BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Nick’s Fish House’s convenient location — right off Interstate 95 on exit 54 — is its biggest plus.

Since its opening two years ago, this seafood-centric destination has been quite popular. In the summer, the huge deck is overrun with a rowdy young college crowd. On game day, it’s a zoo depending who’s playing, pretty much any time of year. Thankfully for those preferring not to be jostled when they eat, almost any other time, this place is the perfect place for a quiet dinner on the waterfront, or a weekend or weekday lunch.

We visited on a quiet Sunday night, with friends from White Marsh and Laurel. We started with catfish fingers ($8.95) fried catfish strips you dip in Nick’s dipping sauce — addictive. A special oxtail soup was featured ($6.75), and, though rustic was also very good. We also shared a yummy appetizer portion of ribs ($9.95).

The seafood platter ($23) featuring a 6-ounce crab cake accompanied by three scallops, three jumbo gulf shrimp, two oysters and whitefish was tasty, not to mention a great way to taste a bit of several of their extensive seafood offerings all at once. One seafood-shy friend ordered chicken pot pie ($9.95), which turned out to be more comforting than outstanding, yet also quite enjoyable. Needing some vegetables, we ordered a Popeye pizza ($10) with tomatoes, cheese and spinach, and that was also good.

For dessert, we shared a piece of guiltily great chocolate cake ($4.95). Even with a few of us, we couldn’t finish it — it was so rich. The desserts change regularly and are a combination of in house and not.

The wine list is well ... this is a Fish House, so don’t get your hopes too high. No exciting finds, but we can live with that given the setting. Most of the menu works better with beer anyway.

If you go

Nick’s Fish House, 2600 Insulator Drive, Baltimore; 410-FISH123

» Hours: Open daily

» Dress: Casual to a bit dressier

» Credit Cards: Yes

» Kid friendly: Yes

» Liquor license: Yes

» Parking: Lot

» Wheelchair accessible: Yes

» Smoking: Smoking and nonsmoking

Comments from Examiner Readers

12:15 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 17, 2008 re: "New eateries may bud in Haight-Ashbury"

Gaza George said:
Let them eat and drink. Too many hemp products can be harmful to the multinational restaurant bottom line. Go liquor holes.

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7:27 AM MST on Fri., Oct. 5, 2007 re: "Chef Paolino�s dishes pasta with pizazz"

Examiner Reader said:
I was very surprised by the comment. When we go to eat at Chef Paolino, I always take the kids to a table first and either my husband or I order for all of us. Our first time there, we all took a menu to a table and then my husband went up and ordered for the family. I think the writer just misunderstood.

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8:42 AM MST on Wed., Sep. 12, 2007 re: "Chef Paolino�s dishes pasta with pizazz"

Examiner Reader said:
On the evening of 09/07/07 my family and I went to eat at this restaurant for dinner at 5:30 pm. Being our first time there I questioned if they would seat us or should we seat ourselves. The employee advised me we had to go order our food then we could seat ourselves. I ask him if I could please sit first. In my arms was my handicapped 5 year old daughter who from Spinal Bifida can not walk, my husband was carrying our 3 month old son and I had 3 other children with me ranging from 7 to 9. I explained to him I could not continue to hold her and go order my food due to her wait. It would be impossible to hold her and order, pay, ect. Even after explaining why I needed to be seated first he refused to do so. My family and I had to leave that establishment and to say the least was very dissatisfied with our first experience at the Chef Paolino Cafe.I believe this restaurant needs to change there process of ordering and seating customers. This process is very difficult for the handicapped

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12:51 PM MST on Mon., Jun. 25, 2007 re: "Powell brings Jamaican spice to Penn Quarter restaurant"

Anon said:
Chef Alex Powell's enthusiasm for his work and his creations comes across well in this article. As a food connoisseur and a lover of island flavors, it will be my priority to visit the 701 Restaurant. The chef takes me back to my own roots where the belief is that you can never go wrong with simple, natural ingredients. Way to go chef and welcome to DC!

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5:39 PM MST on Mon., Jun. 4, 2007 re: "Beer soup brightens meal in Ellicott City"

Examiner Reader said:
Sounds like a typical visit to most restaruants these days. Steak are always "iffy" I try to avoind them because a chef will tell you fat on a steak helps retain juices, but I don't like fat. Also, if I see a sauce on anything I avoid it. especailly at a place where I have never eaten. I had a friend that was a professional chef. I was grilling steaks at my house one day and asked him to show me how he made his steak taste so good. He rubbed both sides with salt.

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