Upon arrival to Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill, I was overwhelmed by the aroma of fresh seafood and flavors fumigating in the air.

To my left, I saw a display window full of fresh options running along the whole side of the shop.

To my right, I saw a few indoor tables as well as an outdoor seating area with string lights hanging overhead.

To say the least, the ambiance was pretty lit.

I recently made a visit to Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill off India Street in Downtown San Diego.

The seafood tasted fresh, the staff was friendly, the service was fast and the environment was lively yet casual and cozy.

The menu comes with a plethora of fresh seafood to choose from, including red snapper, yellowtail, shark, calamari, seared ahi, jumbo scallops, grilled shrimp, swordfish and others.

The best aspect of the menu was the ability to personalize my order by choosing the type of fish I wanted, the flavor of marinade I wanted it cooked in and how I wanted it prepared.

Guests can choose to have their seafood prepared in a sandwich, in a salad, on a plate with rice or in tacos.

Rachael Hoffner is 22 years old and has been working as a waitress at Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill for two months now.

“This is my favorite restaurant,” she sad. “The best part is being around all the fresh seafood. It’s just so good.”

I ordered the calamari, grilled shrimp and mahi mahi tacos, all with the lemon garlic butter marinade.

My favorite was the calamari, simply because I would never had calamari in a taco before, yet all three were fantastic.

While the menu does offer a wide variety of seafood options, be prepared that some of the options may not be available on certain days.

I originally decided to order the seared ahi, but I was told by the cashier that the kitchen was not making seared ahi that day.

I settled for the mahi mahi instead at the recommendation of the cashier, and was not disappointed.

Public administration senior Donny Chen ordered the shark taco originally, but the staff also informed him that the shark was not available that day.

He went with the yellowtail instead, and was pleased with this option.

Our appetizers arrived in less than 10 minutes.

We ordered the fried calamari, which tasted fresh and was big enough for three of us to share. 

Our entrées arrived just a few minutes later. I was impressed at the speediness of the service.

The hefty portions in the tacos were a huge plus as well. My fish taco came with two large pieces of mahi mahi, and my shrimp taco did not skimp on the shrimp either.

Along with the great quality food, my favorite part of the restaurant was the outdoor atmosphere.

Although the restaurant is right next to the freeway, the rustic décor and lively music transport guests to another place.

It was really not as big of a nuisance as I would have expected.

“I really liked the atmosphere. It was really laid back and everyone working there was super friendly,” said Jessica Davis, a public administration junior. “I got the clam chowder and a wahoo fish. Both were delicious and I even ordered a second bowl of soup to go!”

Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill is the perfect place for those looking for great quality and authentic seafood at a casual, cozy environment.

The menu is filled with plenty of options that allow guests to mix and match food and flavor for their particular tastes while relaxing in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I will definitely be going back for more tacos.