Restaurants are where most people enjoy seafood - chefs have access to wholesale and local seafood, and often prepare complex dishes that are hard to replicate at home. But how do you know if you’re ordering a local and sustainable choice?

Look for clues on the menu
Start with the specials menu - this is often where seasonal seafood options are offered by the chef. Are the species of fish listed? Where it was caught? The fisherman or seafood wholesaler who they sourced it from? If a restaurant is being this specific about its seafood, it’s likely conscious of seafood sustainability, and making good choices. If you see a “market price” listed, they’re often buying fresh fish that’s available locally.
Have a conversation with your waiter, or the chef!
If these details aren’t listed on the menu, the best way to find out is to have a conversation with your waiter. If the waiter isn’t knowledgeable about the seafood on the menu, ask if the chef might be able to answer your questions. If no one seems to know, it’s likely the restaurant doesn’t prioritize sourcing of local, sustainable seafood - it takes work and knowledge to do this.
Reference seasonality and sustainability guides
You can also easily educate yourself on what’s in season (therefore what’s likely to be local) by referencing our Seasonality Guide, and what’s sustainable by referencing the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Guide, which rates each species as a Best Choice, Good Alternative, or Avoid based on its origin and catch method.

When you have a conversation with restaurant staff, the chef or owner and ask them questions, it lets them know that you care about buying local, sustainable seafood.

When restaurant diners demonstrate a strong demand for local seafood, chefs are more likely to source more seafood from local fishermen, and label it accordingly on their menus. Choosing NOT to buy seafood is totally okay - and it’s powerful to let waiters, chefs and restaurateurs know why, as it can influence their buying practices.

We recommend asking the following questions when you visit a restaurant:

Are you offering any seafood that is locally-caught this week?
Which fish is in season this week? When did it come in?
Great! Do you have the name of the fisherman that caught it? I love to know the name of who caught what I’m eating and their story.
Where does your seafood come from? Who do you buy from?