from my house. Knowing it’s a chain I figured it had to have a nutrition guide which sure enough it did. Wow… how can the calories be so low? I’m a bit skeptical about the listed calorie counts but it was good enough for me.
Last time I’ve ever set foot in one of these was back in the 1980’s. I walked in the door and it was like I was transported back in time. 100% same exact décor down to the fish tank full of goldfish. My mind was blown. My dad loved this place and there was one in Anaheim near his house so as a kid I would eat there often. Really brought back some greasy childhood memories. I went for the «Double Catch» which is 1 piece fish, 3 piece shrimp, 2 piece zucchini, and fries. How this mound of fried food comes out to 898 calories is questionable. My wife had the 2 piece fish & chips and we shared an order of fried mushrooms. Orders come with a tarter sauce but you have to pay for anymore. One was plenty. You’re also provided malt vinegar and squeeze bottles of kethchup and cocktail sauce.
Credit cards are taken but they charge you 50 cents if it’s under $ 15. They have air conditioning and the restaurant was spotless. As soon as somebody left the owner was scrubbing down the table.
Based off reviews I was worried if the food would be soggy but every single deep fried piece of food on my plate was golden brown and crunchy. It was very busy so the cook was constantly frying up fresh batches so maybe during slower off times the food sits under a heatlamp. Everything on my plate was delicious and cooked to perfection. The lady running the register was a bit rough around the edges personality wise but we saw her nice side too when complimenting the food. Hopefully those calorie counts are accurate since I’ll be back again once my craving for deep fried food strikes again!

I was greeted the moment I walked through the door with a warm smile and a welcoming vibe. They seemed very friendly and family oriented here. The cashier lady was very friendly and helped out us out with the daily specials. The food was piping hot as soon as we received it, which I appreciated. The fish and chips were everything I expected and more but the mini shrimp were what really captured my heart for life. I’m very happy with my experience and I have already made plans to go back with other friends. Great customer service and awesome food!!!

I am a huge fish & chips fan, and this place helps keep my cravings under control. Tasty fish, good calamari, friendly people. It’s not in Galway, but it’s good.

Good quick service, food served hot, friendly people. I have been here a few times, always happy. Prices are fair for there fish and chip combos.

A melting pot of contradictions! English food, Chinese decorations, and music in Spanish playing a bit too loud. The restaurant is old but it’s very clean and well taken care of. The fried shrimp is great, prices are fair and portions are hefty – even for their smallest combo.

It’s okay and could be better. When I orders to take this home the top part of the fish within the trays were crispy, however, the bottom half was all soggy. A simple fix is to let the fried fish to sit out in the open a little longer and flip it when it’s in the open, but everyone should know this I don’t know why they haven’t figured it out. I couldn’t taste the salt on the fish but if there were some a little more couldn’t hurt.
Overall I would come back because of lent Friday but that’s it.

I think this place is better than what they give it credit for the price is reasonable it’s fish seafood which is more expensive than your traditional burger joint but everything is fresh made right in front of youI love the shrimp and scallops the fish also but it’s one of the last H salt tried going there whenever I get the urge to eat fish if you don’t like fried foods don’t go there

My fascination and love for British culture has intensified recently. All thanks to TV shows like Sherlock Holmes, Ripper Street, and Broadchurch. The reoccurring meal in those shows? Fish & Chips!
Naturally, during a major Netflix binge of the shows above, I was craving some of it too and chose to come to H. Salt Esquire at this Westminster location – which is only one of 26 locations in SoCal!
For $ 5.50, you can receive the London Special that consists of two fried pieces of cod and a batch of fries. The fish is of average size, well battered, and deep fried to a golden brown. While this franchise boldly claims to make non-​greasy fish and chips on their website, I can’t say this location follows that standard. This combo will make you feel heavy, but is something I was prepared to consume. I feel the added greasiness ensures the regular person will be full after the meal. Despite this, I enjoyed my meal and felt as if I was eating something Sherlock would eat himself.
For an additional $ 1.50, I upgraded the fries to sweet potato and it’s something I recommend since it’s sugared generously, acting as a dessert at meals end.
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Conclusion: 3.5 Stars. Any of my Unilocal followers is aware that I dislike fish, however, I wouldn’t hesitate to come back here the next time the Brit in me has a craving. Wouldn’t be a bad place to visit during Lent either!
Extra Notes:
–Accepts credit card
–Service is lackadaisical – could be better
–Décor is wooden and old, but brings about the English feel
–Extra cocktail sauce or tarter sauce is an additional 50 cents – I don’t care for either sauce since the cocktail is too sweet and tarter sauce is as thick as potato salad. I’d much prefer eating with ketchup.
–Parking isn’t a problem
–No restroom

Original H. Salt Esq Fish and Chips. Would have rated 5 starts but the owner is a bit not rude, but impersonal. The male cook that has been there a long time is very friendly. I don’t make special trips for this restaurant but make it a point to go there for lunch anytime I am in the area. Fresh white flakey cod in a perfect (If you like traditional H. Salt fish) batter.
As for the review regarding selling oil containers, it is true they sell the containers, but they are empty/​dry and do not contain used cooking oil.

I love this place. I have gone here since I was young. The fish is very tasty and it never gets old. I recommend this place if you are a fish and chips person. Great service. I will be returning in the future.

My boyfriend loves this place and this is the only place that he would ever eat fish. He especially loves their cocktail sauce! (I usually don’t like cocktail sauce but I have to admit, they make it pretty good here.)
As for me, I am a big fan of fish and I thought this place was just OK. I thought the fish and chips were too soggy for me. (I actually had to bake them in the oven to get crispier at home.) The tarter sauce (which we were charged extra for, wth!!!) wasn’t good either. I thought it was kind of bland! (I kind of wished I had a jar of tarter sauce in the fridge at home because I was that desperate for better tarter sauce.) I also thought it was super greasy!
I read the other reviews and maybe I’ll consider coming back during lent season.

Eh
My dad bought home some fish and chip with onion rings. I did not like the batter they choose for the onion rings. It was the same type they used for the fish. Everything was super greasy and super oily. The flavoring was okay. My favorite were the fries. They were thick and pretty good. For fries, onion rings, and fish the total was $ 6.25 but they charge you extra for tarter sauce (45 cents). I probably won’t eat food from here again.

Do you believe in the One True Fish? You know, –Cod.
What self-​respecting Brit would try to pass off fried whitefish or Alaskan pollock as authentic? NOT good eats… yes I’m looking at you, Union Jack!
The H. Salt Esq. Fish & Chips chain was founded decades ago by a British expatriate gent who wanted to bring the street food of his homeland to California. The humble little restaurants are decorated like a love letter to Merry Olde England.
The simple $ 4.50 London Special is H Salt’s signature dish – two pieces of battered, deep fried cod and a basket of fries, er, «chips». They always ask if you want it salted – Heck Yeah. The batter on H Salt’s fried fish is always freshly crispy and golden, a perfect contrast to the tender, steamy white fish inside. The same process and batter is used to cook their shrimp, clams, and hearty chunks of zucchini. The fried oysters are likewise fresh and tasty, but only average as oysters go, and battered with that crumbly stuff you usually find on onion rings– I stick with the fish.
Crack open your wallet and spend the measly .15 cents to try their luscious homemade tartar sauce. I happen to prefer tartar sauce over malt vinegar, but then, I’m only a quarter British. Perhaps the Irish faction of my genes rebels?
Take advantage of their Daily Specials to sample H Salt’s array of heart-​stopping fried goodness – you’ll come in way under the ten-​dollar mark.