Chula Seafood Proves That Phoenix Can Also Be a Seafood Town
10 Yumpoints | Tied for #14 in Phoenix | #1 in Scottsdale
We used to joke about not trusting any fish in Arizona because, y’know, there’s no water here. But if you think about it more than a second, refrigeration isn’t exactly a new technology, and the California coast is right there. So that’s the deal at Chula—they catch the fish on their boat in San Diego, then hike it here right away. Or it’s caught elsewhere and flown in. Either way, it’s super fresh, and the miracles they perform on the lobster roll specifically are worth the trip.
Where: Central and Camelback, South Scottsdale, and up by Greyhawk in N. Scottsdale
Website: chulaseafood.com
Reservations: Nope
Tip: I don’t know why I keep ordering the lobster roll, but it’s really good.
Reviews, Articles, and Awards
+1 Yumpoint | APR 26, 2024
Foodists Awards: 2024
Standout Signature Dish: Thai Peanut Poke Bowl - Finalist
+1 Yumpoint | FEB 13, 2024 / NIKKI BUCHANAN AND CHRIS MALLOY
Eater: The 38 Essential Restaurants in Phoenix
What started for the Heflin family as a sustainable commercial fishing operation in San Diego with a boat named Chula has become a mini seafood empire here in metro Phoenix, composed of three Valley outlets. Each store contains both a fish market and a restaurant, the latter offering bacon-studded clam chowder, poke bowls, sushi, smoked fish platters, Hatch chile tuna melts, and a legendary burrito stuffed with fresh fish, fries, and guacamole.
+1 Yumpoint | FEB 1, 2024
Phoenix New Times: The Top 100 Restaurants
Established in San Diego in 2009, this family-owned operation started selling never-frozen fish by the pound six years later in south Scottsdale (a second location opened in Uptown Plaza in 2019, then a third in north Scottsdale in 2022). Sustainability is a big thing at Chula. The owners have a 68-foot Hoquiam harpoon fishing boat (aptly named Chula) on which they travel the Pacific waters seeking deep-sea buoy swordfish and other California coast species.
+1 Yumpoint | JAN 16, 2024 / FELICIA CAMPBELL
AZ Central: 100 essential restaurants in metro Phoenix: The best places to dine in 2024
I love to take people who scoff at the idea of great seafood in the desert — silly considering we're only a four-hour drive to the sea — to Chula Uptown for lunch. Fresh-caught fish, much of it from Chula's very own fishing boats in San Diego, are stuffed into creative sandwiches, grilled and tossed over salads or sold raw for those who prefer to cook at home.
+1 Yumpoint | JAN 13, 2024 / LAUREN MILLINGTON
Female Foodie: The 16 Best Phoenix Restaurants
Chula started as a restaurant supplier, providing freshly caught seafood to some of our favorite Phoenix restaurants (re: Hush, Citizen Public House, Vecina), but after realizing how high the demand for fresh fish in Phoenix was, they opened up to the public. Stop by Chula for a fresh catch to prepare at home, or choose from a full menu featuring a wide variety of seafood prepared at their counter-service restaurant in Uptown Phoenix.
+1 Yumpoint |
Inspire • Travel • Eat: 23 Best Restaurants in Phoenix & Scottsdale
The best seafood restaurant and freshest seafood in town. Established in San Diego the family owned and operated company specialises in deep sea fishing off the Pacific coast bringing the most fresh fish to your plate.
+1 Yumpoint | APR 24, 2023
Foodists Awards: 2023 Foodist Awards
Phenomenal Fast Casual Concept - Finalist
+.5 Yumpoints | FEB 21, 2024 / BAHAR ANOOSHAHR
AZ Central: Chefs absolutely love these 10 metro Phoenix restaurants: 'Dining is an expression of art'
Food Network star and chef-owner of Course restaurant in Scottsdale, Cory Oppold is a fan of San Diego-based Chula Seafood for "amazing ingredients and amazing flavor profiles." Patrons can grab seafood to prepare at home or order from the menu of dishes like clam chowder, Hawaiian style poke and seafood sandwiches.
+.5 Yumpoints | JAN 30, 2024 / ASONTA BENETTI
Eater: Phoenix’s Essential Seafood Restaurants
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 SoCal, but there are some everyday options worth stopping in for.
+.5 Yumpoints | JAN 3, 2024 / LAUREN MILLINGTON
Female Foodie: 12 Best Sandwiches in Phoenix
We’ve sung the praises of Chula multiple times and if you’re craving a tuna melt—or any fish sandwich—this is the place to go. This classic dish is given a kick of southwestern spice adding hatch green chiles and a spiced Oaxaca cheese to the fatty confit tuna, all pressed together until thin and crispy on Noble bread. These flavors alone are drool-worthy, but Chula doesn’t stop there, pairing it with a herby chimichurri to take this decadent sandwich to the next level.
+.5 Yumpoints | DEC 22, 2023 / LAUREN TOPOR
The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Scottsdale
Chula Seafood is a fast-casual spot that’s great for when you want more surf than turf. They have a dedicated following for their reinvented tuna melt with hatch chile, oaxaca cheese, and chimichurri. If it’s a scorcher outside, order one of the poke bowls for a raw fish cool down, but if you're after some heat, go with the spicy yellowfin tuna loaded with shishito peppers.
+.5 Yumpoints | AUG 7, 2023 / ASONTA BENETTI
Thrillist: The Scottsdale Restaurants You Should Be Dining at Right Now
While we may be miles away from the nearest ocean, the seafood is always fresh at Chula. Having your own boat and family owned and operated fishery in Point Loma undoubtedly helps. The family business off-loads directly from the boat in California and delivers straight to Arizona. And for that, we are all so grateful.
+.5 Yumpoints | JUL 25, 2023 / LAUREN MILLINGTON
Female Foodie: 10 Best Tacos in Phoenix
If you’re looking for budget-friendly tacos, scroll on, but if you’re a coastal transplant desperate for fresh fish tacos, head straight to Chula Seafood. Chula trucks fresh fish in daily from San Diego (the owner’s father is a deep-sea fisherman) and is the seafood supplier for many of our favorite restaurants in Phoenix. Not only do they wholesale their fish, but their kitchen also offers sandwiches, poke, burritos, and some of the best tacos in Phoenix.
