Immediately Release/Pacific Catch

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and immediately thought: Nope. That was exactly my reaction upon stepping into Pacific Catch in Santa Monica. Ambience goes a long way in shaping first impressions, and mine was “head for the hills!” The space looked disheveled — bar stools askew, unbussed tables — more like one of Mr. Pickey’s bachelor friend’s apartments than a proper dining room.

Our server eventually approached, but even something as simple as water became an ordeal. After asking for still water with ice, we waited nearly 20 minutes. When it arrived, there was no ice. Not exactly a promising start.

We were four hungry diners, and began with the Coconut Shrimp, which, to be fair, was the highlight of the meal. The shrimp were crisp and flavorful, with a sweet chili sauce that worked. Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there.

• Cabo Calamari: Crispy on the outside, but the flavor was disappointing. Easily one of the worst calamari dishes I’ve had.

• Salmon Patagonia, Chile: Dry and uninspired.

• Alaskan Cod Fish & Chips: The fish was passable, but the chips were cold, soggy, and far from the “crispy” we requested. The jalapeño tartar sauce and limp coleslaw didn’t help.

• Mexican Grill Seared Shrimp Bowl: An enormous portion, but painfully spicy. With corn, beans, pico, guacamole, cotija, rice, and more, it was a mishmash that overwhelmed instead of delighted. A quarter was eaten; the rest went home.

• Chilean Sea Bass (my dish): Truly disastrous. The fish was drowned in an overpowering citrus chimichurri that smothered not only the bass but also the fries and green beans beneath.

Service mirrored the food: lackluster and inattentive. When my plate was cleared—still full—our server didn’t even bat an eye.

Bottom line: aside from the shrimp appetizer, the experience was a miss from start to finish. Pacific Catch is one place I’d steer clear of in the future.

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