Skip to content

Food & Drink

Counter Culture: Burien Fish House

Don’t be deceived by this restaurant’s humble appearance

By Brandon Ferguson May 13, 2025

Three breaded fish tacos from Counter Culture: Burien Fish House, topped with diced tomatoes, shredded cabbage, and creamy sauce on tortillas, served on a metal tray with two lime wedges.
Taco sampler Pirates Trio, with cod, salmon, and halibut.
Photo courtesy of Burien Fish House

Nestled in a small strip mall in an industrial corner of Burien, the Burien Fish House may not look like much from the outside, but don’t let its unassuming location fool you. This restaurant serves all the classic fish house fare — fish and chips, clam chowder, calamari, and one of the best places in Seattle to get fish tacos.

Exterior of Counter Culture: Burien Fish House with neon signs glowing in the windows, a red and white awning overhead, and a white car parked in front.
Nestled in a small strip mall in Burien
Photo courtesy of Burien Fish House
A bread bowl filled with creamy soup, topped with chopped green onions, sits on a tray lined with parchment paper at Counter Culture: Burien Fish House.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.
Photo courtesy of Burien Fish House
A takeout container from Counter Culture: Burien Fish House features crispy fried fish fillets, golden French fries, creamy coleslaw, and a lobster roll on a split-top bun.
Cod fish and chips with a lobster roll
Photo courtesy of Burien Fish House

 

You can customize your taco with a variety of fish options, including salmon, halibut, cod, and shrimp. Whether you prefer your fish grilled, fried, or blackened, the Burien Fish House offers it all, and the quality is exceptional. It’s easy to gauge how good a fish taco will be by testing out the grilled fish first, and this place nails it.

My absolute go-to is the blackened cod tacos.

Two grilled chicken tacos with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and creamy sauce, served on a metal taco holder with a slice of lime—just one of the fresh flavors you’ll find at Counter Culture: Burien Fish House.
Blackened cod tacos
Photo courtesy of Burien Fish House

This humble place is a little hole-in-the-wall spot that should be on the top of your list anytime you think “you know what sounds good, fish tacos.” But again, you can’t go wrong with anything here.

So, the next time you’re in the mood, skip the touristy spots and head straight to Burien Fish House. You will not regret it.

About Counter Culture

Brandon Ferguson is a CFO by trade but a foodie at heart. He has a passion for small, humble restaurants that rarely make it onto the radar of mainstream food critics or glossy dining guides. Join him as he discovers warmth, tradition, and authenticity along with great food.

Follow Us

Restaurant Roundup: Beer, Spanish Cuisine, and Farm to Table Trails

Restaurant Roundup: Beer, Spanish Cuisine, and Farm to Table Trails

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City

Have you heard about the Seattle pizza chain taking its crust across the country? Following a deal with Kroger, Tutta Bella’s SODO facility has turned up the heat, producing more than 10,000 Neapolitan-style pies, pastas, and fresh salads a day to ship to 1,200 stores in 40 states. Go ahead, take another slice of Seattle…

Ben McBee

Seattle Pizza Chain Goes National

Seattle Pizza Chain Goes National

Tutta Bella ramps up production after deal with Kroger

Seattle’s Tutta Bella pizza has signed a deal with Kroger and will now serve its Neopolitan-style pies in 1,200 stores in 40 states. Kroger’s first order of 85,000 pizzas generated more than $1 million in sales. “We didn’t set out to become a national food manufacturer — it happened organically, one pizza at a time,”…

Rob Smith

Where To Find ‘Authentic’ Mexican Food in Seattle

Where To Find ‘Authentic’ Mexican Food in Seattle

A primer ahead of Cinco de Mayo

With Cinco de Mayo upon us May 5, thoughts turn to Mexican cuisine. What is “authentic” Mexican cuisine, anyways? Gino Garcia, who grew up California’s Central Valley and traces his family roots to Mexico going back more than a century, says it’s a futile exercise to search for “real” Mexican cuisine in Seattle. “I don’t bother much with authenticity,” says Garcia, who is…

Chris S. Nishiwaki

Seattle Restaurant Roundup: Tourists, Canadians, Hot Honey, and Cider

Seattle Restaurant Roundup: Tourists, Canadians, Hot Honey, and Cider

Remember when hot honey burst onto the dining scene last year? You’d find it drizzled on pizza, slathered on fried chicken, even as a dipping option for cornbread. But if the temperature has turned down a bit for you on this trendy condiment, let Queen Bee’s Hot Honey — made and served up with Caribbean…

Ben McBee