Fisherman's Market and Grill

Fisherman's Market and Grill
215 W. Kathleen, Coeur d'Alene
(208) 664-4800
(Review by Jesi B.)

It's Friday afternoon and my roommate and I are hungry again. Our aimless drive led us up Government way in search of sustenance and I recalled a place my parents recommended to me once upon a time. One city block and a quick left turn later we had found it.

Fisherman's Market and Grill sits nestled between Super 1 and a semi-deserted miniature strip mall, neon beer signs adorn the windows in the beautiful stone building and a large vinyl banner with the word “SUSHI” flaps in the breeze below the permanent sign. We walked inside and settled in to one of the bistro-style tables then started toward the area of the counter labeled “Order Here”.

After much debating on my part we settled on the Buffalo Club Fishwich for 8.95 (Spicy Buffalo fried cod, bacon, guacamole, American cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato) with cioppino and the Tiger shrimp Fish and Chips for 8.95 with 2 specialty tartar sauces (wasabi cucumber soy, and the Jamaican jerk style) as well as my choice of wacky coleslaw (Thai peanut coconut for me!).
Waiting time for our food was a reasonable 10 minutes and while waiting we enjoyed some soon to be extinct Coeur d' Alene Brewing Company ales.

As the cook came out with a proud smile and announced our names, we sprang from our table and approached our lunchtime feast. The food smelled excellent! After arriving at the table I snapped a quick photo and we dug in.

The sandwich was well constructed with a great array of flavors. The crispy cod was lightly coated in a mild buffalo sauce and the bacon was tender enough to bite through without tearing the sandwich apart. A bit of expertly seasoned guacamole and not too many veggies make this a truly tasty choice. Unfortunately, the cioppino soup was not as flavorful as I’d hoped it would be and the seafood within it was a tad rubbery. Edible, but not fantastic.

My Tiger Shrimp was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of breading. It tasted really good with the Wasabi tartar. The Jamaican tartar was a little bland, but I enjoyed it after the good stuff ran out. My French fries appeared to be cut from actual potatoes and really were the gem of this meal, although I had to salt them myself, I felt like that action would insure that the perfect amount would be applied. I wasn’t expecting it to have cabbage, but the Thai Peanut Coconut coleslaw surprised me by including it and it turned out less upsetting than I had planned. It tasted great and the textures blended together enough to allow me to fool myself into thinking it was all coconut.

All in all, it was a far cry from the fish sticks in burger buns that Mom used to feed me, and much better than I expected from a Fish Market and Grill in North Idaho. The deli-style atmosphere works well for these folks and it makes all of their services accessible to those who are easily confused (myself included). An excellent beer and wine selection, friendly staff, and large menu will keep me coming back for more lunches with friends.