Those looking for their fish fried need to head to Oscar’s Pier 83, which has been a local institution for 20 years. The newly renovated restaurant, tucked into a strip mall in Glendale, specializes in frying up seafood: It offers po’boys, fish tacos, and every kind of fish and chips imaginable. Non-fried fans can find a number of broiled dishes, including mahi mahi and Eastern haddock. Add on a side of the seafood pasta salad to soak in as much ocean goodness as possible.

This New Orleans-inspired restaurant offers spice levels from 1 to 10 and all of the classics — etouffee, gumbo with every protein imaginable, shrimp with grits, and more. There’s P.E.I mussels available in a creamy Creole sauce alongside chilled appetizers like oysters on the half shell and a crab meat cocktail. Stopped by at lunch for a baked potato overflowing with seafood dip, stuffed with crawfish, crab, and shrimp.

The original location on Camelback has long been a favorite spot for the famous faces of the city, but the food that draws them there is just as good at any of the three restaurants. With fresh catch from small producers flying in every day and a timestamped daily raw bar menu, Buck and Rider does its best to close the gap between Phoenix and the ocean for its ingredients. While the price can quickly run up for items (like a seafood platter for $235), stop in for happy hour to get better deals at the oyster bar or appetizers like the smoked trout dip.

The notable Mastro brothers specialize in high-end dining experiences, with their Steak 48 restaurants dotted across the country. Ocean 44 is currently their only seafood location; it is not unusual to dine among pro athletes and other local celebrities on any given night here. The offerings are decadent, from Maine lobster escargot topped with caviar to a side of New Bedford sea scallop gnocchi, in addition to entrees like whole jumbo Alaskan king crab legs. Don’t skip the dessert menu, which contains enough variety to satisfy any sweet tooth: standouts include the vanilla caramel cake with pecans or the triple-layer Key lime pie.

There aren’t any menus listed on Nelson’s website, specifically because the fish market does not classify itself as a restaurant — instead, it prepares dishes based on the best fresh fish available and sells them until they run out. Devotees of this fish market know time is of the essence when trying to secure a daily special, like the once-a-week lobster roll, but offerings are generally based on whatever happens to be the seasonal catch. Expect significant crowds at lunchtime, especially at the Arcadia location that pulls in office workers, all clamoring around the relatively small but jam-packed display case.

Chula’s fishing boat pulls in the best the waters off San Diego have to offer, then ships them straight out to Phoenix. Daily menu selections reflect what has arrived from Southern California, but there are some everyday options worth stopping in for. Try the green chile tuna melt, which blends the spice of Hatch green chiles, Oaxaca cheese, and confited albacore tuna, setting an impossible bar for any tuna melt that comes after it. Make sure to check out what’s available to buy to take home at the fresh fish counter before leaving.

For over 20 years, colorful Mariscos Playa Hermosa has been serving up seafood dishes with flavors from Mexican beach towns. While most Mexican restaurants in town have some kind of seafood component, this restaurant, affectionately known as MPH to locals, specializes in it. The large menu overflows with options; it would take multiple visits to get through the aguachiles and ceviches alone. There are shrimp and fish dishes, specials like lobster or crab enchiladas, and even a whole grilled octopus. Don’t skip out on the bright and playful cocktail list, which includes handmade ingredients like michelada mix and chamoy; switch things up by adding the chiltepin rim mix to your glass.

There aren’t a ton of restaurants in the Valley that have decades-long histories, but the Salt Cellar has been an underground establishment since 1971. The fine dining seafood restaurant seats customers at white linen tables that are below ground, full of old-school charm. First-timers should order the shrimp cocktail, which includes massive shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce, to kick things off (regulars already know to do it). The menu is packed with traditional entrees that fit Salt Cellar’s vibe; if you’ve ever wanted to order a whole live Maine lobster, this is the place to do it.

A staple in South Phoenix and Glendale, Mariscos El Dorado Sinaloa has been serving up seafood Sinaloan-style since 2015, first as a pop-up, then as a food truck, and then expanding into their two locations over the following five years. Having just renovated the Phoenix restaurant, diners can enjoy the signature Molcajete El Dorado, which overflows with octopus, fish, and shrimp in a traditional stone bowl, underneath a Kahlo-esque mural. With more than 120 items on the menu, including some killer sushi rolls, this family-owned restaurant slings seafood in virtually any form. One of the best options are botanas, or “snacks,” here manifesting as dishes piled high with shrimp and octopus prepared in a variety of ways. Make sure to try one of the ceviche or aguachile options, which have been a menu mainstay since the pop-up days.  – more at eater.com