Jeff's Pub

I apologize for my two-week hiatus from updating this blog, but in moving from Tustin to Fullerton, I haven't had internet access! I will try to make up for being absent these past two weeks by heavily posting to Afishionado.

Growing up my entire life on the West Coast, I have been fortunate to have easy access to fresh seafood whenever I want it. Traveling to Arizona this summer for a short vacation, I wasn't expecting to feast on seafood, much less delicious seafood comparable to that which I find on the coast. When my Tucson host suggested fish and chips for dinner, I certainly wasn't expecting a place like Jeff's Pub.


Jeff's Pub is a sports bar with a limited number of domestic beers on tap, sports betting, a juke box, pool tables, arcade games, and of course television screens everywhere. Upon entering the establishment, there is a dimly lit bar straight ahead, a dining room to the right, and games to the left.


There is also an outdoor dining patio with misters and umbrellas to alleviate the hot desert heat. Jeff's Pub is a place to sit down and relax with a cold brew and come good food.


For being in a land-locked state, I was surprised to find that the fish at Jeff's Pub was quite flavorful and moist, but not mushy. I tried the grilled fish first and it came with french fries, coleslaw, garlic toast, tarter sauce, cocktail sauce, and a lemon wedge. The coleslaw, while well-marinated, had a bit too much vinegar and was quite sour. Each table had ketchup and malt vinegar, so they were well prepared for the abundance of diners looking for the Friday fish fry special. While the fish was quite excellent and flaked easily, the french fries were under par, some were limp and soggy and they were not sufficiently salted.


I came into Jeff's Pub knowing I would be ordering traditional fish and chips (fried), and that's why I started my dinner healthfully, with the grilled fish. I next ordered the beer-battered fish and it was delicious. I am glad I started with the grilled fish because if I had the beer-battered fish as my first plate, I probably wouldn't have bothered with the grilled fish. The beer-batter was delicate and did not obscure the flavor of the cod. The fish remained tender even through the deep-fry and was not greasy. The crispy exterior of the light batter with the flaky and very flavorful fish made an excellent combination without making the meal feel heavy.

Many of my preconceived notions were put to the test by visiting Jeff's Pub. First was my belief that good seafood can only be found when you are twenty minutes from the coast and second was trusting a bar to only satisfy a craving for beer. This was a good start to my vacation and weekend!

Jeff's Pub
112 South Camino Seco
Tucson, AZ 85710
(520) 751-2047