Where to Shop for Seafood in the Philly Area
Whether you're looking for whole fish, caviar, or some shucking guidance, Philly has plenty of options for all your seafood needs.
Photograph courtesy of Samuels Seafood
For a city surrounded by so much water (and so close to the ocean) it’s surprisingly tough to get your hands on the best fish and shellfish. But if you know where to look, there are some excellent options — new and not so new — for buying seafood in and around Philly. Here are the spots we turn to when we want to shuck oysters, grill a whole dorade, or make tuna hand rolls at home. (Ideally on a roof deck with a glass of white wine resting precariously on a railing somewhere, since you asked.)
Fishtown Seafood, Fishtown
This 2022-opened, sustainable shop run by Bryan Szeliga is particularly great for buying oysters from the region (as well as their bivalve brethren from a little further up and down the coast). On Fridays, you can get Szeliga’s weekly oyster pick for a buck each. But the shop isn’t limited to oysters by any means. Stop by for tinned fish, slabs of big-eye tuna, easy-to-peel tiger prawns, or sea scallops — all of which are shipped with minimal carbon footprint and kept fresh or chilled without chemicals added during the process. Plus, Fishtown Seafood runs classes every Monday (from how to shuck an oyster to how to make more sustainable choices when you shop) in case you’re looking for a gift for someone who has almost-romantic feelings about fish.
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Small World Seafood, multiple locations
Robert Amar’s seafood pick-up program started as a way to supply pandemic groceries to his neighbors and has ballooned into a full-blown company. Sign up for his weekly emails, where he takes you through the week’s offerings (which could consist of unagi or maybe chopped Virginia clams, or it could involve Faroe Islands salmon) then preorder and go grab your seafood at one of his five pick-up locations on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
Samuels Seafood, South Philly
Some of the best sushi and seafood-centric restaurants in Philadelphia get their fish from Samuel’s, which should be an indication of the quality of their product. If you’re looking for something special, like eel or cockles, they’re the people to call. Walk into their South Philly market, or get home delivery through Giuseppe’s Market, what they call the customer-facing side of their operation.
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Anastasi Seafood, Italian Market
Even though Anastasi’s restaurant unfortunately closed down (they’re supposedly looking for a new spot), the market is still open in its new spot at 1039 South 9th Street. Stop by for pre-made seafood salads, along with well-priced fresh and frozen items that they’re happy to advise you on how to cook. There are usually crabs and lobsters wiggling around in their bins on the sidewalk, so you should probably say hello to them, too.
Marco’s Fish Market, Italian Market
When Queer Eye came to Philly several years ago, they helped Marcos Tlacopilco expand from Marco’s Fish Market to Alma Del Mar, the seafood-heavy Mexican spot in the Italian Market. But the fish market is still open, and the seafood is fresh, affordably priced, and sold by some of the friendliest folks in the neighborhood. They’re open every day except Monday.
John Yi’s at Reading Terminal Market / Photograph by Laura Swartz
John Yi Fish Market, Center City
Located inside Reading Terminal Market, John Yi seafood is a long-time staple of the city. For nearly 40 years, they’ve been dishing out fish, shellfish, fresh and cooked lobster, and plenty of ready-to-cook dishes to help you get dinner on the table quickly. The staff here will happily steam you a live lobster, for anyone who might not have a giant lobster pot in that one-bedroom apartment of yours.
Hung Vuong Food Market, South Philly
Hung Vuong is a great spot for very fresh, affordable seafood. In the back of the grocery store, the seafood section is semi-self-serve. Grab a plastic basket, load it up with whatever you want, and then hand it to one of the guys working behind the counter. If you’re buying a whole fish, be sure to ask them to clean it for you, unless you want to make a huge mess in your own home.
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Fishadelphia, multiple locations
For people who love seafood and are open to trying some new types, Fishadelphia’s seafood club is one of our favorite options. For $24 a week, you’ll pick up a regular delivery of New Jersey seafood. Choose between whole fish (which you’ll have to clean yourself) or fillets, and get ready to cook. Pick-up locations are available all over the city.
H Mart, multiple locations
This Korean grocery chain is consistently stocked with excellent seafood, making it worth the drive to one of the city’s three nearby stores. Find octopus, catfish, squid, all kinds of shrimp, and much more. They’ll clean and even fillet whole fish for you, you just need to to ask.
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Philadelphia Caviar Co., home delivery
If you’re going to splash out for caviar, you want the best. Philadelphia Caviar Co. has the best. All sourced from within the U.S. and delivered directly to your home along with potato chips, crème fraîche, and other classic caviar accoutrements. They offer delivery on Saturdays for anyone who lives within ten miles of Philly (excluding Jersey residents, sorry). You can also schedule a pick-up in Rittenhouse or Old City.
